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July 5, 2021
he first US Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron has achieved full operational capability, meaning it is now fully prepared to wage war from Navy aircraft carriers, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement last week.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, nicknamed the "Black Knights," is the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron to reach this status.
The Marines have traditionally flown the F-35B, a short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant that can fight from airstrips or amphibious assault ships. Although the F-35B has not yet achieved full operational capability, this jet has been active.
The F-35B deployed for the very first time in March 2018 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, and later that year, a Marine Corps F-35B became the first to fly into combat when it took off from the USS Essex to carry out strikes against the Taliban.
The US Marine Corps' first F-35C squadron is now fully ready to fight from the Navy's aircraft carri
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-marine-corps-first-f-142125578.html'he first US Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron has achieved full operational capability, meaning it is now fully prepared to wage war from Navy aircraft carriers, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement last week.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, nicknamed the "Black Knights," is the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron to reach this status.
The Marines have traditionally flown the F-35B, a short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant that can fight from airstrips or amphibious assault ships. Although the F-35B has not yet achieved full operational capability, this jet has been active.
The F-35B deployed for the very first time in March 2018 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, and later that year, a Marine Corps F-35B became the first to fly into combat when it took off from the USS Essex to carry out strikes against the Taliban.
July 5, 2021
Ukraine's defense ministry has been heavily criticized over plans for female cadets to march in high heels at a parade celebrating the country's independence next month.
Photos published by the ministry on Facebook Thursday showed the women from the Military Institute at the Taras Shevchenko National University in the country's capital, Kyiv, marching in the shoes, along with camouflage pants, shirts and hats.
The cadets have been practicing twice daily, for an average of four hours a day, the ministry said in a post alongside the pictures. The Aug. 24 parade in Kyiv will mark the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence.
The images were met with outrage online, with some commenters questioning the choice of footwear and calling it "torture."
Ukraine's plan for female cadets to march in high heels sparks outrage
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukraine-s-plan-female-cadets-march-high-heels-sparks-outrage-n1273061Ukraine's defense ministry has been heavily criticized over plans for female cadets to march in high heels at a parade celebrating the country's independence next month.
Photos published by the ministry on Facebook Thursday showed the women from the Military Institute at the Taras Shevchenko National University in the country's capital, Kyiv, marching in the shoes, along with camouflage pants, shirts and hats.
The cadets have been practicing twice daily, for an average of four hours a day, the ministry said in a post alongside the pictures. The Aug. 24 parade in Kyiv will mark the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence.
The images were met with outrage online, with some commenters questioning the choice of footwear and calling it "torture."
July 5, 2021
Gun rights groups, instructors and activists say they’re outraged over San Jose’s proposed gun control ordinances—and they’ve promised to take the city to court if the measures become law.
“The whole proposal is completely disingenuous. It fails to provide any proven solutions. It is blatantly unconstitutional,” said San Jose resident Dave Truslow, a National Rifle Association firearm instructor. “In the meantime, (Mayor Sam Liccardo) is hoping to bask in the sunlight.”
On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council unanimously passed measures that will require all gun owners in the city to carry insurance and pay an annual fee to cover taxpayer costs related to gun violence or risk having their weapons confiscated. The city attorney’s office will return to the council in the fall with an ordinance for final approval.
Gun activists argue that mandating insurance violates the constitutional right to bear arms. They believe insurance and public fees will undermine the ability of low-income individuals to own a gun.
Up in arms over San Jose gun rules, activists promise lawsuit
https://sanjosespotlight.com/up-in-arms-over-san-jose-gun-rules-activists-promise-lawsuits/Gun rights groups, instructors and activists say they’re outraged over San Jose’s proposed gun control ordinances—and they’ve promised to take the city to court if the measures become law.
“The whole proposal is completely disingenuous. It fails to provide any proven solutions. It is blatantly unconstitutional,” said San Jose resident Dave Truslow, a National Rifle Association firearm instructor. “In the meantime, (Mayor Sam Liccardo) is hoping to bask in the sunlight.”
On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council unanimously passed measures that will require all gun owners in the city to carry insurance and pay an annual fee to cover taxpayer costs related to gun violence or risk having their weapons confiscated. The city attorney’s office will return to the council in the fall with an ordinance for final approval.
Gun activists argue that mandating insurance violates the constitutional right to bear arms. They believe insurance and public fees will undermine the ability of low-income individuals to own a gun.
July 2, 2021
Toyota Motor outsold General Motors in the U.S. for the first time ever during a quarter and is expected to be America's best-selling automaker.
The Japanese automaker on Thursday reported sales of 688,813 vehicles in the U.S. from April through June. That compares to GM at 688,236 vehicles during the second quarter. Toyota beat analyst expectations, while GM slightly missed forecasts.
The shake-up was caused by a global chip shortage that has significantly hampered vehicle production. Japanese automakers, specifically Toyota, have been able to manage the crisis better than their American competitors.
"They've kind of defied gravity the last couple of months," Cox Automotive senior economist Charlie Chesbrough said. "We're tracking them having very weak inventories out there and yet their sales have actually held up quite well. … We're really kind of surprised by Toyota's strength, and having a decent quarter relative to some of the competition."
Toyota tops GM sales in the U.S., expected to be America's best-selling automaker
https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiECgODVKmRsjvCToIdQVmyasqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow2Nb3CjDivdcCMP3ungY?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3AenToyota Motor outsold General Motors in the U.S. for the first time ever during a quarter and is expected to be America's best-selling automaker.
The Japanese automaker on Thursday reported sales of 688,813 vehicles in the U.S. from April through June. That compares to GM at 688,236 vehicles during the second quarter. Toyota beat analyst expectations, while GM slightly missed forecasts.
The shake-up was caused by a global chip shortage that has significantly hampered vehicle production. Japanese automakers, specifically Toyota, have been able to manage the crisis better than their American competitors.
"They've kind of defied gravity the last couple of months," Cox Automotive senior economist Charlie Chesbrough said. "We're tracking them having very weak inventories out there and yet their sales have actually held up quite well. … We're really kind of surprised by Toyota's strength, and having a decent quarter relative to some of the competition."
July 1, 2021
Filming outside of City Hall in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Monday, a TV news crew was interviewing a city official for a story about a recent spate of violent crime when the journalists became victims themselves.
“I think Oakland deserves better,” Guillermo Cespedes, the city’s chief of violence prevention, told the NBC Bay Area reporters just before two armed men interrupted the interview, knocking a camera to the ground.
The Oakland Police Department said a scuffle broke out as the robbers demanded the cameraman hand over his equipment, the East Bay Times reported. The news crew’s security guard pulled out his own gun and ordered the would-be robbers to leave. They left without stealing any equipment, police said.
“Our colleagues were conducting an interview at Oakland City Hall when they were approached by two armed individuals,” Liza Catalan, a spokeswoman for NBC Bay Area, told The Washington Post in an email. “Thankfully, our colleagues are safe and unharmed.”
A TV news crew was reporting on a crime spike. Then robbers demanded they hand over their camera.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/30/oakland-tv-crew-robbery/Filming outside of City Hall in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Monday, a TV news crew was interviewing a city official for a story about a recent spate of violent crime when the journalists became victims themselves.
“I think Oakland deserves better,” Guillermo Cespedes, the city’s chief of violence prevention, told the NBC Bay Area reporters just before two armed men interrupted the interview, knocking a camera to the ground.
The Oakland Police Department said a scuffle broke out as the robbers demanded the cameraman hand over his equipment, the East Bay Times reported. The news crew’s security guard pulled out his own gun and ordered the would-be robbers to leave. They left without stealing any equipment, police said.
“Our colleagues were conducting an interview at Oakland City Hall when they were approached by two armed individuals,” Liza Catalan, a spokeswoman for NBC Bay Area, told The Washington Post in an email. “Thankfully, our colleagues are safe and unharmed.”
June 30, 2021
Nearly every Target in San Francisco — except for the one at Stonestown — has cut its operating hours to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That inflexibility makes it tough for the average nine-to-five, full-time worker to make a Target run on weekdays after work, let alone other individuals affected by constraints of time, access or ability to do some everyday shopping. It's unclear when these cut hours were rolled out.
The reduced hours ignited concerns on Reddit over an uptick in retail theft and labor shortages hitting San Francisco Targets. After all, one Target in San Francisco — the location on Ocean Ave. — just shuttered earlier this week.
While those two could very well factor into the reduced hours, neither of those answers are quite satisfactory.
Target won't explain why nearly all its San Francisco stores have reduced hours
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Target-San-Francisco-stores-reduced-hours-why-16284219.phpNearly every Target in San Francisco — except for the one at Stonestown — has cut its operating hours to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
That inflexibility makes it tough for the average nine-to-five, full-time worker to make a Target run on weekdays after work, let alone other individuals affected by constraints of time, access or ability to do some everyday shopping. It's unclear when these cut hours were rolled out.
The reduced hours ignited concerns on Reddit over an uptick in retail theft and labor shortages hitting San Francisco Targets. After all, one Target in San Francisco — the location on Ocean Ave. — just shuttered earlier this week.
While those two could very well factor into the reduced hours, neither of those answers are quite satisfactory.
June 25, 2021
Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed legislation this week that would have allowed residents over the age of 21 to carry concealed guns without a permit and without training — a move that has heightened calls from Republican lawmakers for an unprecedented veto override session in July.
“I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and an enthusiastic outdoorsman and hunter. But I simply cannot support carrying a concealed firearm without proper education and safety training — and I believe a majority of Louisianans agree with me,” Edwards said in a statement Friday. “Simply put, it is not too much to ask that a person who wishes to carry a concealed weapon in public be required to attend basic marksmanship and safety training so they understand the regulations associated with such an action.”
Senate Bill 118, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe), would have amended Louisiana’s concealed carry permit law, which requires applicants to pass background checks and pass a nine-hour course that includes live-fire training in order to carry a concealed handgun in public spaces. Louisiana residents can already carry a gun openly in public — referred to as “open carry” — without any special permits as long as the firearm is in plain view.
Morris told reporters Friday that Edwards vetoed his legislation late Thursday night. The veto wasn’t a surprise. The Democratic governor said, back in April, that he would veto the bill if the Louisiana Legislature approved it.
(excerpt)
As noted later in the article, a special session to override the veto is a possibility.
Louisiana Governor vetoes bill to allow people to carry concealed guns without a permit
https://lailluminator.com/2021/06/25/louisiana-governor-vetoes-bill-to-allow-people-to-carry-concealed-guns-without-a-permit/Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed legislation this week that would have allowed residents over the age of 21 to carry concealed guns without a permit and without training — a move that has heightened calls from Republican lawmakers for an unprecedented veto override session in July.
“I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and an enthusiastic outdoorsman and hunter. But I simply cannot support carrying a concealed firearm without proper education and safety training — and I believe a majority of Louisianans agree with me,” Edwards said in a statement Friday. “Simply put, it is not too much to ask that a person who wishes to carry a concealed weapon in public be required to attend basic marksmanship and safety training so they understand the regulations associated with such an action.”
Senate Bill 118, sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe), would have amended Louisiana’s concealed carry permit law, which requires applicants to pass background checks and pass a nine-hour course that includes live-fire training in order to carry a concealed handgun in public spaces. Louisiana residents can already carry a gun openly in public — referred to as “open carry” — without any special permits as long as the firearm is in plain view.
Morris told reporters Friday that Edwards vetoed his legislation late Thursday night. The veto wasn’t a surprise. The Democratic governor said, back in April, that he would veto the bill if the Louisiana Legislature approved it.
(excerpt)
As noted later in the article, a special session to override the veto is a possibility.
June 25, 2021
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle, which resulted in the defeat of U.S. forces, was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. It took place on June 25–26, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana Territory.
The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, who were led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, and had been inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake). The U.S. 7th Cavalry, a force of 700 men, suffered a major defeat while commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (formerly a brevetted major general during the American Civil War). Five of the 7th Cavalry's twelve companies were annihilated and Custer was killed, as were two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law. The total U.S. casualty count included 268 dead and 55 severely wounded (six died later from their wounds), including four Crow Indian scouts and at least two Arikara Indian scouts.
Public response to the Great Sioux War varied in the immediate aftermath of the battle. Libbie Custer, Custer's widow, soon worked to burnish her husband's memory, and during the following decades Custer and his troops came to be considered iconic, even heroic, figures in American history. The battle, and Custer's actions in particular, have been studied extensively by historians. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument honors those who fought on both sides.
The Battle of the Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand): 145 years ago today.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Little_BighornThe Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle, which resulted in the defeat of U.S. forces, was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. It took place on June 25–26, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana Territory.
The fight was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, who were led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, and had been inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake). The U.S. 7th Cavalry, a force of 700 men, suffered a major defeat while commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (formerly a brevetted major general during the American Civil War). Five of the 7th Cavalry's twelve companies were annihilated and Custer was killed, as were two of his brothers, a nephew, and a brother-in-law. The total U.S. casualty count included 268 dead and 55 severely wounded (six died later from their wounds), including four Crow Indian scouts and at least two Arikara Indian scouts.
Public response to the Great Sioux War varied in the immediate aftermath of the battle. Libbie Custer, Custer's widow, soon worked to burnish her husband's memory, and during the following decades Custer and his troops came to be considered iconic, even heroic, figures in American history. The battle, and Custer's actions in particular, have been studied extensively by historians. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument honors those who fought on both sides.
June 25, 2021
Interesting. I didn't know exotic hunting in Texas was such a big business ($2 billion per year). A couple of friends of mine and I are planning to hunt wild boar in Texas this fall, but the cost will only be a tiny fraction of the costs associated with hunting exotics.
How trophy hunting in Texas became a multibillion-dollar industry
Interesting. I didn't know exotic hunting in Texas was such a big business ($2 billion per year). A couple of friends of mine and I are planning to hunt wild boar in Texas this fall, but the cost will only be a tiny fraction of the costs associated with hunting exotics.
June 25, 2021
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday split along party lines over whether to advance the nomination of gun control advocate David Chipman, President Joe Biden's choice to lead the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
In the lead-up to the tie vote, Republicans vocally opposed Chipman's nomination, citing his history of advocating stronger gun regulations.
"Mr. Chipman wants to ban assault weapons," Ranking Republican Charles Grassley said on Thursday. "This nomination is like a Republican putting the NRA in charge of ATF," he said, referring to the pro-gun rights National Rifle Association.
The U.S. Senate is split evenly among Democrats and Republicans. The tie will require Senate Democrats to jump through some procedural hurdles to advance Chipman's nomination, but it is not an insurmountable roadblock.
U.S. Senate panel splits over gun control advocate to lead firearms enforcement agency
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-senate-panel-vote-gun-control-advocate-lead-firearms-enforcement-agency-2021-06-24/WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday split along party lines over whether to advance the nomination of gun control advocate David Chipman, President Joe Biden's choice to lead the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
In the lead-up to the tie vote, Republicans vocally opposed Chipman's nomination, citing his history of advocating stronger gun regulations.
"Mr. Chipman wants to ban assault weapons," Ranking Republican Charles Grassley said on Thursday. "This nomination is like a Republican putting the NRA in charge of ATF," he said, referring to the pro-gun rights National Rifle Association.
The U.S. Senate is split evenly among Democrats and Republicans. The tie will require Senate Democrats to jump through some procedural hurdles to advance Chipman's nomination, but it is not an insurmountable roadblock.
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