Category Archives: Life Extension

When you have gardening questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State Universitys Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website and type in a question and the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. Whats yours?

Earwigs tend to feed at night and hide during the day.OSU Extension Service

Q: The annuals we planted a couple of weeks ago at our residential home in Bend have been eaten by something. We have tried three different recommendations, including slug bait, insecticide powder, as well as a spray. Nothing seems to be helping. No visible insects during any daylight hours. Any ideas on what is causing this and recommendations to get rid of them would be greatly appreciated. We did plant the same types of annuals at the same time last year and had no issues. Deschutes County

A: Without actually seeing an insect feeding on your plants I cannot be positive but this looks like earwig damage. They tend to feed at night and hide during the day. You could try to put out traps of rolled, moistened newspaper with a couple of drops of fish oil in the middle of the roll. This will entice earwigs to go into the newspaper which you should discard into the trash daily. Another trap for earwigs is a small can (like a tuna can) placed in the ground so the top is even with the soil line. Place a little water (not more than half full) with a couple of drops of fish oil in the can and a drop of non-fragrant dish soap. This will trap the earwigs too. These traps may catch other insects that may be the culprits if not earwigs. If you do find that earwigs are caught in the traps, a chemical solution is Sluggo Plus that is labeled for earwigs. I'm sorry your flowers were eaten. I hope you can trap the insect so you learn what is doing the damage. Toni Stephan, OSU Extension horticulturist

These are lady beetle larvae (ladybugs).OSU Extension Service

Q: We found many of these creatures lining the pavement at the base of our garage door. Can you identify it for us? I personally looked through 501 bugs of Oregon and through what I could find on the OSU site. I found nothing resembling them. We just want to make sure they are harmless to our plants and home. Lane County

A: These are lady beetle larvae (ladybugs). We love these guys and their voracious appetite for eating other insect that eat our plants, and they are so cute in all their life stages. Chrissy Lucas, OSU Extension small farms specialist

The coreopsis beetle (Calligrapha californica) only feeds on coreopsis, sometimes called tickseed.OSU Extension Service

Q: I just found a few of my plants that are covered in an insect that looks like a striped ladybug. They appear to be eating the leaves of the plant, and they seem to be isolated to this specific plant. Are they harming the plant? How can I get rid of them if they're not going to be beneficial? Washington County

A: The insect is the coreopsis beetle (Calligrapha californica) and it only feeds on coreopsis, sometimes called tickseed.

Both the larvae and adults feed on coreopsis. They seem to be periodic pests, gobbling coreopsis for a year or so, then no activity at all.

You must act quickly because these beetles will rapidly reduce the plant down to shreds. Direct hits of a commercial insecticidal soap will get rid of the soft-bodied larvae whereas the adults must be handled more directly flick them into a cup of soapy water. Don't use a homemade concoction of soapy water as it's likely to further damage the plant.

For text and images about coreopsis beetles, go here. To see the images, you may need to click each empty box, which is an icon for an image. Jean R. Natter, OSU Extension Master Gardener diagnostician

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How to stop earwigs and coreopsis beetles: Ask an expert - oregonlive.com

Goldstar Insurance and Prudential Uganda have partnered to offer a new insurance cover to offer life insurance cover to Goldstars Workmans Compensation and Group Personal Accident Policyholders.

The new insurance product called COVID19 Group Life Extension Insurance Cover covers groups of individuals of companies and organizations against devastating COViD19 pandemic. It is underwritten by Prudential.

In the new partnership, Prudential shall offer cover against Natural Death to all Goldstar Workmans Compensation and Group Personal Accident Policyholders against death due to natural causes.

Goldstar Insurance said this cover is an extension of your existing Workmans Compensation & Group Personal Accident policy with Goldstar to bridge the gap left out by this class of insurance.

The death benefit enshrined under the traditional workers compensation and group personal accident is only payable if death is due to accidental causes and does not include death due to natural causes including Covid19,

Because of the above shortcoming, Goldstar Insurance has partnered with Prudential Life to offer cover against natural death to all Goldstar and GPA Policy Holders and death due to Covod19 is hereby covered, Goldstar has said.

Meanwhile, Very early on in the COVID 19 crisis, Prudential took the decision to ensure that all their clients, staff, agents and indeed as many Ugandans that might, unfortunately, get diagnosed with Covid-19, are given a cash payout to help their families manage expenses.

This according to Arjun Mallik the Managing Director Prudential East Africa, was to cushion the families with financial assistance as their loved ones get healed from COVID- 19.

BY EABW REPORTER

Related

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Goldstar Insurance and Prudential partner to offer COVID -19 cover - Uganda

Observing lockdown norms, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) fraternity bade an e-farewell to noted Punjabi film star and head, department of extension education, Jaswinder Bhalla, which was live-streamed on the Facebook page of the legendary artist.

The farewell ceremony was led by vice-chancellor (V-C) BS Dhillon.

Dhillon, while wishing for Bhallas long and healthy life, lauded his hard work and dedication due to which he proved himself a perfect blend of an artist and agricultural scientist.

The V-C said the university will always look for Bhallas support and hoped the latter will stay in touch with the institution.

Highlighting the role played by artists in helping Punjab tide over various kinds of challenges, Dhillon called upon the film, music and stage artists as well as writers to lead from the front in the social reconstruction of the state.

Former V-Cs KS Aulakh and MS Kang were also present online and appreciated Bhallas impeccable management of his dual professions.

In his address, Bhalla gave credit to the university for giving him a conducive platform and professional guidance to realise his personal and professional dreams.

Bhallas journey to stardom started as a student from the stage of PAU in the I980s. He joined the university as a lecturer in the department of extension education in 1989.

For more than 30 years, Dr Bhalla not only ruled the Punjabi film industry as a fine artist, he was the ambassador and face of PAU in the eyes of public. On stage, he could keep audiences entertained for hours with his wit and humour during the universitys kisan melas.

Apart from senior officers of the university, executive members of the teachers and non-teachers associations and Bhallas fans from around the world came online to wish him on day of his retirement.

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Punjab Agricultural University gives warm send-off to Bhalla - Hindustan Times

When Cliff Jordan passed away at the age of 62 in June, his wife of 34 years, Donna Jordan, wanted to do something to carry on his legacy. He had been actively involved in many ministries of his church, the Smyrna First United Methodist Church in Cobb County.

While praying, she said the Lord let her know closer to home as a way to remember her husband and help his community. On March 1, the dedication ceremony was held for the Cliff Jordan Continuing Education Center at Tillman House that is sponsored by his church which is about a mile away.

Donna Jordan said, Today is all about Cliff and all about what God has done through him and what God is continuing to do through him. When he left this earth, he walked straight into the arms of Jesus, and I know that well be together again.

Cliff left a legacy. He was a good man. He loved people. He loved to learn. He was an encourager, a supporter, a motivator - all those things, she said.

If you touch the life of an individual, well by extension, touch the life of a family. If you touch the life of a family, we touch the community. I think it will make a huge, huge difference in the community, she said of the new center.

At Donnas request, a special guest at the dedication was Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton who had encouraged her in this endeavor to honor her husband. Norton thanked her for all of your work making this happen. What a great way to honor Cliffs life and legacy.

A handful of free series was planned until they were halted temporarily on March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The centers guiding principle is first and always Jesus, according to the centers mission statement at CliffJordanEducationCenter.org.

The center is an extension of the Tillman House Resource Center, focusing on hunger relief, education and housing as the churchs ministry.

Overseeing Tillman House and now the center is Alan Nicely, the churchs director of Missions and Evangelism.

Information: 770-435-0851, cdjedCenterTeam@gmail.com, CliffJordanEducationCenter.org, facebook.com/CliffJordanEducationCenter, SmyrnaFUMC.org/about/tillman-house

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Whos doing good? Each Sunday, we write about a deserving individual, charity events such as fun runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event or person for us to cover, contact us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.

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Wife honors husband with continuing education center - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Whats wrong

with society?

Editor:

Everybody, take a good look around and carefully commit your current situation to memory. Because for the rest of your life, when someone asks you, What is the stupidest thing youve ever seen? the present state of affairs today will be the correct response.

Our society has declared war on the common cold variant COVID-19. Maybe its a bad cold, but still, like most colds, its no big deal for 99% of the people, and most of the remaining 1% are susceptible to just about any medical issue due to their advanced age and pre-existing conditions. Each year this is dealt with as a normal, routine situation during cold and flu season. However, now, for whatever reason, weve pulled out all the stops, spared no expense, and thrown caution to the wind for COVID-19.

Im not against taking reasonable precautions to deal with any illness. We should quarantine ourselves when sick, wash our bodies and clean our spaces regularly and avoid interactions with minimal benefit. However, we always need to consider differentiating between reasonable precautions and unreasonable measures. Canceling all large gatherings and closing meeting places of healthy people does very little to fight the virus, but greatly reduces real benefits to the participants, especially if it is workplace or a school.

The hypothetical benefits of giving aged and sickly people a slight life extension has to be considered against the actual costs of the measures we are presently enforcing. Giving a couple thousand people their 87th Christmas is not much comfort to the tens of millions of breadwinners who are out of work for months and wont be able to afford holiday gifts for their families this year. Maybe these elderly survivors will read one or two more books before they pass on, but it would be much better for all of us if tens of millions of students were reading their books in the classroom right now instead of playing alone at home.

Economics is the dismal science, but we need to review our current policies to avoid sacrificing prosperity for the younger generations just to extend slightly the life of the oldest. If we are going to throw away our freedoms and liberties, we should at least demand something good in return. Right now, we are approaching martial law with nothing to show for it except a looming recession.

I choose to remain an optimist. Expanded testing is only going to continue boosting the rates of survival and recovery because, surprise, most of us only seek medical attention when we are really sick, not just a little under the weather with a cold. Indeed COVID-19 itself is not virulent enough to have a lasting physical impact on our society, so we cannot allow the government and media sensationalized fear of COVID-19 to drive our society to ruin. We shouldnt be needlessly prohibiting the important relationships and activities in our lives for no good reason. We should not allow ourselves to be driven apart by some common cold virus. Instead, we should come together for all that is good in our society and the best our civilization has to offer.

Charles Peabody

Goodyear

Give President Trump past due

credit for pandemic

Editor:

Im sure many of you are sick and tired of all of the critics who complain about every single move that President Trump makes.

Im talking about the never Trumpers. They have every right to not agree with the president, but during not only a national crisis, its a worldwide crisis, and they wont get off his back and let him do his job.

If anybody thinks they can do a better job, please step up and show all of us! But, I want you to step up and do it just like President Trump has done it for almost four years, with every single wrench thrown in his way and all of the obstructions, witch hunting and fake news; Russia hoaxes and Ukraine hoaxes that trail back to the Bidens corruption; a fake whistleblower who disappeared from the face of the earth after President Trump was acquitted; Pelosi, Schiff, Nadler and Schumer secret bunker meetings trying to overthrow the government; and every nasty Democrat-choreographed coup detat the Democrats dreamed up. I want to see anybody who thinks they can do better do it the same way President Trump has had to work daily.

While the Democrats worked to impeach President Trump, he was already working on the coronavirus. He has daily press briefings with the most intellectual people in the medical field guiding him on national TV, taking questions after they speak and still we have criticism.

If President Trump delivered the cure or a vaccination to stop the spread of coronavirus on a golden platter, that would not be good enough for his critics. Its time for America to stand behind its leader and give credit where credit is past due. Imagine for just a second where America would be without the quick action of President Trump stopping all flights from Wuhan, China, when this virus broke out. He had your back, and you wont give him the credit he deserves.

He got the $2 trillion aid package approved after Pelosi tried to sneak in $1.5 billion for abortions and several billion for New Green Deal, which have nothing to do with saving the lives of coronavirus patients. How killing unborn babies helps cure coronavirus when people forgot to use birth control is truly amazing.

This is the Democratic Party at work. How redecorating the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts cures a pandemic is mind boggling. How cutting down emissions from jet planes keeps coronavirus patients out of hospitals with the Green New Deal sneaked into the $2 trillion aid package for the American people who are out of work related to a pandemic is supposed to put food on the tables of Americans who lost their jobs, just how do Democrats thank Pelosi for such foolishness?

Ill tell you how. Republican President Trump to the rescue.

James Logan

Buckeye

History 101

Editor:

Every industrialized country on the planet has some form of single-payer health care except the United States. Germany has since the 1880s. Not only do they have better outcomes, but theyre also at about half the price. Not only is it morally the right thing to do, its also fiscally the responsible thing to do. To say its impossible is, to me, un-American. We should be doing it better than everybody else. There is no free-market solution. If youre in an ambulance dying, youre not going to ask which hospital is cheapest or best.

Damion Armstrong

Avondale

Troubling traffic

Editor:

I represent several homeowners who have concerns about child safety and property values with the city of Buckeye opening up Van Buren to Verrado. Speeding is out of control. The police did a test and gave out 40-some tickets in a two-day period. There are two bus stops in this area, and lately I had a pickup truck run the stop sign, drive through my backyard 8-foot-tall block wall, scrape the side of my house and take out my front block wall. We are getting nowhere with the police, city and city council.

Jim Harrison

Buckeye

Put isolation to good use

Editor:

Despite the vast tragedy and extreme upset surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19 here in Arizona, I imagine it is something of a clich in trying to always look at the bright side of things. So, let me put it this wayand I suppose I am looking for positivity because at least the season of spring is upon usenjoy the weather before triple-digit heat smacks you right across your face.

Everyone is walking or riding a bike! Or in some measure in looks like this. With gyms closed, I guess this was to be expected. But neighborhoods are full of chalk on sidewalks and plenty of room to navigate your feet or bike with plenty of distance to spare. There is such freedom of mind and body in getting out there and doing your thing. Can you fully adjust to not being able to open the door to your gym? Not really. And thats OK. And heres why.

Life is about adjustment and regrouping skills. If youre used to going to the gym every day but now you cant, you basically have two options: do nothing and wait for the green light to open the gym door again or accept the adjustment and regroup accordingly. I believe the latter option is the smartest, and also folks who do not go to the gym anyway should take this opportunity to throw on a pair of sneakers and start their own journey to fitness of mind and body.

You often hear, Were all in this together. While this is most certainly true, also consider that saying you dont have time to walk or ride a bike really doesnt make much sense. It kind of falls flat. The truth is you dont have time not to get your mind and body moving. Young or old. Overweight or underweight. And everyone else in between. Popular wisdom states it takes 21 days to form a habit that sticks. What are you waiting for? Start: This is the five-letter word you must take to heart.

Some of us exercise too much and some of us do not exercise enough. This is why there is merit in meeting in the middle. Again, the clock of your life and the clock of your loved ones and actually the clock of reality itself that always ticks no matter what you are thinking is the real deal. The world doesnt stop for anyone. Going back in time is completely impossible.

So, use this time in front of you to replace words with action. Get outside in your neighborhood and blaze your own trail no matter the speed in which you move your feet. The fact that you decided to turn off the news or put your cellphone on the table for 30 minutes is your best 30 minutes spent at this very moment. Its then your duty to do 30 minutes again tomorrow and the day after and go from there. The only one stopping you is you. Dont do that anymore. Its go time!

Tony Zizza

Avondale

Originally posted here:

Letters To the Editor | Opinion - westvalleyview.com

Key Point:The Mercurys abundant communications gear allows it to perform nonnuclear Command, Control and Communications (C3) operations as well. For this reason, E-6s have at times been deployed to Europe and the Middle East to serve as flying C3 hubs.

In a military that operates Raptor stealth fighters, A-10 tank busters, B-52 bombers and Harrier jump jets, the U.S. Navys placid-looking E-6 Mercury, based on the 707 airliner, seems particularly inoffensive. But dont be deceived by appearances. Though the Mercury doesnt carry any weapons of its own, it may be in a sense the deadliest aircraft operated by the Pentagon, as its job is to command the launch of land-based and sea-based nuclear ballistic missiles.

Of course, the U.S. military has a ground-based strategic Global Operations Center in Nebraska, and land-based transmitters for communicating with the nuclear triad. However, the E-6s sinister purpose is to maintain the communication link between the national command authority (starting with the president and secretary of defense) and U.S. nuclear forces, even if ground-based command centers are destroyed by an enemy first strike. In other words, you can chop off the head of the U.S. nuclear forces, but the body will keep on coming at you, thanks to these doomsday planes.

The E-6s basic mission is known as Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO). Prior to the development of the E-6, theTACAMOmission was undertaken by land-based transmitter and laterEC-130Gand Q Hercules aircraft, which had Very Low Frequency radios for communication with navy submarines. Interestingly, France also operated its ownTACAMOaircraft until 2001, four modifiedTransallC-160HAstarttransports, which maintainedVLFcommunications with French ballistic-missile submarines.

The first of sixteenE-6sentered service between 1989 and 1992. These were the last built in averylong line of military variants of the venerable Boeing 707 airliner, in particular the707-320BAdvanced, also used in theE-3 Sentry. Bristling with thirty-one communication antennas, theE-6Aswere originally tasked solely with communicating with submerged Navy submarines. Retrofitted with more fuel-efficientCFM-56turbojets and benefiting from expanded fuel tanks, theE-6Acould remain in the air up to fifteen hours, or seventy-two with inflight refueling.

To use its Very Low Frequency radios, an E-6 has to fly in a continuous orbit at a high altitude, with its fuselage- and tail-mounted VLF radios trailing one- and five-mile-long wire antennas at a near-vertical attitude! The VLF signals can be received byOhio-class nuclear ballistic-missile submarineshiding deep underwater, thousands of miles away. However, the VLF transmitters limited bandwidth means they can only send raw data at around thirty-five alphanumeric characters per secondmaking them alotslower than even the old 14k internet modems of the 1990s. Still, its enough to transmit Emergency Action Messages, instructing the ballistic-missile subs to execute one of a diverse menu of preplanned nuclear attacks, ranging from limited to full-scale nuclear strikes. The E-6s systems are also hardened to survive the electromagnetic pulse from nuclear weapons detonating below.

Between 1997 and 2006, the Pentagon upgraded the entire E-6A fleet to the dual-role E-6B, which expanded the Mercurys capabilities by allowing it to serve as an Airborne Nuclear Command Post with its own battle staff area for the job. In this role it serves as a backup for four huge E-4 command post aircraft based on the 747 Jumbo jet. The E-6B has ultra-high-frequency radios in its Airborne Launch Control system that enable it to remotely launch land-based ballistic missiles from their underground silos, a task formerly assigned to U.S. Air Force EC-135 Looking Glass aircraftyet another 707 variant. The E-6s crew was expanded from fourteen to twenty-two for the command post mission, usually including an onboard admiral or general. Additional UHF radios give the E-6B access to the survivable MILSTAR satellite communications network, while the cockpit is upgraded up with new avionics and instruments from the 737NG airliner. The E-6B can be distinguished in photos by its additional wing-mounted pods.

The Mercurys abundant communications gear allows it to perform nonnuclear Command, Control and Communications (C3) operations as well. For this reason, E-6s have at times been deployed to Europe and the Middle East to serve as flying C3 hubs. For example, VQ-4 was deployed in Qatar for three years from 2006 to 2009, where it relayed information such as IED blast reports and medical evacuation requests from U.S. troops in Iraq who were out of contact with their headquarters.

Two Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadrons currently operate the E-6: VQ-3 Ironmen and VQ-4 Shadows, both under the Navy Strategic Communications Wing 1. These have their home at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, but also routinely forward deploy out of Travis AFB in California and Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. At least one E-6 is kept airborne at all times. E-6s on the submarine-communication mission often fly in circles over the ocean at the lowest possible speedfor as long as ten hours at a time. Those performing the nuclear command post mission typically remain on alert near Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The E-6s nuclear mission has also made its operations occasional fodder for conspiracy theorists and foreign propaganda outlets.

The E-6 platform should remain in service until 2040 thanks to a service-life extension program and continual tweaks to its systems and radios. While the Mercury has demonstrated its usefulness as an airborne communication hub for supporting troops in the field, the airborne command post will be considered a success if it never has to execute its primary mission. The heart of nuclear deterrence, after all, is convincing potential adversaries that no first strike will be adequate to prevent a devastating riposte. The E-6s are vital component in making that threat a credible one.

Sbastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history forWar Is Boring.

This first appeared in December 2017. It is being republished due to reader interest.

Image: Wikipedia.

Read the rest here:

The Military's E-6 Mercury Is Far Deadlier Than The F-35 Stealth Fighter - The National Interest

The unrelenting and rapid spread of the novel coronavirus underscores the cost of neglect and indecision by the Trump administration in the face of serious threats to U.S. and global security. This reckless abandonment of leadership also characterizes Americas response to other transnational challenges, including the potential for conflict on the European continent and the threat posed by nuclear weapons.

For example, The Guardian reported on April 5 that the Trump administration may withdraw the United States from the Open Skies Treaty this fall. The treaty allows for short-notice, unarmed, observation flights over the territory of treaty parties to collect data on military forces and activities, and is staunchly supported by U.S allies. Nothing screams the U.S. absence in a world starving for leadership during a pandemic than moving forward with plans to withdraw from a treaty that continues to benefit U.S. and European security and that our allies want us to continue to support.

In addition, and even more consequentially, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which was signed a decade ago this week, expires in just 10 months. New START is the only remaining arms control agreement limiting the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals. However, as the novel coronavirus emerged earlier this year, the administration continued to stiff-arm Russian overtures to prolong the life of the agreement by five years, as permitted by the accord. Instead, the administration has pursued the idea of striking an entirely new, trilateral arms control agreement that would include China in addition to Russia.

The chances of successfully negotiating such a new, complex deal were already slim before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, in the midst of what clearly will be an extended crisis, the odds are nigh nonexistent.

As the Brookings Institutions Thomas Wright wrote recently, the virus underscores the importance of cooperation with rivals on shared interests even as they compete ferociously in other spheres. We can ill-afford to lose the only remaining limits on the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals, which would open the door to a quantitative arms race.

With the stroke of a pen, President Donald Trump could avert that danger. Extending the treaty can be secured by a simple exchange of diplomatic notes between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin and without the approval of the U.S. Senate.

Indisputable Security Benefits

Signed on April 8, 2010, New START caps U.S. and Russian strategic arsenals to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery systems. It also established a rigorous verification and monitoring regime, including regular notifications and data exchanges. A nuclear exchange involving just a portion of these massive arsenals could kill hundreds of millions of people.

Extending New START would retain these limits and sustain the flow of information about Russias strategic forces for another five years. An extension would also continue to aid U.S. military planning by reducing the need to make worst-case assessments that could prompt additional costly nuclear force investments. Every dollar spent on more nuclear weapons is a dollar that cant be spent on addressing higher priority national and health security challenges.

Conversely, if New START expires next February, there would be no legally-binding, verifiable limits on the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals for the first time since 1972. The risk of unconstrained nuclear competition and an even more fraught U.S.-Russian bilateral relationship would be acute.

For these reasons and more, U.S. allies strongly support extension of New START. Extension also enjoys bipartisan support in Congress.

Since last December, Moscow has communicated its willingness to extend the accord immediately, without preconditions. The Trump administration, however, has yet to accept that offer.

Instead, the White House has continued to prioritize the pursuit of the new and more sweeping arms control agreement that covers additional types of Russian nuclear weapons and also includes China.

Bringing other nuclear actors and all types of nuclear weapons into the arms control process is an important and praiseworthy objective. But the administrations vision for a trilateral arms control deal with China and Russia remains a mystery. Roughly a year after first proposing such an approach, Trump has yet to put forward even the semblance of a framework for such a deal.

Out of Time

Moreover, China, which has a much smaller nuclear arsenal than the United States and Russia, consistently states that it has no intention of participating in a trilateral process, and Moscow has declared that it will not try to convince Beijing to come to the table.

Even if China were interested in trilateral talks, negotiating such a deal would be unprecedented, complex, and time-consuming. The New START negotiations took more than 10 months, from the first round of talks in May 2009 to the treatys signing a decade ago (a relatively short amount of time, as far as arms control agreements go). And Russia, according to officials from Russias Foreign Ministry, might need months to process a technical extension of the treaty.

With the virus disrupting practically all diplomatic exchanges and meetings for at least the next several months it has also halted the usual on-site inspections mandated by New START there is simply not enough time for the dozens of face-to-face negotiating sessions that would be necessary to develop a first-of-its-kind arms control agreement.

All of which makes extending New START even more of a no-brainer. Prolonging the treaty would buy five additional years with which to pursue negotiations on more ambitious nuclear arms control measures.

Critics of New START extension argue that we have plenty of time to make a decision on an extension and that waiting provides leverage to bring Russia and China to the negotiating table on a broader agreement. But there is no evidence that holding out on extension will coerce Russia and China to come to the table and capitulate to U.S. demands.

Regardless, New START is too important to be gambled away in a high-stakes poker game with Russia and China.

Extending New START will maintain a cap on the Russian nuclear arsenal and is a necessary condition for follow-on talks with Russia and new negotiations with China. As the world girds for a long fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the preservation of New START represents the best immediate option that Trump has to reduce the risks of instability and insecurity posed by the still-bloated and dangerous U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals.

See the article here:

Extend New START -- The World Can't Afford a U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Race Too - Just Security

Though the Washington Redskins didnt make any major splashes in free agency this offseason, their first roster move of the period may have been more significant than anything else they did all year.

The Redskins placed the franchise tag on right guard Brandon Scherff, keeping him around for the next 12 months at a minimum. Beyond that time period, though, Scherff has desires to be a member of the Redskins for life, and the team is reportedly working to make that happen.

Im excited, Scherff said, via Redskins.com. Im still living out this dream, and Im just glad Im back with the Redskins again.

There were reports ahead of the franchise tender being signed that two sides were working to reach an extension that would save Washington from having to tag Scherff. Though it didnt get done in time, there is still nothing to suggest that those talks arent still being had.

Its gone well, Scherff said when discussing contract talks. Just pretty much sat down and talked to my agent thats what hes there for and I want to sign a long-term deal with them, too. I love it there, and Ive always said I wanted to be a Redskin for the rest of my career. So, hopefully, we can work towards that.

Its unclear when an announcement on that future deal will come; it could be ahead of the 2020 season, or it could be later in 2021 as the current deal nears its end. However, it seems like we can confidently say that its not a matter of when that extension comes, not if.

See the rest here:

Brandon Scherff's excited to be in Washington, looking to be Redskin for life - Redskins Wire

Coronavirus lockdown: Odisha became the first state to extend the lockdown over COVID-19

The Odisha government today announced it has extended the lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic till April 30, becoming the first state to do so as the number of patients infected by the novel coronavirus continues to rise across the country.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the centre not to start train and air services till April 30. "Odisha cabinet decides for extension and also recommends to union government to do the same," the state government said in a statement.

"Coronavirus is the biggest threat that the human race has faced in more than a century. Life will not be the same ever. All of us must understand this and face it boldly together. With our sacrifice and with the blessing of Lord Jagannath, this too shall pass," Mr Patnaik said in the statement.

"Educational institutions will remain closed till June 17. Food security of people is of outmost importance. Agriculture, animal husbandry, MGNREGS related activities to be facilitated following social distancing norms," the state government said. "As earlier, free movement of goods transport will be allowed," it said.

At least 42 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus in Odisha. Two have died.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday suggested that the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus will be extended and restrictions will not be lifted in one go after April 14. Several hotspots have been singled out in cities across the country for greater effort on isolating them completely.

Odisha is among the states that have made face masks compulsory for people stepping out of their homes. The others are Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Nagaland.

In a video meeting with leaders of all parties, PM Modi reportedly said he would consult with chief ministers but by all accounts the lifting of the lockdown "is not possible". He will hold a meeting with chief ministers on Saturday.

Many states and experts have requested an extension of the lockdown, given the rapid spread of virus cases and warnings that the infection could peak in the coming weeks.

16,98,424Cases

12,18,861Active

3,76,800Recovered

1,02,763Deaths

Coronavirus has spread to 185 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 16,98,424 and 1,02,763 have died; 12,18,861 are active cases and 3,76,800 have recovered as on April 11, 2020 at 8:41 am.

7,447 1035Cases

6,565 856Active

643 139Recovered

239 40Deaths

In India, there are 7,447 confirmed cases including 239 deaths. The number of active cases is 6,565 and 643 have recovered as on April 11, 2020 at 8:00 am.

DistrictCases

Mumbai496

Pune131

Mumbai Suburban65

Thane31

Sangli24

Ahmednagar20

Nagpur16

Aurangabad8

Latur8

Palghar7

Raigad6

Satara5

Yavatmal4

Buldhana4

Osmanabad4

Kolhapur2

Hingoli2

Ratnagiri2

Washim1

Nashik1

Sindhudurg1

Amravati1

Jalna1

Jalgaon1

Gondia1

Details Awaited*732

1574 210

1276 134

188 63

110 13

DistrictCases

Chennai151

Coimbatore60

Dindigul44

Tirunelveli38

Erode32

Tiruchirappalli30

Namakkal28

Ranipet27

Tiruppur27

Theni24

Madurai24

Karur22

Chengalpattu19

Villupuram16

Thoothukudi16

Cuddalore13

Thiruvallur12

Thiruvarur12

Nagapattinam11

Salem11

Thanjavur11

Virudhunagar11

Tiruvannamalai9

Kanchipuram7

Vellore6

Kanniyakumari6

Sivaganga5

The Nilgiris4

Tirupattur4

Ramanathapuram2

Kallakurichi2

Perambalur1

Ariyalur1

Details Awaited*225

911 77

859 54

44 23

8

DistrictCases

South170

Central99

North64

New Delhi55

Shahdara53

South West23

West18

South East17

East15

Original post:

"Life Won't Be Same Ever": Odisha First To Extend Lockdown Till April 30 - NDTV News

Editors note:This column,Get Growing, appears regularly in the Greenfield Recorders sister paper, the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Its appearing here because of its local relevance and because we all need a little bit of good news.

Many of you undoubtedly recall that between 2015 and 2018, our region experienced a dramatic increase in the population of gypsy moth caterpillars (Lymantria dispar). These voracious critters munched their way through vast amounts of foliage in the summer, denuding our treescape and showering us with tiny black pellets of excrement called frass. I wrote about this unpleasant infestation in a Get Growing column dated June 29, 2017, the year the gypsy moth infestation was at its peak.

We have plenty to complain about these days, but this week the UMass Extension Service issued a piece of good news: We can expect to see little or no evidence of gypsy moth caterpillars this year. According to Tawny Simisky, an Extension entomologist, the decline in the gypsy moth population is mostly due to the recent surge in Entomophaga maimaiga, an airborne fungus that kills gypsy moth caterpillars. This fungus overwinters in the soil and leaf litter and is activated by damp spring weather. Because we had spring drought spring 2015 and 2016, the fungus declined, allowing the caterpillar population to soar. In 2017, gypsy moth caterpillars defoliated 923,000 acres of forest in Massachusetts alone. Fortunately, damp spring conditions have returned, increasing the fungus population and putting a serious dent in the number of gypsy moth caterpillars.

But Entomophaga maimaiga is not the only enemy of the gypsy moth caterpillar. Simisky said we can also thank the nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV) for curtailing the gypsy moth population. According to Wikipedia, the virus was first reported in 1891 as Wipfelkrankheit, which is German for treetop disease.This name comes from the fact that while unaffected larvae feed at night and hide during the day, larvae infected with the virus climb up toward the tree canopy and basically turn into goo. As Simisky explained, the liquid from the infected caterpillars leaks onto other caterpillars, spreading the disease. NPV is density dependent, meaning that it kills more caterpillars in areas where the caterpillar population is higher.

In the early 20th century, NPV was aptly known as caterpillar cholera.Ill spare you further gory details, except to say Wikipedia also notes that infected larvae have been referred to as zombie caterpillars because of the gruesome way in which they die. I admit that the phrase is new to me. Im happy that I probably wont need to use it this year.

At a time when just the word virus makes us shudder, its good to be reminded that not all viruses are bad. NPV is spread through the droppings of birds and other animals that prey on gypsy moth larvae, but it is harmless to all but the gypsy moth larvae.

Most gardeners I know are fascinated by insects:the good, the bad and the just plain weird. The UMass Extension Service recently launched an online video series produced by Simisky called InsectXaminer.Simisky said she hopes to increase the visibility of the beautiful world of insects, even those we consider to be pests in our managed landscapes. We want to showcase the complexity of insect life cycles, cataloging as many life stages for each species as possible.

The aim of the Extension Service is to provide professionals and land managers with footage that is helpful for learning the identification of insects throughout the season, rather than at any single point in their life cycle.

If youre already missing gypsy moths, or if you just want to know more about them, youre in luck. Episode 1 of the series examines the fascinating life cycle of the gypsy moth. Simisky got the videos lively soundtrack free from YouTubes audio library. Its a little funny, a little goofy, she said. It matches the insects theme. She added, Maybe when InsectXaminer gets really big, we can get local artists to offer us free clips.

This is three minutes of video wont want to miss. I promise. Heres the link: ag.umass.edu/landscape/education-events/insectxaminer

Mickey Rathbun, an Amherst-based lawyer turned journalist, has written the Get Growing column for the Daily Hampshire Gazette since 2016.

See the original post:

Get Growing: Good news, good riddance to gypsy moth caterpillars this year - The Recorder