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A New Pandemic                                                                                    #305          

By Hank Silverberg


There is a new pandemic gripping the United States, and this time no vaccine or mask will help. No, I am not talking about Covid-19. The virus is still out there, and some more people have died from it, but the vaccines and some new medication have made it less of a menace.

The pandemic I am talking about was created in the United States and has spread to epic proportions over the last decade. 

It's called "disinformation," and it may kill our  democracy faster than any known disease. 

Disinformation is defined as material, written or broadcast,  that is fake and is spread INTENTIONALLY by people of all kinds who  wish to gain from it for political or financial reasons.  They know it's false, but they spread it anyway, usually with malicious intent.   

This political season is ripe with disinformation just about everywhere, from the race for the White House to the dinner table of American homes. 

I have spent my adult life in what used to be a noble profession--journalism, seeking the truth, to the best it can be determined, and then reporting it. 

Both the Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television and Digital News Assocition have Codes of Ethics for reporters, producers and editors that should be followed. But somehow that has gotten lost in the heat of competition and the flurry of fake information that spreads like a gasoline fueled wildfire across uncontrolled platforms like X, Facebook or worse..Chinese-owned TikTok.

I will cite just one example to highlight the issue. 

Last week stories all over the internet reported that the hurricane victims were getting only $750 from FEMA because FEMA had spent all its disaster money on illegal immigrants. 

The story was 100% false. FEMA said so, President Biden said so, several Florida congressmen said so, but the story persisted. 

In truth, that $750 was only an emergency payment for all hurricane victims who were being encouraged to file for long-term help from FEMA. FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is depleted because of a series of major storms. And President Biden has asked Congress for more. But the money FEMA used to  help re-locate immigrants DID NOT COME from the Disaster Relief Fund, but from a completely different allocation in the agency's budget. 

Yet the story persists--exaggerated by many right- wing politicians and pundits who hope to influence the voters in the presidential election.       

Some media outlets were quick to point out that the story was false.

 But other media outlets simply echoed the false information by only talking to those who were spreading it. They are irresponsible. 

The public? Probably confused by it all, and unwilling or unable to sort it all out and know who was telling the truth.       

How do we stop this pandemic before it infects us all and wipes out truth? To be frank, I wish I knew.    

NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED 


A Search For Life On Europa!

No, not Europe--Europa, one of Jupitor's 95 known  moons. The Europa Clipper will ride into space this month on Space X's Falcon. 

The mission, to confirm if there is an ocean under Europa's icy surface, could go a long way toward finding some form of life there. 

The mission is costing $5.2 billion and will take five years to get to Jupiter and do its job. It's the biggest craft ever built by NASA.

Europa is about the size of our Moon. The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted what apears to be geysers erupting from the surface. During its misson, the Europa Clipper, which is about the size of a basketball court when its solar wings are deployed, will pass by Jupiter and will get as close as 16 miles from Europa's surface. It will travel more than 1.8 billion miles, passing Mars early next year, and then swinging back around Earth in late 2026 so it can arrive at Jupiter in 2030. Its job is to see if there are any pockets of water in the ice that could support primitive life.

The biggerst concern for NASA scientists is whether the spacecraft can survive the intense radiation that surrounds Jupiter.

(NASA artists rendition of the Clipper in orbit over Europa)
It's not the first craft to explore the space near Jupiter. Both Voyager missions swept past the planet in the 1970's, and NASA's Galileo spacecraft did flyby's in the 1990's.  And the Juno spacecraft is still in action around Jupiter.  

Bu the Clipper will go closer than the others. 

NASA evenetually hopes to get a future spacecraft to explore the surface and sample the possible ocean underneath to see if it contains primitive life.    https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/space/article/europa-clipper-nasa-spacecraft-jupiter-19807689.php


Historic Ship Headed For Deep Six

In 1952, the SS United States, a 1,000 -foot ocean liner broke a transatlantic speed record that still stands. The ship cruised the Atlantic Ocean traveling at an average speed of 36 knots in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, beating the previous record time by 10 hours. The Queen Mary held the previous record.

But today the ship has falleen on hard times. It is sitting at a pier in Philadelphia where the dock owners have doubled the daily rent $1,700 and have gone to court to get the ship removed.       

(SS United States docked in Philedelphia)

The current owner, the SS United States Conservancy, balked at paying the rent increase. 

That led to a possible deal that would take the ship to Okaloosa County, Florida, where it would be sunk and used as a man-made reef on the ocean floor. It's a deal that could cost $10 million, but officials in Florida say its addition to a constellation of more than 500 artifical reefs would make it a big tourist attaction that could bring in millions in tourist dollars. 

A federal judge still has to approve the deal. 

  https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-10-12/historic-ocean-liner-could-soon-become-the-worlds-largest-artificial-reef

Dumbest Quote of The Week!

I really try to avoid using Donald Trump as the dumbest quote every week. But sometimes you just have to. In fact, he had two very dumb quotes this week. At a rally, the man convicted of raping a woman and taking credit for the Supreme Court  that overturned Roe v Wade said about women:

"I am your protector!" 

Then at a rally in Michigan, he said:

"Our biggest threat to democracy is stupid people."

On that second quote I agree, and Donald J. Trump tops the list.  


 (Your comments and suggestions are welcome)  

My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:

HankSilverberg@gmail

.com  for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)                       

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796


My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes. 


                                                 
You can purchase Communications and Public Speaking Trends in the 21st Century at these two links: 


or straight from the Publisher at:  


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