HEADLINES: 2024
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Politics·INSIDER
So Santos is actually losing $money.
Lauren Boebert's fundraising took a huge plunge after she switched districts
It was the Colorado congresswoman's worst fundraising quarter in year. But she did get $400 from George Santos.So Santos is actually losing $money.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Baltimore to pursue legal action following Key Bridge collapse
Brandon Scott said Monday that Baltimore had hired attorneys to pursue legal action against the operators of the cargo vessel that struck the Key Bridge.
www.baltimoresun.com
Unless the shipping company is unusually structured their going to find that the cargo vessel is flagged in Panama or some such place. And that the company that owns it is basically a shell - a single purpose entity that owns that vessel and operates that vessel and nothing else.
Ship ! I mean, like a "steamer". A big fat one!
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Ha Ha
The important thing is that the company that owns the vessel has no assets beyond the ship. And of course the insurance on the ship.
The important thing is that the company that owns the vessel has no assets beyond the ship. And of course the insurance on the ship.
Based on little more than my observations of Institutional maladaptability, wouldn't surprise me if it's under-insured.
Like ocean liners, twice the size of the Titanic. I gather tankers & container ships (like the one that dropped the bridge) are much bigger than a few decades ago.
If the insurance formula has kept pace w/ reality, splendid. I deduce that's unlikely.
If not, seems to me the formula should factor in vessel displacement, and cargo capacity, by weight, & or $$$. Or whatever other necessary to make things right in a case like this.
Norwegian registry seems to be big with big boats, a $money deal I assume, lower taxes, & or fees?
Not sure if the boat people are playing hard-ball or not: if the U.S. requires adequate insurance we simply won't dock at any U.S. ports.
- so -
I gather the U.S. tax payer will get stuck with the bill.
Meanwhile, it took years to build that bridge the first time.
I've not yet gotten any reliable reports about when the replacement will be carrying automobiles again.
Senior Democrat says party will save House speaker from ousting – on one condition
John Bowden and Andrew Feinberg / Tue, April 16, 2024 at 3:51 PM EDT·A senior Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has said his party will help prevent the ouster of House Speaker Mike Johnson if the Louisiana Republican allows a defence aid package including humanitarian aid for Gaza to receive an up-or-down vote on the House floor.
* https://news.yahoo.com/top-democrat-says-party-save-161835231.html
So:
Speaker Johnson's tenure may soon end, if the MTG clan prevail. There may not be enough Republican votes to preserve Johnson's speakership.
Democrats to the rescue?
And the issue chosen?
"... a defence aid package including humanitarian aid for Gaza ..." *
Not to diminish the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, though reports indicate Yemen is worse.
Gaza is an acknowledged issue for the U.S.
So is Ukraine.
Is this Democrat ploy to pressure Speaker Johnson inadequate? Gaza & Ukraine?
Read between the lines:
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bombers just staged a mass fly-off
Photos show the aircraft — known for its flying wing design and ability to leverage its lower-observable, or stealth, characteristics to penetrate even sophisticated enemy defenses and unleash a devastating conventional or nuclear strike — taxiing on the runway before taking off.
a) How many times has this type of exercise been done?
b) If it's as rare as the presentation of the news report suggests (dog bites man, not a story. Man bites dog, that's a story.) then this is a "man bites dog" story. So what additional information completes this puzzle? Is Putin's nuclear trigger finger getting itchy? Or is Biden simply trying to stir up a hornet's nest?
And if the issue involves Putin, what relation other than being coincident in time-frame does this U.S. nuclear sabre rattling have to do with the unprecedented recent military missile exchanges between Iran & Israel? Coincidence?
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bombers just staged a mass fly-off
Chris Panella / Fri, April 19, 2024 at 5:22 PM EDT
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bombers just staged a mass fly-off
- B-2 Spirit stealth bombers executed a mass fly-off earlier this week during a major exercise.
- Photos show the bombers taking off from Whiteman Air Force Base.
- The Air Force's B-2 bombers bring tremendous firepower blended with low-observable characteristics.
Photos show the aircraft — known for its flying wing design and ability to leverage its lower-observable, or stealth, characteristics to penetrate even sophisticated enemy defenses and unleash a devastating conventional or nuclear strike — taxiing on the runway before taking off.
a) How many times has this type of exercise been done?
b) If it's as rare as the presentation of the news report suggests (dog bites man, not a story. Man bites dog, that's a story.) then this is a "man bites dog" story. So what additional information completes this puzzle? Is Putin's nuclear trigger finger getting itchy? Or is Biden simply trying to stir up a hornet's nest?
And if the issue involves Putin, what relation other than being coincident in time-frame does this U.S. nuclear sabre rattling have to do with the unprecedented recent military missile exchanges between Iran & Israel? Coincidence?
News Military Source: Al Jazeera
: Published On 20 Apr 202420 Apr 2024
The United States will withdraw its soldiers from Niger as the West African nation is increasingly turning to Russia and away from Western powers.
The US Department of State agreed to pull out about 1,000 troops from the country that has been under military rule since July 2023, US media reported late on Friday.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine met on Friday, the reports said, with Washington committing to begin planning an “orderly and responsible” withdrawal of its troops from the country.
The US built a military base in Niger to combat armed groups that pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in the Sahel region, which also includes Burkina Faso and Mali.
The US is being forced to withdraw from Niger as it is not favoured either by the ruling military or by the population that is rejecting post-colonial forces. Protesters took to the streets in the capital earlier this month to demand the departure of US forces.
The US built a base in the desert city of Agadez at the cost of $100m for manned and unmanned surveillance flights.
www.aljazeera.com
US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger amid Sahel region’s pivot to Russia
The US built a base in the desert city of Agadez at the cost of $100m for manned and unmanned surveillance flights.
: Published On 20 Apr 202420 Apr 2024
The United States will withdraw its soldiers from Niger as the West African nation is increasingly turning to Russia and away from Western powers.
The US Department of State agreed to pull out about 1,000 troops from the country that has been under military rule since July 2023, US media reported late on Friday.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine met on Friday, the reports said, with Washington committing to begin planning an “orderly and responsible” withdrawal of its troops from the country.
The US built a military base in Niger to combat armed groups that pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in the Sahel region, which also includes Burkina Faso and Mali.
The US is being forced to withdraw from Niger as it is not favoured either by the ruling military or by the population that is rejecting post-colonial forces. Protesters took to the streets in the capital earlier this month to demand the departure of US forces.
The US built a base in the desert city of Agadez at the cost of $100m for manned and unmanned surveillance flights.
It's been a few hours since MTG grabbed a headline, here's an update:
(R-Ga.) is escalating her threat to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from power, but she faces a steep climb if she hopes to achieve that goal.
Not only has the Speaker recently received a glowing review from former President Trump, the GOP’s presumed presidential nominee, but Democrats remain ready to rescue Johnson from a conservative coup. On top of that, many of the conservatives most frustrated with Johnson’s leadership style are opposing a motion to vacate, leaving Greene with only the barest GOP support for her removal resolution.
“My judgment and estimation is that this is not the time to do that,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), head of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
Not that Johnson is out of the woods. ...
The Speaker has infuriated conservatives such as Greene and Good for months by reaching across the aisle to cut a number of deals with President Biden on big-ticket issues including federal spending, government spying and, most recently, billions of dollars in new military aid to Ukraine — funding opposed by most of his GOP conference.
It was precisely those types of bipartisan agreements that led directly to the downfall of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted by frustrated hard-liners in October. And ...
https://news.yahoo.com/greene-faces-uphill-battle-oust-100000043.html
Greene faces uphill battle to oust Johnson
Mike Lillis / Tue, April 23, 2024 at 6:00 AM EDT(R-Ga.) is escalating her threat to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from power, but she faces a steep climb if she hopes to achieve that goal.
Not only has the Speaker recently received a glowing review from former President Trump, the GOP’s presumed presidential nominee, but Democrats remain ready to rescue Johnson from a conservative coup. On top of that, many of the conservatives most frustrated with Johnson’s leadership style are opposing a motion to vacate, leaving Greene with only the barest GOP support for her removal resolution.
“My judgment and estimation is that this is not the time to do that,” said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), head of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
Not that Johnson is out of the woods. ...
The Speaker has infuriated conservatives such as Greene and Good for months by reaching across the aisle to cut a number of deals with President Biden on big-ticket issues including federal spending, government spying and, most recently, billions of dollars in new military aid to Ukraine — funding opposed by most of his GOP conference.
It was precisely those types of bipartisan agreements that led directly to the downfall of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted by frustrated hard-liners in October. And ...
https://news.yahoo.com/greene-faces-uphill-battle-oust-100000043.html
Politics·USA TODAY
Embattled former Rep. George Santos ends reelection campaign two months after announcing comeback bid
The disgraced former lawmaker isn't running for reelection, but teased he will "be back." 1 min readDidn't take me a whole minute read it.
The celebration won't be so quick.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Believe it or not, this is not from The Onion (had to check)
a) snicker (in the gloom of the past few news cycles, #113 provides a shade of relief, comeuppance style) Thank you S2.
b) Not the only example. A pregnant woman using the HOV lane brought some cheer.
Let's take a breath, enjoy the sociopolitical panorama of this issue.
The rabid anti-choicers simply want to inflict their personal preference on the country. Clearly they have leapt before they looked.
And now IVF among others illuminate a more realistic profile on their sexist utopian oppression.
Bottom line, they treat the exercise of Liberty as a crime. True conservatives (as distinguished from pseudo-cons) recognize Liberty as a:
- Creator endowed
- Constitutionally enumerated
- unalienable right.
Yet somehow, miraculously, they treat the exercise of this unalienable right as a crime. Exercising an unalienable right is a crime?! According to them it is.
un·al·ien·a·ble  (ŭn-ālyə-nə-bəl, -ālē-ə-)adj. Not to be separated, given away, or taken away; inalienable The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. |
Putin Didn’t Directly Order Navalny’s February Death, U.S. Spy Agencies Find
The finding, which doesn’t absolve the Russian leader of ultimate responsibility, deepens the mystery surrounding the dissident’s death at an Arctic gulag.Shiftless2
Well-known member
The phrase "didn't directly order" does not rule out suggesting that it would be a good thing.
Putin's a bad guy, a Cold War barbarian I gather.
But the U.S. is playing a very familiar tune here.
During the Iran / Iraq War the U.S. allied with Iraq, not merely as retribution for the hostages taken during the Carter administration.
The U.S. supplied Iraq just barely enough weapons & intelligence to battle Iran to a stalemate.
It was the U.S. way to maintain stability in this volatile region.
And now yet once again we see a stalemate in Ukraine, apparently deliberately engineered by the U.S. / West.
- tragic -
And hunger cramps Africa for want of Ukraine's harvests.
#116
Interesting to see if in martyrdom Navalny will achieve what he did not while alive.
But the U.S. is playing a very familiar tune here.
During the Iran / Iraq War the U.S. allied with Iraq, not merely as retribution for the hostages taken during the Carter administration.
The U.S. supplied Iraq just barely enough weapons & intelligence to battle Iran to a stalemate.
It was the U.S. way to maintain stability in this volatile region.
And now yet once again we see a stalemate in Ukraine, apparently deliberately engineered by the U.S. / West.
- tragic -
And hunger cramps Africa for want of Ukraine's harvests.
#116
Interesting to see if in martyrdom Navalny will achieve what he did not while alive.
Biden delays plan to ban menthol cigarettes amid widespread opposition
Andrea Cavallier / Sat, April 27, 2024 at 6:01 PM EDTPresident Biden’s administration is delaying the menthol cigarette ban amid widespread opposition.
In the announcement made on Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra gave no timeline, only saying only that the administration would take more time to consider feedback.
“This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement,” Mr Becerra said.
“It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.”
The announcement is another setback for Food and Drug Administration officials, who drafted the ban and predicted it would prevent hundreds of thousands of smoking-related deaths over 40 years, the Associated Press reported.
More than 11 per cent of US adults smoke, with rates roughly even between white and Black people. But about 80 per cent of Black smokers smoke menthol, which the FDA says masks the harshness of smoking, making it easier to start and harder to quit. Also, most teenagers who smoke cigarettes prefer menthols.
Biden delays plan to ban menthol cigarettes amid widespread opposition
The announcement is another setback for Food and Drug Administration officials, who drafted the ban and predicted it would prevent hundreds of thousands of smoking-related deaths over 40 years
BUT !!
Biden has been around long enough to have established a persuasive reputation as a fundamentally good guy.
I doubt this narrow authoritarian streak of Joe's is deliberately malicious.
None the less, wrong-headed in my opinion. Some babies are easier to split than others. Seems to me dire warnings in text & graphic on cigarette packaging is an option. Outright bans tend to lead to black markets. And black markets tend to increase government costs, and infuse $millions into the underground criminal economy.
That's one of the significant reasons to decriminalize marijuana, to clip the black market cash cow, diverting revenue from the commerce in this commodity back to government, where it has belonged from the start.
Sorry Joe. You mean well. But you and Capehart are wrong on this issue.
Part II:From post #108
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bombers just staged a mass fly-off
Chris Panella / Fri, April 19, 2024 at 5:22 PM EDT
More than half of the US Air Force's B-2 stealth bombers just staged a mass fly-off - #108
MOSCOW (Reuters) - NATO's four-month long military exercises near Russia's borders, known as Steadfast Defender, are proof the alliance is preparing for a potential conflict with Russia, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, dismissed accusations by NATO this week that Russia is engaged in hybrid attacks on its member states, saying this was misleading "misinformation" aimed at distracting people from the alliance's activities.
It was NATO that had waged a hybrid war with Russia by supporting Ukraine with arms, intelligence and finances, she said in a statement.
"Right now, NATO's largest exercise since the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, is taking place near Russia's borders. According to their scenario, coalition's actions against Russia are being practiced using all the instruments, including hybrid and conventional weapons," she said in a statement.
"We have to admit that NATO is seriously preparing for a 'potential conflict' with us."
NATO drills show it is preparing for potential conflict with Russia, Moscow says
NATO's four-month long military exercises near Russia's borders, known as Steadfast Defender, are proof the alliance is preparing for a potential conflict with Russia, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, dismissed accusations by NATO...
Note:
President Biden is the Commander in Chief (CiC) of U.S. military forces. BUT, not NATO.
Thus this Moscow / Reuters report indicates there's sufficient support for such exercise within NATO for it to be conducted so deliberately near Russia's border.
Seems to me there's a great big piece missing from this puzzle. It may include Russian classified communication intercepted by NATO.
Sabre rattling is potentially dangerous, with some resemblance to schoolyard taunt.
NATO knows this. Thus we may deduce, though risky, NATO command has determined this is the safer approach, despite the obvious risk.
Looks like trouble to me.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Louisiana Lawmakers Move to Criminalize Possession of Abortion Pills
“This was not on anyone’s radar at all — it feels very sneaky,” says one OB-GYNBY LORENA O'NEIL
Louisiana Lawmakers Move to Criminalize Possession of Abortion Pills
Lawmakers in Louisiana may soon add mifepristone and misoprostol to the state’s list of controlled substances.
www.rollingstone.com