Heavily armed civilians with a group known as the Oath Keepers arrive in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 11, 2015. The far-right anti-government activists, largely consists of past and present members of the military, first responders and police officers.
Credit: Jeff Roberson/AP

Asher Edelman, the former Wall Street tycoon who was the model for Gordon “Greed Is Good” Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street, shocked the financial world earlier this year when he endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders. The multi-millionaire explained that when “the average American has not had an increase in pay in over 15 years,” it is terrible for the U.S. economy because businesses need more than the top 1% to keep them afloat—they need a strong, robust middle class.

Edelman’s assertion was not groundbreaking: President Franklin D. Roosevelt […]

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Biodiversity. Ecologists found that grasslands, savannas and shrublands were most affected by biodiversity loss, followed closely by many of the world’s forests and woodlands. They say the ability of biodiversity in these areas to support key ecosystem functions such as growth of living organisms and nutrient cycling has become increasingly uncertain. Credit: Alexey Protasov / Fotolia

Levels of global biodiversity loss may negatively impact on ecosystem function and the sustainability of human societies, according to UCL-led research.

Trigg County Judge/Executive Hollis L. Alexander (Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association)

Kentucky county judge refused to officiate a couple’s wedding after they requested he respect their lack of religious beliefs, the Friendly Atheist reported.

Trigg County Judge/Executive Hollis Alexander confirmed that he turned away Mandy Heath and her fiancee when Heath went to file the necessary paperwork at the local courthouse on the day before their wedding.

“I will be unable to perform your wedding ceremony,” said Alexander, who also refuses to perform ceremonies for same-sex couples. “I include God in my ceremonies and I won’t do one without.”

However, Alexander’s objections have already been met with criticism from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has already contacted him.

“You have no right to impose your personal religious beliefs on people seeking to be married. Governments in this nation, including the Commonwealth of Kentucky, are secular,” the group’s letter read. “They do not have the power to impose religion on citizens. The bottom line is […]

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Four types of advanced batteries could reportedly be nearing readiness for electrified vehicle and energy storage markets.

Four types of advanced batteries could reportedly be nearing readiness for electrified vehicle and energy storage markets.

While lithium-ion (Li-ion), advanced lead-acid, flow, and molten sea batteries have become the most commercially available advanced batteries, there are better battery technologies waiting in the wings, according to a study by Navigant Research. Lithium sulfur (Li-S), lithium solid-state (Li-SS), next-generation flow, and a liquid metal battery are at the level of laboratory-scale research or pilot-scale production levels today.

Li-ion is currently the primary chemistry used for transportation and grid-tied stationary energy storage applications that require next-generation batteries. There will be limitations to Li-ion over time, including challenges related to energy density, safety, and costs, Navigant Research says.

Li-S, Li-SS, next-generation flow, and other advanced batteries could be contenders encroaching on Li-ion’s market share as the world’s most flexible battery chemistry in the transportation and stationary energy storage […]

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