Fall 2020 is like no other!

Fall has arrived, though the unusually hot weather and dry winds still pose fire dangers in California. And October 17 marks the 31st anniversary of the huge Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area. We should all be prepared with food, water, cash, and other basic supplies just in case. Life today is so unpredictable!

Five of the six biggest wildfires were still burning in northern California less than two weeks ago...those beautiful vineyards of Sonoma and Napa counties. The number of acres burned has doubled in the last two decades. Smoke has spread thousands of miles away and has been a huge health issue. The increase in smoke threatens to undermine decades of air quality improvements across the country — improvements driven largely by federal policies (specifically the Clean Air Act), which have led to substantial health benefits for millions of Americans.

BREAKING NEWS October 16

President Trump reversed himself, approving wildfire aid for California shortly after his administration rejected the state’s request for help.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said Friday morning that he would appeal the denial — and had apparent success in persuading the president during their afternoon phone call. The disaster relief aid covers six major wildfires that scorched more than 1.8 million acres in land, destroyed thousands of structures and caused at least three deaths last month.

Russell M. Nelson, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and other leaders urged us to raise the level of our acceptance and love for all of God's children and also to have a more uplifting approach to our political views and discourse. We know God is at the helm, and though He will not take away our agency, will not necessarily prevent natural and man-made disasters and illnesses, He will prevail and all will be made right in the end. It is up to each of us to be honest and careful in our choices and consider the bigger picture and how even small decisions affect all of us. Take time to engage with others and see the best in them.

Even young children (some of my grandchildren) can absorb the sweet Gospel messages.

Emmanuelle Charpentier, left, and Jennifer A. Doudna in Oviedo, Spain, in 2015.

It’s the first time the award has gone to two women, and Dr. Doudna is the first woman to win a Nobel Prize while she is still on the U.C. Berkeley faculty.It has been only eight years since Dr. Doudna and Dr. Charpentier — now the director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin — co-authored their first paper demonstrating the power of Crispr-Cas9. Since then, the technology has exploded. Doctors are testing it as a cure for genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease and hereditary blindness. Plant scientists are using it to create new crops. Some researchers are even trying to use Crispr to bring species back from extinction. Crispr “solves problems in every field of biology.”

Dr. Doudna's lab, for instance, rushed to start doing coronavirus testing back in March. I have great respect for these women and for all who are making strides in science, especially at this time when a Covid vaccine is so crucial. I also greatly respect the women who dedicate themselves to MWEG. My daughter Emily Taylor did a zoom presentation this week on "Building Connection amidst Disagreement." She gave tips and steps for listening and sharing political and other views, so important at this election time. To be clear about your own and the other person's opposing positions is to be kind.  Check out her talk and others at the website.

Credit...The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded on Wednesday to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna for their 2012 work on Crispr-Cas9, a method to edit DNA. The announcement marks the first time the award has gone to two women.                   “This year’s prize is about rewriting the code of life,” Gora
Hansson, the secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academyof Sciences, said as he announced the names of the laureates Dr. Charpentier and Dr. Doudna, only the sixth and seventh women in history to win a chemistry prize, did much of the pioneering work to turn molecules made by microbes into a tool for customizing genes — whether in microbes, plants, animals or even hum

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Memories of Independence Day 6 years ago in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

I suspect they were not able to celebrate like this during the pandemic!

Susy Molina in the center was my roommate. Hermana America Zuniga on the right is from Antofagasta, Chile. I was able to spend time with her and her husband at their home in northern Chile in 2018 when I served a mission in Santiago, Chile. It is wonderful to have friends all over the world. Friendships create bridges to understanding and a more peaceful world. Responsible voting also helps us be part of the solution rather than the problem in a complex world in disarray!

And don't forget your mask and social distancing . No one wants this elusive pandemic to last forever. We each must do our part!