Looking at the Sun, Cancelled Mining Health Study, EU-UK Laws

Looking at 2015 partial eclipse in Milton

 According to IFL Science, yesterday's eclipse was followed by a Google search surge in terms involving looking at sun and related comments, like "My eyes really hurt after looking at sun". Despite all the warnings, as ever, the message did not get through to some, including President Trump - until someone handed him a viewer.

Looking directly at the sun can cause temporary eye damage (retinopathy), Ironically, it is during an eclipse that damage may be more likely as your pupil widens as the eclipse progresses and you are tempted to watch longer. There is a relevant article here.

But apparently temporary blindness was not the cause of President Trump changing his opinion on military intervention in Afghanistan from being against it to reluctantly planning to increase it. Sitting behind the President's desk was the deciding factor. Reporters were wondering if this was a more presidential response, based on his expert advisers.

What was not in the mainstream news was another domestic decision. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a statement yesterday, that "the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement informed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that it should cease all work on a study of the potential health risks for people living near surface coal mine sites in Central Appalachia." The US Departments funding of projects over $100,000 was being reviewed. Imminent planned public meetings will still be permitted to go ahead. According to The Independent, "The White House has proposed slashing the interior department’s budget by 13 per cent, or $1.6bn, including 4,000 staff positions. The academy was going to conduct the $1m study over a two-year period." Is this a reflection of the pro-coal Trump policy?

The UK has released another Position paper today on Brexit, the "Providing a crossborder civil judicial cooperation framework". My summary of the paper is:

• We currently have deep existing judicial agreements (civil & commercial, family, EU civil and family matters, other international arrangements like the Hague Convention - OK, its complicated)
• Contracts and agreements initiated before Brexit will continue under existing laws
• We will reach an agreement with the EU on the best way to keep our close relationship that is not the current position but gives us all the benefits.
• After Brexit, the new system will be used.

Again, we want to have our cake and eat it.

It was Community Cafe day today which occupies most of the day. In the evening, watched the animation film Kubo with Jane. Very good.