Post by mhbruin on Mar 30, 2022 9:08:29 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 560 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
↓ 10.2% Cases, two-week change
↓ 40.5% Deaths, two-week change
983,495 Total confirmed deaths
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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 22)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
How Do You Use Landmines, When You Are on the Offensive?
Russian forces fighting in Ukraine have used banned anti-personnel mines in the eastern Kharkiv region of the country, according to Human Rights Watch.
The international organization said that the anti-personnel mines were located by Ukrainian explosive ordnance disposal technicians on March 28.
“Russia is known to possess these newly deployed landmines, which can indiscriminately kill and maim people within an apparent 16-meter (52 feet) range,” HRW said, adding that Ukraine does not possess this type of landmine or its delivery system.
From Yale to Jail. Did She Get Bail?
A former Yale School of Medicine employee stole $40 million in computers and electronics from the school and sold the goods to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars, multiple properties and trips, prosecutors said.
Jamie Petrone, 42, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return on Monday in Hartford federal court in the case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced in a news release.
She allegedly ran a scheme for eight years starting in 2013, causing Yale to lose out on a total of $40,504,200, prosecutors said.
Petrone started work for Yale's medical school in the emergency medicine department in 2008, according to officials. She most recently served as the department's director of finance and administration.
Didn't Putin Deny Helping Trump Get Elected In 2016? Yet He Says "Again Help Our Partner".
Popov Isn't Just Popping Off
Back in 2021, during his TV show The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev, the host pined for the return of his favorite American president: “Things were so good under Trump... Listen to Trumpushka.” After playing a clip of Trump’s interview with Sean Hannity, wherein the former president dismissed the idea of helping Ukraine fight off Russian aggression, Soloviev sighed: “[He is] so sorely missed.” Between the war in Ukraine, which is likely to become a prolonged struggle, and the crushing U.S. sanctions, only one candidate shows the promise of potentially erasing the consequences of Russian aggression and dramatically limiting America’s support for Ukraine. Clutching to these prospects, the Kremlin’s mouthpieces are openly signaling Russia’s intent to involve themselves in yet another U.S. election.
Previous Guy Wants Vladimir the Terrible to Take Time Out From His Busy Schedule of Murdering Ukrainians.
Amid widespread criticism of his praise for Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump publicly called on the Russian leader Tuesday to release any dirt he may have on Hunter Biden.
Trump, in an interview with Just the News, seized on an unsubstantiated claim about Biden obtaining a hefty payment from Elena Baturina, the former wife of the late former mayor of Moscow, and asked Putin to provide details.
And Previous Guy Never Heard of Cell Phones or Hunter Biden.
John Bolton, the former national security adviser in the Trump administration, told CBS News on Tuesday that he had heard former President Donald Trump use the phrase "burner phones" in several discussions and the former president knew what it meant.
White House records obtained by CBS News and The Washington Post show Trump did not use his phone for over seven hours on January 6, 2021 during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the House select committee investigating the attack is looking into whether he used a "burner phone," or a personal disposable phone whose contacts could not be traced.
In response, the former president said he had never heard of the phrase "burner phone."
To Extend a Heartfelt Apology, You Have to Have a Heart
Infowars host Alex Jones offered to pay $120,000 per plaintiff to resolve a lawsuit by relatives of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims who said he defamed them by asserting the massacre never happened, according to court filings Tuesday. The offer was quickly rejected by the families.
A Connecticut judge found Jones liable for damages in November, and a trial is planned to determine how much he should pay the families.
The plaintiffs said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show.
The court filings posted online said: “Mr. Jones extends his heartfelt apology for any distress his remarks caused.”
Last week Jones defied a court order to attend a deposition near his home in Austin, Texas, to provide testimony ahead of the trial. Jones said he was ill. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday on a request by the plaintiffs to sanction Jones for not cooperating.
Lawyers for the families rejected the settlement offer within a few hours, saying in court filings that it was a “transparent and desperate attempt by Alex Jones to escape a public reckoning under oath with his deceitful, profit-driven campaign against the plaintiffs and the memory of their loved ones lost at Sandy Hook.”
Twenty first graders and six educators were killed in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the school sued Jones, Infowars and others in Connecticut over the hoax conspiracy. Jones has since said he believes the shooting did occur.
There's No Truth and Nothing Social About "Truth Social". And It's a Flop Based on a Lie. It's a Perfect Previous Guy Business Venture.
Donald Trump’s Truth Social app has plummeted in sign-ups and traffic since its technically challenged launch last month, The Wrap reported Tuesday.
The former president’s social media network for MAGA disciples has sunk to about 60,000 new users a week.
“This is down 93% from its launch week, when it saw 872,000 installs during the week of Feb. 21,” Stephanie Chan of the analytics site Sensor Tower told The Wrap. “We estimate that Truth Social has so far reached approximately 1.2 million installs since its launch.”
Truthsocial.com reportedly has fallen to 1.9 million weekly visits from a high of 6 million in the debut week for the Twitter-like platform, according to Similarweb stats cited by the news website.
Why Can't You Send a Fax During the Day and Attend An Orgy at Night?
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he’s going to talk with Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) about his recent claims that leaders he “looked up to” in Washington, D.C., had invited him to orgies and also did cocaine in front of him.
Since Cawthorn isn’t known for having any kind of friendship or connection with Democratic politicians, many people assumed he was referring to his fellow Republicans.
Not surprisingly, his claims of alleged congressional kink have aroused a lot of anger among his fellow GOPers, who made their feelings known to McCarthy during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, Politico reported.
Multiple lawmakers were angry at Cawthorn for painting his colleagues as what Politico described as “bacchanalian and sexual deviants.”
According to the report, Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack was frustrated that he is now being asked questions about participants in the alleged orgies and drug use.
“Womack remarked that many lawmakers go to bed at 9 p.m. and still use fax machines and flip phones, stating that it was inappropriate to paint them with a broad brush,”
(So Womack is saying only some of them attend orgies?)
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Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
A President Who Tells the Truth. Shocking!
Some Folks Want to Fight for the Good Guys
Ukrainian Independent Information Agency) reports that former Russian troops who have agreed to fight for Ukraine created the "Legion of Free Russia". They are undergoing training by the Ukrainian armed forces. Once training is complete they will take an oath and be deployed under the command of the Ukrainian army.
How Often Do You Get a Medal For a Good Fuck?
Roman Hrybov, the Ukrainian sailor whose response to a Russian warship quickly became a symbol of the bloody conflict, has returned home and been awarded a medal for his service, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
Hrybov was part of a group of border guards stationed on Snake Island off the country’s southwestern coast that refused to surrender to approaching Russian forces on the first day of the invasion in late February.
“Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” Hrybov could be heard flatly telling the Russians in audio of the interaction released by the Ukrainian military.
The Killer Bees
The 40-mile Russian convoy was stopped by what were essentially Ukrainian drone hobbyists, although they had practice at combat in the initial Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine.
One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north.
But the convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks ground to a halt within days, and the offensive failed, in significant part because of a series of night ambushes carried out by a team of 30 Ukrainian special forces and drone operators on quad bikes, according to a Ukrainian commander.
The drone operators were drawn from an air reconnaissance unit, Aerorozvidka, which began eight years ago as a group of volunteer IT specialists and hobbyists designing their own machines and has evolved into an essential element in Ukraine’s successful David-and-Goliath resistance.
The problem is that they could not legally obtain either the drone parts they needed or the night goggles they used to confound the Russian attackers. Fortunately, supporters all around the world lended a helping hand, using everything from a Go Fund Me to eBay.
However, while Ukraine’s western backers have supplied thousands of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles and other military equipment, Aerorozvidka has been forced to resort to crowdfunding and a network of personal contacts in order to keep going, by getting hold of components such as advanced modems and thermal imaging cameras, in the face of export controls that prohibit them being sent to Ukraine.
Putting everything together turned the small group into a key unit that in all likelihood represents a core portion of the future in modern warfare.
The Ukrainian soldiers were equipped with night vision goggles, sniper rifles, remotely detonated mines, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and others capable of dropping small 1.5kg bombs.
“This one little unit in the night destroyed two or three vehicles at the head of this convoy, and after that it was stuck. They stayed there two more nights, and [destroyed] many vehicles,” Honchar said.
Honchar describes these technological battles, and Aerorozvidka’s way of fighting, as the future of warfare, in which swarms of small teams networked together by mutual trust and advanced communications can overwhelm a bigger and more heavily armed adversary.
“We are like a hive of bees,” he said. “One bee is nothing, but if you are faced with a thousand, it can defeat a big force. We are like bees, but we work at night.”
Full Story
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Invasions Have Consequences
Poor Vlad. He Doesn't Want to Be Mean. He Just Doesn't Know.
The US believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being "misinformed" by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on Russia's economy, a US official tells CNN.
"We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth," a US official said.
The official said the assessment is based on declassified US intelligence findings.
The official added that the US has information indicating that Putin has become aware of the misinformation, leading to a rift between Putin and his top defense officials.
“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military. There is now persistent tension between Putin and the (Ministry of Defence), stemming from Putin’s mistrust in MOD leadership," the US official said.
The official said Putin did not know his military was "using and losing conscripts in Ukraine, showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president."
Beware of Russians Bearing Gifts
Russian forces pounded areas around Ukraine’s capital and another city overnight, regional leaders said Wednesday, just hours after Moscow pledged to scale back military operations in those places. The shelling further tempered optimism about any progress in talks aimed at ending the punishing war.
They Want Two (One-Way) Tickets to Paradise... Or Anyplace Other than Russia
"How to leave Russia?" Google searches for this term in Russian hit a 10-year high inside the country within a week of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
From Moscow to the Siberian oil capital of Novosibirsk, and from the intellectual hub of St. Petersburg to the nuclear submarine base of Murmansk, Russians are searching for a way out in anticipation of a grim future in a country torn apart by isolation, censorship and belligerence.
Analysis of search data, immigration figures and flight information, as well as interviews with experts, activists and people inside the country, shed light on how people who can no longer live in Vladimir Putin's Russia are trying to flee amid the president's war in Ukraine and political crackdown at home.
Russians' interest in the topic of "emigration" on Google quadrupled between mid-February and early March. Searches around "travel visa" have almost doubled, and for a Russian equivalent of 'political asylum' they jumped more than five-fold.
Political persecution is only one of the reasons why some Russians are trying to escape. In addition, some families don't believe the situation inside the country will improve, they are concerned about the possible conscription of their sons into the army or they want a Western education for their children, according to Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at Carnegie Moscow Center.
One Problem With Sending the Russian Army into Battle. We Find Out It's a PaperTiger Bear.
Though the videos supposedly showing a glowing white streak tearing across the Ukrainian sky are apparently fake, it does seem that Russia has deployed some form of hypersonic missile in Ukraine. Two of them. Out of about 1,300 missiles launched into Ukraine. Those two may not actually be the tricky, defense-dodging Kh-47M2 Kinzhal that Russia first showed off in 2017, and are more likely the air-launched 9M723 Iskander-M first hinted at in 2009, but still—two real missiles.
Which sets them far above the rest of Russia’s “super weapons,” which are simply missing from the battlefields of Ukraine.
The MiG-29 that both Russia and Ukraine are flying is a third-generation air superiority fighter, designed in the 1970s. The MiG-29 was always an amazingly nimble plane in close combat, and the current version have been updated with all new electronics, and even more agile flight controls. It’s still more than capable of taking out relatively slow ground support aircraft like the Su-25 (which dates from 1975), and the Su-34 fighter / bomber. As a dedicated air-superiority fighter, whose primary task is taking out other planes, the updated MiG-29 can even give a good account of itself against the fourth-generation Su-27. (Note: Not all fourth-generation fighters are by any means equal—the U.S. F-15 has an air-to-air combat record of 104 kills to no losses.)
But Russia is supposed to have something much better—the Su-57 “Felon.” With stealth that’s supposed to equal the F-22 and maneuverability better than an F-35, the Su-57 was introduced back in 2010 and was intended to replace all those older Soviet-era planes in the Russian arsenal. It’s the first real “clean sheet” design since the end of the USSR, and a staple of defense contractors talking up Russia’s growing military power.
So why aren’t Su-57s ripping across the skies of Ukraine, unseen by radar, unbothered by aging air defenses, and dunking on those three-generations-behind MiG-29s? Well, that’s because original plans to buy hundreds of these planes got scaled back to just a few dozen. As of today, only 14 Su-57s have been built, and 10 of those are prototype aircraft used for testing. Russia has four (4) actual production planes. None of which it seems willing to risk over Ukraine.
There’s a similar story on the ground. The T-80U and T-90 series tanks may be frequently touted as “Russia’s most modern equipment,” but it’s not supposed to be that way. In 2010, Russia first showed off prototypes for the T-14 Armata tank, designed as a direct competitor to the U.S. M1 Abrams (which itself dates back to 1979). With a new gun that outclassed anything else on treads, a 2000hp engine, multiple missile launchers, and a sophisticated armor system that includes elements of stealth, the T-14 is a beast of a tank. Oh, and it’s also been designed with a more complex tread system and lighter frame that is supposed to, among other things, keep it from getting stuck in the mud.
In 2012, Russia announced that it had ordered 2,300 of the new tanks, which would roll onto the battlefield between 2015 and 2020. Seven more prototypes appeared in Russia’s annual Victory Parade in 2018 — though one of them had to be towed away after the fancy new suspension system either broke down or proved to be too difficult for the driver to operate.
So why aren’t these mechanized monsters out there terrorizing Ukrainian farmers? That’s because the real number of T-14 tanks delivered so far is … none. A 22 tank “pilot batch” is slated to come out before the end of the year, but don’t count on it. There have been continuous delays in development, and that was before sanctions cut off supplies to Russian manufacturers.
The truth about Russia’s superweapons is that they are super-rare. If Russia was able to take the field with the army it brags about—and the army that defense contractors in the U.S. count on to scare up more funding—things in Ukraine might be very different. In reality, developing sophisticated weapons systems takes time. The Joint Strike Fighter competition that led to the F-35 started in 1997. The plane wasn’t officially in service until 2015. Several U.S. weapons systems have faced infamous delays, and quite a few “next great things” have been cancelled before ever reaching service.
But in Russia’s case, their system is plagued by the same problem that has trucks breaking down and soldiers carrying antique rifles: Theft. The money being shoveled into development of new weapons has to make it through so many levels of kleptocracy, that it’s a wonder anything ever moves at all.
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This Sounds Like Something Out of a Dystopian Future
Dyson has taken its first step into wearable technology, with an eye-catching pair of over-ear headphones that come with an air-purifying mouth visor.
Best known for vacuum cleaners, Dyson has diversified in recent years with products such as fans and a hairdryer.
The headphones - dubbed Dyson Zone - are designed to tackle the growing issue of air pollution.
One reviewer said they would definitely "turn heads in the street".
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This is a Real BLACK Market
Russia's invasion of Ukraine made the country a pariah in the global energy market. Since the war started, a de facto embargo on Russian oil has emerged, with oil companies, trading houses, shippers and banks backing away, all at the same time.
Now, however, there are signs that Russian energy is drawing interest from potential buyers, at least in the shadows.
As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russian tankers carrying crude oil and petroleum products are increasingly disappearing from tracking systems.
So-called dark activity, where ships' transponders are turned off for hours at a time, has in the past been viewed by US officials as a deceptive shipping practice that is often used to evade sanctions.
Dark activity among Russian-affiliated crude oil tankers is up by 600% compared with before the war began, predictive intelligence company Windward, told CNN.
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Want to Get Elected? It's Simple. Say You Are in Favor Of These.
The latest release from the NBC News poll measured 15 different candidate issues or qualities as we look ahead to November’s midterm elections.
A candidate who supports funding the police: 75 percent more likely to vote, 11 percent less likely (+64).
A candidate who supports expanding oil and gas production: 69 percent more likely, 17 percent less likely (+52).
A candidate who supports bipartisan infrastructure law: 63 percent more likely, 13 percent less likely (+50).
A candidate who supports lowering health/drug costs: 62 percent more likely, 16 percent less likely (+46).
A candidate who supports Roe v. Wade decision: 56 percent more likely, 25 percent less likely (+31).
A candidate who wants to do more to support Ukraine: 50 percent more likely, 19 percent less likely (+31).
Then Don't Get Endorsed and Don't Say Any of These
A candidate endorsed by Bernie Sanders: 33 percent more likely, 39 percent less likely (-6).
A candidate endorsed by Joe Biden: 30 percent more likely, 42 percent less likely (-12).
A candidate endorsed by Donald Trump: 33 percent more likely, 47 percent less likely (-14).
A candidate endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 22 percent more likely, 39 percent less likely (-17).
A candidate endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene 7 percent more likely, 34 percent less likely (-27).
A candidate who says Trump won in 2020: 20 percent more likely, 54 percent less likely (-34).
A candidate who wants to overturn Roe v. Wade: 20 percent more likely, 58 percent less likely (-38).
A candidate endorsed by Mitch McConnell: 10 percent more likely, 48 percent less likely (-38).
A candidate who supports defunding the police: 17 percent more likely, 73 percent less likely (-56).
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They Let the Chowchilla Guy Out, But Kept Her In
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday blocked parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, reversing a panel’s recommendation that she be freed after spending a half-century in prison.
Van Houten, 72, “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time,” Newsom said in his parole review. It was the fifth time that a California governor has rejected her release.
Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, disputed that view and said the decision will be appealed in court. He accused Newsom of rejecting parole because he is worried about “his political future” and noted that Van Houten has a spotless prison disciplinary record.
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COVID Has Been Good for Some People
BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company that teamed with Pfizer to develop the first widely used COVID-19 vaccine, on Wednesday reported strong quarterly earnings growth on pandemic-fueled demand.
The company posted net profit of nearly 3.2 billion euros ($3.6 billion) for the final three months of 2021, up from 367 million euros in the same period the previous year. Earnings per share rose to 12.18 euros from 1.43 euros a year ago.
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At Least Some States Don't Hate Women
he Maryland General Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would expand access to abortion by ending a restriction that only physicians provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost.
The Senate gave the measure final passage on a 28-15 vote. That sends the measure to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose office did not immediately comment on his position on the bill. The governor has said he personally opposes abortion, though he has called the issue settled law in the state.
While the Senate would need 29 votes to override a veto, a Senate version of the bill passed with 30 votes Monday night, and several senators were excused Tuesday when the Senate passed the House bill.
Supporters say Maryland does not have enough abortion providers for the needs of the state. Sen. Delores Kelley, a Baltimore County Democrat who is sponsoring a Senate version of the bill, noted in earlier debate that many counties do not have a single provider.
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↓ 10.2% Cases, two-week change
↓ 40.5% Deaths, two-week change
983,495 Total confirmed deaths
New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Mar 29 | 25,218 | 644 |
| Mar 28 | 26,190 | 700 |
| Mar 27 | 26,487 | 690 |
| Mar 26 | 26,593 | 697 |
| Mar 25 | 26,874 | 705 |
| Mar 24 | 27,235 | 732 |
| Mar 23 | 27,134 | 753 |
| Mar 22 | 27,545 | 787 |
| Mar 21 | 28,657 | 861 |
| Mar 20 | 27,786 | 901 |
| Mar 19 | 27,747 | 909 |
| Mar 18 | 28,274 | 972 |
| Mar 17 | 29,317 | 1,035 |
| Mar 16 | 30,040 | 1,052 |
| Mar 15 | 30,934 | 1,107 |
| Mar 14 | 32,458 | 1,186 |
| Mar 13 | 34,113 | 1,187 |
| Mar 12 | 34,253 | 1,210 |
| Mar 11 | 34,805 | 1,198 |
| Mar 10 | 35,269 | 1,197 |
| Mar 9 | 37,146 | 1,179 |
| Mar 8 | 37,879 | 1,161 |
| Mar 7 | 40,433 | 1,208 |
| Mar 6 | 42,204 | 1,259 |
| Mar 5 | 43,665 | 1,281 |
| Mar 4 | 45,555 | 1,319 |
| Mar 3 | 49,888 | 1,413 |
| Mar 2 | 53,016 | 1,558 |
| Mar 1 | 56,253 | 1,674 |
| Feb 28 | 68,480 | 1,832 |
| Feb 27 | 62,556 | 1,686 |
| Feb 26 | 66,053 | 1,719 |
| Feb 25 | 69,203 | 1,751 |
| Feb 24 | 72,111 | 1,720 |
| Feb 23 | 75,208 | 1,674 |
| Feb 22 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | 78,306 | 1,872 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.9% | 65.5% | 44.8% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.7% | 69.6% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.5% | 73.9% | 46.4% |
| % of Population 18+ | 88.3% | 75.4% | 48.2% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 89.0% | 67.2% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 22)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
| Percent of Average for this Date | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 79% (62% of full season average) | 84% (61%) | 87% (60%) |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 69% (54%) | 74% (53%) | 76% (51%) |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 65% (51%) | 71% (51%) | 70% (48%) |
| Snow Water Content - North | 46% | 55% (52%) | 59% (53%) |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 55% | 59% (64%) | 58% (66%) |
| Snow Water Content - South | 52% | 60% (66%) | 54% (63%) |
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
How Do You Use Landmines, When You Are on the Offensive?
Russian forces fighting in Ukraine have used banned anti-personnel mines in the eastern Kharkiv region of the country, according to Human Rights Watch.
The international organization said that the anti-personnel mines were located by Ukrainian explosive ordnance disposal technicians on March 28.
“Russia is known to possess these newly deployed landmines, which can indiscriminately kill and maim people within an apparent 16-meter (52 feet) range,” HRW said, adding that Ukraine does not possess this type of landmine or its delivery system.
From Yale to Jail. Did She Get Bail?
A former Yale School of Medicine employee stole $40 million in computers and electronics from the school and sold the goods to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars, multiple properties and trips, prosecutors said.
Jamie Petrone, 42, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return on Monday in Hartford federal court in the case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced in a news release.
She allegedly ran a scheme for eight years starting in 2013, causing Yale to lose out on a total of $40,504,200, prosecutors said.
Petrone started work for Yale's medical school in the emergency medicine department in 2008, according to officials. She most recently served as the department's director of finance and administration.
Didn't Putin Deny Helping Trump Get Elected In 2016? Yet He Says "Again Help Our Partner".
Popov Isn't Just Popping Off
Back in 2021, during his TV show The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev, the host pined for the return of his favorite American president: “Things were so good under Trump... Listen to Trumpushka.” After playing a clip of Trump’s interview with Sean Hannity, wherein the former president dismissed the idea of helping Ukraine fight off Russian aggression, Soloviev sighed: “[He is] so sorely missed.” Between the war in Ukraine, which is likely to become a prolonged struggle, and the crushing U.S. sanctions, only one candidate shows the promise of potentially erasing the consequences of Russian aggression and dramatically limiting America’s support for Ukraine. Clutching to these prospects, the Kremlin’s mouthpieces are openly signaling Russia’s intent to involve themselves in yet another U.S. election.
Previous Guy Wants Vladimir the Terrible to Take Time Out From His Busy Schedule of Murdering Ukrainians.
Amid widespread criticism of his praise for Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump publicly called on the Russian leader Tuesday to release any dirt he may have on Hunter Biden.
Trump, in an interview with Just the News, seized on an unsubstantiated claim about Biden obtaining a hefty payment from Elena Baturina, the former wife of the late former mayor of Moscow, and asked Putin to provide details.
And Previous Guy Never Heard of Cell Phones or Hunter Biden.
John Bolton, the former national security adviser in the Trump administration, told CBS News on Tuesday that he had heard former President Donald Trump use the phrase "burner phones" in several discussions and the former president knew what it meant.
White House records obtained by CBS News and The Washington Post show Trump did not use his phone for over seven hours on January 6, 2021 during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the House select committee investigating the attack is looking into whether he used a "burner phone," or a personal disposable phone whose contacts could not be traced.
In response, the former president said he had never heard of the phrase "burner phone."
To Extend a Heartfelt Apology, You Have to Have a Heart
Infowars host Alex Jones offered to pay $120,000 per plaintiff to resolve a lawsuit by relatives of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims who said he defamed them by asserting the massacre never happened, according to court filings Tuesday. The offer was quickly rejected by the families.
A Connecticut judge found Jones liable for damages in November, and a trial is planned to determine how much he should pay the families.
The plaintiffs said they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers because of the hoax conspiracy promoted on his show.
The court filings posted online said: “Mr. Jones extends his heartfelt apology for any distress his remarks caused.”
Last week Jones defied a court order to attend a deposition near his home in Austin, Texas, to provide testimony ahead of the trial. Jones said he was ill. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday on a request by the plaintiffs to sanction Jones for not cooperating.
Lawyers for the families rejected the settlement offer within a few hours, saying in court filings that it was a “transparent and desperate attempt by Alex Jones to escape a public reckoning under oath with his deceitful, profit-driven campaign against the plaintiffs and the memory of their loved ones lost at Sandy Hook.”
Twenty first graders and six educators were killed in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the school sued Jones, Infowars and others in Connecticut over the hoax conspiracy. Jones has since said he believes the shooting did occur.
There's No Truth and Nothing Social About "Truth Social". And It's a Flop Based on a Lie. It's a Perfect Previous Guy Business Venture.
Donald Trump’s Truth Social app has plummeted in sign-ups and traffic since its technically challenged launch last month, The Wrap reported Tuesday.
The former president’s social media network for MAGA disciples has sunk to about 60,000 new users a week.
“This is down 93% from its launch week, when it saw 872,000 installs during the week of Feb. 21,” Stephanie Chan of the analytics site Sensor Tower told The Wrap. “We estimate that Truth Social has so far reached approximately 1.2 million installs since its launch.”
Truthsocial.com reportedly has fallen to 1.9 million weekly visits from a high of 6 million in the debut week for the Twitter-like platform, according to Similarweb stats cited by the news website.
Why Can't You Send a Fax During the Day and Attend An Orgy at Night?
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he’s going to talk with Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) about his recent claims that leaders he “looked up to” in Washington, D.C., had invited him to orgies and also did cocaine in front of him.
Since Cawthorn isn’t known for having any kind of friendship or connection with Democratic politicians, many people assumed he was referring to his fellow Republicans.
Not surprisingly, his claims of alleged congressional kink have aroused a lot of anger among his fellow GOPers, who made their feelings known to McCarthy during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, Politico reported.
Multiple lawmakers were angry at Cawthorn for painting his colleagues as what Politico described as “bacchanalian and sexual deviants.”
According to the report, Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack was frustrated that he is now being asked questions about participants in the alleged orgies and drug use.
“Womack remarked that many lawmakers go to bed at 9 p.m. and still use fax machines and flip phones, stating that it was inappropriate to paint them with a broad brush,”
(So Womack is saying only some of them attend orgies?)
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Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
A President Who Tells the Truth. Shocking!
Some Folks Want to Fight for the Good Guys
Ukrainian Independent Information Agency) reports that former Russian troops who have agreed to fight for Ukraine created the "Legion of Free Russia". They are undergoing training by the Ukrainian armed forces. Once training is complete they will take an oath and be deployed under the command of the Ukrainian army.
How Often Do You Get a Medal For a Good Fuck?
Roman Hrybov, the Ukrainian sailor whose response to a Russian warship quickly became a symbol of the bloody conflict, has returned home and been awarded a medal for his service, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
Hrybov was part of a group of border guards stationed on Snake Island off the country’s southwestern coast that refused to surrender to approaching Russian forces on the first day of the invasion in late February.
“Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” Hrybov could be heard flatly telling the Russians in audio of the interaction released by the Ukrainian military.
The Killer Bees
The 40-mile Russian convoy was stopped by what were essentially Ukrainian drone hobbyists, although they had practice at combat in the initial Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine.
One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north.
But the convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks ground to a halt within days, and the offensive failed, in significant part because of a series of night ambushes carried out by a team of 30 Ukrainian special forces and drone operators on quad bikes, according to a Ukrainian commander.
The drone operators were drawn from an air reconnaissance unit, Aerorozvidka, which began eight years ago as a group of volunteer IT specialists and hobbyists designing their own machines and has evolved into an essential element in Ukraine’s successful David-and-Goliath resistance.
The problem is that they could not legally obtain either the drone parts they needed or the night goggles they used to confound the Russian attackers. Fortunately, supporters all around the world lended a helping hand, using everything from a Go Fund Me to eBay.
However, while Ukraine’s western backers have supplied thousands of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles and other military equipment, Aerorozvidka has been forced to resort to crowdfunding and a network of personal contacts in order to keep going, by getting hold of components such as advanced modems and thermal imaging cameras, in the face of export controls that prohibit them being sent to Ukraine.
Putting everything together turned the small group into a key unit that in all likelihood represents a core portion of the future in modern warfare.
The Ukrainian soldiers were equipped with night vision goggles, sniper rifles, remotely detonated mines, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and others capable of dropping small 1.5kg bombs.
“This one little unit in the night destroyed two or three vehicles at the head of this convoy, and after that it was stuck. They stayed there two more nights, and [destroyed] many vehicles,” Honchar said.
Honchar describes these technological battles, and Aerorozvidka’s way of fighting, as the future of warfare, in which swarms of small teams networked together by mutual trust and advanced communications can overwhelm a bigger and more heavily armed adversary.
“We are like a hive of bees,” he said. “One bee is nothing, but if you are faced with a thousand, it can defeat a big force. We are like bees, but we work at night.”
Full Story
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Invasions Have Consequences
Poor Vlad. He Doesn't Want to Be Mean. He Just Doesn't Know.
The US believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being "misinformed" by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on Russia's economy, a US official tells CNN.
"We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth," a US official said.
The official said the assessment is based on declassified US intelligence findings.
The official added that the US has information indicating that Putin has become aware of the misinformation, leading to a rift between Putin and his top defense officials.
“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military. There is now persistent tension between Putin and the (Ministry of Defence), stemming from Putin’s mistrust in MOD leadership," the US official said.
The official said Putin did not know his military was "using and losing conscripts in Ukraine, showing a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president."
Beware of Russians Bearing Gifts
Russian forces pounded areas around Ukraine’s capital and another city overnight, regional leaders said Wednesday, just hours after Moscow pledged to scale back military operations in those places. The shelling further tempered optimism about any progress in talks aimed at ending the punishing war.
They Want Two (One-Way) Tickets to Paradise... Or Anyplace Other than Russia
"How to leave Russia?" Google searches for this term in Russian hit a 10-year high inside the country within a week of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
From Moscow to the Siberian oil capital of Novosibirsk, and from the intellectual hub of St. Petersburg to the nuclear submarine base of Murmansk, Russians are searching for a way out in anticipation of a grim future in a country torn apart by isolation, censorship and belligerence.
Analysis of search data, immigration figures and flight information, as well as interviews with experts, activists and people inside the country, shed light on how people who can no longer live in Vladimir Putin's Russia are trying to flee amid the president's war in Ukraine and political crackdown at home.
Russians' interest in the topic of "emigration" on Google quadrupled between mid-February and early March. Searches around "travel visa" have almost doubled, and for a Russian equivalent of 'political asylum' they jumped more than five-fold.
Political persecution is only one of the reasons why some Russians are trying to escape. In addition, some families don't believe the situation inside the country will improve, they are concerned about the possible conscription of their sons into the army or they want a Western education for their children, according to Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at Carnegie Moscow Center.
One Problem With Sending the Russian Army into Battle. We Find Out It's a Paper
Though the videos supposedly showing a glowing white streak tearing across the Ukrainian sky are apparently fake, it does seem that Russia has deployed some form of hypersonic missile in Ukraine. Two of them. Out of about 1,300 missiles launched into Ukraine. Those two may not actually be the tricky, defense-dodging Kh-47M2 Kinzhal that Russia first showed off in 2017, and are more likely the air-launched 9M723 Iskander-M first hinted at in 2009, but still—two real missiles.
Which sets them far above the rest of Russia’s “super weapons,” which are simply missing from the battlefields of Ukraine.
The MiG-29 that both Russia and Ukraine are flying is a third-generation air superiority fighter, designed in the 1970s. The MiG-29 was always an amazingly nimble plane in close combat, and the current version have been updated with all new electronics, and even more agile flight controls. It’s still more than capable of taking out relatively slow ground support aircraft like the Su-25 (which dates from 1975), and the Su-34 fighter / bomber. As a dedicated air-superiority fighter, whose primary task is taking out other planes, the updated MiG-29 can even give a good account of itself against the fourth-generation Su-27. (Note: Not all fourth-generation fighters are by any means equal—the U.S. F-15 has an air-to-air combat record of 104 kills to no losses.)
But Russia is supposed to have something much better—the Su-57 “Felon.” With stealth that’s supposed to equal the F-22 and maneuverability better than an F-35, the Su-57 was introduced back in 2010 and was intended to replace all those older Soviet-era planes in the Russian arsenal. It’s the first real “clean sheet” design since the end of the USSR, and a staple of defense contractors talking up Russia’s growing military power.
So why aren’t Su-57s ripping across the skies of Ukraine, unseen by radar, unbothered by aging air defenses, and dunking on those three-generations-behind MiG-29s? Well, that’s because original plans to buy hundreds of these planes got scaled back to just a few dozen. As of today, only 14 Su-57s have been built, and 10 of those are prototype aircraft used for testing. Russia has four (4) actual production planes. None of which it seems willing to risk over Ukraine.
There’s a similar story on the ground. The T-80U and T-90 series tanks may be frequently touted as “Russia’s most modern equipment,” but it’s not supposed to be that way. In 2010, Russia first showed off prototypes for the T-14 Armata tank, designed as a direct competitor to the U.S. M1 Abrams (which itself dates back to 1979). With a new gun that outclassed anything else on treads, a 2000hp engine, multiple missile launchers, and a sophisticated armor system that includes elements of stealth, the T-14 is a beast of a tank. Oh, and it’s also been designed with a more complex tread system and lighter frame that is supposed to, among other things, keep it from getting stuck in the mud.
In 2012, Russia announced that it had ordered 2,300 of the new tanks, which would roll onto the battlefield between 2015 and 2020. Seven more prototypes appeared in Russia’s annual Victory Parade in 2018 — though one of them had to be towed away after the fancy new suspension system either broke down or proved to be too difficult for the driver to operate.
So why aren’t these mechanized monsters out there terrorizing Ukrainian farmers? That’s because the real number of T-14 tanks delivered so far is … none. A 22 tank “pilot batch” is slated to come out before the end of the year, but don’t count on it. There have been continuous delays in development, and that was before sanctions cut off supplies to Russian manufacturers.
The truth about Russia’s superweapons is that they are super-rare. If Russia was able to take the field with the army it brags about—and the army that defense contractors in the U.S. count on to scare up more funding—things in Ukraine might be very different. In reality, developing sophisticated weapons systems takes time. The Joint Strike Fighter competition that led to the F-35 started in 1997. The plane wasn’t officially in service until 2015. Several U.S. weapons systems have faced infamous delays, and quite a few “next great things” have been cancelled before ever reaching service.
But in Russia’s case, their system is plagued by the same problem that has trucks breaking down and soldiers carrying antique rifles: Theft. The money being shoveled into development of new weapons has to make it through so many levels of kleptocracy, that it’s a wonder anything ever moves at all.
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This Sounds Like Something Out of a Dystopian Future
Dyson has taken its first step into wearable technology, with an eye-catching pair of over-ear headphones that come with an air-purifying mouth visor.
Best known for vacuum cleaners, Dyson has diversified in recent years with products such as fans and a hairdryer.
The headphones - dubbed Dyson Zone - are designed to tackle the growing issue of air pollution.
One reviewer said they would definitely "turn heads in the street".
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This is a Real BLACK Market
Russia's invasion of Ukraine made the country a pariah in the global energy market. Since the war started, a de facto embargo on Russian oil has emerged, with oil companies, trading houses, shippers and banks backing away, all at the same time.
Now, however, there are signs that Russian energy is drawing interest from potential buyers, at least in the shadows.
As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russian tankers carrying crude oil and petroleum products are increasingly disappearing from tracking systems.
So-called dark activity, where ships' transponders are turned off for hours at a time, has in the past been viewed by US officials as a deceptive shipping practice that is often used to evade sanctions.
Dark activity among Russian-affiliated crude oil tankers is up by 600% compared with before the war began, predictive intelligence company Windward, told CNN.
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Want to Get Elected? It's Simple. Say You Are in Favor Of These.
The latest release from the NBC News poll measured 15 different candidate issues or qualities as we look ahead to November’s midterm elections.
A candidate who supports funding the police: 75 percent more likely to vote, 11 percent less likely (+64).
A candidate who supports expanding oil and gas production: 69 percent more likely, 17 percent less likely (+52).
A candidate who supports bipartisan infrastructure law: 63 percent more likely, 13 percent less likely (+50).
A candidate who supports lowering health/drug costs: 62 percent more likely, 16 percent less likely (+46).
A candidate who supports Roe v. Wade decision: 56 percent more likely, 25 percent less likely (+31).
A candidate who wants to do more to support Ukraine: 50 percent more likely, 19 percent less likely (+31).
Then Don't Get Endorsed and Don't Say Any of These
A candidate endorsed by Bernie Sanders: 33 percent more likely, 39 percent less likely (-6).
A candidate endorsed by Joe Biden: 30 percent more likely, 42 percent less likely (-12).
A candidate endorsed by Donald Trump: 33 percent more likely, 47 percent less likely (-14).
A candidate endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: 22 percent more likely, 39 percent less likely (-17).
A candidate endorsed by Marjorie Taylor Greene 7 percent more likely, 34 percent less likely (-27).
A candidate who says Trump won in 2020: 20 percent more likely, 54 percent less likely (-34).
A candidate who wants to overturn Roe v. Wade: 20 percent more likely, 58 percent less likely (-38).
A candidate endorsed by Mitch McConnell: 10 percent more likely, 48 percent less likely (-38).
A candidate who supports defunding the police: 17 percent more likely, 73 percent less likely (-56).
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They Let the Chowchilla Guy Out, But Kept Her In
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday blocked parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, reversing a panel’s recommendation that she be freed after spending a half-century in prison.
Van Houten, 72, “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time,” Newsom said in his parole review. It was the fifth time that a California governor has rejected her release.
Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, disputed that view and said the decision will be appealed in court. He accused Newsom of rejecting parole because he is worried about “his political future” and noted that Van Houten has a spotless prison disciplinary record.
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COVID Has Been Good for Some People
BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company that teamed with Pfizer to develop the first widely used COVID-19 vaccine, on Wednesday reported strong quarterly earnings growth on pandemic-fueled demand.
The company posted net profit of nearly 3.2 billion euros ($3.6 billion) for the final three months of 2021, up from 367 million euros in the same period the previous year. Earnings per share rose to 12.18 euros from 1.43 euros a year ago.
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At Least Some States Don't Hate Women
he Maryland General Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would expand access to abortion by ending a restriction that only physicians provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost.
The Senate gave the measure final passage on a 28-15 vote. That sends the measure to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, whose office did not immediately comment on his position on the bill. The governor has said he personally opposes abortion, though he has called the issue settled law in the state.
While the Senate would need 29 votes to override a veto, a Senate version of the bill passed with 30 votes Monday night, and several senators were excused Tuesday when the Senate passed the House bill.
Supporters say Maryland does not have enough abortion providers for the needs of the state. Sen. Delores Kelley, a Baltimore County Democrat who is sponsoring a Senate version of the bill, noted in earlier debate that many counties do not have a single provider.
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