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Hezbollah has agreed to hand over its heavy weapons in Beirut and other areas to the Lebanese government
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
UMass Amherst Congressional intern killed in Washington, D.C. shooting, police offer reward for suspects
[FoxNews] UMass Amherst student Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, who interned for Kansas Rep. Ron Estes, was not the intended target, police said

Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, died after he was shot around 10:28 p.m. on the 1200 block of 7th Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C. on Monday night, according to police, and died on Tuesday. An adult female and a 16-year-old male were also shot and taken to local hospitals.
Party guy, or procurer?
Apparently unrelated and not targetted as well. From his pic he looks like a political dweeb
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, multiple individuals exited a car and began firing at a group of people. Tarpinian-Jachym isn't believed to have been the intended target of the shooting, officials said.

Tarpinian-Jachym was an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), according to a statement from his office. He was a rising senior majoring in finance with a minor in political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Tarpinian-Jachym also participated in a spring fellowship with The Fund for American Studies, which said the college student's hometown is Aberdeen, Mississippi.


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [46 views] Top|| File under:

#1  RIP.

My high school had a Washington internship program back in the 80’s. I understand that it can be a way to make connections, but it seems like an apprenticeship at a brothel in Mogadishu. It’s just a bad idea. Most of the Congressmen are degenerate jerks to begin with.
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/04/2025 7:04 Comments || Top||


-Obits-
Death Star Commander Admiral Piett dies aged 87
[BBC] Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age of 87, his agent has announced.

The film and television performer is best known for starring in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's flagship.

He died peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, on Monday after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia, his agent Julian Owen said in a statement.

Read the rest at the link
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: badanov || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [37 views] Top|| File under:


Mr Blonde dies aged 67
Way too young...
[BBC] Hollywood actor Michael Madsen died in his California home on Thursday morning, US media reported. He was 67.

He was found unresponsive by authorities responding to a 911 call at his Malibu home and pronounced dead at 08:25 local time (BST), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He is believed to have died of cardiac arrest, according to a representative.

Madsen was a prolific actor, best known for his roles in the Quentin Tarantino movies Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Read the rest at the link


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: badanov || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [45 views] Top|| File under:


-Short Attention Span Theater-
Watch: Katy Perry Trapped Inside Suspended Ball, Clinging for Life During Australia Concert
[Breitbart] Pop star Katy Perry was trapped inside a giant ball suspended above the stage following a concert malfunction that left her holding on for dear life during a Sunday performance in Adelaide, Australia.

Video footage posted to social media shows Perry inside a giant suspended ball — made of bars wide enough to slip through — when suddenly, the sphere tilted to one side, leaving the singer clinging to the frame and trying not to fall while she waited for crew members to rescue her.

Photo taken upon her rescue:

Prayers sent.

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Anomalous Sources || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [111 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Should this be on page 3?
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 07/04/2025 4:13 Comments || Top||

#2  ^ Yes. Moved at 2:49 PST
Posted by: Frank G || 07/04/2025 5:49 Comments || Top||

#3  She is an astronaut.
Posted by: Airandee || 07/04/2025 6:22 Comments || Top||

#4  It’s the Spinal Tap scene where the bass player gets stuck in the mocked up ovary.
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/04/2025 6:56 Comments || Top||


Pork chop on a stick, bacon-wrapped 'Twinkie' and other odd foods dominate iconic [IA] state fair
[FoxNews] Over a million Americans are expected to attend the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines this summer, a beloved tradition that draws food enthusiasts from all over the country.

The Iowa State Fair hit an all-time record of 1,182,682 attendants in 2024, its highest guest count since 1.17 million fairgoers attended in 2019.

The event attracts not only everyday enthusiasts but also politicians seeking to appeal to heartland Americans.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to join thousands of visitors attending the Iowa America 250 event on Thursday. He's slated to deliver remarks at 7:30 p.m. local time.

This summer, the state fair promises a variety of food offerings that range from classic favorites to the downright unusual. Here's a look at some fair favorites.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [25 views] Top|| File under:


Cyber
North Korea lashes out after Trump DOJ exposes massive IT infiltration scheme
[FoxNews] North Korean officials accused the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of running "an absurd smear campaign" after announcing that it had unraveled several schemes by the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) to fund the regime through remote information technology work for U.S. companies.

Earlier this week, the DOJ said North Korean actors were helped by individuals in the U.S., China, the United Emirates and Taiwan to obtain employment with over 100 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 companies.

The scheme allegedly involved the workers getting laptops from the companies that hired them and allowing remote North Korean IT workers to remotely access the computers. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false identities to gain employment with a blockchain research and development company in Atlanta, Georgia, and steal over $900,000 in virtual currency.

As part of its announcement about the North Korean scheme, the DOJ unsealed a five-count indictment against Zhenxing Wang, a U.S. national living in New Jersey, who has since been arrested.

Wang and his co-conspirators, the DOJ said, obtained remote IT work with U.S. companies and generated over $5 million in revenue.

Also charged in the indictment are Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang, Baoyu Zhou, Tong Yuze, Yongzhe Xu, Ziyou Yuan and Zhenbang Zhou. Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu and Enchia Liu were also charged in the indictment.

Also indicted was U.S. national Kejia "Tony" Wang, also of New Jersey, who was charged separately.

North Korean news agency KCNA reported that a spokesperson for the DPRK Foreign Ministry lambasted the U.S. judicial system for its actions against DPRK citizens on the suspicion of a cybercrime.

"The recent incident is an absurd smear campaign and grave violation of sovereignty aimed at tarnishing the image of our state as it is a continuation of the hostile move of the successive U.S. administrations that have talked much about the non-existent ‘cyber threat’ from the DPRK," the spokesperson reportedly said. "The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK expresses serious concern over the U.S. judicial authorities' provocation which is threatening and encroaching on the security, rights and interests of our citizens by fabricating the groundless ‘cyber’ drama, and strongly denounces and rejects it."

The spokesperson accused the U.S. of creating "international cyberspace instability," and not the DPRK.

The DOJ said the indictment alleges that from 2021 and through most of 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of over 80 people in the U.S. to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 companies. As a result, the victim companies incurred legal fees, computer network remediation costs and other damages and losses to the tune of at least $3 million.

Kejia and Zhenxing, along with at least four other U.S. facilitators, allegedly helped overseas IT workers with various parts of the scheme.

Kejia and Zhenxing allegedly established shell companies with websites and financial accounts to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate businesses in the U.S. Once established, the two allegedly received money from U.S. companies, and the funds were transferred to co-conspirators overseas.

In exchange for their services, Kejia, Zhenxing and the other four conspirators in the U.S. received at least $696,000 from the IT workers.

The DOJ said one of the companies the schemers allegedly accessed data from was a defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technology. By accessing the company’s data, the schemers were privy to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the DOJ said.

The DOJ also announced that the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used as part of the scheme, along with 29 financial accounts holding tens of thousands of dollars, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime.

The DOJ unveiled another part of the scheme, which resulted in a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment against four North Korean nationals: Kim Kwang Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Jong Pong Ju and Change Nam II.

The suspects are accused of scheming to steal virtual currency from two companies, with a value of over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder the proceeds.

All four nationals, the DOJ said, are at large and wanted by the FBI.


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:03 || Comments || Link || [26 views] Top|| File under: Commies


Economy
Microsoft applies for 6,000 guest worker visas amid mass layoffs
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Microsoft applied for as many as 6,000 specialized migrant worker visas leading up to a decision to terminate 9,000 jobs globally, according to new reports.

The global tech giant revealed this week it would cut around 4 percent of its global workforce as it ramps up investments in artificial intelligence.

The move has seen loyal, long term American employees lose their livelihoods and sparked unrest at a time when President Donald Trump is trying to ramp up local production and employment.

But data compiled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service suggests that in the 2025 fiscal year, Microsoft has already applied for 4,712 H1-B visas.

Anecdotal commentary on X among former staff and insiders actually places this number closer to 6,000 - but the exact figure has not been verified.

Suggestions that Microsoft has applied for thousands of H1-B visas would track with historical applications the company has made.

In the 2024 fiscal year, 9,491 H1-B visa applications were filed, and almost all were approved.

The H1-B visa is for skilled foreign workers, and allows companies to sponsor an individual to move to the US for work.

It is the fourth round of layoffs at Microsoft this year following the cutting of 1 percent of its headcount in January, 6,000 further job cuts in May and 300 more in June.

In April, Microsoft said it planned to use third-party firms to handle more sales of software to small and mid-size customers.

The company had a global headcount of 228,000 at the end of June 2024.

Microsoft has market capitalization of over $3 trillion - the biggest in the world - but it is looking to rein in costs as it funnels billions into its ambitious bet on artificial intelligence.

But its use of expert foreign labor is among the highest in the United States, ranking seventh out of the top 10 US corporations.

Amazon ranks first, with 9,200 applications in 2024.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Microsoft regarding its use of the H1-B visa program.

There is no known or confirmed link between the H1-B visas Microsoft is applying for and the global cuts which have been made.

But this has not stopped MAGA supporters from calling for the visas to be stopped while layoffs of local employees are taking place.

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:29 || Comments || Link || [62 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Microsoft should just FOAD.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 07/04/2025 5:18 Comments || Top||

#2  Yes, these are the people who are being replace by H1-B's. Shocking, no ?
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/04/2025 5:39 Comments || Top||

#3  The H1-B system essentially holds the 'guest worker' in thrall.

A utilizing company can basically ensure that the workers can't leave and treat them accordingly.

Plus don't get me started on the corporate pimps 'employment brokers' who supply these guests and keep a good chunk of those workers' wages as 'ongoing fees'.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 07/04/2025 9:09 Comments || Top||


One of America's most important companies slashes 20,000 jobs and offers huge buyouts
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] UPS is offering voluntary buyouts to its full-time US drivers following its decision to slash 20,000 jobs and close 73 facilities.

The Atlanta-based company will be providing its laid off employees with various benefits, including pensions and healthcare.

The layoffs are part of UPS's network configuration plan, which also confirms the upcoming closures of over 90 more facilities in the future.

The changes are part of the company's $3.5 billion cost reduction target for 2025, aiming to reach a 12 percent US operational margin by next year.

UPS, which is one of the largest parcel delivery companies in the US, currently has 490,000 employees, around 330,000 of which are represented by the Teamsters union.

The union was the first to announce the buyout, calling it an 'illegal violation' of the national contract in which UPS committed to create 22,500 jobs.

'Our members cannot be bought off and we will not allow them to be sold out. UPS needs to live up to the existing contract. They must honor their commitments,' said Sean O'Brien, general president of the union.

The announcement comes months after UPS decided to halve the number of Amazon deliveries it takes before tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump took effect.

Deliveries for the e-commerce giant make up around 12 percent of UPS's revenue.

The company concluded that its profit margins from Amazon deliveries profit were too small, and it wanted to focus on other markets like healthcare and international deliveries.

'The world has not been faced with such enormous potential impacts to trade in more than 100 years,' said CEO Carol Tomé.

Prior to these massive layoffs, UPS axed 12,000 employees and closed 11 facilities last year after its income declined by $1.87 billion due to its 'disappointing year' in 2023.

Those layoffs came less than six months after UPS and Teamsters reached a $30 billion deal with its 340,000 person-union, avoiding a potential strike.

'The actions we are taking to reconfigure our network and reduce cost across our business could not be timelier,' Tomé said.

'The macro environment may be uncertain, but with our actions, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS.'


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:25 || Comments || Link || [100 views] Top|| File under:

#1 

Been finding using Fedx 2+ day cheaper, faster more likely to arrive on time. Than using UPS to send reports & documents.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/04/2025 2:31 Comments || Top||

#2  Their union contract read like a suicide pact. Reality has been delivered.
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/04/2025 6:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Remember the celebrated Teamster's contract win?
Other side of that coin.
Posted by: ed in texas || 07/04/2025 8:09 Comments || Top||

#4 
Lost 3 jobs in the 70's due to UNIONS.
2 were, when a union went on a long strike at a place that supplied parts to where I was working.

The 3rd when the union started organizing and the company did the math, just said screw it, shutdown and moved to Mexico. NAFTA & constant TAX increases and give more for votes, help kill the rest of the production industry in the USA.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/04/2025 9:07 Comments || Top||


BLS report for June: Solid but not super
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 147,000 in June, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Some details which might interest Rantburgers:

State & Local Govt employment up: 47k and 40k, mostly in education.
Fed Govt employment down 7k (down about 70k since January 2024)
Wage growth keeping up with inflation.
Some gain in full time employment vs loss in part time employment.
Some gain in employment of native born vs loss in employment of foreign born.
Next annual Readjustment based on unemployment insurance records will be in Sept 2025

Courtesy of Skidmark, Breitbart quantifies:
The number of American-born workers employed rose by 830,000 in June, the Department of Labor said Thursday. The number of American-born workers with jobs is now at the highest level ever, exceeding the prepandemic high hit in October 2019. The labor force participation rate rose from 61.4 to 61.8 percent.

The number of foreign-born workers, on the other hand, fell sharply. The Department of Labor said that the number of foreign-born workers employed in June declined by 348,000. This was the third consecutive month of declining employment of foreign-born workers.

Compared with the start of the year, foreign-born employment is down by over half a million workers and American-born employment is up by over two million.

[X]


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Lord Garth || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [29 views] Top|| File under:


Europe
‘Service is Now Fully Equal': Conscription Now Applies to Women in Denmark
[Breitbart] Men and women are now conscripted into the Danish armed forces on an equal business, all having to enrol in the national service lottery after they turn 18 as the government responds to what it says is a worsening security picture in Europe.

Young women two turned 18 on or after Tuesday this week will receive an invitation to attend a military base on Denmark’s national ‘defence day’ for assessment of whether they are fit to be called up for training. Those who pass that sift are entered into a lottery, with those being drawn legally compelled to serve.

The extension of conscription to women is not the only change afoot in Denmark as it seeks to modernise and expand its armed forces. Certain health conditions including diabetes and asthma from now on no longer automatically disqualify conscripts from being enrolled, with individual health assessments and different health requirements depending on role within the military both acting to widen the potential pool of recruits.

The length of mandatory service is also more than doubling, and more people are going to be conscripted at once. In the coming months, the period of conscription will rise to 11 months, comprised of five months of training followed by six months serving in a unit.

The Danish Armed Forces Forsvaret said in a statement that conscripting women is a “historic change” and that the country must now “get used to the fact that every citizen capable of bearing arms, and not just men, is obligated to contribute to the defense of the fatherland.”

The national Chief of Defense, General Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard said the change “sends a clear signal that the Armed Forces are a modern community where everyone can contribute to the defense of the Kingdom of Denmark”.

Speaking at the time the change was first announced in 2024, Danish Defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the European security situation “has become more and more serious, and we have to take that into account when we look at future defense… a broader basis for recruiting that includes all genders is needed.”

As previously reported of Europe’s swing back towards conscription, which in many cases was reduced or ended altogether at the end of the Cold War:

Although millions of people in Denmark are technically eligible to be conscripted, actually the nation’s military is one of the smallest in Europe and only around four thousand people are presently in mandatory service at any one time… Sweden, having abolished the draft in 2010 brought back conscription in 2017 and extended the callup to both men and women in response to growing Russian aggression.
Norway became the first NATO state to conscript women when it changed the law in 2013.

Other states abolished conscription but in the new world of worsening European security, are considering bringing it back. Germany ended conscription in 2011 but have since called that “a mistake”, and their defence minister has said he’s looking at the Swedish model — which is like the Danish — where all young people are eligible, but only a handful are called up a year…. The United Kingdom is also seriously struggling with military recruitment and has done for many years, leading to former Defence Minister Ben Wallace saying last year he was “envious” of Sweden, and would “love to have” such a conscription model.


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [50 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gender equality at its best!
Posted by: Grom the Affective || 07/04/2025 1:43 Comments || Top||

#2 
Welcome to Communist/Socialist equality.

Don't mother's, the State (Denmark) will raise your kids or orphans.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/04/2025 6:54 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Rubio-run State Department dumps Biden-era DEI hiring criteria, replaces with 'fidelity'
[FoxNews] The State Department has changed its hiring and promoting criteria for foreign service officers to eliminate any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) considerations.

Before now, the second of five core precepts used in State Department hiring and promotion emphasized promoting DEI, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. That precept has now been replaced with one focused on "fidelity."

A senior State Department official said it was "unbelievable" fidelity was not already part of the promotion criteria.

"This is a commonsense and needed change. U.S. Foreign Service Officers represent America overseas and should be judged on their ability to faithfully and dutifully represent and champion our country abroad."

The department’s previous hiring guide for 2022–2025 required foreign service employees to "demonstrate impact in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility," according to the internal documents.

Entry-level applicants were expected to proactively seek to "improve one’s own self-awareness with respect to promoting inclusivity." Mid- and senior-level supervisors were told to recruit and retain diverse teams, respond immediately to non-inclusive workplace behaviors, and "consult with impacted staff before finalizing decisions."

That guidance is now out.

The department’s new document for 2025–2028 lists "fidelity" as the first of five core precepts, followed by communication, leadership, management and knowledge. Under the new policy, mid- and senior-level Foreign Service Officers must demonstrate loyalty by "zealously executing U.S. government policy" and "resolving uncertainty on the side of fidelity to one’s chain of command."

The move comes amid a government-wide effort to eliminate DEI within federal agencies, and root out those who they believe to be working to undermine President Donald Trump’s agenda.

The State Department has also frozen the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) – typically administered three times a year – as it moves to restructure and potentially downsize its workforce. In May, the department submitted a plan to Congress outlining a 15% reduction of its 19,000 employees and the consolidation of over 300 bureaus and agency offices.

While a court order has temporarily paused mass layoffs across federal agencies, a recent Supreme Court ruling determined that nationwide injunctions issued by federal district courts "likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted."

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:17 || Comments || Link || [42 views] Top|| File under:



India-Pakistan
Fresh polio case in North Waziristan takes national tally to 14
[GEO.TV] The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) has confirmed a fresh case of polio
...Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by infection with the poliovirus. Between 1840 and the 1950s, polio was a worldwide epidemic. Since the development of polio vaccines the disease has been largely wiped out in the civilized world. However, since the vaccine is known to make Moslem pee-pees shrink and renders females sterile, bookish, and unsubmissive it is not widely used by the turban and automatic weapons set. Currently the disease is only found in Pakistain and Afghanistain...
in North Wazoo, pushing Pakistain's national count to 14 for the year 2025.

The latest case involves a 19-month-old boy from Union Council Miranshah
... headquarters of al-Qaeda in Pakistain and likely location of Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Haqqani network has established a ministate in centered on the town with courts, tax offices and lots of madrassas...
-3 in District North Waziristan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

This marks the eighth case from KP alone this year, with the remaining cases reported from Sindh (4), Punjab
...1. Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2. A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3. A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots
...
.
(1), and Gilgit-Baltistan (1).

Polio is a highly contagious, incurable disease that can result in permanent paralysis. Repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) during each campaign, along with completion of all essential immunisations, remain the only effective safeguard for children under five.

Although vaccination drives across the country continue to improve in scope and quality, the southern districts of KP remain a persistent challenge.

Limited access and difficulties in carrying out house-to-house vaccination campaigns have led to thousands of children missing doses and remaining exposed to the poliovirus.

In response, targeted efforts are underway. From June 23 to 28, a special vaccination campaign in six union councils of Bannu administered OPV to 17,485 children. A similar drive is being planned for 11 union councils in North Waziristan.

Moreover, preparations are in progress for a large-scale vaccination campaign across South KP in August.

Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [23 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Science & Technology
Why US Banned Transfer Of Genetic Samples To China
[ZERO] The Food and Drug Administration has halted a program that allowed the transfer of U.S. citizens’ biological samples to China and other "hostile countries."

The FDA’s ban and review are a necessary move to bolster U.S. biosecurity against the potential threat of biological warfare and bioterror by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said experts who spoke with the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times.

In recent decades, China has developed a broad array of specialized medical research capabilities, including genetic engineering. Due to their low handling costs, Chinese facilities have become popular destinations for biological samples.
Yes, we've actually taken note of such a trend.
"This [genetic] data is the key to understanding how different population groups respond biologically," said Sean Lin, a former U.S. Army microbiologist.

He warned that sensitive genetic information in the hands of capable, malicious actors such as the Chinese regime could be used to further research on biological weapons targeting people of specific races or ethnicities.

What was once regarded as implausible or belonging to the realm of science fiction, Lin said, is now "a real threat made possible by current biotechnology."

Banning is certainly a positive move. The larger question that should be answered is when and why did it start ?
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/04/2025 05:16 || Comments || Link || [38 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "This [genetic] data is the key to understanding how different population groups respond biologically," said Sean Lin, a former U.S. Army microbiologist.

You mean like Spectracide ('Kills the Weeds and Not The Grass') targeted eradication ?

* Older, better established weeds appear to be more susceptible to treatment.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/04/2025 5:26 Comments || Top||


Third ever interstellar object invades solar system
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Astronomers have discovered an interstellar object flying through the Solar System. This has only happened twice before, the EarthSky portal reported, citing the Minor Planet Center (MPC), an international organization for observing small celestial bodies.

The object, originally known as A11pl3Z, originated outside the solar system, according to its trajectory. Now called 3I/ATLAS or C/2025 N1, it most closely resembles a comet, but could also be an asteroid.

"A recently discovered space object has been given a new designation - 3I/ATLAS. The letter I stands for interstellar. So we have a guest from another solar system!" the article says.

The celestial body, which may be up to 20 kilometers in diameter, is rapidly approaching the Sun. The object is expected to make its closest approach to the Sun in October, when it will be within the orbit of Mars. It is currently within the orbit of Jupiter. There are no concerns that 3I/ATLAS will approach Earth.

A11pl3Z was discovered on July 1 by the ATLAS automated telescope network, which NASA uses to track potentially hazardous celestial bodies in the solar system.

Before this, astronomers knew about two other interstellar objects: the asteroid 1I/Oumuamua and comet 2I/Borisov. The first was discovered in the fall of 2017, its name translated from Hawaiian means " messenger from afar." The second object was discovered in 2019 by Russian amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov. Both objects have already left the Solar System.

As reported by IA Regnum, scientists previously suggested that a possible collision of asteroid 2024 YR4 with the Moon would result in the formation of a large number of fragments that would destroy many satellites in Earth's orbit. This could happen in 2032, but the probability of such an event is estimated as small.


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: badanov || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [79 views] Top|| File under:

#1  That's it. Build a big beautiful wall around the solar system.
Posted by: DarthVader || 07/04/2025 1:39 Comments || Top||

#2 
A different look at it.

What if it bumps into some big rock in the Asteroid Belt?

Given A11pl3Z, 12.4M diameter size, it could very well start a solar domino effect.

To give you an idea on the size of some of the stuff floating around in the Asteroid Belt
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/04/2025 6:00 Comments || Top||

#3  "This has only happened twice before.."

Um, I tend to disagree. Maybe for just this century, perhaps.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 07/04/2025 6:41 Comments || Top||

#4  Rama?
Posted by: Bobby || 07/04/2025 9:37 Comments || Top||


US Decides to Modernize Abrams Tanks
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The US Department of Defense intends to modernize Abrams tanks based on the Russian model after their unsuccessful combat use in the special operation zone in Ukraine. This was reported on July 3 by the press service of the Rostec state corporation.

"In essence, the new measures of the American military-industrial complex repeat what Russian tank builders have been using for a long time. The special coating is an analogue of our "cape", additional protection from the upper hemisphere is an analogue of our set of screens, grates and remote structures like a "barbecue", - the state corporation noted.

Rostec recalled that almost all American Abrams have been destroyed. Although the US had previously claimed that the tanks had sufficiently combined armor.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on April 7, Russian troops destroyed an Abrams tank in the Sumy region. The operators of the attack drones received coordinates from reconnaissance UAVs, after which the enemy combat vehicle was destroyed by a direct hit.

A total of 26 Abrams tanks out of 31 received by the Kiev regime from Washington were destroyed.

The American Military Watch Magazine noted that the Abrams has poorly protected upper parts, making them ineffective in modern warfare with the widespread use of drones.


Continued on Page 47
Posted by: badanov || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [83 views] Top|| File under:

#1 
While Battle-Tanks, still have their justified uses and application in certain types of combat situations. The conditions and nature of the terrain however do limit their application on many seasonally impaired battlefields.

Given, the Ukraine example of 26 Abrams tanks out of 31 tank destroyed. It tends to indicate a more modern solution is needed, than the 112+ y/o idea of using 70 tons, at 30ft long x 12ft wide, and 8ft tall of exposed metal, moving along in open view on a modern battlefield.

There is little argument that the battlefield has changed many times in 100+ years. The use of massive antiarmor solutions, have gone from artillery/bazooka, to CLGP, Javelins, Stingers and enemy shoulder fired weapons. All of which make a WWII bazooka look like a pea shooter.

Either way, tanks are at a much more serious disadvantage than back in the 1940's, 50's and 60's.

Maybe the D.O.D. should look more at drone swamps (flying or land crawlers) as more effective than the 100+ y/o idea of a $20M battle tank?
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/04/2025 6:46 Comments || Top||

#2  The Abrams was designed to fight T-72's. Did that quite well, thank you. The problem is, it's also assumed to be deployed under absolute air superiority.
If you can't get that, it's toast.
Posted by: ed in texas || 07/04/2025 8:16 Comments || Top||

#3  A moving foxhole attracts the eye = Bill Mauldin 1944.
Posted by: Albert McCoy9505 || 07/04/2025 8:49 Comments || Top||

#4  I would note that while losses are high and drones are a nee threat, both sides in Ukraine still rely on tanks.
Posted by: Throlush Dark Lord of the Nebraskans2736 || 07/04/2025 9:28 Comments || Top||

#5  It tends to indicate a more modern solution is needed

Actually its an old solution - combined arms combat which as demonstrated across the globe is rather difficult to execute.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/04/2025 9:32 Comments || Top||


Microsoft Says Its New AI System Diagnosed Patients 4 Times More Accurately Than Human Doctors
[Breitbart] Microsoft has developed an AI diagnostic tool that it claims can diagnose diseases with significantly higher accuracy and lower costs compared to human physicians.

Wired reports that Microsoft has taken a significant step towards what it calls “medical superintelligence” with its new AI diagnostic system, MAI Diagnostic Orchestrator (MAI-DxO). The tech giant claims that MAI-DxO can diagnose ailments four times more accurately than a panel of human doctors while also reducing healthcare costs.

The MAI-DxO system was tested using 304 case studies from the New England Journal of Medicine, which were broken down into step-by-step processes that doctors typically follow to reach a diagnosis. Microsoft’s researchers then built MAI-DxO to query several leading AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, Meta’s Llama, and xAI’s Grok, in a manner that mimics the collaboration of multiple human experts.

Microsoft claims MAI-DxO achieved an accuracy rate of 80 percent compared to the human doctors’ 20 percent. Additionally, the AI system reduced costs by 20 percent by selecting less expensive tests and procedures.

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence arm, believes that multiple AI agents working together in a chain-of-debate style, will drive the industry closer to medical superintelligence. The company has also recruited several top Google AI researchers to assist with this effort, further intensifying the competition for AI expertise in the tech industry.

The project is part of a growing body of research demonstrating the potential of AI models in diagnosing diseases. In recent years, both Microsoft and Google have published papers showing that large language models can accurately diagnose ailments when given access to medical records. However, what sets Microsoft’s research apart is its approach to replicating the way human physicians diagnose diseases by analyzing symptoms, ordering tests, and performing further analysis until a diagnosis is reached.

The implications of this technology extend beyond improved diagnostic accuracy, as it also suggests that AI could help reduce healthcare costs, a critical issue, particularly in the United States. Dominic King, a Microsoft VP involved with the project, emphasizes the model’s ability to reach a diagnosis cost effectively.

While the research has been met with excitement, some experts caution that the findings should be treated with some reservations. David Sontag, a scientist at MIT and co-founder of Layer Health, points out that the study did not allow doctors to use additional tools that they might typically employ in real-life scenarios. He also notes that further validation is needed to determine if the AI system would significantly reduce costs in practice.

To fully validate the potential of Microsoft’s MAI-DxO system before general deployment, both Sontag and Eric Topol, a scientist at the Scripps Research Institute, suggest conducting a clinical trial comparing the AI’s results with those of real doctors treating actual patients.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/04/2025 00:00 || Comments || Link || [83 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Not surprising given the state of medical practice today.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/03/2025 12:40 Comments || Top||

#2  Hi TW,

Check-out the PBS version of Trump's Des Moines address last night, courtesy of YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-83nOgFK8PI
Posted by: Fairbanks || 07/04/2025 0:45 Comments || Top||

#3  I apologize but I don't get it. When I clicked on PBS from the Google menu of "Trump's address to Des Moines," after the introduction and he began to speak, a number of people began to speak over the proceeding, loudly, and there was several women and one man and you couldn't make out the address at all?

I just went back to Rantburg to check, and that doesn't happen with the Link that I provided, as I just parsed through the address. I hope there's a RSVN(?) or whatever broadcasting site to see the address.
Posted by: Fairbanks || 07/04/2025 1:44 Comments || Top||

#4  I’m still doing articles for tonight, dear Fairbanks, but I’ll check it out tomorrow. Thank you for your thoughtfulness!
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/04/2025 2:00 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Fri 2025-07-04
  Hezbollah has agreed to hand over its heavy weapons in Beirut and other areas to the Lebanese government
Thu 2025-07-03
  Another massive Hamas underground terror tunnel in Gaza has been found and destroyed by the IDF, connecting Rafah and Khan Yunis
Wed 2025-07-02
  LA officials charge over 40 anti-ICE protesters who allegedly assaulted officers, horses and threatened child
Wed 2025-07-02
  LA officials charge over 40 anti-ICE protesters who allegedly assaulted officers, horses and threatened children
Tue 2025-07-01
  Fierce Clashes Erupt as U.S.-Trained Special Forces Target Militant Stronghold in Somalia
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Mon 2025-06-30
  Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says
Sun 2025-06-29
  Hamas leader Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa killed in airstrike, IDF says
Sat 2025-06-28
  Israeli military issues new evacuation orders in central and northern Gaza
Fri 2025-06-27
  Gunmen kill 17 soldiers in northern Nigeria attacks
Thu 2025-06-26
  Lebanese Army says arrested IS Lebanon leader
Wed 2025-06-25
  Iranian - Israeli War News roundup for June 24th, 2025: Both Iran and Israel claim the win, but Iran arrested 700 for spying for Israel, hanged 3 more
Tue 2025-06-24
  President Trump has announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, to be followed by an official end to the war
Mon 2025-06-23
  Iran's parliment votes to mine the Strait of Hormuz
Sun 2025-06-22
  Trump says US has bombed Fordo nuclear plant in attack on Iran UPDATE: Trump bombs 3 nuke sites
Sat 2025-06-21
  American B-2 stealth bombers reportedly take off from US base towards western Pacific
Fri 2025-06-20
  Unconfirmed reports from Tehran that Khamenei's bunker in Lavizan neighborhood was attacked


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