Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Government Corruption

Facebook blocks Charles Town, WV city council candidate's page with no further appeal

2025-04-30

[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] Courtney Knill is running for city council in Charles Town, WV, but you wouldn't know that from her Facebook page, which has been locked. The candidate for Ward 3 told The Post Millennial that she woke up late last week to discover that her Facebook page was disabled. A message told her that she was in violation of community guidelines and she was accused of impersonating herself.

She was given the opportunity to appeal, and she went through that process. "All they had me do was record a video of myself where they had me point my face in a different direction, basically just showing that you are who you say they are," she said.

"They reviewed it, and then just today I got the notice: We disabled your account... reviewed your account. It still doesn't follow our community standards on account integrity. You cannot request another review of this decision, and you can download your information if you want. And that's it," she said, "done. Campaign Facebook page shut down." Knill's Instagram page and X account are still live.

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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

'Poo-cano' blowing 33 feet in air, covering pedestrians and cars

2024-09-28

Question of the day: Who blew the poo?

Things are ever interesting in unexpected ways in the Third World.

[NYPOST] Stomach-churning video shows the moment human sewage erupted on a busy Chinese motorway, drenching cars, pedestrians, and bikers in what has been dubbed a "poo-cano."

The explosion of waste came around 11 a.m. Wednesday as newly installed sewage pipes in Nanning, in the southern Guangxi region of China, suddenly ruptured, according to the Sun.

Shocking video shows a huge brown cloud of waste shooting up nearly 33 feet in the air and splattering cars and pedestrians across the motorway.

"I’m drenched in poo, my car is splattered yellow. It’s ruined," one driver reportedly claimed.

Dashcam footage shows the orange-brown geyser of poo billow out of the pipe before splatting on the window shields of cars and unsuspecting bikers.

No one was injured in the earth-shattering kaboom, but the powerful blast flipped over one digger at the construction site, authorities said.

The explosion likely occurred when construction workers attempted a pressure test on the newly laid pipes, authorities said.

They learnt the thing they wanted to know, so that counts as a win.

The "poo-cano" aftermath was quickly attended to and different ways to prevent a future sewage explosion are being investigated, local authorities said.

Good for them. That’s how we moved up from the Third World, too.

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--Tech & Moderator Notes

On this day in history, September 11, 2001, US experiences the worst terrorist attack in American history

2024-09-11

A reminder: Rantburg on 9/11.
Scroll forward, day by day, to see it as it was.

Link

Science & Technology

Boeing's Starliner Faces Uncertain Future as NASA Considers Cancellation

2024-08-30

[Breitbart]

Boeing’s plagued Starliner spacecraft is facing an uncertain future as technical issues, delays, and budget overruns continue to mount, leading NASA and industry experts to question the viability of the project.

Futurism reports that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, once touted as a critical component of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, is now facing the possibility of cancellation due to a series of technical mishaps, supply chain issues, and years of delays. The troubled capsule is returning empty-handed from its latest mission, with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams planning to catch a ride back to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon instead.

The decision to abandon Starliner mid-mission is a significant blow to Boeing, which has been battling with the spacecraft’s development for years. Since 2016, the project has exceeded its budget by a staggering $1.6 billion, according to a report by Rooters. This latest setback has raised doubts among analysts and industry experts about whether Starliner will ever fly again.

Former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver expressed uncertainty about the future of the project, telling Rooters, "I am not sure the decision will ultimately be NASA’s. Boeing is going to have to foot much of this bill, as they have been." When asked about the possibility of Starliner’s cancellation, a Boeing spokesperson did not directly address the issue, stating only that the company is focusing on the safety of the crew and spacecraft and preparing for an uncrewed return.

Adding to Boeing’s woes, a recent report by NASA’s inspector general found that the company’s contributions to the agency’s Moonbound Space Launch System are also years behind schedule and significantly over budget. This, combined with controversies surrounding Boeing’s passenger jet business and recent executive shakeups, has put the company under increased scrutiny.

The failure of Starliner’s first crewed test flight has denied NASA the confidence it needed to certify the spacecraft for regular crew rotation missions to the International Space Station. The space agency had hoped that Starliner would provide redundancy in case SpaceX’s Crew Dragon experienced any issues. Instead, persistent gas leaks and thruster problems have cast doubt on the spacecraft’s reliability.

Link

-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Millions told to evacuate as Japan hit by one of strongest typhoons in decades

2024-08-30

[BBC]

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-Lurid Crime Tales-

Man who pulled gun after Burger King worker wouldn't take drugs for payment gets 143 years in prison

2024-08-17

[ARABNEWS] DENVER: A man who was convicted of pointing a gun at Burger King drive-thru worker who wouldn’t accept drugs for payment and later shooting at other people elsewhere the same night has been sentenced to 143 years in prison.

Prosecutors who announced the sentence Thursday said the drive-thru incident was the beginning of a series of crimes Eugene Robertson carried out in the Denver suburb of Aurora

…Aurora, Colorado seems to be an unpleasantly busy place…

on Oct. 17, 2022. No one was maimed.

In April, a jury found Robertson guilty of 17 crimes, including eight counts of attempted murder. The sentences for many of the crimes were stacked on top of each other, leading to a long sentence. Robertson had faced a maximum sentence of more than 400 years when he was sentenced Aug. 9.

"I hope this century-long prison sentence serves as a warning that my prosecutors and I will not tolerate ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful crime in our community," 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner said in a statement.

After Robertson pointed the gun at the drive-thru worker, prosecutors said he walked into a convenience store across the street and pointed a gun at the head of a clerk. When Robertson saw there was a surveillance video camera system there, he shot at the screen and left, then shot toward two people outside in the parking lot, Kellner’s office said.

The Sentinel Colorado in Aurora previously reported that a witness at the convenience store store told police there seemed to be "something off" about Robertson and that he was "talking about God" and carrying a Bible with a purple cover.

Later that night, a woman who was friends with Robertson called 911 to report that he had fired shots after she refused to open the door of her apartment, where she was with several people, prosecutors said.

Police spotted Robertson at the woman’s apartment complex. He hid behind some bushes before being arrested, prosecutors said.

Link

-Lurid Crime Tales-

Beloved dad shot dead by neighbor after daughter 'touched mulch'

2024-08-15

A father of two maiden of tender yearss was allegedly rubbed out by a neighbor who angrily confronted him after his daughter ''touched the mulch'' in his yard while the family was on a walk in their suburban Michigan neighborhood.

Nathan Morris, 35, was on a walk with his wife and daughters, ages 2 and 5, near their home in Canton just before noon Saturday when police say their neighbor Deveraux Christopher Johnson, 47, confronted him and the two got into an argument, Fox 2 bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit
... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang...
reported.

Johnson was reportedly upset that Morris' daughter ''touched the mulch'' on his property, the Michigan GOP wrote about Morris, a party member involved in local politics.

''The neighbor took a gun out and started threatening the family,'' the post alleged.

''Nathan sent his family home and said that he would try and [defuse] the situation, but instead was shot and killed.''

Johnson fired multiple times, killing Morris, who was unarmed, prosecutors said.

When Canton coppers arrived, they discovered Morris with a gunshot wound in the street while the suspect had barricaded himself inside his home.

Morris was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.

After several orders to surrender, Johnson came out of his house repeatedly saying, ''Praise to God Almighty'' and was taken into custody. He was charged with first-degree murder and other felonies.

Morris, who worked at Ford as an engineer, recently got into politics and was affiliated with the Michigan GOP in Wayne.

''Nathan is one of those few guys who are near perfect. He would do no harm and think no harm. He is just an amazing and gentle soul. He will be missed dearly,'' the Michigan GOP wrote in their statement.

Morris also recently ran for school board in their town and was remembered for his ''can-do spirit and strong focus on the work and responsibilities,'' according to a fundraiser set up for his family.

Johnson, who lived in the neighborhood for 12 years, had on multiple occasions assaulted neighbors, as well as coppers, officials told Fox.

He also has criminal sexual conduct charges from the 1990s.

A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf and he is being held without bond.

The prosecutor's office is asking for a competency hearing for Johnson, who is set to appear in court next on Aug. 23.

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Fifth Column

'One in a million' Photo shows bullet passing Trump

2024-07-15

[RT] The New York Times has published a photo appearing to show a bullet flying past Donald Trump

...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
’s head, at the moment he was targeted by a gunman at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The image was captured by veteran NYT photographer Doug Mills at the campaign event in the city of Butler, where the Republican presidential hopeful was giving a speech in the run-up to the November 5 election.

Several shots were fired, killing one spectator and severely injuring two more. Trump was whisked off stage by Secret Service agents, and later moved to a “safe” place.” Security officials later reported that the 20-year-old suspected shooter, who had reportedly fired from a nearby rooftop, was shot and killed.

Mills’ photo shows what appears to be a bullet streaking through the air to the right of Trump’s head. The photographer, who has been taking pictures of US presidents for more than four decades, described his experience to colleagues at the NYT.

Mills said the event started out as a “very standard, typical rally,” with him and several other photographers standing “in what is called the buffer area just a couple feet from the former president.”

“All of a sudden, there was what I thought were three or four loud pops. At first I thought it was a car. The last thing I thought was it was a gun,” Mills recalled.

He continued to take pictures, but soon could not see the former president as Trump was surrounded by Secret Service agents from all sides, with counter-snipers appearing on the stage.

Despite looking defiant and seemingly unfazed in his photo with a raised fist high, Trump appeared “very, very shocked” the moment after, according to Mills
I'm guessing Mills has never been shot at himself, much less taken a round through his ear.
The photographer told the paper he had “never been in a more horrific scene” during his decades-long career.

Retired FBI special agent Michael Harrigan, who currently works as a consultant in the firearms industry, confirmed to the newspaper that Mills’ photo most likely captured the “bullet’s path through the air.”

While technically possible with the camera used by Mills, “catching a bullet on a side trajectory as seen in that photo would be a one in a million shot… even if one knew the bullet was coming,” the former FBI agent noted.

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Africa Horn

Sudan's RSF says it has taken key town, closing in on army HQ in Port Sudan

2024-07-01

[NEWARAB] Paramilitary forces battling Sudan's regular army for more than a year said on Saturday they had taken a key state capital in the southeast, prompting thousands to flee, witnesses said.

"We have liberated the 17th Infantry Division from Singa,” the capital of Sennar state, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on X.

Residents confirmed to AFP: "The RSF have deployed in the streets of Singa", and witnesses reported aircraft from the regular army flying overhead and anti-aircraft fire.

Earlier Saturday, other witnesses said there was fighting in the streets and "rising panic among residents seeking to flee".

Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

IDF releases images showing Doctors Without Borders staffer in Islamic Jihad uniform

2024-06-28

From a Skid comment which deserves it's own posting.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF releases images showing Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket expert Fadi al-Wadiya wearing the terror group’s uniform, after Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, named him as a staffer but denied he was a terror operative.

Al-Wadiya was killed in a drone strike in Gaza City yesterday.

The organization then said in a post on X that al-Wadiya was killed while riding his bicycle to the MSF clinic where he worked.

The IDF said he was a prominent member of Islamic Jihad, involved in developing missiles for the terror group, as well as being an electronics and chemistry expert.

Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, says al-Wadiya worked for Islamic Jihad’s rocket manufacturing unit for more than 15 years.

He attaches three images showing al-Wadiya in Islamic Jihad uniform.

Adraee adds that in 2018, the same year that al-Wadiya joined Doctors Without Borders, the latter tried to leave Gaza for Iran to undergo training there with two other terror operatives.

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Economy

Biden unveils latest attempt to kill off gas cars

2024-06-09

[Daily Mail, Where America Gets Its News] The Transportation Department told automakers they have eight years to squeeze another 16 miles per gallon out of their cars if they want to stay in business - while the fuel efficiency of their trucks will have to double.

Friday's edict came just weeks after the EPA slashed the limits on tailpipe emissions as part of the White House pledge to ensure that more than half of all new vehicles sold are electric by 2032.

But the administration admitted last week that just seven EV charging stations have been built since a $5-billion program was signed off in 2021.

'That's just pathetic,' Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) told a Senate hearing on Wednesday. 'Something is terribly wrong and it needs to be fixed.'

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-Lurid Crime Tales-

Minnesota Jury Finds Five of Seven Somali Defendants Guilty in $250 Million Covid Fraud Scheme After Juror Bribed with Bag of Cash

2024-06-08

[Gateway] A Minnesota jury found 5 of the 7 Somali defendants guilty of stealing millions of dollars in Covid funds intended to feed children.

70 members of the Somali community in Minnesota stole about $250 million in Covid funds. The seven defendants on trial related to the scheme were accused of stealing more than $40 million in taxpayer money.

Millions of dollars went overseas to Somalia. 80% of the stolen Covid money was never recovered.

"The verdict confirms what we’ve known all along, which is that defendants falsified documents, they lied and they fraudulently claimed to be feeding millions of meals to children in Minnesota during COVID," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said. "The defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the state of Minnesota and to steal tens of millions of dollars."

The guilty verdict comes after a juror was offered a bag of cash to vote to acquit. A Somali woman showed up at one of the juror’s homes with $120,000 in cash. The juror was ultimately dismissed. The FBI is still investigating the bribe.

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