News Blogs (3,089)

The rumor is Ukraine has crossed the Dniepre River in force, and pierced the first Russian line in the vicinity of Kozachi Laheri and is already about 800 meters past that. A public satellite fly by of the area is still several hours away. There is concern Ukraine may also have gotten some vehicles across the river (somehow). The location of the incursion will provide opportunity for Ukraine to sever the E58 route. Previously Russian VDV (airborne (what remains of them) troops) had manned the line, but they were pulled out earlier this week and sent to fighting to the North and were supposedly replaced by regular infantry. As stated, this is still a not confirmed rumor on Russian Social Media not yet publicly confirmed by Ukraine.

Fancy Farm Picnic is regarded as Kentucky's political Super Bowl. Senator Mitch McConnell was there and gave a speech that was drowned out by chants of 'retire' but he continued talking as though he was being supported.



It appears they gave him a standing ovation:

In response to Russia's threat to destroy civilian vessels carrying grain from Odessa and other parts of Ukraine, Ukraine has issued it's own Black Sea warning.
Any vessel entering the Black Sea intending trade with Russia may find itself at risk of being sunk, either by Russian mines or Ukrainian drones.

Yesterday, a Russian owed oil tanker attempting to pass under the Kerch Bridge received a (filmed) drone strike in the engine compartment area. The tanker was empty and en route to pick up a shipment of oil which will now not be sold. Further strikes on other shipping is probable.

Watch the Russian oil tanker take a hit.

On Tuesday August first, Donald J. Trump received his 3rd indictment. This one was for his efforts to undo the results of the 2020 election leading up to the January 6th insurrection. He appeared in court Thursday for the arraignment. Travel from the Regan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia to the courthouse to was by way of motorcade with an entourage of secret service. Private entrance around the courthouse was prepared for his visit. The street to the courthouse was lined with barricades and details of special security.

After leaving the courthouse, he gave a brief speech to news media waiting at the airport and stated “This is a very sad day for America, and it was also very sad driving through Washington, D.C., and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it.”
He blamed this all on president Biden... were you expecting that?

I got to see a news feed of the tree lined highway path back to the airport and unable to catch any buildings along the way. I'm sure there were some between the highway and the courthouse. My plan was to trace the route with Google Earth just to see for myself what was actually visible along the way.

My schedule is super busy right now, having submitted a revised quotation for a project, the GC also wants the drawing revisions. That could take most of today and part of the weekend.

The good news is many of the people on social media who are familiar with the Washington DC area contested Trump's statement about the filth and decay.

Anderson Cooper said: “We should point out that when the former president left office and left Washington, D.C., the city was on lockdown because of the attack on Jan. 6,”
“That is the city he left behind.”
It was noted that damages caused by the Capitol riot exceeded $2.7 million.

Again, it's a case of who do you want to believe?

Trump has been indicted in the Federal probe over the effort to unto undo the 2020 election. In other news, Ron DeSantis ain't doing so well after the NAACP issued a formal travel advisory for Florida, warning visitors that the state has become “openly hostile toward African Americans” under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s leadership.
Two major Black organizations announced they are moving their annual multimillion-dollar conferences elsewhere.
Ron's politics is killing tourism in Florida with his fights with Disney.
Since he's been out on a failing campaign trail, Florida gets neglected.
But... maybe that's a good thing as his presence here is quickly turning sour.


These are the two top contenders in the Republican primary.

Issues, issues... let me get you some tissues.

This is what happens in South Africa if the Police Protection Unit think that you are a nuisance on the road.

Comedian Paul Reubens who was the actor behind the iconic Pee-wee Herman character has died on Sunday after succumbing to cancer. He was 70 years old.
Good or bad things about his personal life will haunt the internet for years... either way, cancer isn't a pleasant way to go.

Story:

Seriously, I want this cat!

This is not a short video. Feel free to skip over the first 31 minutes of people getting seated and introductory praises. The question and answer testimony begins around the 31 minute mark of this b0-partisan hearing of the whistle blower protection sub-committee of the US Congress yesterday.

Some interesting revelations crept out in this sequence of 'whistle blower' hearings. The US does have the remnants of crashed space craft of non-human origin. The US does have biologic specimens of the not human occupants. Efforts to understand and reverse engineer recovered components have resulted in injuries, but they continue. Humans have died in circumstances surrounding the, acquisition, research and or concealment of it.

Since we are speaking of new technologies with potential application to Defense, transportation, energy, etc. much of the work is TS SCI code word classified. Compartmentalized information not likely to be shared with America's enemies. This is understandable. This Congressional hearing resulted because some of what these people know potentially has potentially raises safety and ethics concerns which the security classifications prohibit their revealing, therefore they have made whistle blower complaints to their respective IGs and suffered potentially unlawful retaliation for those complaints. Such unlawful retaliation falls under the authority of the US Congress to address. Afterwards some of the Congresspersons involved revealed intention to arrange a closed door version of the hearing in which the questions could not be answered lawfully in an Open Hearing could be lawfully answered in detail.



I regard this as a continuation of the previous (now lost) blog I did in which I posted a link to the US NIO'a unclassified 'Report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' in 2021 as Ken_19. A link to that report is again presented here (PDF).

News this afternoon reports Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56.