The decision by Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, to step down comes after President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to replace him with a longtime loyalist, Kash Patel, before Mr. Wray's 10-year term expired. read more
The Arctic just experienced its second-hottest year on record. And concerningly, the region's tundra has transitioned from being a sink for carbon to a source of emissions as permafrost thaws, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. read more
When disaster strikes, our nation depends on both public and private healthcare providers to be ready to help those in need on their worst days. Healthcare workers exhibit an unwavering commitment to saving lives during a crisis. Yet, what happens when healthcare providers themselves become victims? Severe weather events can devastate not only communities but also the hospitals and public health infrastructure serving them.
With the H5N1 bird flu virus spreading quickly across animals in the US, experts are on high alert for signs of human-to-human transmission. Such a jump could become far easier with just a single mutation, according to new research. read more
In X post, Musk said he will use his money to fund challengers against any Republicans that don't fall in line to support the Trump-Musk agenda. read more
As big as cars, in formation: Mysterious drones over New Jersey leave us puzzled
www.heise.de
... In the US state of New Jersey, drones that appear at night and are apparently significantly larger than the models that are commercially available have been causing puzzlement for weeks. This is reported by the local news portal NJ.com, among others. The authorities apparently do not know what the devices are or who they are from, but Governor Phil Murphy has assured the public that there is currently no danger. The FBI and local police authorities are still investigating, and the Federal Police have asked the public for information that could help clarify the background.
Background completely unclear
According to NJ.com, the drones have been appearing in New Jersey, the US state located between New York City and Philadelphia, for more than two weeks. According to reports from eyewitnesses, the drones are appearing in large numbers and seem to be traveling in formation. At least some of them are said to have been unusually large, the size of a car or a small airplane. According to Gizmodo, a police spokesperson only pointed out on Friday that the unknown flying objects had survived fairly strong wind speeds on Friday, at which the usual, small drones would not have been able to take off.
In one case in late November, the mysterious flying objects prevented the victim of a traffic accident from being flown to the hospital by helicopter, NJ.com reported. Even then, it was not determined what kind of devices were involved. According to initial reports, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned all drone flights over a golf course belonging to the next US President Donald Trump and a military facility. According to the reports, there are some adventurous explanations in the US state, but a professor from the New Jersey Institute of Technology assumes that the devices belong to a commercial provider or the military.
But then the question remains as to why the authorities seem so clueless. ...
I have two, conflicting, views at this point. And, imo, it could go either way...
1) there is a club of drone enthusiast who are simply having fun.
2) this is a test run, a probe o see how the United States responds to such an, and I do not use this term lightly, invasion from within.
At this point, in my view, it can go either way.
@#84 ... Translation: ...
2nu - This Is Ponderous (1991)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
This is ponderous, man, really ponderous
I had this dream the other night
I went to work one day
And nobody remembered who I was
So, I decided to take the day off
On my way out
I run into my boss and he says
Hey, you look familiar
I said, thanks, people say that
A lot in these dreams
Then the horns kicked in
And my shoes started to squeak
Then all of a sudden
I'm standing on a beach
In some tropical part of the world
And there's this sign that says
'Aren't you supposed to be at work'
Sort of screamed out at me
Then I remembered
I'd been here in other dreams
But usually there was a water polo game
And a girl who could talk with her eyes
And she'd say
'Can you see what I'm saying'
Then the horns kicked in
And my shoes started to squeak
Before I knew it
I was walking near a lake
When a phone rings
And the operator speaks to me
In a language I don't understand
...
[actually, kind of surprised that genius.com has the lyrics to this obscure tune....]
OK, a fun tune...
Cornell Hurd Band Don't Wipe Your Face With Your Shirt (2002)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
Wow, for some odd reason, there does not seem to be any lyrics available.
Who would have thought?
@#123 ... The only "equivalence" I made was limited to the perspective of a police officer who is being physically assaulted during a riot. ...
Yeah, in that aspect, you and I agree. Period. Full stop.
... The officers injured and killed in the BLM riots ...
Yeah, that's where I may have issues.
Black Lives Matter "injures 1000 police officers kills 36 people and does $8 billion in damage." (2020)
www.politifact.com
...
- - - - We found no evidence that the toll from protests against police brutality is as high as the numbers in the post. The U.S. Justice Department told us it does not have numbers on officer injuries or property damage resulting from civil disturbances.
- - - - Black Lives Matter protests attract not only BLM members but supporters and opponents, making it difficult to assign blame to BLM for particular incidents. ...
In short, there isn't evidence to back the numbers in the claim or to blame Black Lives Matter for each part of the claim.
Our rating is False.
...
Then, I also see this...
George Floyd Protests: 1,258 Arrested, 130 Police Officers Injured in Chicago (2020)
https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/06/george-floyd-protests-1258-arrested-130-police-officers-injured-
chicago
... As peaceful protests entered their ninth day in the city, Chicago police announced Saturday they had arrested 1,258 people in three days during the unrest that swept Chicago after the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police.
More than half of those arrests were related to criminal conduct tied to looting and destruction of property, officials said. Officers recovered 135 guns and made 62 arrests on gun-related offenses, officials said.
In addition, 130 police officers were injured between 5 p.m. May 29 and midnight May 31, department officials said. The unrest began to quiet on June 2, officials said.
Several officers required stitches, while one officer suffered a broken arm and another had a heart attack, according to the department. ...
So, yes, during the BLM protests, some police officers had been assaulted.
And, quite frankly, I hope those who assaulted those officers have to face Justice, and do not get a pardon for their crime.
But, that aside, I do object to trying to equate the BLM protests with what happened on January 6, 2021, in any shape manner or form.
What happened on January 6, 2021 is a blot on the history of the Country. It was an assault upon the Constitutional rule for the Country.
It is more than the brave police officers protecting the Capital (and many being injured doing so), that riot was an attempted overthrow of the Country.
@#123 ... The only "equivalence" I made was limited to the perspective of a police officer who is being physically assaulted during a riot. ...
Yeah, in that aspect, you and I agree. Period. Full stop.
... The officers injured and killed in the BLM riots ...
That's where I may have issues.
Black Lives Matter "injures 1000 police officers kills 36 people and does $8 billion in damage." (2020)
www.politifact.com
...
- - - - We found no evidence that the toll from protests against police brutality is as high as the numbers in the post. The U.S. Justice Department told us it does not have numbers on officer injuries or property damage resulting from civil disturbances.
- - - - Black Lives Matter protests attract not only BLM members but supporters and opponents, making it difficult to assign blame to BLM for particular incidents. ...
In short, there isn't evidence to back the numbers in the claim or to blame Black Lives Matter for each part of the claim.
Our rating is False.
...
So, yes, during the BLM protests, some police officers had been assaulted.
And, quite frankly, I hope those who assaulted those officers have to face Justice.
But, that aside, I do object to trying to equate the BLM protests with what happened on January 6, 2021, in any shape ammaner or form.
What happened on January 6, 2021 is a blot on the history of the Country.
It is more than the brave police officers protecting the Capital (and many being injured doing so), that riot was an attempted overthrow of the Country.
Then, I also see this...
George Floyd Protests: 1,258 Arrested, 130 Police Officers Injured in Chicago (2020)
https://news.wttw.com/2020/06/06/george-floyd-protests-1258-arrested-130-police-officers-injured-
chicago
... As peaceful protests entered their ninth day in the city, Chicago police announced Saturday they had arrested 1,258 people in three days during the unrest that swept Chicago after the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police.
More than half of those arrests were related to criminal conduct tied to looting and destruction of property, officials said. Officers recovered 135 guns and made 62 arrests on gun-related offenses, officials said.
In addition, 130 police officers were injured between 5 p.m. May 29 and midnight May 31, department officials said. The unrest began to quiet on June 2, officials said.
Several officers required stitches, while one officer suffered a broken arm and another had a heart attack, according to the department. ...
@#11 ... and Reaganites were unapologetic in their devotion to money. ...
OK, that is where you lost me.
"That" being any manner of equivalence of the Reagan Era to the Trump Era.
And, yeah, I said it, the Trump Era.
OK, I will admit, back in the day, the Reagan Era is why I registered as a Republican in my town.
But that was then, and this is now.
Yeah, the Reagan Era was about money (can you say Yuppies? I knew you could).
But i will also add that the Reagan Era was not about a full-fledged assault upon Democracy in the Country.
Indeed, it seems that many MAGA folk want to push those old Reagan-Republicans out of office.
@#11 ... and Reaganites were unapologetic in their devotion to money. ...
OK, that is where you lost me.
"That" being any manner of equivalence of the Reagan Era to the Trump Era.
And, yeah, I said it, the Trump Era.
OK, I will admit, back in the day, the Reagan Era is why I registered as a Republican in my town.
But that was then, and this is now.
Yeah, the Reagan Era was about money (can you say Yuppies? I knew you could).
But i will also add that the Reagan Era was not about a full-fledged assault upon Democracy in the Country.
Indeed, it seems that many MAGA folk want to push those old Reagan-Republicans out of office.
Pheromones - YuppieDrone (1986)
www.youtube.com
Wow, no lyrics seem to be available.
@#3 ... Fat Donnie -------- is going to be going through some ----, and he ain't ready. ...
Yeah, I remain to be convinced of that.
Is it a ...
Bloodrock - D.O.A. (1971)
www.youtube.com
type of thing....
Or more of a
Animaniacs - Wakko's America (1993)
www.youtube.com
type of thing?
I wish I knew.
@#19 ... My first thought was ...
My first thought was...
Why was that loaded gun so apparently accessible?
Why was not the gun locked up in a more secure place?
OK, wait, the Florida law seems to have issues with unsecured guns only after a child has attained access.
So, reactive, not preventative?
2024 Gun Law Checklist
everytownresearch.org
...
Secure Storage or Child Access Prevention Required
Requires that firearms be stored locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition in certain circumstances
When does the law apply?
- - After child gains access
How does the state define child?
- - Under 16
Does the state law require storage to prevent access by other prohibited people?
- - No
...
So....
people who had no choice to be in the Country, and who have contributed to the greatness of the Country, are now told, basically, go away?
OK, let's start here...
Immigration and DACA: The impact on first responder hiring (2017)
www.ems1.com
... In early September, the Trump administration announced plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The policy was originally introduced in 2012 by the Obama administration.
In short, the policy has made it possible for nearly 800,000 immigrant children, known as dreamers, to live in the U.S. without fear of deportation. After plans were announced to end the program, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stopped processing DACA applications.
But not all dreamers are children " some are now adults after arriving in the United States at a young age. In Houston, paramedic Jesus Contreras, who came to the U.S. when he was six years old, credits DACA for allowing him to earn his paramedic certification at a community college.
Contreras said he's now worried he won't be able to work if he loses his DACA recipient status. Which, in turn, begs the question: how does the halt of DACA impact first responder hiring? Additionally, what does it mean for those who are already first responders, such as Contreras? ...
Related...
Alaska Air CEO Says Boeing Quality Is Improving Under New Leader
www.bnnbloomberg.ca
... Alaska Air Group Inc.'s top executive said quality processes at Boeing Co. are beginning to improve, nearly a year after a frightening in-flight accident at the carrier sent the planemaker into crisis.
"We're holding the quality bar extremely high on Boeing," Alaska Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci said in an interview with Bloomberg Monday. "Are they where they need to be? No, but we are seeing an improving trend in those quality processes. They're making a ton of changes."
Alaska employees are in Boeing's factory every day, overseeing the aircraft assembly process, Minicucci said, noting that the facility in Washington state is only a short drive from Alaska's Seattle headquarters. The executive met recently with new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and Alaska holds monthly meetings with the planemaker, in addition to reviewing quarterly reports from an independent Boeing audit team.
Ortberg "has a good grasp of the issues that are there and he's going to push hard to make the changes that are required," Minicucci said.
The carrier has been intertwined with Boeing's tumultuous 2024 after a door-sized panel flew off an airborne Alaska 737 Max plane in January, drawing widespread attention, prompting temporary aircraft groundings and putting a spotlight on Boeing's manufacturing processes. Minicucci was a vocal critic of the planemaker in the immediate aftermath, saying he was "angry" and "disappointed" in Boeing. ...
Yeah, I had seen this headline earlier, but without the "intracranial hemorrhage" aspect.
fwiw...
Brain Bleed, Hemorrhage (Intracranial Hemorrhage)
my.clevelandclinic.org
... A brain bleed (intracranial hemorrhage) is a type of stroke. It causes blood to pool between your brain and skull. It prevents oxygen from reaching your brain. It's life-threatening and requires quick treatment for the best outcome. Contact 911 if you experience a sudden headache, confusion and numbness on one side of your body. ...
@#9
Thanks for the correction.