Hunters Full Moon on Oct. 31 is a "Blue Moon" in same month -- details from ALMANAC dot-com

 from Old Farmer's Almanac online article

A SPOOKY HALLOWEEN BLUE MOON

As stated above, October’s second full Moon appears on Saturday, October 31, making Halloween night extra special this year. This full Moon is known as the Hunter’s Moon, as this is the time of year when humans and animals alike are stocking up on food in preparation for the long winter ahead.

→ Just how rare is a full Moon on Halloween? Find out here!

Because the Hunter’s Moon is the second full Moon in the month of October, it is also considered a “Blue Moon.” This term refers either to the second full Moon to occur within a single calendar month or to the third full Moon in a calendar season. Despite the name, the Moon won’t actually appear blue-tinged; it will be its normal golden hue near the horizon, transitioning to a bright white overhead. 

But wait! Here’s another fun fact that you should know about this full Moon: The Hunter’s Moon will be the smallest full Moon of the year—a so-called “minimoon“—thanks to it being farther away from Earth than any other full Moon in 2020. As you might guess, a minimoon is the opposite of a supermoon. This phenomenon is caused by the Moon’s oval-shaped orbit around Earth, which results in the Moon being farther and closer to the Earth at different points in its orbit. (The closest and farthest points in the Moon’s orbit are called perigee and apogee, respectively.)

Dense Fog Advisory (until 1 p.m.) Oct. 22, 2020

 southwest Michigan, and portions of northern Indiana

Description

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON... WHAT...Visibility as low as one quarter mile is expected through midday. WHERE.. southwest Michigan, and portions of northern Indiana. WHEN...Until 1 PM EDT this afternoon. IMPACTS...Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.

New COVID-19 cases (State of Michigan) - Tuesday 10/20/2020

 from MLIVE.com (Michigan Live! website article on Gov. Whitmer press conference 10/21/2020)

Michigan health officials reported 1,597 new coronavirus cases and 33 new deaths on Wednesday. The state is averaging 1,704 new cases per day -- a new record high for a seven-day moving average

Conjunctions of Jupiter

 from 2018 Jupiter by William Sheehan and Thomas Hockey (Reaktion Books)

Appendix II (pages 172 -3) based on the tables by Richard Nolle

Jupiter and Saturn will be very close to each other in the sky on

21 December 2020

Jupiter and Venus will be very close to each other in sky on

31 October 2040

Jupiter and Mars will be very close to each other in sky on

29 May 2022

14 August 2024

16 November 2026

19 July 2029

Orionid Meteor Shower (Oct. 21 - 22): data available at Old Farmer's Almanac

 www.almanac.com/

Orionid

Predawn

S

Oct. 21–22

15 per hour

Halley's Comet

Virtual Forum (St. Marys.edu - Notre Dame, IN): Monday Oct. 19, 2020 begins at 7 p.m.

http://saintmarys.edu (Endowed lecture on Spirituality) 

Join Us Online

In this live virtual panel, María Teresa (MT) Dávila, PhD, Visiting Associate Professor of Practice of Religious and Theological Studies, Merrimack College and Daniel P. Horan, OFM, PhD, Duns Scotus Chair of Spirituality, Catholic Theological Union address how this ground-breaking encyclical has been received by the church and the world.

Pope Francis declared May 24, 2020 - May 24, 2021 a special year of observance in light of his encyclical, Laudato Si’. He calls all of us “to work to create a more caring, fraternal, peaceful and sustainable world.” This panel is part of the Center for Spirituality’s Fall Endowed Lecture Series under the theme “A Year of Laudato Si’.”

This virtual event will take place at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

International Guest Panel -- Dialogue on The 1A (NPR call-in show) - Friday October 16, 2020, 11 a.m. Eastern

 We cover the biggest stories from around the globe on the News Roundup.

GUESTS

Paul Danahar

Washington bureau chief, BBC; author of "The New Middle East: 

The World After the Arab Spring"

Emily Tamkin

U.S. editor, The New Statesman; Author of "The Influence of Soros"

Ishaan Tharoor

foreign affairs writer, The Washington Post; anchor, Today's WorldView, 

a daily column and Post newsletter on international politics

Both Friday and Saturday early morning Frost Advisory

 from North Webster, IN Weather data (NOAA)

Affected Area

Berrien County

Description

...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING Oct. 16, 2020

... ...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY Oct. 17, 2020... WHAT...For the first Frost Advisory, temperatures as low as 36 will result

in frost formation. For the second Frost Advisory, temperatures as low as 35

will result in frost formation. WHERE...Berrien County. WHEN...For the first Frost Advisory, until 8 AM EDT this morning.

For the second Frost Advisory, from 2 AM to 8 AM EDT Saturday. IMPACTS...Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered.

Freeze Warning (until 8 a.m.)

 Thursday, October 15

**FREEZE WARNING FOR FRIDAY MORNING***

Widespread frost, and even a brief freeze, is likely this morning as temperatures start the day in the low- to mid-30s! 

for Berrrien County, Michigan -- Thursday 10/15 - Friday 10/16/2020

Low expected to go to low 30's; possible Frost overnight and temperatures rise only 

after sunrise Friday 8 a.m.

Third Presidential Debate -- actually second since Oct. 15 debate cancelled due to COVID-19 exposure of POTUS

 The Commission on Presidential Debates will hold the last presidential debate on October 22, 2020, between President Donald Trump (R) 

and former Vice President Joe Biden (D).

To qualify, a candidate must meet certain constitutional, ballot access, and polling requirements. Click here to learn more about them.

The debate will be 90 minutes without commercial breaks. 

It will be divided into six, 15-minute segments with questions 

selected by the moderator, NBC News' Kristen Welker.[1]

HIGHLIGHTS

Date: October 22, 2020, at 9:00 p.m. ET

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Venue: Belmont University

Moderator: Kristen Welker

Eight nations sign "Artemis Accords" -- NASA administrator Oct. 12 Moon Exploration cooperative principles (U.S. Canada U.K. U.A.E. among others)

 from Space dot-com website

Eight nations have signed the Artemis Accords, a set of principles outlining the responsible exploration of Earth's nearest neighbor, NASA officials announced today (Oct. 13, 2020). 

The path is now clear for those eight nations — Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and (unsurprisingly) the U.S. — to participate in NASA's Artemis program of crewed lunar exploration. Artemis aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2024 and establish a sustainable human presence on and around the moon by the end of the decade — bold goals that NASA aims to achieve with the help of international and private-sector partners.

50th Anniversary - Univ. of TX, Austin -- LBJ Center -- broadcast - Oct. 12, 2020

 at Website http://lbj50.org/ 

FORUM II: In the Arena: Defining a New Destiny — 

Oct. 12, 2020, 7 PM Central Time

Never before has humanity faced today's level of crisis and uncertainty, change and scale of disruption. But it is also a tipping point in history. There is a renewed seriousness of purpose around the fight for racial justice and equity—a fight that gained traction in the LBJ era but has since stalled. This forum sheds light on the leadership and vision that can lead us forward.

Featuring Melinda Gates, Pat Mitchell, Jamie Dimon, Pattie Sellers, Lonnie G. Bunch III, Soledad O'Brien, Anousheh Ansari, Nina Easton, Adm. William McRaven, Douglas Brinkley, Stacey Abrams, Pete Buttigieg and Lynda Johnson Robb.

The LBJ School Celebrates 50 Years In the Arena

Tune in TONIGHT for the second part of the LBJ School's 50th anniversary celebration

Canada's Thanksgiving Holiday -- October 12, 2020 -- is it observed nationally?

 Second Monday of October annually

Is Thanksgiving a public holiday in Canada?

Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in most of Canada, with the exceptions being the Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where it is an optional holiday.

Taliban endorses Trump - Pence in Nov. 3 election (interview comments with CBS News)

President Trump's reelection bid received a vote of support Friday (Oct. 9, 2020) from an entity most in his party would reject: the Taliban.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in a phone interview, "We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan." The militant group expressed some concern about Mr. Trump's bout with the coronavirus. "When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his health, but seems he is getting better," another Taliban senior leader told CBS News.

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said Saturday that they "reject" the Taliban support. "The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary," Murtaugh said.  

The Taliban's enthusiasm for Mr. Trump is grounded in the goal they share of getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan after 19 years of war – a longtime promise of the president.  

There are now fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien has said that number would drop to 2,500 by early next year.  

The Trump administration signed a historic pact with the Taliban in February in which the U.S. and its allies set a timetable for U.S. troops to withdraw by the spring of 2021. The pact requires the Taliban to break from al Qaeda and negotiate a power-sharing deal with Afghan government rivals.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated last month, after meeting with Taliban co-founder and political deputy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, that the U.S. was set for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan by April or May of 2021. 

The Obama administration was unsuccessful in its attempts to broker a similar diplomatic deal. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told "Face the Nation" in February that the U.S. should draw down but also keep a residual force of "several thousand people to make sure we have a place from which we can operate" should al Qaeda or ISIS gain capacity to strike the U.S. 

This week, President Trump said all troops should be "home by Christmas," although it is unclear if that is actually expected to happen or if he was simply reiterating his position on wanting to bring troops home.

"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas," he tweeted.

What we know (10/10/2020) about the militia plotters seeking to kidnap Gov. Whitmer of Lansing, MI

 from online article at Michigan Live! www.mlive.com/ 

State and federal officials have charged 13 men with various offenses related to an alleged coup plotted against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a scheme that involved months of planning and even rehearsals to kidnap the governor from her vacation home.

Of the suspects, seven are facing charges on the state level, while the other six are federally charged.

Below is a breakdown of what authorities have alleged against the six federally charged men. They are charged with conspiring to kidnap the governor of Michigan from her vacation home prior to the November election, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge. The charge is a life offense. . .

The group talked about creating a society that followed the U.S. Bill of Rights and where they could be self-sufficient,” the affidavit states. “They discussed different ways of achieving this goal from peaceful endeavors to violent actions. At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Several members talked about murdering ‘tyrants’ or ‘taking’ a sitting governor. The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message. As part of that recruitment effort, Adam D. Fox of Grand Rapids reached out to a Michigan-based militia group.”

On June 14, a second confidential informant had a recorded phone conversation with Fox. During this discussion, Fox said he needed “200 men” to storm Michigan’s Capitol and take hostages, including Whitmer. He explained a trial would be held for Whitmer for “treason” and that the plan would be enacted before the Nov. 3 general election.

Indigenous Peoples Day (Oct. 12, 2020) -- three events Northern IL

The Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Racism Task Force and the Committee on Native American Ministries are jointly planning three events in the coming school year (2020-2021) in the fall, winter and spring. This is part of the Task Force’s Justice Generation initiative which involves United Methodist teens in a year-long service-learning/action journey promoting racial justice.

The fall event is a virtual celebration of worship, learning, and discussion via Zoom in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 12, from 1:00-2:30p CST.  UNITED METHODIST TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS ARE WARMLY INVITED and can register for this event by clicking here. Space is limited.

The Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration will feature native music provided by Bill Bucholtz, a traditional flautist, and the Women’s Drum group from Day Spring Fellowship, a UMC ministry in Peoria, Illinois.  In addition to music and prayer, Rev. Chebon Kernell, a member of the Seminole Nation and Executive Director of the United Methodist Church’s national Native American Comprehensive Plan, will give words of welcome and opening devotion. Koria Wayekwaakamigaa of the Ojibwe’ Nation will be speaking about the Red Dress Movement, which seeks to raise awareness and bring an end to the violence against Native American women in the US and Canada. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss and reflect together in breakout groups on how as followers of Jesus Christ we can help address the injustices faced by Native American communities.  

We invite middle school, high school, college students and other young adults to join us to be inspired in faith and challenged to work for justice in Jesus’ name.  

Second Presidential Debate cancelled (Politico coverage of details - Oct. 2020) -- 3rd scheduled on Oct. 22 at Belmont Univ., Nashville, TN

 The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has officially canceled the second debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden scheduled for Oct. 15 after the candidates signaled they planned to attend other events that day amid a dispute over the terms for the debate.

The announcement puts to rest speculation over whether the event would take place in a modified format next week following a back-and-forth that began early Thursday when Trump rejected the commission's plans to shift the debate to a virtual event amid health concerns after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Biden's campaign initially committed to continue on with the debate, though it indicated later Thursday after it became apparent that Trump would not participate in a virtual debate that Biden planned to instead attend a town hall in Pennsylvania hosted by ABC News.

"It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the commission said in a statement Friday night.

A debate scheduled for Oct. 22 is still slated to take place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Celebration Cinema (MI multi-plex movie theater chains) to reopen during October 2020

 from local ABC Affiliate (Channel 57 South Bend, IN):

Celebration Cinema, a Michigan movie theater chain, will reopen some of its locations on October 9, 2020.

The following cinemas will open on October 9: Celebration North, Studio Park, Rivertown, Crosswords, Lansing, and Cinema Carousel.

Celebration South, Mount Pleasant, Studio C Meridian Mall and Benton Harbor cinemas will “quickly follow,” according to the movie theater’s website.

Guests will be encouraged to purchase tickets online.

Cash will not be accepted, only credit, debit or gift cards can be used on site at the theaters.

Celebration Cinema is also asking that guests wear face masks in the lobbies and theaters. Masks can be removed when eating.

There will be a minimum of six feet of empty space between each group and only every other row will be used in the theaters.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 -- Scientists responsible for CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors (Gene Editing)

 https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2020/press-release/

Genetic scissors: a tool for rewriting the code of life

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna have discovered one of gene technology’s sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, is contributing to new cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true.

Researchers need to modify genes in cells if they are to find out about life’s inner workings. This used to be time-consuming, difficult and sometimes impossible work. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, it is now possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks.

“There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only revolutionised basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments,” says Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

Visible in the night sky: Mars in closes approach (385 million miles)

 from local ABC TV affiliate (www.abc57.com) :

Clear skies and mild temperatures tonight will make conditions absolutely perfect for sky-gazing across Michiana, with Mars taking center stage.

The Red Planet is "in approach," and it's the closest it has been to Earth in 20 years (only 38.5 million miles). Mars will appear big and fairly bright in the sky, rising in the east in the evening before reaching it's highest point around midnight in the southern sky. 

If you miss Mars tonight, there are additional opportunities to planet-watch during the rest of October.

Mars will be the star, so to speak, once again next Tuesday (October 13), when the planet is in "opposition." This means the planet will be the brightest in about 2 years in the southern sky. 

If you're more of an early riser, you should be able to see Venus near the crescent moon about an hour before sunrise from October 12-15.

And, toward the end of October, you could catch a glimpse of a planetary double-feature. Saturn and Jupiter will be visible in the southwestern sky from October 21-23, just after nightfall.

Further COVID-19 infection reported by Pastor who accompanies VP Pence to rallies

 from THE HILL dot-com article

Pastor Greg Laurie of the Harvest Christian Fellowship megachurch shared on Monday October 5, 2020 that he has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the latest attendee at a recent White House event to contract the disease.

Laurie was a guest at the Saturday Sept. 26, 2020 White House Rose Garden ceremony for President Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Several other guests and White House officials, including POTUS 45 and FLOTUS, have since tested positive for the coronavirus.

The pastor also accompanied Vice President Pence to several prayer rallies around that time.

Nobel Prize for Medicine -- announced Oct. 5 -- 2020 to three who discovered Hepatitis C virus

 http://nobelprize.org/ 

This year’s Nobel Prize is awarded to three scientists who have made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world.

Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice made seminal discoveries that led to the identification of a novel virus, Hepatitis C virus. Prior to their work, the discovery of the Hepatitis A and B viruses had been critical steps forward, but the majority of blood-borne hepatitis cases remained unexplained. The discovery of Hepatitis C virus revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.

Hepatitis – a global threat to human health

Liver inflammation, or hepatitis, a combination of the Greek words for liver and inflammation, is mainly caused by viral infections, although alcohol abuse, environmental toxins and autoimmune disease are also important causes. In the 1940’s, it became clear that there are two main types of infectious hepatitis. The first, named hepatitis A, is transmitted by polluted water or food and generally has little long-term impact on the patient. The second type is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and represents a much more serious threat since it can lead to a chronic condition, with the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Possible Frost (Monday Oct. 5, 2020) - Berrien County, Michigan

 

• Berrien, MI
• Branch, MI
• Cass, MI
• Hillsdale, MI
• St. Joseph, MI

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM EDT TO 8 AM EDT MONDAY 10/5/2020... 

* WHAT...Temperatures will fall to near 35 degrees and result in frost formation. * 

WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio. 

* WHEN...From 2 AM EDT /1 AM CDT/ to 8 AM EDT /7 AM CDT/ Monday. 

* IMPACTS...Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Locally colder spots could fall to near freezing. Warmer temperatures are ahead after tonight and should prevent any frost formation later this week.

Web Traffic for this blog (October 1 - 31, 2020)

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Overnight Frost Advisory (Saturday after midnight) - Michigan counties affected

 from National Weather Service (Friday 10/2/2020) via TV station web pages

• Berrien, MI
• Branch, MI
• Cass, MI
• Hillsdale, MI
• St. Joseph, MI

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT  TONIGHT TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures in the middle to upper 30s will result in frost formation. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio. * WHEN...From midnight EDT  tonight to 8 AM EDT  Saturday. *

 IMPACTS...Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered. * 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Clearing skies and light winds will allow temperatures to fall into the middle to upper 30s for much of the area overnight. Locations within a few miles of Lake Michigan will likely remain warmer, closer to 40, but could still see some patchy frost. A few locations away from the lake could see temperatures briefly approach freezing.

COVID-19 patient numbers are highest since the first weeks of pandemic 2020: Indiana

 from coronavirus.becaonsystems.org/ (Memorial Hospital, South Bend, IN)

While it might feel like things are getting back to normal, now is the time to remain vigilant. 

Our region is seeing a large increase in COVID-19 cases, and Beacon hospitals are caring for the highest number of COVID-positive patients since the pandemic started. 

Dr. Dale Patterson, Memorial vice president of medical affairs, 

cautions everyone in the community to not let your guard down. 

Continue to wear masks, social distance, and encourage others 

to do the same. We are all in this together.