#ground handling equipment mississippi

[arcforestrymulching]

The Benefits of Forestry Mulching for Managing Overgrown Land

Overgrown land can quickly become unmanageable, posing challenges for property owners looking to reclaim or repurpose their space. Forestry mulching is an effective and environmentally friendly method for managing overgrown land and restoring its usability. This modern approach to land clearing combines efficiency, eco-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, making it a preferred choice for vegetation management and brush removal.

What is Forestry Mulching?

Forestry mulching involves using specialized mulching equipment to grind trees, brush, and undergrowth into a fine mulch. Unlike traditional clearing methods, which often require burning or hauling debris, this process leaves behind nutrient-rich mulch that benefits the soil. It is ideal for tree clearing, underbrush clearing, and preparing land for development or agriculture.

Key Benefits of Forestry Mulching

Efficient Overgrowth ManagementOvergrown properties with dense vegetation or small trees can be challenging to clear. Forestry mulching handles brush cutting and vegetation clearing quickly and efficiently, reducing the time it takes to reclaim your land. The process is streamlined, combining land mulching and clearing into one step.

Environmentally Friendly SolutionForestry mulching is one of the most eco-friendly land clearing methods. It eliminates the need for burning or heavy machinery that can harm the environment. The mulch left behind helps with soil stabilization and prevents erosion, supporting land restoration and healthier ecosystems.

Prevents Soil ErosionTraditional clearing methods often leave soil exposed, leading to erosion and reduced fertility. Forestry mulching protects the ground by leaving a layer of mulch that retains moisture, prevents erosion, and improves soil quality. This is especially important for areas prone to soil degradation or requiring erosion control.

Cost-Effective Land ClearingBy combining tree mulching, brush management, and debris removal into one process, forestry mulching saves time and money. Property owners benefit from reduced labor costs and a cleaner result without the added expense of hauling debris off-site.

Supports Land Restoration and MaintenanceForestry mulching promotes land maintenance and the natural regrowth of native plants. The mulch acts as a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil and creating a healthier environment for future use. Whether you’re preparing for agriculture, firebreak creation, or general land improvement, this method is highly effective.

An Ideal Solution for Property Owners

For property owners dealing with overgrown land, forestry mulching is a practical and sustainable solution. It simplifies vegetation control, restores the land’s health, and provides long-lasting benefits for both the environment and property usability.

Reclaim your overgrown property with the efficiency and eco-friendliness of forestry mulching.

Author: A.R.C. Forestry Mulching & Brush Control

Who We Are

Searching for the right contractor for your upcoming land clearing or forestry mulching project? You have come to the right place! A.R.C. Forestry Mulching & Brush Control is a licensed & insured land clearing company that provides a wide selection of land clearing services. A few of the land clearing services that we supply include: forestry mulching, brush clearing, dirt work, excavation, and much more! Whether you are interested in having a new pond dug on your property or are wanting to have a lot cleared for new construction, we have what it takes to get the job done right!

Contact Us

A.R.C. Forestry Mulching & Brush Control

Tylertown, Mississippi, 39667, USA

(504) 982-1433

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[landcleaningusa123]

How Forestry Mulching is Revolutionizing Land Clearing in Lake View Mississippi

Lake View Mississippi, with its rich history and fertile land, is experiencing a surge in development. This progress, however, often necessitates land clearing. Traditional methods, while effective, come with a set of drawbacks. Here’s where forestry mulching emerges as a game-changer, offering a sustainable and efficient approach to land clearing in Lake View Mississippi.

What is Forestry Mulching?

Forestry mulching utilizes specialized machinery equipped with a powerful grinding attachment. This attachment shreds trees, brush, and other vegetation into fine mulch as the machine traverses the land. The resulting mulch is then dispersed back onto the ground, creating a nutrient-rich layer that suppresses weed growth and retains moisture. Benefits of Forestry Mulching in Lake View Mississippi landscape presents unique challenges for land clearing. Forestry mulching offers several advantages that address these concerns:

Environmentally Friendly: Unlike traditional methods that involve burning or hauling away debris, forestry mulching keeps the shredded material on-site. This reduces the risk of wildfires and minimizes the environmental impact. The leftover mulch acts as a natural soil amendment, promoting healthy plant growth in the future.

Cost-Effective: Forestry mulching eliminates the need for hauling away debris, reducing transportation costs. Additionally, the leftover mulch serves as a natural weed barrier, minimizing the need for herbicides, further lowering long-term maintenance expenses.

Erosion Control: The thick layer of mulch created by forestry mulching acts as a natural barrier against soil erosion. This is particularly beneficial in Lake View Mississippi, where heavy rainfall can cause significant soil loss. The mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, promoting healthy plant growth and preventing soil degradation.

Efficiency: Forestry mulching is a time-saving technique. Compared to traditional methods that involve multiple steps like cutting, clearing, and hauling, forestry mulching accomplishes land clearing in a single pass. This translates to quicker project completion times.

Versatility: Forestry mulching can handle a wide range of vegetation, from small trees and shrubs to thick brush and stumps. This makes it a suitable option for various land clearing projects in Lake View Mississippi, from residential developments to agricultural land preparation.

Applications of Forestry Mulching in Lake View Mississippi

The versatility of forestry mulching makes it ideal for a variety of land clearing projects in Lake View, including:

Residential Developments: Forestry mulching is a perfect solution for preparing land for new housing developments. It efficiently clears vegetation while leaving the soil healthy and ready for construction.

Commercial Land Clearing: Businesses seeking to expand or develop new properties in Lake View Mississippi can benefit from forestry mulching. It provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to clear land for commercial projects.

Right-of-Way Maintenance: Utility companies and government agencies in Lake View Mississippi can leverage forestry mulching to maintain power lines, pipelines, and roadways. The technique effectively clears vegetation while promoting soil stability on slopes.

Wildlife Habitat Management: Forestry mulching can be used to create firebreaks and control unwanted vegetation growth in wildlife management areas. This helps maintain a healthy habitat for native wildlife species.

Finding a Forestry Mulching Service in Lake View Mississippi with the growing popularity of forestry mulching, several qualified service providers operate in Lake View Mississippi. When choosing a company, consider factors like experience, equipment capabilities, and commitment to sustainable practices. Look for companies that utilize well-maintained machinery and have a proven track record of completing projects efficiently and safely. Forestry mulching presents a revolutionary approach to Land Clearing in Lake View Mississippi. It offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient solution for various development needs. By embracing this innovative technique, Lake View Mississippi can ensure responsible land management while paving the way for a greener future.

[scribbling-stiks]

Retrievers - XXIX - Dusk

Russia leans over a little as if to shield America from the world. America shakes a little, and Russia cups the back of America's head. Russia slowly walks over to the couch and guilds America in his steps. Russia pulls America into his lap, and America curls up into his chest.

America glances around the room before relaxing.

"This is so hard," America says.

"Yes, it is," Russia agrees.

"I'm just trying to protect them, you know? I'm trying so hard... I'm sorry. I'm sure you're stressed as it is."

"Shh, it's okay. You don't have to apologize."

America goes quiet and clutches onto Russia's shirt. Russia slowly rubs America's back.

"Can we change positions? My chest hurt."

Russia slowly picks America up and flips him onto his back. America sighs with relief, and Russia leans back. Russia gently pulls America to his chest and nuzzles America's hair.

'He's warm, and he smells nice.'

Russia smiles and closes his eyes.

"Russia?"

Russia opens his eyes and looks up to see Texas standing over them, a nervous look on his face.

"Yes?"

"Is Dixie okay?"

Russia bites his tongue for a moment.

'I don't think Dixie would want me revealing anything.'

"He will be," Russia finally says.

"... is there anything I could do to help? I just need to. I want to help somehow."

"Go find him and give him a hug," Russia replies with a confident look.

"Huh. Okay," Texas says.

Then Texas waves a large group of teens behind him. Then, they wander into the dining room and surround Dixie with a huge group hug. Russia smiles softly. Dixie laughs and looks at the kids with wide eyes. Dixie glances at Russia with teary eyes and a huge grin.

Russia smiles back before returning his attention to America, who is watching the scene with a brilliant smile that causes Russia's heart to skip a few beats. Russia blushes and buries his nose and mouth into America's hair to his flustered look.

'Meri is so cute.'

America sits up, and Russia releases him. America turns around and pulls Russia down by his shoulders. Then, he smirks and pulls Russia into a deep kiss. Russia immediately reciprocates, and his whole body tingled pleasantly.

It ends sooner than Russia would've liked, but America's giggling makes it worthwhile. America sits on Russia's legs and holds Russia's shoulders.

"Where did you even get wine?" America asks, licking his lips.

Russia shrugs, and America smacks his shoulder playfully with a laugh.

"You could've shared," America teases.

"Dad?"

America and Russia turn toward the voice, and Russia finds Delaware standing in front of them, fidgeting.

"Yeah? What is it, kiddo?" America asks.

"I just wanted to let you know that we're running really low on supplies. We might have to start siphoning gas for the generators, and we don't have enough food to last us more than a few more days."

"Shit, that's not good," America says, furrowing his brow.

"We should look for more when we leave to explore the grey magic," Russia suggests.

"Do you think that we'll be able to get anything there?"

"Maybe. It's weird at least."

"Yeah, that much magic in one place won't end well for anyone staying there, but that probably also means that if there were people there, they aren't there anymore," Massachusetts says, "and I can only assume it being grey is not a good thing. You will probably be fine as long as you don't stay long."

America nods.

"We'll have to leave tomorrow," America comments, looking at Russia for a response.

"Who is coming with us?" Russia asks.

"We can!" Alabama and Mississippi chorus.

"And we can take my truck," Alabama offers.

"And I will be going too," Dixie says, "Fin can handle it here, right Fin?"

Finland nods with a grin and flashes them a thumbs up.

"And I'll be helping here too while Dix is gone," Texas says, which is quickly followed by a few dozen kids cheers.

Texas laughs.

"What? It's ain't like they're going far," Texas says.

"But while we have time... ATTENTION!" Dixie exclaims with a loud clap.

The states go silent and spin around to stare at Dixie expectantly. The provinces and countries follow their lead soon after.

"I want all the furniture moved to the edges of the room and the mats brought out. It's time to combat train some of y'all," Dixie announces.

The room becomes a flurry of movement. And when the couch started moving from under him, Russia yelps and clings to America, who is laughing at him. Russia curls around America's body and stares, wide-eyed, at the floor and the group of various states flowing under the couch. If he had reached up, his hand would easily brush the lifted ceilings.

The couch is carefully placed against the wall separating the stairs from the rest of the living room, and several large gymnastics mats are laid across the open floor. Dixie stands in the middle of them and Texas charges at him.

Dixie turns around and grabs Texas by the shoulder and flips him into the air. Texas flies over Dixie and shrieks, landing on his back. Dixie puts a foot on Texas' chest and Texas laughs breathlessly.

"Dixie! I got the arm guards!" Kansas shouts, emerging from a side door and holding up a few huge bins.

'Those states really are strong.'

"Toss some of 'em over to me!" Dixie calls, getting off of Texas.

Kansas opens one of the bins and sends a few pieces of equipment soaring. The bin makes the room smell like dirt and mildew. The equipment looks like it used to be white, but is browned by age and use. Dixie catches them without an issue.

"Okay, now let's teach some of y'all how to punch," Dixie says, a mischievous spark in his eyes.

Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, and Virginia cheers. Lousiana throws some leg and arm guards at Texas, and Texas catches them with a huff. Dixie quickly pulls on the pieces with practiced motions. South Carolina runs at Dixie with a shout, and Dixie raises his arms to block some heavy punches.

"All y'all states need to get into pairs and take one extra person, " Dixie announces, blocking South Carolina's strikes without thought, "once y'all are grouped, send someone to go get you some shin and arm guards."

Texas dawns the equipment and Louisiana laughs and spins and hits Texas with what looks like a hook kick. Texas digs his heels into the ground to keep from moving.

"Everyone is gon' take turns with the equipment. I'll show you guys how to fight, but don't put your full strength into it unless you're sure your partner ain't gonna get hurt. Also, only the states are allowed to use the guards cuz I don't want none of y'all getting hurt over somethin' stupid."

South Carolina backs off, looking playfully defeated. Dixie laughs and turns to Russia.

"Come on Ruski, you need to do this too," Dixie says.

Russia looks to America. America nods and waves him forward. Russia walks forward carefully and Dixie smirks. Dixie holds up the guards.

"Take your best shot," Dixie says, "I ain't gonna go flyin' anywhere, and the guards are charmed."

Russia takes a deep breath and crouches a little. Chatter lights up the rest of the room, and several groups are talking and helping each other.

"Legs further apart," Dixie snaps.

Russia widens his stance and takes a punch.

"Use your shoulders!"

Russia takes another two strikes and kicks up at Dixie's raised arms. Dixie steps back, and Russia pauses.

"Cali! You're gonna have to work with this one!" Dixie says loudly, backing up and moving toward the group with Nigeria.

California and Ohio walk over. Ohio handing off the guards to California, who didn't look thrilled to put it on. The pieces look a little small on California, but it didn't seem to matter. California demands him to take a defensive stance, and she criticizes it.

At first, he was embarrassed by the criticism, but hearing it going on all around him forces him to realize that he isn't the only one who needs practice. He focuses on holding back his strength to keep from hurting the teens.

Russia is lost in the action, and they soon toss the gear and start dodging attacks.

"Don't be afraid to try!" California yells.

Russia pushes harder and ignores the sweat gathering on his brow. He leaps up over a punch from Ohio and blocks a knockout punch from California. He throws a swinging kick and knocks California onto her ass, and Russia grabs Ohio's fist, flipping him around and managing to throw him to the ground.

Ohio hit the mat with a gasp, and Russia huffs. Russia looks around, his fists at his sides. He's breathing heavily, and his hair feels wet with sweat.

"Jeez, you're better than I thought," California comments, standing up.

"I'm gonna be sore tomorrow," Ohio complains from the floor.

"Is the dancer over there doing well?" Canada asks, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, did you see Russ jumping around?"

Russia looks away, his face red.

"He's better than I expected," Dixie comments, helping Nigeria to her feet.

Russia takes a deep breath and looks out the window. It's already dark, and Russia can't make out much. Looking back to the room, he spots Finland wrestling Wyoming on the mats. Oregon is trying to pull her off and is almost successful.

"Okay, kids!" Dixie announces, "That's enough for today! Everyone will be continuing tomorrow."

"Can we have dinner?" Pennsylvania asks.

"Yeah, y'all might just have to wait a few minutes so I can get something whipped up," Dixie says, walking briskly into the kitchen.

Kids cheer breathlessly, and most of them collapse to the mats, raising their hands in the air out of happiness. Russia sighs. He sits down next to America, who had drifted off against the arm of the couch. America stirs and looks up at him sleepily.

Then, America gives Russia a dopey smile. Butterflies fill Russia's stomach, and Russia looks away with a love-struck look.

"You have fun?" America asks.

"Yes," Russia mumbles, his face growing hot and he rubs the back of his neck.

"You should go shower," America suggests, "it's going to take a little while for Dixie to have much to serve."

Russia nods and America waves him off with a large smile. Russia walks up the stairs with thoughts swirling around America's smile. Russia walks into the doorframe with a conk.

'Oww.'

~

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[ohgoddard]

Truth, Justice, and the Symbol of Peace.

Kyoto, Japan.

Fire.

All around him he felt the heat of the fire, the light of it bouncing in his peripherals. The flames seemed to tower above him, which was impressive given his height. High into the air, touching the tops of buildings the heat rose and masked all from his sight. The yelling was piercing through the wall of fire, screams for help as the back up heroes did their best to corral the citizens away from the encounter. The sky had turned dark and cloudy when he arrived, a hallmark of his style. First the ground shook, then the buildings fell. It was only with superspeed that he was able to save them all. They all shouted his name, called for him when there was trouble. He was…

“The symbol of peace? Please.”

All-Might stood not ten feet away from All For One. His business suit seemed immaculate as ever, his short silver hair swaying in the heat waves given off by the fire that now surrounds him. All-Might gripped his fists, his gold bracelets flexing on his arms. His red and white bodysuit had been torn, and his cape ripped to shreds, but he showed no injury.

“All for One..This is your last warning. Surrender now or feel the weight of your consequences! I am and will forever be the bastion of justice and freedom against your tyrannical desires! It is no use!” 

All-Might shifted his stance, raising his fists to his face. The fire moved his long pointed bangs in its waves, and his glare could scare even the most hardened of thugs. All for One laughed. “Foolish to even suggest it, Toshinori. You will be taken care of easily, belief or not. The people do not have your back.” he made a sweeping gesture, opening the wall of fire for a reveal. Dozens of people were running away from villains, who were being fought by heroes in a vain attempt to stall while they escaped. All-Might did not move from his position, though his heart sank when the direness of the situation met him. Will I have the strength to do after all? Even if I defeat All for One, will I still be enough to fight everyone else? As the wall of flame closed again, All for One rose into the air and lifted his arms into a cackle, whirlwinds forming in his hands.

“It's become that time, Toshinori! I will finally defeat my brother, I will end One for All, and I will become what I set out to be!” With this, he pointed his open hands shot forth the powerful gusts of wind. With precision and speed, All-Might weaved to the side, wind-stepping with light force against the air, and delivered a punch into All For One’s face. He flew backwards into a crashed building, but soon shot out and landed a giant arm into the chest of All-Might, followed by headbutting him into the ground. He floated over him, using his telekinesis to lift a chunk of the ground, then throwing it on All-Might. He laughed as he kept dropping more and more pieces of debris onto the crater, throwing each down with malicious intent. After a minutes of piledriving into the ground, he stopped, heaving with breath. For a second, all was quiet. The flames crackled softly, the air did not move, the screaming had been drowned out by the earthquake levels of shaking left by All for One. Then, from the skies as if the heavens themselves sent it..

“MISSISSIPPI SMASH!”

All for One looked up in a flash but it was too late. All-Might was falling from the sky, fist extended, pushing through the dark clouds that hung over the world. It was all All for One could do to raise his defenses, but he could not raise them all. All-Might’s fist connected to All for One’s face, breaking the sound barrier. The shockwave turned buildings around them into rubble. The searing force of All-Might’s fist hitting skin had burned his skin beyond all recognition, and the pure concussive force had shattered his eye sockets and nose. 

Dust flew in all directions, clearing all fires.

When it cleared, All-Might stood over All For One, fists raised, and began pummeling him. A hundred hits a minute, his body broken multiple times only to be healed the next second. Agonizing pain. The constant hits registered on the Richter scale a 2.3 earthquake, and a small tornado moved around All-Might as the friction of his punches against the air heated it against the otherwise cold front. The mind of All For One thought a mile of minute, trying to defend itself against the onslaught, until it thought of a solution. I will change the arm under myself into a spear, then in one quick movement stab him in his stomach. It will have to be quick, and it will be my only chance of escaping that gives me freedom.

Elsewhere, atop a nearby shattered building looking on, a cloud of a man in a black suit stand. In his mind, a single phrase repeated itself. I must save my master. Kurogiri watched the Symbol of Evil become more and more akin to the gravel he was being punched into, and began to develop a portal. One that would need to be quick, as he did not have much time. He would need concentration as well, or else consequences could be had. He began to focus, and as he did a portal slowly opened above All For One, unbeknownst All-Might.

All For One saw the beginnings of the portal and smirked internally, as his mouth was long since caved in by the fists of justice. He began to slowly reform his arm into a spear, then turned to shove it into All-Might’s stomach!

Or atleast, attempted to.

Back atop the ruined building where Kurogiri was making his portal, his concentration was broken by the slight tumbling of brick behind him. Then the boot to his face as Gran Torino flew into the face of Kurogiri. He fell to the floor, unconscious, but the portal still stood open! Gran Torino saw that the portal was starting to suck in the surroundings and shouted, “ALL-MIGHT! BEHIND YOU!”

All-Might turned his body, his torso narrowly missing the stab sent in by All For One. It did not matter though, as soon the force of the portal became too much for either to handle. All-Might stood his ground, refusing to be drawn into the tear in reality. However, All For One lept from the crater he had been beaten into and jeered at All-Might as he flew into the rip. “Goodbye, Symbol of Peace. My plans are not done!” As he disappeared into the portal, All-Might grimmaced. And in a split second decision…

“Toshinori! NO!” Gran Torino screamed as All-Might lept into the portal, which then closed with a shattering Snap! 

Kyoto was quiet again, and all was uncertain. Where had the Symbol of Peace gone to?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Metropolis, Illinois.  

“Clark, for the last time the answer is no! This scoop is dangerous and I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

Lois Lane walked down the aisles of the Daily Planet offices, the sounds of typewriters firing off like machine guns. The only woman in the room it seemed, but she commanded the respect of everyone there. What she said usually went, at least in terms of who is getting the best stories to write. Tailing behind her was a large, but doltish and a bit clumsily dressed, man whose arms were wrapped around an overburdened folder. He fixed the glasses on his face, moving the curled hair out of the way. Clark Kent was as country-boy out of water as you could get. 

“Lois that's exactly why I want to come! It's dangerous and, well, i’m kinda big. I think I can scare some people off!” Lois stopped in her tracks in between the cubicles, and turned around to face Clark Kent. Clark had faced off against the most terrifying men on earth and beyond it and had felt no fear. However in that moment, fear was a real thing.

Despite the height difference of about two feet, Lois had a commanding presence. Her eyebrows raised, her lips set up in a smug way, her jet black hair flowing behind her head, it gave an air of authority.

“Smallville, are you suggesting that you can take on the thugs of Gotham? You? Clark you fell up the stairs twice when the elevator broke last week. Every time there is a monster attack you run to the bathroom, or the nearest subway station, or whatever. Nothing against you but,” she raised her arms up to Clark’s shoulders and gave it a friendly pat, '' I'm just about as protected with you as I am with Jimmy.”

The redhead himself was walking by when she said that and shot her a glare, which she rolled her eyes over.

“Besides, its been very quiet around here recently. You always complain about the events here getting in the way of your work. A good long stint of nothing is more your speed. That's why i’m going to report on the new Robin in Gotham anyways.”

Clark groaned out loud, then firmly placed his falling-apart folder on his desk. “Lois,” he said while adjusting his glasses again, “don’t go talking about the quiet! It makes me jittery!”

She laughed. “Relax, Clark. Not like anything is going to happen by my saying.”

Right after her saying that, the building shook. The lights hanging above them flickered as dust fell from the ceiling. A few startled voices peppered the crowd of reporters, and a door flew open at the end of the hallway. Out stepped Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. He was already shouting orders. “I WANT TEAMS OUT ASAP! WE’RE GONNA GET THIS BEFORE THE ILLINOIS TIMES! I DON'T WANT TO BE SECOND PLACE AGAIN!”

The reporters began to collect their things, all grabbing the equipment , when Lois gave a loud whistle. Removing her hand from her mouth, “Guys! Wait a minute! This could just be a domestic issue! Like a pipe burst, or a plane hit the street or whatever. While I want to get there quick shouldn’t we be orderly about this?”

“Yeah,” Clark said, already eyeing up the employee bathroom, “we should just take a breather and look out the window maybe.”

He walked over to the large curtained office window and flung it open, looking down from the high skyscraper onto the street. There was a large crater, at the center of it was a man in a suit.

“There’s a guy in a crater. This might be interesting after all, but not warranting a full mobilization”

Then, shouting from the sky and falling at incredible speeds was a mass of red and white. As he passed the window Clark stood in front of, time slowed. He saw that he was huge, massive. Taller than him. His muscles rivaled Bane, his hair outrageous, a monstrous fist raised before him, and his gaze fierce. And he was screaming. A phrase so loud it shattered the window on his descent, and filled the ears of all present.

“DELAWARE SMASH!”

Seconds later, two shockwaves hit the building. One from the fall itself, the other from the punch hitting the ground beneath them. The building shook again, and Clark saw the same in other buildings around the Daily Planet. Perry White yelled from his office, “This urgent enough for ya? Now everyone, GET OUT THERE!”

Clark turned around, shouting out. “Lois! Be care-”

“Can’t right now Smallville,” she shouted back, grabbing her coat and reporting tools, “this is a great catch and i’m getting right on it! JIMMY! WITH ME LETS GO!” She ran out the door without even looking back, redhead cameraman in tow. Clark smirked. He loved her dedication. With everyone not looking, he jumped out the window.

“Pitiful.” Another Jet stream narrowly missed All-Might, as he maneuvered through the crowd moving people out the way as best he could from the destruction. All For One was slashing buildings and hurling debris into him, and it was all he could do to stop it from hitting the civilians. A rock thrown there, a hit All-Might had to take to keep a family safe. A car here, another hit.

All For One was laughing, or atleast the best he could given the shattering of his vocal chords.

“For the Symbol of Peace, you sure are being awful destructive today. Perhaps you want to change sides?” Another shot of the winds, shaving concrete off a building and sending into the eyes of All-Might as he stopped rebar from hitting a child. “Its time for us to end this squabble, once and for all!” At this, he clapped his hands and a shockwave exploded from him. All-Might dropped to his knees, shielding the group of kids he was protecting earlier. He did not notice the building falling towards him, and when he did it was too late. Thousands of tons of concrete fell onto him, covering him and the kids in debris. The explosion was immaculate, as was the silence that followed it.

When the dust cleared, those in the streets looked up in fear at the man in the black suit and burnt face floating above the destroyed building. He cackled, and dark clouds began to surround Metropolis. “AT LAST! I have defeated my adversary! Now, all shall know my power!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” All For One turned in an instant to see another man, clad in blue and red floating in the air. With a mighty blow of his breath, the dark clouds shot away like cotton candy in the wind. His huge arms were crossed over his chest, which was emblazoned in a bright red S. He turned into a crimson streak, racing across the air and into All For One, who went flying into collapsed rubble. As he shakily stood up, his suit now torn at the chest in the imprint of a fist slowly repairing itself, he glanced up to the skies. Through his powers he could still see, an dhw did not understand how he could have survived that.

“WHO DARES?” He raised his arms again and let loose a hardy right hook, but was deflected easily again onto his back. The sunlight cast beams around his body, the man floating above him. The voice sounded out again, in a voice that carried power. “I am the man who fights for Truth, Justice, and the American Way! And you impede on all of that right now.” 

A voice calls out from the crowd, “GET HIM, SUPERMAN!” The onlookers begin to cheer.

All For One groans and he shakes his head. “Another deluded soul who believes himself to be the symbol of peace? A setback that cannot be tolerated.” He raised his hands again and lasers shot from them, grazing Superman’s shoulder as he dashed out of the way. “I can do the same thing, villain!” His eyes glowed red and out shot his own lasers, which cut a chunk of debris hanging above All For One. He dodged it, leaping for the ground next to him. Superman bolted down from his point in the air, landing a punch that was blocked at the last second by All For One. The two traded blows, dashing and trying to outmaneuver the other for what seemed like hours but was only minutes. The action captivated the audience, even the police who were trying to evacuate them.

However, All For One landed a blow that flew Superman backwards into a parked car and slumped him. The two hand traded blows so fast that it felt like days of effort between them, Superman not being prepared for this kind of fight could not keep up! The people looked on in shock as Superman was slumped against the car, making shallow breaths. They began to scream as All For One flew into the air once more. “If that is your greatest champion, then I am to be ruler certainly! Now then, attention all! You are now under the rule of ME! ALL FOR ONE!” 

The crowds screamed and yelled and began running away, but soon giant rock pillars rose from the concrete. The peoples turned shocked and scared, as All For One cackled. “Now, now. You all cannot be going yet. I must make an example!” The walls started to move inwards, moving the people closer and closer. And as he kept laughing and laughing, someone from it yelled out.

“SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!”

“DO NOT WORRY!”

All For One stopped and turned his head in shock. He screamed, “NO! HOW?!” 

All-Might stood atop the mountain of rubble that fell on him, the children he protected sitting at his feet unharmed. A smile was emblazoned across his face, and the sunlight shown upon him. 

“WHY?! I AM HERE!”

He jumped from the rubble, fists raised, and punched All For One into the ground. While he was down, All-Might gave three punches to the rock walls he constructed, and yelled to the people within to get out. But as he was doing this, All For One stumbled to his feet and raised his arms again.

But was stopped when he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned around to see Superman’s fist shortly connect with his face. His body flew backwards into All-Might’s foot, which finally knocked the villain out on the ground.

The people cheered. All-Might turned to them, and struck a pose. 

This is when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Superman. His arms crossed,and looking quite angry. “Ah.” All-Might said sheepishly, “where are my manners. I am All-Might. Symbol of Peace.” He extended his hand. Superman did not take it.

“I am Superman. You’re coming with me. I have some questions.”

[airmakindustries]

Ground Support Equipment

Ground Support Equipment is used to support the operations of aircraft parked on the ground. Air+Mak ground support equipment involves for aircraft maintenance, ground power operations, baggage handling and all type of aircraft ground support requirements. Mak GSE product GPU is used to supply power to aircraft and the Air Start Unit is used to supply the necessary amount of air at a specified pressure to start aircraft engines efficiently.

[krogerfeedbackuniverse-blog]

Ten Extraordinary Things about Kroger

Kroger is presently greater and more productive than such retail legends as Target (NYSE: TGT) and Sears (NYSE: SHLD), which possesses Kmart and Walgreen (NASDAQ: WBA). On Jan. 31, 2015, Kroger revealed incomes of $108.47 billion; around the same time Target detailed incomes of $72.62 billion, and Sears announced incomes of $32.2 billion while Walgreen revealed incomes of $77.52 billion on Nov. 30, 2014. Truth be told, just three American retailers accomplish more business than Kroger: Walmart, which revealed incomes of $485.65 billion on Jan. 31, 2015; Costco, which announced incomes of $115.64 billion on Feb. 28, 2015 and drugstore administrator CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), which detailed incomes of $139.37 billion on Dec. 31, 2014. CVS's incomes are so immense on the grounds that it has an enormous solution handling business notwithstanding its drugstores. Truly intriguing that Kroger continues getting greater; its income developed by almost 10% (8.55% to be careful) during 2014. Interestingly, Walmart's income developed by only 1.43% during a similar period and Costco's by 4.36%.

Kroger now works 3,727 stores that utilize around 375,000 individuals in 37 states. Those stores incorporate 2,619 general stores, 782 comfort stores and 326 adornments stores.[1] Kroger likewise works 37 sustenance preparing and assembling plants and 36 circulation focuses to supply those stores with items. Each one of those areas give Kroger 161.7 million square feet of retail space. That is what could be compared to around 280,000 NFL guideline football fields.[2] The workforce in those stores is presently so huge that Kroger needs 300 distinctive association understandings to keep up work harmony. Around 94% of Kroger's business originates from sustenance. The rest originates from medicines, gems and fuel deals.

Kroger is presently the country's third biggest administrator of filling stations in the United States. As of September 18, 2014, Kroger worked more than 2,000 filling stations in 37 states. Those stations included 1,330 grocery store fuel focuses and 725 comfort stores.[4] Convenience stores worked by Kroger incorporate Loaf N' Jug, Kwik Stop, TomThumb, Quick Stop and Turkey Hill. Truly fascinating that Kroger has just been selling gas since 1983 and just offering fuel at its general stores since 1998. However an ongoing Market Service overview found that Kroger is presently America's preferred gas retailer. Kroger sold $19 billion worth of fuel in 2013.[5] One purpose behind this is the organization's massively famous dependability card program, which gives clients a chance to spare 10¢ a gallon on gas for each 100 points they procure on the card. A client procures one point for each $1 in food supplies in buys at a Kroger general store.

Kroger works 25 diverse grocery store chains in various pieces of the nation, including: Ralph's (California), Harris Teeter (North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Washington, DC), Smith's (Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming), King Soopers (Colorado and Wyoming), Scott's Food and Pharmacy (Indiana),[6] Fred Meyer (Pacific Northwest and Alaska),[7] City Market (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming), Fry's Food and Drug (Arizona), Bakers' (Nebraska), Food 4 Less (California, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and Nebraska), Owens (Indiana), Dillons (Kansas and Missouri), Foods Co (California), Gerbes (Missouri), Price Rite (New Mexico), JayC Food Stores (Indiana), Pay Less Super Markets (Indiana), QFC Quality Food Centers (Oregon and Washington State), and Kroger (Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, West Virginia, Texas, Virginia, Michigan and Florida).[8] That implies Kroger may work in your neighborhood or town, and you probably won't know it.

Staple goods are by all account not the only things you can purchase at Kroger stores. The Fred Meyer[10] and Kroger Marketplace[11], Dillons Marketplace, Fry's Marketplace, Smith's Marketplace and King Soopers Marketplace[12] stores sell gadgets, adornments, furniture, , office furniture, attire, equipment, paint, garden things, office supplies, little apparatuses and toys, among different things. That implies Kroger is one of only a handful couple of spots where you can purchase a TV set, a wedding band, a head of lettuce, a wedding cake and a gallon of milk around the same time. Brands sold at Fred Meyer incorporate Sony, Nike, Kitchen Aid, Adidas, Nikon, Dockers and Apple.[13] At the Kroger Marketplace, you can likewise buy gourmet cheddar and crisp sushi. On the off chance that that isn't sufficient, Kroger additionally works 326 adornments stores under the names Littman Jewelers[14] and Fred Meyer Jewelers.[15] Some of these stores are situated inside markets; others are independent areas in shopping centers. Fred Meyer is currently the country's third biggest chain of gems stores.[16] If you need, you can likewise request fine adornments from both Littman and Fred Meyer on the web. Kroger additionally works its very own remote phone organization, I Wireless.[17]

Kroger is the fifth biggest drugstore administrator in the United States with 1,947 drug stores working in its stores in 2013 and 2,111 drug stores in its stores in 2014. During 2013 Kroger filled 164 million medicines and sold $8.3 billion worth of doctor prescribed drugs.[18] Prescriptions are by all account not the only social insurance administrations you can get at Kroger; its Little Clinic backup worked 110 facilities giving fundamental therapeutic administrations given by attendant professionals and doctors' aides in 2013. Kroger wanted to open 55 all the more new Little Clinics in 2014.[19] That implies you can get a physical or an inoculation at a Kroger's grocery store just as a portion of bread.

To keep its stores provided, Kroger worked an armada of 2,770 semi-tractors and 10,500 semi-trailers in 2013. That armada made 3,300 conveyances every day and drove right around 329 million miles in 2013.[20] Some of those trucks move stock over the United States and even lift a few things up from providers in Canada and Mexico. What's more, Kroger works armadas of littler HomeShop conveyance trucks in certain urban communities that convey food supplies, alcohol and different items legitimately to clients' homes.[21] Customers request the products on the web, and Kroger ships them straightforwardly from the store to the home or business.

Regardless of its size and degree, a standout amongst the most fascinating things is the spots that it doesn't work. There are no Kroger stores in a whole area of the nation—New England—and in two of the country's most crowded states: New York and Pennsylvania. There is only one Kroger store in the country's third most crowded state: Florida. Kroger is additionally missing from a portion of the country's most crowded metropolitan zones, including: New York City, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Des Moines, Jacksonville, Madison, Tulsa City, El Paso, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. That implies there is a great deal of space for Kroger just in the United States.

The state with the most Kroger areas is California, where the merchant works 335 stores. The second biggest number of stores is in Ohio, Kroger's home turf, where it works 212 stores. The state with the third biggest number of Kroger's areas is Texas, where there are 203 stores. The state with the least Kroger markets is Florida, which has only one Harris Teeter area. Curiously enough, there is at any rate one state where Kroger has a permit to work together yet no areas—Hawaii. On Feb. 27, 2015, The Pacific Business Journal announced that Kroger had enlisted as another business with the province of Hawaii. The paper likewise detailed that Kroger was searching for a Hawaii area.

Some Kroger stores can be gigantic. The multi-retail establishments that Fred Meyer works in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska can have up to 165,000 square feet of floor space. All that space empowers some Fred Meyer stores to convey in excess of 225,000 items under one roof.[23] Such a store contains a full market, a home improvement shop, a drug store, a shoe store, a dress store, a hardware store, a machine store, a bank and a home and greenhouse focus under one rooftop. Interestingly, the normal Marketplace store has somewhere in the range of 100,000 and 130,000 square feet of room. The normal general store in the United States is around 76,000 square feet in size.

[abramsbooks]

RECIPE: The flame-grilled burger (from The Great American Burger Book by George Motz)

Cooking over direct flame is one of the most difficult ways to make a hamburger. One of the reasons so many of the hamburgers made a hundred years ago were cooked on flat tops was simply because the results were predictably good. Squash a ball of beef on a skillet and reap the rewards of the path of least resistance. I also would imagine that way back then, lighting a big charcoal grill and flame cooking at small burger stands and joints throughout America would have been pretty dangerous.

But we all know that a burger cooked on a flame grill is a very different burger.

It’s easy to master the skillet-cooked burger. Grilling a burger on open flame requires more dedication to the craft, more time, more equipment, and a willingness to fail. That’s because cooking on an outdoor grill can be very unpredictable. The grill master is at the mercy of uneven temperatures, depending on the type of coals used and where those coals are in relation to the grilling grate. Even the weather can be a factor. The outdoor propane grill solves a few of these issues, but if you really want to experience a flame-cooked burger, super-hot charcoal is the only way to go.

There’s something fundamental and primal in our desire to harness fire and grill. “The greatest advantage to cooking over flame is the grilled flavor,” Michael Ollier, corporate chef at Certified Angus Beef®, told me once, adding with a smile, “I crave that.” It’s a flavor that you cannot ever achieve cooking on a flat top or by any other method. Chef Ollier explained the science behind this perfectly: “The fat that drips onto the coals becomes airborne, flavoring your burgers.”

The keys to grilling success are high heat and confidence. Get your coals super hot and your tools, patties, and condiments ready to go, and you’ll be all set up to grill like a pro. When family and friends are hovering around you at the grill, waiting for magic, it may feel like there’s a lot at stake. Just follow the recipe below for the classic grilled cheeseburger—and remember, practice makes perfect.

Makes 8 burgers

Equipment

A 3½-inch (9-cm) food ring or round cutter

Parchment paper

A charcoal chimney

Natural lump charcoal

A 22-inch (55-cm) Weber Kettle charcoal grill, or similar

A stiff spatula (with a long handle)

The Burger

2½ pounds (about 1 kg) fresh-ground 80/20 chuck

Salt and coarse black pepper, for seasoning

8 soft white buns

The Toppings

8 thick slices American, cheddar, or any other good melting cheese

Green-leaf lettuce

1 or 2 red beefsteak tomatoes, sliced

1 medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, sliced

Divide the beef into 8 equal portions (5 ounces/140 g each).

Place the food ring on a cutting board or clean surface lined with parchment paper and add a portion of beef. Gently press the beef into the ring to create a perfectly round patty. (I use the ring for consistent thickness, but you can eyeball the size if you prefer. Both methods work fine. Just be sure not to over press the meat—you want it to maintain a somewhat loose grind.)

Return the patties to the fridge to chill until you’re ready to grill (hey, that rhymes).

Using the chimney starter, light the charcoal. When coals are ready, transfer them to the kettle grill, making sure that the bottom vent is open. Spread the coals out, leaving a small space on one side (as a rest spot in case things get too hot in there).

Place the grate over the coals and, using a grill brush, scrape off any residual buildup from your last grilling adventure. Cover the grill and make sure that the top vent is wide open. Give your grill grate a chance to heat up—you don’t want to plop raw burger patties onto a lukewarm grill. That grate should be ridiculously hot!

At this point, and not before, season both sides of your patties with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Salting too early will bind the muscle fibers together and make your burgers tough (yuck).

Place the patties on the hot grill grate, cover the grill, and leave them alone. Allow the patties to cook for about 5 minutes. The cooking time can vary depending on environmental and equipment factors, so you’ll have to use your best judgment here. Chef Michael Ollier from Certified Angus Beef put it best when he told me, “Let the burger speak to you.” If you understand this statement, you’re probably drinking too much at the grill. But seriously, with experience comes wisdom—the burger will actually tell you when it’s time to flip. One good visual cue is when you see red liquid start to form on the uncooked surface of the burger. Go ahead and take a peek just shy of 5 minutes.

This would be a good time to toast your buns. Toast them indoors using a skillet on your stovetop or toast them with butter in a small cast-iron skillet, directly on the grill.

Cook the second side (again, untouched and covered) for an additional 4 minutes. With about 1 minute to go, top each patty with a slice of cheese and cover the grill. As the burgers finish cooking, slide them to the cooler rest spot section of the grill, away from the hot coals. Once all your burgers are done, remove them from the heat and allow them to rest for 1½ minutes. The internal temperature of the burgers should be about 143°F (62°C) for medium-rare.

Top the toasted buns with the lettuce, tomato, and onion slices, or your condiments of choice. (I love a good, crisp slice of onion on my grilled burgers, as well as mustard, pickle, and sometimes mayonnaise.) Transfer the patties to the toasted buns and serve.

The Great American Burger Book is the first book to showcase a wide range of regional hamburger styles and cooking methods. Author and burger expert George Motz covers traditional grilling techniques as well as how to smoke, steam, poach, and deep-fry burgers based on signature recipes from around the country. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific regional burger, from the tortilla burger of New Mexico to the classic New York–style pub burger, and from the fried onion burger of Oklahoma to Hawaii’s Loco Moco. Motz provides expert instruction, tantalizing recipes, and vibrant color photography to help you create unique variations on America’s favorite dish in your own home.

Recipes feature regional burgers from: California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.

For more information, click here.

[xtruss]

Angler Catches Super-Rare 'Dinosaur' Fish in Kansas River, Throws It Back

— By Pandora Dewan | December 11, 2022 | Newsweek

Kevin Zirjacks is seen with the rare lake sturgeon he caught in the Kansas River. After taking the photos, he returned the endangered fish back into the water. Kevin ZirJacks/Kansas Wildlife and Parks

An extremely rare species of fish was recently caught in the Kansas River by an angler. This was only the 16th reported catch of the endangered lake sturgeon in Kansas in over 25 years, the state's Department of Wildlife and Parks said.

The department shared the news of the catch in a post on Facebook. "I knew I had a special fish once I landed this fish," fisherman Kevin Zirjacks said in response to the post. "Never thought I would ever see one of these dinosaurs, let alone be able to actually hold one. Definitely a catch I will remember for the rest of my life."

After taking photos with the fish, Kirjacks released it back into the water.

Lake sturgeon can be found throughout North America, from Hudson Bay to the Mississippi River. They are the oldest and largest species native to the Great Lakes, first appearing in the fossil record about 135 million years ago, 70 years before the dinosaurs went extinct.

Lake sturgeon themselves can live very long lives, with females reportedly living for as long as 150 years, the National Wildlife Federation said. They are also massive, growing up to 6.5 feet long and weighing up to 200 pounds.

Before the 19th century, lake sturgeon were abundant throughout the Great Lakes. However, overfishing in the 1800s and 1900s dramatically reduced their populations. Today, the species is dwindling in its northern territories, and it is considered endangered in the southern parts of its range.

Efforts to reintroduce this freshwater fish have been slow because of their long life cycle. Females usually do not start producing eggs until they are at least 20 years old.

Zirjacks detailed how he used special equipment to avoid injuring the endangered fish. "The green thing is an unhooking cradle," he said, referring to the green tarpaulin seen in his photograph. "It's a great tool when catch and release fishing. Gives you a padded place to put your fish after landing them.

"It's raised off the ground to keep them nice and clean.... Makes handling the fish way easier and lets you get them back in the water quicker. Really comes in handy when handling bigger fish," he said.

While efforts continue to attempt to revive this population, the lake sturgeon is facing other environmental threats. Water pollution and invasive aquatic species have made their habitats less hospitable, and climate change is expected to decrease the quality and quantity of nursery and spawning sites and exacerbate existing problems.

[newstfionline]

Monday, May 24, 2021

Coming population decline (NYT) Maternity wards are shuttering in Italy. Ghost cities are appearing in China. Hundreds of thousands of properties in Germany have been leveled and the land turned into parks. The world’s demographics are changing, pushing toward more deaths than births. Though some countries’ populations continue to grow, fertility rates are falling nearly everywhere else. Demographers now predict that toward the middle of this century, the global population will enter a sustained decline for the first time.

New COVID-19 cases plummet to lowest levels since last June (AP) New coronavirus cases across the United States have tumbled to rates not seen in more than 11 months, sparking optimism. As cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropped this week, pre-pandemic life in America has largely resumed. Hugs and unmasked crowds returned to the White House, a Mardi Gras-style parade marched through Alabama’s port city of Mobile, and even states that have stuck to pandemic-related restrictions readied to drop them. As the seven-day average for new cases dropped below 30,000 per day this week, Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out cases have not been this low since June 18, 2020. The average number of deaths over the last seven days also dropped to 552—a rate not seen since July last year. It’s a dramatic drop since the pandemic hit a devastating crescendo in January.

An IRS refund logjam (WSJ) Taxpayers are encountering unprecedented delays getting refunds, said Laura Saunders at The Wall Street Journal. “A host of problems rooted in the COVID-19 pandemic” has led to a severe backlog at the Internal Revenue Service. The agency is “reviewing about 16 million 2020 returns, mostly because of tax changes last year and in March,” while simultaneously gearing up “to send checks to millions of families” who qualify for upfront child tax credits this summer. Having to delay two annual filing deadlines last year, apply new tax-law changes, and “coordinate 470 million stimulus payments” hasn’t made the IRS’s job easier. Fortunately, the agency will pay 3 percent interest on “most tax refunds issued after April 15,” as long as the return was filed by May 17.

Leaving home: West Virginia population drop is largest in US (AP) After her company told employees in 2017 to start working remotely, customer service representative Haley Miller decided to break from her lifelong home of West Virginia. The beaches of St. Petersburg, Florida, provide a far different view than the mountains of her native state. She is not alone. According to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, West Virginia lost a higher percentage of its residents than any other state in the nation. From 2010 to 2020, the population dropped 3.2%, or about 59,000 people. Reasons for leaving vary, but common themes emerge: a lack of opportunity or low pay; not enough to do; a political climate that some find oppressive, and poor cellphone and internet service. About 16% of West Virginia’s residents live in poverty, surpassed only by Arkansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Italian cable car plunges to the ground, killing at least 14 (AP) A cable car taking visitors to a mountaintop view of some of northern Italy’s most picturesque lakes plummeted to the ground Sunday and then tumbled down the slope, killing 14 people. The lone survivor, a young child, was hospitalized in serious condition with broken bones, authorities said. Six of the dead were Israeli citizens, including a family of four who lived in Italy, the Israeli foreign ministry said. It wasn’t clear if the other couple was related. The mayor of Stresa, where the incident occurred, said it appeared that a cable broke, sending the car careening until it hit a pylon and then fell to the ground. At that point, the car overturned “two or three times before hitting some trees,” said Mayor Marcella Severino. The car was believed to have fallen around 15 meters (50 feet), according to Italian media. Sunday’s tragedy appeared to be Italy’s worst cable car disaster since 1998 when a low-flying U.S. military jet cut through the cable of a ski lift in Cavalese, in the Dolomites, killing 20 people.

Croatia ready to welcome foreign tourists, hoping they come ROVINJ, Croatia (AP)—Sun loungers are out, beach bars are open and rave music is pumping. Hotels and restaurants are greeting visitors hoping to get a head start on summer after more than a year of coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions. Croatia has widely reopened its stunning Adriatic coastline for foreign tourists, becoming one of the first European countries to drop most of its pandemic measures. Now, the ability of people to go there depends on each country’s travel rules. The mood is relaxed in the Istria region, the northernmost part of the Croatian coast famous for its pebble beaches, thick pine forests, wine and delicacies such as truffles, olive oil, goat cheese and prosciutto. Hardy anyone wears masks on the streets or in restaurants in the picturesque town of Rovinj. Still-standing limits on indoor dining and rules requiring a set amount of distance between tables are rarely observed. “People are fed up with lockdowns,” said Nikola Sandic, a waiter at a seafood restaurant located in a small boat harbor. “They have a glass of wine, watch the sea, and that’s all they need.”

Belarus opposition figure detained when flight diverted (AP) A prominent opponent of Belarus’ authoritarian president was arrested Sunday after the airliner in which he was traveling was diverted to the country after a bomb threat, in what the opposition is calling a hijacking operation by the government. The Ryanair plane was carrying opposition figure Raman Pratasevich and traveling from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania. Deputy air force commander Andrei Gurtsevich said the plane’s crew made the decision to land in Minsk, but Ryanair said in a statement that Belarusian air traffic control instructed the plane to divert to the capital. The Belarusian Interior Ministry said Pratasevich was arrested at the airport. Pratasevich is a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which Belarus last year declared as extremist after it was used to help organize major protests against Lukashenko. Pratasevich, who had fled the country for Poland, faces charges that could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

In the Russian Arctic, the First Stirrings of a Very Cold War (NYT) Chunky green trucks carry Bastion anti-ship missiles that can be prepared for launch in just five minutes. A barracks building, sealed off from the elements like a space station, accommodates 150 or so soldiers. And a new runway can handle fighter jets, two of which recently buzzed the North Pole. Franz Josef Land, a jumble of glacier-covered islands in the Arctic Ocean named after an Austro-Hungarian emperor, was until a few years ago mostly uninhabited, home to polar bears, walruses, sea birds and little else. But thanks to a warming climate, all that is changing, and quickly. Nowhere on Earth has climate change been so pronounced as in the polar regions. The warming has led to drastic reductions in sea ice, opening up the Arctic to ships during the summer months and exposing Russia to new security threats. As the sea ice melts, Russia is deploying ever more soldiers and equipment to the Far North, becoming essentially the first military to act on the strategic implications of climate change for the region in what some have called the beginnings of a Very Cold War. The Arctic ocean has lost nearly a million square miles of ice and is expected to be mostly ice-free in the summertime, including at the North Pole, by around the middle of the century. “In a sense, Russia is acquiring new external borders that need to be protected from potential aggressors,” the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a Berlin-based think tank, wrote of Russia’s problem of disappearing ice.

More than 125,000 Myanmar teachers suspended for opposing coup (Reuters) More than 125,000 school teachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers’ Federation said. The suspensions have come days before the start of a new school year, which some teachers and parents are boycotting as part of the campaign that has paralysed the country since the coup cut short a decade of democratic reforms. Myanmar had 430,000 school teachers according to the most recent data, from two years ago. The disruption at schools echoes that in the health sector and across government and private business since the Southeast Asian country was plunged into chaos by the coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Around 19,500 university staff have also been suspended, according to the teachers’ group.

Iran says inspectors may no longer get nuclear sites images (AP) Iran’s parliament speaker said Sunday that international inspectors may no longer access surveillance images of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites, escalating tensions amid diplomatic efforts in Vienna to save Tehran’s atomic accord with world powers. The comments by Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, aired by state TV, further underscored the narrowing window for the U.S. and others to reach terms with Iran. The Islamic Republic is already enriching and stockpiling uranium at levels far beyond those allowed by its 2015 nuclear deal. “Regarding this, and based on the expiration of the three-month deadline, definitely the International Atomic Energy Agency will not have the right to access images from May 22,” Qalibaf said. May 22 was Saturday.

Life Under Occupation: The Misery at the Heart of the Conflict (NYT) Muhammad Sandouka built his home in the shadow of the Temple Mount before his second son, now 15, was born. They demolished it together, after Israeli authorities decided that razing it would improve views of the Old City for tourists. Mr. Sandouka, 42, a countertop installer, had been at work when an inspector confronted his wife with two options: Tear the house down, or the government would not only level it but also bill the Sandoukas $10,000 for its expenses. Such is life for Palestinians living under Israel’s occupation: always dreading the knock at the front door. The looming removal of six Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem set off a round of protests that helped ignite the latest war between Israel and Gaza. But to the roughly three million Palestinians living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war and has controlled through decades of failed peace talks, the story was exceptional only because it attracted an international spotlight. Even in supposedly quiet periods, when the world is not paying attention, Palestinians from all walks of life routinely experience exasperating impossibilities and petty humiliations, bureaucratic controls that force agonizing choices, and the fragility and cruelty of life under military rule, now in its second half-century.

[stephenmccull]

CVS and Walgreens Under Fire for Slow Pace of Vaccination in Nursing Homes

The effort to vaccinate some of the country’s most vulnerable residents against covid-19 has been slowed by a federal program that sends retail pharmacists into nursing homes — accompanied by layers of bureaucracy and logistical snafus.

This story also ran on CNN. It can be republished for free.

As of Thursday, more than 4.7 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna covid vaccines had been allocated to the federal pharmacy partnership, which has deputized pharmacy teams from Walgreens and CVS to vaccinate nursing home residents and workers. Since the program started in some states on Dec. 21, however, they have administered about one-quarter of the doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Across the country, some nursing home directors and health care officials say the partnership is actually hampering the vaccination process by imposing paperwork and cumbersome corporate policies on facilities that are thinly staffed and reeling from the devastating effects of the coronavirus. They argue that nursing homes are unique medical facilities that would be better served by medical workers who already understand how they operate.

Mississippi’s state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said the partnership “has been a fiasco.”

The state has committed 90,000 vaccine doses to the effort, but the pharmacies had administered only 5% of those shots as of Thursday, Dobbs said. Pharmacy officials told him they’re having trouble finding enough people to staff the program.

Dobbs pointed to neighboring Alabama and Louisiana, which he says are vaccinating long-term care residents at four times the rate of Mississippi.

“We’re getting a lot of angry people because it’s going so slowly, and we’re unhappy too,” he said.

Many of the nursing homes that have successfully vaccinated willing residents and staff members are doing so without federal help.

For instance, Los Angeles Jewish Home, with roughly 1,650 staff members and 1,100 residents on four campuses, started vaccinating Dec. 30. By Jan. 11, the home’s medical staff had administered its 1,640th dose. Even the facility’s chief medical director, Noah Marco, helped vaccinate.

The home is in Los Angeles County, which declined to participate in the CVS/Walgreens program. Instead, it has tasked nursing homes with administering vaccines themselves, and is using only Moderna’s easier-to-handle product, which doesn’t need to be stored at ultracold temperatures, like the Pfizer vaccine. (Both vaccines require two doses to offer full protection, spaced 21 to 28 days apart.)

By contrast, Mariner Health Central, which operates 20 nursing homes in California, is relying on the federal partnership for its homes outside of L.A. County. One of them won’t be getting its first doses until next week.

“It’s been so much worse than anybody expected,” said the chain’s chief medical officer, Dr. Karl Steinberg. “That light at the end of the tunnel is dim.”

Nursing homes have experienced some of the worst outbreaks of the pandemic. Though they house less than 1% of the nation’s population, nursing homes have accounted for 37% of deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

Facilities participating in the federal partnership typically schedule three vaccine clinics over the course of nine to 12 weeks. Ideally, those who are eligible and want a vaccine will get the first dose at the first clinic and the second dose three to four weeks later. The third clinic is considered a makeup day for anyone who missed the others. Before administering the vaccines, the pharmacies require the nursing homes to obtain consent from residents and staffers.

Despite the complaints of a slow rollout, CVS and Walgreens said they’re on track to finish giving the first doses by Jan. 25, as promised.

“Everything has gone as planned, save for a few instances where we’ve been challenged or had difficulties making contact with long-term care facilities to schedule clinics,” said Joe Goode, a spokesperson for CVS Health.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, acknowledged some delays through the partnership, but said that’s to be expected because this kind of effort has never before been attempted.

“There’s a feeling they’ll get up to speed with it and it will be helpful, as health departments are pretty overstretched,” Plescia said.

But any delay puts lives at risk, said Dr. Michael Wasserman, the immediate past president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine.

“I’m about to go nuclear on this,” he said. “There should never be an excuse about people not getting vaccinated. There’s no excuse for delays.”

Bringing in Vaccinators

Nursing homes are equipped with resources that could have helped the vaccination effort — but often aren’t being used.

Most already work with specialized pharmacists who understand the needs of nursing homes and administer medications and yearly vaccinations. These pharmacists know the patients and their medical histories, and are familiar with the apparatus of nursing homes, said Linda Taetz, chief compliance officer for Mariner Health Central.

“It’s not that they aren’t capable,” Taetz said of the retail pharmacists. “They just aren’t embedded in our buildings.”

If a facility participates in the federal program, it can’t use these or any other pharmacists or staffers to vaccinate, said Nicole Howell, executive director for Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda counties.

But many nursing homes would like the flexibility to do so because they believe it would speed the process, help build trust and get more people to say yes to the vaccine, she said.

Howell pointed to West Virginia, which relied primarily on local, independent pharmacies instead of the federal program to vaccinate its nursing home residents.

The state opted against the partnership largely because CVS/Walgreens would have taken weeks to begin shots and Republican Gov. Jim Justice wanted them to start immediately, said Marty Wright, CEO of the West Virginia Health Care Association, which represents the state’s long-term care facilities.

The bulk of the work is being done by more than 60 pharmacies, giving the state greater control over how the doses were distributed, Wright said. The pharmacies were joined by Walgreens in the second week, he said, though not as part of the federal partnership.

“We had more interest from local pharmacies than facilities we could partner them up with,” Wright said. Preliminary estimates show that more than 80% of residents and 60% of staffers in more than 200 homes got a first dose by the end of December, he said.

Goode from CVS said his company’s participation in the program is being led by its long-term care division, which has deep experience with nursing homes. He noted that tens of thousands of nursing homes — about 85% nationally, according to the CDC — have found that reassuring enough to participate.

“That underscores the trust the long-term care community has in CVS and Walgreens,” he said.

Vaccine recipients don’t pay anything out-of-pocket for the shots. The costs of purchasing and administering them are covered by the federal government and health insurance, which means CVS and Walgreens stand to make a lot of money: Medicare is reimbursing $16.94 for the first shot and $28.39 for the second.

Bureaucratic Delays

Technically, federal law doesn’t require nursing homes to obtain written consent for vaccinations.

But CVS and Walgreens require them to get verbal or written consent from residents or family members, which must be documented on forms supplied by the pharmacies.

Goode said consent hasn’t been an impediment so far, but many people on the ground disagree. The requirements have slowed the process as nursing homes collect paper forms and Medicare numbers from residents, said Tracy Greene Mintz, a social worker who owns Senior Care Training, which trains and deploys social workers in more than 100 facilities around California.

In some cases, social workers have mailed paper consent forms to families and waited to get them back, she said.

“The facilities are busy trying to keep residents alive,” Greene Mintz said. “If you want to get paid from Medicare, do your own paperwork,” she suggested to CVS and Walgreens.

Scheduling has also been a challenge for some nursing homes, partly because people who are actively sick with covid shouldn’t be vaccinated, the CDC advises.

“If something comes up — say, an entire building becomes covid-positive — you don’t want the pharmacists coming because nobody is going to get the vaccine,” said Taetz of Mariner Health.

Both pharmacy companies say they work with facilities to reschedule when necessary. That happened at Windsor Chico Creek Care and Rehabilitation in Chico, California, where a clinic was pushed back a day because the facility was awaiting covid test results for residents. Melissa Cabrera, who manages the facility’s infection control, described the process as streamlined and professional.

In Illinois, about 12,000 of the state’s roughly 55,000 nursing home residents had received their first dose by Sunday, mostly through the CVS/Walgreens partnership, said Matt Hartman, executive director of the Illinois Health Care Association.

While Hartman hopes the pharmacies will finish administering the first round by the end of the month, he noted that there’s a lot of “headache” around scheduling the clinics, especially when homes have outbreaks.

“Are we happy that we haven’t gotten through round one and West Virginia is done?” he asked. “Absolutely not.”

KHN correspondent Rachana Pradhan contributed to this report.

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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CVS and Walgreens Under Fire for Slow Pace of Vaccination in Nursing Homes published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[memphisinfo]

Record Music at a Recording Studio

Memphis TN is a great music town in south-west Tennessee, known for the prominent strains of blues, gospel, rock and roll and R&B that originated here. Elvis Presley, R&B diva B.B. King, B.B. 's daughter Kimberly, Johnny Cash, and numerous other great music legends recorded records at the famed Sun Studios, which is now a popular tourist attraction.

Elvis Presley recorded some of his most popular hits here including "Hound Dog"Mystery Train." Other popular music attractions include the famous Rock 'N' Soul museum, the Blues Hall of Fame and the Stax Museum of African-American Music, founded by R&B singer-songwriter Sidney Bechet. Other music institutions also exist including the Memphis Recording Studios Museum & Archives, The Nashville Sound Conservatory and the National Music Hall.

Located right on the banks of the Mississippi River, Memphis TN is a vibrant metropolitan region. It is home to a thriving music scene, including top R&B artists like Aretha Franklin and Akon.

In the past twenty years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of new music production studios being built in and around Memphis TN. As well as new recording studios, many major music recording studios have also opened up in and around Memphis. As a result, Memphis TN has rapidly become a premier recording location for many music artists.

The state of Tennessee is also one of the most fertile ground markets for musicians looking to record their music. With a number of recording studios opening up every day, more local artists have been able to come out on the scene and create a strong presence in Memphis TN.

While it is not necessary to be a highly trained musician to start your own music studio, it is definitely beneficial. In addition to offering you a work experience that will benefit you in your future endeavors in music, working in a recording studio can give you the opportunity to create a wide variety of unique recordings. as well as the chance to gain invaluable contacts and connections that you can take with potential clients and record labels in the future.

You can obtain information about the various types of recording studios that are available in and around Memphis TN by searching the internet. You will be able to obtain valuable information about studios located throughout the US and also learn about the different equipment, software and production tools that can be used to create quality recordings. This is an excellent way to familiarise yourself with the different studios and the services that are offered.

In addition, there is a plethora of information on how to record music in a recording studio available online, including how to set up equipment such as microphones and speakers, microphones and preamp units, how to record audio, studio cleaning and other equipment, mixing, mastering, mixing and much more. There are also sites that explain step by step how to handle sound and how to master different recordings, providing complete guides to recording studios. With so much information available, you should have no trouble creating a wonderful music recording studio of your very own.

Recording studios are also a good place to find talented musicians to perform in. Whether you need a singer, a guitarist, a pianist, an engineer, a keyboard player, a vocalist, a drummer, a percussionist, or a recording engineer, the amount of talented people that are available is astounding. With so many different options available to you, there is certainly nothing wrong with finding the talent you need.

As well, if you need a band to play at your birthday party, wedding, or any other special event, you will find a great place to find a great band to hire in the area of music production studios. You should be able to find many professionals that will provide you with excellent music at reasonable rates to create the perfect atmosphere.

There are many professionals that can provide you with top-notch technical skills when it comes to producing high-quality music, whether you are looking for a band to play for a local band, or if you are looking for a music producer to produce a CD, album or other form of music production. Memphis TN has a number of recording studios that will provide you with the equipment, software and technology that you need to create high-quality recordings.

There is a large market for professionals who can help you in your efforts to create quality music, whether it is music for an individual or a band. Memphis TN offers a great environment to record and produce music that has the ability to make a statement and reach a huge audience.

[sinrau]

(CNN) Ever since the coronavirus began its deadly march through the US, Donald Trump has been accused of lacking the empathy presidents typically draw on to lead and soothe a nation in crisis.

This week the question of presidential compassion was a consistent storyline.

You could pick your lyrics: Was the President like the Tin Man from the “Wizard of Oz,” plaintively singing, “If I only had a heart.” Or was he suffering from, as the 80s hit song put it, “a total eclipse of the heart”?

We saw a President who slammed the Supreme Court for blocking his effort to subject 650,000 Dreamers to deportation. He also bemoaned the court’s historic ruling Monday that LGBTQ people can’t be fired because of their sexuality. His former national security adviser John Bolton claimed in a book excerpt that Trump had encouraged China’s leader to set up concentration camps for the Uyghur minority. He plowed ahead with a non-socially distanced rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, even as coronavirus cases mounted.

Yes, some rallygoers could get sick, Trump told the Wall Street Journal, but “it’s a very small percentage.”

In a private meeting with the families of Black victims, though, Trump was “very compassionate,” according to the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot to death while jogging in Georgia. But in his public remarks, the President made law-and-order his primary message.

“Trump went on the attack against his political rivals and doubled down on his hard-line, ‘law and order’ stance, a political calculation solidified by his use of the words ‘safety and security’ and his statement that Americans ‘demand law and order,'” wrote Issac Bailey. “His effort to address growing national suffering and protest over police brutality was, at best, a thinly veiled excuse to defend law enforcement and signal to white voters where he stands.”

A chilling view of the private Trump emerged from the Bolton book. It painted a credible “portrait of the most amoral, autocratic and unprepared man to ever serve as president of the United States,” wrote John Avlon. “This is not a partisan attack by activists from the opposition party. This is the first-person view of the President’s former national security adviser, bolstered by contemporaneous notes, a standard which is admissible in court. It is a damning portrait of a president untethered to anything resembling morals, who cannot separate his self-interest from the national interest and doesn’t even care to try.”

Jen Psaki viewed the book through the lens of the upcoming election: “All of the observations, accusations and specific anecdotes are about one person — Donald Trump — and whether he is fit to lead the country and the lasting damage he would inflict if given four more years.”

In fact, the revelations show Bolton as complicit, in Elie Honig‘s view: “John Bolton has offered the nation a staggering profile in cowardice…Bolton directly witnessed not one but multiple acts that could have been cited in the impeachment of President Donald Trump. But Bolton did nothing about it while he held a powerful post in the Trump administration. And he stayed quiet and took cover when Congress and the nation pleaded with him to speak out during the impeachment process.”

Writing about China policy, Bolton gave this devastating description: “The Trump presidency is not grounded in philosophy, grand strategy or policy. It is grounded in Trump.” As if to prove that such a verdict applies more broadly, on Friday night Attorney General William Barr ousted Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of NY which has been investigating and prosecuting Trump’s associates. “The news of Berman’s ouster is one more piece of evidence that Trump is the anti-law-and-order President, despite his claims to the contrary. Trump touts law and order when it suits him, but attacks the courts and erodes our judicial system when it comes to his agenda and actions,” wrote Julian Zelizer.

One critic described Bolton’s book as a slog. “It toggles between two discordant registers: exceedingly tedious and slightly unhinged,” wrote Jennifer Szalai in the New York Times. “Still, it’s maybe a fitting combination for a lavishly bewhiskered figure whose wonkishness and warmongering can make him seem like an unlikely hybrid of Ned Flanders and Yosemite Sam.”

Another book Trump may be dreading is due out in July from the President’s niece, Mary L. Trump, who is a psychologist. Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio wrote that the book promises to shed light on the President’s fraught relationships with his father and elder brother, Fred Trump Jr., who was Mary Trump’s father. “Three and a half years into the Trump era, endless words have been spent illustrating the chaotic and cruel personality that can, to cite just one example, schedule a huge ego-gratifying rally in the middle of a deadly pandemic caused by a viciously contagious virus,” noted D’Antonio.

A rally fizzles

Given that cases of Covid-19 have been rising sharply in Tulsa County, wrote infectious disease expert and Oklahoma native Dr. Kent Sepkowitz in advance of Trump’s Saturday rally there, “from a strict public health perspective, the selection of Tulsa is a terrible decision.”

Trump’s first rally since the pandemic began was “supposed to trumpet his return to greatness — and the country’s return to normalcy,” wrote Frida Ghitis. But it “instead brought embarrassing scenes of empty bleachers, a dismantled stage and a familiar speech unsuccessfully trying to reignite public fears…The speech was typically self-centered, with a bizarre more than ten-minute long riff on his ultra-slow descent from the West Point ramp, and absolutely no words of compassion for the nearly 120,000 people in this country who have died during the pandemic.”

Days of freedom

Friday was Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the US. Another historic day of freedom came on October 1, 1962, when James Meredith became the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. He had to sue for his right to an education there, and it took the courts, hundreds of federal marshals and thousands of troops to overcome rioting and protect Meredith.

“The gates of higher education in the United States were opened for all Americans,” Meredith wrote. “This victory for me and for the US Constitution shattered the system of state-sponsored white supremacy in Mississippi…”

“When I see people across America — and around the world — peacefully marching for racial justice and honoring the memory of George Floyd and other martyrs like Medgar Evers…I am filled with both joy and hope. White supremacy may be the most evil beast that’s ever stalked the halls of history, and today it may finally be mortally wounded.”

Some companies and some states marked Juneteenth as a holiday, but it should be observed nationally, wrote Peniel Joseph. It “would spur not only conversation about the origins of our current racial and political conflicts, but would also prompt vitally necessary education about white supremacy and its manifestations in policies and political actions that are anti-Black, anti-democratic and anti-human,” wrote Joseph.

Rayshard Brooks’ own words

Months before he was shot to death by Atlanta police, Rayshard Brooks took part in an interview for a research project. A video of that February interview aired on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 show Wednesday, and in it, Brooks described the lasting burden of being on probation: “I just feel like some of the system could, you know, look at us as individuals. We do have lives, you know, just a mistake we made, and you know, not just do us as if we are animals.”

Van Jones noted that for people on probation “any contact with a police officer — for any reason — means an almost certain return to the horrors of a jail cell. It is safe to assume that Brooks did not want to go back to jail over sleeping in his car or failing a sobriety test, lose everything he had and be forced to start his life over again.”

“In other words, we do not know why the Atlanta police officer chose to shoot a man who was running away from him. But we can guess why that man chose to run, in the first place. Brooks didn’t want to lose his liberty. Instead, he wound up losing his life.”

Melvin Carter, the first African American mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, is the son of a police officer who served his city for 28 years. But even with that background, he doesn’t think the answer to public safety is solely a matter of spending billions on police and prisons. “Our country’s enforcement-heavy approach to safety isn’t designed to address the root causes of crime, but the symptoms,” he wrote. “Instead of equipping us all with tools to guard our own future security, it further alienates those on the outer edges of society and impedes funding for critical social infrastructure like schools and housing.”

A former mayor, Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, wrote that the US Justice Department was investigating his city’s police department when he took office. A consent decree which is still ongoing has resulted in a dramatic improvement in how residents view the police, but there’s more work to be done, Landrieu wrote. “We must go further. We can no longer ask police to handle the failures of our social and educational systems.”

Anne Milgram, the former New Jersey Attorney General, worked on the reinvention of policing in what was once America’s most dangerous city, Camden. “We had a police department that had no idea of what it was doing or whether it could do better. It lurched wildly from 911 call to 911 call, sometimes taking hours to respond to calls of serious violence. It failed to solve serious crimes…that plagued the city, and yet hundreds of arrests were being made for low-level crimes, driven most often by drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, poverty and homelessness.” New leadership, new systems and ultimately a new police department made a difference — the city is “the safest that it has been in more than 50 years” and the police department is a model for others, Milgram wrote.

Supreme surprises

When Donald Trump ran for President, he promised to appoint conservative justices to the federal courts — and he’s been true to his word, naming Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and scores of others for lower courts.

But it was Gorsuch who wrote the majority opinion this week upholding civil rights for LGBTQ Americans, rejecting the Trump administration’s position in declaring that the anti-discrimination provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protect gay and transgender people. “It’s surprising that it’s taken this long,” wrote John D. Sutter. “Until this week in the United States of America, many LGBTQ workers lacked these simple legal protections.

“In over half the states in America, you could be fired for being gay. Until now.”

Then on Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush, sided with the court’s four liberals in blocking the Trump administration’s effort to kill the Obama-era DACA program, which shields young people who had been brought to the United States as children from deportation. DACA “was life-changing for hundreds of thousands of people — Americans in all but the paperwork — who were now free to work, go to school, seek promotions and continue their academic careers without fear of being detained and sent back to countries they barely knew,” wrote Raul A. Reyes. The decision was “a win for Dreamers, for the American ideal of welcoming immigrants — and for the independence of the high court.”

Happy Father’s Day

Mother’s Day this year came as most Americans were still locked down, and a lot of the holiday get-togethers were virtual. Today is Father’s Day and the advice from Kent Sepkowitz is consistent with what he recommended for the earlier holiday: get together with your father on Zoom, Facetime or whatever platform you prefer. America’s “approach to reopening — which has been unscientific and uncoordinated — has failed miserably. Rather than cautiously peeling back the various Covid-19 containment safeguards, most states have supported an ‘everybody-back-in-the-pool’ return, as if we were all teens partying during Spring Break.”

“Besides, let’s be honest — Father’s Day is no Mother’s Day, “wrote Sepkowitz, noting that total US spending on Mother’s Day gifts is more than 50% higher. “As a dad myself, this junior varsity status is fine by me. This year in particular, I want nothing to do with celebrating a holiday in the middle of a poorly managed pandemic.”

For more on Father’s Day:

Marcus Mabry: A Father’s Day message to all dads

Arick Wierson: George Floyd was my wake-up call

After Aunt Jemima

The debate over systemic racism touched off by the killing of George Floyd rippled into many parts of America. Consumer-facing companies reacted, with Quaker Oats announcing that it would end the 131-year-old Aunt Jemima brand, noted Elliot Williams.

As a Black child, it was upsetting for him to discover that the light-pink Crayola crayon was labeled “flesh” colored. “I put it back in the bin, pulled out ‘burnt sienna’ or ‘raw umber’ and continued whatever (probably “Star Wars” themed) self-portrait I was working on… By implying that the only color called ‘flesh’ looked like white skin, Crayola decided who was ‘normal.’ Everyone else had to work around that.” (The “flesh” color was phased out in 1962, replaced by “peach.”)

“In the midst of a national debate on life-and-death matters around racism and public safety, fussing about the logo on instant rice may seem trivial,” Williams wrote. “It’s not. The images our society chooses to elevate are reflective of who we are, and more importantly, whose voices — and yes, even lives — matter.”

Now that Aunt Jemima has been retired, wrote Crystal Echo Hawk, what should be next? She argued that the many uses of Native American images and symbolism in sports must end. “Professional sports have the power to influence and inspire people of all ages. In this unprecedented moment of solidarity, t hey have the opportunity to take a strong stand and show — not just say — that racism will not be tolerated.”

Covid-19 is still here

America’s top two elected officials did their best this week to argue that Covid-19 is going away, despite clear signs to the contrary. “Other countries whose governments addressed the crisis forthrightly have managed to wrestle down the curve, and now they are carefully, safely reopening,” wrote Frida Ghitis. “In the US, the curve is trending up, not down, even if Vice President Mike Pence deceptively declared in an op-ed this week, ‘We are winning the fight against the invisible enemy,’ unctuously declaring that the good news is ‘a testament to the leadership of President Trump.'”

As Ghitis noted, “On Monday, during a roundtable discussion on senior citizens, Trump said ‘If you don’t test, you don’t have any cases,’ a belief reminiscent of a baby thinking you disappear if he covers his eyes. To state the obvious, if we stopped testing, people would continue to become infected and die.”

Don’t miss:

Kamala Harris: The fight continues to protect Americans’ health care from Trump.

Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.: Trump’s tweet exploits and defames toddlers

Vicky Ward: Telling the truth makes a huge difference

David Gergen and Caroline Cohen: The next Greatest Generation

Merrill Brown: Federal government abdicates duty to inform public on coronavirus

Claire McMullen, Yael Schacher and Ariana Sawyer: Trump’s cold-blooded move to shut out desperate asylum seekers

Jeff Yang: It turns out your favorite movie is racist. What now?

Nayyera Haq: Why Stacey Abrams deserves applause

AND…

At last, summer

A summer like no other begins this weekend. In the first of a new series of weekly columns for CNN Opinion, biologist Erin Bromage wrote, “Our choices over the coming months will determine the trajectory of this pandemic. If we continue to pursue activities that pose a high risk for infection, such as large indoor gatherings, then we will hear the roar of that second wave sooner than later.”

“If we take a more measured approach, by improving hand hygiene, limiting daily interactions with other people, maintaining physical distance and increasing face mask use when we can’t maintain the distance, then businesses can operate safely, people can return to work and the activities our children are missing can resume.”

But even in the midst of the pandemic, Bromage wrote that he’s looking forward to some traditional summer activities: “my first meal at a restaurant (dining outdoors), visiting with more than one or two households at a time, and spending time at the beach. These interactions will be a little different than last summer.

“We will have to keep personal risks and risk mitigation measures in mind, but these adjustments are well worth the payoff of getting to enjoy some of my family’s usual summertime activities.”

Donald Trump’s heartless week #web #website #copied #to read# #highlight #link #news #read #blog #wordpress post# #posts #breaking news# #Sinrau #Nothiah #Sinrau29

[nasa]

Testing Time for the SLS Engine Section

In schools across the country, many students just finished final exams. Now, part of the world’s most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), is about to feel the pressure of testing time. The first SLS engine section has been moving slowly upriver from Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, but once the barge Pegasus docks at our Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the real strength test for the engine section will get started.

The engine section is the first of four of the major parts of the core stage that are being tested to make sure SLS is ready for the challenges of spaceflight.

The engine section is located at the bottom of the rocket. It has a couple of important jobs. It holds the four RS-25 liquid propellant engines, and it serves as one of two attach points for each of the twin solid propellant boosters. This first engine section will be used only for ground testing. 

Of all the major parts of the rocket, the engine section gets perhaps the roughest workout during launch. Millions of pounds of core stage are pushing down, while the engines are pushing up with millions of pounds of thrust, and the boosters are tugging at it from both sides. That’s a lot of stress. Maybe that’s why there’s a saying in the rocket business: “Test like you fly, and fly like you test.”

After it was welded at Michoud, technicians installed the thrust structure, engine supports and other internal equipment and loaded it aboard the Pegasus for shipment to Marshall.

Once used to transport space shuttle external tanks, Pegasus was modified for the longer SLS core stage by removing 115 feet out of the middle of the barge and added a new 165-foot section with a reinforced main deck. Now as long as a football field, Pegasus – with the help of two tugboats – will transport core stage test articles to Marshall Space Flight Center as well as completed core stages to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for test firing and then to Kennedy Space Center for launch.

The test article has no engines, cabling, or computers, but it will replicate all the structures that will undergo the extreme physical forces of launch. The test article is more than 30 feet tall, and weighs about 70,000 pounds. About 3,200 sensors attached to the test article will measure the stress during 59 separate tests. Flight-like physical forces will be applied through simulators and adaptors standing in for the liquid hydrogen tank and RS-25 engines.

The test fixture that will surround and secure the engine section weighs about 1.5 million pounds and is taller than a 5-story building. Fifty-five big pistons called “load lines” will impart more than 4.5 million pounds of force vertically and more than 428,000 pounds from the side.

The engineers and their computer design tools say the engine section can handle the stress.  It’s the test team’s job prove that it can.

For more information about the powerful SLS rocket, check out: http://nasa.gov/SLS. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com/