#Security Services Day (December 20) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

piratefishmama · 1 year

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Soooo. I love your fics. Love love love them.

Fake it till you make it - that's still set in the 80's, right?

Did you know that Canada had the most stringent security/regulations in the 80's? I couldn't find a detailed list of what their requirements were. But based on my research, and considering that growing up in the 90's we could just cross the border into Canada with minimal security and identification, I'm guessing that Steve and Eddie wouldn't run into any issues/rules to board a flight to Canada.

I digress - not sure how 'in depth' you're going to be on the airport side of the fic but here's some facts you didn't ask for (provided on my own experiences, previous research, and reading of this timeline Transportation Security Timeline | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov)I did NOT highlight all of these new measures but it's a good read imo!)

The US was more lax; security on the background (and security were contracted groups - not the TSA we see today). You didn't need to scan a boarding pass or show ID. You literally walked up and through a quick metal detector and walked up to your gate and on the plane.

They didn't have rules about 3oz or less for liquids. Technically the first thing that was implemented was a complete liquid ban in August 2006. In September they (thankfully) amended the rule to the 3-1-1 rule (3.1oz or less in 1 quart size bag or smaller).

It wasn't until November 2001 that 100% of luggage was screened. Like.

December 2002 they implemented measures to screen for explosives - prompted by a shoe bomb attempt in December 2001. Removing shoes to go through security checkpoint started in April 2006.

September 2006 they increased more security measures (dogs, etc), identity procedures, more RANDOM screening of employees, and implemented more training.

March 2008 the canines were deployed to sniff and search 100% of luggage. Eddie's weed would DEF be fine lol).

If you're a flyer today you might notice that we have the enhanced screening machines in airports (the ones that you stand, feet spread, arms up and the machine whirls around you in a half circle - right?). That happened because of an attempted underwear bomb in December 2009. You probably thought that those machines weren't really 'special' or that they're just annoying. I was once stopped because my shirt had some a few of those gem things on it - literally just a couple but it catches the scan and is a flag for a pat down. My bf's sister got stopped this last year because she was a 'little warm' down there. I just learned TODAY that she got flagged because of an underwear bomb attempt so that brought a whole new light to that pat down.

TSA Pre-Check. God, it makes security that much quicker when you have it. But is it really safe? Anyone can go off the deep end. The process was put in place to give more focus to unknown flyers (aka non-frequent flyers) and higher risk passengers. But even if someone flies 20 times a year, they could still have a total break down and be a risk? These people don't have to take off their shoes and they go through a standard metal detector. Uh. Like, okay. Their baggage is screened the same. TSA Pre-Check started in December 2011. And today you have to pay extra, do a screening, etc. (the first application center opened in Indianapolis International in Dec 2013). Back in the early days I booked a flight, and it was part of my ticket. I didn't choose pre-check. It was an automatic thing. It was my 4th time flying in my whole life, so I wasn't a frequent-frequent flyer. Kind of freaky to think about who else got a random ticket with pre-check.

Did you know that today, each airport has to do a certain percentage of random person searches/pat downs? They wipe your hands for residues, your shoes, give you a good ol' pat down. I found that out because of when I flew out of a small local airport that serviced 3 flights a day with a max of 8 passengers per flight. I was the lucky 'random' person, several times. The odds are good when it's that small of an airport that you'll get picked.

There are so many more constant improvements being implemented. it's incredibly interesting to me. <3 Sorry for the big 'you didn't even ask for this' ask and the ramblings.

DAS A LOT OF INFORMATION LMAO,

Yeah i did a little more indepth research into the airport thing cause i've flown through a few american airports in the past and it's been a little touch and go in all of them, they all seem to run by different rules an it's tricky to navigate the little fuckers.

but what i found was shit was lax back then, the only issue they had was the random checked luggage checks, shit was still a thing back then as far as i could find, an yeah it's set in 1988!

could definitely get the weed through in a carry on but checked luggage still carried a risk of it being found and hey, weed can be expensive, an if you dont know any dealers where you're going, you're gonna struggle to get more.

i dont plan on going in depth with the airport stuff though, we'd be on the travelling period for too damn long if i did! gonna whizz through it on the next part :D

#pirateanswers #ficlet related asks

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mariacallous · 2 months

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On July 26, Russia’s Central Bank decided to raise the key interest rate from 16 to 18 percent. This decision was driven by unexpectedly high lending rates that previous regulatory measures had failed to curb. Russians are borrowing money and spending more, leading to a surge in prices. Inflation over the past year reached nine percent, far exceeding the government’s target of four percent. Meduza explains just how indebted Russians are and if this surge in lending is a serious issue for the authorities.

Why are Russians taking out loans?

According to Russia’s Central Bank, the volume of loans issued in the country has been steadily increasing since the spring of 2022. A few days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the bank raised its key rate to a prohibitive 20 percent, effectively halting all lending. However, it soon began bringing it back down. In April of that year, banks across the country issued loans totaling 859 billion rubles ($9.9 billion); by December, this figure had grown to two trillion ($23.1 billion).

In mid-2023, the Central Bank began raising the key rate again. Russians, realizing that loans were becoming more expensive, started applying for them sooner, causing overall loan volumes to jump to 2.4 trillion rubles ($27.8 billion) per month. This growth continued into 2024, driven by further government measures. Early this year, Russian authorities discussed curtailing preferential programs, primarily subsidized mortgages (a highly advantageous program for borrowers: while market rates were around 20 percent, the government offered loans at eight percent). Additionally, the Central Bank signaled a potential key rate increase. In response, Russians rushed to secure loans before rates increased. While the Central Bank has yet to release its official June report, analysts from Frank RG estimated that the volume of loans issued to individuals in that month increased by 13.74 percent (up 202.1 billion rubles, or $2.3 billion, compared to May 2024).

Another significant factor is income growth. Central Bank Head Elvira Nabiullina noted that people take out loans because “they’re confident in their future incomes” and feel they can “finance an improved life now.” According to Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), real disposable incomes grew by more than five percent in 2023 and continued to grow in 2024. Independent analysts indirectly confirmed this, noting that consumer confidence indices are near historical highs.

The main driver of this income growth is the rapid increase in wages across many sectors of the Russian economy. As of April this year, nominal wages at large and medium-sized companies increased on average by 17 percent compared to April 2023, while real wages, adjusted for inflation, rose by 8.5 percent. Russian companies have to raise wages to attract employees as there’s a severe labor shortage in the job market.

Wages are growing fastest in industries fulfilling government defense orders. For example, in the production of “metal products” (as non-classified military goods are referred to in official statistics), wages increased by 24 percent in the span of a year. In the production of electronic products, which are also mainly supplied to the Russian army, wages rose by 28 percent.

As of May 2024, Russians owed banks more than 35.2 trillion rubles (over $408 billion). According to Meduza’s calculations, this represents an increase of nearly 22 percent in just one year. However, it’s not a record figure: in April, the amount owed was 36.6 trillion rubles ($423.6 billion). The payday loan segment grew even more rapidly, increasing by 28 percent in 2023, with Russians taking out 900 billion rubles ($10.4 billion) in loans. This growth continued into the first quarter of 2024, although the average loan amount remains around 10,000 rubles ($117).

Consumer lending has grown by 18 percent year-on-year, which economists attribute to the popularity of credit cards. Additionally, car loans have increased by 26 percent since the beginning of the year, which isn’t surprising given the record low availability of cars. Even pawnshops are showing positive trends: while there isn’t an increase in contracts, the average sum paid out gone up due to the rise in cost of precious metals.

As a result, the number of Russians with loans has reached 50 million. This is 40 percent of the country’s adult population. Over a quarter of these borrowers have more than three simultaneous loans, according to the Scoring Bureau credit history bureau. And that’s not the limit: 8.6 percent have taken out five or more loans, and the share of such debtors has doubled in two years.

One explanation is the popularity of mortgages. Eight out of 10 people with a mortgage also took out an additional loan, either for the down payment or for renovations. However, Scoring Bureau, attributes the increase to something else: the growing popularity of credit cards. In Russia, 27 million people have opened 91 million credit cards. Still, Central Bank representatives have expressed concern over the high level of indebtedness among Russians and mentioned “extreme cases,” including one person with 27 loans.

So Russians are saddled with debt?

Although more Russians are taking out loans, the average debt burden of the population — the share of household income spent on loan repayments — has remained relatively stable over the past few years. The Central Bank publishes data on this twice a year, and in the latest report from April, it noted that while the average debt burden has increased, it hovers around 11.2 percent. By comparison, in the first quarter of 2022, the average was even higher, peaking at 12.1 percent, and has since fluctuated within a two-percentage-point range. However, it’s important to note that this is an average, and some borrowers’ debt burden is significantly higher. Currently, 56 percent of borrowers in Russia have a debt burden of over 50 percent.

Another indicator of financial stability is the share of so-called bad debts — those with payments overdue by more than 90 days. In the consumer sector, this remains stable and doesn’t exceed eight percent, according to the Central Bank. According to a forecast from the ACRA rating agency, in 2024, the share of overdue debt in banks’ retail portfolios will not exceed three to four percent. The online lending service Moneyman calculated that Russians who take out payday loans actually repay their debts early in 43 percent of cases.

Frank RG analysts confirmed that the level of overdue debt and indebtedness indicators aren’t increasing. They pointed out that the ratio of the retail credit portfolio to GDP doesn’t exceed 30 percent, whereas in developed countries, the figure can reach up to 100 percent. Ivan Uklein, director of bank ratings at the Expert RA agency, believes that demographic factors alone may be driving the increase in the number of loans: in his opinion, Russia’s “boomer generation,” unaccustomed to living on credit, is starting to make way for bolder millennials

Of course, there are also skeptics. The Communist Party (KPRF) described the level of indebtedness as “catastrophic” and called for a credit amnesty for families with children. The Central Bank has identified problematic mortgage practices, with banks issuing loans to borrowers who already had a high debt burden. Kommersant reported that problematic credit card debt is at an all-time high in Russia, though the publication clarified that this growth is proportional to the increase in the number of credit cards issued. And RBC pointed to the slow but steady growth of debts involving bankrupt or deceased borrowers, where collection is impossible.

Indeed, personal bankruptcies have increased. The Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting predicts this trend will continue, as current rates prevent borrowers from taking out new loans to repay old ones. According to a survey by the Higher School of Economics, 70 percent of large families in Russia have loans, often can’t save money, and are sometimes forced to forgo essentials due to a lack of funds. The Federal Tax Service also reported issues, stating that 1.3 trillion rubles ($15 billion) in payments for 2023 were overdue.

Is the government worried?

The main risk lies with borrowers who have a high debt burden, those who spend 50 or even 80 percent of their salary on loan repayments. Elizaveta Danilova, the head of the Central Bank’s financial stability department, explained: “When the economy is doing well, [when] there’s work, and wages are rising, people with a high debt burden manage to cope. During crises, everything changes. We saw this during the pandemic. There were many requests for loan payment deferrals and those with the highest debt burdens and off-the-books incomes faced the greatest challenges.”

Last year, the Central Bank set limits on how much banks and payday loan organizations can lend to high-risk clients. Under the updated rules, that amount can be zero in some cases. As a result, the share of new contracts with high-risk borrowers fell to 14 percent in the first quarter of 2024, down from 36 percent in 2022. Additionally, banks must now inform such borrowers about potential risks and difficulties, even if they plan to take out less than 10,000 rubles ($117). For payday loans, the total cost of credit, including principle and interest, has been capped at 292 percent per annum.

The financial authorities claim that the current debt burden of Russians “looks acceptable.” The focus is on gradually slowing down lending: preferential mortgages ended on July 1, and market rates should deter borrowers. Developers have reported that demand for new apartments has already slowed by 14 to 30 percent. Egor Susin, the managing director at Gazprombank Private Banking, wrote that similar trends can be expected in other areas: construction plays an important role in business loans, and consumer loans were growing because people needed to cover down payments.

A survey conducted by Sravni showed that two-thirds of Russians have put off buying real estate due to the end of preferential programs. The United Credit Bureau noted a slowdown in car loans after a recent peak, which was also driven by government support measures. VTB Bank expects a decrease in demand for consumer loans, and Russian banks’ profits have been falling for the second month in a row. Meanwhile, the Russian State Duma is preparing for a possible crisis. Deputies have passed a bill that will safeguard a bankrupt individual’s only home from being seized, even if it’s mortgaged.

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beardedmrbean · 4 months

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Georgia's MPs have voted to overturn a presidential veto on a contentious “transparency on foreign influence” bill - often dubbed “foreign agents law” - which has sparked several weeks of protests in the capital Tbilisi.

Under the legislation, media and non-governmental organisations that receive over 20% of their funding from abroad will have to register as “organisations acting in the interest of a foreign power”, submit themselves to stringent audits, or face punitive fines.

A plenary session on Tuesday saw the vote pass with 84 votes for - mainly from the governing Georgian Dream party - versus four votes against, with the opposition abstaining.

The law had already been passed on 14 May, but was then vetoed by pro-Western President Salome Zourabishvili.

The law is expected to come into force in 60 days' time.

The Georgian government argues it will ensure transparency of money flowing to support NGOs and protect Georgia from foreign interference.

But its opponents - who have dubbed it "Russian law” because of its similarities with an existing law in Russia - believe the real reason for the legislation is to stifle dissent ahead of October's parliamentary elections.

The EU said it "deeply regretted" the Georgian parliament's decision.

EU officials had previously warned the bill could jeopardise further progress within the bloc. Georgia was granted candidate country status in December 2023.

Many NGOs have already announced they will not abide by legislation that requires them to state they are “acting in the interest of a foreign power” as they say it is "insulting" and "factually incorrect".

On Tuesday, as MPs debated the bill, people again gathered outside parliament amid a heavy police presence.

When the result of the vote was announced, many protesters shouted “slaves!” and “Russians!”

Since the protests began, police have repeatedly used force to disperse the protesters.

Dozens of opponents of the foreign agents law have reported being beaten up or intimidated, with insulting posters stuck outside their homes or threatening phone calls.

Still, more than six weeks since the start of the protests, demonstrators - many of them young - feel there is no option other than to continue taking to the streets.

“Our whole future is stake, it's either Europe or nothing,” 18-year-old Kato said as she stood outside the parliament with her friends.

Observers believe passing the foreign agents law has turned into a battle for survival for Georgian Dream, which has managed to alienate many of its traditional partners in the process.

The US joined the EU in warning the law would entail consequences. The US State Department said last week that travel restrictions would be imposed on those who “undermine democracy” in Georgia, as well as their family members.

But the authorities brushed the warnings off. The Secretary General of Georgian Dream, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, said there would never be a "trade-off" against the interests of the country.

Knowing that she had run out of options to stop the government from passing the bill, on Monday Ms Zourabishvili presented a new charter which she said would be a plan to move Georgia towards Europe.

"To rebuild trust, we need a new political reality: a distinct unity, different elections, a different parliament, and a different government," she wrote on X.

The charter includes the abolition of laws which she said were harming Georgia's chances of EU membership, as well as significant reforms designed to depoliticise the justice system and security services.

Ms Zourabishvili invited all opposition parties to sign the charter before 1 June and go united into parliamentary elections in October.

#nunyas news

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brexiiton · 9 months

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Hamas leader visits Cairo as talks over another Gaza ceasefire gather pace

By Associated Press, 7:28am Dec 21, 2023

Hamas' top leader has travelled to Cairo for talks on the war in Gaza, part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at securing another cease-fire and swap of hostages for Palestinian prisoners at a moment when Israel's offensive shows no signs of slowing.

Hamas militants have been putting up stiff resistance, even as the Israeli army claims to be making great progress in eradicating them. The visit to Cairo on Wednesday by its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, came a day after Hamas fired rockets that set off air raid sirens in central Israel.

It was a show of strength after a 10-week war that has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million - nearly 85 per cent of the population - from their homes.

A photo from 2021 released by Lebanese government, of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas,.(Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Official Government via AP.File)(AP)

Israel has called on the rest of the world to blacklist Hamas as a terrorist organisation, saying it must be removed from power in Gaza in the wake of its October 7 rampage across southern Israel that triggered the war.

But the sides have recently relaunched indirect talks, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. The goal is to achieve another cease-fire, and to free more hostages Hamas took in its attack in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

"These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope that they lead somewhere," the White House's national security spokesman, John Kirby, said on Wednesday aboard the presidential jet Air Force One while travelling with US President Joe Biden to Wisconsin.

Mobile phone and internet service was down across Gaza again on Wednesday, an outage that could complicate efforts to communicate with Hamas leaders inside the territory who went into hiding after October 7.

The war has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people are crammed into overcrowded shelters and tent camps amid shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. Israel's foreign minister travelled to Cyprus to discuss the possibility of establishing a maritime corridor that would allow the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Despite a burst of diplomacy by high-level officials in recent days, the two sides appeared to be far from an agreement.

Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, December 20. (AP)

Hamas has said no more hostages will be released until the war ends, and is expected to insist on the release of large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including high-level militants, for the captives that remain.

Israel has rejected the demands so far. But it has a history of lopsided exchanges for captive Israelis, and the government is under heavy public pressure to bring the hostages home safely.

Egypt, along with Qatar, helped mediate a weeklong cease-fire in November in which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for Israel's release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives.

UN Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution to halt the fighting in some way to allow for an increase in desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. A vote on the resolution, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed back again until Wednesday as talks continued in the hopes of getting the US to abstain or vote "yes" on the resolution after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire call.

#terrorwave #terror wave #terror #news #israel #israeli #palestine #gaza war #hamas #cairo #ceasefire

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grahazine · 2 years

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Inspiration Zine Update 3

Thank you for your support of this project! As of this time, we have multiple important developments that we would like to review with you.

Important links are hyperlinked in the relevant section(s) of the email, as well as listed at the bottom for ease of access. If any of the links do not work, or you have any difficulty accessing them, please contact us so a moderator can assist you.

Below is a breakdown of all production updates up to November 30th, 2022.

Twitter Instability Due to the ongoing issues with Twitter since the advent of Elon's Bad Decisions Bingo, we've elected to make a back-up Tumblr blog to house updates and other project info in tandem with our Twitter account. Check it out here!

Additionally, all update emails will have their contents cross-posted on Tumblr for ease of access. We've struggled to get MailChimp and other mailing services to work for this type of correspondence, but every service we've tried has missed at least 50~ people despite them being in the mailing list and listed as "active" rather than "unsubscribed." We hope that this helps everyone access the info they need with ease, whether or not it arrives in your email Inbox or Tumblr Dashboard.

Production & Proofing As of this time, all of our merch items are now in production and our zines are in the proofing stage. Our Product Photo Twitter thread updates regularly as product arrives. The thread includes photos & video of samples as we receive them from the manufacturers. It also lists any product revisions that affect customers (ie. Tote bag finishing change). The estimated manufacturing time varies by product. Below are loose estimates of when the production for each category of product should be complete. These estimates do not include shipping time or any potential reprints.

Paper Merch - 1-2 weeks (RECEIVED)

Acrylic Merch - 4-8 weeks (SHIPPED)

Music Boxes - 6-8 weeks ( RECEIVED )

Tote Bags - 4-6 weeks (RECEIVED)

Enamel Pins - 3-6 weeks (RECEIVED)

Washi Tape, Sticky Notes, Lanyards, Zippered Pouches - 4-8 weeks (SHIPPED)

As our remaining merch items are shipping to us from overseas during the holiday season, we expect them to arrive within the next 3-4 weeks, rather than the manufacturer's estimate of 15-20 days (as that is based on standard shipping times and not the holiday rush). Photos of the arrivals will be posted once they've been disinfected and checked to ensure that product is up to spec. We'll make sure to post updates to Twitter as soon as the merch packages arrive (which will be long before the end of December, we hope).

As of the current time, our zines have been submitted to the printer and are in production. Unfortunately, the paper stock being used for the book interiors is in backorder and we have been informed by the printer that our order will be delayed until they receive the paper stock we need for the remainder of the books. The good news: the books should be done by Jan 1-15th at the latest! The bad news: all standard orders will definitely not be on the way in time for your holiday(s) of choice.

Updated Schedule

Aug 30th: all product is ordered (COMPLETE)

Sept 20th: product photos from manus are available

Oct 30th: all (if not most) product has arrived

Nov 14-Dec 30: shipping begins (totes & music box orders only)

December 2-9: digital fulfillment sent out in batches

Jan-Feb: shipping for all remaining orders completed

If you need to update your shipping address at any point prior to the shipping period, please use the Address Update Form available here.

The information submitted via this form is secure and will only be seen by Mod Kiri as part of the product fulfillment process. Your address and other private information will not be shared, redistributed, or publicized in any way (with the exception of submitting to USPS for shipping purposes).

Important Links

Address Update Form

Customer Feedback Form

Product Photos Thread

Thank you for your support and patience! We can't wait to show you the zine! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via DM, Askbox, or send us an email.

#graha zine #update #email update #Graha #zine #fanzine #ffxiv #ff14 #Final Fantasy XIV #Final Fantasy 14 #Final Fantasy #G'raha Tia #g'raha #Exarch #Crystal Exarch #the crystal exarch

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usafphantom2 · 1 year

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B-2 bombers fly again next week after a six-month safety break

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/21/2023 - 20:16 in Military

The B-2 Spirit is returning to the skies, U.S. Air Force officials said. The first aircraft is projected to take off on May 22, after a break in flight operations due to a safety break.

The return to flight was recently approved by the head of the Air Force Global Attack Command (AFGSC), General Thomas A. Bussiere, after a safety break of approximately six months after an accident in December.

“The safety pause of the B-2 fleet has been officially suspended,” said Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara, commander of the 8ª Air Force, which controls the country's fleet of strategic bombers. "General Bussiere, on my recommendation, made a final determination on the necessary actions and approved the return to flight."

B-2 bombers at Whiteman Air Base.

Gebara and other USAF officers refused to say what the security problem was or what was done to allow the service to resume flight operations.

“I would like the safety pause not to be necessary,” Gebara said. "But I think it was very important for us to find out what happened and make sure that everything was mitigated before you started flying again, and that's what we did."

Gebara said there would be no onerous restrictions on the missions.

“I want them to come back in a disciplined and deliberate way,” Gebara said. "But we will do full operational missions. Therefore, you will not see flight circuit and landings. It will be a normal outing. In fact, I'm not at all concerned about the aspects of the force's mission."

He said there would be a “phased approach” as the fleet returned to flight, with the most experienced pilots sitting first and “several weeks to get the entire community back at speed.”

Pilots of the B-2 bombers continued training on T-38 Talon jets.

But Gebara added a warning note to America's opponents: "This is different, however, from having enough pilots for any necessary mission if there is a crisis."

The U.S. Air Force refused to reveal the exact cause of the accident, which temporarily blocked the only runway at Whiteman Air Base, Montana. The service also refused to detail what actions were taken to suspend the security pause. The break began in late December, after a B-2 was damaged after an emergency landing on December 10 in Whiteman - the only base to host combat B-2s, assigned to the 509ª Bomber Wing and its National Air Guard associate, the 131ª Bomber Wing.

Incident with B-2 in September 2021.

Bussiere, a B-2 pilot and former commander of the 509º Bomb Wing, took over the AFGSC a few days before the accident.

Air Force officials said the aircraft remained ready to perform missions, if necessary, playing a critical role as the only stealth bomber with nuclear capacity in service in the country.

“The B-2 fleet can still carry out missions, if necessary,” Gebara said. "Our ability to provide nuclear deterrence has never stopped."

The B-2 drivers spent some time during the safety break in the advanced simulators in Whiteman and increased the repetitions in the T-38 coaches. Only 21 B-2 were produced, costing more than $1 billion per plane, according to the USAF. One was destroyed in an accident in 2008. Nineteen of the current fuselages are in Whiteman - one of which is a test aircraft normally based in Edwards, California. A combat B-2 was stationed at Pearl Harbor-Hickam Joint Base, Hawaii, which shares runways with Daniel K International Airport. Inouye in Honolulu after the safety pause took effect while the aircraft was at the base.

It is not clear what will happen to the damaged B-2 in December. The entire B-2 fleet will eventually be replaced by the B-21 Raider, which like the Spirit, is a stealth flying wing produced by Northrop Grumman. The first B-21 is scheduled to fly later this year.

The Air Force Global Attack Command has conducted regular maintenance of all B-2, and officers from the 509ª Bomber Wing and Gebara said that the little-observable stealth coating, which is critical to the B-2 nuclear mission, was well taken care of.

Despite a pause in operations, Gebara said that the nuclear deterrence of the United States was not hampered.

“It's hard to get into the head of another country and find out how they feel,” Gebara said. "I don't think it would be wise for them to doubt our deterrence, and I'm reasonably confident that they don't."

Source: Air Force & Space Magazine

Tags: Military AviationNorthrop Grumman B-2 SpiritUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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underthewingsofthblackeagle · 1 year

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Happy World Honey Bee Day 2023!

Happy World Honey Bee Day 2023 (May 20th)! Save and support these wonderful animals, they work hard for our planet :)

World Bee Day has been celebrated on 20 May since 2018. On this day in 1734, Anton Janša was born and is considered a pioneer of modern beekeeping. The commemoration day was proposed by Slovenia within the United Nations Organisation and adopted on 20 December 2017. In 2019, 15 official events were held across three continents. An International Round Table was held in Rome.

The aim of World Bee Day is to highlight the immense importance of bees to a broad public. Due to their indispensable pollination service, they promote biological biodiversity and food security for humans, but also for animals. Furthermore, this commemorative day is intended to draw attention to the sharp decline in the bee population and the need to protect these insects.

Bees are known for their role in pollination and honey bees are also known for the production of honey and other bee products. Besides the honey bee, there are about 30,000 species of wild bees worldwide. Of these, 548, a good 550, or even 574 species live in Germany, depending on experts, year of publication and species concept used, of which almost half are considered threatened.

Source: German Wikipedia, Translation mine. Picture by Ottó auf Pixabay

#World Honey Bee Day #World Honey Bee Day 2023 #May 20th #Anton Janša #Slovenia #SavetheBees #Bee #Bees

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generalsnivy · 1 year

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Life Update: Things Going From Bad, to Worse (I’m likely going to be homeless soon!)

Hello there everybody. This is General Snivy. It’s been a while since I last posted an update outside my artwork, random tweets, and retweets on Twitter. (And for those asking, I refuse to call Twitter “X”! It’s such a stupid rebrand, but that’s not what we’re talking about today!) Today, I want to talk about what’s been happening with me in my personal life and how things have officially gone from bad, to worse. To catch people up, back in December 2022, I started my stream playthrough of Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix and I have only done one session of the game so far. I had every intention of continuing the playthrough, but life got in my way, grabbed me by the ankles, and dragged me along against my will. To make a long story short, my computer broke on me, twice within ~20 days in between the first problem and the second. After I got my computer fixed the 2nd time, Mom and I prepared ourselves to go on a road-trip to see my sister back in May of this year. After the trip, other personal things kept happening and thus, I didn’t have time to stream at all. Recently, on June 30th, my computer froze up on me while I was doing my monthly backup of my computer with WinRAR. (Which could mean that I’m having overheating issues again.) Thankfully, after hitting the physical reset switch on my computer, I was able to reboot, complete the backup, and take care of whatever else I needed to do before shutting it down properly and I haven’t turned it on again since. The reason why I haven’t used my desktop computer since June 30th is that this was how my first GPU (my graphics card) died on me the first time and I fear that my current GPU, which is an Nvidia GeForce GTX 770, may be on its way out too, but I don’t know that for sure. I intended to get my computer checked out and possibly repaired this month as I have the money to pay for labor and a potential GPU replacement, if necessary. However, as of a couple of days ago, we received a letter from our realtor company, informing us that our rent will be increasing from ~$1250 per month, to ~$1500 per month come October 1st, 2023, which is an increase of roughly $250 per month! Worse, is that we had our rent increased earlier this year and we were barely making it! Now, we won’t be able to pay our new rent bill coming up and we have 2 months to pack up all of our stuff and find a new, cheaper place to live! What this means, for me, is that I cannot get my computer looked at or fixed if there’s a problem with it as I have to hold onto my money to help Mom with paying for a moving company to move all of our furniture and stuff to a new home! So, we need to pay first months rent, last months rent if applicable (which it is, most of the time.) and the security deposit at the new location! Don’t be surprised if I end up going off the grid for a while come October as Mom and I will likely be homeless and all of our services will be shut off due to our phone service being tied to our ISP, Spectrum. (We might be able to keep our mobile services without internet, but I’m not holding my breath.)

At this point, it should be obvious that my stream playthrough of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix is on indefinite hiatus until we’re able to find a new place to live, until I can either get my computer fixed or better yet, replaced, and when I have time to stream after the dust is settled. (So much for guaranteeing that I’d be able to stream again this year. What can I say, life happens.) Thankfully, I still have my old school laptop to work with, but there’s no way in Hell that it can be used for streaming as it can barely run Windows 10 as is due to it being an ancient relic from 1930. (That’s an exaggeration, but you get my point.) You might be wondering, “Can’t you just use your PS5’s built-in streaming feature to stream more Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix?” Technically, yes, but the problem is copyright as the ending song is copyrighted and I have no way of muting it myself. I can get away with talking over the song as much as humanly possible, but only on Twitch as they’re a little more lenient when it comes to that kind of stuff. YouTube, no. Not at all. That would very likely get blocked in several countries with the quickness of the Flash and Sonic the Hedgehog combined! I could skip the credits and avoid the problem entirely, but I want to show off the people who had a hand at developing the game. Skipping the credits outside of a speedrunning setting is just rude and disrespectful, in my opinion.

I have thought about learning how to speedrun another game that I can play on my PS5 in the meantime, but then I run into another problem; time. Time is something I’ve been lacking lately and to be able to learn a new game, plus being able to stream my attempts, is a commitment and time is something I just don’t have right now. Not only that, but to keep up with a consistent stream schedule is something I’ve struggled with for years due to my personal life taking priority over stream and creating content. Plus, with recent events, those plans went out the window completely.

Some of you may be wondering, “Since you’re posting artwork on Twitter and other social media channels, couldn’t you open up commissions to have us help you out with your dire financial situation?” There are a few reasons as to why I’m not doing so at this point of time, but the TL;DR of it is, I need to do more research as to how to go about accepting commissions, which payment platform to use to handle payments from clients safely, and how I can best track these commissions after accepting them, amongst other things. I do have a general idea of how I want to go about setting up a commission sheet of what I will and will not draw, but there are a few more things I need to figure out and finalize. Plus, I need to come up with prices of what kind of artwork I’ll provide, plus examples for said prices. I also need to figure out a Terms of Service for my work as one can never be too careful when it comes to dealing with certain bad actors and businesses transactions, in general. Better to be safe than sorry.

So yeah, that’s everything that’s going on right now. I’m going to be having a hectic two months or so, scrambling to pack up everything, finding a new place to live, and getting my computer either fixed or replaced. I know that I’ve been keeping you all hanging for the past year and for that, I cannot apologize enough for my lack of content and to some extent, lack of communication. It may look like I’ve been lazy, but I’ve been dealing with life behind the scenes and as I always say, life comes first before content creation. For those who continue to stick with me, despite my lack of activity, thank you for doing so. I appreciate it. And, for those who left, thanks for joining me, regardless of how long you did so. I hope that I entertained you while I was active and that you enjoyed my content. If you wish to keep up with me and whatever I post, I’m most active on Twitter (aka, X. God, I cannot get over that name change!) so, follow me there. My Twitter handle is @/GeneralSnivy (Remove the slash.) This is General Snivy. Thank you for taking the time to read this long winded update and I hope to be able to stream again in the near future. See y’all again!

#life update #streaming update #i hate my liiiiife #i hate my landlord #I’m likely going to be homeless soon #can’t pay rent increase

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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This day in history

Tonight (September 27), I'll be at Chevalier's Books in Los Angeles with Brian Merchant for a joint launch for my new book The Internet Con and his new book, Blood in the Machine. On October 2, I'll be in Boise to host an event with VE Schwab.

#10yrsago FBI: We know you’re innocent, but you’re not getting off the No-Fly list unless you rat out your friends https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/no-fly-list-where-fbi-goes-fishing-informants

#10yrsago EFF racks up another courtroom victory over the NSA: damning docs to follow https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/09/after-nsa-court-hearing-government-must-unseal-documents-december-20

#10yrsago How Miss Teen USA’s sextortionist got caught https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/09/miss-teen-usas-webcam-spy-called-himself-cutefuzzypuppy/

#10yrsago Judge requires patent troll to explain its “Mr Sham” business https://www.techdirt.com/2013/09/26/judge-takes-patent-troll-with-sham-employee-forces-troll-to-defend-practice-before-jury/

#5yrsago Modern Monetary Theory: why government spending isn’t like household checkbooks https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/09/26/651948323/episode-866-modern-monetary-theory

#5yrsago Defcon Voting Village report shows that hacking voting machines takes less time than voting https://defcon.org/images/defcon-26/DEF CON 26 voting village report.pdf

#1yrago Maintaining monopolies with the cloud: Microsoft, Oracle and other cloud giants use their terms of service to prevent competition https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/28/other-peoples-computers/#clouded-over

#pluralistic

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lorelei2347 · 1 month

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Paper Shredding

The Greatest Free Paper Shredding Activities in the United States in 2024

An increasing amount of sensitive documents will need to be disposed of securely as issues about identification theft and information breaches proceed to rise. Events that provide free paper shredding are a true way to clear up the problem via giving businesses and residents a secure way to get rid of their touchy materials. Numerous American cities will hold free paper shredding events near me in 2024, supplying really useful services besides charging a dime. Here is a list of the top free paper shredding activities this 12 months that you ought to simply take a look at out.

1. Shred Fest of the Year: January 15, 2024

Location: New York City's Central Park

Description: The New Year Shred Fest in Central Park is a top notch way to start the new year. Up to five containers of paper can be shred for free in the course of this event. After the excursion season, it is a wonderful way for New Yorkers to declutter historical archives. For town inhabitants searching for paper shredding services near me, this is a convenient choice because there is no want for enhance registration.

2. Spring Cleanup Shred Day - April 8, 2024

Location: Los Angeles Public Library Parking Lot, Los Angeles

Description: The Spring Cleanup Shred Day provides a brilliant chance to declutter your domestic or office. Held at the Los Angeles Public Library Parking Lot, this match aspects free paper shredding services and helps nearby recycling efforts. Participants can shred up to three boxes of paper, making it perfect for both residential and small business needs, and is an exceptional alternative for those looking for free paper shredding near me.

3. Summer Shredathon - June 22, 2024

Location: Lincoln Park, Chicago

Description: Join the Summer Shredathon in Lincoln Park for a day of impenetrable document disposal and neighborhood fun. This event gives free shredding services and approves individuals to shred up to ten containers of paper. The event additionally includes live music, meals trucks, and different activities, making it a family-friendly occasion. It's a best desire for these looking for paper shredding companies near me.

4. Back-to-School Shred Day - August 10, 2024

Location: Seattle Community Center, Seattle

Description: Prepare for the new school 12 months with the Back-to-School Shred Day at the Seattle Community Center. This match affords free paper shredding offerings for up to five bins of documents. It's a convenient way to handle historic bureaucracy before the college year begins, and no pre-registration is required. It's an superb event for those looking for free shredding services.

5. Fall Shred Fest - October 12, 2024

Location: Houston Public Library, Houston

Description: The Fall Shred Fest is a remarkable possibility to get rid of needless archives before the cease of the year. Held at the Houston Public Library, this match presents free shredding offerings for up to seven packing containers of paper. It's an splendid threat to aid community initiatives while securely disposing of your forms and finding neighborhood paper shredding services near me.

6. Pre-Holiday Shred Event - November 9, 2024

Location: Miami Civic Center, Miami

Description: Get a head begin on your holiday preparations with the Pre-Holiday Shred Event at the Miami Civic Center. This event points free paper shredding for up to eight bins of paper. It's a ideal chance to clear out historical archives before the vacation season begins, with extra holiday-themed things to do to enjoy.

7. Year-End Shred Day - December 7, 2024

Location: Boston Common, Boston

Description: End the year on a invulnerable word with the Year-End Shred Day at Boston Common. This match presents free paper shredding offerings for up to five bins of documents. It's an ideal way to manage end-of-year bureaucracy and make sure your touchy data is disposed of safely.

8. Eco-Friendly Shred Day - February 17, 2024

Location: San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco

Description: The Eco-Friendly Shred Day combines secure file disposal with environmental awareness. Held at San Francisco City Hall, this tournament affords free shredding services and points recycling cubicles and eco-friendly instructional displays. Participants can shred archives and research about sustainable practices, an first-rate preference for those fascinated in free paper shredding near me.

9. Tax Season Shred Event - April 20, 2024

Location: Philadelphia Municipal Building, Philadelphia

Description: The Tax Season Shred Event is designed to assist individuals and companies dispose of ancient tax files securely. Held at the Philadelphia Municipal Building, this event presents free paper shredding for up to ten bins of paper, catering to these needing to clear out sensitive tax-related paperwork.

10. Summer Community Shred - July 13, 2024

Location: Atlanta City Park, Atlanta

Description: The Summer Community Shred in Atlanta provides free shredding services along with a community fair. Participants can shred up to ten boxes of paper whilst taking part in family-friendly things to do and neighborhood vendor booths. It's a terrific way to control your shredding wants and have interaction with your nearby community.

Conclusion

These free paper shredding events near me 2024 grant treasured opportunities to securely dispose of exclusive documents across various locations in the U.S. Whether you want to clear out historic forms or handle touchy business documents, these paper shredding services provide a handy and secure way to control your shredding needs. Mark these dates on your calendar and take gain of these free shredding services to keep your information protected and support your community.

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newstfionline · 2 months

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Sunday, July 28, 2024

Canadians have tired of Justin Trudeau (Washington Post) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose to power in 2015—and rescued the Liberal Party from irrelevance—on promises to bring “real change” and infuse Canadian politics with “sunny ways.” Nearly nine years later, the forecast for the progressive icon is cloudy. His party, which has been slumping in the polls for more than a year, now trails the Conservatives by as many as 20 points and is vulnerable not only in key battlegrounds but also in traditional strongholds. In a much lower-key version of Democratic pressure on President Biden to drop out of the U.S. presidential race, several high-profile Liberals, including his former environment minister Catherine McKenna and Christy Clark, a Liberal former premier of British Columbia, have called on him to step aside to give the party a better chance of staying in government. Trudeau’s woes echo those of many incumbent leaders, who are struggling amid high inflation and concerns about affordability, particularly in housing. Most housing markets in Canada are at or near worst-ever affordability levels, the Royal Bank of Canada reported in December.

Number of Americans who say US ready for female president dipping: Survey (The Hill) Since 2015, the number of Americans who say they are ready for a female president has dropped by nine points, according to a new Times/SAY24 poll from YouGov poll. The survey, conducted after President Biden dropped out of the race, was designed to assess the electorate’s beliefs surrounding “gender bias,” and Vice President Harris’s chances come November. While the respondents said that both Trump and Harris are equally qualified for the job, with 49 percent saying they are, voters are hesitant about the idea of a female president—54 percent of the country says they are ready for a woman president and 30 percent said they aren’t. That number is down from 2015, when an Economist/YouGov poll found 63 percent of voters were ready for a woman president.

California’s largest fire of the year grows to 164,000 acres. (1440) The northern California blaze, known as the Park Fire, has grown to a size larger than the city of Chicago (about 148,000 acres) due to warm, dry weather and high winds. Roughly 4,000 residents in the area have been forced to evacuate, while 130 structures have been destroyed, according to officials. A 42-year-old man was arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of starting the fire via a flaming car. The fire was 0% contained as of this writing.

Venezuelans stretch meager wages they hope will grow after election (AP) A municipal market in eastern Venezuela is teeming with weekend customers hoping to score a deal among the stalls of produce, meat, cheese and shelf-stable products. Some carry plantains, cassava crackers, corn flour or half a carton of eggs as they walk home. Middle school teacher Cruz Brito is standing across the street amid the smell of fish that clings to the hot humid air of Maturin. She has about $27 in her bank account and a single can of sardines at home. She is five days away from her next paycheck and her oldest daughter needs college supplies for the following day. So, she walks away empty handed. Maybe her neighborhood convenience store will sell her a couple of things on credit. Eleven years into her country’s complex crisis, the days of food shortages are virtually gone, but with many earning under $200 a month, getting the essentials is a constant struggle for families in rural and urban areas alike. People work second and third jobs, start little businesses, exchange services and gamble to scrape together the money, but still every decision seems to involve a calculator and a calendar. That angst-provoking math is among the reasons why the ruling party’s hold on power looks vulnerable in Sunday’s presidential election.

Paris Olympics Security: Unprecedented AI Surveillance (La Marea/Spain) A middle-aged man walks around the stadium where the Olympic track and field events are going to take place. Outside, everything is quiet. One can only hear the echoes of applause when a high jumper manages to clear the bar, or sprinters finish their race or one of the stars who will compete that afternoon appears on the jumbo screens. Then suddenly, three police cars arrive at full speed, cut off the man's path and arrest him in just a few seconds. A camera had recorded him and an algorithm had raised the alarm: he must have made some unexpected movement, or perhaps there was an abandoned object nearby, or an “unforeseen” gathering of people. Or perhaps he looks a lot like someone who participated a few months ago in a protest against the war in Gaza… From the command center, someone had registered the anomaly, assessed its credibility and sent the order to the nearest patrols. No, this is not a scene from some futuristic show, but something that could happen during the Olympic Games held in Paris and other French towns. This will be the first worldwide-level event utilizing an algorithmic video surveillance system (VSS) to help ensure security measures. More than 400 cameras will be added to the 4,000 already operating in Paris and placed at the entrances to stadiums, streets and nearby transport, to ensure that there are as few blind spots as possible security-wise during the most followed sporting competition on the planet, with around one and a half million visitors expected to attend. And the system will remain after the games end.

Greece’s Santorini bursts with tourists as locals call for a cap (Reuters) Armed with selfie sticks and phones, the tourists flood into Santorini from everywhere—on dinghies from giant ocean liners, on coaches that zigzag up the steep hillsides, atop donkeys that clip-clop along the narrow cobbled streets. Some brave the afternoon heat to find a good spot among the white-washed houses and blue-domed churches where they then wait hours to watch the Greek island’s famed sunset. As the sun dips, many more join them, squeezing along the cliffside or onto balconies, cameras at the ready. For many of Santorini’s 20,000 permanent residents, the once idyllic island of quaint villages and pristine beaches has been ruined by mass tourism. As protests against excessive tourism erupt in other popular holiday destinations, including Venice and Barcelona, Santorini represents one of the starkest examples of how hordes of visitors can impact a place. The growing number of foreign tourists—some 3.4 million visited the island last year, according to mayor Nikos Zorzos—are putting pressure on its outdated infrastructure and are pricing islanders out of the housing market.

Russia, adapting tactics, advances in Donetsk and takes more Ukrainian land (Washington Post) Russian forces have mounted an arc of attack in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, pushing through intense summer heat in a bid to extend Moscow’s steady territorial gains and capture the city of Pokrovsk, a key transit junction. The offensive is underway as Ukraine continues to suffer from a shortage of soldiers and as election turmoil in the United States has set off new speculation that Kyiv may soon be forced to negotiate a surrender of lands. After an influx of American weapons and money helped Ukraine blunt a renewed invasion of the northeast Kharkiv region in May, preventing a major breakthrough and dashing Moscow’s hopes of surrounding Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian commanders have refocused their attention on the Donetsk region, which may have been Russia’s objective all along. The reinvasion of the Kharkiv region, while yielding limited gains, nonetheless diverted Ukrainian resources.

India: Violence against Christians (Religion News Service) In June, Bindu Sodhi, a 32-year-old tribal woman from a small village in the densely forested state of Chhattisgarh, in central India, was killed by her neighbors while tilling her ancestral land. The villagers stoutly warned her family not to set foot in the village unless they gave up their Christian faith. Local police shrugged off Sodhi’s killing as a land dispute, despite the fact that, over the last four years, Hindu extremists and even some of Sodhi’s close relatives had been pressuring her to renounce her Christian beliefs. Attacks on Christians, who constitute only 2.3% of India’s 1.4 billion people, have risen sharply over the last few years. The main perpetrators of these crimes are extremists who believe Hinduism, India’s most prevalent faith, is synonymous with Indian identity and citizenship. Last year, the United Christian Forum, a human rights group based in New Delhi, recorded 733 incidents of violence against Christians, with an average of 61 incidents every month. “There is a surge in violence against Christians,” said AC Michael, the group’s national convener. “The government is doing little to curb police and mob brutality against Christians accused under anti-conversion laws and the undue violation of our rights.” Targeting of Christians has been going on in India since the 1990s. The gruesome murder of Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines, along with his two minor sons, by Hindu extremists in 1999 brought the world’s attention to the violence being meted out against the community. But with the rise of Modi, head of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the scale and magnitude of these threats have increased significantly.

Netanyahu says Hezbollah will pay 'heavy price' after deadly Golan Heights strike that group denies (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far,” his office said after a rocket strike Saturday at a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed at least 11 children and teens. It was the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country’s northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. It raised fears of a broader regional war. Israel is blaming Hezbollah for the strike, but Hezbollah has rushed to deny any role.

An Israeli airstrike hits a school sheltering people in Gaza, killing at least 30 including children (AP) Israeli airstrikes hit a school used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people including several children. Seven children and seven women were among the dead taken from the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah to Al Aqsa Hospital. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and store “large quantities of weapons.” Hamas called the military’s claim false. Civil defense workers in Gaza said thousands had been sheltering in the school, which also contained a medical site. Associated Press journalists saw a dead toddler in an ambulance and bodies covered with blankets. Shattered walls gaped and classrooms were in ruins. People searched the rubble strewn with pillows and other signs of habitation.

‘I just feel like living every day’: oldest American, 115, offers tips for longevity (Guardian) The oldest person in the US offers two bits of advice when asked for the keys to her longevity: “If the good Lord gave it to you, use it” and “Speak your mind, don’t bite your tongue!” Elizabeth Francis’s pearls of wisdom were recirculated widely as she celebrated her 115th birthday on Thursday. Francis was born in 1909 in St Mary parish, Louisiana, about 90 miles (145km) south-west of New Orleans. She was two when the Titanic sank and had turned 11 before women gained the right to vote in the US. She has seen the end of both world wars, lived through 20 different US presidencies and survived two of the deadliest pandemics: the 1918 flu outbreak and Covid-19. Francis has previously attributed at least some of her longevity to her religious faith. Fellow worshippers from the Good Hope Missionary Baptist church join the family and friends who visit her daily at the home she shares with her daughter, Dorothy Williams.

#headlines #news

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moontyger · 2 months

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CenterPoint spent $800M on mobile generators. Where are they post-Hurricane Beryl?

Over the last three years, CenterPoint Energy – the company in charge of delivering power to millions of customers in the Houston region – has spent $800 million on 20 massive generators. The hefty price tag was controversial at the time, but state regulators approved it because CenterPoint claimed the generators would keep the lights on during an extended power outage.

Last week, Hurricane Beryl led to massive outages in and around the nation’s fourth-largest city, leaving more than a million people in the dark for days. So, where were those generators?

It turns out that almost none of them were deployed in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, the Chronicle has found – even as some 90,000 people remained in the dark as of Tuesday afternoon.

That’s partly because even though CenterPoint has referred to the equipment as “mobile generation,” the vast majority of it is not actually that mobile. Fifteen of the generators – each with a capacity of 32 megawatts, big enough to power entire neighborhoods – take several days to assemble and cannot be moved without a special permit, which itself can take days to secure.

None of those generators have been put in service since CenterPoint first began renting them in 2021. Indeed, the company told the Chronicle this week that they are “not for rapid response use” and “are not designed to be ‘mobile’,” even though it has repeatedly described them as “mobile” in news releases, regulatory filings and memos to investors.

In Beryl’s wake, CenterPoint has deployed three of its remaining five large generators at a water processing plant and two senior living centers. Each of those is the size of a tractor-trailer and has a capacity of about five megawatts.

“It’s something that we have seen tremendous value from,” said CenterPoint executive Eric Easton in an interview with the Chronicle on Tuesday. He acknowledged that the larger 32-megawatt generators have never been used, but said they serve as a crucial “insurance policy” for even bigger power outages.

Houston-area leaders, consumer advocates and many trade groups disagree. They launched a fierce protest when CenterPoint first asked in 2022 to hike rates to cover the cost of leasing the generators.

But state regulators overruled them, ultimately allowing CenterPoint to recoup the cost of the generators – plus a 6.5% profit. They’ve already added about $1 per month to the average residential customer’s bill, and are expected to hike rates by at least another $3 a month in the coming years, records show.

...

It happened fast. By December 2021, CenterPoint had already agreed to lease all the generators from a single company for $800 million, paying most of that upfront. The following year, it asked the PUC for permission to charge consumers for the cost.

That’s common practice. Utilities will often make large investments and hope to get permission to recoup them later. But this time the opposition was particularly fierce from consumer advocates, trade groups and a coalition representing dozens of cities including Houston. They asked for the State Office of Administrative Hearings, which presides over various disputes for government agencies in Texas, to step in.

The protesters said the generators weren’t worth the astronomical cost, but money wasn’t their only concern. CenterPoint had moved quickly to choose a little-known company to provide all its generators.

Potential vendors only had two days to respond to its request for proposals. On top of that, the company’s former CEO had been convicted of violating federal environmental protection laws in 2012.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings considered the protesters’ concerns at a lengthy hearing in the fall of 2022 – and the judges found against CenterPoint.

“It is unreasonable to place the burden on ratepayers of expenses imprudently incurred,” they wrote.

But it was the PUC that had the final say, and four of the five commissioners voted with CenterPoint.

“Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 was a devastating storm,” the PUC wrote in its opinion, issued in April 2023. “Given CenterPoint's experience… and its long-established history with hurricanes, CenterPoint acted reasonably.”

Consumers still ‘on the hook’

Since then, the state has made things even easier for CenterPoint. Last year, the Legislature allowed utility companies to ask for rate hikes even more frequently, giving members of the public less time to protest. They also allowed CenterPoint and its peers to begin deploying its massive generators not just in the middle of emergencies, but before they even hit – and to charge its customers for doing so even if they were never plugged in.

Houston officials pushed back.

“These [generators] are not nimble and easy to move facilities, and they will not save lives” after hurricanes, “despite representations to the contrary,” city officials wrote in testimony to lawmakers last year.

“Ratepayers will still be on the hook for every minute that a [generator] is being stored, transported, and operated,” they wrote.

Indeed, in August 2023, CenterPoint reported that it decided to “stage” two five-megawatt generators on Pelican Island due to concerns about an extended power outage there. It never deployed either of them, but the cost of just the staging was more than $600,000, according to disclosures made by the company to state regulators.

Experts say the money could be better spent on a host of other methods to harden infrastructure like replacing or burying power lines.

"They could have spent $800 million on infrastructure improvements,” said David Power, a former utility executive who later worked for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. “But it wasn’t as profitable.”

#TX politics #Centerpoint #infrastructure #corruption #read the whole thing

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govindhtech · 5 months

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VMware Rapid Migration Plan for SQL Server Migration

Announcing VMware Rapid Migration Plan

Azure VMware Solution Documentation

Incentives and licensing advantages for the Azure VMware Solution, such as a brand-new 20% off

You are undoubtedly reassessing how to run your VMware workloads and whether to migrate them to the cloud or maintain them on-premises, just like a lot of other customers are doing these days. You will need to commit time and money to any route you decide on. This is a chance to think about your long-term platform strategy, making sure you allocate your resources effectively to pay down technical debt and position yourself for future success.

The advantages of executing your workloads in the cloud will increase in ways you haven’t yet realised as the AI era approaches. Your IT department must be prepared to handle new demands if you want your business to be a leader in its field:

When company demands emerge, will you be able to react quickly and effectively to satisfy them?

Are you ready to offer the necessary degrees of resilience, compliance, and security?

Do your developers have easy access to the most recent data and AI services, as well as the tools they need to innovate?

Have you optimised your environment with automation to free up staff members’ time for strategic initiatives?

Making the switch to Azure now will provide you peace of mind and offer you access to more than 200 cloud services, ensuring that you can confidently meet these business needs for years to come.

Azure VMware Solution

Azure is a full-featured cloud that offers services from edge computing to public cloud. For VMware customers, Azure VMware Solution is an excellent introduction to the cloud, and Microsoft is dedicated to working with Broadcom to satisfy the demands of Azure shared customer base.

Microsoft operates and provides support for a fully managed VMware environment in Azure with the Azure VMware Solution. Workloads from VMware can be moved “as is” to Azure, requiring little to no reworking of your apps. This simplifies the conversion process and allows you to pick up new Azure abilities while utilising your existing ones. In less than three months, the State of Alaska moved 1,200 servers with 700 apps on them. Because of its size and location, the state has particular problems. By centralising apps and data on Azure, the state was able to improve security and resilience while also enhancing data transparency for its residents.

Azure advise you to optimize using Azure security, automation, monitoring, and other services as part of your transition. The multinational manufacturing company Knorr-Bremse, with its headquarters in Germany, has successfully implemented this strategy. To ease their shift, they used Azure Migrate and Modernize, which covered staff training for Azure skills in addition to planning and migration.

They currently use Azure VMware Solution and other Azure IaaS and PaaS services to operate their workloads efficiently. Because you can use Azure management services, such as Azure Monitor, to control VMware workloads on-premises or even those running in other clouds, they are ideal for managing all of your cloud workloads. Azure becomes your new unified IT operations centre with access to any Azure service you require today or in the future thanks to this flexible strategy.

Utilize the VMware Rapid Migration Plan to get started

Microsoft offers you a wide range of licencing perks and programmes with the VMware Rapid Migration Plan, so you can transition to Azure VMware Solution with price protection and savings.Image credit to Azure

Azure VMware Solution pricing

Obtain discounts and price protection

To lock in prices for one, three, or five years, use Reserved Instances. Azure are pleased to announce that if you buy a new one-year Reserved Instance before December 31, 2024, you will receive a 20% discount on Azure VMware Solution. The Azure VMware Solution’s five-year Reserved Instance is only accessible for a short period of time; access expires on June 30, 2024.

Preserve current SQL Server and Windows Server licences

VMware environments are often used to run SQL Server and Windows Server. You can operate cloud versions of Windows Server and SQL Server in Azure VMware Solution without paying extra licencing fees if you acquire Software Assurance. Moreover, older versions that are nearing the end of their useful lives come with complimentary Extended Security Updates.

Obtain aid with migration

To obtain resources, professional assistance, and money for a smooth move, use Azure Migrate and Modernise.

Acquire Azure credits to update

You are eligible to receive an extra Azure credit of up to $120,000 when you purchase a new Reserved Instance for Azure VMware Solution. Use this to help you optimize and modernize in the cloud for Azure VMware Solution, or think about utilizing it for other Azure services.