#Illinois traction

[pyro-hairedguy]

Articuloaf

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

🚄🏳️‍⚧️🦊:3 ?

:D

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

WHAT I WANT BACK ARE THE STREETCARS LUXURY SLEEPER TRAINS, ELECTRIC RAILROADS AND TROLLEY BUSES!!!! GIVE THEM BACK!!!! BRING BACK THE STREAMLINERS

Y'know, the funny thing about all this "RETVRN TO THE 1950S" shit is that it's all "THIS IS WHAT THEY TOOK FROM YOU" when nothing in the pictures was actually taken away.

You can dress like a '50s guy and style your hair with Brylcreem if you really want. There's no law against that. You can raise a family in suburbia and cook hotdogs in the backyard. In fact, you've been able to do that for so long that it's kinda ruined the country by blighting the land with terrible housing developments and infrastructure. It would be hard to argue that any other lifestyle in the US has been more catered to and facilitated than the suburban nuclear family.

[msclaritea]

Farmer' fight for Right to Repair gets little traction in Illinois

During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines.

Instead, a technician from John Deere was dispatched to diagnose and repair the problems. While waiting for the technician to come out, Lieb fired up a 20-year-old tractor he hadn’t used for harvesting in years. Crops are vulnerable to the weather, and had he not, Lieb could have lost at least a day of harvest. Some of the crop might have dropped to the ground, rendering it unsalvageable, potentially costing him thousands of dollars.

“Meanwhile,” Lieb said, “we’ve got over a million dollars of equipment in the field, inoperable.”

When the technician from John Deere arrived at his farm in central Illinois, it took about 30 minutes total to plug in a diagnostic tool, see which sensor was bad, unscrew it, replace it and close everything up in the combine.

“If I knew what sensor was bad in that combine, I could have had it fixed in five minutes,” Lieb said. “But if you don’t have the software, it’s impossible to know what’s wrong.”

For more than a decade, farmers like Lieb haven’t been able to fix their high-tech equipment. Until recently, manufacturer restrictions meant only company-authorized representatives could own and use diagnostic tools and make fixes when needed.

Jake Lieb looks at his John Deere planter at his farm near Monticello, Ill., on March 18, 2024. (Darrell Hoemann / The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting)

In March 2023, in an attempt to address farmers’ frustrations, the American Farm Bureau Federation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with John Deere and four other farm equipment manufacturers. The farm bureau called it a “private-sector solution to the right to repair issue.”

In the agreement, Deere, Kubota, Case New Holland, AGCO, and CLAAS of America promised to give farmers and independent repair shops access to customer diagnostic tools. In exchange, the Farm Bureau agreed not to support any federal or state repair legislation.

However, advocates for repair legislation say that the nonbinding agreement and the customer versions of tools provided by the companies fall short of needed protections that legislation would ensure. These same advocates are supporting bills across the country, including one introduced this year in the Illinois Senate.

The Illinois bill (SB2669) proposes to establish an agricultural equipment bill of rights. It would require manufacturers to make software, firmware and all other tools needed to repair machines accessible to independent repair shops and owners throughout the state at a reasonable cost.

The bill directly addresses the MOU and says that agricultural equipment owners are entitled to any tools or software not covered by the MOU. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, declined to comment after multiple attempts by email and in person to reach her. Deere and the other farm equipment manufacturers also did not return multiple requests for comment.

The bill is languishing at the statehouse. According to a spokesperson from the Illinois Corn Growers Association in an email to Investigate Midwest, there’s no chance the bill will pass this year.

The cost of repair

The demand for new tractors and combines ebbs and flows, but a consistent source of profit growth for John Deere is the sale of parts and services. Despite a 19% drop in sales of new ag equipment sales from between 2013 and 2019, supply chain disruptions and food system upheaval in 2020, and a monthlong labor strike of 10,000 workers across five states in 2021, Deere’s profits swelled the past three years, totaling a nearly 270% increase from 2020, according to the company’s SEC filings.

According to Bloomberg, the sale of parts helped buoy the company’s portfolio — parts sales grew by 22% between 2013 to 2019.

While Lieb’s fifth-generation family farm operates on annual tractor trade-ins so his machines stay on a warranty, which includes free parts and services, he’s in the minority. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 20% of farmers in the U.S. regularly buy new machines.

The rest hold on to their equipment for longer periods of time or buy secondhand machines, which come with limited warranties or none at all, making repair restrictions more consequential.

Equipment made before 2014 doesn’t have as much complicated software, and there are more repair workarounds. Still, the costs of repairing older machines add up.

I once knew some of the owners of John Deere Tractors. They're living all plush and cozy, up in Aspen.

[todaysdocument]

Photograph with caption "Excavator on Mile 52 being pulled by traction-engine, plow side. August 8, 1904."

Record Group 77: Records of the Office of the Chief of EngineersSeries: Photographs of Construction and Use of the Illinois-Mississippi CanalFile Unit: Album 1

This black and white photograph shows an excavator being pulled by what looks like a locomotive engine with large wheels and a tall smokestack.  One man operates the engine, while two men stand on the back of the excavator.  The machinery is on dirt field with trees in the background.

[911whatsyourgratitude]

Want to Support the Writers' Strike But Don't Know How?

Here are some things you as a fan or hopeful screenwriter can do to help with the writers' strike.

Please do watch shows when they air!

This material has already been created and negotiated which means the writers get paid from that viewership. For those who don't remember the writers' strike in 2007, many networks bought the rights to rerun seasons of an old series such as when CBS aired the first season of Dexter.

Repost and share videos and content on social media from the WGAWest and WGAEast accounts!

As many of you know, the more traction a post gets the more likely it is to reach other people.

Sign as many WGA affiliated petitions as you can!

It's easy! Many of them are online.

Fans are welcome to come to the picket lines!

Everyone is welcome to attend however many picket lines have an RVSP link. All pre WGA Writers are encouraged to come (a lot of writers joke that it's a networking opportunity!)

Not in LA or New York? That's okay!

Several cities in states such as Illinois, Georgia, North Caroline, etc also have picket lines.

Raise hell with the studios!

Many networks have material to appear like they aren't affected by the strike but most of that material is either reality series, game shows, and anything else that was pressured into being finished before the strike was officially declared. Flood their social media or write letters!

Prepare Yourself and Remember

Many studios are going to start releasing to the press that production for your favorite shows are going to be pushed even more because of the strike. Prepare yourself for that reality. While it is sad, everyone deserves a livable wage and work place protections. Our favorite shows wouldn't exist without the writers.

You can see more what the WGA is demanding on the instagram pages linked above.

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

:3

There's a stairway to heaven and a highway to hell, but the midnight train goes anywhere. Trains are clearly the superior transit method.

[seeyal8r]

L8rboy (often stylized as L8RBOY!) made their debut on March 21st, 2017 under Hidden Entertainment with members Hana, Heather, Poupette, Mae, and Lo. Their debut single, See ya!, didn't receive the warm welcome they had hoped for. The debut was met with a wave of criticism from netizens for various reasons, including the fact that one of the members, Hana, was the daughter of the company's CEO. Hana was also criticized for her perceived lack of professionalism and inadequate preparation, particularly her subpar rap skills. Additionally, the group faced backlash because their leader, Mae, was not of Asian descent.

Although the girls started the promotion of their single with high spirits, their enthusiasm waned over time, leading to the cancellation of some of their final scheduled interviews. After several months of absence from social media, the group came back with their first mini-album, SHOUT OUT, featuring the single ICY. The same day of its release, #TheyKeepTalkinIKeepWalkin became trending topic on Twitter. This particular line resonated with the girls and fans alike, as it directly addressed the unjust hate the group had received during their debut. The hashtag quickly gained traction, symbolizing the group's resilience and determination to succeed despite the criticism they had faced.

With the initial controversy having died down, SHOUT OUT was warmly received by the few fans they had garnered during their debut as well as attracted new ones, allowing them to stabling a modest but dedicated mostly local fanbase.

After two years and three comebacks, L8RBOY silently disbanded following the release of their mini album STRAWBERRIES & CREAM, with CAKE being the last title track released under Hidden Entertainment. The disbandment was never officially announced, but it became evident as the members remained inactive for nearly a year. This period of silence ended with the announcement that INFERNO MUSIK had acquired L8RBOY's contract.

INFERNO MUSIK rebranded the group, shifting their image from a cute concept to a more mature, girl crush aesthetic. The lineup also saw changes, with members Lo and Hana staying behind at Hidden Entertainment and being replaced by two trainees from INFERNO: Achara and Silv, the latter of whom gained fame from her participation in the survival show The Bird Box, hosted by INFERNO.

L8RBOY re-debuted on 2020 with the mini album Killing Your Darlings, and its title track LOVES!CK GIRLS broke into the music charts, marking a turning point for the group. For the first time, L8RBOY was experiencing the success they had longed for, and their future seemed brighter than ever. Over the next two years, they solidified their place in the industry, enjoying a level of popularity they had previously only dreamed of.

However, in 2023, they came back with their first full album with only four members. Mae was noticeably absent from the promotions, and no official explanation was provided. Mae has not promoted with the group since then, leaving fans uncertain about her future with L8RBOY.

Despite a rocky start in the industry, L8RBOY has emerged as one of the most iconic and influential girl groups of their generation. Their journey from a troubled debut to chart-topping success is a testament to their resilience and talent, securing their place in the records of K-pop history.

THE BASICS

COMPANY: former Hidden Entertainment, current INFERNO MUSIK

OFFICIAL COLOR: strawberry red

FANDOM: lovebirds

GREETING: you should’ve seen it coming! Hello, we’re L8RBOY!

PAST MEMBERS: Hana & Lo

ACTIVE MEMBERS: Heather, Achara, Poupette & Silv

INACTIVE MEMBERS: Mae

GET TO KNOW THE MEMBERS! ★

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ BORN TO BE A BRODWAY STAR, FORCED TO BE MISTREATED IN THE KPOP INDUSTRY ﹒ ₊˚﹒

THE BASICS

STAGE NAME: Heather

BIRTH NAME: Heather Lee

KOREAN NAME: Lee Hayun

BIRTHDAY: September 5th, 2000

BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, USA

HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois

ETHNICITY: Dutch-Korean

NATIONALITY: American

THE CAREER

PROFESSION: idol

COMPANY: former Hidden Entertainment, current INFERNO MUSIK

GROUP: L8RBOY!

POSITION: lead vocalist, lead dancer, face of the group, maknae

YEARS ACTIVE: 2017-2019, 2020-present

YEARS TRAINED: 4 years

THE CLAIMS

FACECLAIM: Jeon Somi

VOICECLAIM: DeVita & Eva Noblezada

THE BACKSTORY

Heather Lee was born in Chicago to a loving family as their only child. Her parents had struggled for years with infertility, finally giving up hope of ever having a child. Then, by a stroke of luck, her mother became pregnant with Heather, and they felt it was nothing short of a miracle. From that moment, Heather became the light of their lives, and they devoted themselves to providing her with the best life they could.

From an early age, Heather showed a keen interest in theater, especially musicals. She eagerly joined every theater group that got on her way, taking on roles such as Karen Smith in Mean Girls and Fiona in Shrek. During her teenage years, she tirelessly auditioned for various Broadway musicals, yet each time, she faced rejection. Despite her mounting desperation and growing sense of defeat, she never gave up on her dream.

The one day a member of Hidden Entertainment’s staff saw her perform as Cinderella in her high school’s production of Into the Woods. Impressed by her talent, he offered her a trainee position at the company. Heather seized the opportunity without hesitation, believing that if Broadway wasn’t her destiny, perhaps the K-pop industry was where she truly belonged.

After a relatively short training period, Heather debuted as the lead vocalist of L8RBOY. Her genuine personality and astonishing vocals quickly made her the second most popular member of the group. Following the silent disbandment of L8RBOY and the subsequent acquisition of the group’s contract by INFERNO MUSIK, Heather was the first to sign on among the three members who survived the lineup changes.

In the group's re-debut under INFERNO, Heather kept her position and saw her career flourish. She eventually became the face of L8RBOY. Her solo success also led to her debut as a solo artist and landed her a summer contract to play Eurydice in the Broadway musical Hadestown.

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ THE SWEETEST GIRL IN TOWN! SHE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG IN HER WHOLE LIFE﹒ ₊˚﹒

THE BASICS

STAGE NAME: Achara

BIRTH NAME: Achara ‘Tara’ Rhitthirong

BIRTHDAY: October 21st, 1998

BIRTHPLACE: Ayutthaya, Thailand

HOMETOWN: Bangkok, Thailand

ETHNICITY: Thai

NATIONALITY: Thai

THE CAREER

PROFESSION: idol, coreographer

COMPANY: former YG Entertainment, current INFERNO MUSIK

GROUP: Blackpink L8RBOY!

POSITION: main dancer, main rapper, center

YEARS ACTIVE: 2020-present

YEARS TRAINED: 6 years (3 years at YG, 3 at INFERNO)

THE CLAIMS

FACECLAIM: Nicha Yontararak ‘Minnie’

VOICECLAIM: LE

THE BACKSTORY

Achara ‘Tara’ Rhitthirong was born in Ayutthaya, where she spent her early years. As the youngest of six children, she didn’t receive much attention from her parents during her childhood. Initially puzzled by their lack of time for her, young Tara eventually came to terms with being invisible, even finding a certain comfort in it. Her siblings didn’t receive much attention either, so Tara found solace in her own pursuits. She spent the time that most kids would spend with their families in dance classes, a passion she discovered after attending one of her older sister’s ballet recitals.

Although she danced purely for enjoyment without any professional aspirations, her instructors saw her potential and encouraged her to compete at a national level. She performed exceptionally well, securing several national titles. It was at one of these competitions that she caught the eye of YG Entertainment, who offered her a trainee position and a fully covered move to South Korea. One benefit of having inattentive parents is that they don’t seem to mind you moving alone to a completely different country at the age of 13.

Tara trained at YG for three years and was even considered for debut in BLACKPINK. However, she was ultimately replaced in the lineup by Lisa. Disheartened but determined, Tara stayed with YG for a few more months before her contract was acquired by INFERNO MUSIK.

After an additional three years of rigorous training, she debuted as Achara in L8RBOY. She quickly earned a reputation as one of the best dancers in the industry, praised for her professionalism and passion. Tara is also well known for her easygoing, bubbly personality.

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ SHE WORKED HER ASS OFF TO BE HERE. WAS IT WORTH IT? ﹒ ₊˚﹒

THE BASICS

STAGE NAME: Mae

BIRTH NAME: Daisy-Mae Pérez

BIRTHDAY: June 11th, 2000

BIRTHPLACE: New Jersey, New York, USA

HOMETOWN: New Jersey, New York, USA

ETHNICITY: Hispanic

NATIONALITY: American

THE CAREER

PROFESSION: idol

COMPANY: former Hiddent Entertainment, current INFERNO MUSIK

GROUP: L8RBOY!

POSITION: lead rapper, lead dancer, vocalist

YEARS ACTIVE: 2017-2019, 2020-present

YEARS TRAINED: 5 years

THE CLAIMS

FACECLAIM: Bebe Wood

VOICECLAIM: Jennie Kim

THE BACKSTORY

Daisy-Mae Pérez was born into a modest family in New Jersey. From a young age, she showed a profound interest in the performing arts. She spent her days dancing around the house, singing in the church choir, or rehearsing for her school plays. Her parents, despite their limited financial resources, were captivated by their daughter’s passion and talent. They did everything they could to support her dream, even postponing their divorce to ensure their limited funds went toward Daisy-Mae rather than legal fees.

They enrolled Daisy-Mae in dance classes, the most they could afford. It was there that she was introduced to K-pop by a friend. From that moment, debuting in the Korean industry became her ultimate goal, and she dedicated herself entirely to achieving it. She spent every moment outside of school practicing and honing her skills.

A few years later, Daisy-Mae passed the international auditions for Hidden Entertainment. After an emotional farewell with her parents, she boarded a plane to Seoul and began her training. Her hardworking and determined nature quickly set her apart, making her the top trainee of her cohort and earning her a debut spot with L8RBOY.

Being chosen as the group’s leader was the culmination of all her efforts, and for some time, Daisy-Mae was incredibly happy. She felt fulfilled and extremely fortunate for the opportunities life had given her. However, things took a turn for the worse when INFERNO acquired L8RBOY's contract. Despite surviving the lineup changes, Daisy-Mae lost her position as leader. She was heartbroken and couldn’t understand the reason why, but she continued to persevere, driven by her dedication and the support of her fans.

However, something must have happened behind the scenes, as one day, Daisy-Mae was placed on an indefinite hiatus, and nothing more was heard from her.

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ EVERYONE KNOWS HER, BUT DOES EVERYONE LOVE HER? ﹒ ₊˚﹒

THE BASICS

STAGE NAME: Poupette

BIRTH NAME: Zhao Jiayi

FRENCH NAME: Juliette Zhao

BIRTHDAY: July 30th, 1999

BIRTHPLACE: Shenzhen, China

HOMETOWN: Marseille, France

ETHNICITY: Chinese

NATIONALITY: French

THE CAREER

PROFESSION: idol

COMPANY: former Hidden Entertainment, current INFERNO MUSIK

GROUP: L8RBOY!

POSITION: leader, main vocalist, visual

YEARS ACTIVE: 2017-2019, 2020-present

YEARS TRAINED: 5 years

THE CLAIMS

FACECLAIM: Song Yuqi

VOICECLAIM: Jung Wheein

THE BACKSTORY

Juliette Zhao, born Zhao Jiayi, was born in Shenzhen, China. However, she only spent her first year there before her family relocated to Marseille, France, due to her mother's business. Her mother, the owner of a prestigious luxury hotel chain, decided to move to Marseille to personally manage one of her hotels that was underperforming.

Juliette began singing in her school choir, where her exceptional vocal talent quickly stood out. Her teacher urged her mother to enroll her in private lessons, believing Juliette had the potential to build a career in music. Initially, her mother viewed the arts as a frivolous pursuit and not a stable career path. However, after persistent pleading from Jiayi, her mother finally agreed and payed for her lessons.

Continuing with the choir, Juliette also participated in various talent shows throughout her childhood. At the age of 12, she participated in the national contest to select France's representative for Junior Eurovision. Juliette not only won the national contest but also secured victory in the final competition. Following her victory, her mother received numerous offers from both Chinese and Korean music companies.

After considering their options, Jiayi and her mother chose to sign with Hidden Entertainment, whose CEO was an old classmate of her mother. Upon completing her training period, Jiayi debuted in L8RBOY as Poupette, taking on the role of the main vocalist. Despite the initial controversies surrounding the group's debut, Poupette was praised by netizens for her outstanding vocals and doll-like visage. She became the first member to cultivate a substantial solo fanbase.

With L8RBOY’s re-debut under INFERNO, Poupette not only retained her position as main vocalist but also took on the role of leader, a title previously held by Mae.

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ YOUR TRUSTY COMEDIC RELIEF SIDE CHARACTER, SAD ISN’T IT? ﹒ ₊˚﹒

THE BASICS

STAGE NAME: Silv

BIRTH NAME: Silvia Kang

KOREAN NAME: Kang Siah

BIRTHDAY: February 24th, 1998

BIRTHPLACE: Daegu, South Korea

HOMETOWN: Sevilla, Spain

ETHNICITY: Korean

NATIONALITY: Korean-Spanish

THE CAREER

PROFESSION: idol, songwriter

COMPANY: INFERNO MUSIK

GROUP: BIRDS OF PREY L8RBOY!

POSITION: vocalist, ocassional rapper

SURVIVAL SHOWS: The Bird Box (ranked 5th)

YEARS ACTIVE: 2020-present

YEARS TRAINED: 6 years

THE CLAIMS

FACECLAIM: Jung Jinsol

VOICECLAIM: Na Goeun

THE BACKSTORY

Silvia Kang, born Kang Siah, came into the world on a winter's day in Seville, Spain. Despite her Korean heritage and annual family trips to Daegu, her parents' hometown, Silvia always felt more Spanish than Korean. Growing up in a city as culturally rich as Sevilla, it was hard not to be influenced by its beauty, vibrant people, and unique customs.

Silvia's first encounter with the world of music began when her mother enrolled her in the conservatory to learn to play Spanish guitar. Initially, she saw it as a chore that took away time from playing with her school friends. However, Silvia soon fell in love with music. She began singing at the conservatory, and although she wasn’t the most outstanding vocalist, she enjoyed it immensely. She began performing mini-concerts at home for her parents and family friends.

By the age of 12, Silvia had written five songs, which she recorded with her guitar and uploaded to YouTube. It was through these videos that she was discovered by INFERNO MUSIK, who offered her a spot on their renowned international survival show, The Bird Box. Although Silvia was initially hesitant to accept the offer, knowing little about K-pop or its industry, her mother was thrilled that such a prestigious company like INFERNO had shown interest in her daughter. She convinced Silvia to participate, promising it would be a truly unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Silvia's time on The Bird Box was nothing short of remarkable. She managed to avoid elimination in every challenge until the final, where she was ultimately cut from debuting and finished in fifth place. Despite the glamour, not everything was as fantastic as it seemed. Silvia’s mother was right in saying it would be unforgettable, as whatever happened behind the scenes has led Silvia to never speak about her participation in The Bird Box.

After the show concluded, INFERNO offered Silvia a trainee contract with the promise of debuting within a few years. Following much internal debate, she decided to accept and give the K-pop industry a second chance. INFERNO kept its promise, and Silvia debuted as Silv with L8RBOY. Silv writes most of the group’s songs. Her talent extends beyond her group, as she frequently appears in the credits for songs by other top groups in the industry.

formatting insp. by the lovely myah! @venusvity

[covid-safer-hotties]

New XEC COVID subvariant poses potential threat heading into winter. Doctors urge vaccinations - Published Sept 23, 2024

By Rong-Gong Lin II

A new coronavirus subvariant is gaining steam and drawing more attention as a potential threat heading into late autumn and winter — a development that threatens to reverse recent promising transmission trends and is prompting doctors to renew their calls for residents to get an updated vaccine.

XEC, which was first detected in Germany, is gaining traction in Western Europe, said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. Like virtually all coronavirus strains that have emerged in the past few years, it’s a member of the sprawling Omicron family — and a hybrid between two previously documented subvariants, KP.3 and KS.1.1.

Past surges have tended “to move from Western Europe to the East Coast to the West Coast of the U.S.,” Hudson said. “So if this does take off more and more as we get towards the colder weather months, this probably would be the variant that will potentially take hold.”

XEC hasn’t been widely seen nationally so far. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.3.1.1, a descendant of the FLiRT subvariants, is the dominant circulating strain nationwide. For the two-week period ending Sept. 14, KP.3.1.1 was estimated to comprise 52.7% of the nation’s coronavirus specimens.

XEC, by comparison, isn’t yet being tracked on the CDC’s variant website. A subvariant needs to make up an estimated 1% or more of coronavirus cases nationwide to qualify.

But there are estimates that XEC makes up 13% of coronavirus samples in Germany and 7% in Britain, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious diseases expert.

“We’ll have to see how things go. If this does take off, probably we would start to see it more like November, December time,” Hudson said. “So like after Halloween — when the weather will probably get more reliably cool here, people start to go indoors more often — that’s when we’re more likely to see this potentially take hold.”

Any fall or winter resurgence, which has become a reliable occurrence ever since the emergence of COVID-19, would follow a prolonged summer surge that surprised doctors and experts with its strength.

One silver lining, though, is that the timing and strength of the summer COVID surge probably means it could be a couple of months before many people become more susceptible to reinfection, Chin-Hong said.

Last winter’s COVID peak in California — in terms of viral levels in wastewater — was the first week of January.

After the surprisingly strong summer surge, COVID is now declining or probably declining in 22 states, including California and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia, the CDC said Friday.

The COVID trend is stable or uncertain in another 22 states, including Florida and New York. COVID is projected to be growing or probably growing in New Jersey, Washington and Massachusetts, and there was no data for the three remaining states.

Still, new COVID infections remain relatively high in many parts of the country. Coronavirus levels in wastewater are still considered “high” or “very high” in 40 states, including California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the CDC said Friday. They were categorized as “low” or “minimal” in six states, including New York, Michigan, Nevada and Hawaii.

In Los Angeles County, coronavirus indicators are on a downward trend. For the 10-day period that ended Sept. 7, the most recent available, coronavirus levels in wastewater were at 56% of last winter’s peak. That’s down from the 10-day period that ended Aug. 24, when viral levels were at 75% of last winter’s peak.

An average of 239 coronavirus cases a day were reported for the week that ended Sept. 15, down 31% from the prior week. Officially reported coronavirus cases are an undercount, as they don’t factor in tests done at home or account for the fact that many people aren’t testing at all when sick. But the trends are still useful in determining how a COVID wave is progressing.

The share of emergency department visits classified as coronavirus-related in L.A. County was 2.8% for the week that ended Sept. 15, down from 3.5% the prior week.

The average number of COVID-19 deaths, however, is rising — an expected development given the surge in illness and the lag in reporting fatalities. An average of 4.9 COVID deaths were reported per day for the week that ended Aug. 27 in L.A. County, up from the prior week’s number of 4.3.

COVID levels in the wastewater of the San Francisco Bay Area are also settling down. Coronavirus levels were considered medium in the sewersheds of San José and Palo Alto, and low in Sunnyvale and Gilroy, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said.

The rate at which coronavirus tests are coming back positive is falling in California. For the week that ended Sept. 16, 8.9% of reported coronavirus tests — typically those done at medical facilities — returned positive results. The seasonal peak was 12.8%, for the week that ended Aug. 10, according to the latest data.

It remains unclear how bad this winter’s respiratory virus season will be. COVID isn’t the only game in town, as health officials also are closely monitoring flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

The CDC in late August forecasted that this fall-and-winter season will either be similar to last year, or perhaps slightly less potent. But that forecast could be overly optimistic, the agency warned, if some assumptions are off — such as if fewer people get vaccinated than expected.

The situation may be improved because people may still have some residual immunity from flu and RSV, Chin-Hong said, which flared up the past couple of winters. Also helping matters is the rollout of vaccines against RSV, which became available last year.

Still, every winter carries its own respiratory illness risk. Circulation of a type of flu that’s different than the ones included in the vaccine would make those shots less effective, for instance.

And the experience from parts of the Southern Hemisphere for their winter suggests the respiratory virus season could be active here, Hudson said.

“Australia — they had a pretty robust and early flu season, and we are already starting to see a couple of cases of flu here in the U.S., which is pretty darn early,” Hudson said.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines. The immunizations are widely available, and the best time to get vaccinated is in September and October, the CDC says.

After a coronavirus infection, people may consider waiting three months to get the latest COVID vaccination, according to the CDC. But people can also choose to get it as soon as they feel better.

“I always have hope. And if folks get vaccinated — this is the perfect time now to get vaccinated against flu, get the new COVID shot — we could potentially tamp down on what will certainly be another more typical fall-and-winter surge. But I think the jury is out in terms of how bad it is going to be,” Hudson said.

Getting vaccinated “means fewer sick days and more time with your loved ones. We are stronger when we are all protected against respiratory diseases,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, the director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement.

Older or immunocompromised people who haven’t been vaccinated in more than a year are at highest risk for severe COVID illness and death, officials say.

Data show that people who got last year’s updated COVID vaccine were 54% less likely to get the disease between mid-September 2023 through January, according to the CDC.

A flu vaccine that’s well matched to the circulating viruses can also reduce the likelihood of becoming sick enough to require a doctor’s visit — by 40% to 60%, the CDC said.

There are needle-free options for getting the flu vaccine, such as FluMist, which has been available for many years as a nasal spray for non-pregnant people ages 2 to 49. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved at-home use of FluMist — meaning adults can administer the vaccine to themselves or their children.

A prescription will still be needed for the at-home option, which is expected to be available starting fall 2025.

COVID remains a greater risk to public health than the flu, the CDC says. Since Oct. 1, at least 55,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported nationally. At least 25,000 flu deaths are estimated over that same time period. Flu death estimates are expected to be updated in October or November.

The CDC recommends RSV vaccinations for all adults age 75 and older, as well as those ages 60 to 74 who are at increased risk for severe disease. The RSV vaccine, however, is not annual, so people who got one last year don’t need to get another one at this time.

An RSV vaccine is also available for expectant mothers at weeks 32 to 36 of pregnancy to pass protection to their fetuses. An RSV antibody is available for babies and some young children, too.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will again make four free COVID tests available through the mail for households. You can register at covidtests.gov starting at the end of September.

Besides getting vaccinated, California health officials urged people to take other steps to prevent getting sick and infecting others. They include staying home when sick, testing for COVID and flu if you’re sick, wearing a mask in indoor public settings, washing hands, covering cough and sneezes, and ventilating indoor spaces.

[frances-baby-houseman]

Ambitious governors Democrats have a deep bench of governors who are widely seen as influential party leaders. They include Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Wes Moore of Maryland, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, among others. Mr. Murphy is among the potential candidates to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee who are now having discussions about running for that post. Mr. Newsom and Mr. Pritzker on Friday began the process of putting forward legislation to codify anti-Trump measures into their state laws.

If there's one thing I think democrats should focus on in the next round, it's getting a governor ready to run for president. I think this is a real murderers row of politicians who are winning critical states that feature a mix of the kind of conversations they'll need to have with the general electorate.

Barack Obama is a once in a generation politician, but beyond him, we've been having pretty shit luck with senators. Mondale, Gore (both VP in addition to the senate), Kerry, Hillary, Kamala, all the way back to freaking George McGovern!--All senators who just had trouble getting traction. I think we need something of a cult of personality and you have more of that from someone who is staying in their state and working with the problems of the people.

I personally was happy to vote for these people!! But I think there's something to be said about senators getting hired then leaving the state and working on stuff that people don't care about! Are you possibly better at foreign policy as a senator than a governor? maybe! do the people care? I just don't think so! They like cuckoos and governors and obama! We gotta get a handshakey guy up there kissing babies and sounding like an idiot and yes that include big gretch!

above quote from this story

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

Interesting a Married Pair with a front door

As you can see all these married pair Multiple Units have a door located on the face of each cab to facilitate movement between each unit

Also get some model trains

鉄コレ遠州鉄道2000形入線。

[fandomgeeknerd]

ok i'm done i did it here it is ( i got done with this last night but i knew it wouldn't get any traction if i posted it last night)

and now i will list off every book on this list so you guys can know

list under cut cus listing 50 books is long af

the west: the night before christmas in nevada by sue carabine, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oregon by Susan Blackaby, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Washington illustrated by Jo Parry, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona by Jennifer J. Stewart, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in New Mexico illustrated by Jo Parry, 12 little elves visit colorado by trish madson, santa's sleigh is on it's way to wyoming by eric james, 12 Little Elves Visit Montana by trish madson, The Night Before Christmas in Idaho by sue carabine, Santa Is Coming to Utah by Steve Smallman, santa's sleigh is on it's way to alaska by eric james, Hawaiian Christmas Day by Beth Greenway and you already know cali's book.

the south: Santa Is Coming to Tulsa by Steve Smallman, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Arkansas illustrated by Jo Parry, Christmas Stories from Mississippi by Wyatt Waters,I Saw Santa in Alabama by JD Green, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia by Susan Rosson Spain, the Charleston 12 Days of Christmas by Vickie Trippe, The North Carolina Night Before Christmas by E. J. Sullivan, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Tennessee by Alice Faye Duncan, An Old Kentucky Christmas by pat lucas, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in West Virginia illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa's Visit to Maryland by Lynn Roxy Gambrill, I Saw Santa in Virginia by JD Green, Santa's Sleigh Is on Its Way to Delaware by Eric James, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C. by Candice Ransom, you guys already know what tex, loui and flo's books are.

the midwest: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in North Dakota illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa Is Coming to South Dakota by Steve Smallman, 12 Little Elves Visit Nebraska by trish madson, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Kansas City illustrated by Jo Parry, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Missouri by Ann Ingalls, Santa Is Coming to Iowa by Steve Smallman, A Minnesota Christmas by Ryan Jacobson, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Wisconsin by Erin Eitter Kono, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Illinois by Gina Bellisario, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Indiana by Donna Griffin, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Ohio illustrated by Jo Parry, A Michigan Night Before Christmas by Norma Lewis.

the northeast: Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas by Chet Williamson, The Twelve Days of Christmas in New Jersey by Margaret Woollatt, Santa Is Coming to Connecticut by Steve Smallman, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Rhode Island illustrated by Jo Parry, Santa Is Coming to Massachusetts by Steve Smallman, now maine has two books one is The Lobsters' Night Before Christmas by Christina Laurie and the second one is One Maine Christmas Eve by Douglas Coffin, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Vermont illustrated by Jo Parry, and lastly Santa's Sleigh Is on Its Way to New Hampshire by Eric James and you guys already know ny's book.

ok now enjoy this post bye

[justinssportscorner]

Jeff Passan at ESPN:

Sen. Dick Durbin plans to introduce the Fair Ball Act, a bill that would further protect minor league baseball players from previous legislation that exempted them from wage and hour laws, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. In the bill, Durbin (D-Illinois), who has been an outspoken advocate for minor league players and is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, promotes rolling back the exemption granted by the Save America's Pastime Act (SAPA), whose inclusion in a 2018 spending bill allowed teams to avoid abiding by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Should the Fair Ball Act pass, players would be entitled to minimum wage and overtime laws in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. Minor league players, who unionized with the Major League Baseball Players Association in September 2022, struck a deal with MLB on a collective bargaining agreement in March 2023 and drastically increased salaries and benefits after years of below minimum wage pay.

"Workers deserve a fair playing field everywhere -- including in baseball," Durbin said in a statement. "Executives at MLB lobbied Congress hard for federal wage and hour law exemptions in order to avoid legal liability with the 2018 Save America's Pastime Act. While I commend MLB for voluntarily recognizing the unionization of Minor League Baseball players in 2022, it is time to roll back SAPA in deference to the gains made by that historic unionization. I'm proud to stand with these workers, unions and the integrity of the sport. I stand ready to pass the Fair Ball Act into law." MLB declined comment when reached by ESPN. The treatment of minor leaguers led to a class-action lawsuit in 2014 by players, who argued that MLB teams had run afoul of labor laws. Two years later, SAPA was introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky) to exempt MLB teams from having to pay minimum wage to players, who made as little as $1,000 per month and were paid during the season only. While SAPA never gained traction in Congress, its language was included in a spending bill passed in 2018.

The unionization of the minor leagues lifted minimum salaries, ranging from $19,800 per year for players at teams' complexes (previously $4,800) to $35,800 at Triple-A (previously $17,500). MLB later agreed to pay $185 million to settle the class-action lawsuit.

[...] The contraction of more than 40 minor league teams before the 2021 season and past treatment of players continue to resonate, and the Fair Ball Act -- which is also being sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) -- is intended to keep MLB from using SAPA as a leverage point during negotiations after the minor league agreement expires following the 2027 season. The current session of Congress ends Jan. 3, 2025, and with judicial appointments, a spending bill and disaster aid among the current legislative priorities, the Fair Ball Act could be pushed to the next session or, like SAPA, folded into a larger bill.

The Fair Ball Act is a good bill by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to protect minor leagues.

[rise-tv]

The Crop Circle Mystery | Crop Circles in England Controversy

Let's explore how the crop circles or crop circles in England are man-made landscape art, debunking the myth of alien involvement.

Explanation - The Crop Circle Mystery:-

Crop circles are a simple phenomenon: they are landscape art created by people.

Despite proof to the contrary, certain individuals still think that aliens transported by UFOs created crop circles.

But how did mysterious flying objects become associated with flattened swaths of cereal grains? And why are these styles historically connected to southern England?

The answers to these questions are straightforward: Doug Bower and Dave Chorley. Chorley and Bower were buddies who resided near Winchester in England. In 1978, both of them were sitting in a bar, "thinking about what they could do for something of a laugh," Chorley recalled in Time magazine in 1991. Inspired by earlier reports of UFO landings — the UFO craze was growing in the late 1970s, having gained traction shortly after a retired military officer gave an interview regarding the Roswell event, stating a mysterious alien had fallen in the New Mexico desert in 1947 — Chorley and Bower decided to build their own fictitious UFO landing site.

Bower and Chorley went into a field, armed with some boards, rope, and a twist of wire affixed to the brim of a baseball hat to sit their patterns and began working on their masterpiece. Nobody noticed. The two needed to make repeated trips to the southern English area over a few years before the global media picked up their newly constructed crop circles in England. When the tale went viral and UFO enthusiasts showed them in droves, the painters stepped forward and admitted to the fake.

Since then, crop circles have become both an outdoor art form and a visitor attraction. Their credibility as otherworldly artefacts have faded, but devout believers, known as "croppies," continue to believe aliens have been accountable for at least some crop circles. Marketers are now more likely to be to blame, with crop circles being used to promote games and chips for computers. 

What is a crop circle?

Crop circles are massive designs created by flattening crops like wheat, barley, and canola. Crop circle artists continue to stomp out patterns with boards of wood, as a National Geographic movie made in 2004 showed. The painters cover their tracks in current tractor-tire ruts, giving the impression that the pattern fell from the sky.

Crop circles can be easy or complex. England remains a hotbed for crop circle creators, with masterpieces featuring triangles, spinner forms, and crescents. They've also appeared elsewhere in the world, with one story in the Illinois daily Courier & Press describing them as a "plague" in the state during the 1990s. "We feel it's possibly just kids," Rock Island County Sheriff Tod VanWolvelaere told the publication decades later.

A Reference to The Edge of Wonder TV:-

Join Edge of Wonder TV for a detailed video on how crop circles are man-made landscape art, debunking the myth of alien involvement. Doug Bower and Dave Chorley were the individuals behind the creation of these mysterious formations in southern England. Find out the weirdest news in history, hidden facts and mysteries, and much more only on the Rise TV Show.

Join Chronicles of Psychic Spy on The Rise TV Show to watch the full episode on the crop circle mystery that is uncovered by remote viewing of many different crop circles to understand if they come from the same source.

Famous crop circles:-

The first mention of a crop-related enigma currently associated with crop circles was a woodcut chapbook, or tiny book containing ballads, songs, and tracts, titled "The Mowing Devil," which dates back to 1678. As stated by Oxford Reference, this chapbook depicts the story of a low-wage farmer who declined to pay a labourer to chop his oats. The devil accomplished the job overnight, "shaving them in rounds." Though the oats in the narrative were mowed rather than flattened, crop circle proponents used this anecdote to support their claims about crop circles' long-standing origins.

In 1996, a spectacular crop circle named the "Julia Set" emerged near Stonehenge. Following the Skeptical Inquirer, a local pilot claimed to have flown over the area for an hour before the crop circle formed and seen nothing, before returning to witness a spiral of ever larger circles. The crop circle's purported abrupt appearance fueled speculation that it was of otherworldly origin. However, according to the Skeptical Inquirer, these testimonies from witnesses were dubious — and the regional creator claimed to know who created the Julia set and that it was done the night before the crop circle was discovered, rather than in broad daylight.

Final Thoughts:-

Crop circles are large designs made by flattening crops, often created by artists using wood boards. They can be found in various shapes and have been reported in different parts of the world, including England and Illinois. Some believe that kids make them.

Bower and Chorley created crop circles in a field in England using simple tools, but it took years before their work gained attention. Once the media picked up the story and UFO enthusiasts flocked to see the circles, the artists revealed that they were responsible for the hoax.

The story of "The Mowing Devil," a woodcut chapbook from 1678, is often cited by crop circle proponents as evidence of the long-standing origins of crop circles, even though the oats in the story were mowed rather than flattened.

[trainsgenderfoxgirl2816]

:3

BTW all of these trains are from the 1920s or 30s

lets player i watch sometimes uploaded a video of a survival game where you build a train base and i have always been utterly enthralled with the concept of mobile structures and in particular i have long fantasized about a sandbox game where your base is a train on a track that just keeps going but the game in the video completely squanders this concept by making it a linear story focused survival game with ultra sci-fi rectangle hover trains on an ice planet with a halo ring and like who fucking cares dude we get it you want to be subnautica but on ground soooo fucking bad.

what fun is a locomotive if it isn’t simultaneously a quaint, antiquated little gizmo and a roaring steel monster. give me a heavily stylized game set in a world that’s like early 20th century america in tech but there’s no like full industrial society just stations at little wild west esque towns and maybe the occasional city with like 1 (One) Steel Foundry. i wanna endlessly ride through scenic vistas on tracks that nobody built and people just decided to start following. i wanna do like regular train stuff and make deliveries between stations and carry passengers but i also want to be able and encouraged to build a stupid fuckoff huge train that goes back an arbitrary number of cars and functions as its own mobile town where you can recruit little guys at stations to come live on your train and you have cars for like processing materials or something. give me a game with the energy of driving your custom, kind of shitty train across that stupid bridge in stormworks to get to the arctic but also with something to do along the way, that’s the dream.

idk im kinda eepy but this game skirted so close to a game i have been frothing at the mouth for forever and then made the complete dealbreaker of being sci-fi, i can’t code for shit and have completely failed every time i tried to learn but i kind of want to make a design doc for my train game now even though this is the exact kind of huge scale dream game idea where you just straight up cannot make anything close to it without making like 30 boring stupid games over the course of 17 years first

[theknightmarket]

Bump in the Night

[This is a thanks to all the people who have stuck around for this little (big) interlude. I really appreciate each and every one of you, whether you've liked a post, reblogged it, commented, or just skimmed. I've written things in the past that never got much traction, so I'm always going to be grateful to those who encouraged me to keep going, even when it was difficult. With that out of the way, here's an explanation of the treat underneath the cut!]

'Bump in the Night' is a Ghosts AU of the Markiplier Extended Universe; Space, Heist, Date, Who Killed, etc. I've collected some of the most interesting characters - in my opinion - and decided, hey, why not make this a thing? So, starting now, there will be a series for Bump in the Night.

Because the characters won't be exactly the same as the ones you're used to - see: AU -, I'm going to be opening up for questions regarding head cannons of these guys, and others (they'll still be around, just not prevalent in the main plot line) regarding Bump in the Night. Just send 'em to my ask box, whether or not it's open for requests, but be warned! There might be spoilers, which will be marked as spoilers, or you can tag a note on the end of the question for how revealing you want it to be.

The main cast will include a range of characters, some obvious and some not so much:

Dark (Who Killed Markiplier, and general)

Mark (Who Killed Markiplier, and general)

Wilford (Who Killed Markiplier, and general)

Damien (Who Killed Markiplier)

Illinois (Heist with Markiplier)

Yancy (Heist with Markiplier)

Engineer (In Space with Markiplier)

Noir (In Space with Markiplier)

Host (Markiplier TV)

And, of course, you!

Unmentioned characters will be introduced as the story goes, or you can just ask if/when they're going to be there in my ask box. Just the same, if there's a character that is getting a lot of questions, I'll put up a poll to see if I should add them to the main crew.

The warnings for this are going to be pretty much the same as those of my one-shots; there's going to be a little bit of gore, a lot of angst, and you can fucking bet there'll be swearing. So, kids, go on and git. Anything that comes outside of these boundaries will be mentioned before the chapter.

And, just like that, I think you're reading to see the first chapter of Bump in the Night, eh? It'll be published separately, but there's going to be a link when I get the chapter up on both Tumblr and AO3 for your pleasure. I hope you all enjoy reading!

Sincerely, Knight.

[Tumblr link!]