In shadow of a ‘big buttons’ debate, CDC to offer tips on surviving a ‘nuclear detonation’
Perhaps it was inevitable, especially given the current discussion between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump over who's nuclear button is bigger.
Over in the newest part of the city of Atlanta, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention hosts a monthly seminar series dubbed the Public Health Grand Rounds – “created to further strengthen CDC's common scientific culture and foster discussion and debate on major public health issues.”
The topic for the Jan. 17 session: "Public Health Response to a Nuclear Detonation." From the teaser:
"Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness. For instance, most people don't realize that sheltering in place for at least 24 hours is crucial to saving lives and reducing exposure to radiation."
It may be time to dust off that old duck-and-cover video:
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Speaking of nuclear holocausts: Since the Brits handed Hong Kong back to Beijing two decades ago, the former colony's newspaper of record, the South China Morning Post, has become a reliable gauge of central government attitudes.
Which gives a recent editorial with this headline some added significance: "Why Jimmy Carter should be Trump's messenger of peace on North Korea." The relevant paragraphs:
Carter has previously visited North Korea and met local officials and citizens, which makes him uniquely qualified to serve as an intermediary and diplomatic emissary.
The top priority at the moment should be to prevent nuclear conflict. Only after dialogue is opened and tensions are reduced can potential agreements be reached.
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Multiple outlets, including the Washington Post, report this morning that President Donald Trump's break with former White House strategist Steve Bannon appears to a permanent one.
The unkempt former confidante is quoted disparaging Trump and his family in “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” – a new book out today by New York writer Michael Wolff.
Trump is not happy. One sign: He gave Bannon a nickname in a morning Tweet:
That last sentence is apparently a reference to the legal action that Trump’s lawyers are now pursuing – to punish Bannon for breaking a confidentiality agreement, and to halt the publication of the book.
In constitutional terms, that’s called prior restraint. And an advertisement for that new movie about the Washington Post.
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On Thursday, House Speaker David Ralston dropped a hint that a Senate delay in voting on an adoption overhaul next week could lead to legislative gridlock.
Asked whether he would delay votes on Senate bills until the measure passes, he said he hasn’t made a decision on how to prioritize votes yet. “We have a lot of House measures to take up,” he said.
Ralston and Gov. Nathan Deal have called for legislation to update Georgia’s adoption rules. But they won’t accept language that would allow private agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples.
Some Senate Republicans have insisted on that provision, and the bill failed to reach Deal’s desk last year when lawmakers were unable to hash out a compromise. (Greg Bluestein)
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Speaker Ralston also promised that the hate-crimes legislation proposed by state Rep. Meagan Hanson, R-Brookhaven, will get a hearing. But he said he's not yet committed to supporting it. "I'm open to persuasion, but I recognize that a crime is a crime," said Ralston. "We'll see how the legislative process plays out."
Hanson, a Brookhaven Republican, will introduce legislation to create stiffer penalties for violations of the law deemed to be hate crimes. Georgia is one of five states without a hate-crimes statute. (GB)
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Ralston also offered this when asked his take on Trump's plan to watch the championship game in Atlanta on Monday: "He's the president. He can go wherever he wants to go. He's going to see one heck of a football game. And I hope he's going to be as happy to see Georgia win as I am."
The House speaker had three predictions about the game:
-- "Georgia wins."
-- "There will not be as many points scored as there were in the Rose Bowl."
-- "Georgia's margin will be six points." (GB)
About the Authors
Jim Galloway, the newspaper’s former political columnist, was a writer and editor at the AJC for four decades.
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tamar Hallerman is an award-winning senior reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She covers the Fulton County election interference case and co-hosts the Breakdown podcast.
