Lurker > McSame_as_Bush

If you wish to stick around, all you need to do is follow the rules.

sorry you got screwed over in an unwinnable situation over an obviously bad choice that was made by terrible management

Vote for Trump who will bring back the Sun.

At 2:41 pm on Aug. 21, 2017 the greater Columbia area experienced the longest period of totality of any city on the East Coast, slightly more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds of total darkness.

More than two-thirds of the animals exhibited changed behavior.

Gorillas: Marched all together to be let in for the evening and were kind of perplexed, like Why arent you letting us in? Hartstone-Rose said.

Flamingos: All of the adults gathered around the perimeter and clumped around the juveniles and the babies, he said.

Giraffes: Some of the zoo's herd began running around their enclosure, only calming down when the sun came back.

Bears: Couldn't care less. One of them lifted his head during the eclipse, but they basically couldnt be bothered to react, he said.

Galapagos tortoises: The Riverbanks zoo has a group of 35 of the slow-moving giants which can reach 900 pounds and live for more than 150 years. During the peak of the eclipse, they started breeding.

For 2024, Hartstone-Rose is scaling up animal observations across the country. There will be studies at multiple zoos in the path of the totality, which will allow a larger number of animals to be observed. Hell be stationed at Texas' Fort Worth Zoo.

Given what they found with the tortoises, hes curious to see what the bonobos will do.

Theyre very sexual animals, he said. When they get stressed out, their reaction is to have sex. Im very curious to see if they react by mating."

The latest issue of Defense Intelligence Agencys comic book series illustrates how DIAs experts work to stay ahead of rapidly changing global technology, maintaining the nations defense intelligence advantage.

The comic books provide DIA with a fun, accessible method to help tell the agencys story to audiences young and old, said Myles Scrinopskie, graphic design and web operations team chief for DIAs Office of Corporate Communications.

This is just a terrific initiative for reaching young Americans in particular, Scrinopskie said. What an appealing way to let the public know about the importance of good intelligence for national defense and the many impressive capabilities DIA brings to the fight.

DIA produces the comic books to share at public events and conferences, where people who may be unfamiliar with the agency can learn about DIA functions. DIA launched the series in 2019.

The latest issue centers on a vignette wherein DIA intelligence ensures an effective defense against the killer robots of Badlandia. The first issue focused on the value of foundational military intelligence. Both issues are available here: DIA Comics.

Future issues will focus on further capabilities DIA employs to achieve its mission to provide intelligence on foreign militaries to prevent and win wars.

Video games

A Democratic legislator on Wednesday called for an inquiry into South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noems trip to Texas for dental work and a promotional video in which she praises the doctors for giving her a smile I can be proud of and confident in.

State Sen. Reynold Nesiba said he initially found the nearly five-minute video to be simply odd. Later he considered other questions and asked the Republican co-chairs of the Legislatures Government Operations & Audit Committee to put the matter on the panels next meeting agenda in July for discussion and questions.

I just thought it was a very strange video about how much she enjoyed having her teeth done at that particular place, said Nesiba, a member of the audit committee.

Nesiba said he wonders whether Noem used a state airplane or public funds for the Texas trip and whether the governor paid for the dental procedure or if it was discounted because of her video.

Noems office did not respond to questions Wednesday about the promotional video posted Monday night to her personal account on X in which she praised the dentists and staff at Smile Texas, a cosmetic dental practice in the Houston area.

In the video, Noem complimented the dentists that recently gave me a smile I can be proud of and confident in. Noem, who is seen as a potential vice-presidential pick by former President Donald Trump, identifies herself as the governor of South Dakota and includes clips of her speaking at a Republican Party event with Trump signs in the background.

A woman who answered the phone at Smile Texas cited privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in response to The Associated Press asking to speak with a member of the practice. When asked if Smile Texas plans to use Noems video for promotion, the woman said, No, she posted that, then hung up when asked again.

South Dakota law bans gifts of over $100 from lobbyists to public officials and their immediate family. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable up to a year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine. The state attorney generals office declined to answer questions about whether the gift ban applies to people who are not registered lobbyists.

Noems video, in which the governor says she went to Smile because it was the best, comes at a time when South Dakota has spent $5 million on a workforce recruitment ad campaign in which she stars in TV spots portraying herself as a plumber, electrician, nurse and other high-demand workers. In one ad, Noem portrays a dentist in blue scrubs, speaking over a patient with a dental instrument in her hand amid the sound of a drill.

Nesiba said the dental promotion just undermines the millions of dollars that we have invested in her as being a spokesperson for South Dakota.

Paul Miskimins, a Republican former state legislator who practiced dentistry over 37 years in South Dakota, said he saw nothing wrong with Noem seeking care out of state, noting he had sought dental care from a friend in Canada. Miskimins added that celebrities often give testimonials about dental work, and he didnt see why a public official couldnt do the same.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced today the initial deployment of 1,600 body-worn cameras to its two law enforcement components, Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. The deployment is consistent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Body Worn Camera Policy and as required by the Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety.

Public trust is dependent on transparency, and our ability to effectively conduct our mission is dependent on public trust, said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Patrick J. Lechleitner. The deployment of body-worn cameras to our officers and agents assists in building that public trust through transparency and accountability. It is an essential element in our public safety and national security mission.

Todays announcement is designed to advance these core values requiring our law enforcement personnel to use body-worn cameras is an important step in modernizing ICE operations while building trust and confidence in our dedicated law enforcement professionals. The timeline for agencywide implementation is dependent on the availability of appropriated resources.

During the first phase of implementation, ICE will distribute body-worn cameras and provide specific training to ERO and HSI personnel in the Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo and Detroit areas of responsibility.

The agency updated its policy regarding the use of body-worn cameras for law enforcement personnel earlier this year. The updated policy applies to all aspects of pre-planned ICE enforcement activities that are conducted by ICE personnel to further ICEs mission, excluding certain investigative activities.

Among other restrictions, body-worn cameras will not be used for the sole purpose of recording individuals engaged in First Amendment activities. Although this policy establishes requirements for the use of body-worn cameras, not all ICE law enforcement personnel will immediately be issued cameras. ICE is working to secure resources required to ensure full implementation of the new policy.

The policy was largely developed through DHSs Law Enforcement Coordination Council, a forum that allows the Departments nine law enforcement agencies and offices to collaborate on law enforcement issues with input from stakeholders across the department, including subject matter experts from both operational law enforcement agencies and DHS headquarters offices, such as the Offices of Strategy, Policy and Plans; Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; General Counsel; Privacy; and Public Affairs.

ICE first announced its body worn camera pilot program in December 2021, when ICE law enforcement officers tested the use of body worn cameras for pre-planned law enforcement operations.

Those are an abomination.

I just wanna make sure we cover our bases while we wait for the black box results.

How does that make them a shit company?

Did they make these faults on purpose?

A passenger has told NBC News of the dramatic incident that saw people aboard a Boeing flight thrown into the ceiling, as authorities probed what caused the plane's sudden mid-air plunge.

More than a dozen people were rushed to the hospital on Monday and at least 50 injured after a LATAM airlines flight traveling from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand experienced a strong shake, officials said.

Authorities in New Zealand said Tuesday they were seizing the black boxes from the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which had been due to continue on to Santiago, Chile.

"Everything was going well," said passenger Brian Jokat, who was sitting in a window seat as the flight headed toward New Zealand. Then all of a sudden, the plane took a nosedive down.

People were flying out of their seats, hitting the roof, being thrown back four or five aisles back, Jokat, 61, said in a telephone interview.

Jokat said that while he had his seatbelt on, the passenger in the aisle seat of his row didnt.

I saw him lying on the ceiling looking down at me, he said. He was fully out-stretched, Jokat said. And then bang, I looked behind and everyone was falling off the ceilings, he added.

Jokat said the seatbelt, which he rarely wears during cruising altitude, saved him from the injuries.

But those days are over. I will always keep my seatbelt on, he said. Because what I saw in that plane was people flying like ragdolls.

LATAM Airlines Flight LA800 was carrying 263 passengers along with 9 crew members, the Santiago-based airline said in a statement Tuesday. The flight landed at its scheduled time of 4:26 p.m. Monday (11:26 p.m. Sunday ET) in Auckland after its 2-hour, 42-minute flight.

The plane "experienced a strong shake whose causes are being investigated," the airline said.

Emergency services treated about 50 patients, 12 of whom were taken to the hospital, New Zealands emergency medical service provider Hato Hone St John Ambulance, said in a statement Monday.

The airline said most of those were discharged shortly after and that only two people needed medical attention but without any life-threatening risks.

The aircrafts pilot told the passengers the flight had suffered equipment failure for a few seconds, causing the plane to drop for almost 500 feet in the air, Jokat said. He said my gauges went down, everything went down for one or two seconds and they just lit up again and continued to function, Jokat added.

Some people broke right through the ceiling. So you can see all the wires inside, Jokat said.

New Zealands Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the accident, saying in a statement Tuesday that it was seizing the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

Chile has appointed a representative to participate in the investigation, the Chilean aviation authority said Monday in a post on X.

Boeing said in a statement Monday that it was gathering more information and will provide any support needed by our customer.

The plane manufacturer has been under fire for multiple safety incidents and technical snags in recent months.

1. Boeing Commercial Airplane Co. in Everett, Washington has the largest manufacturing site in the world. Employing 30,000 individuals, it opened in 1967 to manufacture 747s. Since then it has grown to encompass 98.7 acres, and is the worlds largest building in terms of volume.

2. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, Texas has a workforce of 16,400. Lockheed Martin never forgot its small-town roots. The company supports its smaller manufacturers with accelerated payments.

3. The Boeing Co. in St. Louis, Missouri employs 16,000 workers. The Boeing Co. is Americas largest manufacturing exporter, and the St. Louis site houses the Prologue Room. This museum showcases pioneers in aviation and their achievements.

4. The Boeing Co. in Renton, Washington employs 12,000 workers, ranking fourth in the industry. This Boeing location is a significant site in the global aerospace industry, renowned for its production of commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems. The Renton site has a rich history dating back to World War II and continues to be a hub of innovation and production in the aerospace industry, contributing to Boeings presence in more than 150 countries.

5. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is located in Savannah, Georgia. Its 9,638 employees build and service high-end privately-owned aircraft. The companys close attention to customer service includes more factory-owned service centers than any other aircraft manufacturer.

6. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in Poway, California started as a part of General Dynamics in 1954. The 8+ million square-foot site houses 9,000 workers. They manufacture unmanned aircraft, power changing systems and remote viewing products.

7. Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Co. in Stratford, Connecticut has led the world in helicopter manufacturing since 1923. Igor Sikorsky's invention remains a base for both military and non-military missions to this day. Currently, the company's 7,500 workers keep up Mr. Sikorskys vision.

8. Boeing Commercial Airplanes in North Charleston, South Carolina employs a crew of 7,000 to create the safest commercial flights. The companys Confident Travel Initiative eases travelers' minds with cleaning and disinfecting routines.

9. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Littleton, Colorado and its 7,000 employees create the GPS systems that serve commercial and military clients. They also invented a shell that protects travelers in outer space.

10. Textron Aviation, Inc. in Wichita, Kansas manufactures Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft. With a workforce of 5,400 employees, Textron Aviation customizes its planes to meet customer needs.

A team of United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers quickly arrested a man with a hammer who was trying to get into the U.S. Capitol.

At approximately 3:40 p.m., a man was being screened at the Capitol Visitor Center. As the mans backpack went through the x-ray machine, a USCP officer noticed that a hammer was inside of the mans bag. When the officer attempted secondary screening to look inside of the bag, the suspect attempted to grab the bag and became combative.

Several officers immediately intervened to stop the suspect. A struggle ensued. USCP officers deployed a Taser to stop the individual and take him into custody. A hammer was found inside the bag.

These officers did what they were trained to do and stopped this man from getting into the U.S. Capitol, said USCP Captain Andrew Pecher. Great work from the officer who spotted the hammer, to the officers who quickly took the suspect into custody.

The suspect has been identified as 33 year old Christopher Snow of Canton, Ohio. Investigators are working to determine why he came to the Capitol with a hammer. He is being charged with Assault on a Police Officer.

Last week, the Department of Defense delivered to Congress the initial volume of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's Historical Record Report, which reviews the record of the United States government pertaining to unidentified anomalous phenomena, as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

In completing this report, AARO reviewed all official U.S government investigatory efforts since 1945, researched classified and unclassified archives, conducted dozens of interviews, and partnered with Intelligence Community and DOD officials responsible for controlled and special access program oversight, respectively. AARO will publish a second volume that will provide analysis of information acquired by AARO after Nov. 1, 2023, including information received via interviews with current and former U.S. government personnel who contacted AARO via the secure reporting mechanism on AARO's website.

...

To date, AARO has found no verifiable evidence for claims that the U.S. government and private companies have access to or have been reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology. Also, AARO has found no evidence that any U.S. government investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology. All investigative efforts, at all levels of classification, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification. AARO assesses that all of the named and described alleged hidden UAP reverse-engineering programs provided by interviewees either do not exist; are misidentified authentic national security programs that are not related to extraterrestrial technology exploitation; or resolve to a disestablished program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers (CBP) at the San Ysidro Port of Entry seized over $11 million worth of blue fentanyl pills concealed in a vehicle Sunday.

At approximately 8:20 p.m., a CBP K-9 unit conducting pre-primary inspections encountered a 37-year-old man driving a 2008 sedan applying for admission into the United States from Mexico at the San Ysidro POE.

During initial examination, the CBP K-9 unit alerted officers to the glove compartment area, indicating the possible presence of narcotics. A CBP officer referred the driver and the vehicle for further inspection.

In the secondary inspection area, CBP officers extracted a total of 100 packages containing blue pills concealed within the vehicles dashboard and within the front passenger seats. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as fentanyl. An estimated 561,000 pills were ultimately discovered, with a total weight of 123.6 pounds, and an approximate street value of $11,220,000.

Family Dollar Stores LLC pleaded guilty today to holding food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics under insanitary conditions, related to a rodent infestation at the companys West Memphis, Arkansas, distribution center.

A criminal information unsealed today in federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, charged Family Dollar with one misdemeanor count of causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions. The company, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree Inc., entered into a plea agreement that includes a sentence of a fine and forfeiture amount totaling $41.675 million, the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case. The plea agreement also requires Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to meet robust corporate compliance and reporting requirements for the next three years. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome T. Kearney presided over the companys guilty plea and sentencing at todays hearing.

When consumers go to the store, they have the right to expect that the food and drugs on the shelves have been kept in clean, uncontaminated conditions, said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. When companies violate that trust and the laws designed to keep consumers safe, the public should rest assured: The Justice Department will hold those companies accountable.

Companies distributing and selling food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics must ensure that these products are being held in safe and sanitary conditions, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Departments Civil Division. The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the FDA to investigate and prosecute those who put public health at risk by failing to meet this important obligation.

Consumers trust that products purchased from retail stores such as Family Dollar are safe, said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. It is incomprehensible that Family Dollar knew about the rodent and pest issues at its distribution center in Arkansas but continued to ship products that were unsafe and insanitary. Knowingly selling these types of products not only places the publics health at risk but erodes the trust consumers have in the products they purchase. Products shipped and sold are required to be safe for consumers and the safety of Arkansans and others are extremely important to this office. Let me be clear, if you conduct business in Arkansas and allow the shipment or sale of unsafe and insanitary products, you will be held accountable.

U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their food is safe and wholesome, said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead of the Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Kansas City Field Office. When companies put themselves above the law and distribute food that has been held under extremely insanitary conditions, putting the publics health at risk, we will see that they are brought to justice.

In pleading guilty, the company admitted that its Arkansas distribution center shipped FDA-regulated products to more than 400 Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee. According to the plea agreement, the company began receiving reports in August 2020 of mouse and pest issues with deliveries to stores. By the end of 2020, certain stores reported receiving rodents and rodent-damaged products from the warehouse. The company admitted that by no later than January 2021, some of its employees were aware that the insanitary conditions caused FDA-regulated products held at the warehouse to become adulterated in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).

According to the plea agreement, the company continued to ship FDA-regulated products from the warehouse until January 2022, when an FDA inspection revealed live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine, and odors, and evidence of gnawing and nesting throughout the facility. According to the plea agreement, subsequent fumigation of the facility resulted in the reported extermination of 1,270 rodents. On Feb. 18, 2022, the company voluntarily recalled all drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and human and animal food products sold since Jan. 1, 2021 in the 404 stores that had been serviced by the warehouse.

Who do you think fed the AI responses that "Elon is like just as bad as hitler!" for it to formulate that reply?