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POSSIBLE TOPICS: VOTETEXAS.GOV—Voter Information;  

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio) is now on Wednesdays at 11AM (CT) on KPFT-HD2, Houston’s Community Station. You can also hear the show:

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Welcome to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig where we discuss local, state, national, and international stories. My co-host and show editor is Andrew Ferguson.

• An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.

• You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.

1. Make sure you are registered to vote! VoteTexas.GOV – Texas Voter InformationTEXAS SoS VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT APPLICATION (ALL TEXAS COUNTIES) HarrisVotes.com­ – Countywide Voting Centers, (Election Information Line (713) 755-6965), Harris County Clerk
   1. Harris County “Vote-By-Mail’ Application for 2022
      1. Fort bend County Elections/Voter Registration Machine takes you to the proper link
      2. GalvestonVotes.org (Galveston County, TX)
      3. Liberty County Elections (Liberty County, TX)
      4. Montgomery County (TX) Elections
      5. Brazoria County (TX) Clerk Election Information
      6. Waller County (TX) Elections
      7. Chambers County (TX) Elections
      8. For personalized, nonpartisan voter guides and information, Consider visiting Vote.ORG.   Ballotpedia.com and Texas League of Women Voters are also good places to get election info.
      9. If you are denied your right to vote any place at any time at any polling place for any reason, ask for (or demand) a provisional ballot rather than lose your vote.
      10. HarrisVotes.com – Countywide Voting Centers, HARRIS COUNTY – IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR VOTING: Do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of these IDs?
          1. Fill out a declaration at the polls describing a reasonable impediment to obtaining it, and show a copy or original of one of the following supporting forms of ID:
          2. A government document that shows your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate
          3. Current utility bill
          4. Bank statement
          5. Government check
          6. Paycheck
          7. A certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
          8. You may vote early by-mail if:You are registered to vote and meet one of the following criteria:
             1. Away from the county of residence on Election Day and during the early voting period;
             2. Sick or disabled;
             3. 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
             4. Confined in jail, but eligible to vote.
             5. Make sure you are registered:
             6. Ann Harris Bennett, Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar
             7. CHECK REGISTRATION STATUS HERE
             8. CLICK How to register to vote in Texas
             9. Outside Texas, try Vote.org.
2. BE REGISTERED TO VOTE, and if eligible, REMEMBER TO FILL OUT AND MAIL YOUR MAIL-IN BALLOT APPLICATIONS FOR 2022
   1. You can track your Mail Ballot Activity from our website with direct link provided here https://www.harrisvotes.com/Tracking
   2. NEXT ELECTION: 2022 November General Election – November 8, 2022
   3. FYI: I received my mail-in ballot in the mail yesterday, so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, keep your eyes peeled. If you haven’t received it by the end of this week, you might check your ballot’s status at your county election clerk.
      1. GENERAL ELECTIONS SCHEDULE
      2. 24-Nov 4: Early Vote
         Oct 28: Last day to apply for a ballot by mail
         Nov. 8: ELECTION DAY!!! 2022 November
      3. November 8, 2022: : last chance to vote in General Election!!
         
      4. You can track your Mail Ballot Activity from our website with direct link provided here https://www.harrisvotes.com/Tracking
      5. Harris County Sample Ballots (Countywide)
3. COMMUNITY IMPACT News has many articles discussing various candidates, from State all the way down to state House districts and county precinct judges. The local news channels have articles on candidates, and even Charles Kuffner’s com does some pretty deep diving around election time, as well as has some interesting journalism on candidates.
4. PSA: Stacking stones ‘not allowed’ in Texas: This is why rock cairns are prohibited at Lone Star State parks, authorities say; By Amanda Cochran, Digital Special Projects Manager | CLICK2HOUSTON.COM | Published: October 17, 2022 at 12:25 PM
   1. They’re the stacks of stones people place, often in waterways or on trails. In Texas parks, they aren’t allowed …
   2. [A social media post reads,] “While we are impressed by your rock stacking abilities, the building of rock cairns is not allowed. Doing so disturbs sensitive and critical wildlife habitats that rely on the rocks for protection. This is even more serious during times of drought and low water levels just like we are experiencing here at the park. Wildlife are already isolated to specific areas of the river and streams when water levels drop, and the building of rock cairns destroys what habitats are left. This results in those wildlife species moving somewhere else causing a break in the ecosystem.”
   3. “Wildlife such as aquatic macroinvertebrates specifically rely on these rocks for survival and protection,” the post continues. “When the rocks are moved, it destroys and disturbs their home. Aquatic macroinvertebrates help indicate overall water quality, and are crucial to the freshwater ecosystems for other species such as fish. While their job and role in the environment becomes much harder during times of low water and drought, it becomes near impossible when rocks are removed to build rock cairns. Help protect the river and stream ecosystems by leaving all rocks alone, not building rock cairns, and enjoying your time in the park by following Leave No Trace.”
   4. However, some parks in the United States do have cairns and they serve a specific purpose to help hikers and mark trails, as the National Park Service noted in its writeup on cairns. It advises visitors to check each park’s guidelines before visiting.
   5. In Texas State Parks, they’re just not allowed. …
   6. MIKE: So folks remember, your are not alone. If everyone who visited a park built a stone cairn, all the rocks would eventually become cairns. Folks are building the for the equivalent of saying, “Kilroy was here.” (And don’t ask what that means. It’s age-related. I’ve provided a link for the curious among you.)
5. ‘More reliable than ever’: Texas energy regulators share updates on grid redesign; By Hannah Norton | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 7:16 PM Oct 13, 2022 CDT
   Updated 7:24 PM Oct 13, 2022 CDT
   1. According to state leaders, Texas’ power grid is “more reliable than ever” with additional improvements to come.
   2. Less than two weeks after stepping into his new role, Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas [ERCOT], provided updates on the grid conditions and his priorities as head of the agency at an Oct. 13 news conference. Vegas was joined by Peter Lake, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
   3. Lake touted the power grid’s ability to withstand severe weather conditions, including unusually high temperatures over the summer. The power demand reached record levels 11 times this summer, Lake said, but the grid did not enter emergency conditions. …
   4. Despite recent successes, energy regulators have faced heavy criticism and distrust from customers following Winter Storm Uri, which hit the state in February 2021. Over two-thirds of Texans lost power during the storm, and nearly half lost access to running water, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
   5. “The key to rebuilding confidence in the electric grid is going to be continued reliable execution and operations—that’s our collective focus at ERCOT,” Vegas said. …
   6. Power plants and generators across the state have been weatherized for all seasons of the year, including with insulation, coverings and heat tracing for pipes.
   7. Statewide weatherization requirements were created by Senate Bill 3, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June 2021.
   8. “[The] failure to weatherize can result in penalties of up to $1 million [per day of noncompliance],” Abbott said at a June 2021 news conference.
   9. Under the bill, a power outage alert system will notify Texans if the power supply becomes too low to meet state or regional demand. …
   10. Lake said ERCOT’s operational changes cost each household an additional $1.25 per month on average. Data was not readily available to support this statement, but Lake said it will be released publicly.
   11. Energy regulators are in the first phase of a massive system overhaul. The first phase includes taking action earlier to prevent blackouts, increased efficiency standards and changes to the use of ancillary services.
   12. The PUCT aims to release the plans for phase two by mid-November, Lake said. Information about the grid redesign will also be presented to state lawmakers in January during the 88th Texas legislative session.
   13. MIKE: FYI, ERCOT’s failure to be “reliable” traumatized me into solar power, and I’m very happy with my decision so far.
   14. ANDREW: ERCOT’s plans sound great, but this is all about stopping the grid from going down. What about if or when it does go down again? Where is the protection from electricity price gouging? Where is the state support for community weather shelters? Where are the improvements to water systems to keep them running in an outage? Weatherization is great, but it’s only part of the necessary improvements. This should have been a broader event that covered not just grid upgrades, but the entire state government’s plan to stop Uri from happening again, and to stop it from being as bad if it does.
6. Two-thirds of board members overseeing Texas public universities are Abbott donors. They’re not shy about wielding influence.; High-money donors are concentrated on larger boards, including those of the University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System. by Kate McGee | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Oct. 18, 202215 hours ago
   1. In 2017, state Rep. Lyle Larson authored a bill to block any governor from appointing someone to a state board or commission who had contributed more than $2,500 a year to their campaign.
   2. Larson, R-San Antonio, said he’d heard concerning stories from a constituent who was interested in joining the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, and later from a friend who was trying to join the Texas A&M Board of Regents.
   3. Both people, Larson told The Texas Tribune, felt deterred after hearing that the best way to land an appointment on a prestigious state board or commission was to give the governor a donation that would get them noticed.
   4. Larson’s bill passed the House with bipartisan support that year, but it never got a hearing in the Senate. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, declined to advance the bill through the chamber, Larson said.
   5. [Larson, who is not seeking reelection this year and is backing Patrick’s Democratic opponent in November, said,] “He [Patrick] said, ‘No, that’s how people raise large sums of money when they want to run for governor,” Patrick did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
   6. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term, is the most prolific political fundraiser in modern state history. He has named donors to all sorts of boards and regulatory commissions across Texas — but they are especially concentrated on the boards running 36 public universities. The regents set tuition rates and faculty salaries, approve new degree programs, audit university finances, manage campus growth plans and hire and fire university presidents and football coaches.
   7. Bottom of Form
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   12. Abbott has appointed all 90 people who currently serve on nine university system boards, plus the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. During his nearly eight years as governor, he’s made 114 such appointments. A Tribune analysis found that more than 70% of all these appointees have donated to Abbott’s gubernatorial campaign, including donations given in their spouse’s or company’s name (if they are the CEO). About 30% of the appointees have given more than $100,000. A Tribune analysis also found that the larger and more prestigious the university system, the more likely its board is to be stacked with deep-pocketed donors. …
   13. MIKE: This is a much longer story (as most Tribune investigative deep-dives are), but it can be summed up in 3 words: “Graft And Corruption.” The US Civil Service was created in the late 19^th century specifically to curb use of the “spoils system”, the term for repaying large political contributors with prestigious (and sometimes profitable) jobs.
   14. MIKE: As explained in Wikipedia, “…Certain senior civil service positions, including some heads of diplomatic missions and executive agencies, are filled by political appointees. …”
   15. MIKE: To my mind, that is exactly what the article describes. Elected executives such as governors are hypothetically within their rights to make senior appointments to enact their policies, but should those appointments be based on merit or money? How the system in Texas can or should be reformed is the devil in the details, but it obviously should be. I think Texans need a government willing to look at this power and curb it for a more merit-based appointment system.
   16. MIKE: Remember that elections have consequences and vote!
   17. ANDREW: It’s a rare thing for me to endorse action from a Republican, but even Rep. Larson’s bill would be a welcome start towards reducing the power of money in politics. I also think eliminating a major funding method for governorships would go some way to levelling the playing field in Texas politics for third party candidates. With appointments off the table, gubernatorial candidates would have slightly less appeal to rich donors, and that could result in slightly less money in the duopoly candidates’ coffers. Not enough to close the funding gap by any means, but enough to make the race a little more competitive, and thus a little more democratic.
   18. REFERENCE: United States federal civil service [History] — From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: “In the early 19th century, positions in the federal government were held at the pleasure of the president—a person could be fired at any time. The spoils system meant that jobs were used to support the American political parties, though this was gradually changed by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 and subsequent laws. By 1909, almost two-thirds of the U.S. federal workforce was appointed based on merit, that is, qualifications measured by tests. Certain senior civil service positions, including some heads of diplomatic missions and executive agencies, are filled by political appointees. Under the Hatch Act of 1939, civil servants are not allowed to engage in political activities while performing their duties.”
7. In Texas, where money has long dominated politics, Greg Abbott is in a league of his own; The two-term governor’s donors enjoy access, appointments to boards and commissions, and a chance to bend the ear of a politician who may harbor bigger ambitions. by Patrick Svitek, Carla Astudillo, Zach Despart and Kate McGee | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Oct. 18, 2022, 15 hours ago
   1. Since Greg Abbott first declared he would run for governor on July 14, 2013, he’s raised the equivalent of $83,793 per day to fund his pursuit of power. That’s $20,000 more than the median Texas household earns in a year. …
   2. Throughout his political career, Abbott has amassed a mountain of campaign cash unrivaled in Texas. He is easily the most prolific fundraiser in state history — even compared with his two predecessors, George W. Bush, who went on to become president, and Rick Perry, who served as governor for a record-breaking 14 years. Since 1995, when Abbott made his first bid for statewide office for a seat on the Texas Supreme Court, he has raised $348 million in campaign donations when adjusted for inflation, a sum greater than the cost to build the new Longhorn basketball arena at the University of Texas at Austin. …
   3. The Texas Tribune reviewed 25 years of campaign finance records covering the entirety of Abbott’s political career. The Tribune also examined every political appointment he’s made while governor. Texas is one of 11 states without contribution limits, enabling Abbott to raise enormous sums from some of the nation’s richest families and individuals. His donors enjoy access to the governor; appointments to boards and commissions, including influential regulatory bodies and even a COVID-19 task force that set guidelines for reopening businesses; and a chance to bend the ear of a politician who may well harbor presidential aspirations like his two predecessors. …
   4. At its worst, critics say, Abbott’s fundraising prowess can give the appearance of a patronage system. That was the case when Kelcy Warren, co-founder of a pipeline company that made $2.4 billion off of the deadly winter storm last year, was accused of giving $1 million to thank Abbott for going easy on the oil and gas industry in 2021 as the Legislature attempted to improve the reliability of the state’s power grid. Warren, who did not respond to a request for comment, was just one of the oil industry players who gave a total of $4.6 million to the governor after that session concluded. …
   5. Abbott’s campaign declined requests for an interview for this story and did not respond to a list of emailed questions, instead issuing a statement … [etc., etc., etc.]
   6. MIKE: This is another Tribune “deep-dive” investigative piece that’s worth reading, or at least seriously skimming. When this stuff is opened to the light of day, it’s ethically appalling. It’s not just seeing the sausage being made. It’s seeing the sausage being made corruptly. It’s another example of politicians being the highest return-on-investment that money can buy. Which is why it should be much harder and less legal to buy them.
   7. ANDREW: I think it should be IMpossible and ILlegal, I would say. Regulating political appointments of big donors isn’t enough. It needs to be outlawed. Same with accepting model legislation from individuals or companies that gave over the individual FEC limit on contributions to a politician’s campaign (which this year is $2,900), or from organizations that have financial ties to said individuals or companies.
8. Beto O’Rourke catches Gov. Greg Abbott in cash on hand as race hits homestretch; The Democratic challenger ended the latest fundraising period, July 1 through Sept. 29, with slightly more cash on hand than the governor. by Patrick Svitek and Carla Astudillo | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | Oct. 13, 2022, 2 PM Central
   1. Beto O’Rourke officially caught up to Gov. Greg Abbott in fundraising for the governor’s race late last month, erasing Abbott’s once-formidable cash-on-hand advantage.
   2. New campaign finance reports show O’Rourke ended the latest reporting period, July 1 through Sept. 29, with $16.47 million cash on hand. Abbott had $16.35 million in the bank.
   3. Abbott spent far more than O’Rourke during the period — $53 million to $32 million — and the governor’s campaign said his expenses included $30 million in pre-purchased advertising time through Election Day.
   4. Still, the development shows how O’Rourke is by far the biggest financial threat Abbott has ever faced. O’Rourke outraised Abbott by a decisive margin during the prior reporting period and narrowly outraised him again during the latest period.
   5. The newest filings with the Texas Ethics Commission [, a State agency,] came as polls continue to give Abbott a lead in the mid-single digits. Abbott himself suggested Wednesday he saw a stable race unfolding, telling reporters in Dallas that the polls “have been flatlined … for months now.”
   6. A Marist poll released Wednesday gave Abbott a 4-percentage-point lead, though that was among registered voters. Likely voters are more commonly surveyed in the final weeks of an election. The Marist poll did survey voters who said they will “definitely” vote, and Abbott led among them by 8 points.
   7. But the fundraising reports show O’Rourke cannot be counted out yet. He had over five times more contributions than Abbott had over the summer period, roughly 472,000 to 86,000. The ratio was similar in the previous period.
   8. Both men received six- and seven-figure checks, but Abbott had far more of them as he leaned heavily on high-dollar donors over the summer. His average contribution size increased to $289 from $221 in the previous period. O’Rourke’s average contribution size during the most recent period — $53 — was virtually unchanged.
   9. Abbott’s top donors — at $1 million each — were California real-estate developer Ed Roski Jr. and Miriam Adelson, the wife of the late casino mogul and GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson. O’Rourke’s No. 1 donor was cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who gave $1 million. O’Rourke also got $500,000 more from George Soros, the New York-based Democratic megadonor who cut a $1 million check to O’Rourke during the previous period. …
   10. O’Rourke continued to get more money from outside Texas. On the latest report, 41% of the money he raised was from out of state [compared to Abbott’s 19%], as was 51.8% of the number of contributions [compared to Abbott’s 50.7%.] …
   11. MIKE: Again, there’s much more detail in the article and, as usual, I linked in my blog post to any articles I cite.
   12. MIKE: As one might guess from the in-state and out-of-state money involved, this is seen as a high-stakes race. It’s been so long since a Democrat has held statewide office in Texas that I don’t think it’s happened in Andrew’s lifetime (i.e., since 1994), and in a fair election without unreasonable barriers to voting, it’s becoming more likely.
   13. ANDREW: It’s definitely not happened in my lifetime. The earliest governor I can remember is Rick Perry. And a fair election would give a better chance to challengers, but this isn’t going to be a fair election, not with SB1 in place. As for O’Rourke’s coffers, I don’t really find it comforting that he outraised Abbott while accepting big donations, even if his average contribution was still under $100. If O’Rourke wins, I would be disappointed but not surprised to find that crypto guy appointed to something.
   14. REFERENCE: Texas Democrats shut out of statewide office longer than Democrats in other states — COM
9. MIKE: A big issue around elections is misinformation, so I decided the next story fits here:
10. When Teens Find Misinformation, These Teachers Are Ready; Media literacy efforts are intensifying, targeting students as they approach voting age. But some educators struggle “to push through that apathy.” By Tiffany Hsu | NYTIMES.COM | 8, 2022
    1. Between lessons about the Revolutionary War and the functions of Congress, juniors in several history and U.S. government classes at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs are taught to defend themselves against disinformation.
    2. The students, many of them on the cusp of voting age, spend up to two weeks each fall exploring how falsehoods, prejudices and opinions can lurk in the many places they get information. They learn to trace the origins of documents, to validate a website by leaving it to consult other sources and to train a critical eye on the claims made by TikTok influencers and on YouTube videos.
    3. “With students and adults alike, it’s just easy to look at stuff on social media and take it as it is and not question it,” said Paul Blakesley, who has taught students about media and information literacy for several years at the high school. “It can be difficult to push through that apathy, but it’s well worth trying.”
    4. Children and teenagers are not the only ones susceptible to misinformation: Several studies suggest that older adults are more likely to struggle to recognize fake news and are the most likely to share it.
    5. But with young people spending more time online, where misleading and false narratives swirl around the upcoming midterm elections, the Covid-19 pandemic and other topics, educators are increasingly trying to offer protection. Using techniques updated for the digital age, they are teaching students that virality does not confer legitimacy, that content can be fabricated or manipulated and that a .org domain does not make a website trustworthy.
    6. At Palmer High School, Mr. Blakesley tries to demonstrate how to distinguish between good information and bad: Who are the sources? What is their perspective? When is it appropriate to turn to Wikipedia? ,,,
    7. [S]everal educational groups representing more than 350,000 teachers in math, social studies and other disciplines created an alliance to better support those trying to teach media literacy. One of the founding groups, the National Association for Media Literacy Education, said its own membership had more than doubled in the past five years.
    8. Federal and state legislators have tried in recent years to support media literacy in public schools. Five states, including Colorado, passed language since early 2020 that required education departments to take steps such as providing literacy resources and revising learning standards, according to the nonprofit group Media Literacy Now. Many of the existing laws amount to legislative endorsements of the need for literacy education rather than actual mandates. Only one state, Illinois, requires that high school students be taught how to gain access to and analyze media messages.
    9. Without an explicit mandate from lawmakers, though, some schools — many of which face staff shortages and political fights over classroom subjects — struggle to integrate media literacy into their curriculum. And those that manage to do so often teach it using outdated checklists delivered in short bursts, rather than as an integrated part of core subjects.
    10. But media and information literacy advocates said the difficulties were outweighed by the dangers if young students fail to recognize rhetorical red flags and fall prey to confirmation bias online, where they could unwittingly feed rumors and contribute to polarization. …
    11. ANDREW: My last media literacy module was a few years ago now, but I mostly remember it focusing on sorting sources into “trustworthy” vs “untrustworthy”. Which is important, absolutely, but equally important to me is being able to ask “who benefits”. Who benefits from these assertions? How do they benefit? What might they be able to do or say to get people to believe the assertion? It’s a useful set of questions because it doesn’t assume that there’s credible sources and non-credible sources, and it doesn’t try to neatly sort a source into one box or the other. The questions are just as valid and just as insightful when asked of an objectively true source as they are when asked of an untrue one. They reveal the possibility of bias, conscious and unconscious. Knowing where bias can be present can help you figure out who is telling the truth, but it can also help you find bits of untruth in otherwise truthful sources as well. I hope media literacy is also taking “mixed truth” into account.
    12. MIKE: I think sources still matter. All of Andrew’s points are good ones, but sources that seem consistently accurate with the facts should be valued over simply a cost/benefit analysis of the writer or provider.
11. Why are central banks pushing to raise interest rates?; Banks are raising rates to bring down inflation but there is a risk to economic growth. By Richard Partington (@RJPartington), Economics correspondent | THEGUARDIAN.COM | Thu 16 Jun 2022 03.00 EDT
    1. LET’S TALK CENTRAL BANK INTEREST RATES AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
    2. Cost of loans goes up, BUT
    3. The price of fuel and other imports can go down.
    4. So higher central bank rates (in the US, at least) can help fight inflation.
    5. WHY???
    6. How does it help to bring down inflation?
    7. Inflation measures the annual increase in average consumer prices for a basket of goods and services. Prices typically rise when either supply is constrained, or demand outstrips supply.
    8. Higher rates make borrowing more expensive and encourage saving. When debt is costlier, this in turn can influence consumer demand for goods and services, as well as business investment and hiring intensions. This can help to cool inflation when demand is outstripping supply.
    9. In addition, rising interest rates typically lead to a stronger currency on the foreign exchange markets. This helps to reduce the price of imported goods, and may be a key consideration for the Bank of England. With aggressive rate rises from the Fed, the American currency has strengthened to the highest level in two decades, while the pound has hit the lowest level against the dollar since the spread of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.
    10. “The Bank will be keeping an eye on what’s happening with sterling,” said James Smith, an economist at ING. “When higher energy costs are priced in dollars, at the margin, a weaker pound is making that worse.”
    11. Central banks also believe in the power of sending signals. By aggressively raising rates, central banks hope to demonstrate their commitment to bringing inflation back to their target. This is aimed to prevent expectations for persistently higher inflation, which could otherwise tempt workers to demand bigger pay rises or encourage companies to keep putting up their prices.
    12. How does it affect you?
    13. When the central bank raises interest rates, high street lenders pass them on to consumer and commercial borrowers and savers. While they’re typically slower to raise the interest paid on deposits, mortgage costs can rise quite quickly.
    14. Those on standard variable rates – which track the Bank’s base rate – are the first to see the difference. However, most homeowners have fixed-rate mortgages. This means you won’t see higher costs until you come to the end of your term. This is one of the reasons central banks say it can take time for higher rates to counter inflation.
    15. Renters are also likely to come under pressure, as buy-to-let landlords pass on higher borrowing costs to their tenants.
    16. When the Bank raised interest rates in May by 0.25 percentage points to 1%, analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown estimated it would push mortgage payments up by over £40 per month.
    17. Against a backdrop of rising interest rates, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates household debt servicing costs to rise from £55bn to £83bn over the next two years.
    18. ANDREW: I think it’s important to recognize that higher interest on loans doesn’t magically make prices go down. I saw a good TikTok from More Perfect Union explaining this. It’s about the financial structure in the US, but I think a lot of its observations apply in other nations and on the global scale as well. We’ll play it for you now.
    19. [INSERT AUDIO]
    20. ANDREW: Those voices in order were a representative of More Perfect Union, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, and John Catsimatidis, CEO of the Red Apple Group.
    21. ANDREW: So corporations are milking consumers for all they’re worth and using tumultuous world events as an excuse, driving prices higher, and the Fed’s response will cause human suffering and won’t even bring prices down, because demand isn’t the problem, prices are. What should the government do instead?
    22. ANDREW: I say that the solution to high prices is not to decrease CONSUMER power, it’s to decrease BUSINESS power by setting price controls. If they’re distributed evenly along supply chains, the lower materials costs will compensate for the lower profit-per-item at the retail end. And don’t forget: just like during a sale, when prices are lower, people buy more, and businesses profit more overall per consumer. I think this is the kind of economic policy that the public should be pushing for. 
    23. ANDREW: Workers should also be unionizing and taking direct action to resist layoffs so that companies can’t cut jobs so easily when interest rates go up. If you want to organize but need a place to start, I suggest the Industrial Workers of the World. Even if you don’t unionize with them, they have a great organizer training program that anyone can take for a small fee.
    24. MIKE: There is always the issue of supply and demand driving prices, and I think that Andrew doesn’t give enough emphasis to the legitimacy of that aspect. But that gets us into the issue of fair profit versus price gouging, and I think that’s the discussion here.
    25. MIKE: As far as unions go, I’ve said before that I believe in the Socio-Political Triad of Labor—Business—Government. When one of the legs of that Triad is too week, you get societal and economic imbalances, and we’re far beyond that point.
12.  
13. Forever Chemicals No More? PFAS Are Destroyed With New Technique; The harmful molecules are everywhere, but chemists have made progress in developing a method to break them down. By Carl Zimmer | NYTIMES.COM | Aug. 18, 2022
    1. A team of scientists has found a cheap, effective way to destroy so-called forever chemicals …
    2. The chemicals — known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are found in a spectrum of products and contaminate water and soil around the world. [They remain] dangerous for generations.
    3. … In a study, published Thursday [8/19] in the journal Science, a team of researchers rendered PFAS molecules harmless by mixing them with two inexpensive compounds at a low boil [MIKE: from elsewhere in the article, “between about 175 degrees to 250 degrees Fahrenheit”]. In a matter of hours, the PFAS molecules fell apart. …
    4. The new technique might provide a way to destroy PFAS chemicals once they’ve been pulled out of contaminated water or soil. But William Dichtel, a chemist at Northwestern University and a co-author of the study, said that a lot of effort lay ahead to make it work outside the confines of a lab. …
    5. A common method to get rid of this concentrated PFAS is to burn it. But some studies indicate that incineration fails to destroy all of the chemicals and lofts the surviving pollution into the air. …
    6. MIKE: This is an advance, for sure, but in the absence of a way to pull PFAS from the environment, it would rely on boiling water and soil in a chemical mix in order to “disassemble” PFAS into less noxious compounds. (The article doesn’t specify what these compounds are.)
    7. MIKE: So this is certainly an important step forward, but a way needs to be found to break down PFAS outside the lab. Perhaps this will be a small step in that direction.
    8. ANDREW: Reflects an important part of actions against environmental damage like pollution and climate change: fixing the damage that’s already happened. Stopping things getting worse definitely important, but not alone enough to dig us out. Any progress on environmental restoration is good news.
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