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Author: Leslie Eastman

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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 24, 2016 7 Comments
As expected, the number of Zika cases in steadily rising in the United States, and now it appears that hundreds of pregnant women in this country have been infected with the virus that has been traced to severe birth defects.
More than 400 pregnant women now have Zika in the US - up from 364 last week. Another three babies have also been diagnosed with the virus, bringing the total number of infected infants to seven, according to new data from the CDC. It comes amid fears that American mosquitoes may now be infected with Zika after a woman in Miami contracted the virus without traveling abroad.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 23, 2016 41 Comments
Kemberlee reported that leaked emails put out by Wikileaks suggested that DNC scuttled the Bernie Sanders campaign and were targeting his religion as part of their plans. Hillary probably wishes these email were the ones deleted, as they clearly show that instead of treating Sanders as serious candidate for the Democratic ticket, the DNC worked against him and his campaign to ensure Clinton received the nomination.
One email from DNC Deputy Communications Director Eric Walker to several DNC staffers cites two news articles showing Sanders leading in Rhode Island and the limited number of polling locations in the state: “If she outperforms this polling, the Bernie camp will go nuts and allege misconduct. They’ll probably complain regardless, actually.” Instead of treating Sanders with impartiality, the DNC exhibits resentful disdain toward him and the thousands of disenfranchised voters he could have brought into the party.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 23, 2016 12 Comments
Just when you are ready to give up on California, there is a sign that some sanity still remains in Sacramento! In April, a 2-member California parole board authorized the release of former Manson Family killer Leslie Van Houten. The decision to go forward with this recommendation rested with Governor Jerry Brown, who was sent a petition signed by over 140,000 people to discourage his signature on the release when it arrived on his desk. This time, Brown made the good choice.
Gov. Jerry Brown denied parole Friday to Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of Charles Manson's cult in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 22, 2016 15 Comments
Last month, we blogged about a 2-year-old who was killed by an alligator at the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon located across the lake from the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld. The family of the toddler, Lane Graves, has opted to build a foundation in their son's name rather than sue Disney.
"Melissa and I are broken. We will forever struggle to comprehend why this happened to our sweet baby, Lane," Matt and Melissa Graves said in a statement Wednesday. "As each day passes, the pain gets worse, but we truly appreciate the outpouring of sympathy and warm sentiments we have received from around the world."

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 20, 2016 23 Comments
One of the new pieces of good news coming from Europe last week was from Great Britain. In the wake of the #Brexit vote, U.K.'s new Prime Minister felt empowered to shut an entire government department.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has been facing criticism during her first few days in office over her decision to close the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change. The closure was reported on Thursday, May's first full day in office after the departure of David Cameron.
The unit will actually be folded into an expanded Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy under Greg Clark.
It comes at a time when campaigners are urging the government to ratify the Paris climate change deal.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 19, 2016 10 Comments
Last week, my beloved husband took me on a much needed birthday vacation in Maine. Despite the fact that I was trying to ignore the 2016 election insanity for a brief time, I couldn't entirely escape it. When we hit a tourist shop in Kennebunkport, Maine, we were astonished by the amount of 2016 election paraphernalia already on sale. For example, despite the array of opinion on the GOP nominee in the Legal Insurrection comments, I think we can all agree on this:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 19, 2016 4 Comments
My colleague Mary Chastain reported that Black Lives Matter activists in Wichita, KS, joined their local police department for the First Steps Cookout to bring together their community. San Diego took a different, though similar approach. City officials, area clergy, and our police representatives came together by our famous Balboa Park fountain in a display of civic unity.
"There is no doubt that our nation is hurting," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer told the crowd. "The recent string of unjustifiable deaths cuts all of us deeply. From Dallas to Baton Rouge and (other cities), this loss of innocent lives has left all of us raw."

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 17, 2016 81 Comments
When the 2016 election cycle started, I had no dog in the GOP primary fight—I had already decided on #NeverHillary. However, as the primary season unfolded, I was very surprised that business tycoon and showman Donald Trump was decimating the field of very experienced politicos and conservative icons. I eventually became a supporter of Donald Trump after regularly reading the posts of Don Surber, who has been covering the truly inept reporting we have been treated to during the 2016 election cycle on his wonderfully entertaining blog. Surber, a recovering journalist with over 30 years of experience, was recently inspired to consolidate his many posts on the woefully inaccurate punditry concerning Trump's campaign for his new book: Trump the Press.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 04, 2016 14 Comments
I have been following the antics of "AG's United for Clean Power," a group of Democratic states attorneys general spearheaded by former Vice President Al Gore, who are threatening Big Oil and climate change skeptics with racketeering statutes. Despite scholarly reminders of this tactics' obvious constitutional abuses and outcries from proponents of First Amendment rights and sound science, the Democratic Party Platform Drafting Committee is keen to adopt the approach.
The committee unanimously adopted a “joint proposal calling on the Department of Justice to investigate alleged corporate fraud on the part of fossil fuel companies who have reportedly misled shareholders and the public on the scientific reality of climate change.” I.e., it wants to criminalize courageous people who still believe it’s okay to think independently, at least about allegedly dangerous manmade global warming.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 04, 2016 20 Comments
While traveling back home from a conference in Atlanta, I had a chance to read the new book Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate by Gary Byrne. Byrne's book is a gripping read, as he conveys his personal history to join the Secret Service, his time at the White House, and his decision to join the Federal Air Marshals Service. However, it is not an easy read, as it is difficult to learn of how the Clintons and other elite politicos disdainfully treated patriotic Americans such a Byrne, who want only to serve their country.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 03, 2016 27 Comments
Mary recently covered the damning Benghazi report that indicates Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Obama administration focused on managing public relations instead of military assets in response to the 2012 attack in Libya. However, the mainstream media asserts the 800-page evaluation shows no new evidence of wrongdoing by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Clinton as intelligent and capable the day after that report. One of our best known San Diego bloggers, Barry C. Jacobsen, is a former Green Beret and a military history expert. He is taking the time to read the full document and analyze various sections through the prism of his Special Ops experience and insight into military tactics. In other words, a blogger is doing the job the mainstream American press won't do.  Again.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on July 01, 2016 19 Comments
As more information is revealed about the extent of European Union regulatory inanity in the wake of the #Brexit victory, the more the Leave voters have been vindicated. Kemberlee blogged that EU regulations were set to ban traditional tea kettles and toasters that are essential appliances in the British kitchen. In 2013, the bureaucrats put restrictions on cinnamon content of traditional Danish pastries:
Brussels has sparked outrage in Denmark by proposing to outlaw their traditional pastries. Christmas festivities have been dampened in Copenhagen by the prospect that this could be the last year its citizens will be able to eat their kanelsnegler or cinnamon rolls. The end to the beloved pastries comes from EU limits on the amount of coumarin, a naturally occurring toxic chemical found in the most commonly used type of cinnamon, cassia.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 26, 2016 45 Comments
Legal Insurrection readers and authors were recently having a robust discussion on the the British exit from the European Union and its potential impact on the U.S. Perhaps the biggest #Brexit effect with be on state independence movements. For example, Louis J. Marinelli, a Californian political activist and leader of the California independence movement, is using the European developments to drive a harder push to have California split from the United States.
His dream of seeing a free, independent California Republic was buoyed by Thursday’s shock result of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union—known as Brexit. Marinelli, president of the "Yes California" movement, was inspired by the Brexit vote, as “Leave” supporters in England and Wales overwhelmed “Remain” backers in Scotland and Northern Ireland—prompting discussions of whether Scotland will hold another referendum to leave the U.K behind and retain EU membership.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 25, 2016 79 Comments
I must admit, few arguments related to the "settled science" of climate change astonish me anymore. But until today I failed to fully appreciate the extent of eco-activist creativity! Panicked progressives are now asserting the Britain's vote to leave the European Union will cause adverse effects on the environment. Yes....#Brexit will cause Climate Change.
Despite being an issue that knows no borders, affects all and is of vital interest to future generations, the environment was low on the agenda ahead of the UK’s historic vote to leave the European Union. The short answer to what happens next with pollution, wildlife, farming, green energy, climate change and more is we don’t know – we are in uncharted territory. But all the indications – from the “red-tape” slashing desires of the Brexiters to the judgment of environmental professionals – are that the protections for our environment will get weaker.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 24, 2016 17 Comments
While Democratic members of Congress built a pillow fort on the floor of the House to oppose gun rights, the Republicans continued their work on behalf of the American people.
At about 1 am on Thursday, while drowned out by cries of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" from Democrats and partially blocked from C-SPAN’s cameras by protest signs, Ryan held some procedural votes on when the House would reconvene to vote on emergency funding to address the Zika virus. The votes were held at 2:30 am, and the Zika bill passed.
The need for a robust response to Zika is becoming more evident each day, as reports of more outbreaks in this country continue to mount.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 22, 2016 6 Comments
Recently, I noted that climate change skeptics who also acted as their states' attorneys general warned their environmental activist counterparts that plans were being made to "fight fire with fire." Afterall, if the government's environmental activists begin targeting businesses and private organizations under racketeering statutes for denying progressive environmental science theories, then skeptics surely can go after eco-activists for their climate exaggerations and alarmist tactics. Goose, meet gander! In a way, the pushback has already begun. About one month ago, thirteen Republican members of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee Republicans sent letters to 17 state attorneys general and eight environmental groups requesting documents related to the groups’ coordinated efforts to deprive companies, nonprofit organizations, scientists and scholars of their First Amendment rights and their ability to fund and conduct scientific research free from intimidation and threats of prosecution. This congressional committee has turned up the heat even more. It is now delving into eco-activism at the federal level by requesting records of the communications between employees for the state attorneys general and the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, or the White House.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 21, 2016 69 Comments
On Memorial Day weekend, we covered the accident with Harambe that led to the shooting of a rare gorilla to protect a boy who fell into the Cincinnati's zoo enclosure. Now, in time for Father's Day, there is troubling news related to the awful death of Lane Graves. The 2-year old was attacked by an alligator at the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon located across the lake from the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 20, 2016 11 Comments
Truly, the 21st century is not turning out as I envisioned. We have been closely following the #FlintWatercrisis. After relying on science, technology, and public policy for decades to guarantee safe drinking water, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy just wrote a letter to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver explaining why the region's water woes are going to continue into the foreseeable future.
...Among the problem areas identified by McCarthy:
  • Flint's water system is oversized for its current and projected water demand, leading to water not moving through the system as designed. This standing water in pipes can erode the residual chlorine that protects against pathogens.
  • "The water treatment plant is not adequately staffed, operated or administered to reliably deliver safe drinking water for years into the future," McCarthy stated. Additional "experienced and expert operators" and improved standard operating procedures and preventive and corrective maintenance programs are needed.
  • The EPA administrator also was critical of city leadership. "Flint needs a city administration that can provide stable, reliable and quick administrative support essential to a well-functioning drinking water system," she stated in her letter....
So while the EPA is struggling to deal with the lead in Flint's water system, another government agency has issued a troubling report on an aquatic contaminant that has become ubiquitous in the public water system: Synthetic estrogen from contraceptives.
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