#Wyoming National Guard

[bigglesworld]

North American  T-6 Texan. 153rd Fighter Group, Wyoming Air National Guard. Cheyenne, 1946-1952

#North American #T-6 #Texan #training aircraft #military aircraft #Wyoming #Air National Guard

[bikerlovertexas]

#GoGuard #Soldier #Wyoming Army National Guard #flickr

[3rdeyeblaque]

On September 6th, we venerate Ancestor Tašhúŋka Witkó aka "Crazy Horse" on the 146th anniversary of his passing 🕊

[for our Hoodoos of First Nations descent]

Crazy Horse was the legendary Oglala Lakota Warrior who spearheaded the war against invading colonizers sweeping the land & recognized as a great leader committed to preserving the traditions and values of the Lakota ways of life.

Tašhúŋka Witkó was born into war; at a time when the European colonizer threat was growing, encroaching on sacred land & driving friction between Indian communities. Even as a boy, the warrior spirit was strong in him. He raided horses from Crow Nation at age 13. Once he came of age, he took up initiation through Vision Questing. Tašhúŋka Witkó fasted alone in the wilderness for four days and nights seeking guidance from Great Spirit. What he received from this monumental moment would chart his course through life as the greatest warrior his People had ever known. He earned his reputation among the Lakota, not only by skill, but also by his fierce determination to preserve the traditions of his people. He was known for refusing to be photographed, leading with the traditional belief that by doing so would capture an essence of his soul.

By his mid-teens, Tašhúŋka Witkó (by then Crazy Horse) was already a full-fledged warrior; known for his staggering bravery and prowess on the battlefield. He rode into battle with a hawk feather in his hair, a rock behind his ear, & a lightning bolt slashed across his face. The ancestral mysticism and rituals that went into preparing him for battle is what blessed him with the power & protection to succeed.

He led his first war party in Oglala Chief Red Cloud's war against the European colonizers invading lands Wyoming from 1865-1868. He met U.S. forces in open battle for the first time in 1876 after he became a resistance leader against the Lakota being forced onto reservations. He led a band of Lakota Warriors alongside Sitting Bull, the Cheynne, & other neighboring Tribes in counterattack in the Battle of Little Bighorn against Custer’s 7th U.S. Cavalry Battalion. Custer, 9 of his officers, & 280 soldiers, all lay dead in his wake. From then on, the U.S. Gov. targeted the Northern Plains tribes who resisted its encroachment. After a year of forcing the displacement of many Indigenous communities, slaughtering the Buffalo population, and driving their starvation into surrender, eventually the same fate fell upon the Olglala Band of Lakota Nation. In 1877, under a truce flag, Crazy Horse traveled to Fort Robinson to negotiate terms of mutual surrender.

Negotiations with U.S. Military leaders broke down, allegedly as a result of the translator's incorrectly translationof what Crazy Horse said, which spurred them to quickly imprison Crazy Horse. Once he realized their scheme, Crazy Horse broke free & drew his knife. A infantry guard made a successful lunge with a bayonet and mortally wounded him. Crazy Horse succumbed to his wound shortly thereafter once it became infected. After his death, his parents buried him at an undisclosed location near Wounded Knee, South Dakota. There he rests among with the Ancestors he venerate so deeply.

"[ “Where are your lands now?”] “My lands are where my dead lie buried.” - Crazy Horse's response to a U.S. Cavalry man's taunts at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

We pour libations & give him💐 today as we celebrate him for his unbridled warrior spirit, his leadership, prowess, & for being a beacon of light leading all Indigenous American descendants back to our traditional ways of life.

Offering suggestions: prayers toward his elevation, libations of water, offerings of tobacco, & Oglala Lakota songs/prayers

‼️Note: offering suggestions are just that & strictly for veneration purposes only. Never attempt to conjure up any spirit or entity without proper divination/Mediumship counsel.‼️

#hoodoo #hoodoos #atr #atrs #the hoodoo calendar #Crazy Horse #Tašhúŋka Witkó #lakota nation #oglala band #oglala lakota #land back #ancestor elevation #first nations #american indian #black indigenous #indigenous americans

[goblin-d]

PLEASE share your funky wttt gender headcanons :D

FDHGFBADJKHSKJ ILOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LVOE YOU /P

anyway.

HC's below the cut (this is a long one boys) [IF YOU HAVE ANY XENO SUGGESTIONS FOR MY BABIES PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME [FOR LITERALLY ANY OF THEM!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!]]

Alabama [he/they] - Demiboy Transmasculine

Alaska [he/it/moth/nor/pup/they] - Transmasculine Demigender Xenic (Catcolpuffic, Dogboygender, Drowsygender, Genderblanket, Lulovien, Moosegender, Mothgender, Pawsgender, Plosewial, Remissious, Sleepyleite, Soporcomfic, Sweatermasc, Warmgenderblanket*)

Arizona [he/they] - Libramasculine Transfeminine Boy

Arkansas [he/they] - Nonbinary

California [Any Pronouns] - Transfeminine Genderfluid Demiboygirlthing

Colorado [he/ski/they/cloud/mountain/snow/fluff] - Xenic Trans Man (Ariemonic, Cryobunnic, Cryocattic, Frostmasc, Icestormic)

Connecticut [she/he] - Transfem Man

Delaware [he/him] - Agender

Florida [he/it/they/she/zip/xe] - Pangender Genderweird Xenic (No specifics in mind)

Georgia [he/him] - Genderqueer

Hawai'i [they/she] - Demigirlflux

Idaho [they/he] - Demiboy

Illinois [he/they/xe] - Boything Xenic (No specifics in mind)

Indiana [they/he] - Demiboy

Iowa [he/him] - Cis Male

Kansas [they/he/it] - Genderqueer Femboy

Kentucky [he/him] - Cis Male

Louisiana [he/they] - Demiboy Genderqueer

Maine [Any Pronouns] - Pangender Transfem

Maryland [Any Pronouns] - Trans Woman Xenic (No specifics in mind)

Massachusetts [he/him] - Secret Gender /j [Genderfaun]

Michigan [he/him] - Genderfluid Autigender Xenic (Blaunauic, Chaosgender, Clowngender, Cufemian, Coldgender, Evilclownic, Menacegender, Musegender, Pincusmic, Prettygender, Softqualix)

Minnesota [he/they/she] - Genderfluid Transfeminine Xenic (Amocatix, Anlomeltic, Catgender, Comfnightgender*, Cutegender, Cutehorror, Gorrorhospic, Horrificutegender, Lovelettic, Lunaboy, Magicamoric, Magicattic, Pinkplanetary, Poromantian, Shycatgender, Starcatgirlgender, Verpgoris, AND LITERALLY ANY SLIME RANCHER RELATED XENOGENDER)

Mississippi [he/him] - Cis Male

Missouri [he/they] - Transfem Demiboy

Montana [he/they/it] - Twospirit

Nebraska [he/they/husk] - Deadboy

Nevada [he/it/they/she] - Boyflux Trans Man Xenic (No specifics in mind)

New Hampshire [Any Pronouns] - Girlflux

New Jersey [she/they] - Transfeminine

New Mexico [he/they] - Demiboy

New York [it/she/they] - Agendergirl

North Carolina [Ask Pronouns] - Genderflux

North Dakota [he/they] - Demiboy

Ohio [Ask Pronouns] - Genderfluid Transfem

Oklahoma [he/him] - Questioning

Oregon [he/they] - Boything Genderqueer

Pennsylvania [he/him] - Genderapathetic

Rhode Island [he/she/celeste/taurus/sirius] - Genderqueer Xenic (Genderfuck, Stargender, Staricangel, Tauragender)

South Carolina [he/they] - Transmasc

South Dakota [he/they/she] - Demiboy Demigirl Bigender Xenic (Aterpolillic, Auraunpollic, Cabbagemamesic, Caepolillic, Flapolillic, Greymothic, Mothneut, Nivpolillic, Primrosemothic, Rubpolillic, Viripolillic (etc.))

Tennessee [they/he] - Demimasculine

Texas [she/xe] - Trans Woman (no xenos but she is a wolf therian BECAUSE I SAY SO)

Utah [he/him] - Cis Male

Vermont [he/him] - Trans Man

Virginia [it/its] - Trans Woman

Washington [he/they/moth] - Transmasculine Demiboy

West Virginia [he/they/moth/night/dark] - Demimasculine Xenic (Mothmangender )

Wisconsin [he/him] - Cis Male

Wyoming [they/them] - Nonbinary Twospirit

and bonus non-states because i want to!!!

DC [he/him] - Trans Man

District of Columbia [Ask Pronouns] - Genderfluid

CDC [ey/they/he] - Xenic Trans Man (Cleancoric, Rosamistica, Strawblainberic)

Government [Any Pronouns] - Agender

IDC [sh*/h*r] - Cis Female Xenic (Galaxyfeminine, Narcfem)

National Guard [he/him] - Cis Male

anyway thank you for reading i love you all so much <3 /p

\* can't find the source but i have the flag :sob:

#wttt #wttsh #welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #ben brainard #wttt headcanons #goblin's headcanons

[bradshawsbaby]

Honey, may I share a Rhett Abbott thought I have?? I did a short fic of this idea but I think I'm gonna edit it somewhere along the line.

Rhett x wifey!reader have a pretty sizeable brood but they've always said there's room for one more in the family.

One day it's put to the test when Rhett and wifey head out to the Rez to help Rhett's best friend Wes and his dad, Russell, with some horses that have come in and are in need of some major TLC. In return for the help, the father of Rhett's best friend gives the two of you some homemade herbal medicine to help Cecelia get over a bad bout of bronchitis.

On the way home, the two of you head into town and it's gonna get pretty cold out soon. The two of you are walking towards the Handsome Gambler to grab some food Royal ordered when a noise in the alley grabs your attention. At first you guys think it's a cat, but when Rhett looks closer, he clamps a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

In the alley, the two of you found a cardboard box and inside, nestled among the raggy looking bits of cloth, a tiny little baby who appeared to have been born frighteningly early. You and Rhett immediately brought the box to the police precinct about two doors down and lucky for the two of you, one of Rhett's grade school friends was one of the officers on duty.

You two immediately brought the baby to the hospital, only to discover that it was a little boy who was born frighteningly early. The baby boy was immediately put in an incubator but Rhett refused to leave the baby's side for even a minute. Even when the police and Wes's wife Nora, were taking your statements, Rhett refused to leave him.

The two of you visited every day to come and see the tiny little one, asleep in his little incubator, his face, hands and feet still a little bit wrinkly and his delicate little head covered by silky tufts of dark blonde hair. Nora, who's had her fair share of cases like this at work, even comes with Wes and her in-laws to see how the little guy is doing.

It's not long before the full details come out, you and Rhett discovering that the biological parents were arrested and are looking at a pretty lengthy jail sentence for other offenses. You, Rhett and the rest of the wolf pack, soon find yourselves fighting a very draining, very drawn out battle before the Abbotts finally become the legal, adoptive parents of Dallas Russell Abbott.

It's not long either before you and Rhett are finally able to hold Dallas outside of his incubator. When it's Rhett's turn to hold him, he's sitting shirtless in the rocker with Dallas's tiny little form cradled against his chest, under a wooly blanket to keep warm. He's so small that Rhett's big hand almost covers the little one's back completely. Rhett's nearly brought to tears when he hears the little one cry but is a little embarrassed seeing as Royal's the one taking pics on his phone, but Royal tells him it's ok.

You soon are able to bring Dallas home and his brothers and sisters all welcome him into the fold along with family friends who are his aunts and uncles. The Duttons (Yellowstone) have all come down from Montana to see the new little one because John, Royal, Thomas and Mo have been friends since the first grade. Everybody gets a chance to hold the little bean and when it's Cecelia's turn? She's in tears. You and Rhett can't believe that this tiny little baby is so loved already by his new family and you thank God every day for bringing him to the both of you.

Cut to years later when Dallas is twenty one, now a man who looks as though he could be yours and Rhett's child. Dallas is already a bullrider in his own name and is engaged to a young lady from the Rez who is also a member of the Wyoming National Guard. She's in the stands with you, Rhett and the rest of the family, cheering him on as he takes first place. You and Rhett are crying happy tears this time, for your son who really is your lucky one.

I am so sorry that this is so long honey, it was alot that I had to let out (lol).

GOSH, THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! 😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #outer range

[heroes-anthesis]

THE CRISIS: US HISTORY

The Empowered Creation Event, also known as the Crisis, was an event that occurred in early 2018. Humans across the world suddenly found themselves with superpowers. This led to a global rebellion against traditional governments, using the newfound powers as a way to counter militaries and police forces.

The Estimated Territories of Each American Territory during the Crisis.This graphic is a rough estimation.

To date, only the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Ethiopia, Germany, China, and Australia are in control of their original territories. Saudi Arabia, and Scandinavia dissolved entirely, being replaced by either a new government or warmongering states. Russia controls a fraction of it’s land, with the remainder being controlled by a Siberian warlord.

In the United States, an estimated 15% of the population are Empowered, though only 10% are registered in the Empowered Personnel System . This number was decided among think tanks, accounting for similar population densities in other countries. Of that amount, about 2% were responsible for the warlord states, operating as leadership or militia forces.

The rapid formation of the Parahuman Soldiers, founded by Artur Stonewall in New York, gave the United States the manpower it needed to retake its former territory by the beginning of the next year.

Territories

-United States

The United States government, caught off guard by the Crisis, was able to maintain control of all territory from Maryland up to Maine. Within two months of the Warlord period, the US Army began testing the Parahuman Soldiers, using government aligned Empowered (Via military, police force, or general patriotism) as a counter force to the Warlords.

-The Neo Confederacy (Colloquially the Mississippi Khans)

The first “Warlord” group to rebel, prompted by a Black senator being killed in an Empowered attack. Following this, multiple other politicians were attacked and executed by a radical group, who then took control. Their territory covered North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

-New Vegas

Mob bosses within the Western hemisphere quickly took control, utilizing Empowered force and gambling debts to create a fighting force. The area was lauded as a safe haven for Empowered, who were welcomed indiscriminately provided they provided their services. Territory included Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana, and everything West of those states.

-Farmer’s Alliance (Colloquially Oz)

Due to the already sparse population density, the number of known Empowered in the region was low. Following the Crisis, many Empowered fled to The Midwest Alliance was created by a union of Unempowered farmers and hunters, citing claims against both New Vegas and the United States government. The territory included Dakota (Formerly North Dakota and South Dakota), Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota.

-The Northern Group (Colloquially, the Windies)

Local gangs were joined into one army, under the command of Antony “Windy” Lawrence. Though his power is unknown, it is believed that he had some form of mind control power. The gangs spread out, becoming the local police force in the area. Unempowered were forbidden from leaving their cities, and made to work manual labor. The territory included Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

-Republic of Texas

Immediately following the creation of the Midwest Alliance, the Republic of Texas claimed independence from the United States.This new nation was the last one to be reclaimed; following the fall of the Northern Group, Texas made an alliance with Mexico, becoming a vassal of the nation in exchange for protection and resources.

-Lost Territories

Due to their distance away from the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii were taken by foreign nations. Alaska was taken by Siberia (Formerly Russia), Hawaii by China. Their distance, along with continued unrest within the continental states, has made recapture a low priority. Representatives of the government claim plans for recapture, but have noted worries of war with neighboring countries.

Timeline

January 1, 2018-People across the globe begin developing powers. These powers vary in strength, range, and effects. Government and Media Organizations label those people as “Empowered”.

January 15, 2018- The CDC and WHO label the sudden appearance of powers as a possible pandemic. Citizens are urged to isolate themselves from people who display powers, leading to a wave of unemployment of Empowered people due to the lack of a protective class status.

January 22, 2018-Prompted by a sudden spike of crime, the US Congress passes the Limitation of Powers Act, which makes the unauthorized usage of powers a felony. Additionally, this act creates the Empowered Personnel System, a list that all Empowered are legally required to register to on the first sign of superpowers.

February 7, 2018- The President of Russia is assassinated by an Empowered. That same day, an empowered man in Tupelo, MS, inspired by this event, attacks and kills a local State Senator.

February 12, 2018- A registered hate group, known as the Mississippi Khans, take over the Mississippi State Capitol, claiming secession from the United States. Armed service members are called back to the United States. On arrival, many eventually defect or go missing.

February 13, 2018-Riots begin within the Southern United States. The National Guard is deployed to Atlanta, Birmingham, and Tupelo, but are routed by Empowered Militia operating under the Mississippi Khans. Their leader, Jeffery Palmer, officially claims Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia as territory of the Neo Confederacy. Politicians and unempowered citizens flee the region.

February 22, 2018-In an unseen assault, multiple members of the United States Armed Forces defect, attempting to take control of the available weapons and vehicles. The attack fails, and the remaining members of the coup flee throughout the country. Many leave for the Neo Confederacy.

March 15, 2018- A coalition of gangs working under Antony Lawrence launches a sudden invasion based out of Chicago, Illinois. Damage done by the Assault of the Mississippi Khans prevents the National Guard from properly mobilizing. The coalition, under the name of the Northern Group, launched a sudden invasion of neighboring states.

April 8, 2018-The Northern Group officially stops their invasion after taking Virginia. In response, important members of the federal government flee to New York, establishing it as an emergency Capitol. Martial Law is declared within the remaining territories under US control. Congress labels all of the rebelling territories as enemy nations, and declares war. That same day, Command Sergeant Major Artur Stonewall receives the green light to begin a program for training Empowered humans.

April 9, 2018- The United States Congress unanimously votes to give President Maxwell Harrington emergency powers to deal with the situation, dubbed by historians as the Crisis. He declares martial law across all US territories along with dubbing any defectors as enemy territories. The Armed Forces are restructured into the United States First National Guard.

April 15, 2018- Mafia bosses who fled to Las Vegas, Nevada, initiate a hostile takeover of the city. Utilizing their manpower, connections, and powers, New Vegas is established, claiming dominion of a large portion of the Western United States. A broadcast is sent out to the rest of the nation, offering shelter for all Empowered in exchange for their labor.

May 3, 2018- Stonewall begins training the first class of Empowered soldiers, later dubbed Parahumans, in the Empowered Training Facility in Trenton, New Jersey. The Prepared Parahuman Program utilized an Empowered person’s instinctual ability to use their powers to provide an accelerated training. Leader Lawrence calls for a fortification of the Northern Border.

May 5, 2018-Due to a lack of effective oversight in the area, the National Guard successfully secures Virginia and West Virginia from the Northern Group. The first recorded assassination attempt on President Harrington’s life was thwarted by an unknown empowered. From then, an estimated two assassins each have allegedly been caught, tried, and executed by the CIA each month.

June 3, 2018- The first graduates of the Prepared Parahumans Program are deployed to Warden, Virginia in an attempt to rout an invading Neo Confederate platoon. The battle goes in favor of the Parahumans, who manage to force the platoon out of the Virginia border. The invading force, which was composed of the Neo-Confederacy’s strongest parahumans, retreated to Tallahassee due to their massive casualties and a misfire of a teleport ability.

July 4, 2018- The second class of Parahumans are sent to New Vegas, using the territory’s Empowered friendly policy to infiltrate the enemy. At the same time, a demonstration in Atlanta led to a large fire that decimated a majority of the Neo Confederacy’s supply of rations.

July 25, 2018- Major leaders of New Vegas are assassinated during a strategy meeting. The offending parahumans are apprehended, and held hostage. The second in commands immediately declare an invasion of the Farmers’ Alliance, citing a food crisis as the motive.

August 1, 2018-Citizens of the Neo Confederacy, both Empowered and Unempowered, riot following a revelation that the Khans were hoarding food and medicine. Many of the rebelling faction’s officers, including the President, Secretary, and Head Judge, are decapitated in a public execution.

August 15, 2018-The New Vegas Militia successfully capture a major farm in the territory of the Farmers’ Alliance. Despite a lack of an official surrender, the group claims control of the territory.

August 16, 2018- Neo-Confederate Vice President Humphrey Hitchcock surrenders at the border of Virginia. He provides key information about the Neo-Confederacy’s military in exchange for immunity. His safehouse in Maine is later destroyed in a claimed freak Empowered accident.

September 22, 2018-A group of unempowered within Chicago successfully manage to capture the main headquarters of the Northern Group, where leader Antony Lawrence is captured and executed. Using weapons found in the headquarters, the group manages to force a retreat of many Empowered soldiers of the faction, who flees to the Neo Confederacy and New Vegas. The First National Guard successfully annexes the territory, where a new base of operations and Parahuman training facility is established in Lexington, Kentucky.

October 30, 2018-A team of 50 parahuman soldiers Invade Tennessee from Lexington. With a strategy of killing every citizen, the state is captured by the team in two days.

January 2, 2019- The first recorded Empowered with Nation Level powers, Coraline Daniels, uses her power FIREBALL on the still independent Texas.75% of the population, including about 10 miles of neighboring Mexico, are completely destroyed. New Vegas and the remnants of the Farmers’ Alliance officially surrender later that day.

The Second Reconstruction

Following the surrender of New Vegas, the National Guard was deployed to every major city center in the country. All active Parahumans were called back to New York for additional training. In April of 2019, all remaining police forces, along with the Prepared Parahumans Program, were merged into the National Guard.

Due to outstanding service, Director Stonewall created the Warden Elite Team, consisting of high performing Parahumans within New York and Washington DC. These teams were designed to be extremely competitive, with the worst performing member demoted to Parahuman at the beginning of each month. Additionally, the Sovereign Guardians were also created, composed of ten Parahumans with nation level powers.

President Harrington, during his 2019 State of the Union speech, requested for his emergency powers granted to him by Congress to be kept, citing foreign enemies and possible sedition from disgruntled politicians. That week, a majority vote by Congress approved his request for another year. Since then, Congress has approved the retaining of President Harrington’s emergency every year since, along with a suspension of presidential elections and term limits.

The establishment of the Seer Department, spearheaded by the Original Seer, created a system of surveillance throughout the United States. Utilizing Empowered with temporal and spatial observation powers, the Prepared Parahuman Program created buildings known as Superhuman Oversight Bureaus in major city centers, as both a way to keep an eye on criminals, and serve as bases for Parahumans and Wardens

Within the first few months of 2020, President Harrington created new classifications, vigilantes and villains. Vigilantes, by definition, were known as Empowered who attempted to take the law into their own hands. Vigilantes apprehended by the police or Parahumans, were sentenced to life imprisonment without a trial. Villains, by definition, were regular criminals who used their powers to commit crimes that were not classified as vigilantism.

Complaints and Criticisms

One of the key issues during the Crisis was the role of the Empowered Personnel System established by the Limitation of Powers Act. While the system aimed to regulate and monitor Empowered individuals for security purposes, it also led to discrimination and stigmatization against those who were Empowered. Many Empowered individuals were given a status below that of a protective class, leading to widespread unemployment and isolation.

The use of Parahuman Soldiers, trained Empowered individuals working for the government, was also a topic of contention. The establishment of the Prepared Parahumans Program provided additional manpower for the government in their fight against the Warlord factions. However, the program also raised concerns about the line between using superpowers for national defense and exploitation of Empowered individuals.

The handling of the Neo Confederacy, a Warlord faction that claimed secession from the United States and controlled multiple Southern states, was also heavily criticized. The National Guard's inability to properly mobilize against the group allowed them to capture key states such as Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. In addition, the group's founders were allegedly associated with a hate group, and reports of food and medicine hoarding further made them unpopular among their own citizens.

The creation of the Vigilante and Villain classes are attributed to the rise of violent crimes. Experts claimed that while the change did help to hasten the justice process, innocent people had been imprisoned and killed unfairly, leading to those caught taking more radical actions against the government. This issue also went along with the creation of the Seers, where the lack of supposed privacy had a direct correlation with crime.

#discord rp #superhero #superhero rp #roleplay #oc #rp #anime #clown oc #original art #alula #heroes #villains and heroes #villains #Anthesis #lore #history #fan history #headcanons #canons #oc lore #heroes Anthesis lore

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Fourteen Republican Senators, including Mitt Romney and Rand Paul, have voted against providing healthcare and benefits to US veterans who came home from America’s post-9/11 wars sick and dying from rare cancers and respiratory illnesses.

On Thursday, the Senate passed the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act – a landmark bill that will presumptively link 23 conditions to a veterans’ exposure to burn pits while on deployment overseas.

Now, around 3.5 million US veterans who lived and worked next to the huge open-air pits will finally be given automatic access to healthcare and disability benefits if they develop one of these conditions on their return home.

The bill sailed through the Senate with largely bipartisan support, with 84 Senators voting in favour of its passage.

All Democrats voted yes to passing the bill – but 14 Republicans voted no.

The senators who voted against were: Mitt Romney and Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Rounds and John Thune of South Dakota, Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Mike Crapo and James Risch of Idaho.

Senators Steve Daines and Roger Wicker were absent from the vote.

Despite the efforts of the 14 Republicans, the bill is likely just days away from being signed into law.

It first needs to go back to the House for passage before it can be sent to the desk of President Joe Biden.

However, passage in the House is almost certain as all Democrats and 34 Republicans voted in favour of its passage back in March, sending it sailing over the threshold with a 256 to 174 vote.

In that vote, the only lawmakers voting no were also Republicans.

Among them was Rep. Lauren Boebert, who was slammed for heckling as Mr. Biden spoke about burn pits in his State of the Union address.

The Senate has modified the House version to create a phase-in period for illnesses presumptively linked to toxic exposure, meaning a new vote is needed in the House.

During America’s post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, huge open-air pits were used to burn mountains of trash including food packaging, human waste and military equipment on US military bases.

Thousands of US service members returned home from deployment and developed health conditions including rare cancers, lung conditions, respiratory illnesses and toxic brain injuries caused by breathing in the toxic fumes from the pits.

But, until now, the burden of proof has always been on veterans to prove their condition is directly caused by this toxic exposure and almost 80 percent of disability claims mentioning burn pits were turned down by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

The bill was renamed in March after the Sgt First Class Heath Robinson who died in May 2020 from a rare cancer caused by breathing in toxic fumes from burn pits while serving in Iraq in the Ohio National Guard. He was 39.

Two years on from his death, the bill passed on his daughter Brielle’s ninth birthday.

Susan Zeier, his mother-in-law, said that the bill’s passage means she now no longer needs to “carry Heath on my shoulders”.

Ms. Zeier gave an emotional speech outside the Capitol after Thursday’s vote where she told how she has been wearing her son-in-law’s army jacket for the past four years to draw attention to the plight of veterans fighting for healthcare and disability access as she and other advocates lobbied the US government.

“I’ve been wearing this since the summer of 2018 and today, with this bill passing the Senate, I think it’s time to retire it,” she said.

“I no longer have to carry Heath on my shoulders while I’m advocating for all the other veterans who are out there sick and dying.”

Ms. Zeier described her son-in-law as a “wonderful father” who was “always helpful and always generous” and fought his cancer “valiantly” to “survive as long as he could for his daughter”.

#president joe biden #biden administration #burn pits #us military #iraq war #afghanistan war #war on terror #cancer #the independent #department of veterans affairs #SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act #us senate #sen. mitt romney #sen. mike lee #sen. rand paul #sen. Richard Burr #sen. Thom Tillis #sen. Mike Rounds #sen. john thune #sen. Richard Shelby #sen. tommy tuberville #sen. James Lankford #sen. Cynthia Lummis #sen. Mike Crapo #sen. James Risch #sen. Steve Daines #sen. Roger Wicker #2022 #lindy li #us politics

[hisbeautysurroundsus]

Who am I to God? While searchable, this question is as unknowable as the bellows of a Western Meadowlark. Who is God to me? He has been my closeness since childhood, my ever-present friend. My security and comfort; my guard and peace. My guide and conscience, my path layer. The only father I have left. My joy giver. My surety; my promise keeper. My advice giver. My protector. My listener, He hears my cries. My giver of miraculous coincidence. My provider of needs and supplier of abundant blessings. He calms my fears and gives me rest. My everything—I am part of His everything.

I snapped this pic of the Clark’s Fork Canyon passing through Sunlight Basin in Shoshone National Forest just outside Clark, Wyoming. The ageless canyon provides life in the basin beyond.

#god #nature #beauty #nofilterneeded #mountains #optoutside #clark wyoming #wyoming #shoshonenationalforest #iphone 14 #Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River

[rabbitcruiser]

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, AZ (No. 8)

Glen Canyon Dam's most vital purpose is to provide storage to ensure enough water flows from the Upper Colorado River Basin to the lower, especially in drought years. The 1922 Colorado River Compact requires annual delivery of 7.5 million acre-feet (9.3 km3) to the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada; the 1944 treaty with Mexico obligates the U.S. to allow at least 1.5 million acre-feet (1.9 km3) for use in the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. Glen Canyon Dam must supply at least 8.23 million acre-feet (10.15 km3) of this water; the remaining 770,000 acre-feet (0.95 km3) comes from other tributaries of the Colorado River.[125] The required release from Glen Canyon is averaged over a 10-year period, so releases in each year may be higher or lower depending on the amount of runoff. In wetter years, the Bureau of Reclamation may decide to release extra water from Glen Canyon Dam if the level of Lake Powell exceeds the "equalization tier", an elevation determined by the difference in storage between Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Most of Lake Powell's inflow originates as summer snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Releases are made over a water year of October 1–September 30, since the annual snowpack begins to accumulate in late autumn. On April 1 of each year, the Bureau of Reclamation releases its official forecast of the April–July (snowmelt season) runoff, and adjusts releases from Glen Canyon Dam accordingly to maintain Lake Powell at a safe level. An accurate forecast is vital to prevent uncontrolled spilling, which would waste water that could have been used for power generation. Although the snowpack typically reaches its peak and begins to melt in April, the picture can occasionally change unexpectedly and dramatically – either due to a hot and dry spring that evaporates snow before it can melt, or an extremely wet spring as occurred in May 1983. After the near disaster in 1983, the USBR has maintained a minimum of 2.4 million acre-feet (3.0 km3) of flood-storage space in Lake Powell at the beginning of each year, to guard against unanticipated high runoff.

Source: Wikipedia

#Glen Canyon Dam Overlook #Glen Canyon National Recreation Area #Glen Canyon NRA #GCNRA #Coconino County #Southwestern USA #Colorado Plateau #desert #flora #nature #blue sky #clouds #grass #travel #original photography #vacation #tourist attraction #landmark #landscape #countryside #USA #Arizona #summer 2022 #red rock #Page #engineering #technology #Colorado River

[sebsxphia]

Sebbie?? I'm not sure if I sent in this idea or not but if I did, I apologize, my brain's all outta whack from working alot (lol).

Imagine you and Rhett are coming home one night and you're heading to the Handsome Gambler to get Royal's food order when something suddenly catches your attention. Rhett looks closer and he's in total shock. In a box, amongst a bunch of raggy looking pieces of cloth is a tiny little baby boy who appears to have been born early.....like scarily early.

You two immediately take the box to the police precinct where, luckily for Rhett, one of his grade school buddies is one of the officers on duty. Later on the baby is brought to the hospital and put in an incubator but Rhett refuses to leave the little one at all.

You two spend day and night with the baby, not surprised at all when Rhett's buddy informs you that the birth parents have both been arrested for a pretty lengthy list of other charges. You and Rhett still refuse to give up on the little boy and pretty soon it's a very long, very drawn out battle before you finally become the adopted parents of Dallas Russell Abbott.

It's not long before you and Rhett are able to hold him outside of his incubator and even then, he's still very small. Rhett hears him cry and is soon brought to tears himself, a little embarrassed because Royal's right next to him, snapping photos on his phone, but Royal tells him it's ok.

Fast forward to twenty one years later. Dallas is now a man who looks like he could be yours and Rhett's son already and a bullrider in his own right, engaged to a young Nez Perce girl who's currently serving in the Wyoming National Guard. She's in the stands with you, Rhett and the older kids in your brood, watching their little brother take first place in the rodeo.

I really hate to hit the feels so hard Sebbie, but this thought has me in a chokehold along with Preacher!Rhett, that came out amazing by they way!!!!!

yesssss i think i remember you sending something about a premature born baby, but this is so lovely going into more detail about it 🥹🥹🥹 he’d definitely naturally adopt rhett’s ways. and i’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed the preacher!rhett fic too my love, mwah!! 💖💗

#💌you’ve got mail #auroralightsthesky #rhett abbott

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

These reviews are too funny . . .

Here are 10 times when people did not enjoy their trip to an iconic Colorado attraction, enough so to leave a report on Google Reviews.

Pikes Peak: "Scary horrible experience [...] It feels like you may die, due to the lack of guard rails. The views are pretty, but much better when not scared for your life. [...] I haven't looked up the death toll from this yet. One entire family was stranded on the mountain due to burning up their clutch. I wouldn't recommend," 1 star, Maria M

The Great Sand Dunes National Park: "We thought this would be a fun family trip. Sand got everywhere. It was super hot, and we couldn't find a single refreshment stand. Cell phone coverage was horrible," 1 star, Jeffery F.

Garden of the Gods: "The views are amazing, the 19th century ban on alcohol is absolutely ridiculous," – 1 star, Micah P.

Rocky Mountain National Park: "Too many rocks! Too many mountains! The mountains were too big. Didn't see any wildlife. A total lack of fast food options," 1 star, Alex F.

Million Dollar Highway: "Absolutely beautiful, absolutely insane if you're used to safety measures such as guard rails," 4 stars, LaDonna C

Maroon Bells: "Saw no bears. Slightly disappointed," – 2 stars, Dan P.

Mesa Verde National Park: Went here, but couldn't enter the park too far as I have a great fear of drop-offs!!! So if you have a fear of heights and roads with sheer drop offs right at the side of your car... don't attempt this park," – Debbie B.

Hanging Lake: "Hot. Can't drink the stream water. Need a reservation. Busy. Only on entrance to parking. Long and steep hike. No cell reception. Go to Utah or Wyoming," 1 star, BreckBear.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison: "Interesting, but disappointing" – 3 stars, Frank F.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: "Went to get a funnel cake well before the end of the concert and was told the concession stand is closed. He sent me across the plaza to another food stand and they said they don't make funnel cakes and are also closed," 1 star, Nick M

[Jerry Downs]

#reviews #Jerry Downs #people #humor #State Parks #tourism

[statesnstuff]

I'm bored so I'm gonna expose all the states' human names.

Alabama: Adam Pierce

Alaska: Alixandre Murphy-Холодный

Arizona: Aeron (don't know last)

Arkansas: (don't know)

California: Kyle Foster (doesn't have a last, uses Foster as a fill-in)

Colorado: Cory Foster (same as California, no they are not related)

Connecticut 1: Coraline Walker

Connecticut 2: [Coraline's deadname]

Delaware: (don't know)

Florida 1: Sonny/Flores/Sunny Valdez-Fernandéz-Carriedo (multiple first names because genderfluid)

Florida 2: Francisco Gonzaléz (goes by Cisco)

Georgia: George Marseille

Hawaii: Honolulu Hawai'i & O'ahu Hawai'i (twins)

Idaho: (don't know)

Illinois: (don't know)

Indiana: (don't know)

Iowa: (don't know)

Kansas: (don't know)

Kentucky: (don't know)

Louisiana: Louis Marseille

Maine: (don't know)

Maryland: (don't know)

Massachusetts: Matthew Walker

Michigan: Micheal Murphy-Холодный

Minnesota: (don't know)

Mississippi: (don't know)

Missouri: (don't know)

Montana: (don't know)

Nebraska: (don't know)

Nevada: (don't know)

New Hampshire: (don't know)

New Jersey: Jacqueline Walker & Jesse Walker (twins, Jacqueline goes by Jackie)

New Mexico: Alex (don't know last name)

New York 1: Nikolai-Joan Walker

New York 2: [Nikolai's deadname]

North Carolina: (don't know)

North Dakota: (don't know)

Ohio: Owen García

Oklahoma: Oaklyn Pierce

Oregon: (don't know)

Pennsylvania: Penny (don't know last name)

Rhode Island: (don't know)

South Carolina: (don't know)

South Dakota: (don't know)

Tennessee: (don't know)

Texas 1: Thomas Smith

Texas 2: Theodore (don't know last name)

Texas 3: Tucker (don't know last name)

Texas 4: TJ (don't know last name)

Utah: Oliver Schmitz

Vermont: (don't know)

Virginia: (don't know)

Washington: Wyatt (don't know last name)

West Virginia: Westley Montgomery

Wisconsin: (don't know)

Wyoming: (don't know)

DC: Daniel Romanov

National Guard: Nathaniel André

IDC: Isabella Romanov

CDC: (don't know)

Huston, TX: Hudson Smith

Dallas, TX: Dolly Smith

Austin, TX: Austin Smith

Alamo, TX: Alex Smith

San Antonio, TX: Anthonio (don't know last name)

Miami, FL: Mia/Miami (don't know last name)

SoCal (Beach!California): Dillon Parker

England: Edward Walker

Ireland: Seán Tyrrell

Wales: Gwenivre Hughes

Scotland: Scott Cunningham

I'll probably add more when I figure out their names- oh well. I know a few states are trying to pick out names so :)

[haylanmakesstuff]

Day 8

I expected today (Day 7) to be hard, since yesterday my foot, leg, and back pain got so bad I broke out the cane while walking around the museum and grounds. But, I have been so exhausted, therefore sleeping better than usual, that I felt pretty good this morning. I don’t know if I mentioned, but using the RV tape to fix the fiberglass on the camper, my skin pulled away from my nails and my fingers have been extremely painful to use for the last few days. Today I can tell they are finally on the mend! I spent some time with my neighbors this morning; some really cool kids with a cool mom and a cool dog. We bonded over Junior Ranger and the book series Horrible Histories. I love meeting smart and capable kids.

Today was a travel day. The drive was beautiful, but rainy so I didn’t do much along the way other than enjoy the scenery.

Although Day 8 was another travel day, the weather was lovely and there were plenty of things to do on the way. When I crossed the Wyoming border, I was overcome with a happiness for my love of the state. For those who don’t know, I spent two seasons working and living in Wyoming for the US Forest Service. I loved my time here; the people are friendly, there are more antelope than people, lots of public land, beautiful scenery, interesting history, and delicious food.

My first stop today was the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins; both a state historic site and a national historic landmark. As soon as I saw the building, I knew I had chosen the right stop. Here I felt weird smiling in front of a place with such a history, so there I am.

I was lucky enough to wander in just in time to hop on a tour through the entire prison. State of the art at the time, the prison functioned between 1901 and 1981. Wyoming had clear trouble with outlaws, and anticipating statehood, this was a message that wild west behavior would no longer be tolerated.

My favorite story I learned while visiting was about one of the prisoners who used a piece of string and toothpaste to create a tiny saw which he used to hack through the part of the Johnson Bar that opened and closed all the cells at one time. With his bar sawed through, he was free to leave nightly and raid the commissary. He would resell the items for a cheaper price to fellow prisoners and succeeded with this racket for quite some time. During a sweep of all the cells by guards, they were curious when they found his stash of snacks, items, and money and eventually figured out what he was up to. He had used a carved piece of soap coated in toothpaste, then painted with shoe polish as a shim to replace the metal he had cut away; his bar of the Johnson Lock system worked and the guards couldn’t tell the difference.

We visited the gallows, controlled by a weight and water drip, and the gas chambers. Total, 14 men were executed at this prison during it’s time, and only one has been executed in the state of Wyoming since it’s closure. Fellow tourists were taking smiling pictures in the gas chamber chair and although I’m fully into macabre everything, that struck me as strange. Look! A bunch of people died right where I’m sitting!

My next stop was Independence Rock, another state and national historic site. I had previously earned 9 Junior Ranger Badges from the National Trail System, of which California, Pony Express, Mormon, and Oregon Trail are included, all of which pass right by Independence Rock.

As I was leaving, a massive group of Mormons came to visit the rock, and I have to say it was really nice seeing them directly visiting their historical journey to Zion in Salt Lake City. It was like seeing everything I learned from Junior Ranger come to life! I dedicate my Mormon Trail Junior Ranger badge to Cassie. Independence Rock has graffiti that’s now historical and protected, similar to some that Cassie works hard to protect in Texas. Thank you, Cassie, for supporting my fundraiser, and for being one of the few people that kept me from quitting outdoor education. You relentlessly supported my programs in a time when I didn’t have a lot of support. You probably didn’t know it meant the world to me and helped me keep at it. Thank you for caring about outdoor education and conservation.

Tonight, finally in Wyoming, writing this at my campsite, I have been almost brought to tears a few times by the sound of pine needles in the cool breeze, the warm sun shining on the granite and quartz, the feeling of walking around a forest and not melting into a pile of green goo with a witch hat on top of it.

Thank you for joining me. Next, I’m going to one of my favorite places, and may be out of service for a while. See you then,

Haylan

#independence rock #state historic sites #frontier prison #wyoming frontier prison #historical place #national historical landmark #wyoming #that's wyo #roadt trip for a cause #ehlers danlos awareness #ehlers danlos life #ehlers danlos society #ehlers danlos syndrome #ehlers danlos #hyper #hypermobility #hEDS #HSD #chronic illness #fundraiser #rare disorders #rare diseases #life with chronic illness #spoonie #zebras #zebra #charity

[hbhughes]

James J. Haggerty

Magisterial district judge, James J. Haggerty, 58, of Kingston, Pennsylvania died in the company of his family on Wednesday, March 20th, at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo in Cheektowaga, New York. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Jim was the son of the late James and Judy (Treslar) Haggerty. Valedictorian of Wyoming Valley West High School class of 1983, Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Having successfully completed the Army ROTC program, Jim was commissioned as Second Lieutenant of Armor, U.S. Army Reserve. He earned a U.S. Army parachutist badge and was tank platoon leader, 1st Battalion, 103d Armor, Pennsylvania National Guard. Jim received his law degree, with distinction, from Georgetown Law School in 1990.  

Owner of his own law firm in Kingston, Jim spent most of his professional life in public service, first as the mayor of Kingston from 1998–2017 and most recently as a magisterial district judge from 2017-2024. Jim loved his hometown. During his 20 years as mayor, he was proud to be integral in restoring and bolstering Kingston’s financial health, rebuilding and modernizing the Hoyt library, constructing Kingston’s Central Fire Station, revitalizing the recreation center and community pool, improving its parks and playgrounds, protecting its shade trees, and generally helping to make Kingston a great place to call home. One of Jim’s proudest moments was when he represented the Edwardsville Hometown Committee on a pro bono basis and saved the Pierogi Festival.

Jim was known for his marked intelligence, his sense of humor, and his loyalty to his friends. His varied interests included politics, travel, delivering food to local families, reading to kids, indulging in a weekend beverage at the Rush Inn, and watching sports – often several games at once.

Jim is survived by his two loving sisters and their husbands, all of Amherst, New York: Kelly (Haggerty) and Kevin Ahuna; and Patricia (Haggerty) and Timothy Lyle. He took good pride in his nephews and nieces: Ethan and Emily Ahuna; and Quinlan and Zoe Lyle. Jim was always surrounded by his many close and cherished friends.

Friends and family may call from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 24th in the Rotunda at the Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 N. River St., Wilkes-Barre.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 25th at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, Kingston. Friends and family are asked to go directly to the church. Internment will be at Fern Knoll Burial Park, Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, Jim asked that memorial donations be made to Dinners for Kids or the Kingston Fireman's Community Ambulance.

[georgemcginn]

DOD Featured Photos

Sub Arrival The USS Wyoming pulls into Norfolk, Va., in support of the U.S. Strategic Command Component Commande… Photo Details > Loving Embrace Ohio Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Sarah Schaffer holds a child during a homecoming at Rickenbacker … Photo Details > Wing Inspection Airmen inspect the wing of a C-130J Super Hercules during the Gnarly Explodeo readiness exercise at … Photo Details…

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[newstfionline]

Saturday, January 13, 2024

A Weekend Blizzard (NYT) A winter storm described by forecasters as “life threatening” delivered high winds and several inches of snow to much of the Midwest and the Great Plains on Friday. Schools were closed for millions of Americans, and major airports in the region came to a near standstill. Temperatures plunged to minus 20 degrees in Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska. In the South, severe storms, with the possibility of tornadoes, are expected to continue into the night.

More young people around the world are getting cancer, and doctors are alarmed and baffled. (WSJ) U.S. diagnosis rates for people under 50 rose 12.8% between 2000 and 2019, federal data show. Doctors are racing to figure out what is making them sick and how to identify those at high risk. They suspect that lifestyle changes—less physical activity, more ultra-processed foods, new toxins—are to blame. Separately, more teens and young adults who use marijuana are experiencing psychosis. More potent cannabis, more frequent use and increased availability due to legalization efforts contribute to higher rates of delusions and paranoia, according to doctors and recent research.

Centenarians (Pew Research Center) Thanks to advances in medical science, more and more people are making it to age 100 and over in the United States. In 1950, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that just 2,300 Americans were aged 100 and up, a figure that by 1990 had risen to 37,300 and by 2020 was all the way up to 80,100. This year, there are an estimated 101,500 people in the United States aged 100 and up—0.03 percent of the overall U.S. population—and over the next several decades that number is expected to jump steeply. In 2054, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there will be 421,700 people in the United States aged 100 or higher, and that they’ll then be 0.1 percent of the U.S. population.

Streets all but empty in Ecuador as gang attacks sow terror (AFP) Walking fast, with their eyes alert and voices low, a few Ecuadorans flitted about fearfully Wednesday on city streets all but deserted amid an escalating conflict between the armed forces and violent drug gangs. Since Monday, narco gunmen have kidnapped police and prison guards, opened fire in a TV studio during a live broadcast, set off explosions in public places in several cities, and threatened random executions. In the capital Quito, where a heavy military presence has been deployed, 54-year-old shopkeeper Rocio Guzman says the terrifying sounds of a shootout near her businesses and a hospital Tuesday still resonated in her head. “People closed their businesses and ran,” she told AFP. She, too, closed up shop. “Everything was closed, by 8 pm there was nothing: no cars, no business.” The few pedestrians around Wednesday were too afraid to talk to AFP, and in many areas of the city there were more police than merchants.

Argentina’s annual inflation soars to 211.4%, the highest in 32 years (AP) Argentina’s annual inflation soared to 211.4% in 2023, the highest rate in 32 years, according to figures released Thursday by the government’s INDEC statistics agency. The data reflects the strong impact of a series of shock measures, including a 50% devaluation of the nation’s currency, implemented by right-wing President Javier Milei in hopes of eventually bringing the country’s roaring inflation under control. The annual inflation compared with about 95% in 2022. The country’s monthly inflation stood at 25.5% in December, up from 12.8% in November, but slightly below the 30% the government had forecast.

A British postal scandal ruined hundreds of lives. The government plans to try to right those wrongs (AP) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he will introduce measures to reverse the convictions of more than 900 Post Office branch managers wrongly accused of theft or fraud because of a faulty computer system in what is considered one of the gravest injustices in the nation’s history. The announcement Wednesday follows a TV docudrama on the wrongdoing that created a huge surge of public support for the former postmasters who have spent years trying to reclaim lives ruined by the scandal.

Finland’s Not Finished With Its Border Closure (NYT) Last year, Finland closed its border with Russia after accusing Moscow of sending waves of migrants from Africa and the Middle East into its territory, something it referred to as a “hybrid attack.” The country said that Moscow’s attack was retaliation for Finland joining NATO and its support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. On Thursday, Finland announced that it would be extending that border closure for another month. Finland’s government had partially lifted the closure for a short period in December, but quickly closed it once again in the face of another influx of migrants. “It is very likely that Russia’s hybrid influence activities will resume and expand,” said Finnish  interior minister Mari Rantanen in an interview yesterday. “National security is a critical question for Finland,” she added. “It is necessary to continue the border closure.”

The US failed to track more than $1 billion in military gear given Ukraine, Pentagon watchdog says (AP) Shortfalls in required monitoring by American officials mean the U.S. cannot track more than $1 billion in weapons and military equipment provided to Ukraine to fight invading Russian forces, according to a Pentagon audit released Thursday. The findings mean that 59% of $1.7 billion in defense gear that the U.S. has provided Ukraine and was directed to guard against misuse or theft remained “delinquent,” the report by the Defense Department’s office of the inspector-general, the watchdog body for the Pentagon, said. While Biden administration officials stressed Thursday that there was no evidence the weapons had been stolen, the audit undermines two years of lavish assurances from the administration that rigorous monitoring would keep U.S. military aid given to Ukraine from being misused. That’s despite the country’s longstanding reputation for corruption.

Ukraine builds barricades, digs trenches as focus shifts to defence (Reuters) Rows of white concrete barricades and coils of razor wire stretch across an open field for more than a kilometre. Trenches with rudimentary living quarters are being dug under cover of darkness. Artillery rumbles not far away. New defensive lines visited by Reuters near the northeastern city of Kupiansk on Dec. 28 show how Ukraine has stepped up construction of fortifications in recent months as it shifts its military operations against Russia to a more defensive footing. The defences, which bear some similarities to those rolled out in the Russian-occupied south and east, aim to help Ukraine weather assaults while regenerating its forces as Moscow takes the battlefield initiative, military analysts said.

Exhausted Gaza medics struggle to help casualties from Israeli bombardment (Reuters) Injured Palestinians pour into al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip as exhausted medics try to help casualties from Israel’s ground assault and bombardment. Doctor Khaled Abu Awaimer said the hospital was running out of medical supplies and that many of the remaining medics had themselves been displaced already and feared coming under attack again and having to flee once more. “We have cases we can’t do anything about. We have nothing to offer so we feel completely helpless. This is very sad and bad to be honest,” he said in a video obtained by Reuters. The assault on Gaza has killed more than 23,400 people according to health authorities in the tiny, crowded, Hamas-run enclave and driven most people from their homes. The fate of the strip’s hospitals and plight of its medics operating under bombardment, with flickering electricity and water supply and inadequate medical stocks, has prompted U.N. fears of a collapse in the health system.

Gazan prisoners describe abuse at secretive Israeli detention sites (Washington Post) Jihad Hammouda said he spent 17 days blindfolded and handcuffed in an Israeli detention facility, made to kneel on the ground for hours at a time. He did not know where he was or when he would be released. Israeli soldiers stormed his family home in Gaza City on Dec. 8, the 20-year-old told The Washington Post. He said they shot dead his 78-year-old grandfather, who suffered from dementia, and rounded up his sister, cousins, uncles and grandmother. Hammouda initially spent more than a day in confinement at a neighbor’s home in Gaza, where he said he was stripped to his underwear. Interrogators beat him when he denied being involved with Hamas, he recounted; one soldier held a knife to his hand, threatening to cut off a finger unless he admitted to possessing weapons. On the afternoon of Dec. 9, he said, soldiers drove him over the embattled border to what he assumed was an Israeli military site. From beneath his blindfold, he glimpsed a large barracks surrounded by barbed wire. Hundreds of Palestinians—both combatants and civilians—have been detained by Israeli forces in Gaza and incarcerated without charge inside Israel under a secretive legal framework that rights groups say has never been applied at this scale. Advocates say the system is intentionally opaque and open to abuse, allowing detainees to effectively disappear into a legal gray zone.

Houthis vow revenge (NYT) Yemen’s Houthis vowed to continue targeting ships in the Red Sea “whatever the cost” on Friday, mere hours after U.S. and U.K. forces launched a large-scale attack against the Iranian-backed militant group. “All American-British interests have become legitimate targets,” the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council said in a statement. On Thursday, the United States and United Kingdom launched more than 100 precision-guided munitions at the Houthis, hitting more than 60 targets at 16 different locations in Yemen, including military bases near airports in Sanaa, the capital, and the city of Taiz; a naval base at the Red Sea port of al-Hudaydah; and military sites in Hajjah region. At least five Houthi fighters were killed. The Houthis have launched at least 27 strikes in the Red Sea in recent months. However, it was a Houthi assault against Red Sea vessels on Tuesday that was the straw that broke Washington’s back, U.S. officials implied, with Navy forces intercepting 21 missiles and drones. Oil prices rose more than 1 percent (or more than $2) on Friday over fears that deliveries could be disrupted. At least five oil tankers diverted their paths from the Red Sea on Friday, with Danish crude group Torm saying it will pause all voyages through the southern Red Sea.

#headlines #news