Image 01 Image 03
Sign In or RegisterLogout

Author: Leslie Eastman

Profile photo

Leslie Eastman

I am an Environmental Health and Safety Professional, as well as a science/technical writer for a variety of news and professional publications. I have been a citizen activist since 2009, and am one of the co-founders of the San Diego-based group, Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 08, 2017 18 Comments
Local officials are saying that 28 people were hurt in a shooting early Saturday after a dispute at a downtown Little Rock nightclub.
The city's police chief said officers suspect multiple people fired weapons but that the incident was not terror-related. Little Rock Police said on Twitter that 25 people suffered gunshot wounds and three had unrelated injuries. Police said all were expected to survive. Clubgoers between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others had unrelated injuries. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon, police said.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 08, 2017 35 Comments
Last week, Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator, stated he intended to form a ‘red team’ to debate climate science.
“U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is leading a formal initiative to challenge mainstream climate science using a “back-and-forth critique” by government-recruited experts, according to a senior administration official. The program will use “red team, blue team” exercises to conduct an “at-length evaluation of U.S. climate science,” the official said, referring to a concept developed by the military to identify vulnerabilities in field operations.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 07, 2017 23 Comments
As President Donald Trump continues his second international trip this week, it appears G20 climate change proponents are faltering at their attempts to isolate him after the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.
“Huge efforts are underway now to make sure as many countries as possible hold the line and compensate for America’s withdrawal by redoubling their efforts. How far this goes, I have my doubts,” said Dennis Snower, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a leading German think tank advising the European Commission ahead of the summit meeting.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 05, 2017 20 Comments
Solar energy has been touted as the "greenest" and "safest" renewable energy option that is currently available. However, after 8 long years of solar energy businesses being promoted by the U.S. government, hard numbers and real work experiences are causing people to reassess just how "green" solar energy is. To begin with, it appears that solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of electricity generated than nuclear power plants:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 05, 2017 39 Comments
I have long joked about the negative feelings that Californians inspire among citizens in the remaining 49 states. However, new arrivals to Portland, Oregon were the victims of something more than a joke. Their home and auto were the target of a graffiti attack that told them to return to the Golden State.
A couple from California, who relocated to Portland 4 months ago, woke up Sunday to find their car and house vandalized.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 04, 2017 12 Comments
North Korea fired a ballistic missile that flew into waters east of the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"We confirm that North Korea has fired an unidentified ballistic missile off its eastern coast towards the East Sea from Banghyun area in Northern Pyong An Province at around 9:40 am (KST) Tuesday morning," a South Korean military official told NBC. "The launch was immediately reported to the President Moon Jae In." Moon ordered a National Security Council meeting after the launch, South Korean state news agency Yonhap reported, citing the Blue House — the South Korean equivalent of the White House.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 01, 2017 9 Comments
Late last year, we reported that there will be a total eclipse of the sun that will be visible throughout a good portion of the United States on August 21. As the date of that event draws near, transportation officials are gearing up for potential gridlock along the interstate that may occur because of skyward rubbernecking.
The eclipse will be visible in 14 states, and FHWA estimates that over 200,000,000 will be within a day's drive from traveling into the phenomenon's path.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 01, 2017 13 Comments
The last time that we checked on the National Endowment for the Arts, the progressives were clutching their pearls over President Donald Trump's threat to drain this particular pond of the government swamp. Yet, the agency still exists...and just gave a fairly substantial grant to The Public Theater of New York, which just concluded its run of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar featuring the assassination of a Trump-like character.  Here is an entry from the list of 2017 grants:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 01, 2017 7 Comments
Yesterday, we reported that the U.S. House of Representatives passed Kate’s Law (increasing penalties for illegal immigrants who keep trying to re-enter the United States) and another that denies federal grants to sanctuary cities. The need for such federal intervention was promptly highlighted after news of a six-figure settlement between the "sancturary city" of San Francisco and an illegal immigrant was released:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 28, 2017 32 Comments
Legal Insurrection readers will recall that the Environmental Protection Agency under Obama enacted one of the most flagrant regulatory power grabs in American history with the Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS). WOTUS redefine how "waters of the United States" are subject to federal regulations under the Clean Water Act. Attempted enforcement of these rules led to farmers being fined astronomical amounts after installing stock pods that had no potential impact on navigable waters, nor posed any other significant environmental threat to the community.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 24, 2017 11 Comments
I recently reported that California Senate Bill 562, which would establish a single payer healthcare system within the state, had recently cleared a major hurdle by passing through a state legislative committee. However, the measure died upon entering the California Assembly.
A high-profile effort to establish a single-payer healthcare system in California sputtered Friday when Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) decided to shelve the proposal.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 23, 2017 22 Comments

Among the trending news items this week is the tale of a freak accident that took the life of a French model and aspiring social media star.

From the Daily Mail:
A French fitness blogger has been killed by an exploding whipped cream dispenser which hit her in the chest, giving her a heart attack. Rebecca Burger's family announced her death on social media, where she has amassed a following of more than 200,000 with her fitness focused posts.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 21, 2017 66 Comments
Many eco-activists have mocked statements that President Donald Trump, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, and many others have made in the efforts to fight climate alarmist policies. As I noted in a previous post, President Donald Trump understands enough about climate science to be highly skeptical of diverting millions of American dollars into the global bureaucracy. In fact, I asserted that he comprehended more real science that the climate change proponents. Proof that I am correct (again) comes in the form of a paper in Nature Geoscience: Causes of differences in model and satellite tropospheric warming rates. Since this is a weighty article, I will cut to the chase and hit the highlights.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 20, 2017 20 Comments
The total losses from the inferno that swept through London's Grenfell Tower last week are still being assessed. The count of dead victims has steadily increased with each report, and now stands at 79.
At least 79 people are dead or missing and presumed dead following the fire that tore through the 24-story Grenfell Tower in London, police have said. Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy told a press conference Monday that only five victims have been formally identified so far, and the death toll may change.
Accessibility by WAH