Texas A&M professor, NASA researcher accused of secretly collaborating with China

HOUSTON — A professor at Texas A&M who was working on U.S. space projects was arrested on federal charges Sunday, Aug. 23.

Professor Zhengdong Cheng, 53, is charged with conspiracy, making false statements and wire fraud.

Cheng led a team conducting research for NASA while secretly working with China, according to federal investigators.

“Dr. Cheng is accused of hiding his affiliation with the Guangdong University of Technology, along with other foreign universities, while disregarding the rules established under his NASA contract during his employment at TAMU,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/08/24/texas-am-professor-nasa-researcher-china-arrested.html

Gwinnett teacher under fire over Black Lives Matter poster

A Gwinnett County Public Schools teacher said district officials told her a Black Lives Matter poster visible in the background of her virtual classroom was a distraction and impacting her “effectiveness” as a teacher.

Paige McGaughey, a teacher at Alton C. Crews Middle School in Lawrenceville, said she added the sign to let Black students know she was an ally after the death of George Floyd on May 25 sparked protests around the world against police brutality and inequality. Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis after a white officer, since fired, held a knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes. A total of four officers were fired and face felony charges.

McGaughey said she was told parents complained she was indoctrinating their children and that they were concerned she would only focus on “Black stuff.”

https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/gwinnett-teacher-under-fire-over-black-lives-matter-poster/7J6XN4SCXJEQZERRM2TYGYQMQ4/

Coca-Cola North America chief stepping down immediately

The president of Coca-Cola Company’s flagship North America unit is stepping down immediately, and his replacement is shifting from a part of the world that has been a crucial training ground for the company’s top executives.

Jim Dinkins, 58, who took over Coca-Cola North America in 2018, is retiring “after a highly successful career with the company,” Coke said in a press release Monday. The move includes Dinkins receiving severance benefits, according to a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Alfredo Rivera is taking the helm of the North America unit, the largest of the Atlanta-based company’s operating groups by revenue. The unit includes the United States and Canada, but not Mexico.

The 59-year-old Rivera, a native of Honduras, has been president of Coke’s 40-country Latin America unit since 2016. He has been with the company 23 years.

https://www.ajc.com/news/coca-cola-north-america-chief-stepping-down-immediately/SOKVP6ERGNCT5L7E5GBRAGX3PU/

Scientists Create 3D-Printed Buildings From Soil

Texas A&M University researchers have come up with a technique for using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to build greener buildings from soil.

The method, which could serve as a sustainable alternative to the use of concrete in construction, can be used to 3D-print entire architectural facades.

Said Texas A&M's Sarbajit Banerjee, "[W]e envision a new paradigm of construction that uses naturally sourced materials … as a means of providing dignified habitats to some of the neediest populations across the world."

Banerjee said researchers "are making excellent progress" in their efforts to improve soil's load-bearing capabilities, which is necessary if the method is to replace concrete.

https://cacm.acm.org/news/246963-scientists-create-3d-printed-buildings-from-soil/fulltext

'Camp Taji turned over to Iraq Security Forces as coalition departs

good times there

Aug. 24 (UPI) – Camp Taji, a U.S.-led coalition training facility in Iraq with $347 million of equipment and property, was transferred to the Iraq Security Forces, U.S. officials said.

In a ceremony on Sunday, coalition troops withdrew from the military base, 12 miles north of Baghdad, and handed it over to Iraqi forces, Combined Joint Task Force- Operation Inherent Resolve said in a statement.

Over 47,000 soldiers were trained at the base, by 2,000 coalition troops. Most recently, it was used by personnel of the United States, Australia and New Zealand to train Iraqi troops.

The transfer is part of a coalition policy of withdrawing from bases and leaving them to Iraqi forces.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/08/24/Camp-Taji-turned-over-to-Iraq-Security-Forces-as-coalition-departs/8451598288679/

Researchers create a contagion model to predict flooding in urban areas

Inspired by the same modeling and mathematical laws used to predict the spread of pandemics, researchers at Texas A&M University have created a model to accurately forecast the spread and recession process of floodwaters in urban road networks. With this new approach, researchers have created a simple and powerful mathematical approach to a complex problem.

"We were inspired by the fact that the spread of epidemics and pandemics in communities has been studied by people in health sciences and epidemiology and other fields, and they have identified some principles and rules that govern the spread process in complex social networks," said Dr. Ali Mostafavi, associate professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "So we ask ourselves, are these spreading processes the same for the spread of flooding in cities? We tested that, and surprisingly, we found that the answer is yes."

lots of stuff coming from A&M lately

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-contagion-urban-areas.html

Humane Rescue Alliance Investigating 2 Cases of Animal Sex Abuse

The Humane Rescue Alliance is investigating two cases of animal sexual abuse in D.C.

HRA received a call about an injured cat near Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast Wednesday and found a critically injured 3-month-old kitten they name Owen.

Owen’s pelvis was fractured in two places and other injuries indicated he was sexually abused, according to HRA. Owen was taken to Friendship Hospital for Animals for care, but there was no medical treatment that could save his life, according to HRA.

In a case that doesn’t appear to be related, HRA received a call Aug. 11 about a puppy abandoned near Fort Dupont Park in Southeast.

They found a 7-month-old puppy they named Luna who was unable to stand and had injuries indicating sexual abuse, according to HRA. She suffered five broken vertebrae, two possible stab wounds to her chest and a dislocated hip and had likely been strangled.

Luna is able to stand again using a sling and is able to take a few steps thanks to the care of veterinarians at Friendship Hospital.

“The person responsible for torturing Luna has certainly demonstrated their propensity for extreme violence,” HRA Vice President of Field Services Chris Schindler said in a press release. “Study after study has shown that individuals who commit cruelty to animals, particularly sexual abuse crimes, are known to perpetrate these crimes against humans, especially children. To ensure the safety of the entire community, we will do everything in our power to find who is responsible and are asking for the public’s help to do so.”

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/humane-rescue-alliance-investigating-2-cases-of-animal-sex-abuse/2399683/