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February 24, 2022
Three Russian guided-missile cruisers have been arrayed across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to counter three NATO carrier strike groups, causing concern in the Pentagon, a U.S. defense official told USNI News on Tuesday.
As of Monday, the three Slava-class cruisers were operating in and around the Aegean Sea – RTS Moskva (121) in the Black Sea, RFS Varyag (011) south of Italy and RTS Marshal Ustinov (055) off the coast of Syria, near Russia’s naval base in Tartus.
Moskva is based in the Black Sea, while Marshal Ustinov traveled from the Northern Fleet and Varyag from the Pacific Fleet. Ustinov and Varyag entered the Mediterranean from opposite ends earlier this month.
The three 11,500-ton Slavas were designed around launchers that can hold 16 SS-N-12 Sandbox anti-ship cruise missiles – each about the size of a telephone pole. Developed in the 1970s, the Slavas and the Sandboxes were designed to take on U.S. and NATO aircraft carriers by overwhelming them with a barrage of high-speed cruise missiles to sink ships.
(Excerpt)
Russian Navy Cruisers Positioned to Counter US, French, Italian Carrier Groups in the Mediterranean
https://news.usni.org/2022/02/22/russian-navy-cruisers-positioned-to-counter-u-s-french-and-italian-carrier-groups-in-the-mediterraneanThree Russian guided-missile cruisers have been arrayed across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to counter three NATO carrier strike groups, causing concern in the Pentagon, a U.S. defense official told USNI News on Tuesday.
As of Monday, the three Slava-class cruisers were operating in and around the Aegean Sea – RTS Moskva (121) in the Black Sea, RFS Varyag (011) south of Italy and RTS Marshal Ustinov (055) off the coast of Syria, near Russia’s naval base in Tartus.
Moskva is based in the Black Sea, while Marshal Ustinov traveled from the Northern Fleet and Varyag from the Pacific Fleet. Ustinov and Varyag entered the Mediterranean from opposite ends earlier this month.
The three 11,500-ton Slavas were designed around launchers that can hold 16 SS-N-12 Sandbox anti-ship cruise missiles – each about the size of a telephone pole. Developed in the 1970s, the Slavas and the Sandboxes were designed to take on U.S. and NATO aircraft carriers by overwhelming them with a barrage of high-speed cruise missiles to sink ships.
(Excerpt)
February 21, 2022
I-Team analysis found that an increasing percentage of fakes are being turned in at these events. Sixteen percent of the gift cards in 2020 were for replicas. That jumped to 20% in 2021.
"Criminals are the least likely folks who are going to be turning the guns in," said James Sobol, Associate Professor, SUNY Buffalo State
Records obtained through FOIA show some of the weapons turned in are very old. They include a "flintlock pocket pistol" that was "popular in BRITAIN during the 18th century," an "early 1900s" Belgian revolver, and several decades-old shotguns and rifles marked as having "heavy rust." They also turned up a toy gun, made to look like a civil war-era revolver.
Criminal justice professor James Sobol has studied gun turn-in programs across the country. He said his research shows the programs don't have a significant impact on reducing crime.
(Excerpt)
Gift cards for guns: What the Chicago Police Department gets from firearm turn-ins
https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-guns-gun-trade-in-chicacgo-buy-back-police-department/11575550/I-Team analysis found that an increasing percentage of fakes are being turned in at these events. Sixteen percent of the gift cards in 2020 were for replicas. That jumped to 20% in 2021.
"Criminals are the least likely folks who are going to be turning the guns in," said James Sobol, Associate Professor, SUNY Buffalo State
Records obtained through FOIA show some of the weapons turned in are very old. They include a "flintlock pocket pistol" that was "popular in BRITAIN during the 18th century," an "early 1900s" Belgian revolver, and several decades-old shotguns and rifles marked as having "heavy rust." They also turned up a toy gun, made to look like a civil war-era revolver.
Criminal justice professor James Sobol has studied gun turn-in programs across the country. He said his research shows the programs don't have a significant impact on reducing crime.
(Excerpt)
February 20, 2022
Drivers best start bracing for another surge in gas prices amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and years of under-investment by the oil industry, warns one veteran energy strategist.
"My guess is that you are going to see $5 a gallon at any triple-digit [oil prices] ... as soon as you get to $100. And you might get to $6.50 or $7. Forget about $150 a gallon, I don't know where we will be by then," Energy Word founder Dan Dicker said on Yahoo Finance Live.
Dicker said oil prices could shoot higher to $150 a barrel, or in line to the "super spike" highs from 2007.
Oil prices have been red-hot lately as geopolitical tensions rise between Russia and the rest of the world.
(Excerpt)
Here comes $7 gas prices, warns oil strategist in dire outlook
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/here-comes-7-gas-prices-warns-oil-strategist-in-dire-outlook-171816915.htmlDrivers best start bracing for another surge in gas prices amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and years of under-investment by the oil industry, warns one veteran energy strategist.
"My guess is that you are going to see $5 a gallon at any triple-digit [oil prices] ... as soon as you get to $100. And you might get to $6.50 or $7. Forget about $150 a gallon, I don't know where we will be by then," Energy Word founder Dan Dicker said on Yahoo Finance Live.
Dicker said oil prices could shoot higher to $150 a barrel, or in line to the "super spike" highs from 2007.
Oil prices have been red-hot lately as geopolitical tensions rise between Russia and the rest of the world.
(Excerpt)
February 17, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – State officials are preparing for the second execution of 2022 in Oklahoma.
Gilbert Postelle, 35, admitted he was involved in the shooting deaths of four people at a mobile home park back in 2005.
James Alderson, Terry Smith, Donnie Swindle and Amy Wright were apparently targeted because Postelle believed they were responsible for a motorcycle accident that injured his dad.
“Was the four-minute killing spree worth what you are paying for now?” said Mary Jo Swindle.
(Excerpt)
Man convicted of killing 4 set to be executed in OK
https://kfor.com/news/local/man-convicted-of-killing-4-set-to-be-executed-in-ok/OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – State officials are preparing for the second execution of 2022 in Oklahoma.
Gilbert Postelle, 35, admitted he was involved in the shooting deaths of four people at a mobile home park back in 2005.
James Alderson, Terry Smith, Donnie Swindle and Amy Wright were apparently targeted because Postelle believed they were responsible for a motorcycle accident that injured his dad.
“Was the four-minute killing spree worth what you are paying for now?” said Mary Jo Swindle.
(Excerpt)
February 16, 2022
GREAT FALLS — Shiloh Berry of Helena received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in Montana as part of his sentence for illegally killing a trophy moose east of Townsend in 2019.
A news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks says that Berry was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County District Court after pleading guilty last fall to unlawful possession of a game animal, hunting without a valid license, and waste of a game animal.
In November 2019, FWP game wardens received a tip via the department’s 1-800-TIP-MONT hotline about a dead moose with its head cut off and the meat abandoned.
Wardens responded and found the carcass on Blacktail Road, about 17 miles east of Townsend. Wardens also found distinctive tire tracks and boot prints at the scene.
(Excerpt)
Helena man sentenced for poaching trophy moose
https://www.krtv.com/news/crime-and-courts/helena-man-sentenced-for-poaching-trophy-mooseGREAT FALLS — Shiloh Berry of Helena received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in Montana as part of his sentence for illegally killing a trophy moose east of Townsend in 2019.
A news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks says that Berry was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County District Court after pleading guilty last fall to unlawful possession of a game animal, hunting without a valid license, and waste of a game animal.
In November 2019, FWP game wardens received a tip via the department’s 1-800-TIP-MONT hotline about a dead moose with its head cut off and the meat abandoned.
Wardens responded and found the carcass on Blacktail Road, about 17 miles east of Townsend. Wardens also found distinctive tire tracks and boot prints at the scene.
(Excerpt)
February 16, 2022
President Biden on Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by calling on Congress to pass gun-control legislation.
But there seems little if any chance his calls will be answered.
Democratic lawmakers are showing little appetite for tackling the controversial issue ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, exasperating activists frustrated over the lack of action at a time when Democrats control the White House and both branches of Congress after 10 years of Republican or split control of Congress.
Negotiations between Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) stalled out over the summer, and there's been little to no talk in the Senate Democratic Caucus about picking up two gun control bills that passed the House in March.
(Excerpt)
Democrats show little appetite for Biden's call for gun control
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/senate/594223-democrats-show-little-appetite-for-bidens-call-for-gun-control%3fampPresident Biden on Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by calling on Congress to pass gun-control legislation.
But there seems little if any chance his calls will be answered.
Democratic lawmakers are showing little appetite for tackling the controversial issue ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, exasperating activists frustrated over the lack of action at a time when Democrats control the White House and both branches of Congress after 10 years of Republican or split control of Congress.
Negotiations between Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) stalled out over the summer, and there's been little to no talk in the Senate Democratic Caucus about picking up two gun control bills that passed the House in March.
(Excerpt)
February 15, 2022
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Tuesday that it will open ticket sales to the public for the first time on Wednesday, requiring a $150,000 deposit.
Virgin Galactic ticket prices start at $450,000 each, as the company revealed last year, with three different sales offerings: a single seat purchase, packaged seats for couples, friends or family, or opportunities to book entire flights. The company has said previously that — of the $150,000 deposit — $25,000 is not refundable.
Shares of Virgin Galactic jumped 28% in trading from their previous close of $8.14. The stock has been battered over the past 12 months, dropping 85%, with the company having delayed the beginning of commercial spaceflights to late this year.
For much of the last decade, Virgin Galactic has had about 600 reservations for tickets on future flights, with those tickets sold largely between $200,000 and $250,000 each. In August, the company opened ticket sales at the $450,000 price to those who had expressed interest. It had sold about 100 additional tickets as of November.
(Excerpt)
Virgin Galactic stock jumps 28% as spaceflight ticket sales open with $150,000 deposit
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/15/virgin-galactic-stock-rises-as-ticket-sales-reopen-150000-deposit.htmlSpace tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Tuesday that it will open ticket sales to the public for the first time on Wednesday, requiring a $150,000 deposit.
Virgin Galactic ticket prices start at $450,000 each, as the company revealed last year, with three different sales offerings: a single seat purchase, packaged seats for couples, friends or family, or opportunities to book entire flights. The company has said previously that — of the $150,000 deposit — $25,000 is not refundable.
Shares of Virgin Galactic jumped 28% in trading from their previous close of $8.14. The stock has been battered over the past 12 months, dropping 85%, with the company having delayed the beginning of commercial spaceflights to late this year.
For much of the last decade, Virgin Galactic has had about 600 reservations for tickets on future flights, with those tickets sold largely between $200,000 and $250,000 each. In August, the company opened ticket sales at the $450,000 price to those who had expressed interest. It had sold about 100 additional tickets as of November.
(Excerpt)
February 15, 2022
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World has updated its face mask policy again and it will no longer require fully vaccinated visitors to wear masks indoors.
The update will take effect Feb. 17, according to a notice on the resort’s website.
“Face covering will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations,” the notice said.
Although Disney will not require visitors to prove they’re vaccinated, the resort says it expects visitors who are not vaccinated to continue to wear face masks in all indoor locations.
(Excerpt)
Disney World to drop indoor mask rule for vaccinated guests
https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/attractions/2022/02/15/disney-world-to-drop-mask-rule-for-vaccinated-guestsORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World has updated its face mask policy again and it will no longer require fully vaccinated visitors to wear masks indoors.
The update will take effect Feb. 17, according to a notice on the resort’s website.
“Face covering will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations,” the notice said.
Although Disney will not require visitors to prove they’re vaccinated, the resort says it expects visitors who are not vaccinated to continue to wear face masks in all indoor locations.
(Excerpt)
February 15, 2022
RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLOX) - For the second time in just under four years, a man convicted of murdering two people in Biloxi has escaped from a Mississippi prison.
Michael Floyd Wilson, who is also known by the moniker Pretty Boy Floyd, escaped from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County on Sunday.
On Sunday night, officials set up roadblocks at Monterey Road, the Outpost, and the railroad tracks in Rankin County, and had notified the sheriff’s department to search the trailer park behind the prison.
Wilson, 51, is currently serving two life sentences for beating two men to death in Biloxi and Gulfport in 2014. In addition to those charges, he was also convicted in two burglaries and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
(excerpt)
Convicted killer 'Pretty Boy Floyd' escapes again from Mississippi prison
https://www.wlox.com/2022/02/14/manhunt-underway-pretty-boy-floyd-after-he-escapes-central-mississippi-correctional-facility/RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLOX) - For the second time in just under four years, a man convicted of murdering two people in Biloxi has escaped from a Mississippi prison.
Michael Floyd Wilson, who is also known by the moniker Pretty Boy Floyd, escaped from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County on Sunday.
On Sunday night, officials set up roadblocks at Monterey Road, the Outpost, and the railroad tracks in Rankin County, and had notified the sheriff’s department to search the trailer park behind the prison.
Wilson, 51, is currently serving two life sentences for beating two men to death in Biloxi and Gulfport in 2014. In addition to those charges, he was also convicted in two burglaries and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
(excerpt)
February 15, 2022
There were no survivors in a private plane crash off the North Carolina coast Sunday that killed eight people, including four teens, and a successful businessman.
One body has been recovered from the area and there's 'no indication any of the people onboard survived the crash,' the Carteret County Sheriff confirmed Monday afternoon.
Recovery efforts continued after the Pilatus PC-12 airplane went down four miles east of Drum Inlet. Before it disappeared, the single-engine aircraft was spotted on radar 'behaving erratically,' the US Coast Guard said.
Among its occupants was a group of high school friends and entrepreneur Hunter Parks.
(excerpt)
Sad story.
Eight people, including four teenagers, on a hunting trip have been killed in a plane crash (NC)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10512151/Search-underway-eight-passengers-downed-airplane-crashed-North-Carolina-coast.htmlThere were no survivors in a private plane crash off the North Carolina coast Sunday that killed eight people, including four teens, and a successful businessman.
One body has been recovered from the area and there's 'no indication any of the people onboard survived the crash,' the Carteret County Sheriff confirmed Monday afternoon.
Recovery efforts continued after the Pilatus PC-12 airplane went down four miles east of Drum Inlet. Before it disappeared, the single-engine aircraft was spotted on radar 'behaving erratically,' the US Coast Guard said.
Among its occupants was a group of high school friends and entrepreneur Hunter Parks.
(excerpt)
Sad story.
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