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Reflections from news and commentary of the day
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Saturday, November 2, 2019
Spare Us From the Vichy Republicans | Common Dreams Views
Spare Us From the Vichy Republicans | Common Dreams Views: Item: Bob Livingston. Remember him? When last seen by the wider public in the waning, innocent years of the 20th century, he was the newly minted designee to succeed Newt Gingrich as Republican Speaker of the House. | By Mike Lofgren
North Korea’s Strong Hand Against the U.S. - WSJ
North Korea’s Strong Hand Against the U.S. - WSJ: With his nuclear arsenal firmly established, Kim Jong Un is in no hurry to make a deal, and he knows that President Trump is unlikely to seek confrontation
ISIS’s Next Perfect Storm – LobeLog
ISIS’s Next Perfect Storm – LobeLog: By Alessandro Regio President Donald Trump announced last Sunday morning that with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death and the United States’ withdrawal from Northern Syria, the terror organiz…
The price tag for Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for All: $20.5 trillion over 10 years
The price tag for Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for All: $20.5 trillion over 10 years
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2019/11/01/elizabeth-warren-released-detailed-plan-raise-trillon-pay-for-medicare-for-all-promising-middle-class-taxes-won-increase-one-penny/yWXQ1gsnfxwZ7T2UAqzr6I/story.html?et_rid=1925983868&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
MIT president acknowledges women, minorities on campus feel belittled, excluded - The Boston Globe
MIT president acknowledges women, minorities on campus feel belittled, excluded - The Boston Globe: The revelations that the school had ties to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may have ignited a fury on campus, but in its aftermath more deeply rooted cultural challenges have surfaced with “searing clarity,” MIT president Rafael Reif wrote.
Four factors driving pace, scale of climate action in U.S. dioceses | Earthbeat | National Catholic Reporter
Four factors driving pace, scale of climate action in U.S. dioceses | Earthbeat | National Catholic Reporter: On Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Atlanta Archdiocese celebrated its fourth annual Green Mass, a day to give thanks for God's creation and offer a blessing for people who work in area...
Sorry, pundits: The problem isn't "polarization" — Republicans have lost their damn minds | Salon.com
Sorry, pundits: The problem isn't "polarization" — Republicans have lost their damn minds | Salon.com: Mainstream media loves the "both sides" narrative. But the real problem is that the GOP has snapped the tether
America’s retreat will outlast Donald Trump Inbox x
America’s retreat will outlast Donald Trump
Lost in a Dark Wood: Final Thoughts on the Amazon Synod
Lost in a Dark Wood: Final Thoughts on the Amazon Synod
https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2019/11/02/lost-in-a-dark-wood-final-thoughts-on-the-amazon-synod/?utm_source=The+Catholic+Thing+Daily&utm_campaign=aa4fffe025-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_12_07_01_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_769a14e16a-aa4fffe025-244213773
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time: A precarious position | National Catholic Reporter
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time: A precarious position | National Catholic Reporter: What was he thinking? A short, petty but powerful man shinnying up a tree to spy as Jesus and friends passed through Jericho. There must have been advance publicity; somebody spread the news that Jesu...
Fixes for California Utility Fires Are Few, Slow and Expensive – InsideSources
Fixes for California Utility Fires Are Few, Slow and Expensive – InsideSources: California is burning. It was yesterday, it is today, and it will be tomorrow. The price in human life is enormous — in animal and plant life, too. The
Turkey to Send Captured ISIS Fighters to Home Countries | Asharq AL-awsat
Turkey to Send Captured ISIS Fighters to Home Countries | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities
Gavin Newsom creating CA energy czar after PG&E blackouts | The Sacramento Bee
Gavin Newsom creating CA energy czar after PG&E blackouts | The Sacramento Bee: PG&E, Edison and San Diego Gas will be regulated by a California energy czar. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the cabinet office following blackouts, power outages and wildfires caused by the utilities.
Guest Post by Patricia Paoletta: 5G and the World Radio Conference
By Patricia Paoletta, Washington, DC
You may have heard that the United States is in “a Race to 5G.” 5G—or the Fifth Generation of wireless broadband—will be 100x faster than 4G, connect up to 100x more devices, and be 5x more responsive through lower latency. 5G is expected to connect people, things, transport systems, and cities in smart-networked, always-on environments. 5G will transport a huge amount of content much faster, reliably connect millions of devices, and process very high volumes of data with minimal delay.
Europe approached its “race” prep differently than the U.S., valuing 5G foremost for its societal impact, including enhanced productivity of “vertical” sectors like transportation, healthcare, smart cities, industry, etc. Europe is ahead of the U.S. in supporting vertical sectors with 5G apps like connected cars, unmanned tractors and trucks, aerial and other drones, and industrial IoT (Internet of Things, like factory sensors and assembly robots). The U.S., which arguably won the race to 4G by getting more low- and mid-band licensed spectrum out to the market for the cellular operators, and who leveraged unlicensed Wi-Fi for bandwidth-rich apps, has prepped for its race by getting more high-band spectrum out to the market. The U.S. has already held two auctions of high-band spectrum (at 28 GHz and 24 GHz) over the last two-years, and is slated to auction more high-band spectrum next year. High-band spectrum supports fast data rates and greater capacity, and is ideal for the densification of mobile networks in cities, while mid-band spectrum provides greater coverage.
Some are calling this the “5G WRC,” since so much spectrum is expected to be identified in the higher bands. The WRC began October 28 and lasts through November 23.
The
ITU manages an international treaty called the “Radio Regulations”
which govern the use of spectrum on Member States’ borders. Article 5 of
this treaty contains the international table of spectrum allocations.
The general rule of thumb is that radio services (such as smartphones,
satellites, broadcasting and aeronautical, etc.) that are operating in
accordance with the Table of Allocations must be protected from
interference by a neighboring administration’s radio services. Countries
are sovereign to manage spectrum as they see fit within their own
territory, so long as their authorized services don’t cause interference
to a neighbor’s service that is licensed consistent with this Table of
Allocations. Of course, equipment manufacturers and vendors prefer to
have the largest addressable market so they can build and sell the same
radios for more markets, even if the cellular signal cannot propagate
across oceans.Today, there is almost 2,000 MHz worth of spectrum identified in the Table of Allocations for an application in the mobile service that the ITU calls “International Mobile Telecommunications” or IMT, which basically tracks to mobile broadband. The current identifications are in “low-band” spectrum, below 1 GHz, or “mid-band” spectrum, up to 4.9 GHz. At a WRC—a treaty-level conference—countries negotiate changes to the Table of Allocations. They also negotiate the study agenda for action at the next WRC in four years.
This year’s WRC will possibly identify as much as 11,000 MHz of “high-band” spectrum for 5G, with power limits that protect satellite and other incumbent services, but still allow mobile 5G services to operate consistent with their standard. In 2015, the earlier WRC agreed to study the range 24 – 86 GHz for possible identification this year. The U.S., through its Americas Region (the thirty-four countries from North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean that are members of the Organization of American States), supports the identification of this spectrum for 5G in a different mix than Europe. The Americas propose this mix of 11,000 MHz lower in the band, including in the 37-40 GHz and 47 GHz ranges where the U.S. plans to hold auctions next year. Europe’s proposal for approximately 11,000 MHZ includes the 66-71 GHz, which the U.S. made accessible for unlicensed devices in its 5G proceeding, Spectrum Frontiers, a few years back.
Which Region will win the day at WRC? Stay tuned, but history suggests that licensed spectrum lower in a range, coupled with unlicensed spectrum, is the winning strategy for deployment at home.
The agenda for the next WRC in 2023, negotiated next month in Egypt, will likely include an agenda item on 5G spectrum in the mid-band. Over the years, the U.S. has learned to work within its Region to maximize its success at WRCs. Europe, with almost 50% more countries inputting into the development of European Common Proposals (ECPs) for WRCs, often comes into a WRC with Proposals that have deeper and broader buy-in. Europe prepares for WRCs through the Conference of Post and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), which is broader than the European Union. CEPT includes 48 countries, including the likes of Switzerland, Turkey and Russia. With such a high number of countries agreeing to an ECP, the EU negotiators at a WRC are less likely to move off of an ECP lightly. Russia has also organized an additional preparatory group consisting of the former Soviet Union, called the Regional Commonwealth on Communications, which gives Russia outsized influence at a WRC.
The U.S. won the race to 4G because it made more low-band spectrum available for license to its cellular operators, but those U.S. operators were able to leverage more unlicensed Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz band. Europeans have never had as much 5 GHz Wi-Fi available to them, due to its own mix of government radar and satellite incumbents. The last several WRCs also studied the possibility of identifying more Wi-Fi spectrum (called “RLAN” for Radiocommunication Local Area Networks at the ITU), but Russia, Iran and other regimes less supportive of Wi-Fi were able to block such identifications. Realizing the importance of making more Wi-Fi, or RLAN, spectrum available within Europe to support affordable broadband, CEPT proposed a study of the adjacent 6 GHz band for RLAN availability in December 2017. The Wi-Fi industry has targeted the 6 GHz band for next-generation Wi-Fi, given the availability of broader channels not available in the 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz bands. Wi-Fi 6 will allow more seamless connectivity in device-dense environments like sports stadiums, transportation hubs, and industrial parks. Wi-Fi 6 will also support far more IoT connected devices than earlier generations, so will improve Industrial IoT functionality. Eight months later, the FCC similarly proposed that the 6 GHz band be made available for unlicensed Wi-Fi and other technologies.
Earlier this year, in an apparent spoiler move, China proposed studying the 6 GHz band for licensed cellular technology as part of the WRC-23 agenda, to be negotiated in Egypt. The scope of the mid-band study, particularly the inclusion of 6 GHz which both the U.S. and Europe propose for unlicensed technologies, will be a pitched battle at WRC, likely going down to the final days of the Conference.
WRC-19 will focus on other innovative platforms to deliver broadband. Given technological developments with lithium-ion batteries, antenna beam-forming, solar panels, and light-weight composite materials, high-altitude platforms (HAPS) at 20 km promise broadband speeds at more affordable price points for remote areas. CEPT has supported high-band identification of spectrum for HAPS at WRC-19 because of the interest of several of its aviation manufacturers, including Airbus, that has been developing a fixed-wing unmanned plane powered by solar-panels, and Thales, which has explored a lighter-than air dirigible to deliver broadband. The U.S. championed the study of HAPS at WRC-15, for decision at WRC-19, due to interest from Facebook and Google to deliver broadband more affordably in remote or underserved areas. Now the entire Americas Region, including the U.S., has a proposal for identifications for HAPS. Japan, which had been an early supporter of HAPS when first put on the Table of Allocations more than twenty years ago, is now pursuing a new agenda item for WRC-23 for high-altitude IMT base stations in the mid-band, due to interest from Softbank.
The explosion of non-geosynchronous satellite systems (NGSO) operating in low-Earth orbit also promise broadband speeds at lower cost than earlier satellite technology. HAPS and NGSO systems will also see action at WRC-19, including with spectrum identifications at WRC-19 for HAPS, and more studies for action in WRC-23 on additional spectrum bands.
Since 5G is an ecosystem of multiple platforms, WRC-19 will be the 5G WRC, with Europe and the U.S. in the lead.
Patricia Paoletta, who is attending the WRC as a U.S. Delegate, is a partner at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP and formerly served at the FCC, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Trade Representative. The views expressed above are her own and represent neither those of her clients or partners.
China, US carry forward trade talks despite APEC cancellation - Global Times
China, US carry forward trade talks despite APEC cancellation - Global Times
Beijing will only sign a deal if it is balanced: expert
California is on track to miss its climate targets—by a century
California is on track to miss its climate targets—by a century
And it’s likely to get harder, not easier, for the state to achieve ever deeper cuts in emissions.
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614663/california-is-on-track-to-miss-its-climate-targets-by-a-century/?utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_medium=tr_social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR28JigZ0pJPmbx_kHZfJJZwprUzzcmrGYoWHbATDLgb2PvY8Q9KqMgxjk8#Echobox=1572647565
Friday, November 1, 2019
False Security: Donald Trump and the Ten Commandments (Plus One) of the National Security State
False Security: Donald Trump and the Ten Commandments (Plus One) of the National Security State
In Defense of Tulsi Gabbard - Truthdig
In Defense of Tulsi Gabbard - Truthdig: “The trouble [with injustice] is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as politic
California governor threatens state takeover in PG&E bankruptcy case - PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) | Seeking Alpha
California governor threatens state takeover in PG&E bankruptcy case - PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG) | Seeking Alpha: California's Gov. Newsom says he wants to speed up the PG&E (PCG) bankruptcy case so the company can be restructured in time for next year's wildfire seaso
No Longer Worried About ISIS? Think Again | OZY
No Longer Worried About ISIS? Think Again | OZY: Counting the terrorists out after this tactical victory would be a big mistake, warns a former CIA chief.
Trade wars and other geopolitical tensions strain US–China scientific collaborations: Physics Today: Vol 72, No 11
Trade wars and other geopolitical tensions strain US–China scientific collaborations: Physics Today: Vol 72, No 11: Researchers are increasingly on edge about collaborations that until recently were encouraged.
Our misunderstanding of the hostage crisis still poisons US-Iran relations - The Boston Globe
Our misunderstanding of the hostage crisis still poisons US-Iran relations - The Boston Globe: The Carter-era incident has had an effect on our national consciousness — and foreign policy — comparable to the 9/11 attacks
Gavin Newsom creating CA energy czar after PG&E blackouts | The Sacramento Bee
Gavin Newsom creating CA energy czar after PG&E blackouts | The Sacramento Bee: PG&E, Edison and San Diego Gas will be regulated by a California energy czar. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the cabinet office following blackouts, power outages and wildfires caused by the utilities.
Editorial: We're fiddling while California burns - Opinion - Burlington County Times - Westampton, NJ
Editorial: We're fiddling while California burns - Opinion - Burlington County Times - Westampton, NJ: It was not supposed to be this bad. After years of punishing drought and wildfires, California had received more rain and snow, so this year's wildfire season was supposed to be milder than the devastation of the previous two.Yet there is a massive fire raging in Northern California and another threatening iconic stretches of Los Angeles, to name just two. The state braced Tuesday for more fire-fueling Diablo winds in the north and Santa Ana winds in the south.These winds aren't new, and their
Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection November 1, 2019
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Who Has the Passionate Intensity? - The Catholic Thing
Who Has the Passionate Intensity? - The Catholic Thing: David Carlin writes that a battle is on between “progressive” Catholics and traditional ones for the soul of the Church. Tradition needs an activist cadre.
Cemetery Masses are a Catholic Halloween Tradition
Cemetery Masses are a Catholic Halloween Tradition: There are many different cultural traditions around Allhallowtide, but one of the most consistently honored is the practice of visiting cemeteries.
South Bend Republican introduces fetal burial bill following discovery that abortion doctor hoarded remains
South Bend Republican introduces fetal burial bill following discovery that abortion doctor hoarded remains: House Republicans have introduced legislation that would require the burial or cremation of fetal tissue after abortions, a response to the discovery of thousands of fetal remains in the garage and car of an abortion doctor.
KY Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Print Shop Owner Who Refused To Print Messages Violating His Beliefs | The Daily Wire
KY Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Print Shop Owner Who Refused To Print Messages Violating His Beliefs | The Daily Wire: On Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a unanimous 6-0 ruling in favor of a Lexington-based print shop owner who refused to print messages that violated his deeply held religious beliefs. The case dates back to 2012, when the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) filed a complaint with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights […]
Mary Gautier, retiring from CARA, knows nostalgia is no match for data | National Catholic Reporter
Mary Gautier, retiring from CARA, knows nostalgia is no match for data | National Catholic Reporter: Mary Gautier has spent two decades trying to explain the Catholic Church to itself.
As bishops, priests and diocesan staff struggle to address the clergy abuse crisis, grapple with demographic change...
As bishops, priests and diocesan staff struggle to address the clergy abuse crisis, grapple with demographic change...
Saudi Arabia Provides $18 B Worth of Humanitarian Assistance to Help Refugees | Asharq AL-awsat
Saudi Arabia Provides $18 B Worth of Humanitarian Assistance to Help Refugees | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities
26 Agreements Worth $20b Sealed in Conclusion of ‘Invest Saudi’ | Asharq AL-awsat
26 Agreements Worth $20b Sealed in Conclusion of ‘Invest Saudi’ | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities
Joint Turkish-Russian Patrols Kick Off in Northeastern Syria | Asharq AL-awsat
Joint Turkish-Russian Patrols Kick Off in Northeastern Syria | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities
New Evidence Points to Mounting Trade Policy Effects on U.S. Business Activity
New Evidence Points to Mounting Trade Policy Effects on U.S. Business Activity
https://macroblog.typepad.com/macroblog/2019/11/new-evidence-points-to-mounting-trade-policy-effects-on-us-business-activity.html?utm_source=Hoover+Daily+Report&utm_campaign=954029b460-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_01_04_52&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-954029b460-73113757
A New Approach: Adult Foster Care For The Homeless | Hoover Institution
A New Approach: Adult Foster Care For The Homeless | Hoover Institution: On his visit to California in September 2019, President Donald J. Trump underscored the urgency of the homeless crisis in America’s largest state. On the eve of his visit, the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers issued a special report, “The State of Homelessness in America.” It attributes the problem, correctly, “to decades of misguided and faulty policies” and
Adam Schiff prospers inside the Star Chamber. @VDHanson @HooverInst
https://audioboom.com/posts/7412001-adam-schiff-prospers-inside-the-star-chamber-vdhanson-hooverinst?utm_source=Hoover+Daily+Report&utm_campaign=954029b460-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_11_01_04_52&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_21b1edff3c-954029b460-73113757
Energy, megaprojects dominate 2019 US construction industry | Utility Dive
Energy, megaprojects dominate 2019 US construction industry | Utility Dive: Utility industry news, voices and jobs for energy industry professionals. Optimized for your mobile phone.
PG&E found more than 100 damaged assets, hazards following massive power shutoff
PG&E found more than 100 damaged assets, hazards following massive power shutoff
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pge-found-more-than-100-damaged-assets-hazards-following-massive-power-sh/566369/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202019-11-01%20Utility%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:23898%5D&utm_term=Utility%20Dive
Bolstered by bad eucharistic theology, the 'wafer wars' are back | National Catholic Reporter
Bolstered by bad eucharistic theology, the 'wafer wars' are back | National Catholic Reporter: Ugh. The "wafer wars" are back. Nothing so exemplifies the culture warrior approach as the denial of the Eucharist to pro-choice politicians, and that approach has failed as an ecclesial proposition. ...
U.S. imposes new Iran sanctions, but waives others - Reuters
U.S. imposes new Iran sanctions, but waives others - Reuters: The United States said on Thursday it had imposed sanctions on the Iranian construction sector and trade in four materials used in its military or nuclear programs, even as it waived sanctions to let foreign firms continue non-proliferation work in Iran.
Reuters Exclusive: Iran intervenes to prevent ousting of Iraqi prime minister - sources
Exclusive: Iran intervenes to prevent ousting of Iraqi prime minister - sources
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/exclusive-iran-intervenes-to-prevent-ousting-of-iraqi-prime-minister---sources/ar-AAJERtz?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=iran_intervenes_in_iraq_prevents_removal_of_prime_minister&utm_term=2019-11-01
Kincade Fire: Northern California wildfire 68% contained | The Sacramento Bee
Kincade Fire: Northern California wildfire 68% contained | The Sacramento Bee: The Sonoma County fire has burned more than 121 square miles, but Cal Fire personnel made good progress Thursday and overnight as windy weather conditions have eased significantly across Northern California.
Spouses forever: It’s possible to love each other even more after infidelity
Spouses forever: It’s possible to love each other even more after infidelity: Nicola and Antonella had been married a short time, but their “dream” already seemed to have faded away. She was focused on her pregnancy, and he on his father’s illness. They were close, but their…
All Souls Day is a great time to talk to your kids about death - but how?
All Souls Day is a great time to talk to your kids about death - but how?: Here are 2 ways to approach the topic of death and the hope of eternal life with your children.
Walk around a cemetery this November
Walk around a cemetery this November: Each year, from November 1-8, the Catholic Church offers a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions applicable only to the Holy Souls in purgatory when you visit a cemetery and pray for the de…
What is All Souls’ Day and how is it celebrated around the world?--Aleteia
What is All Souls’ Day and how is it celebrated around the world?--Aleteia: All Souls' Day is dedicated to remembering all who have died, particularly, the souls in purgatory.
Facial recognition could be most invasive policing technology ever, warns watchdog | ZDNet
Facial recognition could be most invasive policing technology ever, warns watchdog | ZDNet: UK's Information Commissioner's Office challenges the interpretation of a court ruling that gave the green light for using facial recognition on the public.
The ACLU sues the DOJ for details on its use of facial recognition technology | ZDNet
The ACLU sues the DOJ for details on its use of facial recognition technology | ZDNet: After the FBI and DEA failed to comply with a FOIA request pertaining to their use of biometric data, the ACLU is asking a federal court to intervene.
Formal impeachment vote: Are we watching Republican Party's demise?
Formal impeachment vote: Are we watching Republican Party's demise?: There isn’t much more ground to cover between the historic vote on Halloween and the final immolation of the Republican Party.
Podcast: High crimes and misdemeanors: how much will they matter? Inbox x
Impeachment by Democrats in the House may lead to trial in the Senate, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Can he prevent the Republican majority from rushing to judgement? Trump and many Republicans are scornful of the separation of powers between Congress, the judiciary and the administration. A president elected in 2016 might be removed from office, even before voters get another chance in 2020. Whatever the outcome, will it restore or erode America’s faith in the institutions designed by the Founding Fathers to protect democracy?
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