Biafra Activist - Biafra Or Dead. No Going Back

Nanny Faces Tough Insanity Test: Did She Know Killing Was Wrong?

SCIENCELeave a comment

Nanny Faces Tough Insanity Test: Did She Know Killing Was Wrong? Photo Yoselyn Ortega, 55, appeared in court on the second day of her trial in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. She is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of two children in her care. She is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Credit Pool photo by Jefferson Siegel As the murder trial of a nanny who fatally stabbed two small children in her care entered its fourth week on Monday, the jury has begun wrestling with one of the most controversial, misunderstood and hard-to-grasp concepts in criminal law: the insanity defense.
The outcome of the trial will depend largely on how the jury interprets evidence now being presented about Yoselyn Ortega’s mental health and her state of mind when she used a kitchen knife to slay 2-year-old Leo Krim and his 6-year-old sister, Lucia, in October 2012.
Ms. Ortega’s lawyer, Valerie Van Leer-Greenberg, said in her opening statement that insanity was the only ..

Looking for Trump’s Climate Policy? Try the Energy Department

SCIENCELeave a comment

Looking for Trump’s Climate Policy? Try the Energy Department Photo Iowa farmland. Historically, the Energy Department has nurtured innovation in the search for new power sources. Now that is in question. Credit Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald, via Associated Press The Trump administration’s deepest impact on domestic climate policy might have little to do with its efforts to dismantle the Clean Power Plan or its decision on the Paris accord.
Instead, the coming battle over the future of the Energy Department could prove far more significant for the United States’ long-term efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Among energy experts, there is broad agreement that the world still needs major technological advances to halt global warming, like better batteries to integrate larger shares of solar and wind power into the grid, or carbon capture to curb pollution from cement plants.
Historically, the Energy Department has nurtured these kinds of innovations, conducting basic research in i..

Can the Paris Climate Deal Survive a Trump-Style Renegotiation?

SCIENCELeave a comment

Can the Paris Climate Deal Survive a Trump-Style Renegotiation? Photo A coal-fired power plant in Ghent, Ky. Some said that was a moral imperative for the United States to stay in the pact. Credit Luke Sharrett for The New York Times As President Trump ponders whether the United States should stay in or leave the Paris climate agreement, many of his closest allies and advisers have been urging him to keep the country in but “renegotiate” the deal to better reflect his energy policies.
In the short run, that compromise might satisfy leaders in Europe and elsewhere who are lobbying heavily for the United States to remain in the Paris accord, lest other nations also race for the exits. But it is still unclear what new terms the White House might demand as a condition of staying.
Some observers worry that the Trump administration, by remaining in the deal, could undermine it from within, refusing to take any significant steps on climate change and bogging down the global push for more ambi..

Walmart Pulls Cosmo From Checkout. Plus! Guess Who’s Claiming Victory.

BUSINESSLeave a comment

Supported by Media Walmart Pulls Cosmo From Checkout. Plus! Guess Who’s Claiming Victory. Photo Walmart will remove Cosmopolitan from its checkout aisle displays. Credit Zvi Lowenthal/The New York Times Walmart customers looking to toss the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine into their shopping carts will have to search the superstore a little harder.
The retailer has decided to remove the magazine from its checkout aisle displays in its 5,000-plus stores in the United States, in a move announced by a nonprofit anti-pornography group that connected the company’s decision to the #MeToo movement.
The magazines will be placed on racks elsewhere, varying by store. The April issue features Cardi B, the reality star turned rapper, who gives an “uncensored and totally amazing” interview inside. Other headlines promise tips on sex toys and foreplay, the secrets of super-close couples and this teaser: “Could you be guilty of micro-cheating? Could he?”
Walmart, in a statement, acknowledg..

Heineken Pulls ‘Lighter Is Better’ Ad After Outcry Over Racism

BUSINESSLeave a comment

Supported by Media Heineken Pulls ‘Lighter Is Better’ Ad After Outcry Over Racism Photo Heineken removed a series of commercials featuring the tagline “sometimes, lighter is better” after one of the ads was criticized as racist. Credit Peter Dejong/Associated Press Heineken pulled a series of commercials for light beer this week that featured the tagline “sometimes, lighter is better,” after one of the ads was criticized as racist.
The brewer, which became the latest company to face criticism over marketing that appears to support a preference for fair complexions, responded to the controversy on Monday.
“We missed the mark, are taking the feedback to heart and will use this to influence future campaigns,” Heineken U.S. said.
In the ad, a vigilant bartender spots a faraway female patron gazing disappointingly at a wine glass. Quickly, he opens a beer bottle and slides it down the bar.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story On its journey over multiple surfaces, the bottle..