1603: Rolling Start

The man behind the Harvard truck that drives around displaying the names of “antisemites,” had his house raided by a SWAT team.

Link

"People are finally seeing reality" about EV technology, Mr. Toyoda told reporters ahead of the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo this week, speaking in his capacity as the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the organizer of the event.

"There are many ways to climb the mountain that is achieving carbon neutrality," he said while suggesting that consumers are finally waking up from a dreamscape pushed by climate change alarmists that puts EVs on a pedestal and overhypes their benefits while downplaying their drawbacks.

Link

Safety Person at Amazon

We are having a summit in the next few weeks to discuss the past performance of the Rivian vehicle and the future prospects of the EV project overall.

Since starting use of EV chargers (manufactured primarily by Siemens), we have had 6 vehicle fires, complete with thermal run away. This is a statistical deviation from what we expected -- or were promised. This had a big impact on how and where we placed these charging lots. Could they be inside? Close to the building? Charged at an off-site, unattended lot? All these questions and more were considered, based on what Rivian told us.

We've also had problems with mechanics poking around the battery shroud and causing issues with the vehicles. When the vehicle is inoperable, they sit in our van lots waiting for a tow.

We have stopped deployment of chargers inside our buildings, and are looking at different vans -- aside from Rivian.

Amazon got hoodwinked into believing we could meet our aggressive goals for carbon reduction. But we ended up getting a series of problems we could have expected, if we had taken off the green-colored glasses and asked tough questions, expecting solid answers.

Heard the Chiners were going to stop selling us graphite.

Never fear. The Indians are here.

Looks like India will be coming here to SE NC and build a plant with 500 jobs making synthetic graphite. What could go wrong?

https://www.commerce.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2023/10/26/governor-cooper-announces-500-jobs-global-battery-component-supplier-selects-brunswick-county-first#:~:text=October 26, 2023-,Governor Cooper Announces 500 Jobs as Global Battery Component Supplier,Raleigh, N.C.

And so you know, Gov. Cooper is a Democrat.

Stay safe!!

Link

This was debunked in the 1800s.

Nice try, lady.

In psychiatry, dysaesthesia aethiopica (literally "Ethiopian bad feeling" , "black bad feeling") was an alleged mental illness described by American physician Samuel A. Cartwright in 1851, which proposed a theory for the cause of laziness among slaves.

Cartwright felt that dysaesthesia aethiopica was "easily curable, if treated on sound physiological principles."[6] Insensitivity of the skin was one symptom of the disease, so the skin should be stimulated:

The best means to stimulate the skin is, first, to have the patient well washed with warm water and soap; then, to anoint it all over in oil, and to slap the oil in with a broad leather strap; then to put the patient to some hard kind of work in the sunshine.[6]

According to Cartwright, dysaesthesia aethiopica was "much more prevalent among free negroes living in clusters by themselves, than among slaves on our plantations, and attacks only such slaves as live like free negroes in regard to diet, drinks, exercise, etc." – indeed, according to Cartwright, "nearly all [free negroes] are more or less afflicted with it, that have not got some white person to direct and to take care of them."[8]

Amaryllis Fox Kennedy (born Amaryllis Damerell Thornber; September 22, 1980)[1][2] is an American writer, television host, public speaker, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, and campaign manager to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign. She departed from her role at the CIA in 2010.[3] Subsequently, Kennedy authored a memoir about her time in the CIA, entitled Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA, published by Knopf Doubleday in October 2019.[4] She is the host of the six-episode Netflix documentary series The Business of Drugs, released in July 2020.[5]

Link

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced that the United States will pursue a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, designated the B61-13, pending Congressional authorization and appropriation.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would produce the B61-13. The decision to pursue this capability, which was undertaken in close collaboration with the NNSA, responds to the demands of a rapidly evolving security environment as described in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review.

"Today's announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries," said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. "The United States has a responsibility to continue to assess and field the capabilities we need to credibly deter and, if necessary, respond to strategic attacks, and assure our allies."

The B61-13 would be deliverable by modern aircraft, strengthening deterrence of adversaries and assurance of allies and partners by providing the President with additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets. It would replace some of the B61-7s in the current nuclear stockpile and have a yield similar to the B61-7, which is higher than that of the B61-12.

Link

M2 money supply

Liquidity crisis

Commercial Real Estate is screwed

After 18 years in Paramedicine I’ve never seen an adult be transported to the hospital as a result of RSV. It is not a virus that effects adults or the elderly on any scale worth even considering a “vaccination”. However, RSV can be dangerous in small children and needs to be taken seriously as it can result in severe airway complications and death if not treated appropriately. Considering an RSV “vaccine” for children is less ridiculous than COVID vax but still ridiculous as it’s efficacy I can only assume is as helpful as the flu-shot and COVID jab.

ITM Adam,

You played a clip on the last show about a supposed shortage of RSV shots and I can confirm that it was total BS. I went with my pregnant wife to her doctor appointment yesterday and asked the doctor what her thoughts were about the new RSV vaccine they are giving to pregnant women. (I like to ask all our doctors questions like this to see if they have enough spine to tell us the truth). The doctor responded by telling us that she doesn't know much about it but that NO ONE is getting it. She has a couple of high risk patients that she recommended it for but their insurance refused to pay for it. The shot costs over $1,000 and insurance companies won't pay it because the RSV risk is so low that they'll take their chances having to pay for the treatment if someone gets RSV. RSV can be dangerous to infants but it is very treatable. Seems like there is a pissing match going on between pharma and insurance companies or possibly the insurance companies are waiting for the government to pony up and start paying for vaccines again. Either way this "shortage" is out there just to gin up some demand for these things.

Eric

A historic moment in pharmaceuticals will happen next week: an FDA advisory committee is set to review the first-ever CRISPR gene editing-based therapy, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics’ exa-cel for sickle cell disease (SCD).

But what would be even more industry changing would be securing the first such approval. Before they can do that, Vertex and CRISPR Tx will need to convince the FDA that the therapy, also known as exagamglogene autotemcel, does not cause off-target effects.

The FDA has asked the Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee to discuss just one question: the applicants’ off-target analysis and any recommendations for additional studies, if needed, to assess the off-target risk for exa-cel.

Link

The United Kingdom is experiencing a dramatic outbreak—unprecedented in scale and magnitude—of diarrheal illnesses from the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, aka Crypto.

According to a rapid communication published Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance, UK health officials report that Crypto cases have exceeded the upper bounds of expected cases since mid-September, and an October peak saw cases roughly threefold above what is usual for this time of year. The outbreak is still ongoing.

So far, it's unclear what's driving the extraordinary burst in cases. The outbreak has splattered into almost every region of all four UK nations. "Given the scale and geographical spread of the [case] exceedance across regions and nations of the UK, a single local exposure is an unlikely cause," the authors, led by officials at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency in London, wrote in the rapid report.

The officials sent out a standardized questionnaire on possible exposures to those who tested positive for Crypto. The questionnaire asked about food, travel, contact with animals, and water exposure—the most common way Crypto is spread. So far, international travel and swimming (either in the UK or abroad) appear linked to the outbreak.

Link

Results: Out of 829 participants with hearing impairment, 16.2% (n = 134) had experienced auditory hallucinations in the past 4 weeks; significantly more than the non-impaired group [5.8%; n = 10/173; p < 0.001, odds ratio 3.2 (95% confidence interval 1.6-6.2)]. Prevalence of auditory hallucinations significantly increased with categorized severity of impairment, with rates up to 24% in the most profoundly impaired group (p < 0.001). The corrected odds of hallucination presence increased 1.02 times for each dB of impairment in the best ear. Auditory hallucinations mostly consisted of voices (51%), music (36%), and doorbells or telephones (24%).

Conclusions: Our findings reveal that auditory hallucinations are common among patients with hearing impairment, and increase with impairment severity. Although more research on potential confounding factors is necessary, clinicians should be aware of this phenomenon, by inquiring after hallucinations in hearing-impaired patients and, conversely, assessing hearing impairment in patients with auditory hallucinations, since it may be a treatable factor.

Link

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Archived Version

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 16:55

Is Italy Seeking to Rival Japan's Predicted Extinction Event?

While we once approached this Severely Depleted Birth Rate happening as solely the major issue for the Asian Circle, not including South Asian India of course. What we're finding now is that in fact it is affecting the entire EU or Europe significantly as a whole. Except for one unexpected Country, which we'll put forth later. Unfortunately, Italy has recently set a new All-Time Low, as there were NO BIRTHS in the entire Country for three Months. Astonishingly Crushing is an understatement to say the least.

Italy's dearth of babies is considered a national emergency, and fixing the problem was a prominent policy pledge by Giorgia Meloni ahead of last year's election which saw her become the country's first woman Prime Minister of Italy. Last year Italy recorded more than 12 deaths for every seven births and the resident population fell by 179,000 to 58.85 million, ISTAT said in its annual demographic report.

''A major factor is the reduction and the aging of the female population in the 15''49 age group conventionally considered reproductive,'' the institute said in a note. The fertility rate edged down to 1.24 children per woman from 1.25 in 2021, registering a decline in central and northern regions and a marginal increase in the south.

Before we go putting Italy on the Extinction watch list that includes Japan, South Korea, and as much as a 60% Population Reduction for China, we need to take some details and facts into consideration that will better help us understand the difference in how this issue is being addressed, and will be offset because of these multiple factors. Remember, Japan is a stand alone Country, with no bordering Nations, other than the Countries across the Sea. South Korea actually can depend on the Asian Circle that may stave off total extinction, because of the welcomed influx of Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian, and other Asian-Circle Nationalities. While, because of Japan's long standing known Racism against other Asian Nationalities & Ethnicities, is unwilling to invite the'...

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Archived Version

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:41

Belgian police are on the hunt for a Palestinian asylum seeker who threatened to blow himself up after hearing that his entire family had been killed in Gaza.

All police units across Belgium are seeking 23-year-old Mohammed A., who said on Tuesday that he wants to 'die as a martyr by explosion' after hearing that his family had been killed.

He reportedly applied for asylum on September 26, and was told he had to turn up again the following day, but failed to do so.

A spokesman for the Brussels public prosecutor's office said that it was aware of the threats allegedly made by Mohammed A.: 'The person of Palestinian origin is currently being actively traced. In the interest of the investigation, no further comment will be made.'

No additional security measures were taken at Brussels Airport, or the Jewish Institution in Antwerp, following the news of the manhunt.

The hunt for Mohammed A. comes just a day before all 27 EU leaders are due to gather in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss, among other things, the war between Israel and Hamas.

His threats were made just a week after two Swedish football fans were killed, while a third was wounded, by an ISIS fanatic armed with an automatic rifle, in what the attacker said was revenge for the death of a six-year-old Palestinian boy in the US.

All police units in Belgium are on the lookout for Mohammed A., who threatened to 'martyr' himself

Belgium's terror treat level is still at 'serious', the second-highest level, a week after armed police shot Tunisian suspect Abdesalem Lassoued, 45, dead cornered inside a caf(C) in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek.

He opened fire on a group of Swedish football fans in a taxi passing through Boulevard d'Ypres just a few minutes north of the city's famous Grand Plaza ahead of Belgium's Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden.

Several people fled into an apartment building after hearing the gunshots, but Lassoued followed them and opened fire again in the entrance hall.

He said in a video posted to social media: 'I am a fighter for Allah. I am from the Islamic State. We love who loves us, and we hate who hates us.

'We live for our religion and we die for our religion, Alhamdulillah. Your brother took revenge in the name of Muslims.

'I have killed three Swedes so far, Alhamdulillah. Three Swedish, yes.

'Those to whom I have done something wrong, may they forgive me. And I forgive everyone. Salam Alaykum'.

Lassoued unsuccessfully sought asylum in Belgium in 2019, and had been illegally living in the country for several years since then.

Belgian media reported on Wednesday that Lassoued's alleged accomplice was arrested while carrying the weapon used to slaughter the Swedish football fans.

'He will be interrogated in connection with his possible involvement with the weapon used by Abdesalem Lassoued,' the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Later today, the suspect will be brought before the investigating judge, with a view to his further arrest.

Politico reported that Lassoued was known to authorities as someone with a 'radicalised profile' from as early as 2016.

Video shows Abdesalem Lassoued dressed in a fluorescent orange jacket and carrying a gun driving through the streets of Brussels

While the 45-year-old had no prior convictions in Belgium, he was known to law enforcement for a range of 'suspicious activities', including suspected human trafficking and threatening the security of the state, Belgium's justice minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said last week.

The minister tried defending Belgium's intelligence services at the time, saying: ' The information was verified, nothing else could be done.'

Van Quickenborne argued that intelligence services were at the time swamped with 'dozens of reports a day of that nature'.

'Although he was known to law enforcement, there was no concrete indication of his radicalisation '-- that's why he was not on the OCAD [terrorist] watchlist,' the minister said.

Belgium has suffered a series of terrorist attacks in recent years - all of it related to Islamist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Eight men have been tried for their connections to the 2016 suicide bombings that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds at Brussels airport and a subway station.

Last week, local media named the suspect as 45-year-old Abdesalem Lassoued (pictured)

View of the crime scene on the aftermath of the shooting in Brussels on Tuesday

Forensic investigators at the scene in Brussels where two people were shot dead by a gunman

In September, a Brussels court handed out sentences ranging up to life in prison to eight men for the jihadist bombings in Brussels.

French citizen Salah Abdeslam and Belgian-Moroccan Mohamed Abrini - already sentenced to life in jail by France for the November 2015 massacre in Paris - were the highest-profile of six defendants found guilty of murder in July.

Abrini, who was one of the intended bombers but decided not to blow himself up at the last moment, was given a 30-year jail term.

The court ruled not to give Abdeslam an additional term after he was sentenced in Belgium to 20 years in 2018 over a shootout.

The attacks - near the headquarters of both Nato and the EU - were part of a wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Europe.

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Archived Version

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:29

Authored by Mark Jeftovic via BombThrower.com,

What we now call ''The Cantillon Effect'' was known far back as circa-1730, by at least one economist. It hasn't been taken very seriously in modern times, especially here in the fiat age.

Named after its author, Richard Cantillon, in his ''Essay on Economic Theory'' (''Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en G(C)n(C)ral'') '-- it is his only surviving work and was published posthumously in 1755, more than 20 years after he was murdered by a former cook whom he had dismissed from his household. The disgruntled ex-employee, returned by night, robbed his home, then set it ablaze, with Cantillon '-- and the rest of his manuscripts, within.

The Essay On Economic Theory had been previously circulated in pamphlet form, which is why copies survived to be published to the world, and lays bare the dirty secret behind all fiat monetary schemes:

In a nutshell, when money is created or added to an economy, the people who receive it first, benefit, but they do so to the detriment of everybody else.

The early recipients of new money were able to spend it on accumulating more of the productive assets that society had to offer. But this also increased the money supply, which diluted the purchasing power of everybody else's existing money.

The wealthy got to invest new money.Everybody else had to spend more of their existing money.

So, while the rich got richer, it made it more expensive for the poor to stay alive.

The elites invariably believe the system works great. From inside their bubble it certainly seems that way. But it is unsustainable over the long haul. As the dynamic iterates, it accelerates, and it increases wealth disparity. If there was a nice, meaty middle-class in the economic bell curve, it wouldn't last for long as the productive assets increasingly get hoovered up by a rentier class using new money.

Eventually wealth inequality hits a breaking point, and when that happens, all existing social contracts '' real or implied '' break down.

The French Revolution may be the first example of the Cantillon Effect's consequences, after Cantillon himself detailed its underlying dynamics.

The distortions introduced from currency debasement are far reaching and take a long time to play out. But the tempo intensifies toward a ''quickening'' as it enters the end game, much like compound interest and bankruptcy (''gradually, then suddenly''). The rich become more imperious, the poor more resentful and then, finally, after generations of silent theft and economic repression, something sets off a phase shift '-- and then it's show trials and guillotines.

In France's case, the monetary missteps that set it on a course to Bastille Day went at least as far back as Louis XIV, the great-great-grandfather of the Sun King who would be left holding the bag (and his head in a bucket) nearly a century later.

In Guy Rowlands ''The Financial Decline of a Great Power: War, Influence and Money in Louis XIV's France'', we are told of ''dimunitions'' which devalued the coin of the realm by decree, (nevermind that it was gold and silver backed)'...

The government would typically prepare an augmentation by decreeing diminutions'--or abatements''--of the coins in circulation, a decision that did not require coins to be restamped or re-created. This was not primarily so the king could pull in more coins through taxation (denominated in Livres),'' as any such gain would be cancelled out: a diminution would in fact also force the king to compensate his fisco-financiers and bankers for losses on their contracts and on the coins they held at the time. '

The main reason was so there could be huge leaps upward in the value of the coins to the level decreed by the subsequent augmentation, thus bringing in more seigniorage to the king. The government also hoped that a diminution, generating fear of further diminutions, would flush coin out into circulation, particularly for lending to the fisco-financiers.

That is why diminutions were announced in advance, with weeks or even months before the new, lower values would come into effect. This gave people a window in which to lend out their assets. There were indeed often several diminutions in a row: prior to the 1693 augmentation, the values of the coins were diminished four times; and prior to the great recoinage of 1709, diminutions were announced in March and November 1708 and on 16 March 1709.

The state never brought the coin values back down to the level they bad been before the previous augmentation, and this was important to ensure the public did not think the bottom of the valuation had been reached.''

Does any of this sound familiar?

Cantillon on steroids: The Fiat Era & Stakeholder Capitalism''Let them eat brioche'' '-- Marie Antoinette, 1789

''You will eat bugs, own nothing, and live in a pod'' '-- The World Economic Forum, every day.

With the fiat era, starting in 1971, new money was no longer limited by the supply of gold, or whatever else was backing a currency. You could print the stuff right out of thin air now '' which meant that instead of ostensibly enriching all members of society, with its ''targeted inflation'' for expanding the money supply, it would just accelerate the rate at which the underclass was being impoverished (which for a long time could be papered over with ''hedonic adjustments'' when reporting on it).

The Global Financial Crisis in 2008, followed by over a decade of ZIRP, NIRP, and QEternity, overclocked that process, and then Covid hit, when it went literally parabolic:

Via TradingEconomics

On its own, this may look like just another hockey stick graph. Most people don't make the connection on exactly how this manifests in the real world (especially central bankers).

There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.'-- John Maynard Keynes

(Even fewer people realize that Keynes was a Marxist and his economic prescriptions, which form the basis of conventional economic theory to this day, would bring lead to socialism. This was intentional. Especially once you understand what socialism really is.)

This graph is just real estate, and as of 2020. That was before COVID, before lockdowns, before small businesses got shut down by decree while big box stores and Amazon stayed open and the Fed bought their bonds.

Let's look at a couple of inflection points:

Via Pew Research

The graph above is from Pew Research. In 1971, the start of the Fiat Era, middle income households earned the bulk of the income pie at 62%. Along comes Nixon, who closed the gold window (''temporarily''), and it's all downhill from there. All kinds of wealth inequality drivers can trace their genesis to that event in 1971.

Then when the bankers blew themselves up (again) in 2008, the bailouts happen (again) and we hit another inflection point: the era of ZIRP, NIRP and QEternity hits, and this is exactly where upper income households crossover the middle income earners. Again, this graph stops short of the Covid Era, at which point all of these trends accelerated.

Where does it leave things?

On the left: A tent city in BC Canada, on the right ''Fentanyl zombies'' roam downtown SF.

The bottom layers of the economic stratum are looking like a cross between Mad Max and a Zombie Apocalypse. Even worse, is that thanks to plunging income mobility, the underclass is growing. The middle class are falling into the poverty more often than ascending into wealth.

This Visual Capitalist chart looks at the number of people earning more than their parents by generational cohort. Remember, because of inflation everything is getting more expensive, but if each generation is earning less than their parents, they're losing ground:

Unless you're already wealthy '' then everything is fine because your share of the pie is getting larger'...

All Cantillon Schemes Require a Totalizing IdeologyAs I mentioned recently in my article on how abandoning sound money perpetuates Forever Wars,

If there is a far-reaching, multi-generational global conspiracy '' it is one that brainwashes the masses into trading their time, wealth and property for meaningless chits backed by nothing. Who needs global Communism?

In pre-Revolutionary France, it was By Divine Right. The king was chosen and appointed by God to govern the kingdom. This belief was used to justify the absolute power of the monarch and his authority over all aspects of French life. And the masses went along with it until the economics became so asymmetrical and unsustainable that the peasants revolted. They had no choice, the alternative was to starve to death.

Today's totalizing ideology is a kind of euphemistically wrapped Technocratic Marxism. Klaus Schwab calls it ''Stakeholder Capitalism'', George Gilder, perhaps more accurately, termed it Emergency Socialism in his latest book, Life After Capitalism.

It's called "Stakeholder Capitalism".(...and you aren't a stakeholder 🤠) pic.twitter.com/pjyU37SL2o

'-- Mark Jeftovic, The '‚itcoin Capitalist (@StuntPope) July 27, 2023Gilder only uses the phrase out once or twice in the book and never really expands on it.

Allow me.

Today's Totalizing Ideology is that you, dear peasant, must ratchet your standard of living downwards. You will have to take up less space. You will have to consume less resources, pay more for everything and accept ever worsening living conditions because if you don't, the world will end.

And nobody wants that, right?

In the meantime, your betters, the people who have it all under control and everything figured out, will continue to re-imagine your life, and the lives of your children, so that they can forestall the implosion of the global monetary system and finish hoovering up the remaining 5% of the global wealth that they don't already own.

"The peasants have no bread". "Then let them eat bugs".Scene at Versailles as elitists who think you should own nothing, go nowhere & eat their processed crickets prepared to feast at taxpayers' expense.#vampireelite pic.twitter.com/zSeKw7KcqO

'-- Nick Griffin (@NickGriffinBU) September 22, 2023Which brings us to... Bitcoin.If only there were some mechanism that was not only immune from dilution via inflation, but could actually reverse the Cantillon Effect.

Sure, there is gold '' the age old monetary metal. I like gold and have been invested in it for nearly 30 years. Silver too. Everyone should have an allocation to gold and have some silver, including junk silver to have on-hand for sundries if (or when) your national currency collapses.

But Bitcoin, as distinct from other ''cryptocurrencies'', is a very unique monetary asset, backed by energy, decentralized, hard-capped in supply, and largely impervious to capital controls in a way that is distinct from all other monetary assets.

To top it all off, Bitcoin exhibits a reverse Cantillon effect. Because Bitcoin is deflationary, it is becoming more valuable. It is increasing its purchasing power, as more wealth flows into the system and it does so for everybody hodling it. The difference between Bitcoin and Cantillonism is that the purchasing power isn't declining as the currency units flow outward from the central spigot. It's increasing for all units, at the same time.

Most people can't wrap their head around this. Even the aforementioned George Gilder, concludes that Bitcoin can't become the new global monetary standard because it is deflationary. And he did it in the chapter of his book called ''Bitcoin Capitalism''. Heartbreaking.

But history has shown deflationary currencies not only work, economies thrive under them (see again, Sound Money Makes For Short Wars) '' and Detlev S Schlichter wrote an entire book on why that's the case.

''A monetary system with a money commodity of essentially fixed supply will experience secular deflation. A growing economy, with an entirely inflexible money supply will exhibit a tendency for prices to decline on trend, and for money's purchasing [power] to steadily increase.

But the key question now, is why should this be a problem? We have already seen that historically secular deflation was rather minor and that it certainly never appeared to present any economic difficulties. No correlation between deflation or recession or stagnation is evident under commodity money systems. [T]here are no reasons on conceptual grounds to consider deflation to be a problem''

If there is any disparity, between time and value with Bitcoin, then it's front loaded. People get into Bitcoin at the price they deserve, but there's nothing stopping anybody from getting in whenever they want. With the Cantillion Effect, you have no control over new money creation, but yet you still have to live with the declining purchasing power instigated by other people.

With Bitcoin, even if you enter later, you are still on the escalator up, having your sats gain in purchasing power as more capital moves onto a Bitcoin Standard.

We may not have to fire up the guillotines in order to exit this particular episode of Cantillonism, (although we may fire them up for other reasons).

As more people exit the fiat system, the only people left to for the elites to dilute will be the remaining serfs who will get stuck inside the coming CBDC system.

More on that in a future post'...

* * *

My forthcoming ebook The CBDC Survival Guide will give you the tools and the knowledge to navigate coming era of Monetary Apartheid. Bombthrower subscribers will get it free when it drops, sign up today.

The Bitcoin Capitalist: For Today's Sovereign Individual provides actionable intelligence on the macro forces shaping Late Stage Globalism and a tactical toolkit for growing your wealth as it plays out. Try it today here.

Follow me on Nostr, or Twitter.

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Archived Version

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:27

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced that the United States will pursue a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, designated the B61-13, pending Congressional authorization and appropriation.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would produce the B61-13. The decision to pursue this capability, which was undertaken in close collaboration with the NNSA, responds to the demands of a rapidly evolving security environment as described in the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review.

"Today's announcement is reflective of a changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries," said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. "The United States has a responsibility to continue to assess and field the capabilities we need to credibly deter and, if necessary, respond to strategic attacks, and assure our allies."

The B61-13 would be deliverable by modern aircraft, strengthening deterrence of adversaries and assurance of allies and partners by providing the President with additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets. It would replace some of the B61-7s in the current nuclear stockpile and have a yield similar to the B61-7, which is higher than that of the B61-12.

"The B61-13 represents a reasonable step to manage the challenges of a highly dynamic security environment," said Plumb. "While it provides us with additional flexibility, production of the B61-13 will not increase the overall number of weapons in our nuclear stockpile."

The B61-13 would take advantage of the current, established production capabilities supporting the B61-12, and would include the modern safety, security, and accuracy features of the B61-12.

This initiative follows several months of review and consideration. The fielding of the B61-13 is not in response to any specific current event; it reflects an ongoing assessment of a changing security environment.

The fact sheet can be found here.

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Archived Version

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:27

Nuclear bomb

B61 B61 training unit intended for ground crew. It accurately replicates the shape and size of a "live" B61 (together with its safety/arming mechanisms) but contains only inert materials

TypeNuclear bombUsed byUnited StatesDesignerLos Alamos National LaboratoryDesigned1963ManufacturerPantex PlantUnit cost$28 million (Mod 12)[1]Produced1968 (full production)No. built3,155Variants13Mass715 pounds (324 kg)[2]Length141.6 inches (3.60 m)[2]Diameter13.3 inches (34 cm)[2]Blast yieldBelieved to be either 0.3''340 kt[3] or 0.3''400 kt[4] in the weapon's various mods.The B61 nuclear bomb is the primary thermonuclear gravity bomb in the United States Enduring Stockpile following the end of the Cold War. It is a low to intermediate-yield strategic and tactical nuclear weapon featuring a two-stage radiation implosion design.[5]

The B61 is of the variable yield ("dial-a-yield" in informal military jargon) design with a yield of 0.3 to 340 kilotons in its various mods. It is a Full Fuzing Option (FUFO) weapon, meaning it is equipped with the full range of fuzing and delivery options, including air and ground burst fuzing, and free-fall, retarded free-fall and laydown delivery.[2] It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight and is 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 inches (33 cm). Basic weight is about 700 pounds (320 kg), although the weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze/retardation configuration. As of 2020, it is undergoing a 12th modification. According to the Federation of American Scientists in 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s will cost $28 million apiece.[1]

Development [ edit ] A B61 bomb undergoing disassembly.B61 bomb casing; MAPS Air Museum, North Canton, Ohio.In 1961 a report was issued indicating Navy and Air Force interest in a lightweight bomb to replace existing weapons, but that both services had considerably different military requirements for such a weapon. However, the authors of the report believed that due to advances in technology it was possible for a single weapon to fulfill both requirements. This was followed by a report from Sandia in mid-1962, that believed that a lightweight nuclear bomb with full fuzing option was possible and that such a program could be completed in a short time-span, possibly by 1965 or 1966.[2]

Development of the weapon that would become the B61 was authorized in December 1962. The justification for the program was that the new weapon would modernize the nuclear arsenal, improve the capability of aircraft and simplify the nuclear weapons inventory by replacing lower-yield versions of the B28 and B43 nuclear bombs. The desired production date was June 1965.[2]

The weapon was designated the TX-61 in January 1963. Due to the short time-scales, it was decided to make maximum use of off-the-shelf components such as those developed for the B57 nuclear bomb. Environmental conditions specified included an indefinite temperature range of ''60 °F (''51 °C) to 160 °F (71 °C), shocks of up to 40g, and in flight temperatures of up to 275 °F (135 °C) for up to 40 minutes. Parachute deployment was specified to produce a maximum load of 255 g (2,500 m/s2).[2]

The weapon was designed and built by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Production engineering began in 1965, with the first war-reserve B61-0 weapon accepted by the AEC in December 1966. However production was halted in May 1967 for design modifications to be made before resuming in January 1968.[2] Shot Flintlock Halfbeak in June 1966 may have been a full yield test of the weapon with other tests conducted between 1963 and 1968 at the Nevada Test Site.[6]

During testing, spin motors were added to the weapon to produce a spin of 5 revolutions per second. This was to improve stability and decoupling during high speed delivery. Three alternatives to the weapon were also explored for still-classified reasons. The first alternative was halted due to its similarity to the original TX-61 design, and the Department of Defense was unfavorable to the second option which halted its exploration. The TX-61 design was ordered to "proceed along the lines" of the third alternative in May 1964, though it is unclear what that means.[2]

Total production of all versions was approximately 3,155, of which approximately 540 remain in active service, 415 in inactive service and 520 are awaiting dismantlement as of 2012[update].[7]

13 versions of the B61 have been designed, known as Mod 0 through Mod 12. Of these, nine have entered production. Each shares the same physics package, with different yield options. The newest variant is the Mod 11, deployed in 1997, which is a ground-penetrating bunker busting weapon. The Russian Continuity of Government facility at Kosvinsky Kamen, finished in early 1996, was designed to resist US earth-penetrating warheads and serves a similar role as the American Cheyenne Mountain Complex.[8][9] The timing of the Kosvinsky completion date is regarded as one explanation for U.S. interest in a new nuclear bunker buster and the declaration of the deployment of the Mod 11 in 1997: Kosvinsky is protected by about 1,000 feet (300 m) of granite.[10]

The B61 unguided bomb should not be confused with the MGM-1 Matador cruise missile, which was originally developed under the bomber designation B-61.

Deployment [ edit ] B61 bomb components. The physics package is contained in the silver cylinder center-leftThe B61 has been deployed by a variety of US military aircraft. US aircraft cleared for its use have included the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, F/A-18 Hornet, A-6 Intruder, A-4 Skyhawk, F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. As part of NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing, German and Italian Panavia Tornado aircraft can also carry B61s.[3] The B61 can fit inside the F-22 Raptor's weapons bays and will also be carried by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.[11]

B61 tactical variants are deployed with NATO allies in Europe as part of the NATO Nuclear Weapons Sharing Program.[12] About 150 bombs are stored at six bases: Kleine Brogel in Belgium, B¼chel Air Base in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi Air Base in Italy, Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands and Incirlik in Turkey.[13] In 2012, NATO agreed to improve the capabilities of this force with the increased accuracy of the Mod 12 upgrade and the delivery of the F-35 aircraft.[14][15] This added a modest standoff capability to the B61.[16]

Design [ edit ] Inert training version of a B61 in an underground Weapons Storage and Security System (WS3) vault at Volkel Air Base, Netherlands. An access panel on the warhead is open, showing the interface for actions such as PAL (safety/arming) and variable yield settingThe B61 is a variable yield ("dial-a-yield" colloquially) dual use tactical and strategic bomb equipped with Full Fuzing Option (FUFO)[2] designed for external carriage by high-speed aircraft. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight. The original B61-0 weapon was 141.6 inches (3.60 m) long, with a diameter of 13.3 inches (340 mm) and a basic weight of 715 pounds (324 kg)[2] with most later weapons having approximately the same dimensions and weight,[3] except for the Mod 11 version which has a weight of approximately 1,200 pounds (540 kg).[17]

Ground operations [ edit ] The B61 is armed by ground-based personnel via an access panel located on the side of the bomb, which opens to reveal nine dials, two sockets, and a T-handle which manually triggers the "command disable" function. One of the sockets is for a MC4142 "strike enable" plug which must be inserted in order to complete critical circuits in the safety/arming and firing mechanisms. The other socket is the PAL connector, which has 23 pins marked with alphabetic letter codes.[18]

The B61 "command disable" mechanism functions as follows: after entering the correct three-digit numeric code it is then possible to turn a dial to "DI" and pull back a T-shaped handle which comes away in the user's hand. This action releases a spring-loaded firing pin which fires the percussion cap on an MC4246A thermal battery, powering it up. Electrical power from the thermal battery is sufficient to "fry" the internal circuitry of the bomb, destroying critical mechanisms without causing detonation. This makes the bomb incapable of being used. Any B61 which has had the command disable facility activated must be returned to Pantex for repair.[18]

Fuzing and delivery [ edit ] The B61 can be set for airburst or groundburst detonation, and by free fall, retarded free fall or laydown delivery through the use of a parachute to slow down the weapon during release from the delivery aircraft.[2] Only the Mod 0 to 10 versions of the B61 are equipped with a parachute retarder (currently a 24-ft (7.3 m) diameter nylon/Kevlar chute). This offers the aircraft a chance to escape the blast in its retarded delivery modes, or allows the weapon to survive impact with the ground in laydown delivery mode. Contact preclusion can also be selected by the pilot. The weapon can be released at speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes as low as 50 feet (15 m). In one of the weapon's laydown modes, it detonates 31 seconds after weapon release.[19]

The Mod 11 is a hardened penetration bomb with a reinforced casing and a delayed-action fuze; this allows the weapon to penetrate several metres into the ground before detonating, damaging fortified structures further underground. Developed from 1994, the Mod 11 went into service in 1997 replacing the older megaton-yield B53 bomb. About 50 Mod 11 bombs have been produced, their warheads converted from Mod 7 bombs. At present, the primary carrier for the Mod 11 is the B-2 Spirit.[17]

Mods [ edit ] The B61 has 13 variants, referred to as Mod 0 through Mod 12.

ModStatusDate[Note 1]Number producedRoleYieldsPAL typeNotes0Retired1/67 to 9/93[20]500[4]Tactical[21]10 to 300 kt[4]Cat B[6]First production weapons1Retired2/69 to 9/89[20]700[4]Strategic[21]10 to 340 kt[4]None[6][4]2Retired6/75 to 9/94[20]235[4]Tactical[21]10 to 150 kt[4]Cat D[4]3Active10/79 to present[20]545[4]Tactical[4]0.3, 1.5, 60, or 170 kt[3]Cat F[4]4Active8/79 to present[20]695[4]Tactical[4]0.3, 1.5, 10, or 45 kt[3]Cat F[4]5Retired6/77 to 9/93[20]265[4]Tactical[22][21]10 to 150 kt[6]Cat D[4]6Never entered production10 to 150 kt[4]Cat D[4]Conversion of Mod 0.[6] Cancelled February 1992.[20]7Active9/85 to present[20]600[4]StrategicAllegedly 4 yield settings, including 10, or 340 kt.[3]Cat D[4]Conversion of Mod 1, conversion completed by April 1990[6]8Never entered production10 to 150 kt[4]Cat D[4]Conversion of Mod 2 and Mod 5.[6] Cancelled February 1992.[20]9Never entered production10 to 300 kt[4]Cat F[4]Conversion of Mod 0.[6] Cancelled September 1991.[20]10Inactive stockpile8/90 to present[20]215[4]Tactical0.3, 5, 10, or 80 kt[3]Cat F[4]Remanufactured from retired Pershing II W85 warheads.[6]11Active12/96 to present[20]50[4]StrategicDisputed, either same as Mod 7[3] or 400 kt[4]Cat F[4]Conversion of Mod 7, earth penetrating weapon.[6]12ActiveFirst production unit 11/21[23]400 to 500 weapons plannedTactical/Strategic[24][25][26]0.3, 1.5, 10, or 50 kt[4][27]Cat F[4]Conversion of Mod 4.[4] To replace the Mods 3, 4 and 7.[23]B61 Mod 3 and 4 [ edit ] Internal nuclear components of the B61 bomb. The bomb was assembled at the Burlington AEC Plant and Pantex.A Sandia document on the dates of the development phases of the US nuclear stockpile describes the B61-3 as an "improved Mod 2 w/IHE" and the B61-4 as "same as Mod 3 ex. Hi-Y".[20]

The B61 Mod 3 and 4 bombs do not contain beryllium.[28]

B61 Mod 5 [ edit ] A 1978 report on reducing or substituting beryllium in nuclear weapons noted that the B61-5 contained beryllium and that if the use of beryllium were to be restricted, the B61-5 could probably be replaced by the B61 Mod 3.[28]

B61 Mod 6 and 8 [ edit ] The B61 Mod 6 and Mod 8 bombs were developed for use by the US Navy beginning in March 1987[29] and cancelled at the end of the Cold War.[4] The weapons weighed 350 kilograms (770 lb), had a length of 3,597 millimetres (141.6 in) and a diameter of 338 millimetres (13.3 in), and were one-point safe, used insensitive high explosives (IHE) in their primary stages and utilized enhanced electrical safety (EES).

The weapons were to be built by converting existing B61-0, ''2 and ''5 weapons into Mod 6 and 8 weapons and the weapons were to use B61-7 weapon parts where possible. By mass, the largest deviations from the B61-7 were the Acorn assembly, MC4137 TSSG (trajectory sensing signal generator) and the JTA (described as "ballast for WR").

Electrical systems [ edit ] The weapon's computer was the MC4139 Programmer, two of which are used on independent channels, and is identical to the programmer used on the B61-7. The MC3656 Main Battery is identical to the battery used on the B61-7 and is thermally operated, providing 120 seconds of power for the weapon, but initial power is supplied by the MC2238 Pulse Batteries which are activated by the weapon's pullout switches during separation from the aircraft.

The weapon contained two neutron generators for initiation, used a 2400 volt 0.6 μF capacitor for neutron generator firing and a 3300 volt 2.0 μF capacitor for the firing set. If neither the radar fuze or the contact crystals actuated, the weapon would detonate at 120 seconds from arming.

The weapons were to initially use the MC4175 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generators which are identical to the TSSG found in the B61-7, but starting from 1991, the Mod 6 was to get a new MC4137 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generator. The MC4175 stored the arming signal for the trajectory stronglink it its memory, so it featured a pair of rolamite acceleration switches designed to prevent the possibility of the signal being transferred to the stronglink before the rolamites were actuated by the spinning of the weapon in flight. The MC4137 instead is provided the unique signal from the MC4139 Programmer, which stores it in a volatile memory that erases after approximately seven seconds of lost power, meaning that without intent from the MC4139 and continuously applied power the MC4137 does not know how to arm the safelink.

Stronglink switches and weaklinks [ edit ] IUQS for MC2969 Intent Stronglink SwitchThe weapon was to feature a number of weapon stronglinks. Stronglinks are part of the weapon's safety systems and are designed to be robust enough that they can survive abnormal environments long enough for the weapon's weaklinks to fail. This requires weak and stronglinks to be colocated so they are exposed to the same environmental conditions in an accident.

The first stronglink was the MC2969 Intent Stronglink Switch which was also used on the B61-3, ''4 and ''7, W78, W80 and B83 weapons. The MC2969 consisted of a 14-pin ceramic-insulated bank of switches that would close upon the receipt of the proper intent unique signal (IUQS) to its electromechanical decoder. Receipt of the wrong signal would lock the MC2969 in the open position until a specific unlock signal was received.

The second stronglink was the MC2935 Trajectory Stronglink Switch of which there were two, one for each channel of the weapon's firing set. Like the MC2969, it mechanically locked if it received the wrong input signals, but unlike the MC2969 it could only be manually unlocked, which could only take place at the factory. Signals for the MC2935 come from either of the two MC4175s or the MC4137 Trajectory Sensing Signal Generators.

A third stronglink existed inside the first exclusion region of the weapon and was involved in weapon arming. Details of the system are still classified.

B61 Mod 12 [ edit ] B61 Mod 12 testAs of 2013 the Pentagon saw the B83 nuclear bomb as a "relic of the Cold War," believing that deploying a megaton-yield gravity bomb, the highest level nuclear weapon left in the U.S. inventory, to Europe was "inconceivable" at this point. It can also only be carried by the B-2 bomber, and integrating it onto additional aircraft would be costly. The Mod 12 upgrade is being pursued as a forward-deployed tactical/strategic nuclear weapon to protect NATO and Asian allies since it can be used from dual-capable fighter aircraft, as well as planned to arm the F-35 and B-21 Raider, and its lower yield options make it more flexible with less collateral effects. Recapitalizing the B61 is hoped to lead to the retirement of the B83, resulting in the elimination of the last megaton-yield U.S. bomb and leave the B61-series as the only U.S. gravity nuclear bomb.[45]

In 2013, the Pentagon and NNSA stated that if B61 refurbishment did not begin by 2019, components in the existing weapons could begin to fail.[46] In 2013 Tom Collina of the Arms Control Association said that the new development could complicate arms control efforts with Russia.[47]

In 2014, Congress slashed funding for the project and called for alternates to be studied.[48]In January 2014, former Air Force Chief of Staff Norton A. Schwartz stated that the Mod 12 nuclear bomb upgrade would have enhanced accuracy and a lower yield with less fallout compared to previous versions of the weapon. Accuracy has not been a guarantee for air-dropped nuclear weapons, so consequently large warheads were needed to effectively impact a target; the Mod 11 nuclear earth-penetrator is accurate to 110''170 meters from the desired detonation location, so it requires a 400-kiloton warhead. The Mod 12 is accurate to 30 meters from a target and only requires a 50-kiloton warhead. Schwartz believes that greater accuracy would both improve the weapon and create a different target set it can be useful against. An example is the higher-yield Mod 11's role of attacking underground bunkers that need a ground burst to create a crater and destroy it through the shockwave. A 50-kiloton yield detonating on the ground produces a crater with a radius of 30''68 meters, depending on the density of the surface, effectively putting the bunker within the circular error probability.[49]

In 2014 critics said that a more accurate and less destructive nuclear weapon would make leaders less cautious about deploying it, while Schwartz said it would deter adversaries more because the U.S. would be more willing to use it in situations where necessary. The improved accuracy would make it more effective than the previous Mod 3/4 currently deployed to the continent. F-16 and Panavia Tornado aircraft cannot interface with the new bomb due to electronic differences, but NATO countries buying the F-35 would be able to utilize it.[49] The first flight test for an inert Mod 12 was conducted in 2015, with a second successful test in August 2017.[50][51]

Despite claims the Mod 12 has an earth penetrating capability,[52] the weapon does not have the reinforced structure like that of the Mod 11, which is required to function as an earth penetrating weapon. The Mod 11 will be retained in service for the ground penetrating mission.[53]

The Mod 12 Life Extension Program continued in 2018 and on 29 June 2018 two successful non-nuclear system qualification flight tests at Tonopah Test Range were reported.[54] In October 2018, the Mod 12 guided tail-kit assembly received Milestone C approval to enter the production phase; the TKA went through the traditional test program in under 11 months, achieving a 100% success rate for all 31 bomb drops.[55] The B61-12 nuclear bomb completed its successful flight tests with the US Air Force's F-15E in June 2020. It was dropped from above 25,000ft and was in the air for approximately 55 seconds before hitting the target.[56]

The first B61-12 bomb was produced in November 2021. The weapon replaces the B61 mod 3, mod 4 and mod 7 bombs while the B61-11 will be retained in the stockpile. It is expected that the LEP will extend the B61's life by at least 20 years.[23] Politico reported in October 2022 that the US military planned to accelerate the deployment of the Mod 12 in Europe.[57] This drew criticism from the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Grushko, who accused the US government of "reducing the nuclear threshold" with the weapon's increased accuracy.[57]

The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is not listed as a future platform.[58]

B61 Mod 13 [ edit ] Initially, the NNSA Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan anticipated Phase 1 development for the B61 Mod 13 Life Extension Program (LEP) beginning in 2037 with first production of the weapon in 2050,[20] but in 2023 plans were announced to produce a new gravity bomb similar to that of the B61-12, but having a high yield similar to that of the B61-7, named the B61 Mod 13.[59] This discards plans for the Mod 13 to be a future Mod 12 LEP.[60] It is planned that for each B61-13 produced, one fewer B61-12 is to be produced, therefore not increasing the planned number of new B61 bombs;[61] defense officials indicated only "a few dozen" B61-13s may be produced. The new bomb will be carried by the B-21 Raider, but it is not planned to be deployed on the F-35.[62]

The Federation of American Scientists have accused the weapon of being a "political bomb", introduced to finally retire the B83-1 nuclear bomb, whose retirement has been blocked by hardliners.[60]

W61 Earth Penetrator Warhead [ edit ] W61 Nuclear Earth Penetrator WarheadA W61 Earth Penetrator Warhead (EPW) with a yield of 340 kilotonnes of TNT (1,400 TJ) was developed for the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile and the MGM-134 Midgetman small ICBM. The weapon entered Phase 1 initial development in January 1985 and phase 4 production engineering in September 1992 before being cancelled in December of that year.[4][20][63]

In the Advanced Cruise Missile role, the weapon was to replace aging B53 bombs, but after the W61 cancellation the role was filled by the B61-11 bomb.[63]

Pits [ edit ] A declassified technical report on the automation of pit handling at Pantex indicates that the B61-2 and B61-5 share a common pit design, as do the B61-3, B61-10 and W85. The B61-0 and B61-4 do not share a pit with any other weapon. As the B61-7 was a retrofit of the B61-1 and the B61-11 was a retrofit of the B61-7, they presumably share a common pit.[64]

Cost [ edit ] In May 2010 the National Nuclear Security Administration asked Congress for $40 million to redesign the bomb to enable the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to carry the weapon internally by 2017.[65] This version is designated Mod 12.[66] The four hundred Mod 12 bombs will be used by both tactical aircraft (such as the F-35) and strategic aircraft (such as the B-2) and the Tail Subassembly (TSA) will give them Joint Direct Attack Munition levels of accuracy, allowing the fifty kiloton warhead to have strategic effects from all carrying aircraft.[67] However, refitting the 400 weapons is now expected to cost over $10 billion.[68] The Mod 12 tail assembly contract was awarded to Boeing on November 27, 2012 for $178 million.[69] Boeing will use their experience with the Joint Direct Attack Munition to yield JDAM-equivalent accuracy in a nuclear bomb.[70] This contract is only the first part of the billion-dollar expense of producing and applying the tail kits, over and above the $10 billion cost to refurbish the warheads.[71] The Mod 12 uses an internal guidance system and can glide to its target. On 1 July 2015, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted the first of three flight tests of the Mod 12 tail kit assembly.[51]

According to the Federation of American Scientists in 2012, the roughly 400 B61-12s will cost $28 million apiece.[1]

See also [ edit ] B61s on a bomb rackList of nuclear weaponsJoint Direct Attack MunitionB61 FamilyWeapons Storage and Security SystemB83 nuclear bombWE.177Notes [ edit ] ^ In this context, date means from the start of Phase 6 full scale production to the retirement of the final weapon at the end of Phase 7. References [ edit ] ^ a b c Kristensen, Hans (2013-01-16). "B61-12: NNSA's Gold-Plated Nuclear Bomb Project". Archived from the original on 16 January 2013 . Retrieved 2012-07-26 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l History of the TX-61 Bomb (Report). Sandia National Laboratories. August 1971. Archived from the original on 2021-03-30 . Retrieved 2021-02-05 . ^ a b c d e f g h "The B61 Bomb". Nuclear weapon archive. 9 January 2007. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009 . Retrieved 2018-03-28 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Kristensen, Hans; Norris, Robert (27 November 2015). "The B61 family of nuclear bombs". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 70 (3): 79''84. doi:10.1177/0096340214531546. S2CID 146744069. ^ Sublette, Carey (9 January 2007). "The B61 Bomb". Nuclear Weapon Archive. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009 . Retrieved 2012-06-09 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j Norris, Robert; Kristensen, Hans; Handler, Joshua (January 2003). "The B61 family of bombs". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists January/February 2003. 59: 74''76. doi:10.2968/059001020. S2CID 144014537. Archived from the original on 2021-08-31 . Retrieved 2018-09-22 . ^ "The B61 Life Extension Program" (PDF) . Union of Concerned Scientists. May 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2015 . Retrieved 8 July 2017 . ^ "Window on Heartland: Geopolitical notes on Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia". February 2012. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. ^ Gertz, William 'Bill' (April 1, 1997), "Moscow builds bunkers against nuclear attack", The Washington Times, Global security, archived from the original on March 9, 2014 , retrieved May 12, 2014 ^ "Kosvinsky Mountain, Kos'vinskiy Kamen', Gora, MT 59°31'00"N 59°04'00"E, Russia". Global Security. Weapons of mass destruction. Archived from the original on 2014-08-05 . Retrieved 2014-05-12 . ^ Grant, Rebecca. "Nukes for NATO." Archived 2010-12-07 at the Wayback Machine Air Force Magazine, July 2010 ^ "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists", 26 October 2013 ^ De Boeck, Ann (July 16, 2019). "Eindelijk zwart op wit: er liggen Amerikaanse kernwapens in Belgi". De Morgen. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. ^ Kristensen, Hans M. "New Report: US and Russian Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons." Archived 2013-01-30 at the Wayback Machine Federation of American Scientists, 2 May 2012. ^ Borger, Julian (21 April 2013). "Obama accused of nuclear U-turn as guided weapons plan emerges". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013 . Retrieved 11 June 2013 . ^ Kristensen, Hans M. (30 October 2013). "Capabilities of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb Increase Further". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 2013-11-01 . Retrieved 30 October 2013 . ^ a b "the nuclear information project: the B61-11". Nukestrat.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10 . Retrieved 2012-06-09 . ^ a b "Glenn's Computer Museum-B61 Preflight Controller". Glennsmuseum.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25 . Retrieved 2012-07-08 . ^ Developing and Producing the B-61. US Department of Energy. 1970s. Event occurs at 11m 56s. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016 . Retrieved 10 July 2017 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Terry Michael Josserand (1 March 2017). R&A for UUR_Weapon_History_Phases_20170206 (Report). Sandia National Labs. OSTI 1429158. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021 . Retrieved 30 August 2021 . ^ a b c d Final Development Report for the B61-7 Bomb (Report). Sandia National Laboratories. 1985. ^ R E Kidder (26 July 1991). Report to Congress: Assessment of the Safety of US Nuclear Weapons and Related Nuclear Test Requirements (PDF) (Report). Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 December 2012 . Retrieved 22 March 2021 . ^ a b c "NNSA Completes First Production Unit of B61-12 Life Extension Program". Energy.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04 . Retrieved 2022-11-19 . ^ "B61-12 Life Extension Program" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-15 . Retrieved 2018-02-03 . ^ "B61-12: The New Guided Standoff Nuclear Bomb" (PDF) . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-02 . Retrieved 2018-02-03 . ^ Weiner, Sarah (2014-01-27). Nuclear Scholars Initiative: A Collection of Papers from the 2013 Nuclear Scholars Initiative. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442227989. Archived from the original on 2021-08-31 . Retrieved 2020-10-25 . ^ "Video Shows Earth-Penetrating Capability of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb". Archived from the original on 2016-06-30 . Retrieved 2016-06-04 . ^ a b Special Task Group Report '' Beryllium: Substitute Materials for Be and BeO in Nuclear Weapons Volume II '' Impact on United States Department of Energy National Defense Programs of proposed Department of Labor (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) Beryllium Standards (Report). United States Department of Energy. 1 May 1978. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021 . Retrieved 7 June 2021 . Of the LASL devices currently entering stockpile, the B61-3 and B61-4 do not contain beryllium. The B61-5 does, but the B61-3 could probably be substituted for it. ^ Interim Development Report for the B61-6,8 Bombs (Report). Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Labs. May 1989. p. 9. SAND88-2986. Archived from the original on 2021-07-20 . Retrieved 2021-05-28 . ^ "Cold War Relic", Air force mag, 4 November 2013, archived from the original on 9 November 2013 , retrieved 23 January 2014 ^ Reif, Kingston (2013-10-25). "Pentagon Pushes for Billions to Refurbish Nuclear Bombs". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013 . Retrieved October 25, 2013 . ^ Rabechault, Mathieu (6 November 2013). "US to spend billions 'modernizing' nuclear arsenal". AFP. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013 . Retrieved 7 November 2013 . ^ Guarino, Douglas P. (16 January 2014). "Nuclear Security and Omnibus Legislation: What's Up and What's Down". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Global Security Newswire. Archived from the original on 18 January 2014 . Retrieved 16 January 2014 . ^ a b "General Confirms Enhanced Targeting Capabilities of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb", Federation of American Scientists, Fas, 23 January 2014, archived from the original on 22 December 2015 , retrieved 12 December 2015 ^ Keck, Zachary (13 July 2015). "America and Russia Test New Tactical Nuclear Missiles". National interest. The National Interest. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021 . Retrieved 13 July 2015 . ^ a b US conducts first flight test of guided B61-12 nuclear bomb, Flight global, 10 July 2015, archived from the original on 11 July 2015 , retrieved 10 July 2015 ^ Video Shows Earth-Penetrating Capability of Mod 12 Nuclear Bomb Archived 2016-06-30 at the Wayback Machine '' Fas.org, 14 January 2016 ^ Miles, Aaron (18 May 2019). "Is the Air Force Really Testing an 'Earth-Penetrating' Nuclear Bomb?". nationalinterest.org. Center for the National Interest. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019 . Retrieved 7 June 2019 . ^ NNSA, Air Force complete successful end-to-end Mod 12 Life Extension Program flight tests at Tonopah Test Range Archived 2018-07-02 at the Wayback Machine GlobalSecurity.org ^ US Air Force's Mod 12 nuclear bomb new guided tail-kit assembly enters production phase Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. Air Recognition. 10 December 2018. ^ "B61-12". June 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. ^ a b "Russia says US lowering 'nuclear threshold' with newer bombs in Europe". South China Morning Post. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022 . Retrieved 29 October 2022 . ^ Kristensen, Hans (2021-12-15). "NNSA Removes F/A-18F Super Hornet From Nuclear Bomb Fact Sheet '' Federation Of American Scientists". Fas.org. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12 . Retrieved 2022-03-09 . ^ "Department of Defense Announces Pursuit of B61 Gravity Bomb Variant". U.S. Department of Defense . Retrieved 2023-10-28 . ^ a b "Biden Administration Decides To Build A New Nuclear Bomb to Get Rid Of An Old Bomb". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27 . Retrieved 2023-10-28 . ^ US Department of Defense. Fact Sheet on B61 Variant Development (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-10-27 . Retrieved 2023-10-28 . ^ US to build new nuclear gravity bomb. Defense News. 27 October 2023. ^ a b Nuclear Weapons Surety '' Annual Report to the President 1988 (PDF) (Report). Department of Defense and Department of Energy. September 1989. p. 63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-05. ACM[EPW]/W61 schedule for which Phase 2A has been completed (Phase 3 is planned in the next few months) and will permit the removal of the B53 from standing alert. ^ Fahrenholtz, Jill C (September 1997). Development of an Automated Pit Packaging System for Pantex (PDF) (Report). Sandia National Labs. p. 15. doi:10.2172/534478. S2CID 107183716. SAND 97-2163. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-15 . Retrieved 2021-02-09 . ^ "NNSA Seeks $40M for Nuke Refurbishment Study", Global security news wire, May 18, 2010, archived from the original on July 6, 2010 , retrieved May 19, 2010 ^ Norris, Robert S.; Kristensen, Hans M. (2011), "US tactical nuclear weapons in Europe" (PDF) , Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Sage pub, 67 (1): 64''73, doi:10.1177/0096340210393931 , S2CID 54186148, archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-06-03 , retrieved 2011-01-18 ^ Kristensen, Hans. "B61 LEP: Increasing NATO Nuclear Capability and Precision Low-Yield Strikes." Archived 2016-09-15 at the Wayback Machine FAS, 15 June 2011. ^ Kristensen, Hans. "B61-12: NNSA's Gold-Plated Nuclear Bomb Project." 26 July 2012Archived 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine FAS, 26 July 2012. ^ Boeing to Upgrade B61 Nuclear Free Fall Bomb, Deagel, November 27, 2012, archived from the original on April 6, 2013 , retrieved November 28, 2012 ^ Boeing Receives $178 Million Contract for B61 Tail Kit Assembly, Media room, archived from the original on 2012-12-03 , retrieved 2012-12-02 ^ Kristensen, Hans. "$1 Billion for a Nuclear Bomb Tail." Archived 2013-07-18 at the Wayback Machine FAS, 12 April 2013. External links [ edit ] "As U.S. Modernizes Nuclear Weapons, 'Smaller' Leaves Some Uneasy", The New York Times (information), 11 January 2016 .Developing and Producing the B-61 (Google You tube) , AEC ."B61", Weapons of mass destruction (information), Global Security .B61-11 Concerns and Background, Los Alamos Study Group, 1997 , an anti-nuclear weapons organizationNelson, Robert W (January''February 2001), "Low-Yield Earth-Penetrating Nuclear Weapons", Science and Global Security, Federation of American Scientists, 54 (1): 1''20, Bibcode:2002S&GS...10....1N, doi:10.1080/08929880212326, S2CID 123478310 .Norris, Robert S; Kristensen, Hans M; Handler, Joshua (2003), "The B61 family of bombs", Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 59 (1): 74''76, Bibcode:2003BuAtS..59a..74N, doi:10.2968/059001020, S2CID 144014537, archived from the original on 2006-09-28 , retrieved 2006-01-16 .B61 Nuclear Bomb Preflight Controller Unit, Glenn's museum .

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Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:13

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American writer and former CIA officer

Amaryllis Fox Kennedy (born Amaryllis Damerell Thornber; September 22, 1980)[1][2] is an American writer, television host, public speaker, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, and campaign manager to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign. She departed from her role at the CIA in 2010.[3] Subsequently, Kennedy authored a memoir about her time in the CIA, entitled Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA, published by Knopf Doubleday in October 2019.[4] She is the host of the six-episode Netflix documentary series The Business of Drugs, released in July 2020.[5]

Early life and education [ edit ] Amaryllis Fox Kennedy was born in New York City as Amaryllis Damerell Thornber. Her mother, Lalage Damerell, is a retired English actress.[6] Her father, Hodson Thornber, was an economist. Her mother has since married billionaire businessman Steven Rales.[1] When Fox Kennedy was eight years old, she suffered the loss of her friend Laura in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.[7] She said of the event in an interview with the CBC News, "I remember being very, very overwhelmed by the loss and my dad intervened and said, you have to understand the forces that took her or they will drown you."[7] She describes the moment as pivotal for catalyzing increased awareness of current events and geopolitical conditions.[7]

Growing up in Washington, D.C. and London, Fox Kennedy attended the National Cathedral School beginning in eighth grade and graduated in 1998; she attended The American School in London during tenth grade.[8] She completed undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford in 2002.[9] She stated that while at Oxford, she rebuffed approaches from the Secret Intelligence Service.[7][9] Prior to Fox Kennedy's final year at Oxford, the September 11 attacks took place while she was visiting family in Washington, D.C.; subsequently, she decided to pursue a master's degree in conflict and terrorism at the Walsh School of Foreign Service.[10] For her master's thesis, Fox Kennedy developed an algorithm intended to identify local terrorist safe havens, which attracted attention from the CIA.[10]

Career [ edit ] Interview with Aung Sang Suu Kyi [ edit ] In 1999, at age 18, Fox Kennedy clandestinely recorded an interview for the BBC with the Burmese leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, then under house arrest. To arrange the meeting, Fox Kennedy worked with a local dissident journalist with whom she communicated via taped messages inside the water tank of a toilet at a caf(C) in Rangoon.[9] Her intent in the trip had been to make a secret recording of planned pro-democracy protests on September 9.[11] A book, called "In the Quiet Land" was set to be published in 2002, with film rights optioned to Golden Square Pictures and screenplay by Nick Thomas.[11]

Central Intelligence Agency [ edit ] Fox Kennedy became one of the youngest female officers in the CIA at the age of 22, assigned to "non-official cover," entailing living abroad with a fake identity and no diplomatic protections.[12] During her time at the CIA, she married fellow officer Dean Fox, who she had her first child with. Before their divorce, she lived undercover with him in Shanghai.[4][10] Fox states her work focused on preventing terror organizations from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, assuming the cover of an art dealer.[3] After eight years at the agency, Fox left the CIA in 2010.[3]

Memoir and controversy [ edit ] Fox's memoir, entitled Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA described her experiences as an officer. Prior to the book's release, numerous journalists and former CIA officers pointed out that her memoir's manuscript had been submitted to publisher Knopf Doubleday without first receiving approval from the CIA's Publication Review Board, a potential violation of nondisclosure agreements signed by CIA staff.[4] Fox was represented in that process by attorney Mark Zaid.[13] Some former CIA case officers have expressed skepticism about elements of Fox's accounts of events or raised questions regarding the circumvention of the CIA's lengthy approval process.[4] Fox responded by stating that she had taken care not to reveal potentially sensitive details, and that some characters were composites.[4]

Television and public speaking [ edit ] Fox is the host of the Netflix documentary series The Business of Drugs, for which she traveled to several countries while in the third trimester of pregnancy.[3] The show investigates the supply chains, social effects, and legal issues specific to six types of drugs: cocaine, synthetics, heroin, meth, opioids, and cannabis.[14] She speaks at events around the world on dialogue and peacekeeping.[9] Apple is reportedly developing a TV series based on Fox's memoir that will star American actress Brie Larson, with Fox serving as an executive producer on the series.[10]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign manager [ edit ] In April of 2023, Kennedy joined Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign, and served as the co-campaign manager, along with Dennis Kucinich, for her father-in-law.[15] On October 13, 2023, upon the resignation of Dennis Kucinich, Kennedy became the sole manager of the campaign.[16]

Personal life [ edit ] Fox Kennedy was introduced to Robert F. Kennedy III, the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, via a mutual friend at Burning Man. The two married at Cape Cod in 2018, and have two children together: daughter Bobby Kennedy (born 2019), and son Cassius Watts Thoreau Kennedy (born 2021). Fox Kennedy also has a daughter, named Zoe, from a previous marriage.[10][17][18]

References [ edit ] ^ a b "Who is Amaryllis Fox? The former CIA spy married to a Kennedy". IrishCentral. July 8, 2018 . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ Fox, Amaryllis [@amaryllisfox] (September 22, 2015). "@SecurityGeorge, Man, have I arrived if i'm getting a birthday shoutout from you! Big love, my brother!!" (Tweet) . Retrieved September 11, 2020 '' via Twitter. ^ a b c d St. Clair, Josh (July 16, 2020). "The Business of Drugs Host Amaryllis Fox Has a History in the CIA". Men's Health . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ a b c d e "Ex-spy publishing book about undercover exploits without OK from CIA". NBC News . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ Jensen, Erin. "New on Netflix July 2020: 'The Old Guard,' Zac Efron's 'Down to Earth,' new 'Unsolved Mysteries' ". USA Today . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ "Who is Amaryllis Fox? The former CIA spy married to a Kennedy". IrishCentral. July 8, 2018 . Retrieved December 6, 2021 . ^ a b c d "Nov. 5, 2019 episode transcript". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 5, 2019. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019 . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ Fox, Amaryllis (2019). Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 26''27, 29''30, 32. ISBN 978-0-525-65497-1 '' via Google Books. ^ a b c d "Eat, Drink And Be Wary: Ex-CIA Officer Reveals How Eateries Are Key To Spycraft". NPR . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ a b c d e Chozick, Amy (October 10, 2019). "This C.I.A. Officer Wants to Give Peace a Chance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ a b "Opens Up To Stark Reality". Catholic Herald . Retrieved September 10, 2020 . ^ "Amaryllis Fox on Her 'Life Undercover' in the CIA". KQED . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ "People, Etc". Publishers Lunch. October 10, 2019 . Retrieved September 10, 2020 . ^ " 'The Business of Drugs' Review: Amaryllis Fox opens a window to illicit drug trade on the Netflix docuseries". Meaww . Retrieved August 3, 2020 . ^ Gibson, Brittany; Zhang, Andrew (October 9, 2023). "RFK Jr. announces he will run as an independent candidate". Politico. ^ Davis O'Brien, Rebecca; Epstein, Reid J. (October 13, 2023). "Dennis Kucinich Leaves Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Presidential Campaign". New York Times. ^ "Robert F. Kennedy III and Wife Welcome a Daughter Named Bobby". W . Retrieved October 8, 2021 . ^ "RFK's grandson Bobby welcomes new son with wife Amaryllis Fox". IrishCentral. September 8, 2021 . Retrieved October 8, 2021 .

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Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:48

Disney has made significant changes to its upcoming movie lineup, a revelation that has many conservatives claiming victory. The entertainment giant announced that it would be delaying the release of its live-action ''Snow White'' movie, which stars Rachel Zegler, by a year. Originally scheduled for March 22, 2024, the film will now premiere on March 21, 2025, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, officially titled ''Disney's Snow White,'' is one of the studio's major releases for the year and was set to be a cornerstone of its spring lineup. Additionally, Pixar's animated tentpole ''Elio'' has also been postponed by over a year, moving from its initial release date of March 1, 2024, to June 13, 2025.

In the case of ''Snow White,'' which aims to remake key aspects of the original 1937 film, changes apparently go beyond mere delays. A ''sneak peek'' at the film released by Variety earlier today shows that the film now appears to be using CGI dwarf characters rather than the random bunch of ''diverse'' people originally trotted out in first looks.

To add insult to injury, the latest episode of ''South Park'' also took a jab at Disney, criticizing the quality of their recent movies. The episode titled ''Joining the Panderverse'' replaced all main characters with minority women, mocking the film industry's recent woke trends.

One of the characters, Cartman, specifically pointed fingers at Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, blaming her for the perceived decline in Disney movie quality. Kennedy is known for her role in overseeing the Star Wars films, and the lousy sequel trilogy.

Additionally, Disney and Searchlight have chosen to postpone the release of ''Magazine Dreams'' featuring Jonathan Majors, initially slated for December 2023. This move is a consequence of the upcoming legal proceedings in New York, where Majors is confronting charges of misdemeanor harassment and assault.

This shift coincides with the ongoing actors' strike, now past its 100th day. Earlier this week, Bob Iger of Disney, joined by other Hollywood top executives, engaged in discussions with SAG-AFTRA. They reinforced their looming deadline for finalizing their 2024 film line-up. Should the deadlock continue, we can anticipate further alterations to movie release schedules, particularly for the anticipated summer films of 2024.

REACTIONS:

JUST IN: New South Park episode blasts Disney and says all their movies ''suck now'' and specifically blames Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Remarkable.

''Joining the Panderverse'' drops today and all of the main characters have been replaced by minority women, an obvious'... pic.twitter.com/ebaXBZhypI

'-- Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 27, 2023

And there it is

Disney Delays 'Snow White,' Takes Pixar Film Off Calendar

After they remove all the woke garbage, DIS may be worth buying again https://t.co/reqGw70ZWT

'-- zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 27, 2023

BREAKING: Disney is delaying Snow White until 2025 following backlash against the woke remake

It also appears that Disney has scrapped their ''diversity creatures'' in favor of CGI dwarves that look similar to the original pic.twitter.com/czTsNllpJF

'-- End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 27, 2023

Disney has almost completely rewritten its live-action Snow White film, with extensive reshoots. The movie has been delayed by a full year from March 22, 2024 to March 21, 2025. Among the things that ended up on the cutting room floor are the ''diverse'' dwarves, replaced now with'... pic.twitter.com/ykH4zAajvY

'-- Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 27, 2023

In South Park: Joining the Panderverse, Eric Cartman describes his nightmare about Disney and Kathleen Kennedy. pic.twitter.com/jt6JSHZew5

'-- Burnouts3 (@Burnouts3s3) October 27, 2023

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Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:35

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Toyota's chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, told reporters at an auto show in Japan this week that waning demand for electric vehicles (EV) is a sign that people are waking up to the reality that EVs aren't the silver bullet against the supposed ills of carbon emissions they're often made out to be.

"People are finally seeing reality" about EV technology, Mr. Toyoda told reporters ahead of the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo this week, speaking in his capacity as the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the organizer of the event.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda gestures at a briefing on electric vehicle battery strategies at the company's showroom in Tokyo, on Dec. 14, 2021. (Behrouz Mehri/AFP via Getty Images)Mr. Toyoda, a long-time skeptic of a full-steam-ahead adoption of EVs, stepped down from his role as CEO of Toyota this year amid criticism that he wasn't serious enough about pushing the company into a quick adoption of battery-powered cars.

Asked by reporters at the auto show on his thoughts about falling EV demand, Mr. Toyoda's response implied that he feels vindicated in his reluctance.

"There are many ways to climb the mountain that is achieving carbon neutrality," he said while suggesting that consumers are finally waking up from a dreamscape pushed by climate change alarmists that puts EVs on a pedestal and overhypes their benefits while downplaying their drawbacks.

His remarks came as demand growth for EVs in various markets has slowed, leading some companies to dial back their electrification plans.

Toyota Motor Corporation cars are seen at a briefing on the company's strategies for battery EVs in Tokyo, on Dec. 14, 2021. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)Waning DemandMarket research firm Canalys estimates that global sales of EVs rose 49 percent in the first half of this year, down from last year's 63 percent pace of growth.

Honda and General Motors announced on Wednesday that they were scrapping a $5 billion plan to develop EVs together, while GM said on Tuesday that it was slowing its electrification strategy.

GM is "moderating the acceleration of EV production to protect our pricing, adjust to slower near-term growth in demand and implement engineering changes that will bolster profits," GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said in an Oct. 24 earnings call with reporters in which he revealed that the weeks-long strike by unionized auto workers had already cost the company $800 million and counting.

A general view of GMC Hummer EVs is pictured at General Motors' Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 17, 2021. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)Ford said earlier this month that it would temporarily cut one of three shifts at a plant that builds its electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck after slowing its EV ramp-up in July. remove

"EV demand next year could be lower than expectations," Lee Chang-sil, chief financial officer at South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution said on Wednesday, per Reuters.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has been helping the Biden administration push EVs onto reluctant drivers, recently acknowledged some their drawbacks, saying he's had trouble finding reliable EV charging stations. His admission came as the federal agency he helms announced $100 million in funding for EV charging stations.

'Automotive Seasoning'Mr. Toyoda's remarks at the auto show that people are becoming more clear-eyed about the drawbacks of EVs stood in some contrast to an EV-boosting speech given by the current Toyota CEO and President, Koji Sato.

Mr. Sato spoke at an Oct. 25 press briefing at the Japan Mobility Show, kicking off his presentation by hyping up EVs.

"The first story is our future life with battery EVs," he said, according to a transcript of his remarks. "They are not only eco-friendly. Electric cars also offer their own flavor of driving fun and automotive seasoning."

However, in order to execute on "our vision for battery EVs," Mr. Sato said that Toyota would be "revisiting the fundamental principles of car making" in order to overcome the known drawbacks of EVs like limited driving range.

He talked up an apparent benefit of EVs, namely lower center of gravity and a more spacious interior, calling it "value that only battery EVs can offer."

"In these cars, the scenery looks completely different," he said.

But while lower center of gravity and more roomy interiors will likely be welcome by some drivers, unless automakers can figure out how to overcome "range anxiety," they may find EV adoption will wane further.

Range AnxietyA major worry among Americans considering the wisdom of switching to an EV is range anxiety, which is the fear of driving an EV and running out of power without being able to find a charging port'--and ending up stranded on the side of the road.

A recent study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) found that EV range can fall by up to a quarter when the vehicle is carrying heavy loads.

''Range anxiety remains a top reason consumers are hesitant to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to EVs,'' Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson for AAA, said in a statement.

Another recent study by consultancy Ernst & Young'--in collaboration with European energy industry body Eurelectric'--found that range anxiety is the second-most cited concern about switching to an EV, with a lack of public charging stations in the top spot.

The study points to an estimated need for 68.9 million chargers across the United States and Canada by 2035 to support the pace of the EV transformation.

President Joe Biden has set a goal of 50 percent of all new vehicles by 2030 being either EVs or plug-in hybrids.

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Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:25

Ideology seeking Christian rule

Dominion theology, also known as dominionism, is a group of Christian political ideologies that seek to institute a nation that is governed by Christians and based on their understandings of biblical law. Extents of rule and ways of acquiring governing authority are varied. For example, dominion theology can include theonomy but does not necessarily involve advocacy of adherence to the Mosaic Law as the basis of government. The label is primarily applied to groups of Christians in the United States.

Prominent adherents of those ideologies include Calvinist Christian reconstructionism, Charismatic and Pentecostal Kingdom Now theology, and the New Apostolic Reformation.[1][2] Most of the contemporary movements that are labeled dominion theology arose in the 1970s from religious movements asserting aspects of Christian nationalism. Roman Catholic integralism is also sometimes considered to fall under the dominionist umbrella, but the Catholic integralist movement is much older and theologically markedly different from Protestant dominionism since it is tied to the doctrine of the Catholic Church as being the only true church.

Etymology [ edit ] Dominion theology is a reference to the King James Bible's rendering of Genesis 1:28 in which God grants humanity "dominion" over the Earth.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

In the late 1980s, several prominent Evangelical authors[3][4][5][6] used the phrase dominion theology and other terms such as dominionism to label a loose grouping of theological movements that made direct appeals to the passage in Genesis.[7] Christians typically interpret the passage as meaning that God gave mankind responsibility over the Earth, but one of the most distinctive aspects of dominion theology is that it is interpreted as a mandate for Christian stewardship in civil affairs, no less than in other human matters.[8]

Types [ edit ] Protestant Christian reconstructionism [ edit ] An example of dominionism in Reformed theology is Christian reconstructionism, which originated in the teachings of R. J. Rushdoony in the 1960s and the 1970s.[9] His theology focuses on theonomy, the rule of the Law of God, and his belief that all of society should be ordered according to the laws that governed the Israelites in the Old Testament. His ideas on biblical law in civil government are laid out most comprehensively in The Institutes of Biblical Law, but he wrote many other books dealing with the subject. Rushdoony's proposed system is strongly Calvinistic by emphasizing the sovereignty of God over human freedom and action, and denying the operation of charismatic gifts in the present day (cessationism). Both of those aspects are in direct opposition to Kingdom Now theology (see below).

Full adherents to reconstructionism are few and marginalized among most Christians.[10][11][12] Dave Hunt,[3] Albert James Dager,[4] Hal Lindsey,[5] and Thomas Ice[6] specifically criticize Christian reconstructionism from a Christian viewpoint and disagrees on theological grounds with its theocratic elements as well as its Calvinism and postmillennialism. J. Ligon Duncan,[13] Sherman Isbell,[14] Vern Poythress,[15] Robert Godfrey,[16] and Sinclair Ferguson[17] analyze reconstructionism as conservative Calvinists, primarily giving a theological critique of its theocratic elements. Michael J. McVicar has noted that many leading Christian reconstructionists are also leading writers in paleolibertarian circles.[18]

Some social scientists have used the word dominionism to refer to adherence to Christian reconstructionism.[19][20][21]

Catholic integralism [ edit ] Catholic integralism has been characterized as a form of dominionist theology, but in reality, it is much older and theologically distinct from the dominionism that is espoused by Protestants.[1][2] Antonio Spadaro and Marcelo Figueroa have stated that Catholic integralists have entered into a nontraditional ecumenical alliance with Protestant reconstructionists who share "the same desire for religious influence in the political sphere."[22][23] Likewise, in the National Catholic Reporter, Joshua J. McElwee stated that Catholic integralists, along with their Protestant counterparts, wish to achieve the goal of establishing a "theocratic type of state."[24] Ultimately, however, the goals of Protestant dominionists and Catholic integralists are divergent, as Catholic integralists adhere to the doctrine that the Catholic Church is the "only true church" and that every form of Protestantism is "heretical." That has not prevented co-operation between them, however, when it has been mutually beneficial.

Catholic integralism has a much longer history than the Protestant dominionism that arose in the United States in the 1970s and in fact has its root in traditional Catholic doctrine on church-state relations that developed when the governments of Europe were nearly all Catholic confessional states and had Catholicism established as their official religion. Such a political conception was referred to as "Christendom" with the summit of political authority held by the Holy Roman Emperor and the summit of spiritual authority held by the Supreme Pontiff (Pope). After the movement towards liberal secularism and disestablishmentarianism, several modern states eventually reacted with a revived integralism, often in a fascistic or proto-fascistic form, such as in Spain under the leadership of Francisco Franco, Portugal under Antonio Salazar, and Austria under Engelbert DollfuŸ and his Fatherland Front. Today, only a handful of states remain with Catholicism as the official established religion of state, but there are still movements in other nations and among some in the Catholic hierarchy who support a revival of integralism in states that have become secular.

Fatherland Front rally, 1936In recent years, a "revived Catholic integralism" has been noted among the younger generation of Catholics writing for websites such as The Josias.[25] Integralism could be said to merely be the modern continuation of the traditional Catholic conception of church''state relations that was elucidated by Pope Gelasius I and expounded upon throughout the centuries until the Syllabus of Errors, which condemned the idea that the separation of church and state is a moral good.[26] For example, some Catholics have praised the actions of Pius IX in the 1858 Mortara case in which he ordered the abduction of a six-year-old Jewish boy who had been baptized without his parents' consent.[27]:'Š1039''1041'Š A systematic account of Catholic integralism as a coherent political philosophy has recently been written by the Catholic theologians Thomas Crean and Alan Fimister in their work, 'Integralism: a manual of political philosophy'.[28]

Allegory of the Concordat of 1801, by Pierre Joseph C(C)lestin Fran§oisToday, the Catholic Church's political treaties with various countries, known as concordats, are criticized by some liberal and democratic human rights groups for advancing Catholic integralism. There are over 200 concordats currently in force. Some of the concordats explicitly guarantee that Catholicism is recognized as the official religion of state in several countribut and others grant historical recognition of the Catholic faith and grant certain rights and privileges to the Church.

Pentecostal Kingdom Now theology [ edit ] Kingdom Now theology is a branch of dominion theology that has a following within Pentecostalism and attracted attention in the late 1980s.[29][30]

Kingdom Now theology states that although Satan has been in control of the world since the Fall of Man, God is looking for people who will help him take back dominion. Those who yield themselves to the authority of God's apostles and prophets will take control of the kingdoms of this world, being defined as all social institutions, the "kingdom" of education, the "kingdom" of science, the "kingdom" of the arts, etc.[31] C. Peter Wagner, the founder of the New Apostolic Reformation, writes: "The practical theology that best builds a foundation under social transformation is dominion theology, sometimes called 'Kingdom Now'. Its history can be traced back through R. J. Rushdoony and Abraham Kuyper to John Calvin."[32]

Kingdom Now theology is influenced by the Latter Rain movement,[33] and critics have connected it to the New Apostolic Reformation,[34] "Spiritual Warfare Christianity,"[33] and Fivefold ministry thinking.[35]

Seven Mountains Dominionism, also known as the Seven Mountains Mandate or 7MM, has become a more prevalent manifestation of Kingdom Now theology since the early 2010s. Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham, and Francis Schaeffer are often credited as having been given the same divine vision that revealed the Seven Mountain Mandate in 1975.[36][37] The mandate proposes that there are seven "mountains" that Christians must control to establish a global Christian theocracy and prepare the world for Jesus' return. The seven "mountains" are government, education, media, arts and entertainment, religion, family, and business.[38] The mandate is based on two Biblical passages: Isaiah 2:2-3, which says, "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains," and Revelation 17:1''18, which describes "a scarlet beast... [with] had seven heads and ten horns."[39][40][41] Prominent Christian leaders who support Seven Mountains Dominionism include David Barton, James Dobson, John Hagee, Bill Johnson, Lance Wallnau, and Paula White, and notable politicians who have embraced it include Michele Bachmann, Sam Brownback, Ted Cruz, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Charlie Kirk, Sarah Palin, and Rick Perry.[38][42][43][37][44][45]

Kingdom Now theology should not be confused with Kingdom theology, which is related to inaugurated eschatology.

Christian right [ edit ] In the late 1980s, the sociologist Sara Diamond[46][47] started to write about the intersection of dominion theology with the political activism of the Christian right. Diamond argued that "the primary importance of the [Christian reconstructionist] ideology is its role as a catalyst for what is loosely called 'dominion theology.'" According to Diamond, "Largely through the impact of Rushdoony's and North's writings, the concept that Christians are Biblically mandated to 'occupy' all secular institutions has become the central unifying ideology for the Christian Right"[46]:'Š138'Š (emphasis in original) in the United States.

While acknowledging the small number of actual adherents, authors such as Diamond and Frederick Clarkson have argued that postmillennial Christian reconstructionism played a major role in pushing the primarily premillennial Christian right to adopt a more aggressive dominionist stance.[48]

Misztal and Shupe concur with Sara Diamond and Frederick Clarkson by arguing, "Reconstructionists have many more sympathizers who fall somewhere within the dominionist framework, but who are not card-carrying members."[49] According to Diamond, "Reconstructionism is the most intellectually grounded, though esoteric, brand of dominion theology."[48]

The journalist Frederick Clarkson[50][51] defined dominionism as a movement that includes dominion theology and reconstructionism as subsets but is much broader in scope and extends to much of the Christian right in the United States.

In his 1992 study of dominion theology and its influence on the Christian right, Bruce Barron wrote:

In the context of American evangelical efforts to penetrate and transform public life, the distinguishing mark of a dominionist is a commitment to defining and carrying out an approach to building society that is self-consciously defined as exclusively Christian, and dependent specifically on the work of Christians, rather than based on a broader consensus.[52]

In 1995, Diamond called the influence of dominion theology "prevalent on the Christian Right."[53]

The journalist Chip Berlet added in 1998 that although they represent different theological and political ideas, dominionists assert a Christian duty to take "control of a sinful secular society."[54]

In 2005, Clarkson enumerated the following characteristics shared by all forms of dominionism:[55]

Dominionists celebrate Christian nationalism, in that they believe that the United States once was, and should once again be, a Christian nation. In this way, they deny the Enlightenment roots of American democracy.Dominionists promote religious supremacy, insofar as they generally do not respect the equality of other religions, or even other versions of Christianity.Dominionists endorse theocratic visions, insofar as they believe that the Ten Commandments, or "biblical law," should be the foundation of American law, and that the U.S. Constitution should be seen as a vehicle for implementing Biblical principles.[55]The essayist Katherine Yurica began using the term dominionism in her articles in 2004, beginning with "The Despoiling of America" (February 11, 2004),[56][57][self-published source? ][58] Authors who also use the term dominionism in the broader sense include the journalist Chris Hedges,[59][60][61] Marion Maddox,[62] James Rudin,[63] Michelle Goldberg,[64][65] Kevin Phillips,[66] Sam Harris,[67] Ryan Lizza,[68] Frank Schaeffer,[69] and the group TheocracyWatch.[70] Some authors have applied the term to a broader spectrum of people than have Diamond, Clarkson, and Berlet.

Sarah Posner in Salon argues that there are various "iterations of dominionism that call on Christians to enter... government, law, media and so forth... so that they are controlled by Christians." According to Posner, "Christian right figures promoted dominionism... and the GOP courted... religious leaders for the votes of their followers." She added: "If people really understood dominionism, they'd worry about it between election cycles."[71]

Michelle Goldberg notes[72] that George Grant wrote in his 1987 book The Changing of the Guard: Biblical Principles for Political Action:

Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ'--to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness.... But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice.... Christian politics has as its primary intent the conquest of the land'--of men, families, institutions, bureaucracies, courts, and governments for the Kingdom of Christ.

Spectrum of dominionism [ edit ] Writers including Chip Berlet[73] and Frederick Clarkson[55] distinguish between what they term "hard" and "soft" dominionism. Such commentators define "soft" dominionism as the belief that "America is a Christian nation" and opposition to separation of church and state, but "hard" dominionism refers to dominion theology and Christian reconstructionism.

Michelle Goldberg uses the terms Christian nationalism and dominionism for the former view.[64] According to Goldberg:

In many ways, Dominionism is more a political phenomenon than a theological one. It cuts across Christian denominations, from stern, austere sects to the signs-and-wonders culture of modern megachurches. Think of it like political Islamism, which shapes the activism of a number of antagonistic fundamentalist movements, from Sunni Wahabis in the Arab world to Shiite fundamentalists in Iran.[74]

Berlet and Clarkson have agreed, "Soft Dominionists are Christian nationalists."[73] Unlike "dominionism", the phrase "Christian nation" occurs commonly in the writings of leaders of the Christian right. Proponents of the idea (such as David Barton and D. James Kennedy) argue that the Founding Fathers of the United States were overwhelmingly Christian, that founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are based on Christian principles, and that a Christian character is fundamental to American culture.[75][76][77] They cite, for example, the U.S. Supreme Court's comment in 1892 that "this [the United States] is a Christian nation"[78] after they cite numerous historical and legal arguments in support of that statement.[79]

Kennedy characterized his perspective on Christian political involvement as more akin to participatory democracy than to dominionism. In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross, Kennedy was asked whether he wanted all public office holders to be Christians. Kennedy answered, "We have people who are secular and humanist and unbelievers who are constantly supporting in every way possible other people who share those views. And I don't object to that. That's their privilege. And I think that Christians should be allowed the same privilege to vote for people whom they believe share their views about life and government. And that's all I'm talking about."[80]

Criticism of usage of term [ edit ] Those labelled dominionists rarely use the terms dominionist and dominionism for self-description, and some people have attacked the use of such words.[7] The journalist and conservative commentator Stanley Kurtz, writing for the National Review, labeled it "conspiratorial nonsense," "political paranoia," and "guilt by association",[81] and decried Hedges' "vague characterizations" that allow him to "paint a highly questionable picture of a virtually faceless and nameless 'Dominionist' Christian mass".[82] Kurtz also complained about a perceived link between average Christian evangelicals and extremism such as Christian reconstructionism:

The notion that conservative Christians want to reinstitute slavery and rule by genocide is not just crazy, it's downright dangerous. The most disturbing part of the Harper's cover story (the one by Chris Hedges) was the attempt to link Christian conservatives with Hitler and fascism. Once we acknowledge the similarity between conservative Christians and fascists, Hedges appears to suggest, we can confront Christian evil by setting aside 'the old polite rules of democracy.' So wild conspiracy theories and visions of genocide are really excuses for the Left to disregard the rules of democracy and defeat conservative Christians'--by any means necessary.[81]

Joe Carter of First Things writes:

[T]here is no "school of thought" known as "dominionism." The term was coined in the 1980s by Diamond and is never used outside liberal blogs and websites. No reputable scholars use the term for it is a meaningless neologism that Diamond concocted for her dissertation.[83]

Diamond denies that she coined the broader sense of the term dominionism,[84] which appears in her dissertation and in Roads to Dominion solely to describe dominion theology. Nevertheless, Diamond originated the idea that dominion theology is the "central unifying ideology for the Christian Right."[46]:'Š138'Š

Jeremy Pierce of First Things coined the word dominionismist to describe those who promote the idea that there is a dominionist conspiracy and wrote:

It strikes me as irresponsible to lump [Rushdoony] together with Francis Schaeffer and those influenced by him, especially given Schaeffer's many recorded instances of resisting exactly the kinds of views Rushdoony developed. Indeed, it strikes me as an error of the magnitude of some of Rushdoony's own historical nonsense to consider there to be such a view called Dominionism [sic] that Rushdoony, Schaeffer, James Dobson, and all the other people in the list somehow share and that it seeks to get Christians and only Christians into all the influential positions in secular society.[85]

Lisa Miller of Newsweek writes that " 'dominionism' is the paranoid mot du jour" and that "certain journalists use 'dominionist' the way some folks on Fox News use the word sharia. Its strangeness scares people. Without history or context, the word creates a siege mentality in which 'we' need to guard against 'them'."[86] Ross Douthat of The New York Times noted that "many of the people that writers like Diamond and others describe as 'dominionists' would disavow the label, many definitions of dominionism conflate several very different Christian political theologies, and there's a lively debate about whether the term is even useful at all."[87]

Other criticism has focused on the proper use of the term. Berlet wrote that "just because some critics of the Christian Right have stretched the term dominionism past its breaking point does not mean we should abandon the term,"[88] and he argued that rather than label conservatives as extremists, it would be better to "talk to these people" and "engage them."[89] Diamond wrote, "Liberals' writing about the Christian Right's take-over plans has generally taken the form of conspiracy theory" and argued that instead, one should "analyze the subtle ways" that ideas like Dominionism "take hold within movements and why."[53] The authors Robert Gagnon and Edith Humphrey argued strongly against the use of the term in reference to the US presidential candidate Ted Cruz in a 2016 op-ed for Christianity Today.[90]

See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] ^ a b Nel, Marius (16 September 2019). African Pentecostalism and Eschatological Expectations: He is Coming Back Again!. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-5275-4007-1. In pentecostal practice, the attention of Christian life moved from the "other world" to this world, and the expectancy of the kingdom that would realise in this lifetime changed to "kingdom now" that eventually ended in dominion theology (dominionism), a group of Christian political ideologies that seeks to institute a nation governed by Christians where biblical law would be upheld. Other ideologies represented by this thinking include theologically diverse groups like Calvinist Christian reconstructionism and Roman Catholic integralism. ^ a b Faggioli, Massimo (18 July 2017). "Why Should We Read Spadaro on 'Catholic Integralism'?". Commonweal . Retrieved 20 July 2017 . Spadaro and Figueroa capture this tension most explicitly when they point out the difference between the "dominionist" political culture of the conservative political ecumenism of "Evangelical and Catholic integralists," and Pope Francis's acceptance of the distinction between political power and religious authority. ^ a b Hunt, Dave 1988. Whatever Happened to Heaven? Harvest House. ^ a b Dager, Albert James. 1990. Vengeance is Ours: The Church in Dominion Sword Publishers; The World Christian Movement Sword Publishers. ^ a b Lindsey, Hal 1990. The Road to Holocaust, Bantam ^ a b Ice, Thomas, and H. Wayne House 1988. Dominion Theology: Blessing or Curse?, Multnomah Pub (ISBN 0-88070-261-3) ^ a b McVicar, Michael J. (2013). " 'Let them have Dominion:' 'Dominion Theology' and the Construction of Religious Extremism in the US Media". Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. 25 (1): 120''145. doi:10.3138/jrpc.25.1.120. S2CID 143317815. ^ Vlas, Natalia; Vasile Borari (26 July 2013). Religion and Politics in the 21st Century: Global and Local Reflections. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-4438-5076-6 . Retrieved 6 December 2017 . ^ "5 Facts About Dominionism". 1 September 2011 . Retrieved 3 November 2017 '' via Huff Post. ^ Martin, William (1996). With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America. New York: Broadway Books. [page needed ] ^ Diamond, Sara (1998). Not by Politics Alone: The Enduring Influence of the Christian Right. New York: Guilford Press. p. 213. ^ Ortiz, Chris (2007). "Gary North on D. James Kennedy". Chalcedon Blog. Chalcedon Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009 . Retrieved 6 September 2007 . ^ "Church in Fayetteville, NC". Providence ARP. 2003 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ Isbell, Sherman 1997. "The Divine Law of Political Israel Expired: Part II Archived 2007-03-17 at the Wayback Machine and Part III Archived 2007-03-21 at the Wayback Machine". Retrieved 6 October 2007. ^ Poythress, Vern S. 1991. The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses. Brentwood Tennessee: Wolgemuth & Hyatt Publishers Inc. ^ Godfrey, W. Robert 1990, "Calvin and Theonomy," in Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, William S. Barker and W. Robert Godfrey eds., pp. 299''312, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Academie Books, 1990). ^ Ferguson, Sinclair 1990. "An Assembly of Theonomists?" in Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, William S. Barker and W. Robert Godfrey eds., pp. 315''349, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Academie Books, 1990. ^ McVicar, Michael J. (Fall 2007), "The Libertarian Theocrats: The Long, Strange History of RJ Rushdoony and Christian Reconstructionism", Public Eye, 22 (3), archived from the original on 23 August 2013 , retrieved 24 August 2013 ^ Barron, Bruce A. (1992). Heaven on earth?: the social & political agendas of dominion theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-53611-1. ^ Davis, Derek H.; Hankins, Barry (2003). New Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America. Baylor University Press. [page needed ] ^ Davidson, Carl; Harris, Jerry (2006). "Globalisation, theocracy and the new fascism: the US Right's rise to power" (PDF) . Race & Class. 47 (3): 47''67. doi:10.1177/0306396806061086. S2CID 143793920. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2022. ^ Spadaro, Antonio; Figueroa, Marcelo (2017). "Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism in the USA: A surprising ecumenism". La Civilt Cattolica . Retrieved 20 July 2017 . ^ Glatz, Carol (13 July 2017). "Journal: Strip religious garb, fundamentalist tones from political power". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017 . Retrieved 20 July 2017 . ^ McElwee, Joshua J. (13 July 2017). "Italian Jesuit magazine criticizes political attitudes of some US Catholics". National Catholic Reporter . Retrieved 20 July 2017 . ^ Douthat, Ross (2016-10-08). "Opinion | Among the Post-Liberals". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ Pope Pius IX (1864). "The Syllabus Of Errors" . Retrieved 11 March 2021 '' via papalencyclicals.net. ^ Schwartzman, Micah; Wilson, Jocelyn (2019). "The Unreasonableness of Catholic Integralism". San Diego Law Review. 56: 1039''1041. ^ "Published by Editiones Scholasticae in 2020". Archived from the original on 2020-06-15 . Retrieved 2022-06-14 . ^ Anderson, Gordon (Summer 1990). "Kingdom now theology : a look at its roots and branches". Paraclete. 24 (3): 1''12. ^ Griffin, William A (Spring 1988). "Kingdom Now : New Hope or New Heresy". Eastern Journal of Practical Theology. 2: 6''36. ^ "An Examination of Kingdom Theology". Apologetics Index . Retrieved 30 January 2011 . ^ Wagner, C. Peter (2008). Dominion!: How Kingdom Action Can Change the World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Chosen Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-8007-9435-4. ^ a b Steinkamp, Orrel (November''December 2003). "The "Script" Underlying Spiritual Warfare Christianity". The Plumbline. 8 (4) . Retrieved 6 November 2010 . ^ West, Marsha (25 May 2010). "Damnable Heresies Invading the Church". Conservative Crusader. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010 . Retrieved 6 November 2010 . ^ Bowman, Robert M. (Fall 1987). "The Faulty Foundation of the Five-Fold Ministry". Christian Research Journal: 31 . Retrieved 6 November 2010 . ^ French, David (28 February 2021). "How a Rising Religious Movement Rationalizes the Christian Grasp for Power". frenchpress.thedispatch.com . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ a b Hardy, Elle. "The "modern apostles" who want to reshape America ahead of the end times". The Outline . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ a b Matirko, Jack (2019-02-20). "Dominionism in America Part 5: The Seven Mountains Mandate". Patheos. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20 . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Isaiah 2:2-3 - New International Version". Bible Gateway . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ "Bible Gateway passage: Revelation 17 - New International Version". Bible Gateway . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ "World's scariest conspiracy theory". adelaidenow. 2018-12-14 . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ Hardy, Elle (15 January 2021). "How a conservative Christian movement became an important part of Trump's political strategy". CBC Radio . Retrieved 15 September 2021 . ^ "Neocharismatic Christianity and the Rise of the New Apostolic Reformation". Firebrand Magazine. 18 January 2021 . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ "Ted Cruz's campaign is fueled by a dominionist vision for America (COMMENTARY)". Religion News Service. 2016-02-04 . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ "John Fea on Ted Cruz's Dominionism '' Warren Throckmorton". 4 February 2016 . Retrieved 2021-09-15 . ^ a b c Diamond, Sara (1989). Spiritual Warfare: The Politics of the Christian Right. Boston: South End Press. [page needed ] ^ Diamond, Sara (1995). Roads to Dominion: Right-Wing Movements and Political Power in the United States. New York: Guilford Press. p. 246. ISBN 0-89862-864-4. ^ a b Diamond, Sara (February 1995). "Dominion Theology". Z Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013 . Retrieved 24 August 2013 . ^ Bruce Barron and Anson Shupe, 1992, "Reasons for the Growing Popularity of Christian Reconstructionism: The Determination to Attain Dominion", in Bronislaw Misztal and Anson D. Shupe, eds. Religion and politics in comparative perspective: revival of religious fundamentalism in East and West. Westport, Conn: Praeger, p. 85. ^ Clarkson, Frederick (March''June 1994). "Christian Reconstructionism: Theocratic Dominionism Gains Influence". The Public Eye. Political Research Associates. 8 (1 & 2). ^ Clarkson, Frederick (1997). Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage. ISBN 1-56751-088-4. [page needed ] ^ Barron, Bruce A. (1992). Heaven on earth?: the social & political agendas of dominion theology. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan. p. 14. ISBN 0-310-53611-1. ^ a b Diamond, Sara. 1995. "Dominion Theology." Z Magazine, February 1995 ^ Chip Berlet, "Following the Threads," in Ansell, Amy E. Unraveling the Right: The New Conservatism in American Thought and Politics, p. 24, Westview Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8133-3147-1 ^ a b c Clarkson, Frederick (Winter 2005). "The Rise of Dominionism: Remaking America as a Christian Nation". The Public Eye. 19 (3) . Retrieved 2016-02-10 . ^ Yurica, Katherine (11 February 2004). "The Despoiling of America". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 . Retrieved 3 October 2007 . Also published in Barry F. Seidman and Neil J. Murphy, ed. (2004). Toward a New Political Humanism. New York: Prometheus Books. [page needed ] ^ Yurica, Katherine (January 19, 2005). "Why the Bible Commands You to Be a Liberal (And Vote for Democrats)". Archived from the original on September 30, 2009 . Retrieved January 19, 2010 . ^ Yurica, Katherine (23 May 2005). "Yurica Responds to Stanley Kurtz Attack". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 . Retrieved 6 October 2007 . ^ The Christian Right and the Rise of American Fascism By Chris Hedges Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine, TheocracyWatch. ^ Hedges, Chris (May 2005). "Feeling the hate with the National Religious Broadcasters". Harper's . Retrieved 2007-04-11 . ^ Hedges, Chris, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, Free Press, 2006 ^ Maddox, Marion 2005. God under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics, Allen & Unwin. ^ Rudin, James 2006. The Baptizing of America: The Religious Right's Plans for the Rest of Us, New York: Thunder's Mouth Press. ^ a b Goldberg, Michelle 2006. Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-06094-2 (10). ISBN 978-0-393-06094-2 (13). ^ Goldberg, Michelle 2011. "A Christian Plot for Domination?". The Daily Beast. Published 14 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011. ^ Phillips, Kevin 2006. American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century ISBN 0-670-03486-X ^ Harris, Sam 2007. "God's dupes," Los Angeles Times, 15 March 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2007 ^ Lizza, Ryan 2011. "Leap of Faith". The New Yorker. Published 15 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011. ^ Frank Schaeffer, August 9, 2011, "Michele Bachmann Was Inspired By My Dad and His Christian Reconstructionist Friends '' Here's Why That's Terrifying." Alternet. Retrieved 3 January 2017. ^ "The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party," TheocracyWatch, December 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2006. ^ "The Christian right's "dominionist" strategy". Salon. 2011-08-21 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ " "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism" ". Salon. 2006-05-12 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ a b Chip Berlet The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy: Part Two Archived February 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine ^ Goldberg, Michelle (2011-08-15). "Dominionism: Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry's Dangerous Religious Bond". The Daily Beast . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ Barton, David 1993. America's Godly Heritage. WallBuilder Press. ^ Kennedy, D. James and Jim Nelson Black 1994. Character and Destiny: A Nation in Search of Its Soul. Zondervan Publishing. ^ Kennedy, D. James and Jerry Newcombe 2003. What If America Were a Christian Nation Again? Thomas Nelson. ^ Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 U.S. 457, 12 S.Ct. 511, 36 L.Ed. 226, 29 February 1892 ^ "Christian Roots of America". Archived from the original on 4 July 2008 . Retrieved 3 November 2017 . ^ "Closing the Gap Between Church and State". NPR.org . Retrieved 2018-03-25 . ^ a b Stanley Kurtz (2005-05-02). "Dominionist Domination: The Left runs with a wild theory". National Review Online . Retrieved 2007-10-06 . ^ Stanley Kurtz (2005-04-28). "Scary Stuff". National Review Online . Retrieved 2007-10-06 . ^ "A Journalism Lesson for the New Yorker | Joe Carter". First Things. 2011-08-10 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ Chip Berlet, 2011, "How We Coined the Term 'Dominionism'" Talk to Action, August 31, [1] ^ Pierce, Jeremy, 2011. Dominionismists. First Things. Published 14 August 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011. ^ " 'Dominionism' beliefs among conservative Christians overblown '' The Washington Post". www.washingtonpost.com . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ "The New Yorker and Francis Schaeffer". Ross Douthat. 2011-08-29 . Retrieved 2023-06-03 . ^ Berlet, Chip, 2005. The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy Archived September 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 September 2007. ^ Ellis Henican, "A spiritual olive branch for the far-right faithful" Archived 2008-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Newsday, May 1, 2005. Reposted at YuricaReport.com. Retrieved 23 September 2006 ^ "Stop Calling Ted Cruz a Dominionist". 6 April 2016 . Retrieved 3 November 2017 . Bibliography [ edit ] Barron, Bruce A. (1992). Heaven on earth?: the social & political agendas of dominion theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-53611-1. Rushdoony, Rousas John; Gary North (1973). Institutes of Biblical Law. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P & R Publishing. ISBN 0-87552-410-9. Diamond, Sara (1995). Roads to dominion: right-wing movements and political power in the United States . New York: Guilford Press. ISBN 0-89862-864-4. Ingersoll, Julie (2015). Building God's Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-991378-7. OL 28134857M. Wikidata Q119680396. Lindsey, Hal (1989). The Road to Holocaust . London: Bantam. ISBN 0-553-05724-3. Wagner, C. Peter (2008). Dominion! How Kingdom Action Can Change the World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Chosen Books. ISBN 978-0-8007-9435-4. External links [ edit ] Media related to Dominion theology at Wikimedia Commons

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Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:12

The start of UC Berkley's game against USC on Saturday afternoon was delayed due to a student protest regarding a suspended professor.

Shortly after the coin toss, protesters wearing shirts reading ''Justice for Ivonne'' entered the field and sat down on the field on Cal's logo at midfield.

According to the OC Register, the protestors were referencing professor Ivonne del Valle, whose ongoing suspension has reportedly become the center of a campus controversy.

The demonstrators were handcuffed by authorities and escorted away from California Memorial Stadium, and the game started roughly 15 minutes late.

Professor del Valle was suspended in the fall of 2021 due to stalking and harassing Joshua Cover, an English and Comparative Literature professor at UC Davis, and violating subsequent orders not to contact him, according to KQED.

Professor del Valle admitted to the outlet that she did much of the behavior that is accused in the school's investigative reports, including keying Clover's car, vandalizing the area outside his apartment door, posting an image of his partner online, contacting his friends and writing messages including: ''I raised a psychopath'' outside of Clover's mother's house.

Protesters sit down at the 50-yard line preventing the start of the Southern California vs. California NCAA college football game. AP A protester is escorted off the field by police after preventing the start of the Southern California vs. California NCAA college football game. APShe claimed that she was in fact the victim and that her actions were the result of her being hacked and not receiving support from the school.

''I did write outside his door, 'Here lives a pervert.' I did that,'' del Valle, who has been at Cal since 2009, told KQED. ''And again, I'm not proud. If I had the opportunity to do things differently, I would do them differently.''

She also said that she ''never received help from anybody'' after going to school officials claiming she was hacked.

Protestors sit down at the 50-yard line. AP A growing group of UC Berkeley students has been staging a months-long protest campaign demanding that the university bring a suspended Spanish and Portuguese professor back to campus. Berkley Research Website Protesters are escorted off the field by police after preventing the start of the game. APHowever, after providing documentation of an analysis of her laptop to KQED, it showed no evidence of hacking or a cyber attack, and she was not able to prove that Clover, or anybody else, illegally accessed her devices.

That mirrored the school's initial investigative report in 2019, which found there was ''insufficient evidence to support a finding'' that Clover had ''engaged in any hacking of Respondent's electronic devices,'' according to records obtained by KQED.

Del Valle is an influential professor at Cal, and protestors are planning a hunger strike if she is not reinstated, according to the outlet.

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Sat, 28 Oct 2023 17:21

Pope Francis on Tuesday accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop whose diocese has been rocked by reports of a sex party involving a male prostitute in a priest's flat.

While the Vatican didn't give a reason for why Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, 59, was resigning as head of the diocese of Sosnowiec, in southwestern Poland, his diocese was featured in headlines across the world after one of his priests, Father Tomasz Zmarzły, was placed under investigation for an alleged gay orgy gone wrong.

It was reported that Father Tomasz tried to stop paramedics from entering his flat in Dabrowa Gornicza after a man overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills at the sex party, which was attended by a male prostitute.

Waldemar Lubniewski, a spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Sosnowiec, said the investigation focused on a 'failure to provide assistance to a person in a situation that poses an immediate threat of loss of life or serious damage to health.'

The scandal garnered substantial attention in Poland, with the event further harming the image of the church in the once staunchly Roman Catholic homeland of St. John Paul II.

Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak, 59, (pictured) sent his letter of resignation to Pope Francis in September

Father Tomasz Zmarzły (pictured) was placed under investigation for an alleged gay orgy gone wrong

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Kaszak's resignation following a string of scandals at his diocese

For several years now, Polish society has been undergoing a fast process of secularisation, with many people rejecting the church and some even taking steps to leave it formally.

The alleged orgy wasn't the first incident involving clergy in the diocese to make headlines.

In 2010, the then-acting rector of the Sosnowiec seminary allegedly got into a scuffle at a gay club, but was allowed to remain in his job for over a year even after the case was publicised by Polish media.

The Holy See finally intervened and dissolved the seminary altogether, according to the PAP news agency.

In March 2023, the corpse of a 26-year-old deacon was found with injuries suggesting homicide.

Local prosecutors said he had been killed by a 40-year-old priest who then committed suicide.

Prosecutors said the two had been in a conflict-ridden relationship for some time and that the priest had sent the deacon threatening messages.

Father Tomasz allegedly tried to stop paramedics entering his flat when a man attending his sex party overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills

The sex party at Father Tomasz's flat was allegedly attended by a male prostitute

In a statement published on Tuesday, Kaszak said he had asked the pope to let him resign in a letter sent to him on September 29.

He thanked the priests and nuns of his diocese and asked 'everyone to forgive my human limitations.'

Kaszak was appointed bishop in 2009 by then-Pope Benedict XVI, after having served briefly as a top official in the Vatican's family office.

The diocese has largely corroborated the media reports of Father Tomasz's alleged orgy, saying an outside investigative commission concluded he committed 'a very serious violation of moral norms,' as well as of his obligations as a priest.

It cited an 'incident' at the priest's apartment involving him and at least two other lay people.

Kaszak dismissed the priest from all functions in September and initiated an in-house canonical trial, the outcome of which could result in defrocking, according to a statement on the diocesan website.

The priest has not yet been charged by Polish prosecutors. Polish media quoted a statement he issued soon after the scandal erupted, denying he had prevented paramedics from accessing his apartment and questioning the definition of 'orgy.'

'I perceive this as an obvious attack on the church, including the clergy and the faithful, in order to humiliate its position, tasks and mission,' the priest was quoted in a statement he emailed to the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper.

Polish tabloid Fakt published what it said was the audio recording of the call one of the participants made to police.

In it, the person said he had been kicked out of the apartment and begged for paramedics to come, weeping at one point and saying his friend was foaming at the mouth after having ingested drugs.

The Polish Catholic Church has been rocked for several years by allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving the clergy, scandals that have led to the forced resignations of several bishops and tarnished the church´s reputation.

The Vatican embassy in Poland said a temporary administrator, Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Katowice, would run the diocese of Sosnowiec until a new bishop is named.

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Sat, 28 Oct 2023 17:03

A historic moment in pharmaceuticals will happen next week: an FDA advisory committee is set to review the first-ever CRISPR gene editing-based therapy, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics' exa-cel for sickle cell disease (SCD).

But what would be even more industry changing would be securing the first such approval. Before they can do that, Vertex and CRISPR Tx will need to convince the FDA that the therapy, also known as exagamglogene autotemcel, does not cause off-target effects.

The FDA has asked the Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee to discuss just one question: the applicants' off-target analysis and any recommendations for additional studies, if needed, to assess the off-target risk for exa-cel.

Vertex and CRISPR Tx are seeking approval of exa-cel for patients with SCD who are 12 years or older and have recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs).

To support their case, the companies submitted data from in silico and cellular assays. The first uses gRNA sequence information to scan the human reference genome to find potential off-target editing. But since this method only uses the reference genome, the FDA is concerned that edits specific to an SCD patient may be missed.

To try and make up for this missing information, Vertex and CRISPR Tx performed additional searches and identified 50 potential locations that could be altered. The analysis was conducted using the 1,000 genomes project database, which features whole genome sequencing for 2,504 people. But once those data were cut down into individuals of the target population, there were just 61 datasets that applied.

''The small target sample size in this database may not be sufficient for the safety assessment as it may not adequately capture variants in this population across the United States,'' the FDA wrote in its briefing documents.

The FDA recommended a potentially more diverse data tool called CRISPRme that allows for the study of potential off-target effects with gene editing. A recent study on the tool used the same gene that exa-cel edits, finding a few off-target effects present in African ancestry samples.

For the cellular assays, the FDA also noted the small number of samples used by Vertex and CRISPR Tx.

''It is unclear whether the analysis using this limited sample size will provide for an adequate understanding of the potential risk of off-target editing,'' the agency said.

To defend the off-target effect analysis, Vertex highlighted the many side effects of existing SCD therapies and the lack of treatment options for the VOCs that occur. There are currently no treatments available to prevent these crises, and Vertex and CRISPR Tx hope to offer one with exa-cel.

To treat the condition, patients with severe disease often have to undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. This is a potentially curative approach but is not always an option for the majority of patients, Vertex said. The treatment requires a suitable stem cell donor, typically a sibling donor, which is typically only available in about 18% of cases. Risks of the procedure include graft failure, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), severe infection, hematologic malignancy, bleeding events and death.

The safety profile of exa-cel was consistent with hematopoietic stem cell transplant, with ''a highly positive benefit-risk for treatment of severe SCD patients,'' Vertex said. Patients are sufficiently monitored post-treatment. Individuals who were enrolled in the phase 1/2/3 trial that underpinned the application are being followed for 15 years. The companies also plan to conduct a long-term post-marketing study following patients who have received the commercial product for 15 years.

Vertex said there were no off-target effects identified in preclinical studies and the therapy was designed using a highly specific guide sequence that has no off-target effects. Exa-cel precisely edits the site of the naturally occurring genetic variant that is associated with SCD severity.

'A near-best-case'Analysts from William Blair noted that the FDA's focus was on the possible off-target effects of exa-cel, but did not question the efficacy or even safety. RBC Capital Markets called the AdComm query "pretty benign."

The key question, therefore, is whether the FDA will ask for more studies to elucidate potential off-target effects, and if so, whether Vertex and CRISPR Tx must do that before approval, according to William Blair. The companies have the additional post-marketing study already planned.

''Importantly, the FDA stated it does not believe the study design limitations, including the single-arm design, small sample size, or duration of long-term follow-up, call into question the efficacy of exa-cel,'' William Blair analysts wrote in a Friday morning note. ''We view today's AdComm briefing documents as a near-best-case scenario for CRISPR/Vertex.''

Since exa-cel is the first CRISPR-based therapy to go through the FDA approval process, William Blair had been worried that the regulator's issues would focus on the safety profile or the mechanism of action.

''In our view, the data generated to date by the CLIMB studies in TDT and SCD have demonstrated compelling efficacy with a tolerable safety profile and no clinical evidence of off-target editing, and we believe Vertex/CRISPR's proposal of routine pharmacovigilance and post-marketing safety monitoring for exa-cel will be sufficient to address any additional off-target editing concerns,'' William Blair said.

Ultimately, the firm believes the AdComm meeting ''will be supportive of exa-cel's therapeutic profile and will be a catalyst for the stock.''

RBC also thinks the favor is tipped towards approval, but still questioned how much market uptake will occur while the companies conduct such a long-term study. A key opinion leader (KOL) similarly saw the likely outcome to be positive but predicted that there will be much debate about possible blood cancers that can potentially follow treatment with exa-cel.

Vertex said there have been no reports of hematological malignancies in patients treated with exa-cel to date.

Another challenge for commercial uptake will be building out the infrastructure. The KOL noted that about 150-200 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants occur in the U.S. each year and questioned whether the manufacturing capabilities will be in place to support exa-cel.

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Sat, 28 Oct 2023 16:57

Raleigh, N.C.

Oct 26, 2023

Epsilon Advanced Materials, Inc., a global provider of synthetic graphite used in electric vehicle batteries, will build its first manufacturing facility in the United States in Brunswick County, creating 500 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The Indian-based company will invest $649.9 million at the Mid-Atlantic Rail Industrial Park.

''North Carolina continues to lead the way in the transition to a clean energy economy by attracting good-paying jobs from great companies like Epsilon that make our state stronger and healthier,'' said Governor Cooper. ''This historic investment will bring 500 clean energy jobs to Brunswick County, helping both our economy and our environment.

Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM), a subsidiary of Mumbai-based Epsilon Carbon Private Limited, was established in 2018 to develop and manufacture innovative, high-performance graphite, used for anode components in lithium-ion batteries. Graphite anode materials deliver highly sought properties in batteries, such as fast charging, long cycle life, and safety. The technology has proven its scalability to mass production, positioning the company to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable energy storage. The company's project in Brunswick County will establish the company's first manufacturing facility in the United States to produce synthetic graphite anode material, a key component in the batteries that power electric vehicles and other energy storage systems.

''This facility is the largest Indian investment in the U.S. electric vehicle battery industry and we're proud to have North Carolina as the centerpiece of our U.S. manufacturing strategy,'' said Vikram Handa, EAM Founder and Managing Director. ''Having an environmentally friendly world-class facility in North Carolina will allow EAM to provide synthetic and natural graphite anodes to the growing EV battery industry faster, more reliably and at a competitive cost.''

''The importance of a strong, well-trained workforce cannot be underestimated, and I'm pleased the leaders at Epsilon Advanced Materials recognize North Carolina's commitment to train and develop our workers,'' said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. ''Combined with the state's outstanding transportation networks and collaborative business environment, North Carolina's winning formula has come through once again.''

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state's support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process.

Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $52,264. The current average wage in Brunswick County is $46,464.

Epsilon Advanced Materials' project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state's economy by $1.3 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $3,443,250, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant's reimbursement payments to a given company.

Because Epsilon chose a site in Brunswick County, classified by the state's economic tier system as Tier 3, the company's JDIG agreement also calls for moving $1.14 million into the state's Industrial Development Fund '' Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Brunswick, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps other economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

''We're so excited to welcome a global manufacturer to one of the state's premier megasites, the Mid-Atlantic Rail Industrial Park,'' said N.C. Senator Bill Rabon. ''Many companies find our state's southeast region an inviting place to locate, and we're confident Epsilon Advanced Materials will also enjoy the many advantages of a Brunswick County business location.''

''Today's decision by Epsilon Advanced Materials proves once again that North Carolina is one of the best business locations in the United States,'' said N.C. Representative Frank Iler. ''Many people in our community worked hard to bring these jobs to our region and we will continue to work together to support this company's continued growth in our state.''

Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Ports Authority, North Carolina Department of Transportation and Rail Division, the North Carolina Railroad Company, the GoldenLEAF Foundation, North Carolina's Southeast, CSX, Duke Energy, Brunswick County, and Brunswick Business & Industry Development.

ContactGovernor's Press Office

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Archived Version

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 16:31

A sign in front of Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. has stopped issuing export licenses for most civilian firearms and ammunition for 90 days for all non-governmental users, the Commerce Department said on Friday, citing national security and foreign policy interests.

The Commerce Department did not provide further details for the pause, which also includes shotguns and optical sights, but said an urgent review will assess the "risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities."

The Commerce Department declined to comment beyond the posting on its website.

The halt covers most of the guns and ammunition that could be purchased in a U.S. gun store, said Johanna Reeves, a lawyer who specializes in export controls and firearms with the law firm Reeves & Dola in Washington.

Reeves said she had not seen the Commerce Department take such a sweeping action like this before. "For sure they have individual country policies '' but nothing like this," she said.

Export licences for Ukraine and Israel, as well as some other close allies, will be exempted from the temporary halt in exports.

U.S. companies that sell firearms, including Sturm Ruger & Co. (RGR.N), Smith & Wesson Brands (SWBI.O) and Vista Outdoor (VSTO.N), could be impacted by the export ban.

Overseas customers include distributors and stores that sell firearms.

Exporters can continue to submit license requests during the pause, but they will be "held without action" until the pause is lifted.

The pause does not affect previously issued export licenses, Commerce said.

For shipments to government clients, exporters must name specific end users, while applications with unnamed government, military, and police users will be "returned without action."

Reporting by Chris Sanders and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Sandra Maler

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 21:52

''The thing I'm concerned about is continuity of our surveillance data while this protest is playing out,'' said Chad Gubala, a wastewater official in Juneau, Alaska.

After an open bidding process earlier this year, the CDC decided to replace its longtime contractor, Biobot, with Verily, a subsidiary of Google's parent company, starting in September.

But the transition is on pause. And while the Government Accountability Office hears Biobot's appeal, Verily can't do its work, according to a company email obtained by POLITICO. A GAO decision is due in January.

Bradley White, the principal scientist for the Verily wastewater lab, said that the company is ready to go, with much of its infrastructure already built.

''We are committed to working with the CDC to advance the goals of the '... testing program, initiate testing on the samples already delivered when allowed to resume work, and make wastewater data available as quickly as possible,'' White said.

In an interview, CDC Director Mandy Cohen declined to comment on the specifics of the dispute, saying it was a ''contracting situation.''

The CDC has not explained why it decided to change contractors, though its deal with Verily is considerably less expensive.

Verily's contract is for $38 million over five years. Biobot's most recent contract was for about $31 million over less than a year and a half.

Cohen said the agency does see wastewater surveillance as an important ''tool to add to our toolbox in terms of early detection,'' adding that she wants to expand the testing through the new contract.

Wastewater testing was particularly helpful during the pandemic in detecting Covid surges. And with fewer people than before testing themselves for the disease or reporting results when they do, it's one of the best remaining ways to see where the virus is spreading.

Public health officials have also used wastewater to find Mpox and spikes in opioid use.

A quarter of the nation's testing sites '-- some 400 in ''a handful of states and territories'' '-- are shut down because of the dispute, the CDC said, while the remaining 1,200 sites are not covered under the contract and can continue work.

A CDC spokesperson said the agency felt that was enough to maintain a ''pretty comprehensive'' picture of Covid and Mpox spread, but others are skeptical.

''The existing gap in the wastewater data will continue for possibly several months as we head into flu season and another Covid surge,'' said one state health department epidemiologist who wasn't authorized to speak publicly. ''It's not as easy as just handing the keys to Verily.''

A second state health department official who wasn't authorized to speak publicly, agreed that changing vendors '-- protest aside '-- could harm Covid surveillance efforts this fall and winter. ''It's the time that it takes to turn the ship to get it done,'' the official said.

Even if Verily is able to begin work soon, some foresee problems related to the continuity of the data.

''The loss is the loss of historical comparability. It's like starting from day zero with a new surveillance system,'' said David Larsen, chair of the public health department at Syracuse University and a wastewater surveillance researcher. ''It's not ideal to change methods.''

A CDC spokesperson said the issue will be addressed but declined to say how.

Biobot declined to comment on the protest, citing the ''ongoing legal review.''

CEO Mariana Matus wrote in a LinkedIn post that the company had already laid off 35 percent of its staff because of the contract decision.

''We know that this decision had nothing to do with our past performance,'' Matus wrote.

Chelsea Cirruzzo contributed to this report.

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Archived Version

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 17:04

Three modern podcasting features enable artists to earn money using open standards:

Specifically, the third feature gives rise to music shows'--podcasts that play music and share the value with the artists. If you are a DJ or simply want to play some music on your podcast, this guide is for you!

1. Creating a podcastWhen creating the podcast, make sure to mark it as a music show in the ''Extra details'' tab. Although any podcast will be able to use wallet switching, this setting will optimize the UI for your DJ-specific needs:

2. Preparing for a showIf you've already prepared a show and simply want to add song references, go to step 4.

In the dashboard, click on ''Find tracks''. You'll be able to search for songs by

artist namealbum nametrack nameURL from Podcast Index, Podverse, or FountainTo listen to a song, click on the cover art. To add it to your show, click on the ''+'' icon. You can also click the artist's or the album's name to search for all their songs.

After you've selected all the tracks, you'll be able to download the audio files (for step 3) and chapters (for step 4):

3. Doing the show4. Uploading the showStart creating a new episode in the dashboard. If you picked your songs using the process in step 2, upload the chapters by clicking the ''Upload JSON chapters file'' button:

A chapter will be created for each referenced track. The chapter durations are automatically set to match the duration of the tracks.

However, you may want to adjust the start times to match the moments when you started playing the track on your music show. You can also adjust the fraction of the payments you want to share with the artist.

If you did not prepare the tracks through RSS Blue or if you want to add additional chapters that reference music tracks, click on ''New chapter'' and then ''Reference a song'':

Once you've filled in all the other details about your show, click ''Publish episode'', and you're done!

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Archived Version

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:59

The company is planning changes to its royalty model for 2024 that will disqualify some tracks from payments and increase penalties for fraud.

Spotify announced a new Live Events Feed. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/GISpotify is planning to implement changes to its streaming royalty model in early 2024 that would affect the lowest-streaming acts, non-music noise tracks and distributors and labels committing fraud, sources tell Billboard.

Conversations have been going on for weeks with the major record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, as well as independent labels and distributors, sources say. While the new royalty system will keep its existing pro-rata model, it introduces new floors that will grow the pool for more established artists and rights holders.

The changes to Spotify's royalty model, which were first reported by Music Business Worldwide, include:

A new threshold of minimum annual streams that a track must meet before it starts to generate royalties. The threshold, according to MBW, will de-monetize tracks that had previously received 0.5% of Spotify's royalty pool.Financial penalties for music distributors and labels when fraudulent activity on tracks they have uploaded to Spotify has been detected.A minimum play-time length that non-music noise tracks, such as bird sounds or white noise, must reach to generate royalties.The specific benchmarks of these changes and how financial penalties will be calculated or implemented are currently unclear.

Spotify will need new agreements to the royalty structure changes with most record labels and distributors to implement the plan, but that doesn't mean entirely new licensing renewals. Changes can be made specifically for these elements, sources say. And since the major labels '-- which all negotiate their deal renewals with Spotify on different timelines '-- are likely to benefit from the new terms, they are all likely to sign onto them.

When reached for comment, a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement, ''We're always evaluating how we can best serve artists, and regularly discuss with partners ways to further platform integrity. We do not have any news to share at this time.''

The standard, existing pro-rata streaming model has been a major topic of consideration this year, ever since Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge called for an ''updated model'' for the business that will be ''an innovative, 'artist-centric' model that values all subscribers and rewards the music they love'' in his annual New Year's letter to staff. Following, UMG announced partnerships with Tidal, Deezer and Soundcloud to explore alternative models, and reports surfaced that similar conversations were underway with the other leading streaming platforms.

In July, during UMG's second quarter earnings call, Grainge announced a ''newly expanded agreement'' with Spotify, under which he said ''they have committed to continue to work to address'' what he outlined as key components to the ''artist-centric'' approach: Fairly rewarding ''real artists with real fanbases'' for ''the platform engagement they drive''; applying ''stricter fraud detection and enforcement systems'' and ''ensuring real artists don't have their royalties diluted by noise''; and ''better aligning the relationship between artists and fans by promoting greater discovery and promotion of real artists.'' Two out of three of these priorities are now being pursued by Spotify.

In September, UMG and Deezer outlined a new model for what they called ''artist-centric streaming.'' That model was similar, albeit more severe, than what Spotify is planning. It included royalty ''boosts'' for ''professional'' artists whose music streamed above a threshold, while promising to crack down on fraud and replace ''non-artist noise content'' with its own functional music that would be excluded from the royalty pool.

Unlike Spotify '-- which relies heavily on industry-leading algorithm-recommended playlists and auto-play, lean-back listening '-- Deezer's plan also demoted passive listening royalties by ''boosting'' artists who are actively searched for by users. Unlike Deezer, Spotify is planning to roll this out with all major labels and leading independent labels and distributors.

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Archived Version

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:20

Mark Groeneveld (Image credit: XSpeed United)Mark Groeneveld, a Dutch racer with the Canadian XSpeed United Continental squad, died at the age of 20 while in Hong Kong in the early hours of Monday, the team announced.

Groeneveld competed in the Hong Kong Cyclothon (1.1) on Sunday but dropped out due to a mechanical issue. His death came well after the race, according to a report in Noordhollands Dagblad. He collapsed while out in public and could not be revived.

The team said the cause of death is under investigation but is possibly due to a cardiac arrest.

"It is with a heavy heart that we inform the passing of Mark Groeneveld, while on a project in Hong Kong," the team wrote on their Facebook page.

"On Monday, October 23rd, XSU and the world lost another great soul. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, team members, and friends.

"While the circumstances of Mark's passing are currently under investigation, we have received preliminary information that suggests it may have been due to a heart attack. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to gather all the facts and provide the necessary support to Mark's family during this painful period.

"Mark was an incredible individual and a cherished member of our team. He had a remarkable spirit, always ready to lend a hand behind the scenes with his infectious smile and warm-hearted nature. His presence brightened our days, and he will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him."

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura's specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.

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Archived Version

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:15

Taxis out of service '-- Horrifying hit-and-run triggers California suspension of Cruise robotaxis. Ashley Belanger - Oct 25, 2023 2:34 pm UTC

Less than three months after the California Public Utilities Commission approved robotaxi-service Cruise's plan to provide around-the-clock driverless rides to passengers in San Francisco, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has shut down Cruise's driverless operations in the state.

Yesterday, the California DMV suspended Cruise's permits for autonomous vehicle deployment and driverless testing "effective immediately" over pedestrian safety concerns.

"Public safety remains the California DMV's top priority, and the department's autonomous vehicle regulations provide a framework to facilitate the safe testing and deployment of this technology on California public roads," the DMV's announcement said. "When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits."

The suspension followed two notable accidents involving Cruise's robotaxis. In August, one person was injured after a Cruise vehicle crashed into a fire truck, CNBC reported. And earlier this month, a pedestrian using a crosswalk was found in critical condition after a driver of another vehicle struck the pedestrian and threw her into the path of an oncoming Cruise robotaxi.

This hit-and-run incident is still being investigated. According to Cruise, its autonomous vehicle (AV) detected the collision and stopped on top of the pedestrian, then veered off the road, dragging the pedestrian about 20 feet. When the AV finally stopped, it appeared to pin the pedestrian's leg beneath a tire while videos showed the pedestrian was screaming for help.

A few weeks after the October incident, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe into Cruise, examining whether Cruise had taken enough precautions to keep pedestrians safe, Reuters reported.

California's DMV shares NHTSA's concerns and said that the suspension was based on several troubling determinations by the department, finding that Cruise AVs "are not safe for the public's operation," Cruise safety information appears to have been misrepresented, and Cruise AVs may pose "an unreasonable risk to the public."

Advertisement Cruise can reapply for the permits, but that application will not be approved unless the California DMV is satisfied that Cruise's driverless taxis are safe for the road. In the meantime, Cruise can continue operating its taxi service so long as there is a driver behind the wheel.

After the hit-and-run incident, Cruise published a blog post confirming that the company is assisting police in identifying the driver who initially struck the pedestrian and saying, "our thoughts are with the individual, and we are hoping for their complete recovery."

That blog included a complete breakdown of what happened. It also claimed that if the Cruise vehicle had detected the pedestrian in the crosswalk before she was hit by the other vehicle, a simulation showed that the Cruise car would have prevented the accident.

"Ultimately, safety is at the core of everything we do at Cruise'--we want to drastically reduce the number of people injured and killed each year on our roadways," Cruise's blog said. "It's with that mindset that we analyze incidents so we can identify opportunities to further enhance safety."

Cruise promised that its teams have immediately begun working on "potential enhancements to the AV's response to rare circumstances like this one," so it's possible that its driverless taxis could one day meet the DMV's safety standards and return to California roads.

After the suspension, a Cruise spokesperson provided a statement to Ars, confirming that Cruise "will be pausing operations of our driverless AVs in San Francisco" while the DMV and police investigate what happened to the pedestrian who was critically injured. Cruise's spokesperson also confirmed that the driver involved in the hit-and-run is still at large.

"Our thoughts continue to be with the victim as we hope for a rapid and complete recovery," Cruise's spokesperson said. "We have stayed in close contact with regulators to answer their questions and assisted the police with identifying the vehicle of the hit-and-run driver. Our teams are currently doing an analysis to identify potential enhancements to the AV's response to this kind of extremely rare event.''

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:14

Yikes '-- Cryptosporidium cases linked to travel and swimming, but at unusually high rate. Beth Mole - Oct 26, 2023 8:10 pm UTC

Enlarge / A sign directing people to a toilet facility during the Children's Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival celebration in west London on Sunday August 27, 2023.

The United Kingdom is experiencing a dramatic outbreak'--unprecedented in scale and magnitude'--of diarrheal illnesses from the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium, aka Crypto.

According to a rapid communication published Thursday in the journal Eurosurveillance, UK health officials report that Crypto cases have exceeded the upper bounds of expected cases since mid-September, and an October peak saw cases roughly threefold above what is usual for this time of year. The outbreak is still ongoing.

Enlarge / Laboratory notifications of

Cryptosporidium species in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, by week of specimen, 2023.

So far, it's unclear what's driving the extraordinary burst in cases. The outbreak has splattered into almost every region of all four UK nations. "Given the scale and geographical spread of the [case] exceedance across regions and nations of the UK, a single local exposure is an unlikely cause," the authors, led by officials at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency in London, wrote in the rapid report.

The officials sent out a standardized questionnaire on possible exposures to those who tested positive for Crypto. The questionnaire asked about food, travel, contact with animals, and water exposure'--the most common way Crypto is spread. So far, international travel and swimming (either in the UK or abroad) appear linked to the outbreak.

International travel was reported by 250 of 463 (54 percent) questionnaire respondents. In a subsample of 215 people living in England, 45 percent reported travel to the Spanish mainland or the Balearic Islands. Of 353 respondents who answered a question about recent swimming, 234 (66 percent) said they had been swimming. In an imperfect comparison of survey data from the same period last year, health officials suggested there may be a relatively greater exposure to swimming behind the remarkable outbreak this year. But for both swimming and international travel, more data on the outbreak and general swimming and travel trends is necessary to make firm links.

Advertisement Though we don't know what's behind the UK's startling gush of cases, we do have a solid handle on how Crypto is spread generally. The microscopic parasites infect the human intestines, causing watery diarrhea. After infection, hardy, thick-walled forms of the parasites (oocysts) are shed in feces. Parasite shedding begins with symptoms but can last for weeks after they've cleared. The parasite spreads onward via a stomach-churning fecal-oral route. This can happen through various fecal contamination routes'--contaminated hands, surfaces, soil, foods, water'--that end in ingestion.

The most common route of infection is recreational waters. Crypto oocysts are extremely tolerant to chlorine. In properly chlorinated pool water, Crypto can live for more than a full week. When an infected or recently sick swimmer takes a dip, oocysts can enter the pool. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bluntly puts it: Germs can enter the water "from small amounts of poop rinsing off swimmers' butts."

An infected person sheds tens of millions of oocysts, but it just takes swallowing 10 or fewer to spark an explosive infection. Health officials urge anyone with such a diarrheal infection to not swim while they have diarrhea and to wait at least 14 days afterward before swimming. Though Crypto infections are generally non-life threatening for previously healthy people, they can become serious and even fatal for those with compromised immune systems. For the healthy, the infection is marked by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight loss, and fever. In the ongoing UK outbreak, more than half of questionnaire respondents reported that their symptoms lasted over 10 days.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:12

Difficulty pricing battery repairs forcing insurers to refuse cover

Electric cars risk becoming effectively uninsurable as analysts struggle to put a price on battery repairs, the researcher for the car insurance industry has said.

Jonathan Hewett, chief executive of Thatcham Research, the motor insurers' automotive research centre, said a lack of ''insight and understanding'' about the cost of repairing damaged electric car batteries was pushing up premiums and resulting in some providers declining to provide cover altogether.

Electric cars can be particularly expensive to repair, costing around a quarter more to fix on average than a petrol or diesel vehicle. Experts have previously warned electric vehicles are being written off after minor bumps because of the cost and complexity of fixing their batteries.

Mr Hewett said: ''The challenge is that we have no way of understanding whether the battery has been compromised or damaged in any way.

''The threat of thermal runaway means that a catastrophic fire can take place if the cells of the battery have been damaged in a collision.

''What we're struggling to understand at the moment is how we approach that diagnostic technique.

''It's like a doctor trying to understand what's wrong with you without any notes or an X-ray.''

John Lewis Financial Services stopped providing car insurance for electric cars last month for new and existing customers, as its underwriter Cov(C)a analysed risks and costs.

Aviva removed insurance products for the Tesla Model Y earlier this year before restoring them several months later.

Vehicle repair costs rose 33pc over the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2022, helping to push annual premiums to record highs, according to the Association of British Insurers.

Average electric car insurance costs rose 72pc in the year to September, compared to 29pc for petrol and diesel models, according to Confused.com.

Mr Hewett said premiums would eventually begin to level out and match those of petrol and diesel cars once actuaries had the tools needed to better understand the risks of insuring electric cars, saying the issue would likely be ''short term''.

However, he added: ''The battery is an extremely expensive component of an electric vehicle and until we find efficient ways of dealing with it we have the challenge of high premiums for electric vehicles, which nobody wants.''

Some customers are now being quoted over £100 a week to insure their electric vehicles, with others reporting premiums doubling or tripling compared to a year before.

One reason attributed to the steep rise in the cost of electric car repairs stems from recommendations for electric cars to be kept 50ft apart in repair yards over fears they might explode.

Government guidelines suggest electric vehicles with damaged batteries should be ''quarantined'' from other cars due to the risk of battery fires, which are typically harder to put out than fires in petrol or diesel cars.

The London Fire Brigade has warned that fires involving lithium batteries are the fastest-growing fire risk in London, after it was called out to 87 e-bike and 29 e-scooter fires in 2022.

Paris's transport operator withdrew 149 electric buses from operation last year after two ignited on separate occasions.

The website Tesla-Fire.com lists 25 reports of Teslas catching fire globally since the beginning of 2023.

Thatcham Research said insurers would need to spend an additional £900m a year on quarantine facilities for damaged cars as a result of the safety measures by 2035, as more battery-powered vehicles take to the roads, with the changes forecast to add £20 a year onto all car insurance premiums.

Conservative MP Greg Smith, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said: ''[The lack of battery diagnostics] is yet another reason why electric vehicles aren't remotely suitable for the mass market yet and why we should be looking to other technologies, like synthetic fuels and hydrogen, that will be more reliable and friendly to the planet.''

Recommended

Why you may never need to buy an electric car

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Archived Version

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:07

In a carpeted office suite, Alex Beck settled onto a mattress and, under the watch of a trained guide, began chomping through a handful of ''Pumpkin Hillbilly'' mushrooms.

A Marine Corps veteran who was sexually assaulted during his time in the armed forces, Mr. Beck had long been searching unsuccessfully for a way to put those nightmarish years behind him. Now he was ready for a different kind of journey, a psychedelic trip through the nether regions of his own mind.

As he felt his thoughts starting to spin, his ''facilitator,'' Josh Goldstein, urged him to surrender and let the mushrooms guide him.

''It's like the idea of planting a seed and then letting it go,'' he said.

Stigmatized in law and medicine for the past half-century, psychedelics are in the midst of a sudden revival, with a growing body of research suggesting that the mind-altering compounds could upend psychiatric care. Governments in several places have cautiously started to open access, and as Oregon voters approved a broad drug decriminalization plan in 2020, they also backed an initiative to allow the use of mushrooms as therapy.

This summer, the state debuted a first-of-its-kind legal market for psilocybin mushrooms, more widely known as magic mushrooms. Far from the days of illicit consumption in basements and vans, the program allows people to embark on a therapeutic trip, purchasing mushrooms produced by a state-approved grower and consuming them in a licensed facility under the guidance of a certified facilitator.

Mr. Beck, 30, was one of the first clients at a facility in the central Oregon city of Bend that began conducting sessions this summer in a building that on other days of the week offers chiropractic services.

In his youth, Mr. Beck had experimented with psychedelics for recreation. But as he struggled with his lingering post-traumatic stress in adulthood, he learned about what seemed to be promising new research into plant-based psychedelics for mental health issues that did not respond to other treatments. He wondered if they could help him clear his head from the horrors of the past.

Image Ryan Reid, the operations director at Bendable Therapy in Bend, Ore., prepared to deliver psilocybin mushrooms for a guided psychedelic treatment. Credit... Amanda Lucier for The New York Times Image Alex Beck, right, a Marine Corps veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress, and Josh Goldstein, a psilocybin facilitator, before Mr. Beck's psychedelic treatment. Credit... Amanda Lucier for The New York Times ''I'm trying to reset my brain to where I can look at life in a new way,'' he said.

Plants and fungi with psychoactive properties have been used for thousands of years. More modern uses in the United States grew in the 1950s with promising research on LSD and psilocybin, and the substances soon became a signature of the counterculture movement, so much so that political leaders moved to criminalize their use and halt research into their effects.

In altering the normal activity of the brain, psilocybin has the power to distort perceptions, transform senses and bend emotions. Researchers see the possibility of bestowing the brain with new elasticity, allowing people a chance to escape mental ruts. Studies have suggested that breakthroughs may be possible for people with challenging mental health conditions, including PTSD, substance addiction and treatment-resistant depression, without the habit-forming properties of some other drugs.

For those who have long worked on psychedelics research, the sudden expansion in access in Oregon and Colorado, along with cities like Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., have prompted a mix of elation and trepidation. Oregon has settled on a middle-of-the-road approach, requiring neither a doctor's supervision nor a specific medical diagnosis, but providing for strict oversight of supply and use.

Dr. Janis Phelps, director of the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies, said she and other researchers had been wary of the decriminalization movement. Many in the field had worked for years to remain strictly scientific, hoping to avoid government crackdowns, and to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration time to fully review the effects of psilocybin before pressing ahead with efforts to make it legal.

''I have changed my mind,'' she said. While she remains concerned that bad actors could try to enter the industry strictly for profit, or try to take advantage of vulnerable people, she has come to believe that the open door in Oregon could advance the use of psychedelics in ways that methodical approaches cannot.

Dr. Charles Nemeroff, the chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, said he continues to be wary. Psilocybin is powerful, with immediate effects lasting for hours, and uncertain outcomes for patients, he said, recalling one patient of his who has experienced protracted psychosis, losing partial connection to reality, after taking doses of mushrooms. The treatments ruined her life, said Dr. Nemeroff, who said he worried about the lack of required medical oversight in Oregon's program.

Image Researchers believe psilocybin can be used to treat mental health conditions, including PTSD, substance addiction and treatment-resistant depression. Credit... Mason Trinca for The New York Times Image Gared Hansen grows psilocybin at Uptown Fungus, one of five psilocybin manufacturers in the state, outside of Springfield, Ore. Credit... Mason Trinca for The New York Times ''I'm really uncomfortable with this,'' he said, adding that it could erase progress the field has made. ''We'll end up back in the Nixonian era in which psychedelics could not even be studied.''

While some form of legalized marijuana is authorized in all but 12 states, creating a huge, multi-billion-dollar industry, the psilocybin market remains small, with an uncertain financial outlook for those entering it. Only five businesses are approved to manufacture the therapeutic-use fungi in Oregon, with 13 sites approved to host dosing sessions.

Bend is home to two of them. One offers a treatment experience that costs as much as $15,000, including several days spent getting to know the facilitator and the townhome-like space where the treatment takes place. Mr. Beck, who lives in Bend, connected with another organization known as Bendable, a nonprofit that helps coordinate treatment and asks clients to pay what they can afford.

A single session costs about $3,000, which includes a preparatory meeting, a guided session with the mushrooms that lasts several hours, and a follow-up appointment a few days later in which the client discusses lessons from the session and how to integrate them into their other therapy.

Amanda Gow, the executive director of Bendable, said she opens her email each day to messages from all over the country: a woman in Kentucky desperate for help with her husband's PTSD, a father in western Oregon willing to try anything to help his adult son's depression, a single mother in Bend struggling with childhood trauma.

Many described years of therapy, medical visits and antidepressants but little progress. The wait list includes hundreds of people.

Officials in other states are watching what happens in Oregon. Voters in Colorado approved a measure last year to decriminalize psilocybin and to set the state on the path to a legal therapeutic market. In other states, including Texas, lawmakers have authorized studies of psilocybin for treating ailments such as PTSD. The F.D.A. has granted the drug ''breakthrough therapy'' status, which allows for expedited review of substances that have demonstrated substantial promise.

Image Bjorn Fritzsche, center, a senior chemist and research engineer, preparing to test a batch of psilocybin mushrooms at Rose City Laboratories in Portland, Ore. Credit... Mason Trinca for The New York Times Image Psilocybin is tested for potency and purity. Credit... Mason Trinca for The New York Times But there is uncertainty about the best path forward. California lawmakers approved a bill this year to decriminalize several hallucinogens, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the measure, saying the state needs to first set up regulated treatment guidelines. The American Psychiatric Association has urged caution, saying treatments should be limited to research studies for now.

Mr. Goldstein, who works with Bendable and guides sessions for clients, had his first psychedelic experience more than three decades ago and spent recent years facilitating underground mushroom sessions. He does not have a medical degree but previously worked as an academic director at a therapeutic boarding school.

Not all of the sessions he has supervised have been pleasant. One client, Mr. Goldstein said, recently had her first psychedelic session and hated it, asking for it to end soon after it began. It lasted six hours. He said such experiences highlight the importance of guided sessions, with someone able to help people navigate the experience. Even a difficult session, he said, can help clients gain insight into why they were struggling so much with what was on their mind.

''Those can be better than the people who just see rainbows and unicorns,'' he said.

For his treatment session, Mr. Beck arrived in the morning to the office suite. Mr. Beck lit a candle and Mr. Goldstein put on a playlist of music that traces an arc of a psilocybin experience, beginning with calming tracks with titles such as ''Flute Traveller'' and ''Unlocking the Doors of Eternity.''

Once the mushrooms took hold, as Mr. Beck described it later, he felt himself beginning to thrash, but Mr. Goldstein said he had remained largely calm. Mr. Beck recalled visions of colorful strands of ribbon floating through his mind, wrapping themselves around different issues that he had prepared himself to tackle '-- the sexual assault, the PTSD, various difficult relationships.

Image Alex Beck, right, met with his psilocybin facilitator, Josh Goldstein, for a post-treatment counseling session. Credit... Amanda Lucier for The New York Times Image Mr. Beck at his home in Bend after the treatment. ''I had been holding on to so many traumas and issues,'' he said. ''It was like a massive weight had been released.'' Credit... Amanda Lucier for The New York Times As the mushrooms began to wear off after several hours, he was tearful. He told Mr. Goldstein about realizing how important family was to him. For the first time, he said, he decided he wanted to have children of his own some day.

The following day, Mr. Beck and Mr. Goldstein met at a park to discuss the experience and how to integrate it into Mr. Beck's more traditional therapy.

''I had been holding on to so many traumas and issues,'' Mr. Beck said. ''It was like a massive weight had been released.''

Still, there is more to do. Mr. Beck continues in his traditional therapy and plans to increase the frequency of those sessions, which he has found productive with more clarity about what needs to be discussed. The treatments have complemented each other, he said.

''I wouldn't say it's a 'one and done, I'm completely cured,''' he said. ''It takes work.''

Audio produced by Kate Winslett.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:53

The Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University will award Dr. Anthony Fauci with its Inamori Ethics Prize, an annual honor given to international leaders "whose actions and influence have greatly improved the condition of humankind."

No, this is not a Babylon Bee article. This is really happening. Anthony Fauci, who is unparalleled as the most destructive government bureaucrat in American history, is being awarded with an ethics prize.

Fauci, who presided over two White House administrations of catastrophic, draconian policymaking, which resulted in unparalleled levels of unnecessary human suffering, has ''saved millions of lives,'' a press release from Case Western said Wednesday.

Fauci will be on campus Sept. 19, 2024 to deliver a '' free public lecture '' commemorating the honor, which comes with a monetary reward .

''Dr. Fauci has cared not only for the nation's health, but also the health of the world,'' Case Western Reserve President Eric W. Kaler said Wednesday. ''As a scientist, research leader and public health advisor, his contributions to scientific discovery have truly improved lives. His leadership through one of the most challenging times in history'--the COVID-19 pandemic'--serves as a model for us all.''

Case Western long required all students to take several doses of mRNA shots to be eligible to enroll in classes. The school also enforced a mask mandate for multiple years. They finally dropped the abusive mandates when the Fall semester began.

Despite ''retiring'' at the end of last year, Fauci continues to receive millions of dollars worth of taxpayer funded benefits, such as a 24/7 chauffeur and a fully staffed U.S. Marshals security detail.

He is now affiliated with Georgetown University, where he has been awarded multiple lucrative professorships, but does not teach any classes at the D.C. institution.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:47

Observational Study

. 2019 Jan;49(1):132-139. doi: 10.1017/S0033291718000594. Epub 2018 Mar 20. Affiliations

Affiliations 1 Department of Psychiatry and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus,University Medical Center Utrecht,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands. 2 Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus,University Medical Center Utrecht,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands. 3 Department of Geriatric Psychiatry,Dimence, Deventer,The Netherlands. 4 Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,The Netherlands. PMID: 29554989 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291718000594 Item in Clipboard

Observational Study

M M J Linszen et al. Psychol Med . 2019 Jan .

. 2019 Jan;49(1):132-139. doi: 10.1017/S0033291718000594. Epub 2018 Mar 20. Affiliations 1 Department of Psychiatry and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus,University Medical Center Utrecht,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands. 2 Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus,University Medical Center Utrecht,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands. 3 Department of Geriatric Psychiatry,Dimence, Deventer,The Netherlands. 4 Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam,VU University Medical Center,Amsterdam,The Netherlands. PMID: 29554989 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291718000594 Item in Clipboard

Abstract Background: Similar to visual hallucinations in visually impaired patients, auditory hallucinations are often suggested to occur in adults with hearing impairment. However, research on this association is limited. This observational, cross-sectional study tested whether auditory hallucinations are associated with hearing impairment, by assessing their prevalence in an adult population with various degrees of objectified hearing impairment.

Methods: Hallucination presence was determined in 1007 subjects aged 18-92, who were referred for audiometric testing to the Department of ENT-Audiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands. The presence and severity of hearing impairment were calculated using mean air conduction thresholds from the most recent pure tone audiometry.

Results: Out of 829 participants with hearing impairment, 16.2% (n = 134) had experienced auditory hallucinations in the past 4 weeks; significantly more than the non-impaired group [5.8%; n = 10/173; p &lt; 0.001, odds ratio 3.2 (95% confidence interval 1.6-6.2)]. Prevalence of auditory hallucinations significantly increased with categorized severity of impairment, with rates up to 24% in the most profoundly impaired group (p &lt; 0.001). The corrected odds of hallucination presence increased 1.02 times for each dB of impairment in the best ear. Auditory hallucinations mostly consisted of voices (51%), music (36%), and doorbells or telephones (24%).

Conclusions: Our findings reveal that auditory hallucinations are common among patients with hearing impairment, and increase with impairment severity. Although more research on potential confounding factors is necessary, clinicians should be aware of this phenomenon, by inquiring after hallucinations in hearing-impaired patients and, conversely, assessing hearing impairment in patients with auditory hallucinations, since it may be a treatable factor.

Keywords: Audiology clinic; auditory hallucinations; deafferentation; hearing impairment; musical hallucinations; pure tone audiometry; risk factor.

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Minds on replay: musical hallucinations and their relationship to neurological disease. Golden EC, Josephs KA. Golden EC, et al. Brain. 2015 Dec;138(Pt 12):3793-802. doi: 10.1093/brain/awv286. Epub 2015 Oct 7. Brain. 2015. PMID: 26446167

Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties Among Adults With Normal Audiograms: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Tremblay KL, Pinto A, Fischer ME, Klein BE, Klein R, Levy S, Tweed TS, Cruickshanks KJ. Tremblay KL, et al. Ear Hear. 2015 Nov-Dec;36(6):e290-9. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000195. Ear Hear. 2015. PMID: 26164105 Free PMC article.

Is musical hallucination an otological phenomenon? a review of the literature. Cope TE, Baguley DM. Cope TE, et al. Clin Otolaryngol. 2009 Oct;34(5):423-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4486.2009.02013.x. Clin Otolaryngol. 2009. PMID: 19793274 Review.

Musical hallucination following whiplash injury: case report and literature review. Bhatt YM, de Carpentier JP. Bhatt YM, et al. J Laryngol Otol. 2012 Jun;126(6):615-8. doi: 10.1017/S0022215112000242. J Laryngol Otol. 2012. PMID: 22643207 Review.

Cited by Hallucinations in Hearing Impairment: How Informed Are Clinicians? Marschall TM, van Dijk P, Kluk K, Koops S, Linszen MMJ, Griffiths TD, Toh WL, Malicka AN, Kovačić D, Mulert C, Sommer IEC, Ćurčić-Blake B. Marschall TM, et al. Schizophr Bull. 2023 Feb 24;49(Supplement_1):S33-S40. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbac034. Schizophr Bull. 2023. PMID: 36840541

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:46

Elon Musk wants X to be the center of your financial world, handling anything in your life that deals with money. He expects those features to launch by the end of 2024, he told X employees during an all-hands call on Thursday, saying that people will be surprised with ''just how powerful it is.''

''When I say payments, I actually mean someone's entire financial life,'' Musk said, according to audio of the meeting obtained by The Verge. ''If it involves money. It'll be on our platform. Money or securities or whatever. So, it's not just like send $20 to my friend. I'm talking about, like, you won't need a bank account.''

X CEO Linda Yaccarino said the company sees this becoming a ''full opportunity'' in 2024. ''It would blow my mind if we don't have that rolled out by the end of next year,'' Musk said.

Musk wants to beat PayPal with the PayPal playbook he wrote two decades ago

The company is currently working on locking down money transmission licenses across the US so that it can offer financial services. Musk told employees Thursday that he hopes to get the others X needs in ''the next few months.''

Musk has discussed his plans to turn X into a financial hub before. He even renamed Twitter after his dot-com-boom-era online bank, X.com, which eventually became part of PayPal. He previously said the platform would offer high-yield money market accounts, debit cards, checks, and loan services, with the goal of letting users ''send money anywhere in the world instantly and in real-time.''

The original plan for X.com is clearly on Musk's mind. ''The X/PayPal product roadmap was written by myself and David Sacks actually in July of 2000,'' Musk said on Thursday's internal X call. ''And for some reason PayPal, once it became eBay, not only did they not implement the rest of the list, but they actually rolled back a bunch of key features, which is crazy. So PayPal is actually a less complete product than what we came up with in July of 2000, so 23 years ago.''

Turning X into a rich hub for financial services ties directly into Musk's goal of making the platform into an ''everything app,'' akin to super apps like WeChat in China that offer access to shopping, transportation, and more.

Musk faces major challenges to get there, though. Convincing people why they need such a platform is one. Getting them to trust X with their entire financial life is another.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:33

Scientists in Brazil, the world's second-biggest consumer of cocaine, have announced the development of an innovative new treatment for addiction to the drug and its powerful derivative crack: a vaccine.

Dubbed "Calixcoca," the test vaccine, which has shown promising results in trials on animals, triggers an immune response that blocks cocaine and crack from reaching the brain, which researchers hope will help users break the cycle of addiction.

Put simply, addicts would no longer get high from the drug.

'‹If the treatment gets regulatory approval, it would be the first time cocaine addiction is treated using a vaccine, said psychiatrist Frederico Garcia, coordinator of the team that developed the treatment at the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

'‹The project won top prize last week '' 500,000 euros ($530,000) '' at the Euro Health Innovation awards for Latin American medicine, sponsored by pharmaceutical firm Eurofarma.

'‹The vaccine works by triggering patients' immune systems to produce antibodies that bind to cocaine molecules in the bloodstream, making them too large to pass into the brain's mesolimbic system, or "reward center," where the drug normally stimulates high levels of pleasure-inducing dopamine.

'‹Similar studies have been carried out in the United States '' the world's top cocaine consumer, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. But they stalled when clinical trials did not demonstrate sufficient results, among other reasons, Garcia says.

'‹Calixcoca has so far proven effective in testing on animals, producing significant levels of antibodies against cocaine and few side effects.

'‹It also protected rat fetuses against cocaine, researchers found, suggesting it could be used in humans to protect the unborn babies of pregnant addicts.

'‹The vaccine is now set to enter the final stage of trials: testing on humans.

No 'panacea'Garcia says Calixcoca could reshape addiction treatment.

'‹"There's no specific registered treatment for cocaine and crack addiction. We currently use a combination of psychological counseling, social assistance and rehabilitation, when necessary," he says.

Calixcoca could add an important tool to that regimen, helping patients at critical stages of recovery, such as when they leave rehab, he says.

'‹The vaccine is made with chemical compounds designed in the lab, rather than biological ingredients, meaning it would be less expensive to produce than many vaccines and would not have to be stored at cold temperatures.'‹

But it won't be a "panacea" that can be administered to anyone, Garcia says.

The exact target group will depend on the outcome of clinical trials, but is theoretically meant to be recovering addicts "who are off (cocaine) and want to stay that way," he says.

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The goal is to change what Garcia calls a "sad statistic": according to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in four regular cocaine users becomes addicted.

And just one in four addicts manages to quit after five years of treatment.

Given the stakes, anticipation around the vaccine is high. More than 3,000 people have contacted Garcia's team to volunteer to take part in the clinical trials.

(C) Agence France-Presse

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:33

One year ago, most car dealers could sell an electric vehicle within a few weeks. Today, data shows those vehicles linger longer than a month, gathering dust on dealership lots, despite lower transaction prices, a federal tax credit available on many and attractive leasing options.

The slowdown in consumer demand for EVs has not gone unnoticed by General Motors.

CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that GM would withdraw its target of making 400,000 EVs for 2022 through June 2024. GM still plans to end 2025 with 1 million units of North American EV capacity, but Barra said if the demand is not there for 1 million EVs, GM will not build them.

''As we get further into the transition to EVs, it gets a bit bumpy, which is not unexpected," Barra told analysts during a third-quarter conference call Tuesday, emphasizing GM remains committed to its goal of an all-electric lineup by 2035. "GM will be agile to make sure the portfolio is in the right segments ... and we have the right entrants that people want to buy.''

On Wednesday, Honda and GM ended their partnership to build affordable EVs, citing business uncertainties. Even EV market leader Tesla reported third-quarter net income of $1.85 billion down from $3.29 billion in the year-ago period. It has since lowered prices to move inventory this quarter, according to Fortune.

GM exemplifies the dilemma many carmakers face. The early adopters who bought EVs have gone home and the remaining consumers are hitting pause on EV consideration amid economic uncertainty, the lack of a widespread and reliable charging network and continued higher prices for most EVs compared with gasoline-powered counterparts, industry experts said. According to Edmunds.com data, the average EV transaction price in September was $59,674, not including a $7,500 tax credit for those that are eligible. That compares with the industry average transaction price of $47,698.

For automakers that have invested billions of dollars to transition to an all-electric lineup '-- GM has invested $35 billion through 2025 '-- it creates a challenge to get returns on those investments anytime soon. Further complicating it are government-mandated emissions standards that can be met only by having a certain number of EVs in a lineup.

"Did the automakers overshoot the market here? Yes. But this is primarily driven by regulation," said Jeff Windau, equities analyst for Edward Jones in St. Louis, Missouri. "The government is coming out with emissions regulations and mileage regulations and really pushing automakers to achieve those or pay penalties. The only way to achieve that is with electric vehicles. It's a Catch-22. You may not have the broad consumer demand at this point, but you need to do it otherwise you have regulations to deal with."

Tougher rules around the cornerAs it stands right now, there are no formal federal mandates requiring automakers to make or sell a certain number or percentage of electric vehicles, even though President Joe Biden did, back in 2021, sign a nonbinding executive order setting a target of having half of all new cars and light-duty trucks sold in by 2030 emit zero greenhouse gas emissions.

More important, both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have proposed rules for cars and trucks under different federal laws that, if finalized next year as expected, would virtually require automakers to hit that target or higher by 2032. Otherwise, they'd have to find some other way to hit those targets or pay massive fines.

The EPA's proposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles beginning with model year 2027 are so strict, for instance, it could virtually mandate that, in a decade's time from now, two-thirds of all the new cars sold would be electric. And NHTSA's proposed rules promote much the same goal, with a whopping 58 mpg average for cars and light-duty trucks (compared with about 35.5 mpg this year) contemplated by 2032. And that's not all: A change by the U.S. Energy Department being floated that would significantly reduce what's called the petroleum equivalency factor or PEF '-- which effectively allows automakers to count EVs against gas guzzlers in their fleets at a much higher rate currently when their average fuel efficiency is being calculated '-- is expected to cost manufacturers, especially the Detroit Three, billions as compared with automakers with fleets of smaller (and often imported) cars.

That last change, especially, has Detroit automakers scratching their heads, since they made many of their most recent investments in EVs believing that those larger credits would offset higher emissions and lower mpg ratings of their other trucks and SUVs.

'A remarkable turn of fortune'According to Edmunds.com data, in September 2022, the average number of days an EV sat on a dealership lot before it sold was 21. Last month, it was 65 days.

"EVs were at one point the fastest-selling vehicles on a dealer's lot; now becoming the slowest seller is not confidence inspiring," said Ivan Drury, Edmunds' director of insights.

At Cox Automotive, data shows consumers paid a $10,000 to $15,000 premium on EVs in recent years, said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. The most recent data shows there's a less than $3,000 premium paid for an EV compared with an internal combustion engine vehicle, she said.

Automakers increased production of EVs to give consumers more selection and pricing relief, Drury said, but consumers sentiment for EVs has taken "a remarkable turn of fortune versus last year when consumers were buying these vehicles with sight unseen, no test drive and paying over sticker. Now you have dealers that can't even get rid of these with both automaker- and government-backed assistance."

Edmunds data shows the lease penetration rate for EVs was much higher in September this year, at 58%, compared with the year-ago period at 7%. Drury said that means automakers are using leasing to get payments as low as possible to help move these vehicles off the lot. There are some EVs that qualify for automakers to pass along a tax credit.

He said Edmunds data shows that the average discount in September on a leased EV was about $3,602 off the sticker price compared with a year ago when people paid about $1,438 over sticker. That, along with those EV tax credits some carmakers pass on to leasees, contributes to about a $300 lower monthly payment on an EV priced at about $63,000.

But Drury said higher interest rates kill interest in EV purchases, not just because it makes ownership costs higher, but because high interest rates are supposed to cause risk adverse purchasing and investing behavior.

"That translates into buying more time-tested products and, with autos, that is internal combustion engine not EV," Drury said. "As for GM specifically, 2023 is a wakeup call, EVs are not insulated from the larger issues that surround the automotive industry, in fact, they're more susceptible to factors that are beyond the control of the automaker."

Drury said it is still possible that GM's Buick and Cadillac brands will offer only EVs by 2030, as GM planned. But it doesn't mean that people will be buying them.

"GM, like many automakers, are more than likely going to be reevaluating the course they've plotted for EV dominance," Drury said.

GM's and Ford's EV strategy tweaksFord Motor Co. is tweaking its electric strategy. CEO Jim Farley said in July that after hearing consumers express apprehension about all-electric vehicles, he adjusted company strategy. Ford plans to continue its push into hybrid vehicles, which use both gasoline and battery power, to accommodate consumers who want to slow down their pending divorce from the traditional fuel pump, Farley revealed after second-quarter earnings.

Farley also dialed back the Ford forecast to produce 600,000 EVs annually by 2024 rather than by 2023. He spotlighted hybrids, which increase fuel efficiency for truck owners while allowing them to go to the gas pump in times of need rather than find a charging station to plug in.

On Thursday, Ford said in its third-quarter earnings call that it is reevaluating its speed of investment in EVs, though it is "not moving away" from its next generation of electric products. But the company is balancing consumer demand and volumes produced. It will delay about $12 billion in capital investments related to EV production.

"Hybrids are a good option for people as they transition to electric," said Cox's Valdez Streaty. "But the amount of money that has been allocated toward EVs, we're going to continue down that road. But it might not continue at the same pace. It might speed up or slow down as the market changes."

Since Biden's Inflation Reduction Act took effect in August 2022, Valdez Streaty said, automakers and battery makers have said they plan to invest a total of about $92 billion on electrification of cars in the United States.

At GM, Barra said Tuesday it will push back the launches of the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Chevrolet Silverado RST EV "by a few months." That comes after GM announced a one-year postponement in production of the retail Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV pickups at Orion Assembly plant in Orion Township '-- a move that delays $1.5 billion in capital spending. GM builds the Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV at Orion now and will end that production at the end of the year. GM will revive the Bolt later on the Ultium propulsion system, but it has not said where it will build the Bolt or when it will come back on the market.

"We are reducing our fixed costs by $2 billion net of depreciation and amortization as we exit 2024," Barra said. "We are also moderating the acceleration of EV production in North America to protect our pricing, adjust to slower near-term growth in demand, and implement engineering efficiency and other improvements that will make our vehicles less expensive to produce, and more profitable."

GM will continue to build the Silverado EV work truck at Factory Zero, which straddles the Detroit-Hamtramck border.

Investors exercise patienceMorningstar Equities Analyst David Whiston said in a research note, "We are not bothered by this slowing because GM still makes ample profit on its combustion portfolio and more charging infrastructure is coming next year."

Plus, said Edward Jones' Windau, GM has the challenge of transitioning from a very profitable category of gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles, which are not profitable yet. "So you can understand wanting to slow up a bit especially in an uncertain economy," he added.

Both agreed there needs to be more charging infrastructure and more affordable EVs, and GM is working on doing both for 2024. It is rolling out the Chevrolet Equinox EV next year, expected to start at about $30,000, and, like Ford, GM is partnering with Tesla to integrate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its EVs beginning in 2025. That will give EV owners access to some 12,000 more chargers throughout North America.

GM continues to work with others in the industry to accelerate the installation of various charging networks including its collaborations with Pilot Company and EVgo that will add more than 5,000 DC fast chargers to the nearly 13,000 existing DC fast chargers in North America. GM will put community chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Also, there will be 50 new EVs out next year across the industry, so consumers will see different vehicles in different price points, which should spur sales, said Cox's Valdez Streaty.

"It's a huge transformation, but the industry is committed to it," she said.

Charger fear, advancing technologyNow that the early adopter phase is past, the industry is in a phase Valdez Streaty calls "early majority space." It is where the automakers, through their dealers, have to educate the majority of consumers on EVs to show them the value of owning one.

''The whole infrastructure is a big thing," Valdez Streaty said. "We used to hear about range anxiety, but I think it's now charger anxiety '-- where can I find a charger? Will it be operational?''

Charger station fear is real, said Erik Gordon, business professor at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. But so is concern among consumers about advancing technology that would outdate their purchase.

"The billions being spent on today's EV technology platforms, might not be the best technology five years out," Gordon said. And if there is a technology shift in five years, he said, a surge in EV sales will follow and that's when the automakers might finally see a return on their investment.

But until consumers get past that worry and the fear of infrastructure, or lack thereof, no incentives will spur EV sales, most experts say. Just ask Bill Klehm, CEO of eBliss Global, a startup manufacturer of electric bikes to be sold at car dealerships in North America. Klehm drives a Ford Lightning EV and said he regrets buying it because of a lack of infrastructure to charge it.

"Even detailed planning on routes, it's completely unpredictable. The infrastructure is such an inconvenience that it's spoiling the engineering and design that's gone into these beautiful vehicles," Klehm said. "You're putting the consumer in a position where they're so uncomfortable with their experience '-- the cars are great '-- but if you can't put energy into the car in what consumers view is a normal way, they're reacting."

Free Press staff writers Todd Spangler and Phoebe Wall Howard contributed to this report.

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:28

This could be the beginning of World War III, or just another step in the general direction.

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. just launched airstrikes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria.

PENTAGON '' Today, at President Biden's direction, U.S. military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.

As a result of these attacks, one U.S. citizen contractor died from a cardiac incident while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel suffered from minor injuries, but all have since returned to duty. The President has no higher priority than the safety of U.S. personnel, and he directed today's action to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.

The United States does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop. Iran wants to hide its hand and deny its role in these attacks against our forces. We will not let them. If attacks by Iran's proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people.

These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria. They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict. We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict. (link)

(Via CNN) '' ['...] Earlier Thursday, the US announced it is deploying about 900 troops to the Middle East '' with the potential for many more. The US has also moved two carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and an amphibious ready group closer to Israel in the waters of the Middle East.

The US strikes follow a growing number of attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17. As of Thursday afternoon, US forces had come under attack at least 12 separate times in Iraq and four separate times in Syria, resulting in 21 US service members suffering injuries. The Pentagon said the injuries were all minor and that the troops have returned to duty. One US civilian contractor suffered a fatal heart attack as a result of a false alarm at one of the bases in Iraq.

On Wednesday, Biden issued a strong warning to Iran about its proxies attacking US forces in the region. ''My warning to the ayatollah was that if they continued to move against those troops, we will respond, and they should be prepared.'' Biden also said the presence of US troops in Iraq and Syria is focused on the campaign to defeat ISIS and is not related to the ongoing conflict in Israel.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian did not attempt to tamp down the tensions Thursday at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly, stating that the US ''will not be spared from this fire'' if the war in Gaza doesn't end. Earlier this week, the minister had said that Iran had received two messages from the US, though he would not say how or when the messages were delivered. The first message said the US was not interested in a wider expansion of the conflict, he said, while the second urged Iran and its partners to have self-restraint. (read more)

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The Massachusetts family shelter system will enact new restrictions next week, ending a 40-year guarantee to provide emergency housing for all qualifying families in need.

During a meeting with aid groups Thursday, state officials said that as of Nov. 1, families eligible for shelter will be placed on a waitlist, according to several people present at the briefing. A Boston legal advocacy group filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the move.

Advocates said state officials expressed hope that federal officials would provide sites where families can stay while they wait, but it was unclear what '-- if anything '-- would be available.

As families leave the shelter system, new families can take over the vacant units. Advocates said approximately 10 families leave the system each day, but far more arrive seeking shelter. In just the past 24 hours, 48 families have entered the system.

State officials said they are transitioning to a waitlist because the shelter population has ballooned over the past year, and the system is running out of space and money. If the state doesn't cap the program at 7,500 households, officials told advocates, by the end of June, the shelter population is projected to top 13,000 families.

The emergency assistance shelter system, which was created in response to a state law, has never used a waitlist. Some people who work with unhoused families worry that delays getting into shelter will force families into unsafe situations.

Here's a look at the plan for a waitlist, and why some advocates are sounding alarm bells.

How did we get to a point where the system is hitting capacity?

The state's family shelter system dates to the passage of a "right-to-shelter" law in 1983. However, the family shelter population has more than doubled in the past year, surpassing all previous records.

As of Thursday, there were over 7,256 households '-- including roughly 23,000 parents and children '-- in the system. At the end of October last year, there were just 3,288 households in the system.

This dramatic growth is due largely to the dual forces of a long-time housing crisis and a substantial increase in immigration to the state. Taken together, these two dynamics have pushed the state's unique shelter system to a breaking point.

"We've never seen a situation this dire, where the state is saying, 'In a matter of days, we're going to close the front door of shelter, create a waiting list, and hope for the best.' "

Kelly Turley''The reality we are facing now is this: We do not have enough space, service providers or funds to safely expand,'' Gov. Maura Healey said last week when she announced the plan to cap the system at 7,500 families.

This is true despite a record-high budget. In August, the last month for which public data is available, the state spent roughly $45 million on the shelter system.

In mid-October, Gov. Maura Healey announced the state would start placing families on a waitlist when the system reached 7,500 households. (Gabrielle Emanuel/WBUR)Still, experts said the waitlist is a dramatic break from past policy.

''I would say, having worked around family homelessness issues for more than two decades, that we've never seen a situation this dire," said Kelly Hurley, associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. "The state is saying, 'In a matter of days, we're going to close the front door of shelter, create a waiting list, and hope for the best.' ''

She acknowledged that state officials are trying to build up community resources but said there are still many unanswered questions.

How will the shelter waitlist work?

State officials provided some details to advocates and aid organizations on Thursday. However, some people told WBUR they left that meeting, without a sense of clarity.

''I'm still very concerned about what's going to happen next week,'' said Andrea Park, director of community driven advocacy at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, after attending the briefing.

However, state officials have outlined three broad pieces of the plan.

1. Families fleeing domestic violence and families with medical needs will be prioritized.

The state is developing a framework for determining priority on the waitlist "based on clinical risk and safety assessments to ensure that the most vulnerable families are provided with shelter as soon as possible,'' said Kevin Connor, the spokesperson for the state's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, which oversees the shelter system, in an email to WBUR.

Advocates who attended the Thursday meeting said officials listed a dozen medical needs that will receive priority. These include families with a member who is immunocompromised or takes medications that need refrigeration. People in the third trimester of pregnancy or with a baby under nine months will also receive higher priority.

Once families are deemed eligible for shelter under the system's narrow eligibility requirements, they will be given a health and personal safety screening. This is a new step for families seeking shelter, and one advocate said it could take 3-5 days.

2. Family welcome centers will play a new role.

The state's two family welcome centers, which were set up this summer to help new arrivals, will pivot to provide services to families on the waitlist. They will connect people to community resources and state programs, as well as provide diapers, formula, hygiene products and other necessities.

"The reality we are facing now is this: We do not have enough space, service providers, or funds to safely expand."

Gov. Maura Healey3. The state is seeking temporary accommodations for waitlisted families.

State officials said they are looking for places for families to stay while they wait for a shelter unit to become available.

''The governor has requested that the federal government fund and set up a congregate care site,'' Healey's spokesperson, Karissa Hand, wrote in an email to WBUR. ''We continue to work with partners to identify short-term, overflow sites.''

However, as of Thursday's briefing, advocates said there were no concrete plans for any particular site underway. Many advocates expressed concern over the lack of details about this and other aspects of the state's plan.

''It's certainly not the way that major policy changes should be rolled out,'' said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director at Lawyers for Civil Rights. ''It's a very chaotic, untransparent way of proceeding.''

Where will families go while on the shelter waitlist?

In most states, families can turn to private shelters, run by nonprofits. However, because Massachusetts has had a state-funded shelter system for so long, there are very few nonprofit family shelters in the state.

That has many advocates anxious that families will end up in unsafe places, including returning to the home of an abuser, sleeping at Logan Airport or staying in hospital emergency rooms, police departments or fire stations.

''They're going to be sleeping in doorways and cars and parks, and looking to businesses to try to put them up,'' said Park of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. ''It's leaving local cities and towns to figure out how to deal with an influx of people who maybe don't have a place to stay.''

''It's certainly not the way that major policy changes should be rolled out. It's a very chaotic, untransparent way of proceeding.''

Oren Sellstrom Does a waitlist comply with the state's right-to-shelter law?This depends on whom you ask.

Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a class action lawsuit Friday in an effort to block the changes.

Some legal experts point out that state law requires the Healey administration to give lawmakers 90 days warning before making significant changes to the shelter system.

''That was specifically built in the law for good reason, so that the legislature could analyze whether or not the changes are necessary and potentially act to forestall them,'' said Lawyers for Civil Rights' Sellstrom. ''As far as we can tell, that formal notice has not been given and that certainly puts the state's plans on very shaky legal footing.''

However, Healey has said she is confident a waitlist would comply with the law.

''We are not changing the right-to-shelter law whatsoever. We are telling the public clearly though, that we are reaching capacity here in the state,'' Healey said last week.

Her spokesperson added via email that Healey's office has been communicating with the state legislature about the shelter system, and the steps it is taking ''will not alter program eligibility or benefits.''

State officials said late Friday that they are reviewing the lawsuit.

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Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:17

The family of the Army reservist accused of fatally shooting more than a dozen people in Lewiston, Maine, alerted police and military officials that he was experiencing an ''acute'' mental health episode before the Wednesday night massacre, his sister-in-law said.

Robert Card, 40, a firearms instructor and longtime member of the Army Reserve, began to hear voices that were saying ''horrible'' things about him a couple of months ago when he was fitted for high-powered hearing aids, said Katie Card, who is married to his brother.

Follow along for live coverage

''He was picking up voices that he had never heard,'' she told NBC News. ''His mind was twisting them around. He was humiliated by the things that he thought were being said.''

Katie Card said the family did their best to reassure Robert Card that the comments were not real, including by verifying with some of the people he claimed had made the remarks.

But, she said, ''it turned into a manic belief.''

''He was just very set in his belief that everyone was against him all of a sudden,'' she said.

Robert Card, who was still at large Thursday, is accused of killing at least 18 people and injuring many others at a bar and a bowling alley, police said.

His sister-in-law said the family reached out to police and his Army Reserve base as they ''got increasingly concerned" in the last couple of months.

''We just reached out to make sure everyone was on the same page, because he is someone who does gun training,'' she said. ''We were concerned about his mental state. That's all.''

Her husband went ''back and forth'' with the Army, Katie Card said.

''They were following up on it, too, but he's never been someone we thought would actually do anything,'' she said.

The Army confirmed Robert Card's status with the Reserve, but it did it not directly address the family's claim that loved ones had shared their concerns before the attack.

Two senior law enforcement officials said Card's unit commanders sent him to receive psychiatric treatment this summer after they became concerned about threats he made to the base and his claims that he was hearing voices.

Card spent about two weeks undergoing inpatient psychiatric treatment and was released, the officials said. It is not clear what further action was taken.

A Defense Department official said Card's unit requested that law enforcement be contacted in July after he began behaving erratically. New York State Police responded and took him to Keller Army Community Hospital at the U.S. Military Academy for medical evaluation.

In a statement, Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee said there are no records to indicate that Card had instructed or participated in any training while his unit supported West Point summer training in July.

The Army did not train him as a firearms instructor, nor did he serve in that capacity for the Army, Dubee said.

"We take matters such as this very seriously, and our primary concern is ensuring that all legal and appropriate actions are taken in accordance with our commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct among our Soldiers and civilian personnel," he said.

Katie Card declined to discuss whether the family tried to restrict his access to firearms.

As officers headed to Maine to help with the manhunt, a note was found at Robert Card's home during a search with a warrant, four senior law enforcement officials said. Investigators are trying to determine the meaning of the note and how it could guide their investigation, the officials said.

The weapon believed to have been used in the attack was a sniper rifle with .308 caliber bullets, and it was purchased legally this year, officials said.

Robert Card enlisted in the Army Reserve in December 2002 and had no combat deployments, Dubee said. He is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in Saco, Maine.

His sister-in-law said he had severe hearing loss most likely due to his being around constant gunfire.

She said the family has been continually messaging him to tell him that he is loved and that ''he needs to do the right thing'' but has not heard from him.

Katie Card said her brother-in-law is a ''wonderful person'' and a great father to his son, who just graduated from high school. She said that his behavior change was sudden and that he had not previously experienced mental health issues.

''We don't know this person. This is not him,'' she said. ''We are so sorry for the pain he's caused others."

Melissa Chan Melissa Chan is a reporter for NBC News Digital with a focus on veterans' issues, mental health in the military and gun violence.

Ken Dilanian Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington.

Tom Winter Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Jonathan Dienst and Courtney Kube contributed.

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