Home Blog Page 854

Trump administration reviews UK’s Biden-era submarine agreement with Australia

0



Washington
Reuters
–

US defense officials said US President Donald Trump has launched a formal review of former President Joe Biden’s Australia-UK defense agreement with the UK, allowing Australia to acquire nuclear submarines.

As tensions grow over China’s vast military accumulation, Australia, which believes submarines are important for their own defense, said it continues to be committed to the project and looks forward to working closely with the US in its review.

Not only will it raise alarms in Australia, this review could also throw a wrench in the UK’s defense plan. The hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Orcas is at the heart of the planned expansion of the British submarine fleet.

“We are reviewing Orcas as part of ensuring that this initiative from the previous administration coincides with the President’s first American agenda,” a US official said of the review first reported by the Financial Times.

“If necessary, changes to the administration’s approach to Ouchus will be notified through official channels.”

Orcas was formed in 2021 to address concerns about China’s growth potential.

Australia is expected to acquire up to five US Virginia class submarines starting in 2032. The UK and Australia will then design and build a new class of submarines with US support. The UK made its first delivery in the late 2030s and delivered to Australia in the early 2040s.

Prior to that, the US and the UK began advancing submarines from Australian Navy Base in Western Australia in 2027.

Voice skeptics among Trump’s senior policymakers include Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s top policy advisor. He warned last year that submarines are rare and important commodities and that the US industry cannot produce enough production to meet American demand.

The submarines will run from Japan to Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo, and will be the centre of US military strategy in conflict with China, which surrounds China’s coastal seas.

“My concern is why we are handing out this Crown Jewel property when we need it most,” Colby said last year.

Six countries operate nuclear submarines in the US, UK, Russia, China, France and India.

A spokesman for Australia’s Minister of Defense, Richard Marless, said the US has notified Australia and the UK of the review.

“Occas will grow both the US and Australian defence industry, and will generate thousands of new manufacturing jobs,” the spokesman said.

A spokesman for the UK government called Orcas, “one of the most strategically important partnerships of decades,” also creates “employment and economic growth for communities in all three countries.”

“I understand that the new administration would like to review such a major partnership approach, as did the UK last year,” the official said, adding that the UK “continue to work closely with the US and Australia … to maximize profits and opportunities.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but one official told Reuters that the Trump administration is “regularly reviewing foreign agreements to match the interests of the American people, particularly those launched under the failed Biden foreign policy agenda.”

Sen. Tim Kane, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Orcus was “crucial to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific,” and that the administration should work to strengthen that and the U.S. submarine industrial base.

“Everything will play directly into the hands of China,” said Kane, representing Virginia, where the US submarine was built.

Orcas is Australia’s largest defence project, with Canberra pledging to spend $368 billion ($240 billion) on the program over 30 years. This includes billions of dollars in investments in US production bases.

On Tuesday, the UK announced plans to invest billions of pounds to upgrade the submarine industry, including Barrow’s BAE Systems and Derby’s Rolls-Royce Submarines, to boost submarine production, as announced in the UK’s Strategic Defence Review. Based on this, we will build up a next-generation attack submarine of up to 12th century, a model aimed at jointly developing by the UK, the US and Australia under Orcas.

During U.S. Congress on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses said “We are having honest conversations with our allies,” adding in relation to Australia:

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull signed an earlier agreement to acquire French submarines that were shelved in Orcas’ favor, but last week said “Australia is likely to provide a large Western Australian base, not submarines at all.”

John Lee, an expert at Orcus, a think tank at Washington’s conservative Hudson Institute, said the Pentagon review is intended to determine whether they can afford to sell up to five submarines when they are not meeting their own production targets.

Kathryn Pike, a Biden White House official at the Washington Center for Strategic International Studies, said providing submarines to Australia would not cost the US preparations, but instead increase collective deterrence.

“This review definitely relates Canberra and London’s allies, and could question our credibility as allies and partners,” she said.



Source link

Vintage Pyrex is listed by thousands on eBay. This is why.

0


play

Pyrex cuisine, which became a staple food for mothers and grandmothers’ kitchens decades ago, is back.

Iconic yet durable tableware has become collectible similar to baseball cards and coins in recent years, and has appeared on third-party resale websites such as The Ghost of a Holiday Past.

“In our home, Pyrex was more than just a cookware. It was essentially part of the family,” Food and lifestyle blogger Bella Bucchiotti, Vlogger, told The Associated Press. “My mother’s rif-about treasure, especially her precious snowflake blue casserole dishes, always appearing on birthdays and holidays, each with its own backstory, and those colorful dishes still remind us of the laughter around the table.”

It’s not surprising that the beloved products will again become popular given their quality and retro look, but the prices of complex casserole dishes are certainly true.

“La Marjolaine” dishes, a pattern from Corningware’s 1970 Spice of Life collection, were listed on eBay for over $88,000 as of Wednesday, June 11th. The item is in the carts of four shoppers, and more than 200 people have expressed interest in vintage Pyrex Dish, according to a list reviewed by the US.

The design of “Life of Life” with “La Marjolaine” with “La Marjolaine” could have been the second-most produced Corningware pattern. According to the precious antique detectors, they are still one of the rarest and most valuable today.

“The ‘spice of life’ casserole is one of the few Corningwear patterns that will win four people’s numbers today,” reports the precious antique detector.

The prices for vintage Pyrex vary. Many sell for less than $100

It is unlikely that consumers will buy casserole plates and casserole dishes more than $1,000 from Corningware’s “Spice of Life” collection, but so does prices on other lists.

For example, “L’Echalote La Marjolaine,” a casserole dish with the design and inscription of another Corningware “Spice of Life.” teeth It is listed for $25,000. Or a 1958 $9,000 Corningware “Blue Cornflower” dish.

Corningware’s Pyrex Dishes price ranges from $10 to $80,000, at least on eBay.

While consumers may have nostalgia and the rarity of dishes in mind when viewing, they rarely buy more than a few hundred dollars in vintage Pyrex plates, sets, cups or lids.

This story has been updated to correct inaccuracy.



Source link

The Trump administration proposes reducing power plant pollution restrictions

0


play

The Environmental Protection Agency announced two major proposals on Wednesday to undermine pollution standards at fossil fuel power plants as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to restore coal.

The proposal includes abolishing all greenhouse gas standards and another to roll back Biden-era restrictions on mercury and soot from the country’s dirtyest coal plants. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change, and mercury toxins can cause brain damage.

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin justified the move by attending a press conference with Republican lawmakers and several members of Navajo Nation’s Buu Nygren, citing the country’s ambitions for energy control and rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers.

“Data centers that support AI alone will consume 10% of the US energy supply within 10 years,” Zeldin said. “Right now it’s about 3-4% of the US electricity demand.”

He also said the administration is removing these Obama-Biden-era rules and directly attacking central parts of the Biden administration’s climate policy, including stricter pollution restrictions on mercury and particulate matter pollution, and easing fossil fuel power plants from the burden of regulation.

The public comment period follows the proposed repeal, followed by the EPA will then modify the rules and finalize it. However, legal challenges can complicate the process.

Critics of the Trump administration’s energy policy say they are worried because they don’t take into account the health impact on communities, low-income families living near power plants.

The move also comes as decades of progress to clean the air is frequently faced with threats from desolate wildfire cities and towns.

“Rolling back this life-saving renewal is a serious mistake that exposes people to toxic contamination that has been proven to harm brain development, cause asthma attacks, and cause cancer and premature death,” said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, in a statement.

EPA data shows that the power plant is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after vehicle exhaust. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, the power plant released around 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023. The agency did not release a full count of all emissions for 2023. However, data for 2022 shows that the electricity sector made up a quarter of US emissions that year.

“The government, which acted in good faith to address the challenges of climate change, told USA Today via email to Joseph Goffman, a former assistant manager at the EPA office that oversees air pollution regulations.

“But this administration is not a sincere actor and certainly not acting to protect Americans,” Goffman said.

USA Today previously reported that President Donald Trump granted exemptions to more than 60 power plants.

Under the proposal made on June 11th, plants are not required to comply with the Biden Update’s pollution restrictions. Zeldin noted that effective mercury contamination restrictions remained after 2012.

EPA regulations have seen a decline in power plants over the past decade. But experts say the administration’s moves could put that progress at risk.

During Trump’s inauguration, the president declared a national energy emergency and signed an executive order in the second half of April to boost the coal industry amid rising power demand for artificial intelligence data centers.

Revival efforts are being made as fossil fuels, especially coal, are phased out due to their ability to reduce costs and harmful emissions of renewable energy.

Find the coal plant closest to below. The size of a circle represents the amount of carbon emissions.

A recent report from the International Energy Agency predicts that “power demand from data centers around the world will be doubled by 2030.” Artificial intelligence will become the most important driver, the report says.

In May, the Department of Energy ordered two fossil fuel plants to remain operational until summer, despite previous plans last month.

JH Campbell, a Michigan coal-fired power plant, was scheduled to retire in May. Pennsylvania’s Eddystone Power Plant had planned to close its gas units in May.

The Department of Energy order requires operators to “run for 90 days to minimize the risk of generation shortages.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a report that the country’s electricity prices in 2024 were cheaper and less volatile than before.

Greenhouse gas restrictions and the repeal of the updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standard and the updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standard can save $1.2 billion and $120 million in regulatory costs, respectively, according to the EPA.

“American families will pay for these rollbacks on emergency room visits, higher healthcare bills that missed workdays and missed school day,” said Michelle Ruth, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, a group of former EPA staffers.

“The only people who benefit from these rollbacks are the biggest emitters of toxic contamination who don’t want to install clean technology,” Ruth said.



Source link

RFK Jr. brings eight members to the vaccine panel

0



Vaccine experts warn that Kennedy’s sudden move could cause public distrust about the government’s role in promoting public health.

play

Two days after firing all 17 members of the committee that advises the federal government on vaccine safety, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members, including doctors who were criticized for spreading Covid-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Vaccine experts warned on June 9 that Kennedy would create a sudden termination of the entire committee to create public distrust about the government’s role in promoting public health. The new list of members includes scientists, public health experts and doctors.

“All these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, the science of gold standards, and common sense,” Kennedy wrote in a June 11th X post.

The Vaccination Practice Advisory Committee makes recommendations regarding the safety, efficacy and clinical need of vaccines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It consists of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations for vaccine use in the US civilian population.

“The committee will also consider the safety and efficacy data of the current schedule,” said Kennedy, who has a history of controversial views on vaccines.

Dr. Paul A. Offit, director of the Center for Vaccine Education at the Children’s Hospital of Children’s Hospital and a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, previously told USA Today that Kennedy has reviewed the committee to “fix a non-existent issue.”

Selecting committee members generally involves a 3-4 month review process by the CDC. “We’re likely going to choose like-minded people and I think it will shake up confidence in this committee,” Offit said.

Kennedy’s pick list includes widely respected experts, including Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Tufts Children’s Hospital.

However, it also includes prominent figures who criticized the vaccine.

One of them, Dr. Robert Malone, is a virologist and vaccine skeptic who became famous during the Covid-19 pandemic for spreading misinformation about the virus on conservative shows and podcasts. His appearance in the “Joe Rogan Experience” prompted a public turmoil against Spotify after Malone promoted false and misleading conspiracy theories about vaccines and evoked Nazi Germany. Physicians and biochemists have falsely argued that the spike proteins in the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine cause permanent damage to important organs in children.

ACIP’s Kennedy pick also includes Vicky Pebsworth.

Retsef Levi, professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan Management School of School, was also selected to serve on the Federal Advisory Board. In 2023, he posted a video about X criticizing the Covid-19 vaccine. The post is pinned to his profile.

“There is growing evidence that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm, including death, especially among young people,” he said. “We have to stop giving them straight away!”

Another of Kennedy’s ACIP picks, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, wrote Apaper in March calling for the “Covid Commission,” published in the Journal of the Academy of Public Health, and a “Covid Commission,” which examines the handling of the National Institutes of Health during the pandemic.

Other appointees are:

Dr. Joseph R. Hibel, Psychiatrist and neuroscientist with careers in clinical research, public health policy and federal services.

Dr. James Pagano, an emergency medical doctor.

Michael A. Ross, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University.



Source link

Costco executive members get early shopping time

0


play

Costco has announced the rollout of new perks for executive members. This is expected to come into effect at the end of the month.

The Retail Warehouse Giant told members via email on June 11, confirming that the location will be open exclusively for high-level members starting June 30th at 9am.

The company also said the warehouse will be open for extra hours on Saturday for all members and will close at 7pm.

Costco has revealed that executive members will receive a $10 credit per month for $150 orders through the company’s “same-day” service or Instacart.

When contacted by USA Today on June 11, the company did not offer further comment on the new benefits.

Costco’s Early Executive Membership Shopping Time

  • Monday – Friday: 9am to 10am
  • Saturday: 9am to 9:30am
  • Sunday: 9am to 10am

Benefits of Costco Executive Membership

Costco executive members will already receive the benefits of Gold Star membership, including warehouse access, Costco fuel access and free household cards.

Executive members also receive a 2% annual compensation for eligible purchases and receive a discount on Costco services.

Membership is $130 per year.



Source link

The execution of “malicious” murderers blocked under Biden is moving forward

0



Oklahoma had planned to execute John Hanson on December 15, 2002, but the Biden administration blocked the transfer from federal custody to the state. Now it’s back into a busy year for execution.

play

The Oklahoma death row inmate whose execution was blocked by President Joe Biden’s administration is scheduled to die Thursday just to get a green light under President Donald Trump.

John Hanson, 61, is scheduled to be executed by a fatal injection for killing 77-year-old Mary Agnes Bowles on August 3, 1999, after he and another man carjacked her from the mall.

“I can’t change the past,” Hanson said at a recent generous board hearing in search of mercy. “I’ll do that if possible.”

Hanson’s execution comes the same week that he won his stay from the judge, but only is it taken away by the High Court. If the execution goes on schedule, it will be the third of four runs this week alone in the US on the 23rd this year.

Here’s what you need to know about the execution, including why Hanson’s fate changed after Trump took office for the second time.

When is it done?

Hanson is scheduled to be executed at Oklahoma State Prison in McAlester at 10am on Thursday, June 12th. This year marks the second execution in Oklahoma.

Oklahoman – Nolan Clay, a reporter for part of the USA Today Network, is set to be one of the witnesses to the execution.

Why was John Hanson convicted?

On August 31, 1999, Mary Bowles was at the Promenade Mall in Tulsa, and became one of her favorite frequent walks for exercise.

When she returned to her car, John Hanson and Victor Miller pulled their guns and then carjacked the bowl to lure them. According to court records, they took her to an isolated area near a dirt hole.

Gerald Thurman, the owner of the pit, was there and saw the car circling before it approached him. Miller shot Thurman four times, including one, as Bowles sat helplessly behind the car, court records say.

Miller drove a little further apart and Bowles asked the man. “Is there anyone who loves you or any of you?” court records show that Hanson urged her to punch her. Shortly afterwards, Miller stopped the car, and Hanson kicked out Bowles and shot her at least six times, court records say.

Thurman’s nephew, who was making a call just before the attack, discovers that his injured uncle is still alive shortly after the shooting. Thurman passed away two weeks later.

Bowles’s severely “substantially disassembled” body was found on September 7, 1999 more than a week later, court records say.

Hanson and Miller continued what prosecutors called “armed ferony binge,” robbing the video store and bank at muzzle for five days, and Miller’s wife turned the man following the argument. They were captured two days after Bowles’ body was found.

Miller was sentenced to life in prison, while Hanson was sentenced to death. According to court records, Miller later boasted that he was the one who shot the bowl. That all goes beyond the “disquiet miscarriage of justice,” says Hanson’s lawyer.

Hanson explained his actions during a recent generous hearing, explaining that Miller is promoting violence.

“I was caught up in a situation that I couldn’t control,” he said. “Things were happening so fast. The spurt of that moment, my lack of determinism and fear made me wrong and both lost my lives.”

Who was Mary Bowles? “kind person”

Mary Bowles’ funeral turnout showed just how much love the enthusiastic volunteers are in the community.

Hundreds of family, friends and fellow volunteers packed up funerals to share memories of the 77-year-old, according to archived stories from the world of Tulsa.

Among the many volunteer organizations at Bowles was a local hospital where she recorded more than 11,000 hours in the newborn unit for a critical newborn, reported in 1999.

“She was a very kind person,” hospital director Beverly Farrell told Oklahoman. “I can’t imagine her offering resistance to anyone. She would have given up on the car. I don’t know who could be violent towards her.”

Bowles was not married and had no children, but she treated her nephew and nie as if it were hers, but friends and family told the media at the time.

“She had to be the greatest aunt in the world,” Farrell said.

Bowles was also passionate about music and travel. According to Oklahoman, she majored in music education at Oklahoma A&M and performed at Tulsa Phil Harmony for three seasons. Bowles once rode a hot balloon over Lake Tahoe to enjoy cross-country skiing in the winter, Nie’s Linda Bearrendo told the world of Tulsa.

Farrell said the Bowles murder was devastating for the hospital and the community.

What does President Donald Trump have to do with this execution?

Hanson was imprisoned in Louisiana and was sentenced to life in prison for bank robberies and other federal crimes when Oklahoma scheduled the execution of Bowles’ murder.

Hanson’s execution was set for December 15, 2022, but the Biden administration blocked a transfer from Louisiana’s federal custody to Oklahoma. The move coincides with Biden’s opposition to the death penalty, coming several years before Biden handed down the death penalty sentences except three federal death row inmates just before he took office in December.

In Trump’s first month this year, he signed an executive order to restore federal execution, calling the death penalty “an essential tool for stopping and punishing those who commit the most heinous crimes.”

Three days later, Oklahoma Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond asked the U.S. Department of Justice to move Hanson to the state. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy ordered the Federal Prisons Bureau to move Hanson from Louisiana and arrived in Oklahoma in March.

“The wait for justice has been long and frustrating for Mary Bowles’ family and friends,” Drummond said in a news release shortly after Hanson’s transfer. “The Biden administration inexplicably protected this vicious killer from the execution chamber, but President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are grateful that they recognize the importance of the killer returning to Oklahoma to serve justice.”

John Hanson won his stay from the judge this week

Hanson’s execution was questionable after an Oklahoma judge granted him a stay Monday. The stay comes from the argument that it is biased to deny one of three members of the Oklahoma pardon and parole committee to denial him. (The board of directors voted 3-2.)

Hanson said when Hanson replied in 2006, board member Sean Malloy was a Tulsa County prosecutor and should not have been allowed to consider his generous petition. Malloy said he never worked in Hanson’s case.

Oklahoma County District Judge Richard Ogden ordered an enforcement stay awaiting Hanson’s case against the board of directors over Malloy’s participation. Drummond immediately appealed the sentence, and on Wednesday, the Oklahoma Criminal Appeal Court overturned it and continued the execution.

Hanson’s lawyer Emma Rawls said in a statement that the Court of Appeal’s ruling “leaves an imminent risk that Hanson will be executed without constitutional safeguards that are entitled under the law.”

“People facing executions don’t need to sue mercy in front of decision makers who have a direct connection to their prosecution,” Rawls said. “We are pursuing all available paths to ensure that Hanson receives a fair process before this irreversible punishment occurs.”

Contributions: Nolan Clay, Oklahoman

Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter at USA Today. Follow her on x at @amandaleusat.



Source link

Restless leg syndrome: Neurological disorders characterized by the need to move

0


Sign up for CNN sleep, but a better newsletter series. Our 7-part guide offers useful tips for achieving a better sleep.

Karla Dzienkowski’s daughter was 11 years old when she began to come to her mother’s room, saying that she couldn’t fall asleep due to a stab wound in her leg. She had to walk to stop it.

The preteen was gross and tired. Her grades began to slip and during her family trip she fell asleep on the bench, Dienkowski said.

It took three years, but Dzienkowski’s family finally explained to her girl’s condition, restless leg syndrome.

One study estimates that between 4% and 29% of adults in the western developed world have restless leg syndrome. That is the condition that there are too few people who can recognize themselves, and many doctors don’t know how to properly manage them, said Dzienkowski, executive director of the Restless Legh Syndrome Foundation.

This is something experts want you to know about restless foot syndrome.

“Restless leg syndrome is a neuropathy characterized by the need for movements that are often associated with discomfort,” said Dr. John Winkelman, PhD, who is the chief of the clinical research program at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical University.

Unpleasant emotions are described as raw, painful, tingling, or throbbing, but often in the legs and sometimes in the arms, he added.

Restlessness often occurs when people with a state are sitting or lying down, which is reassuring in movement, Winkelman said.

Symptoms are most likely to occur at night when a person is resting, and it is classified as a sleep disorder because the syndrome interferes with sleep, Winkelman said.

In moderate to severe cases, people experience restless leg syndrome several times a week, and in the most extreme cases, symptoms can slow down sleep for several hours, said Dr. Brian Coo, an associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine and director of Yale Center for The Restless Legs syndrome.

Two powerful ingredients play the role of who suffers from restless leg syndrome. It’s at the level of genetics and iron.

Restless leg syndrome often runs in families, and genetic markers account for about 20% of predictions of who will get it, Winkelmann said.

People with iron deficiency are more likely to develop restless leg syndrome, such as those who are pregnant, dialysis, menstruation, anemia, or vegetarian, Winkelman said.

Patients using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants may also be vulnerable to restless leg syndrome, he added.

This condition is twice as common in men and is much more common as people age, Winkelman said.

However, as Dzienkowski has learned, children can also have restless foot syndrome.

A good first step to treat restless foot syndrome is to see what worsens the condition, Winkelmann said.

Alcohol, other drugs, and simple sugars can contribute to symptoms, Koo said.

Oral iron supplements and intravenous iron infusions can be useful if iron is low or the boundary line is low, Winkelmann added.

Dzienkowski also recommends having a “sack of tricks” to manage symptoms such as hot or cold packs, massages, walks, or mind-stimulating activities.

“If for some reason… you’re engaging your heart, it helps keep your symptoms at bay,” she said.

There are some medications that can be useful when your lifestyle changes and iron supplementation does not work.

Many doctors start with a class of drugs called Alpha2-Delta ligands, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, Koo said.

For a long time, dopamine agonists have been the first strain of drugs. But Winkelmann added that they are now rarely prescribed because they can worsen restless foot syndrome over time.

The drug in the most severe cases is a low-dose, long-acting opioid drug, Koo said.

If you feel uncomfortable, motivate your legs to move at rest – especially if you do so, talk to your doctor, Dzienkowski said.

Not all medical professionals are familiar with restless leg syndrome, so seeking a referral to a sleep expert might be helpful, she said. You will also need to do lab work, especially iron panels with ferritin, blood tests to see how much iron is available for your body and how much it is available for use, Dzienkowski said.

“The more you do it, the more you delay your diagnosis and treatment, so it can be harmful to your life,” she said. “You don’t realize you’re at work or feel bad, you don’t want to leave or do things you don’t want to do.





Source link

“Dragon Prince” dinosaur redraws the family tree of Tyrannosaurus

0


Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory Science Newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more.



CNN
–

Scientists have identified dinosaur species that were unknown before closing the early gaps in the Tyrannosaurus fossil record, revealing how they evolved to become large-scale apex predators.

Researchers analyzing the species were named Cankful Mongoliensis, translated into “The Mongolian Dragon Prince.” Because it is smaller than much larger relatives such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which means “Tyrant Lizard King.” The newly identified dinosaur is the closest known ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus, and perhaps it may have served as a transitional species of early Tyrannosauroid species, according to findings published Wednesday in Nature Journal.

Based on a reexamination of two partial skeletal structures discovered in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia in 1972 and 1973, new research suggests that three major migrations between Asia and North America diversified tyrannosauroids in the late Cretaceous before their extinction 660,000 years ago, and ultimately reached Cretaceous Gargantoansize.

“This discovery of Cancful Darla Zelenitsky, an associate professor at the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment at the University of Calgary, has had a lot of confusion about who was involved when he came to Tyrannosaurus. What began as a discovery of a new species led to a rewrite of the family history of the Tyrannosaurus. ”

Khankhuuluu Fossils are placed in illustrations of dinosaur skulls.

Scientifically known as the Utyrannosaurus, Tyrannosaurus reminds us of giant dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Turbosaurus.

With their arms and huge heads, they boasted sharp teeth walking on two legs, Zelenitsky said.

But Tyrannosaurs didn’t begin that way. They evolved from small dinosaurs before they ruled North American and Asian landscapes 85 to 66 million years ago, researchers said.

T. Rex’s ancestor, Tarbosaurus, was recorded between 3,000 and 6,000 kilograms (6,613 pounds and 13,227 pounds), while the fleet-footed Khankhuulu Mongoliensis weighed only about 750 kilograms (1,653 pounds). According to the research authors.

A giant turbosaurus skeleton is on display.

I think comparing two dinosaurs is like placing a horse next to an elephant. Cankfulu had reached height on T. rex’s thighs, Zelenitsky said.

“Cankfru was mostly a tyrannosaurus, but it wasn’t perfect,” Zelenitsky said. “The nose bones were not solid, but hollows, and the bones around the eyes didn’t have all the horns and bumps found in T. Rex and other tyrannosaurus.”

Khankhuulu Mongoliensis, or a closely related ancestor species, likely migrated from Asia to North America 85 million years ago, across the overpass between Alaska and Siberia that connect the continents.

Because of this immigrant species, we now know that Tyrannosaurus actually first evolved on the North American continent and remained there exclusively for millions of years to come, she said. “As many tyrannosaurus species evolved on the continent, they became bigger.”

She added that it is unclear what happened in Asia between 80 and 85 million years ago due to poor fossil records. Some Cankful may have remained in Asia, but it is possible that it was replaced by a massive tyrannosaurus 79 million years ago.

Meanwhile, another Tyrannosaurus species returned to Asia 78 million years ago, over the overpass, resulting in two related but very different subgroups of tyrannosaurus evolved, Zelenitsky said. One was a huge, deepened species, and the other was a species known as aryolamine. These small dinosaurs are called “Pinocchiorex” because of their long, shallow nose.

Both types of tyrannosaurus can live in Asia, as the larger dinosaurs are the best predators, and they did not compete with each other, but Ariolamin chasing smaller prey.

Ariolamas was a small Mongol tyrannosaurus, but one day

“Their small size meant that Ariolamin was long thought to be a primitive tyrannosaurus, but we have “small down” our bodies within a part of the Tyrannosaurus family tree, which was otherwise a giant, indicating a new, small nature that Ariolamin evolved naturally,” Zelenitsky said.

Another migration occurred as the Tyrannosaurus continued to evolve, and 68 million years ago, the giant Tyrannosaurus species returned to North America and then to Tyrannosaurus Rex, Zelenitsky said.

“The success and diversity of Tyrannosaurs is thanks to several migrations between the two continents starting with Khankhuuluu,” she said. “The Tyrannosaurs were in the right place at the right time. They took advantage of traveling between continents, possibly encountering open niche spaces, and quickly evolved into a large, efficient killing machine.”

The new findings support previous research suggesting that Tyrannosaurus Rex’s direct ancestors originated from Asia and migrated to North America via land bridges, highlighting the importance of Asia in the evolutionary success of the Tyrannosaurus family, said Cassius Morrison, a doctoral student in paleontology at the University of London. Morrison was not involved in the new research.

“The new species provide essential data and information for some of the family trees with most species, and helps us understand the evolutionary transition of tyrannosaurus from small/medium predators to large apex predators,” Morrison wrote in an email.

Jared Volis, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Calgary, can be seen studying Tyrannosaurus rex fossils as the specimen assembled behind him approaches.

The study also shows that the Alioramini group, once considered a distant relative, was a very close cousin of T. Rex.

Steve Bursatte, professor and personal chair of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh, describes new fossils as a very important age. Brusatte was not involved in the new research.

“There are so few fossils from this point onwards, so these scientists describe it as “muddy,” Brusatte said. “It was an annoying gap in the records, as if something really important happened in the history of a family, like a marriage that began to immigrate to a new country, but there was no record to document it.

As fossil fragments are only available, it has been difficult to understand the variations of tyrannosaurus as tyrannosaurus evolved, said Thomas Kerr, an associate professor of biology at the University of Carthage in Wisconsin and director of the Institute of Paleontology in Carthage. Kerr was not involved in the new research. But new research shed light on dinosaur diversity, clarifying when it existed and how they overlapped with each other, he said.

While more samples become clearer from the fossil record, the new work demonstrates the importance of reexamining previously collected fossils.

Voris (left) and Darla Zelenitsky are studying the evolution of Tyrannosaurs.

“We know more about Tyrannosaurus now,” Kerr said. “Many of these historical specimens are worth the weight of gold in their second view.”

When the fossils were collected half a century ago, they were briefly explained at the time, Brusatte said.

“Many of us in the paleontological community knew that these Mongol fossils were hiding in the drawers of the museum, waiting to properly study, and tended to convey a unique and important part of the Tyrannosaurus story,” he said. “This appears to have been a non-disclosure agreement surrounding these fossils, and now it’s expired and they can come out and tell the story.”



Source link

Social Security Cola could be 2.5% in 2026, but tariffs could lift it

0


play

New estimates show that Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustments could be 2.5% in 2026, based on the latest inflation data.

That’s up from last month’s estimate of 2.4%, says Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst who uses monthly inflation data to predict 2026 COLA. The 2.5% increase is the same profit as the beneficiaries received this year, but there is still time for the 2026 estimate to increase as the full impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs is still unknown.

“This estimate could rise with four more months of data still in place before 2026 Coke is released in October,” Johnson said.

What does customs have to do with Coke?

Inflation in May remained tamed, but most economists predict that Trump’s tariffs will raise inflation, which will boost Coke.

“There is little evidence of tariffs for another month, but the long-term inflation challenges they raise remain,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Ken Kim, senior economist at KPMG, believes that inflation is peaking at over 4% per year in the fall.

This is sharply higher than the annual increase in the consumer price index in May of 2.4%. This is a measure of the average change in product and service costs.

How much does a 2.5% cola increase the amount in dollars?

The monthly average social security check could reach record highs of 1,948.17. Based on that, a 2.5% increase will increase your monthly profit by about $40.70.

Approximately 75 million Americans, or about a fifth of the population, receive Social Security benefits.

What is Cola?

Coke is an annual adjustment to profits aimed at ensuring that the purchasing power of beneficiaries is not eroded by inflation. The final COLA for the following year is usually announced by the Social Security Agency in October.

How is cola calculated?

Cola is based on the rate of increase in the consumer price index for urban wage workers and administrative workers from July to September last year compared to the same three months this year. CPI-W tracks overall inflation rates, but may vary slightly.

In May, the annual CPI-W rose 2.2% compared to a 2.4% increase in overall consumer prices.

Medora Lee is a money, market and personal finance reporter for USA Today. You can contact her at mjlee@usatoday.com and subscribe to our free daily money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday to Friday morning.



Source link

Is Musk now supporting the “big beautiful bill”? What we know

0


play

  • The public feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump appears to have subsided after Musk said he regrets some of his posts about Trump.
  • Musk’s apology post followed his “Bill the Bill the Bill” campaign against Trump’s tax and domestic policy bills.
  • Musk said some posts “go too far,” but he “has not publicly changed his attitude towards the bill that he called nasty hatred.”

Elon Muskv. The Donald Trump feud seems to be just as fast as it began.

Shortly after Musk left his official role at the White House at the end of May, he launched a full “Bill the Bill” campaign against Trump’s massive tax and domestic policy bill. The difference with Trump signaled his support for Trump’s bounce-each, accusing him of being involved in the now-deleted X post of sex traffic Jeffrey Epstein of his late child.

During the round-trip, Trump said Musk had asked him to leave the White House, suggesting that the federal government might end his contract with Musk.

However, on June 11th, Musk posted to X. “I regret some of my posts about President @RealdonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”

But with this in mind, it all started with a key Trump law called “the big beautiful bill” by supporters, is he still opposed to it? Here’s what we know:

Does Elon Musk support the “big beautiful bill”?

He has not yet changed the bill’s songs publicly at least.

Musk began to oppose the law because he says it’s called “nasty hatred.” Musk removed some of his more inflammatory posts about Trump, but as of the afternoon of June 11th, some posts about killing the bill are still alive.

“And the big, ugly spending bill would make things even worse,” Musk said in a June 5 post. Images from the “Kilville” movie have still been posted on Mask’s profile since June 4th.

More recently, however, Musk has posted about Tesla’s Lobotakshi, expressing his support for Trump deploying the National Guard to counter the protests that erupted in response to the administration’s ice attack.

USA Today has contacted Tesla about Musk’s current stance on the bill.

What did Trump say about Mask’s apology?

Trump appears to be ready to put the spat behind him.

“Look, I don’t have any difficult feelings,” Trump told New York postcolumnist Miranda Devine. “I was really surprised that it happened. He chased the incredible bill. …I think he feels very badly that he actually said it.”

He also said that although he may be able to return to his regular relationship with Musk, he was focused on the country’s operations.

Trump told the New York Post that Musk posted on June 11, “It’s so lovely.”

Contributors: Joey Garrison, Erin Mansfield, Swapna Benugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today

Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA Today Network. Contact her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and Tiktok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.



Source link

RFK launches vaccine panels and makes social media controversy acute

0


play

A day after abruptly firing the entire committee advising the federal government on vaccine safety, health and human services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he said he would reconstruct it as “highly qualified doctors and scientists” amid backlash from detractors about the end.

In a long post from X on June 10, Kennedy criticized the process of the Vaccination Practices Advisory Committee recommending a new vaccine, implying that “appropriate safety tests” were not being conducted before recommending a new vaccine to children.

Kennedy, who has a long record promoting anti-vaccine views, said there will be no “ideological anti-vaxaxers” on the new advisory committee for vaccination practices, but the committee will apply “evidence-based decisions with objectivity and common sense.”

“The most outrageous example of ACIP’s malicious misconduct was the stubborn unwillingness to require proper safety testing before recommending new vaccines to children,” he writes.

Kennedy said compliant American children received current shots from concepts up to age 18 compared to 1986, but none of them required a placebo-controlled trial. It was the year when the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established and a federal program was established for vaccine manufacturers to protect against liability and to compensate individuals injured by a particular vaccine.

“This means we can’t scientifically confirm whether these products are avoiding more issues than they are causing,” he writes.

A placebo-controlled study is a type of clinical trial in which one group of participants receives active treatment and another receives an inactive substance, which helps researchers determine whether active treatment is truly effective.

However, conducting placebo-controlled studies on vaccines, which are improvements to existing vaccines, poses ethical and practical challenges, vaccine experts say.

“If a vaccine for serious illnesses (measles, polio, etc.) is already present and proven effective, and participants could be given a placebo in place of the vaccine, wrote in a June 9 post on X, former US surgeon general Jerome Adams, under President Trump’s first term.

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Center for Vaccine Education at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, said the new vaccines are constantly undergoing placebo-controlled studies.

However, Kennedy’s definition of placebo differs from the FDA’s definition, Offitt said.

Kennedy has tried to narrowly define a placebo as salt water, Offitt said, but the FDA defines it as an “inactive substance.”

“Placebos may contain sodium sulfate or potassium sulfate or sucrose, or they may contain emulsifiers, all of which are generally considered safe,” Offit said. “He doesn’t consider them safe.”

HHS did not respond to USA Today for comment on how Kennedy’s definition differs from the FDA’s definition.

Offit said Kennedy is a long-standing lawyer suing drug companies, saying, “His job is ultimately to scare people about vaccines, and he can bring them back to court and sue the company.”

Meanwhile, in an announcement of the removal of 17 members of the ACIP Committee, Kennedy said the purpose was to isolate the committee from a “conflict of interest.”



Source link

HHS will revive more than 450 CDC employees who were fired in April.

0


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reviving more than 450 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees who were fired in April as part of a major restructuring, including workers focused on HIV and childhood lead exposure.

A spokesperson for the HHS confirmed that the shooting was cancelled with the CDC’s National HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, National HIV for TB prevention, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. A further 71 people were returned to the director’s office, and a further 20 were returned to the Global Health Centre.

The return to work represents almost 20% of the 2,400 CDC employees HHS said in April had rejected it in mass reduction (RIF). The cuts also affected employees at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the U.S., but a spokesman for HHS said Wednesday’s recovery would only apply to CDC employees.

“Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, the country’s key public health functions remain intact and effective,” HHS Communications director Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “The Trump administration is committed to protecting critical services whether to support coal miners and firefighters through NIOSH, protecting public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most common infectious diseases.

“HHS streamlines operations without compromising mission-critical work,” he continued. “Improve the health and well-being of all Americans remains our number one priority.”

Fox News previously reported recovery.

Cut wiped out the CDC’s childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance department while helping the city of Milwaukee deal with the lead exposure crisis in public schools. The shooting meant that the CDC had to reject requests from the city to help. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was repeatedly pressed by reporters and lawmakers about the situation and said he had no intention of removing the branch.

On Wednesday, the entire lead team was rehired along with the parent group, the Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Practice, according to newly revived director Dr. Eric Svenden.

“You have previously received a notice regarding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Future Reductions (RIF),” read an email to a revived employee taken by CNN, who had been taking administrative leave since the notice of their layoff. “That notification has been revoked by this. You will not be affected by any future RIFs.”





Source link

The United Nations launches rescue operations after eight migrants die on the Djiboutias coast

0




AP
–

The UN Immigration Agency said eight migrants died on Wednesday, and 22 others were left missing after 22 people were kicked out of a boat near the coast of Djiboutias.

The International Migration Agency, or the IOM, said in a statement that migrants were part of a group of 150 people who were forced to unload their boats by smugglers and swim to the coast on June 5th.

The migrants were found in the desert by the IOM patrol team and taken to an immigration response centre.

Djibouti’s IOM and authorities continue their search and rescue operations to find missing immigrants.

“All life lost in the ocean is a tragedy that never happens,” said Celestine Franz, IOM regional director for East, Horn and South Africa.

Franz said immigrants were “forced to make impossible choices by smugglers who did not respect human life.”

Thousands of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and South Asian countries seeking better lives in Europe attempt to migrate irregularly every year.

Smugglers pack a ship full of hopeless people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe.

Most vessels acquire immigration across the Red Sea to the Gulf countries before further progressing into European countries.

Yemen is the main route that the East African immigrants and the Horn of Africa are trying to reach the Gulf countries for work, with hundreds of thousands trying each year.



Source link

This Nissan model is the cheapest, fully equipped new car of 2025

0



The average price for a new car in 2025 is nearly $50,000. You can get this fully loaded new car for less than half the average new car price.

play

  • Some affordable new cars have starting prices under $25,000 despite rising prices for new cars.
  • One Nissan subcompact car has a very low price range, so even the final trim was $25,000.
  • Drivers can add optional packaging and accessories to this affordable model to make it even more attractive.

Buying a new car is especially the final trim model if it’s very expensive. According to Automotive Research Site Caredge.com, the average new car price for June 2025 was around $48,699. Fortunately, for American drivers, you can get a fully-equipped new car for less than half the price.

That’s right, some new cars have a starting price of under $25,000, even fully loaded models. Drivers can get a new final configuration vehicle for under $30,000 with additional available packages and accessories.

The Nissan Versa SR is the cheapest full-road vehicle of 2025

There are several new, affordable cars in the market for 2025, but the Versa stands out among the pack. The base model starts at just $17,190. The 2025 Nissan Versa SR trim starts at $22,330 and comes standard with the best features offered by Japanese brands.

2025 Nissan Versa SR Standard Features

  • Heated front seats
  • Leather covered steering wheel
  • Wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
  • Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Blind spot warning

The SR trim is loaded with plenty of standard driver assistance and safety features that make up an upgrade to a final configuration worth the money. Plus, you need an affordable subcompact vehicle that is essentially bare bone for its affordability, and modernizes it with high tech and creature comforts.

2025 Nissan Versa SR colors, specifications, add-ons

The 2025 Nissan Versa SR comes in Super Black, Gunmetal or Vibrant Silver Metallic. Drivers can pay an additional $450 for premium color options, including Scarlet Ember Tanto Coat, Artic Ice Blue Metallic, Gray Sky Pearl, and Aspen White Tricoat.

The Versa SR uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine to generate 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. It will achieve 32 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

Nissan offers the option to add logoed exterior ground lighting for $424 for drivers who are proud to be in charge of the brand. There are also interior add-on options such as accent lighting ($262) and door pocket lighting ($113). Adding interior, lighting, technology and cargo accessories will result in a final price of under $25,000, depending on your specific build preferences.

Is the 2025 Nissan Versa SR worth buying?

The 2025 Nissan Versa SR is worth the money for drivers in search of an affordable and efficient subcompact car equipped with technology. That small cabin and lack of power could potentially thwart drivers who prefer larger, more powerful cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehc9ywur9xa

According to Edmunds’ vehicle review, “it has many features for money, generous cargo capacity and a user-friendly infotainment system.” Therefore, the Versa SR makes great drivers every day for people who don’t need extra cabin space and don’t mind the slowdown in acceleration.

Nissan offers several budget-friendly options throughout its vehicle portfolio. If the Versa Sr isn’t suited to your liking, the bigger, more powerful 2025 Nissan Sentra SR is worth considering.

Most Affordable 2025 Final Trim Car

  • 2025 Nissan Sentra SR Midnight Edition ($25,285)
  • 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo ($28,090)
  • 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid XLE ($28,190)
  • 2025 Hyundai Elantra n-line ($28,975)
  • 2025 Volkswagen Jetta Cell ($29,000)

There are some final trim cars for 2025 with starting prices under $30,000. The Nissan Versa SR is the only final trim car model for 2025 with a starting price of less than $23,000. Compared to other final trim cars, it may be short and small, but its value proposition is hard to ignore in such a expensive new car market.



Source link

Do you need a ticket to Trump’s military parade? What do you know

0



“It’s going to be very, very special,” President Donald Trump said of the military parade in a video posted to Strut Social on June 6th.

play

President Donald Trump and the country’s military are preparing for the party.

Thousands of Americans, including Active Duty and retired service members, will gather for a gorgeous procession on the streets of the country’s capital to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US military on Saturday, June 14th. The date also coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.

“The “magnificent military parades and celebrations” featuring a week of programming designed to celebrate the military’s lasting legacy, with thousands of soldiers dressed in uniforms of the past and present.

Trump has promised that the event will be “unforgettable” and “something I’ve never seen before.”

“It’s going to be very, very special,” Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social in June 6th. “I don’t think we’ve done this like this. We’re going to celebrate the army and the army.”

Here’s how to get tickets:

When and where will Trump’s military parade take place?

The Grand Military Parade is scheduled to take place in the heart of Washington, DC on Saturday, June 14th.

The 3-hour event will be held in NW as per the Constitution during the 15th period.th Street and 23rd street. This is a graphic for the parade route.

According to the US military, the parade and celebrations will begin at 6:30pm ET at 6:30pm, but guests will be allowed until 2pm on the day of the parade. The queue crosses around the sunset in front of a Trump viewing stand on Constitutional Avenue just south of the White House.

A parachute demonstration with Golden Knights and firework displays concludes the evening festivities. The president will also be attending post-parade enlistment and re-enlistment ceremonies.

Do you need a ticket to Trump’s military parade?

That’s not necessarily the case. However, those who register for tickets on the US Army events website may have the chance to get the best view of the queue.

The US Army says guests are invited to convene along the parade route and views from the landmarks of the Washington memorial.

How to get tickets for Trump’s military parade

Though tickets for the parade are limited, anyone interested in attending the parade on June 14th can use the RSVP here. Future attendees will be asked to provide their full name, phone number, email, state and zip code.

How to watch Trump’s military parade

The U.S. Army will live stream all 250th anniversary events, including the parade, on all social media platforms.

Contributed by: Kathryn Palmer, USA Today



Source link

George Takei’s stocks come out, Trump’s feud in a new memoir

0


play

George Takei didn’t come out as a gay until he was 68, but don’t call him his time in the closet.

A more appropriate word “will be imprisoned,” he told USA Today. The Star Trek actor knows what it’s like to be imprisoned. When he was five years old, during World War II, soldiers carrying rifles marched to his house, taking him and his family to Japanese concentration camps. He spent some of his childhood behind barbed wire.

Takei has written several books that include a first-hand account of his time at the camp, “They Called Us Enemies.” In his latest book, “It Rhymes with Takei” (going out of Penguin Random House), the actor gives him his most intimate look as if coming out as a gay person, reflecting on his childhood, adulthood, political activity and acting career.

George Takei presents a story in a new book

“It Rhymes with Takei” is a graphic novel and a deliberate choice to provide accessibility, Takei says. His youth is “a childhood of deprivation,” he says, and radio and newspapers “moves around at the bayonet.”

When his family was released and moved to Skidrow, it was a comic book that opened up his world.

Takei hopes that his graphic memoirs, with bright colors and charming illustrations by Harmony Becker, Justin Ajarter and Stephen Scott, reach audiences, both old and young. He especially hopes it resonates with the younger activists.

The title “It Rhymes with Takei” is a signature callback filmed by a humorous Takei. In 2011 he fought back against the “non-gay” law introduced in Tennessee by lending out his name to rhymes (he pronounces his last name rather than Takuai). “If you’re in the mood for a celebration, you can march at the Takei Pride parade!” Takei said in a 2011 YouTube video.

Takei’s first acting gig was beginning to get straight. He realized that he was different from his heterosexual peers shortly after his family escaped from detention. Today he uses the word “incarcerated.” Because that’s what I felt. When he left behind barbed wire from his childhood, he felt trapped as well. He was associated with men throughout most of his adult life, but did not appear until 2005.

For the years leading up to that he watched his close friends die of AIDS. He saw more and more activists say it. Not open about his sexuality came “with guilt,” Takei says. He was now with her husband Brad Altman for 20 years, but their relationship was largely a secret. He never felt he could become “self,” he wrote in the book.

“Here we protect our work, our careers, our desire to do, but others who had the same differences that I did were sacrificeing it all, actively involved with the bigger society and making progress,” he tells USA Today.

The ultimate catalyst came when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a bill legalizing gay marriage in California. In 2008, when it became legal, Takei and Altman were the first same-sex couples to apply for a marriage license at West Hollywood.

Now, 20 years after he left, he found George Takei from “The Whole.”

“It feels very liberated,” Takei says. “I don’t need to be vigilant. I want to fence mentally and say what I want to say, but without giving myself. I developed that skill, but I don’t need it now.

George Takei slams anti-LGBTQ laws on Trump in a new book

Among the topics he is incredibly talking about is President Donald Trump, who has vowed to be used by alien enemies to round out certain groups of immigrants. The same law was used to detain Japanese-Americans, like Takei’s family.

“We obviously haven’t learned any lessons from the chapters on American history,” Takei says.

Takei has a long history of activism and public service, from volunteering with the Red Cross as a teenager, working on a Democratic political campaign to serving the Southern California Commission to launch and plan the Los Angeles subway system. He was a member of Hollywood anti-war activist groups, along with Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. He protested the nuclear test and once ran for the LA City Council. Since he left, he has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

In 2013, after he appeared in Trump’s “celebrity apprentice” season, Takei wanted to meet Trump for lunch inside Trump Tower in New York, and advocate for the equal “economic benefits” of marriage to him. He failed. Then in 2015, Trump told Time Magazine that he might have supported coercion. At the time, Takei was appearing in a Broadway musical inspired by his family’s internment experience, “Allegiance.” Takei saved Trump to the audience every night.

“If you want to see how harsh it is from the comfort of your seat, you can get a glimpse of what it was like for my family, who was unfairly imprisoned due to the politics of terror, like the one you are campaigning for,” Trump never showed.

Ten years later, the two Trump administrations fear a state of democracy under what they call the “biggest Klingon,” a reference to “Star Trek’s humanoid alien antagonist. Some things give him hope. In other words, “Republicans are starting to fight between themselves.”

“The change is constant and there’s change,” Takei says. “I’m working to participate in making it a better, more responsible democracy. There’s no better Klingon.”

Clare Mulroy is USA Today’s Books Reporter, covering Buzzy releases, chatting with authors and diving into the culture of reading. Find her On Instagramsubscribe every week Book Newsletter Or tell her what you’re reading cmulroy@usatoday.com.





Source link

Yair Yaakov: Israel recovers the remains of two dead hostages from Gaza in military operation

0




CNN
–

The bodies of the two deceased hostages have been recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Singh Bett security agency announced Wednesday evening.

Yair Yaakov was killed by Islamic jihad militants during a Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Yaakov, who was 59 at the time, was killed in Kibtsnirooz and his body was taken to Gaza.

His partner, Meirav Tal and his two children were taken hostages and later released in an earlier hostage contract.

According to IDF and Shin Bet, additional hostage bodies have also been recovered, but the second name has not yet been made public at the request of the family.

“Along with all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I express our sincere appreciation to our family who have lost their loved one,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

“In addition to the pain and mourning, we feel a measure of security to know that we are both placed to rest with dignity.

“We repeat the demand for decision makers to arrive at a complete and comprehensive agreement to bring all 53 remaining hostages home.

The recovery of these two bodies comes less than a week after the Israeli military recovered the remains of 70-year-old Judy Weinstein Hagai and 72-year-old Gadi Hagai. Last week, Israeli forces also recovered the body of Thai hostage Natapon Pinta.

This is a developing story and will be updated.



Source link

Rancho Cucamonga’s Fritray Plant closes manufacturing

0



“We are truly grateful for all the support we have from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team and our community over the past 50 years,” a statement from PepsiCo Foods US said.

play

The Fritrey plant in Southern California will close its manufacturing operations in 50 years, which could affect hundreds of jobs.

A Pepsico Foods Us statement emailed to USA Today on June 11 confirmed the “manufacturing operations closure” on Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga site. The factory will halt manufacturing operations, but warehouses, distribution, fleets and transportation teams will continue to operate here, according to Food, Beverage and Snack Corporation.

“We are truly grateful for all the support we have from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team and our community over the past 50 years,” reads a statement from PepsiCo Foods Us. “We are committed to supporting those affected through this transition, providing salaries and benefits to affected employees.”

According to Frito-Lay, there are “over 30 advanced manufacturing plants nationwide.”

How many employees at the Fritrey Rancho Kucamonga factory could be fired?

PepsiCo did not say how many employees will be affected by the closure of the manufacturing plant. Additionally, PepsiCo facilities are not in the California Worker Coordination and Retraining Notice (Warn) database, so it is unclear when layoffs will occur. The warning law requires employers to give 60 days of notice prior to mass layoffs, plant closures, or employment.

Factory employees tell KTLA that they have been let go, and some are not allowed to transfer to another department and continue their work.

The Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga facility once adopted Richard Montañez, an American businessman who once challenged his claims by Snack Brand and Pepsico, but praised the Flamin’s Hot Cheetos.

Jonathan Limehouse covers USA Today’s broken and trending news. Contact him at jlimehouse@gannett.com.



Source link

Trump OK with peaceful protests during DC Parade: White House

0



“Of course, the president supports peaceful protests,” White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing with a reporter on June 11. “What a stupid question.”

play

WASHINGTON – The White House has sought to reject the notion that President Donald Trump does not support peaceful protests.

“Of course, the president supports peaceful protests,” White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing with a reporter on June 11. “What a stupid question.”

Trump poses a threat to “protesters who want to leave” during the June 14th parade. This marks the 250th anniversary of the US military, even though it fell on Trump’s 79th birthday. Trump did not distinguish between peaceful protests protected by the First Amendment, which violated the law.

“For those who want to protest, they’ll find a huge amount of power,” Trump said on June 10.

Trump’s warning comes after he deployed the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles to counter the protests that were stricken by his administration’s deportation efforts, which illegally targeted the nation’s deportation efforts.

Trump critics organized “No Kings Day” protests in more than 1,800 communities on the day of the Military Parade.

It is expected to be the largest and most protest since Trump’s second term began, with as many as 1 million Americans in early April warping protests that attracted more than 1,000 Americans at more than 1,000 rallying.

“The president is absolutely in support of peaceful protests,” Levitt said at a press conference on June 11. “He supports the First Amendment. He supports the right to hear Americans. He does not support any kind of violence. He does not support attacking law enforcement officers who are simply trying to do their job.”

On his first day of his second term, Trump issued a swept pardon for more than 1,600 people convicted of crimes, including attacking law enforcement officials for his role in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The riots were unfolding by Trump supporters, and they wanted to stop the certification of Trump’s election losses to Joe Biden.

The military parade, estimated at $40 million in taxpayer dollars, is set to include Abrams tanks, vintage World War II fighters, and around 7,000 soldiers marching in uniforms for the period to mark the battle of the nation from the Revolutionary War to the present. A Trump review stand has been built south of the White House.

Contributed by: Sara Wire from USA Today.

Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.



Source link

The founder of Beach Boys was 82 years old.

0


play

Brian Wilson, the eclectic genius whose Sunny Beach Boys songs defined the era of improvement in popular American music, passed away at the age of 82.

Wilson’s family announced his social media death on Wednesday, June 11th, and did not cite the cause.

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved father, Brian Wilson. We are now speechless,” read the X’s post. “At this point, our family is grieving, so please respect our privacy. We find ourselves sharing our sadness with the world. Love and mercy.”

USA Today reached out to Wilson representatives for comment.

Wilson adopted five children after remarriage to Melinda Ledbetter, the daughters of Carney and Wendy, the first successful marriage to Wilson Phillips.

Wilson’s epic career arc spans much of his life and was defined by the prolonged seizures of mental illness.

Despite decades apart from the musical mainstream of the 1970s and ’80s, Wilson’s towering impact was by no means an issue when his psychological suffering was the most aggressive. The sublime harmony of beach-car theme songs such as “California Girls” and “Little Dew Coupe” came to define the spirit of Southern California. Meanwhile, Wilson’s inspiration orchestration for the album Pet Sound was adapted to the Bowled Over Beatles with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Brian Wilson was attracted to music early on, and despite his obstacles he succeeded.

Wilson achieved such heights despite the problems he may not have overcome. As a musically precocious child, he was found to have serious hearing loss in his right ear. The speculated causes ranged from birth defects to physical abuse, to physical abuse at the hands of Wilson’s authoritarian father.

Wilson was born on June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California. This is a suburb of Los Angeles that is thriving as a hub for everything from aerospace work to early television productions.

Wilson was a tall, blonde, handsome jock who was popular at school and a soccer quarterback who wasn’t a very student. His interest in music was consumed, and teenagers began to learn the basics of composition and sound engineering when they discovered that the gift of a tape recorder was oversized with his brother and mother.

Inspired by the vocal harmonies of four freshmen, groups such as Wilson in the fall of 1961, he formed a band with his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin My Club and friend Al Jardin.

Initially, their name was Pendleton, a reference to the Pendleton plaid shirt, which was popular at the time. However, the small record label, which released their debut single “Surfin”,” produced by manager Murray’s father and the new beach trendy nod, has renamed them the Beach Boys. Only Dennis Wilson actually surfed, but Monica from Zeitgeist-Nailing got stuck.

Over the next four years, the boys on the beach ruled the airwaves. Wilson has created a pop victory rich in 3-minute harmonies for the teenager, in the way his producer idol, Phil Spector, captured the same audience on the walls of his legendary sound effects. Celebrating cars, surfing, and teen romances, hits poured from Wilson’s pen: “Surfin’USA”, “409”, “Be Faithful to Your School”, “California Girls”.

But Wilson’s ambitions lined up almost immediately, much more than just appearing in the popular act. In 1963 alone, 22-year-old Wunderkind sang, produced, arranged, arranged and guided dozens of songs to groups such as Jan and Dean, The Honeys and The Castells. However, his challenge to genius will soon arrive from overseas.

Beach Boys, Beatlemania, the perfection of “Pet Sound”

Just as Wilson and the Beach boys enjoyed the success of chart topping on “I Get Around,” in its B-side “Don’t Sexting Baby,” Beatlemania saw Wilson as a horrifying challenger.

That rivalry made Wilson double in the studio, but the cracks began to be revealed in his fragile mind, quickly becoming a debilitating crack.

By the mid-60s, Wilson was begging most beach boys tours, so he could stay in the studio and avoid Public Limelight. The frustration with pigeons drilling holes as surf bands has grown, as more and more emotional explosions and increased drug use, especially acid rumours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nadx3-qrxek

Nevertheless, Wilson released “Pet Sound” in May 1966 after drilling holes at home for several months. “Pet Sound” included classic songs ranging from “good vibrations” permeated the Theremin to the painful “Only God Knows”, but didn’t immediately play chords with the fans, but knocked out the Beatles. Fab Four used “Pet Sounds” to inspire their own studio adventures to new heights, responding in May 1967 with the coup “Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Wilson then planned his own reaction to The Beatles Opus, a new album called “Smile.” But that effort will only see the light of day in 2011.

Brian Wilson’s Mental Health and Relationship

Instead of a new victory, Wilson descended into quarantine. Later he is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a mental health condition characterized by hallucinations, depression and delusions. Often he heard the voice. Wilson spins around in his Bel Air Mansion, drugged and obsessed.

Wilson maintains connections with the groups he founded and offers a variety of creative opinions from isolation, but after the death of the family’s patriarch in 1973, his condition became more extreme. The story rarely left his bed.

In 1976, Wilson made a small revival public after entering the care of controversial psychologist Eugene Randy. But the comeback won’t last long. Although it could work in the studio from time to time, Wilson resumed his self-destructive routine and eventually overdose in 1982. The family then asked Randy to come back. The destructive relationship continued.

In 1988, the album “Brian Wilson” marked the return of the singer and producer to the musical spotlight, and received generally positive reviews. However, it was largely hidden by the Beach Boys’ own hit “Kokomo,” and it was their first hit since “Good Vibration,” and a song that had no opinions from the founders.

Wilson’s solo outing was a symbol of the division that developed between him and the group he founded. The deepest cleft was the same as Cousin and Lead Singer Love. He was against moving away from the band’s youth chart-top fares in favor of more experimental music, including the sound-effective creativity found in “pet sounds.”

Love frequently patted Wilson in the media and later sued his cousin with retrospective lyrics credits. Love also retained the rights to the Beach Boys’ name and spent decades touring with some of the original members while Wilson was left to go out on the road in his own name.

However, despite the continued tension, the 90s saw Wilson gradually become orderly at his home. A protective lawsuit filed by Wilson’s family disbanded the rest of the matter about Randy’s stranglehold on his former patient matter. Later, Wilson collaborated with producer Don in 1995 with his life documentary “Brian Wilson: I Wasn’t Just Made in These Times,” and embarked on his first solo tour in 1999.

A revitalized legacy came later in Brian Wilson’s life

Finally, under traditional medicine and medicine, Wilson had more access to his gifts in the new millennium.

In 2010 he released a well-received album reimagining the George Gerwin Staples. In 2014, Wilson’s life and era was the subject of a well-written biopic called “Love and Mercy,” starring both John Cusack and Paul Dano as older and young Brian Wilson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xne-_s34t1c

Revitalized in his later years, Wilson hit the road in 2016 to play “Pet Sound,” continuing to entertain fans around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The inspirational young musician who first rounded up the band in his teens saw no reason to stop entertaining him as a grandfather.

“Retirement? Ah, oh, I won’t retire,” Wilson told Rolling Stone in 2016.



Source link