#trucking industry impact

[artisticdivasworld]

Truckers Brace for Impact as Freight Jobs Disappear

The freight industry just got hit with over 14,300 layoffs across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. That’s a big deal, and it’s going to ripple through the industry in ways that could make life even harder for individual truckers trying to make a living. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) First off, fewer workers in manufacturing and logistics means less freight moving. When factories slow down or…

[quillsword]

Discover the shocking tale of a miscarriage of justice against President Trump and its ripple effects: a trucker boycott of New York City. Delve into the controversial fallout, the socio-political implications, and the broader discourse surrounding this unprecedented event - or just listen to my snarky ranting!

[reasonsforhope]

Green energy is in its heyday. 

Renewable energy sources now account for 22% of the nation’s electricity, and solar has skyrocketed eight times over in the last decade. This spring in California, wind, water, and solar power energy sources exceeded expectations, accounting for an average of 61.5 percent of the state's electricity demand across 52 days. 

But green energy has a lithium problem. Lithium batteries control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. 

That’s not just cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, and tools. Scooters, e-bikes, hybrids, and electric vehicles all rely on rechargeable lithium batteries to get going. 

Fortunately, this past week, Natron Energy launched its first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. 

“Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry,” said Colin Wessells — Natron Founder and Co-CEO — at the kick-off event in Michigan. 

The new sodium-ion batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

Wessells said that using sodium as a primary mineral alternative eliminates industry-wide issues of worker negligence, geopolitical disruption, and the “questionable environmental impacts” inextricably linked to lithium mining. 

“The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions,” Wessells said. 

Why are sodium batteries a better alternative to lithium?

The birth and death cycle of lithium is shadowed in environmental destruction. The process of extracting lithium pollutes the water, air, and soil, and when it’s eventually discarded, the flammable batteries are prone to bursting into flames and burning out in landfills. 

There’s also a human cost. Lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel are not only harder to source and procure, but their supply chains are also overwhelmingly attributed to hazardous working conditions and child labor law violations. 

Sodium, on the other hand, is estimated to be 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium. 

“Unlike lithium, sodium can be produced from an abundant material: salt,” engineer Casey Crownhart wrote ​​in the MIT Technology Review. “Because the raw ingredients are cheap and widely available, there’s potential for sodium-ion batteries to be significantly less expensive than their lithium-ion counterparts if more companies start making more of them.”

What will these batteries be used for?

Right now, Natron has its focus set on AI models and data storage centers, which consume hefty amounts of energy. In 2023, the MIT Technology Review reported that one AI model can emit more than 626,00 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

“We expect our battery solutions will be used to power the explosive growth in data centers used for Artificial Intelligence,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron. 

“With the start of commercial-scale production here in Michigan, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable battery energy storage.”

The fast-charging energy alternative also has limitless potential on a consumer level, and Natron is eying telecommunications and EV fast-charging once it begins servicing AI data storage centers in June. 

On a larger scale, sodium-ion batteries could radically change the manufacturing and production sectors — from housing energy to lower electricity costs in warehouses, to charging backup stations and powering electric vehicles, trucks, forklifts, and so on. 

“I founded Natron because we saw climate change as the defining problem of our time,” Wessells said. “We believe batteries have a role to play.”

-via GoodGoodGood, May 3, 2024

--

Note: I wanted to make sure this was legit (scientifically and in general), and I'm happy to report that it really is! x, x, x, x

[whosblackcat]

mini thread abt how to help riize & seunghan + info 🩷🫧

note & warning: please don’t engage with ANY content of riize, for example don’t comment in their tiktoks saying “riize is 7” even if your intention is good, it breaks the purpose of the boycott!!

sm will pull fake scandals to distract our attention from the matter, for example as they did with sungchan yesterday! don’t believe anything, exols warned us

tweet the trending tags on twitter!! big official fan accounts always share which ones we have to use

don't buy or watch anything related to riize & sm, we’re boycotting

don’t interact with any post of sm and riize even if it’s to use the tags or supporting the boys, we’re boycotting

all the info of what did one of the persons who sent the death wreaths

ot6 are complaining to the police & government abt the displays and flowers for seunghan in front of the sm building, and according to this person now it's not possible to put them in commercial facilities

sm is buying followers and likes due to the impact of the boycott

ot6 are monitoring every movement and project in every language and reporting them. @/RIIZEUSACENTRE kofi was reported because of them while raising trucks money

seunghan's leaked photo with his girlfriend was leaked by hybe

riize is seven movement schedule. day 1 october 28th

mass review 1 star to all sm facilities on google maps (note: they’re deleting the bad reviews but we have to keep going)

hybes’s ceo lee jae sang issues apology letter for the ‘music industry report’ document (a sorry is not enough after destroying hsh life & career)

seunghan town will be removed due to ot6 reports and company that they reported the project, causing making hard getting the needed permits

pineapple manager passed in front of the protest today, he def saw the protest

manager passed in front of the protest again, they know what’s going on

manager passed in front of the protest for the third time, and tomorrow is the meeting

riize is seven movement schedule november 6th

there’s a very popular lawyer who has won a case against sm before that right now is representing fans

riize doesn't have any schedule, comeback or tour for the first quarter of 2025. the boycott is working, keep going!

riize lost 400k monthly listeners on spotify

clarifications on rumors regarding hsh. the thread linked below explains it really well, so please read carefully and repost it on X!

sm announced that seunghan will debut as a solo artist in the second half of 2025… they even created him a profile on ig. sm is trying to calm us down. is their final act of desperation to tame the situation. this doesn’t protect him from toxic fans, pls keep boycotting, this doesn’t end here (we protested to have him back in riize where he belongs, not to debut as solo artist is this a joke what are they doing💀💀)

Jaehyeon Choe, a TikToker with over 174k followers (@/watchwithsamjaychoe), who has worked with different kpop groups, some of them being SM ones, knows things we don't know and is telling us to DON'T STOP THE BOYCOTT

MAMA's violations against fans, the mistreatment and disrespect experienced by the fans cannot be ignored. some fans were denied entry due to their clothing and some others had their stuff (which they paid for) thrown away even if it wasn’t against the rules they settled. dm @/RIIZEUSACENTRE on X if something like this happened to you

this is all the info i found and i wanted to spread it here too, so thanks and credits to all the ppl on twitter!! if i find more relevant info i’ll keep updating this post. please share it 🫶🏻 (note: english isn't my first language, sorry for any mistakes in my grammar)

little motivation and some twitter accounts that organize projects/give info below the cut! 🩷

— some good info twitter accs:

@/RIIZEUSACENTRE @/SEVENRIIZE @/RIIZE_EUROPE @/PROTECT_RIIZE @/Seunghan_USA

— little motivation:

kbriize are holding face to face protests and fanbases hired an attorney. boycott properly if you don't want all the effort to be wasted! remember, boycotting takes time

"The group nearly disbanded in September of 2001, after Park Joon-hyung was discovered to be in a relationship. Their management announced, without informing him or the members, that he was to leave the group and they'd continue as 4, but it was met with strong objection from fans, who repeatedly signed petitions and threatened to boycott concerts and the company. Danny, Kyesang, Hoyoung and Taewoo held their own press conference, without the knowledge of their management, to show their support for Joon. After two months of disagreements, their company eventually backed down and allowed Joon to be in the group." if joon returned to the group after two months of protests, complains and boycott, we can bring back seunghan!! the key is persistence. please don't give up and keep fighting for his rights and justice!!

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from the Substack Distilled:

In the last few months, the Biden administration has quietly passed multiple federal policies that will transform the United States economy and wipe out billions of tons of future greenhouse gas emissions. 

The new policies have received little attention outside of wonky climate circles. And that is a problem.

Earlier this year, I wrote that Biden has done more to mitigate climate change than any President before him. For decades, environmentalists tried and failed to convince lawmakers to pass even the most marginal climate policies. It wasn’t until Biden took office that the logjam broke and the climate policies flowed. And yet few American voters are hearing this story in an election year of huge consequence.

It’s been two and a half months since I wrote that article. In that short time, the Biden administration has passed a handful of climate policies that will collectively cut more than 10 billion tons of planet-warming pollution over the next three decades, more than the annual emissions of India, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the entire continent of Europe—combined.

One climate policy that flew under the radar recently was the administration's latest energy efficiency rule, unveiled at the beginning of May. The new rules will reduce the amount of energy that water heaters use by encouraging manufacturers to sell models with more efficient heat pump technology. The new regulation is expected to save more energy than any federal regulation in history. 

Most people give little thought to how the water in their homes is heated, but water heaters are the second-largest consumer of energy in the average American home and one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the country. 

A few days before the administration announced its water heater efficiency rules, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced another sweeping policy.

According to the new rules, existing coal power plants will need to either shut down or install carbon capture technology capable of removing 90% of their carbon pollution. The policy will also require any new natural gas power plants that provide baseload power—the ones that run throughout the day and night, as opposed to the peaker plants that only run for a small fraction of hours in the year—to install carbon capture technology. 

The new power sector rules are effectively a death blow to coal power in America, which has slowly faded over the last two decades but still emits more carbon emissions than almost every country in the world. 

The water heater rules and power plant regulations will help the country meet its goal of cutting emissions by 50% by 2030. But impactful as they will be, they weren’t the most important climate policy that the Biden administration passed in the last two months. 

That honor goes to the EPA’s tailpipe rules, which are set to transform the auto industry over the next decade.

Today the transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the United States. Within the sector, passenger cars and trucks are the biggest contributors to emissions. While electric vehicle adoption has grown in recent years, America lags behind many other countries in decarbonizing its vehicle stock. 

The EPA’s new rules will force automakers to reduce the amount of pollution and carbon emissions that come from their vehicles. The federal policy doesn’t specifically mandate that automakers produce EVs or stop selling gas-powered cars but instead regulates the average carbon emissions per mile of a manufacturer's entire fleet over the next decade. That means automakers can still sell gas-guzzling, carbon-spewing trucks in 2035. They’ll just need to sell a lot more EVs or plug-in hybrids to bring their average fleet emissions down if they do.

Like the power plant rules, the EPA’s new auto regulations are designed to avoid being thrown out by a conservative and hostile Supreme Court. 

[wellcomeoneileen]

Why does Randy Harrison deserve compensation? What happened to him? You can DM me if it's not okay to be public

Hey! No it’s totally okay.

⚠️disclaimer - I am a NEW fan and so I am NOT the most informed at all. Other people like @brian-kinney-apologist like really know shit. I initially found things bc watching S4 made me go oh there is bts shit going on for sure and googled, and then when I got on tumblr I saw a bunch of posts talking about it, too.

Lots of older sources are harder to find now bc they didn’t do a digital preservation or the website is expired, but here is what I’ve found, from heated Advocate articles whilst the show aired and then from more measured reflections from podcasts around 2016.

Randy was young and it was his first TV show - when he started he didn’t even have an agent, and really didn’t know what he was getting into. He had done sex scenes on stage and thought that he was pretty prepared for what was to come.

However, he has stated he ended up feeling pretty objectified, such as hearing “we need more shots of Justin’s ass” regularly or expressing a desire to not to go-go dancing type scenes (King of Babylon upset him) and then even more go-go dancing being added (S2 Sap scenes). He was also told to act less gay by casting directors for the show, and to “try to be more butch because Justin isn’t out of the closet”

The show pre-dates intimacy coordinators and there have been allusions, including from the actresses Thea and Michelle, that the sex scenes could be uncomfortable to film.

There was BTS clashing, with producer Tony Jones !!reportedly!!! Saying that Randy was a bitch to work with and “showrunners” “reportedly” saying they would never work with Randy again. There are two interview clips, one from when the show was airing, and one from 2016, when CowLip say they wanted all actors to be comfortable on set, and in BOTH clips , like 15 years apart, Randy kinda like laugh/roll his eyes and Gale looks at him very bemusedly. They had bigger reactions in the ~2003 clip.

He was openly pretty angry as the show went on. He told the Advocate that he would never be friends with or respect Justin if real. He disapproved of the Britin relationship. He said he had to fight to include the scene of Justin topping Brian, which was very important to him. Leading into season 5 he stated he hoped Justin was killed off by getting hit by a truck (obviously being glib, but like he was mad lol)

He has said that lots of scenes needed to be reshot because he struggled to do them so much, like the Cody sexy gun scene that made him so uncomfortable, and then either he or Gale said S5 sex scenes were reshot a lot because they just couldn’t stop laughing at that point anymore.

Peter and Scott recently have said the only time anyone asked for actors’ opinions was right after season 1 ended, and to ME they sounded kinda cheeky about it, all these years later, so perhaps it was a cast sticking point? Unsure, and it wasn’t even Randy who said that. Fat grain of salt.

He has more recently reflected on this time period and expressed regret he went out the way he did, and he understands things better and honors his craft more (heavy paraphrasing!) bc he was mentally checked out by the end and wishes he had finished strong instead.

Also, the cast didn’t realize when signing on how isolated they would be from The Industry. Randy has spoken about this in an unrelated podcast, as have the actors who play Ted and Emmett. NYC or LA are where you want to be for networking, and then signing on to spend the majority of the year in Toronto negatively impacted their careers, they feel. Randy has said he had to start from scratch after the show ended, and Peter and Scott have said Showtime had no idea how to market the show nor their stars, and so they had to just watch as all the initial hype fizzled and nothing was done with them. They were contracted to work too much to seriously be involved elsewhere, while simultaneously not getting good exposure, which I IMAGINE created a dire sort of mood and morale on set. < personal interpretation and fictionalizing history.

Meaning, Randy probably at the very least FELT like he had spent five years on a show that didn’t respect him and it was largely for nothing. He has since stated he appreciates the opportunity and it is the reason he was finically secure, for which he is deeply grateful.

And then finally the fans! He had stalker(s?) and tons of creepy people and was heavily typecast and people would come up to him frequently, which made him uncomfy, and would furthermore act like he was actually Justin, which made him super uncomfy. He was kinda like Chappell Roan!! He was like hey I’m not Justin I’m a person and y’all are freaks. He has publicially declined to speak on the stalking issues, which given his vocal responses to other issues, indicates to ME that it’s pretty personal and upsetting (I mean it’s stalking it’s obviously horrible but you know what I mean). During the show he had a boyfriend that fans like tormented online and even on posters (that bit comes from Tumblr or another forum, so not like verified info on my part at all) because they shipped “Gandy” so hard. I know I’ve read on tumblr about the insane Gandy people but all I remember is they were intense and insane and negatively impacted Randy’s actual real life. Again, that’s info from fans that I haven’t read in article or heard from out of his mouth. Secondary source lol.

This point is PURE speculation, but early interviews with the whole cast were super excited, and they all talked about how excited they were for something ground breaking. By the end, people were angry or giving fluff responses, or in Peter’s case; calmly stating the show was a soap opera and that’s okay. I FEEL like everyone thought they were signing up for something more real/gritty/positive impact to society and then were like oh I’m here to look hot in this show that only moms watch to get them turned on to have sex with their husband. Cool.

Now, do I agree with that - no. But, the show audience was vastly different than expected, and the artistic direction might have been too, both of which might have really disappointed people. Esp Randy and maybe Gale. Randy was a capital T theatre person, and Gale was too and had lots of experimental work and like performance art. Randy has ALSO expressed displeasure with some theater work he did because he didn’t think it was fresh and the audience was only older wealthy white people, so we do know that this sort of thing does matter to his sense of fulfillment at work.

TLDR; had to shoot scenes he didn’t want to, several times, felt objectified on set, disagreed with his character’s direction, maybe felt like he wasn’t being listened to artistically, was cut off from other work opportunities, didn’t appear to get along with leadership, had bad fans, was young and in deep over his head, and at the very least *started* with no career or social support system.

Again!! Am not the most knowledgeable person !!! I do NOT want to spread misinformation so hopefully I’ve tagged where I’m reading into things vs actual quotes but also people who have actually been around pls feel free to say 🙋um actuallllyyyyy

[skywardsister]

Stobotnik Fanfic- The Doctor's Retreat

I've been wanting to write more fanfiction since I haven't in a good while, so have a little something based on that deleted scene from Sonic 3 that so many people (including myself) wish was kept in the final version! Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is property of Sega and Paramount, the writing is mine (please don't use my work without my permission- thanks!)

            A bright column of sunlight illuminated the inside of the giant robot once that powered-up hedgehog wrenched its massive head off its hundreds of intricate hinges. Then came the grand fall. Within the confines of his copilot cockpit, Agent Stone braced against the elaborate console in front of him and grasped the controls as hard as his arms would allow. His efforts didn’t suffice to keep him stationary during the sudden drop, which tossed him about and dashed him against the floor upon final impact. Shooting pains etched up and around the man’s rib cage but he barely gave it a thought; Stone forced himself up and forward, maneuvering through the collapsed machine quickly.

            As expected from the ruckus their battle caused, armed G.U.N. members swarmed the wreckage like flies to a carcass. It would require droves of industrial vehicles to completely strip down and ship the robot away, so this visit was presumably just to survey the damage and ensure the threat was neutralized. Locating and stealing a G.U.N. uniform to patrol the premises was exceedingly simple for an agent of Stone’s caliber. Waiting, not so much. The agent joined the ranks of the armored goons itching to break off from the crowd and find who he was really looking for- the doctor. He was on pins and needles and kept his eyes on a constant swivel, not for fear of being discovered, but for any minuscule signs of hope. Ivo was right about technology- if only Stone was a robot himself, he could hunt for heat signatures and shorten the search significantly.

            The agonizingly-long surveillance ended eventually but not soon enough for Stone’s liking. He slipped away when it appeared the other agents were finally satisfied with their work and piled into their trucks before heading out. Sonic and his companions also filed out to recuperate from the fight; they must have thought themselves victorious. Their absence would also lend itself well to the task at hand.

            “Doctor?”

Agent Stone called out the moment he knew was the only one left. The sun was long gone, its light receding rapidly between the trees and casting long black shadows everywhere. Shrapnel embedded in the dirt popped and snapped beneath the soles of his boots as he navigated in near-darkness, sometimes sidling between crunched pieces of debris. The crisp night air stung his nostrils as he moved briskly. He called out again to no response.

Stone was primed to search for as long as it would take to find Ivo; what else was there to do? The agent spotted something by the hulking, dislodged robot head: a leg, peeking out from beneath a sizable sheet of reinforced steel. There was the answer to his prayers. He practically leapt over the fallen mech pieces that sat between them before he found himself at the doctor’s side. Adrenaline thundered through Stone’s veins at the sight at his feet which provided a much-needed boost to heft the scrap metal off of Ivo’s chest. The doctor laid face-up and wouldn’t open his eyes despite stimuli upon inspection, but a quiet wheezing reassured Stone that he was indeed still alive. The agent exhaled and shifted away from the other man’s face.

“Don’t scare me like that, Doctor,” Stone muttered and furrowed his brow as he attempted to lift one of Ivo’s arms. Something shifted and popped. His eyes widened and he gently eased it back down on the ground. Right- a fall so dramatic plus collapsed debris would never leave someone in flawless condition. To think someone would survive it all unscathed would be pure naivety. Sometimes the doctor’s grandiose personality made Agent Stone forget he wasn’t any more invincible than the average person. He leaned over and tucked his hands around and beneath Ivo’s body before hoisting it up and over his shoulders without much trouble. Unsurprisingly, ashy dust caked to Ivo’s coat peppered Stone’s uniform with grey specks almost immediately along with a smoky, metallic smell that wrinkled his nose.

The edge of town was a mile away, where Stone hoped those pesky local cops wouldn’t be snooping around The Mean Bean; if he was presumed dead, they hopefully wouldn’t think to investigate it any further than they already had earlier that afternoon. In the case that none of his tech was confiscated while he was out, he might be able to conduct some x-rays. The trek would be long and arduous in the dark, but the agent would only feel the presence of his companion and not the added weight.

Coming to the cafe, the agent shook his head upon noticing someone had loosely cordoned off the front doors with yellow police tape, and he suspected that officer who tried to arrest him before. Stone gingerly pulled it off with a foot so it fluttered down to the concrete sidewalk. He felt relieved the doctor wasn’t awake while he was unceremoniously dragged inside like a limp sack of coffee beans; why did they have to be pull-doors, especially at a time like this? Ivo ended up carefully sprawled out on the countertop while his loyal sycophant contemplated their options. If anyone found them alive, there would be eyes on them in every state in the country; they would need someplace low-profile to hide until the doctor fully recovered.

“We’ll figure something out,” Stone said, unsure if he said it for Ivo’s sake or if perhaps it was more to reassure himself.

[nebraskas]

4/26/24 Nebraska/IA Tornadoes

a continuously updated list of resources

last updated 4/27/24 at 8:13 AM CST; find how to help those affected at the bottom

All

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

If you are disabled and impacted by tornadoes, call Disability & Disaster Hotline 800-626-4959 or email hotline@disasterstrategies.org (per The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies on X)

Nebraska Humane Society can house animals that need emergency shelter. Contact Animal Control at 402-444-7800 ext. 1. (per NE Humane Society on X)

Footage

Images and videos from across the storm's path.

Bennington

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

Three Timbers Church - S 2nd and Warehouse Street, St. John's Lutheran Church - N Molly Street and Howard Lane, and City Hall - 156th Street and Warehouse Street are all locations to find assistance. (per KETV7)

Clean Up

13505 N. 216th St. in Bennington needs to keep several things in mind:

The landfill will be open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Green debris limbs must be cut into pieces 4 feet or smaller.

Debris can be mixed.

Home appliances and hazardous materials are not accepted.

(per KETV7)

Blair

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

The Red Cross has set up a location at First Lutheran Church at 2146 Wright Street (per KETV7)

Elkhorn

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

A Facebook page where people are offering resources

Common Ground Recreation Center at 1701 Veterans Drive will serve as an overnight shelter for those affected and pets. (per KETV7)

Anyone needing relief or assistance due to the storms, St. Patrick’s at 204th and Maple Street is your go to. Do not go for unrelated reasons. (per Omaha Scanner on X)

Command Post has moved to 204th and West Maple in St Patrick’s Church parking lot. Media staging is now at the Walgreens parking lot at 202 W Maple (per OPD on X)

Currently there is a reunification center being established at Elkhorn Middle School located at 3200 N 207th street for parents. (per Douglas County 911 on X)

PETS: PetSmart Veterinary Services is at the Walgreens at 202nd and Maple in Elkhorn for pet triage and stabilizing services for animals needing care from tornado injuries. (per Brian Beech on X)

Clean Up

Pheasant Point Landfill as a debris drop-off location, closes at 3 PM today (per KETV7)

Damage

Residents who have suffered damage to their homes in today's severe weather event should call 2-1-1 or go online at http://dogis.org/211 to make a report. (per Douglas County on X)

Omaha

Aid/Assistance/Reunification

Heartland Hope Mission has two locations in west and south O that offer help. West - 15555 Industrial Road, South - 2021 U Street (per KETV7)

How to Help

NE Humane Society is taking food and litter donations at 8929 Fort Street; also accepting monetary donations. (per NE Humane Society on X)

On 4/27/24 at 7:30 AM there will be a meeting at Relevant Church 21220 Elkhorn Drive held by Rapid Response America to help with disaster relief. Bring your own PPE (gloves, long sleeved shirts, closed toed shoes) and you will have to sign a waiver. More info here.

A Facebook page where people can offer help

My City Church is partnering with other area churches to offer assistance. It's asking for volunteers to help in a variety of ways:

Meet at the Relevant center at 212th Street and West Maple Road at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers are asked to bring chainsaws, trucks, trailers, shovels, rakes, brooms, garbage bags, etc. to help clean up

Meet at Brookside Elkhorn Campus at 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers need to bring necessary tools and work gloves.

(per KETV7)

[star-lights-up]

yo i just found a giant ~2000 ish word, half-finished cherik fic in my fanfic document. I'm kinda wondering if it's worth finishing because it's not half bad.... SO! I'm gonna let yall decide!

synopsis: Erik Lehnsherr is a workaholic. A grumpy, terrifying, workaholic who never uses his days off - and it's only gotten worse since he broke up with his girlfriend a year and a half ago. So, Tony Stark, his boss and the altruistic person he is, sends Lehnsherr on a two-week, all-expenses paid vacation to Maui, Hawaii.

Erik isn't pleased by this development, but he reluctantly goes. And, at the resort, in the room right next to him, is one Charles Xavier.

Charles is fascinating - a professor of genetics who sounds british but grew up in westchester who's been taking time off to help with relief efforts for the fire in Lahaina, since his little sister used to live there, and who is, surprisingly, easy to talk to.

On a whim, Erik finds himself stammering out a suggestion that they both travel the road to Hana, a vaguely adventurous tourist activity that Charles highly recommends, and so begins a whirlwind romance over the course of the next week.

It's set over thanksgiving - I was actually in maui, writing it in real time, but soon gave up since i didn't have my laptop 😭

Raven still lives on the island, in a big house in Napili with a bunch of her friends (Angel, Sean, Alex, Darwin, and Hank). They're all vaguely in their twenties, some edging more towards college age, some a little older. They're all surfers.

Charles works in ny, knows some people at stark industries that erik works with too (emma lmao). He's also a cane user in this. I pretty much gave him my backstory with the islands, except he has the whole coming from old money excuse for traveling (one of my parents used to live on the island so we go there when we can but not in a rich person way 😂) Basically he's been going ever since he and raven were kids, sharon owns one of the condos at the resort, but they're estranged obviously so he just stays in a room like a normal person. He visits Raven every thanksgiving but he's been visiting more often since the fires to volunteer, since they've got a lot of friends who were impacted.

Erik is kinda the stereotypical engineer!erik that you see in modern aus. He was kind of a bad boy, outsider, rough living conditions as a kid, but was super smart. Raised by Edie as a single mom. Got a job at stark industries right out of college (tony took a liking to him and thinks their friends. Erik just wonders why his boss talks to him so much and tries to avoid him as much as possible) Edie passed away five years ago, and then a year and a half ago magda, his long-term girlfriend, left him. I'm thinking he's probably bi and pretty comfy with his sexuality (same with charles. charles is just a big flirt so he hasn't been AS chronically lonely and touch starved).

Ummmm basically they do the road to hana, fall in love in that day (sounds far fetched but TRUST ME a day on the road to hana is like a week long. it is tiring. they will be bonded by the end of it and eating tacos from a taco truck.) they spend the weekend together and then charles is like "welp it's monday i gotta get back to volunteering" and erik is like "well i'm not wasting five days without you" and so he starts volunteering too.... cute boyfriend fluff... Charles takes erik to thanksgiving at raven's with him, found family, yada yada.... beach... pool.... beach.... there's this one mall that has a cotton candy machine charles would absolutely adore.... erik would probably want to go cliff jumping.... there's a cool mandala there..... beach... beach at night (so pretty) (there's lots of frogs).....

anyway.

[artisticdivasworld]

Freight Rates Are Climbing Again—But Will New Tariffs Pump the Brakes?

After a prolonged period of low rates and challenging conditions, the trucking industry is finally witnessing a positive shift. Freight rates are on the rise, with companies like XPO reporting stronger earnings, suggesting a market tilt in favor of truckers. However, recent tariffs introduced by President Trump could introduce new challenges. The Tariff Landscape In early February 2025,…

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - October 22-28

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1. Industrial wastelands to wildlife oases: Five nature wins that have actually worked

“[An archipelago in the Indian ocean] experienced a major whale comeback after signing up to a debt for nature swap[….] In Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, local efforts have transformed what was once a rubbish dump to a wetland teeming with [wildlife….]”

2. Louisville launches America’s first 100% electric garbage truck fleet

““These innovative EV collection trucks will fulfill our trash, compost and recycling needs, reduce noise pollution, and include larger windshields to increase each driver’s field of vision and lower greenhouse gas emissions[….]” [The trucks are equipped with] audible devices that alert nearby drivers and pedestrians to compensate for their quieter operations.”

3. How a nearly extinct crocodile species returned from the brink in Cambodia

“By the late nineties, [Siamese crocodiles] were thought to be extinct. […] Today there are about 1,000 Siamese crocodiles in the wild[….] The first crocodiles were reintroduced into the wild in 2012 and they have begun breeding in the wild: over a hundred eggs were discovered in the forests in July, the most so far.”

4. Before his death, this conservative combat veteran filmed a PSA advocating for his transgender son

““Eric [“a conservative South Carolina U.S. Army combat veteran and father of a transgender child”] believed in the importance of freedom for trans kids — the right to live authentically and without fear,” [his widow] said. “He saw this not as a political issue but as a human one, recognizing that every child deserves the chance to thrive and feel whole.”” [Curator’s note: obviously, utmost condolences to Eric’s family; I’m including this as good news because it’s impactful to see a respectable member of the political party more often known for transmisia instead publicly advocating for his son’s human - not just political - rights]

5. Azores to create largest Marine Protected Area in North Atlantic – and a 'blueprint' for the rest of the world

““The Azores’ waters are a hotspot for marine life, hosting a third of the world's whale and dolphin species,[…” and harbouring] “cold-water corals and sponge fields that act as nurseries and feeding grounds for countless species, from deep-sea sharks to commercially valuable fish stocks.””

6. ‘It’s a big lever for change’: the radical contract protecting Hamburg’s green space

“Citizen power forced Germany’s greenest city-state into a binding agreement balancing housing and nature[….] The authorities signed an agreement with the citizen’s initiative to protect 30% of Hamburg’s land area – 10% as untouchable nature reserves and 20% with a looser conservation status – and ensure the share of public green space in the city rises over time.”

7. Behind the Scenes at the Federal Bee Lab Powered by Native Plants

“Once native plants reappeared at the lab, he says, the impact was dramatic. In the first year, many of the region’s 200 native bee species arrived in droves. [… B]irds Droege had never before seen on the premises began to turn up to feed on the native plant seeds[….]”

8. Atlanta neighborhood hired case manager to address rising homelessness. It's improving health and safety for everyone

“Michael Nolan, an Intown Cares social worker, is trained in an approach that emphasizes individual autonomy and dignity, recognizes that being homeless is a traumatic experience, and prioritizes access to housing. [… H]iring a social worker has enabled East Atlanta Village to resolve conflicts gently, through conversation and negotiation.”

9. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nests Make a Remarkable Comeback in Greece

“As long-lived and migratory species, [loggerheads] contribute to the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs, which are vital habitats for many marine organisms. Their nesting activities also contribute to beach ecosystems and help promote biodiversity.”

10. Rapid genome analysis of a Whippet sighthound sets new standard for biodiversity research

“[Scientists] have sequenced and analyzed the complete genome of a Whippet sighthound in less than a week. […] Rapid analysis is increasingly important for the conservation of endangered species, [… giving] insights into their biological relationships, evolution and adaptations to environmental conditions.”

October 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[quillsword]

Keep on Truckin'! Anywhere But New York!

When you’re running a senile old man and have to abuse the justice system in a vain attempt to keep his opponent out of the race, maybe you should reconsider your life choice to be a political party. No one expected a fair verdict out of that kangaroo court, or New York for that matter, but the insanely egregious judgment left even my cranky jaw dropping. I’ll spare you the words my cat had to…

[reasonsforhope]

"An environmental toxicologist in California is cleaning up areas contaminated with heavy metals or other pollutants using fungi and native plants in a win-win for nature.

Where once toxic soils in industrial lots sat bare or weed-ridden, there are now flowering meadows of plants and mushrooms, frequented by birds and pollinators: and it’s thanks to Danielle Stevenson.

Founder of DIY Fungi, the 37-year-old ecologist from UC Riverside recently spoke with Yale Press about her ongoing work restoring ‘brownfields,’ a term that describes a contaminated environment, abandoned by industrial, extraction, or transportation operations.

A brownfield could be an old railway yard or the grounds of an abandoned oil refinery, but the uniting factor is the presence of a toxic containment, whether that’s a petrochemical, heavy metal, or something else.

Noting that she had read studies about mushrooms growing around the Chernobyl nuclear plant, she came to understand further, through her work, that fungi are an extraordinarily resilient species of life that consume carbon, and even though petroleum products are toxic to plants, to mushrooms they are essentially a kind of carbon.

In fact, mushrooms break down several categories of toxic waste with the same enzymes they use to consume a dead tree. They can also eat plastic and other things made out of oil, like agrochemicals.

At the Los Angeles railyard, as part of a pilot project, Stevenson and colleagues planted a variety of native grass and flower species alongside dead wood that would incubate specific fungi species called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which assists plants in extracting heavy metals like lead and arsenic from the soil.

Alongside traditional decomposer fungi, the mixture of life forms demonstrated tremendous results in this brownfield.

“In three months we saw a more than 50 percent reduction in all pollutants. By 12 months, they were pretty much not detectable,” Stevenson told Yale 360.

Decontaminating soil like this typically involves bringing in a bulldozer and digging it all up for transportation to a landfill. This method is not only hugely expensive, but also dangerous, as contaminated material can scatter on the winds and fall out of the backs of trucks carting it away.

By contrast, the plants that draw out the toxic metals can be harvested and incinerated down to a small pile of ash before cheap transportation to a hazardous waste facility.

The technique, which Stevenson says has some scaling issues and issues with approval from regulators, is known officially as bioremediation, and she’s even used it to safely break down bags of lubricant-soaked rags from bicycle repair shops.

“People who live in a place impacted by pollution need to have a say in how their neighborhood is being cleaned up. We need to empower them with the tools to do this,” she said."

-via Good News Network, July 16, 2024

[mariacallous]

Most of the discussion around President Donald Trump’s volley of tariff threats this week has centered on their potential impact on consumer prices and inflation. While price increases are a real concern, another impact involves the fact that regional economies (and the local jobs there) are frequently caught in the middle of trade disputes, though not equally. 

For now, the most significant disruptions to U.S. communities are on pause, given the last-minute suspension of Trump’s proposed tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico. However, with Trump standing by his threat to impose 10% tariffs on imports from China, and China sticking with its threat of counter-tariffs commencing on Monday, the nation may well be heading toward a new reminder of the unfortunate ways local communities can suffer collateral damage from international faceoffs. 

While the China clash will play out globally and strategically, its potential impacts will be localized and varied, since different regions have different local industry mixes and structures. Which is why it’s worth looking at the local geography of the pending trade war as an example of how national policy can hurt communities and their economies. 

To explore how this works, this analysis builds on previous Brookings Metro work from 2018 by assessing which places have the most jobs in industries targeted by China’s proposed retaliatory tariffs. While this piece focuses specifically on Chinese retaliation, it also provides a template for assessing the place-specific economic side effects associated with any future trade tensions, such as if Mexico and Canada reimplement their retaliatory tariffs. 

In the current case, China has announced retaliatory tariffs on a total of 80 different manufactured and energy products that the U.S. exports there. China will place 15% tariffs on a set of energy exports, including coal, natural gas, and petroleum; and 10% tariffs on 72 manufactured products or parts including trucks, motor homes, and agricultural machinery. These 80 products correspond with 14 different six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries in the U.S.1

All told, these industries account for between 400,000 and 700,000 jobs in the United States.2 The tariff list contrasts with the much broader tariffs China levied in 2018, which affected 40 industries that supported over 2 million U.S. jobs. In comparison, this round of tariffs is significantly more straightforward in nature, creating a shorter product list and more concentrated economic impacts. While it’s not entirely clear why China is not retaliating with the same level of intensity as it did in 2018, it’s possible that seven years of escalating bilateral tariffs and substantial U.S. export restrictions have simply left the Chinese government with fewer levers to pull when it comes to new trade barriers. 

Looking at how this may play out across the map of U.S. counties with the largest shares of jobs in industries China’s tariffs target reveals which places are most significantly exposed to potential supply chain disruptions. While the median U.S. county has just 0.05% of its jobs in potentially affected industries (and over 80% of all counties have less than 1% of their jobs in affected industries), there are some notable outliers. 

Similar to the 2018 tariffs, the industrial heartland is again bearing a disproportionate impact from Chinese retaliation. Some of the most intensely affected counties are energy and manufacturing communities in North Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, and West Virginia. For instance, Sargent County, N.D. has the highest potential exposure of any county due to its large manufacturing presence, with 59% of its employment in industries potentially affected by the tariffs. Other counties that may be highly affected include Gibson County, Ind. and Noble County, Ohio (both of which are manufacturing hubs), and Irion County, Texas, which relies heavily on oil and natural gas, each with more than 30% of their employment in industries potentially affected by the proposed Chinese tariffs.  

Turning to total employment in affected industries across particular regions, there are significant concentrations of these jobs in major energy-producing places such as Harris County, Texas (33,000 jobs), as well as manufacturing hubs such as Wayne County, Mich. (26,000); Alameda County, Calif. (25,000); Jefferson County, Ky. (13,000); and Elkhart County, Ind. (12,000).  

In sum, these maps of U.S. exposure to Chinese tariffs reiterate that while trade skirmishes are frequently discussed in terms of geopolitics and consumer prices, they also entail very tangible local impacts on regional industry clusters, supply chains, and jobs.   

Given how closely this new round of tariffs is associated with Trump’s policies, it also bears discussing how Chinese retaliation may affect communities where a majority of voters supported him compared to communities that supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. 

The four largest counties with industries that Chinese tariffs could impact all voted for Harris, led by Harris County, Texas, which is centered on Houston and its substantial oil and gas industry.  

However, while several large, Harris-voting counties stand to be affected, on balance nearly two-thirds of all jobs in affected industries reside in Trump-voting counties. 

This again stands in contrast to China’s 2018 tariffs, when employment in affected industries was more evenly divided between Trump-voting counties and counties that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. While it’s impossible to fully say how much political motivation played a role in this new set of retaliatory tariffs, it’s clear that Trump-voting counties will feel a bigger burden than Harris-voting counties this time around. 

Many of the most tariff-exposed counties are found in the industrial heartland and Southeast regions, which formed Trump’s electoral base in 2024, including Elkhart and Gibson counties in Indiana; Macomb County, Mich.; Irion County, Texas; and Spartanburg County, S.C. 

And because the vast majority of counties overall voted for Trump, a significantly larger number of Trump-voting counties have employment in tariff-affected industries than those that voted for Harris. Of the 2,010 counties with employment in tariff-affected industries, 1,722 of them voted for Trump compared to just 288 for Harris.   

So, while Democratic representatives in Illinois may have constituents affected by the manufacturing tariffs, the burden of Chinese retaliation as a whole is more likely to land on places that voted for Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. 

Notably, all 71 counties with 10% or more of their jobs in industries exposed to tariffs voted for Trump in 2024. Combined with previous Brookings Metro work showing that Trump-voting counties account for a smaller share of gross domestic product due to their rural nature, this draws attention to smaller communities that are dependent on key tariff-affected industries, and their special sensitivity to disruptions in global trade flows. 

All in all, it bears noting that the proposed tariffs are the latest in a long string of protectionist actions across the Trump and Biden administrations that have forced supply chains to shift and relocate. And while previous rounds of tariffs and U.S. export controls may have left China with fewer options to retaliate than it had seven years ago, these latest trade actions might nonetheless still cause disruptions for U.S. firms, workers, and communities.  

As this analysis shows, tariffs—both those implemented by the U.S. as well as foreign retaliation—have real effects on employment in places across the nation, and a continued expansion of protectionism and retaliation is likely to cause substantially more disruption for more American workers. 

[aster-saturn]

IVE BEEN YEARNING!!!!!

So can I request an RC9GN bot that's inspired by Kagerou Daze?? Where user dies after getting hit by a damn truck over and over again?? (U can also make an opposite one)

Ok you might not know kagerou daze, so it's basically just time loop :3

You were correct in assuming I didn't know what Kagerou Daze was. I just went with my gut on this one 😓

Hope you love it, Cureely <333

🧣| Kagerou Daze

Randy Cunningham x reader

The streets are always eerily quiet at night, the only sounds being the distant hum of city lights and the soft patter of footsteps echoing on the pavement. The air feels thick with the promise of something inevitable—like the world is holding its breath, waiting for the end. You don't know how many times it's happened now, but you’ve lost count. The moment you step off the curb, it's like time stops, and suddenly, out of nowhere, the screech of tires fills your ears. Before you can even react, you feel the impact—a truck slamming into you with brutal force. It's the same every time, the same jarring pain, the same final moments of helplessness before everything goes dark.

The world blurs, your body is broken, but you wake up again, as if it was just another day. The cycle repeats itself, over and over, each death as inevitable as the last. But there's a glimmer of something. Maybe, just maybe, someone will notice. Someone will break the loop.

And then, suddenly, there's a crackle in the air. The silence shatters, and you hear the unmistakable sound of feet hitting the ground, fast and sure. A shadow looms over you, and before you can even focus, a voice calls out.

“Man, you’re gonna be the death of me, aren’t you? It took so long to break your weird cycle.” He pulls you up with surprising strength, his grin sharp and determined.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

Federal grants: On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget ordered a pause on almost all federal grants and loans, saying it was necessary to root out “D.E.I., woke gender ideology and the Green New Deal.” There is no such thing as the “Green New Deal,” but that language was clearly meant as a broadside attack on federal support for renewable energy projects. By Wednesday, the White House had rescinded that order, creating more confusion. But the scope of climate- and energy-related programs that could still be affected by such a freeze is vast, and includes several clean-energy programs and efforts working to limit pollution. Heatmap News compiled an extensive list.

Foreign aid: Last week, after a Trump executive order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a 90-day freeze on almost all foreign aid. The stop-work order affected scores of programs around the world. Some projects have received waivers that will allow them to continue operating. But officials have already warned that programs focused on managing the impact of climate change will be permanently cut.

Fuel economy rules: On Tuesday, the newly confirmed transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, signed an order seeking to roll back fuel economy standards for automakers that had been set by the Biden administration. The move could result in more tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks, and slow the adoption of electric vehicles.

Wind power: Last week, one of President Trump’s first executive orders targeted wind energy. The move brought an immediate halt to all leasing of federal lands and waters for new wind farms, and directed federal agencies to stop issuing permits for all wind farms anywhere in the country for the time being.

Wind projects already under construction are unlikely to be affected for now. But some projects that were far along in the development process but awaiting final approvals may be scuttled.

Electric vehicles: Another executive order signed on Trump’s first day in office targeted electric vehicles. A tax credit for people buying EVs was scrapped, and federal funds intended to help install charging stations were put on hold.

While some funds that have been allocated for charging stations are still expected to be used, the moves are likely to slow the development of the electric vehicle industry in the United States, and help President Trump’s ally, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. While Tesla is the largest EV maker in the country, it has its own network of fast chargers and stands to benefit if rival networks are slow to be built.

Some climate funding could survive: A Trump executive order targeting clean energy investments could affect the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office, which under the Biden administration awarded $107.6 billion in loans and loan guarantees to help bring new energy technologies to market. But more than $60 billion of that has been finalized and would be hard for the Trump administration to claw back.

Companies that had received loan commitments from the agency say they are unsure when they might start receiving payments, though some pointed out that the agreements are legally binding and can’t simply be abandoned at will.