#nuclear inspection services

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[thoughtportal]

Microsoft deal would reopen Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power AI

Pennsylvania’s dormant Three Mile Island nuclear plant would be brought back to life to feed the voracious energy needs of Microsoft under an unprecedented deal announced Friday in which the tech giant would buy 100 percent of its power for 20 years.

The restart of Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history, would mark a bold advance in the tech industry’s quest to find enough electric power to support its boom in artificial intelligence.The plant, which Pennsylvanians thought hadclosed for good in 2019 amid financial strain, would come back online by 2028 under the agreement, according toplant owner Constellation Energy.

If approved by regulators, Three Mile Island would provide Microsoft with the energy equivalent it takes to power 800,000 homes, or 835 megawatts. Never before has a U.S. nuclear plant come back into service after being decommissioned, and never before has all of a single commercial nuclear power plant’s output been allocated to a single customer.

But the economics of both the power and computing industries are changing rapidly. Tech companies are scouring the nation for power that is both reliable and helps them meet their pledge to fuel AI development with zero emissions electricity — driving a nuclear power revival.

“The energy industry cannot be the reason China or Russia beats us in AI,” said Joseph Dominguez, chief executive of Constellation. “This plant never should have been allowed to shut down, ... It will produce as much clean energy as all of the renewables [wind and solar] built in Pennsylvania over the last 30 years.”

Follow Climate & environment

The four-year restart plan would cost Constellation about $1.6 billion, he said, and is dependent on federal subsidies in the form of tax breaks earmarked for nuclear power in the 2022 Inflation Recovery Act.

Constellation will also need to clear steep regulatory hurdles, including intensive safety inspections from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has never before authorized the reopening of a plant. The deal also raises thorny questions about the federal tax breaks, as the energy from the plant would all be produced for a single private company rather than a utility serving entire communities.

A partial reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979 sent the nation into a panic and the nuclear industry reeling. The unit that Constellation plans to fire back up sits adjacent to the one that malfunctioned 45 years ago.

Constellation and Microsoft conceived the novel deal to solve a deepening energy problem. The sprawling data centers Microsoft and other digital giants need have become so big and energy-intensive that they are straining existing power supplies across the nation.

Constellation disclosed months ago that it was exploring options for restarting Three Mile Island, which sits along the Susquehanna River. The news was met with mixed reactions. Nuclear safety advocates expressed alarm. But some community leaders welcomed the development, seeing potential to revive an economic anchor in a region beset with financial hardship. A study funded by the Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council says a reopening would create 3,400 jobs at the plant and in businesses serving it and its workers, and generate $3 billion in state and federal taxes.

The tax breaks in the Inflation Recovery Act are crucial to making the deal economically feasible, according to Constellation. They provide a credit for every megawatt hour of nuclear energy produced.

Constellation declined to provide details about its contract with Microsoft or disclose the value of tax credits. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has said in the past that federal subsidies could cut the cost of bringing a new plant on line by as much as half.

The announcement of the Microsoft deal follows an agreement Amazon reached with Talen Energy to purchase power produced by the financially troubled Susquehanna nuclear plant for a planned data center campus in Pennsylvania. That arrangement is running into snags with regulators, as regional utilities express concern that their ratepayers will be saddled with the bill for the power grid updates needed.

Amazon’s plan also raised concerns among clean-energy advocates that tech companies are shifting from driving the transition to clean energy to elbowing others out of it by claiming such large amounts of available clean electricity for themselves.

Dominguez argues that the Three Mile Island case is an example of how Silicon Valley’s outside-the-box thinking will help stabilize the power grid for everyone. The power from the plant will not go directly to Microsoft facilities but into the overtaxed regional power grid that serves 65 million people across 13 states and the District of Columbia, called the PJM Interconnection.

Nuclear power is considered “clean” because unlike burning natural gas or coal to produce electricity, it does not create greenhouse gas emissions. The plants are expensive to build or restart, and industry still has no long-term solution for spent but highly radioactive uranium fuel rods.

“This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative,” said a statement from Bobby Hollis, vice president of energy at Microsoft.

Dominguez said other ratepayers on the PJM grid will not be expected to shoulder any of the costs, nor will Constellation be seeking special subsidies fromthe state of Pennsylvania.

Constellation has already been doing extensive testing at Three Mile Island.It says most of its components are ready to operate again. “The plant is in extraordinary shape,” Dominguez said.

Three Mile Island is not the only nuclear plant the industry is eager to revive. The owners of a plant in Western Michigan called Palisades are also working to bring that dormant facility back. That project was approved for a $1.5 billion federal loan guarantee. The plant owner, Holtec, says it hopes to feed nuclear energy from Palisades into the region’s power grid by late next year.

The Palisades effort came about at the urging of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), as her state struggles to both meet its climate goals and generate adequate energy. The plant was destined for permanent closure when Holtec acquired it in 2022. The company had planned to decommission the facility but changed course after conversations with the governor.

On Wednesday, though, that plan was dealt a setback when federal nuclear regulators disclosed “a large number of steam generator tubes” could be faulty and need further inspection. Holtec said the finding does not alter its plans. But some nuclear safety advocates argue the company’s push to quickly reopen the plant puts the public at risk.

The huge cost and regulatory headaches associated with nuclear power are not deterring the tech industry from betting on it. In a remarkable turn of fortune for an industry that just a few years ago was struggling to stay competitive and focused mostly on closing plants, it now finds itself in expansion mode. Beyond seeking contracts for power from existing plants, tech companies are also bullish on next generation nuclear technologies.

Several are investigating the potential of locating their facilities near small modular nuclear reactors that could feed them power directly. Such technology is in its infancy and has not yet been approved by regulators. That isn’t stopping a company chaired by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates from doubling down on it. The firm, called Terra Power, this year began construction at what it plans to be a small reactor site in site in Wyoming.

Microsoft is also pursuing power from nuclear fusion, a potentially abundant, cheap and clean form of electricity that scientists have been trying to develop for decades — and most say is still a decade or more away from generating electricity. Microsoft has signed a contract to purchase fusion energy from a start-up that claims it can deliver it by 2028.

correction

A previous version of this article misspelled the last name of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The article has been corrected.

[seat-safety-switch]

Recently, my fridge started beeping at me. This was because I had left the door open, and it was being friendly and reminding me to close that door, or it wouldn’t work properly anymore. Now, this sort of friendliness is surprising to me, not least because the house I’m squatting in after my landlord’s unfortunate (and I assure you, accidental) high-speed public dismemberment does not currently have electrical service.

Or so I thought. It seemed that, while I was sleeping, some greenwashers had arrived and retrofitted some government-subsidized solar panels into the house. With a zeal only witnessed in those unlucky workers who are getting paid by the job, they plowed through the pile of broken car parts and miscellaneous electronic trash in the basement to hook up the panel and drop off a massive battery. As a result, my house was now officially “off the grid.”

Now, in my municipality, it’s illegal to be off the grid. Even if you make electricity purely from the power of the sun or your own man-portable nuclear reactor, you have to at least vig up to the local power company between fifty and two hundred dollars a month. It seemed that I had located a loophole in their rules, however, and now could enjoy opulent comfort such as “refrigerated food” and “lights” without any guilt or cost out of my pocket.

A true dream, and it was all thanks to some computer system, deep within the bureaucracy, that hadn’t yet figured out my landlord is no longer of this earth and that the home should rightly have been condemned. Of course, those proud city workers had missed me during their “random inspections,” because my sleeping position is so covered in trash as to serve a sort of suburban camouflage. They might have left with some of my cars, it is impossible to tell, but that’s a small price to pay for unlimited guilt-free electricity use.

Of course, it was not to last. As soon as the power came back on, prowling gangs of realtors began to notice that the house was inhabitable again, and aggressively approached in order to make offers for the land value. I couldn’t exactly fend them off, not without exiting the house and giving away my squatter-status, so instead I just turned off all the lights and hid in the darkness. It’s not so bad. Now I can finally charge my phone without having to sneak down to the convenience store and unplug their coffee maker when they’re not looking.

[brybryby]

I completely agree that Miles Upshore is queer, and Waylon is on the spectrum as well! If you have your friends analysis still plzzzzz link! I crave the content!!!

HI HI THANK YOU FOR THE ASK! 💜

I wish I had his analysis still!!! aarrrrgh it's been so long ;-; But I can try to relay some of the points he made (and add some of my own)!

This gets pretty lengthy so be prepared :')

I also added external links but they’re only there if you want to read more about the point I’m making! Feel free to skip them!

also // TW for mentions of SA

Miles

Story-wise, my friend found it interesting that Miles was the perfect host for the Walrider. Wernicke and Alan Turing were friends/lovers who worked on the technology that culminated into Project Walrider, so there's already a sense that the Walrider was founded on Wernicke and Turing's love for each other.

So, before I move on, I'll talk a bit about Alan Turing. In college, I had professors praise him for being the “Founder of Modern Computing”, cracking Nazi code, and also for being an advocate for gay rights.

More details here:

Out of every prominent scientist during the Cold War Era, Alan Turing was selected to play a role in Outlast's stories. And he didn't just happen to be openly gay—JT Petty purposefully made this significant to Wernicke's character. Not to mention, Wernicke made allusions to Frankenstein, allowing us to inspect the parallels between Wernicke & the Walrider with Frankenstein & Frankenstein's monster. When it comes to gothic & queer literature, Frankenstein is on the forefront of it, and I'm confident that JT Petty would be familiar with that (since he's a writer who's well-versed in horror/gothic art).

With Frankenstein, there's this idea to create life without heterosexual means (under the impression of cis-heteronormativity). Frankenstein's monster was also a sexualized creature—supposedly a representation of the “ideal man”—described as “beautiful”. Additionally, the novel was a critique of patriarchal norms through elements of sexualities. These aren't too different from Wernicke & the Walrider. The Walrider is arguably created through homosexual means in its abstract (Wernicke & Turing). This particular version of the Walrider that possesses Billy & Miles is stated to be the “masterpiece” by Simon Peacock—its appearance is also fairly sexual. And similarly, Outlast critiques patriarchal norms through its grotesque visuals of “masculinity”.

Frankenstein queer analysis:

Frankenstein sexual suppression analysis:

With all these story elements, there's certainly a queerness about the Walrider AND Outlast, which the devs openly embrace.

There's also many parallels between Frankenstein's monster and Miles. In the United States (and westernized countries in general), there are societal standards that function around cis-heteronormativity. Think of the traditional American nuclear family: A husband/father who's the breadwinner and patriarch, a loving wife/mother who cooks and stays at home to take care of the kids—they're mostly white, Christian, and American citizens. [WARNING: TRIALS SPOILERS AHEAD] The ideal American man is further illustrated in Officer Coyle's dialogue: “If only they were upstanding citizens like myself. Pay your taxes, do your job, fuck your wife, put a little something in the plate at service. America don't ask much.” Miles is arguably the antithesis of this, which is likely the reason he doesn't have any close friends/family—he was likely rejected by society. Frankenstein's monster follows a similar arc: he is also rejected by society and seeks refuge in seclusion. (The concept of “rejection by society” is inherent in queerness.)

With these parallels, it makes sense for Miles to be the ideal host for the Walrider. Additionally, Miles embodies queerness that isn't strictly homosexual—I mean his whole background/lifestyle is already, by definition, “queer”—but questions regarding his sexuality arise when inspecting other details of his character.

My friend pointed out the whole “Manhandler Hairspray for the Active Man” detail in Miles' apartment. There are a lot of homosexual undertones in the label, and it's hard not to think otherwise. “Manhandler” and “Active” are terms which indicate the “top” role in gay culture. I mean, it's possible that Miles is just embodying the “metrosexual” identity (basically straight men who embody characteristics associated with homosexuality) but metrosexuality is rooted in consumerism, which doesn't exactly align with Miles' character since he is openly critical of capitalism. I think the hairspray hints at queerness (or at least gender non-conformity).

Article on “metrosexuality”:

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/style/metrosexuals-come-out.html

The most revolutionary detail that my friend pointed out was the fact that Miles went out of his way to roast the ever-living shit out of everyone he came across at Mount Massive, begging the question: why is he so fixated on the appearances of other men? This could stem from his own insecurities of being rejected by society or insecurities of his own vanity (considering the hairspray he uses and the fact that he goes jogging…and if he's just trying to be healthy through exercise then he needs to explain his self-destructive alcoholism…idk…jogging for mental health? It’s open to interpretation…WAIT I mean he could just be keep up his physical fitness also with all the investigating he has to do anyways fjshshkdhd). It was just interesting that Miles was so fixated on physical appearances that it makes me wonder if he'd make similar comments about women—I don't believe he would and I'll explain below.

I know that we need to take Red Barrels' tweets with a grain of salt—they're known for deleting tweets that detail misinformation about the protagonists—but I find this tweet particularly interesting. I may be looking too much into it, especially since it's just a tweet and not presented in the games/comics, but it certainly is reflective of Red Barrels' values of respecting women and not viewing women as sexual objects, along with the notion of dismantling cis-heteropatriarchy/chivalry. It certainly doesn't mean he's not straight, but he doesn't particularly view women as sexual objects either (and I know that straight men are capable of not viewing women as sexual objects). Food for thought.

Some extra stuff:

Anti-conservatism and punk ideology (which Miles explicitly embodies) are pillars of queer culture in the political sphere.

The Germanic folklore, which the Walrider is based off of, exhibits notions of sexuality (though, probably not in the best light).

[TRIALS SPOILER] Wernicke’s dream therapy is associated with Dr. Easterman’s queerness—Easterman would be distracted by Wernicke’s handsomeness (and they both explicitly critique heterosexual relationships). Again, this supports the Walrider’s themes of sexuality.

Waylon

As for WAYLON, even though there isn't concrete evidence in the games to intentionally indicate queerness, that isn't to say he is entirely heterosexual (because assuming he's heterosexual is yet another product of the “ideal American man” image in a cis-heteronormative society, and Outlast's narratives are about dismantling this notion). In fact, now that you bring it up, I agree that Waylon can be considered on the queer spectrum/under the queer umbrella.

Regarding the “dismantling the ideal American man in a cis-heteronormative society” concept…the devs, artists, writer(s), actors, and contributors to the games' development are not only open/accepting of things outside of society's norms/expectations, but many are social activists. Chimwemwe Miller (VA for Chris Walker) is outspoken about being Black, Black history, and racism—he also narrated an audiobook which discussed racism, colonialism, & imperialism. Erika Rosenbaum (VA for Lynn Langermann) organized provisions for refugees and is active in environmental causes and feminism—she also spoke out during the #MeToo movement. Shawn Baichoo (VA for Miles, Waylon, & Blake) is also vocal about feminism/racism and was a huge advocate for his character Wrench's bisexuality from Watch Dogs 2, which became confirmed in a later installment of the Watch Dogs franchise.

I bring this up because Red Barrels actually entertains the idea of Waylon x Eddie (in the hypothetical that Eddie wasn't an antagonist like he was in the game…so like, erasing his problematic features baha…this deserves an analysis of its own) without mentioning sexuality or anything like that. Obviously, this can be seen as a way to entertain the fanbase, but I think it's worth mentioning that Waylon isn't opposed to homosexuality. After all, Waylon never makes homophobic remarks in his notes nor comments on male sexuality—he's just fearful of being assaulted (as anyone would be, regardless of gender/sexuality). He would, in fact, engage in a homosexual relationship according to this hypothetical.

(Note: the term “insane” is a harmful descriptor in this context, which is why I wrote “wasn’t an antagonist like he was in the game”)

So yea! I definitely think there's queerness with Waylon's character. And I don't exactly mean this to be “representation” because there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that, but ultimately I think it adds to what the franchise and the devs are trying to do—normalize queerness and dismantle the notion of the “ideal American man in a cis-heteronormative society” (and if you've studied socioeconomics/social theory, you know that this notion is a product of capitalism, which is another important theme in the franchise).

Here are some resources about the intersectionalities of cis-heteropatriarchy, capitalism, & queerness if you'd like to read more about it :)

(this one below is quite lengthy, but goes VERY DEEP)

All in all, my interpretation is that the franchise operates on the idea that “queerness” is normal or innate, but social structures are what label it otherwise. I've seen a lot of discussion surrounding Outlast characters' queerness, and it's interesting to me that the antagonists' sexualities get more attention amongst casual players than the protagonists' sexualities (and I think I can understand why, it's just a lot to unpack).

Just as many of the antagonists can be read as queer, the protagonists should arguably be read through the same lens. I truly do think Miles and Waylon (and even Lynn and Blake!) deserve to be inspected under queer lens. Doing so aligns with the franchise's philosophy/narratives. Also the idea of “queer characters taking down capitalism” is super empowering (and actually very identifiable hehe).

(Sorry, I think I projected a lot of my own personal values and biases into this post LOL hhhjdsfh feel free to critique anything I've written!)

This is my first time inspecting Waylon through a queer lens, so thank you for the ask!! I had a lot of fun writing this up :D

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: Russia resumes production of modernized Tu-160 bombers

Russia plans to eventually buy 50 new Tu-160M and modernize 15 existing Tu-160.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 02/22/2024 - 08:17 in Military

Russia restarted the production of the Tupolev-160 strategic bombers, known as Blackjack, with the announcement coming from Sergey Chemezov, CEO of the state company Rostec.

"Restarting the production of the Tu-160 was quite a task for all Rostec affiliates. The project documentation was fully digitized within the tightest deadlines. The vacuum welding technique of titanium parts was restored and the production of fuselage units was resumed. Today we can safely say that we have been successful in all aspects," he said, according to the Russian state media.

The updated Tu-160M maintains the exterior design of its predecessor, but incorporates a technological base and completely new digital solutions.

The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the S.P. aviation factory. Gorbunov Kazan, in Tartaristan, where he inspected four updated strategic bombers, drew attention amid concerns about the country's military capabilities.

The Tu-160, recognized as the largest and most powerful supersonic aircraft with wings of variable geometry in the history of military aviation, underwent an update program initiated by Putin's decision.

The government contract, signed between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Tupolev design department, facilitated the digitization of the Tu-160M aircraft design documentation and the restoration of vacuum welding techniques for titanium products, leading to the resumption of the production of fuselage units.

Rostec's main industrial companies in metallurgy, aircraft design, engineering and instrument manufacturing have played crucial roles in revitalizing their cooperation for the successful resumption of production.

The first Tu-160M strategic bomber built from scratch made its first 30-minute flight on January 12, 2022. It is equipped with modern weapons, electronic warfare system, as well as on-board electronic equipment.

According to reports, the Tu-160 entered Soviet service for the first time in the late 1980s, with production until 1995. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the resumption of production of the updated variant of the Tu-160M to strengthen the strategy of the Russian Air Force in the capabilities of the bombers at a time of increasing tension with the West, and to compensate for delays in the future PAK-DA bomber program.

Russia plans to eventually buy about 50 Tu-160M bombers and is upgrading 16 existing Tu-160s to the modernized standard. With the first Tu-160M scheduled to be delivered soon, series production is expected to begin in 2023, at a production rate of at least three aircraft per year. This would fit the order for 10 aircraft in the period 2023–27.

The update of the Tu-160M is being implemented in two phases, with the first phase of the Tu-160M1 comprising the new navigation system K-042K-1 and autopilot ABSU-200-1, as well as the removal of some previous systems, such as pump observation systems. This variant of the Tu-160M1 has been operational in the Russian Air Force since the end of 2014.

The second phase of the Tu-160M2 includes the new Novella NV1.70 radar, a digital glass booth, modern communications and anti-jamming equipment, updated NK-32 engines (designated NK-32-02) and modern conventional and nuclear weapons.

Tags: Military AviationROSTECRussiaTu-160 Blackjack

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

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

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[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

December 26, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

DEC 27, 2023

On December 26, 1991, the New York Times ran a banner headline: “Gorbachev, Last Soviet Leader, Resigns; U.S. Recognizes Republics’ Independence.�� On December 25, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev had resigned, marking the end of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, often referred to as the Soviet Union or USSR.

Former Soviet republics had begun declaring their independence in March 1990, the Warsaw Pact linking the USSR’s Eastern European satellites into a defense treaty dissolved by July 1991, and by December 1991 the movement had gathered enough power that Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine joined together in a “union treaty” as their leaders announced they were creating a new Commonwealth of Independent States. When almost all the other Soviet republics announced on December 21 that they were joining the new alliance, Gorbachev could either try to hold the USSR together by force or step down. He chose to step down, handing power to the president of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin.

The dissolution of the USSR meant the end of the Cold War, and those Americans who had come to define the world as a fight between the dark forces of communism and the good forces of capitalism believed their ideology had triumphed. Two years ago, Gorbachev said that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, "They grew arrogant and self-confident. They declared victory in the Cold War." 

The collapse of the USSR gave the branch of the Republican Party that wanted to destroy the New Deal confidence that their ideology was right. Believing that their ideology of radical individualism had destroyed the USSR, these so-called Movement Conservatives very deliberately set out to destroy what they saw as Soviet-like socialist ideology at home. As anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “For 40 years conservatives fought a two-front battle against statism, against the Soviet empire abroad and the American left at home. Now the Soviet Union is gone and conservatives can redeploy. And this time, the other team doesn't have nuclear weapons.”

In the 1990s the Movement Conservatives turned their firepower on those they considered insufficiently committed to free enterprise, including traditional Republicans who agreed with Democrats that the government should regulate the economy, provide a basic social safety net, and promote infrastructure. Movement Conservatives called these traditional Republicans “Republicans in Name Only” or RINOs and said that, along with Democrats, such RINOs were bringing “socialism” to America. 

With the “evil empire,” as President Ronald Reagan had dubbed the Soviet Union, no longer a viable enemy, Movement Conservatives, aided by new talk radio hosts, increasingly demonized their domestic political opponents. As they strengthened their hold on the Republican Party, Movement Conservatives cut taxes, slashed the social safety net, and deregulated the economy. 

​​At the same time, the oligarchs who rose to power in the former Soviet republics looked to park their illicit money in western democracies, where the rule of law would protect their investments. Once invested in the United States, they favored the Republicans who focused on the protection of wealth rather than social services. For their part, Republican politicians focused on spreading capitalism rather than democracy, arguing that the two went hand in hand.

The financial deregulation that made the U.S. a good bet for oligarchs to launder money got a boost when, shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Congress passed the PATRIOT Act to address the threat of terrorism. The law took on money laundering and the illicit funding of terrorism, requiring financial institutions to inspect large sums of money passing through them. But the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) exempted many real estate deals from the new regulations. 

The United States became one of the money-laundering capitals of the world, with hundreds of billions of dollars laundered in the U.S. every year. 

In 2011 the international movement of illicit money led then–FBI director Robert Mueller to tell the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City that globalization and technology had changed the nature of organized crime. International enterprises, he said, “are running multi-national, multi-billion dollar schemes from start to finish…. They may be former members of nation-state governments, security services, or the military…. These criminal enterprises are making billions of dollars from human trafficking, health care fraud, computer intrusions, and copyright infringement. They are cornering the market on natural gas, oil, and precious metals, and selling to the highest bidder…. These groups may infiltrate our businesses. They may provide logistical support to hostile foreign powers. They may try to manipulate those at the highest levels of government. Indeed, these so-called ‘iron triangles’ of organized criminals, corrupt government officials, and business leaders pose a significant national security threat.”

In 2021, Congress addressed this threat by including the Corporate Transparency Act in the National Defense Authorization Act. It undercut shell companies and money laundering by requiring the owners of any company that is not otherwise overseen by the federal government (by filing taxes, for example, or through close regulation) to file with FinCEN a report identifying (by name, birth date, address, and an identifying number) each person associated with the company who either owns 25% or more of it or exercised substantial control over it. The measure also increased penalties for money laundering and streamlined cooperation between banks and foreign law enforcement authorities.

But that act wouldn’t take effect for another three years. 

Meanwhile, once in office, the Biden administration made fighting corruption a centerpiece of its attempt to shore up democracy both at home and abroad. In June 2021, Biden declared the fight against corruption a core U.S. national security interest. “Corruption threatens United States national security, economic equity, global anti-poverty and development efforts, and democracy itself,” he wrote. “But by effectively preventing and countering corruption and demonstrating the advantages of transparent and accountable governance, we can secure a critical advantage for the United States and other democracies.” 

In March 2023 the Treasury told Congress that “[m]oney laundering perpetrated by the Government of the Russian Federation (GOR), Russian [state-owned enterprises], Russian organized crime, and Russian elites poses a significant threat to the national security of the United States and the integrity of the international financial system,” and it outlined the ways in which it had been trying to combat that corruption. “In light of Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine,” it said, “we must redouble our efforts to prevent Russia from abusing the U.S. financial system to sustain its war and counter Russian sanctioned individuals and firms seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system.” 

The collapse of the USSR helped to undermine the Cold War democracy that opposed it. In the past 32 years we have torn ourselves apart as politicians adhering to an extreme ideology demonized their opponents. That demonization also helped to justify the deregulation of our economy and then the illicit money from the rising oligarchs it attracted, money that has corrupted our democratic system. 

But there are at least signs that the financial free-for-all might be changing. The three years are up, and the Corporate Transparency Act will take effect on January 1, 2024.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[altar-ov-plagues]

I couldn't wait for you to answer because I was so tired and I fell asleep, sorry.

But even if we base morality on what our parents taught us, on what do we base our parents' morals? Our topic contains questions about whether religion can form the basis of morality, so there must be a difference between religious and non-religious parents. As you said, I believe that moral knowledge or general knowledge acquired in childhood can be changed. And I think most of us actually manage to develop mentally by destroying the value judgments that are shown to us as correct and by building our own value judgments.

Child abuse is very common not only in Christian churches, but in almost all religious institutions. I don't know much about abuses in Christian churches because I live in a predominantly Muslim region. I did look at the video you mentioned about the Dalai Lama though, and it's disgusting. I feel like the natural tendencies suppressed by religion are making people even more irritable. I often think that religion is a product of the patriarchal social structure. It was necessary to create a divine power to rule and confuse minds, and that was done. It's weird that people still believe this bullshit though. I know that there is a spiritual side in people, although I cannot feel this spirituality, but I do not understand the importance of a spirituality full of contradictions. I was surprised when I read the Bible. Even with regard to the name of Jesus, there was a contradiction in Matthew 1. Or, when talking about Mary's eternal virginity, it is strange that there are contradictions in Matthew 1 that Mary did not have sexual intercourse with Yusuf until a certain time, but then did. There is belief in tawhid in Islam, and God is an omnipotent and elusive being that satisfies the human mind, at least to some extent. The hypostatic unity in Christianity, the three hypostases of god, seems to destroy the divinity of god. No matter what religion they all seem to have obvious contradictions, and it's odd that people still believe in them. Because while it is not pure good or pure evil, we can all distinguish what is good and bad in line with our centuries-old experiences. Religion is the most obvious way to ground morality, but I don't think it's the right one.

And I must say I agree with everything else you wrote. Thanks for your satisfactory answers. Also thanks for the songs and I hope my broken english doesn't make it difficult for you to understand me.

Do you think democracy is an appropriate form of government? Do you think everyone should have a say in government or do you think systems like oligarchy make more sense?

Yes i do believe so, it's good to have access to information without restrictions and not having someone forcing you to be something. Of course nobody is truly free, but still it's best to be "free" to do what you want and have a chance to improve your critical thinking and have fun than living under a government that limits their people to explore and gain knowledge. Also it's better to be poor and free to do whatever and explore whatever u want, than be poor and having someone inspecting your home and control you (of course the white blonde kid in a western country will disagree and call you stupid for not reading the same dogmatic manifestos they are reading).

I also believe that democracy shouldn't equate 100% total freedom, there should be a few responsabilities to put people more in line (to a certain extent) and educate them.

For example, where i live is not obligatory any military service and i think that is ridiculous. Not even a few months of service so people understand the basics. Every month we see on the news a russian warship passing by, or a nuclear bomber passing by just to intimidate nato countries and on local news - on interviews they make to our politicians - they see military service has something like a fascist thing or old fashion and i think that is so far from reality. Imagine if ukraine had the same mentality these people have. Just because you believe in peace and love bullshit doesn't mean your neighbours do, and becoming weak and laid back based on hippie believes can have serious consequences on the long run. It's very naive, i really don't understand... This people have no fight in them.

Or maybe that's just my mentality, i'm just hard with myself and i believe i need to be ready for anything at all time

I don't think there's much difference between democracy or oligarchy or other politic ways, there's always a group of people pulling the strings. Just look at declassified documents. Cyber attacks, spying and all that shit. Some countries are still not ready for democracy. And there will never be a true way to rule the world, even if the roman empire conquered the entire world and killed all oppositors, people would still find ways to separate things in two and fight against each other.

And what do you think about it?

(you could create a fake profile and write to me - just dont be a avatarless untitled blog because i usually block those)

[beardedmrbean]

1. Public transport to be heavily disrupted by general strike on 9 November

Following the announcement that train disruptions are expected on the "national day of action" by trade unions on Wednesday 9 November, public transport operators in Flanders and Brussels have confirmed their services will also be heavily impacted. Read more.

2. Europe spends €32 billion per year in company car subsidies, Belgium tops list

Even though company cars disproportionately contribute to traffic congestion and pollution, European governments subsidise corporate-owned fleets for up to €32 billion per year, a report by the Brussels-based Transport & Environment think tank shows. Read more.

3. Our year in one word? Permacrisis

Collin's dictionary has revealed its 2022 Word of the Year, summarising how many people have felt this year: permacrisis. According to the dictionary's website, 'permacrisis' describes "an extended period of instability and insecurity." Read more.

4. What to do in Brussels this weekend: 4 – 6 November

Autumn has officially arrived in Brussels, and as temperatures drop, the majority of events in our round-up are taking place indoors to keep you shielded from the icy winds. Find out our favourite things to do in the Belgian capital (and further afield) this weekend below! Read more.

5. IAEA inspectors find no trace of Ukrainian ‘dirty bomb'

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday that it had not detected any sign of “undeclared nuclear activities” in Ukraine at this stage of its investigation, after having inspected three locations at the request of Kyiv. Read more.

6. End of 'Nolhtaced': Customers earned over €154,000 by selling unused sports gear

In October, Belgian residents earned a total of €154,000 by selling their unused sports equipment to 'Nolhtaced', the temporary new (reversed) name of Decathlon, with particular success in the Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia. Read more.

7. Hidden Belgium: Vaartkom

A new neighbourhood is emerging in Leuven on a vast site once occupied by the Stella Artois brewery. Read more.

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Defective vetting and failures by police leaders have allowed a “prevalent” culture of potentially thousands of officers who are “predatory” towards women to join and stay in the ranks, a damning official report has concluded.

Officers staged unwarranted stops of women in an abuse of power known as “booty patrols”, with crimes such as sexual assault covered up and ignored along with large-scale harassment of female officers and members of the public.

The report published on Wednesday from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) for England and Wales was ordered after the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021 by a serving Metropolitan police officer, Wayne Couzens.

It details senior officers pursuing women for sex, the watching of pornography on duty and misogynistic comments about crime victims and the public.

The report lists a decade of warnings to police chiefs after past serious sexual assaults and abuses of power by serving officers, with the inspectorate finding that chiefs were “complacent” and failed to appreciate “the danger to the public”.

Officers were cleared to join after “committing offences such as robbery, indecent exposure, possession of controlled drugs, drink-driving and domestic abuse-related assaults”, the report found.

It examined eight forces including the Met and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the two forces where Couzens was an armed officer, as well as Kent, where he served as a special constable.

The lead inspector, Matt Parr, said: “We concluded that a culture of misogyny, sexism, predatory behaviour towards female police officers and staff and members of the public was prevalent in all the forces we inspected, which is a depressing finding.

“We believe that the poor behaviour towards women we were told about is prevalent in many – if not all – forces.”

The inspectorate said: “We also found 131 cases where the [employment] decision was questionable at best. In these, we found officers and staff with criminal records, or suspicions that they had committed crime (including some serious crime), substantial undischarged debt, or family members linked to organised crime.

“In other cases, officers and staff had given false or incomplete information to the vetting unit. We also found officers who, despite a history of attracting complaints or allegations of misconduct, successfully transferred between police forces. This is wholly unsatisfactory.”

That amounts to about 18% of the 725 vetting files examined. Every female police officer and staff member spoke to told of harassment and, in some cases, assaults.

Pressed on the scale of the problem, Parr said: “It seems reasonable for me to say that over the last three or four years, the number of people recruited over whom we would raise significant questions is certainly in the hundreds if not low thousands.”

The report cites examples found between 2018 and 2021 – when chiefs claimed vetting had improved. They include:

A special constable cleared to join despite a past conviction for indecent exposure seven times over a two-week period as a juvenile, when he had masturbated at his bedroom window, coughing to attract the attention of a woman. He also had a caution for threats to commit criminal damage.

A support officer cleared to join after slapping his partner in the face.

A police officer allowed to join despite robbing an 80-year-old woman, who was knocked to the ground and had her handbag stolen.

A police officer cleared to join despite concerns he had a theft conviction and potential criminal links.

A police officer arrested twice for assaults on women who were left with marks on their necks, and witness intimidation, as well as having a historical drink-driving conviction.

An officer cleared to join despite an arrest for rape while a juvenile, about 20 years earlier.

An officer, who still works with vulnerable people, given a final written warning for sending extremely sexually explicit and racist messages to a female colleague.

Vetting was found to have failed when officers changed forces and Parr said: “The lessons of the last few years have given ample warning.”

Asked if policing had heeded the warnings, such as those from women’s groups but also some from the inspectorate itself, that Couzens could have been identified earlier as a danger to women, Parr said: “The shoddier your vetting system is, the greater the chance of somebody like Couzens joining you.”

Parr told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he believed UK policing was experiencing a “tipping point moment”.

“It’s not just our report today, there have been other hard-hitting reports shining a light on police behaviour and some of these problems,” he said.

“I think, or at least I hope, that we’ve now reached the point where chief constables and other police leaders realise this is something they’ve got to bear down on much harder.

“They’ve got to take more interest in recruiting the right people and they’ve got to take more interest in driving out misconduct, because if they don’t, these problems are going to keep coming back, and they can’t.”

The rapid recruitment to meet a government target of 20,000 new officers within three years also heightened concerns over vetting standards and 43 recommendations have been made by the inspectorate.

This report follows one last month by Lady Casey into the Met’s discipline system that found shocking failures, corruption and cover-ups far greater than previously admitted. It led the Met’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to say that hundreds of racist, women-hating and corrupt officers have been left in the ranks of his force alone.

The accumulation of reports, with more to come next year, threatens the reputation of police leaders, who have claimed to have taken the issues seriously, but as the inspectorate said, failed to act on warnings that their staff and the public were in danger from misogynistic, racist and corrupt officers.

Police chiefs said they would adopt the recommendations in full. Andy Marsh, the head of the College of Policing, said: “Vetting will only ever provide a snapshot of the problem, and it must be backed up by strong leadership at all levels and people who can spot and call out behaviour which does not belong in policing. The college’s new entry training and National Centre for Police Leadership will deliver world-class leaders who are equipped with the skills to call out wrongdoing, improve results and bring the service up to the highest standard the public rightly expects.”

Harriet Wistrich of the Centre for Women’s Justice, which has pressed for stronger action over police misogyny, said: “A police officer has powers and status which if misused can allow him to take advantage of vulnerable women – it is utterly unacceptable that there isn’t the strictest interview and vetting procedures to ensure that potential abusers are not admitted to the police.”

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Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment: Ensuring Structural Integrity Without Compromise

Non-destructive inspection (NDI) equipment plays a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity and safety of materials and structures without causing any damage. These technologies are employed in industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, and manufacturing to detect flaws, cracks, and other defects in materials while keeping them intact. NDI methods include ultrasonic testing, X-ray imaging, and magnetic particle testing, among others. With growing emphasis on safety, quality, and efficiency, non-destructive inspection has become an indispensable part of modern industrial processes.

The Non-Destructive Inspection Equipment Market was valued at USD 10.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 21.96 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2030.

Future Scope

The future of non-destructive inspection equipment lies in advancements in AI and machine learning, enabling automated flaw detection and predictive maintenance. As manufacturing becomes more automated, real-time inspection using robots and drones is expected to become widespread. These technologies will help industries achieve higher levels of accuracy and efficiency in detecting faults in complex materials, while reducing downtime and operational costs.

Trends

One key trend in NDI equipment is the shift toward portable and handheld devices, allowing inspections to be carried out in the field or on-site. Another trend is the integration of digital data analysis, where NDI equipment is linked to cloud-based platforms for real-time reporting and tracking of inspection results. Additionally, the rise of 3D imaging and advanced visualization techniques is enhancing the capabilities of inspection tools, providing a more comprehensive view of material integrity.

Applications

Non-destructive inspection equipment is used in sectors such as aerospace for aircraft maintenance, automotive for assessing vehicle components, and construction for evaluating the safety of critical infrastructure. NDI is also essential in energy industries, including oil and gas pipelines and nuclear power plants, where structural integrity is critical to safety and performance.

Solutions and Services

NDI equipment manufacturers offer comprehensive solutions that include a range of testing methods tailored to specific industries. Services such as on-site inspections, training, and technical support ensure that users can effectively operate NDI tools. These manufacturers also provide software integration to help customers manage and analyze inspection data more efficiently.

Key Points

NDI equipment ensures the integrity of materials without causing damage.

AI-driven automation and predictive maintenance are the future of NDI.

Portable devices and digital data integration are key market trends.

Applications include aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.

Comprehensive services include on-site inspections and software integration.