Stress Levels.
The "earthquake gate” at Cajon Pass.
News Items is as invaluable a way to start the day as a strong cup of coffee or a sip of mild gin” — Graydon Carter, editor and author of ‘When The Going Was Good’.
1. Yikes: The San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems are at their highest levels of tectonic stress in 1,000 years, raising the threat of a major, imminent earthquake that could devastate Southern California, a new study finds. The faults could rupture separately or together, thanks to an “earthquake gate” between them at Cajon Pass, where the San Jacinto fault splits from the main trace of the San Andreas fault. Researchers discovered that the Cajon Pass can prevent or facilitate earthquakes moving between the faults, depending on how similar their stress levels are at the time of rupture. And right now, the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults appear to have comparable, extremely elevated stress levels, potentially spelling trouble for Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and the Coachella Valley, the team warned. (Source: livescience.com)
2. Monash University researchers have found in laboratory experiments that a drug which delivers copper to the brain significantly reduces toxic Alzheimer’s proteins and improves long-term spatial memory. The study, published today in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience, shows the compound Cu(ATSM) repairs a vital waste-clearing pump at the blood-brain barrier – unlocking a potential new avenue of therapeutics targeting neuro-vascular dysfunction, caused by one of the world’s leading causes of death. (Source: monash.edu. Monash is a leading university based in Melbourne, Australia.)
3. Iran is set to receive broad financial incentives as part of its agreement with the US, including the right to sell oil immediately, tap a $300 billion development fund and get eventual access to its frozen assets, according to a final draft of the deal. While the contours of the memorandum of understanding have been circulating for days, the latest document — a copy of which was seen by Bloomberg News — offers the most complete accounting yet of the economic boost Iran is set to receive for ending its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and reiterating its commitment never to seek a nuclear weapon. (Source: bloomberg.com)
4. You can read the full text of the 14-Point Draft Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran by clicking on this link (no paywall). (Source: bloomberg.com, finance.yahoo.com)
5. Here’s point #6:
The United States undertakes, together with its regional partners, to create a comprehensive plan agreed upon by both parties for the rehabilitation and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, While ensuring financing of at least $300 billion. The implementation mechanism of this plan, as part of the final agreement, will be formulated within 60 days. (Source: bloomberg.com. Italics mine.)
