www.obscuresound.com

The second single from London-based duo Quenta, “The Two of Us” grips with a heady hip-hop and art-pop fusion, reminiscent of Demon Days-era Gorillaz. Described as “a journey into the realms of relationships, lovers or friends,” “The Two of Us” meshes hip-hop rhythms with dark brass components. The vocals emit a range of charisma and personality, practically laughing with menacing appeal upon the “it’s just the two of us,” beginnings. An ominous swell past the one-minute mark excels into a bouncier piano-forward pull, as a mellower vocal disposition emerges alongside. The rise from hip-hop mystique into smooth-flowing pop and “game over!” vocal snippet makes for a compelling sound, reflecting the project’s eclectic and creatively melodic sound — even if it’s at time unsettling. “The Two of Us” is a creative success from Quenta. Quenta also has an upcoming full-length on the way.

 Last year, Los Angeles-based indie singer/songwriter Tanner Houghton debuted his solo moniker Oh Bummer! with a new EP, Losing Sunlight. That debut found Houghton fusing his laid-back, indie slacker aesthetic with trip-hop-inspired beats from producer The KickDrums, crafting a woozy and charming style of indie pop with an insular frame. Houghton describes his sound as “songs that are a conglomeration of my manic ADHD thoughts - the diary of an overthinker.” Later this year, Houghton is set to share his forthcoming sophomore EP. He has already teased the record with its lead single, “Talk About It All The Time,” and today he’s back with an early listen to another new track, “Listen Up,” premiering with Under the Radar. “Listen Up” is another of Houghton’s breezy genre fusions, pulling together a sunny guitar line, mellow beat, and insistent hook. Samples from vintage TV shows color the margins of the track while Houghton’s expressive vocal delivery adds some melancholic shades, contrasting his easygoing style with introspective lyricism. Houghton explains of the song, “‘Listen Up’ is an empathetic take on what I know about my late father. He was taken by brain cancer when I was five, and lost the ability to walk long before that. I have memories of him trying with all his might to get up out of his wheelchair and walk, only to hit the ground. He contained multitudes, and seemed to carry so much darkness and light in his heart. Even though he hurt people I love, I stand firm in the belief that love is what heals. This all relates to me and my younger self too - lost, angry, confused. Constantly falling and sinking deeper into that black hole. I needed love and support more than anything, but you can only receive those things if you let them in.” Yet, despite the track’s themes, the results feel brilliantly sweet and summery. That balance is central to Houghton’s music. He explains, “I remember sitting in an old abandoned Victorian house in Echo Park 4 years ago, writing this song and screaming the hook, ‘Sat and I watched you fall apart’ with my best friend Sasha on guitar. I kept the demo this whole time knowing it could be something special. Oh Bummer! is my first solo musical project at 27 years old, and it is the perfect outlet for me to express my love for hip-hop, while adding in some pop and folk-punk sensibilities. Little did I know the name Oh Bummer! would be so fitting, as it’s become abundantly clear that no matter how bouncy and fun the beat behind me is, I’ll find a way to make sure the theme of the song is as heavy as my heart. And if you met me in person, you’ll see why - I carry myself with whimsey to compensate for all of the weight underneath. Oh, bummer.” Check out the song and video below. The sophomore EP from Oh Bummer! is due out later this year.

Local Natives are releasing a new album, Time Will Wait For No One, on July 7 via Loma Vista. Now they have announced some in-store performances at three Southern California record stores and shared a live performance video for the album’s recent single, “NYE.” Check it all out below. Time Will Wait For No One includes three singles the band shared last year: “Just Before the Morning,” “Desert Snow,”and “Hourglass.” “Desert Snow” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then when the album was announced they shared another single from it, “NYE,” via an amusing music video, and announced some tour dates. “NYE” was also one of our Songs of the Week. For the album the band worked with three producers—John Congleton (Angel Olsen, Death Cab For Cutie, St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten), Michael Harris (Lana Del Rey, Feist), and Danny Reisch (Sun June, Other Lives)—recording at various studios around Los Angeles. The band collectively had this to say about the album in a previous press release: “Former selves melting away as some of us became fathers, endured periods of isolation, loss, and identity crisis. The highs and lows we were feeling at the same time were so extreme. There was a moment halfway through making the album, we played one of the most emotional concerts of our lives. A sold out show at the Greek Theater in LA, our first performance in almost two years, and we didn’t know if it would be our last. As individuals and as a band, we were on the verge of a collapse. Time flows on uncontrollably and change is relentless, and the people you love are the only constants. Out of that reckoning we dissolved everything down to start again, and had the most prolific period of songwriting in our history. This is the first chapter, Time Will Wait For No One.” Whenever one of the members of Local Natives get married, the rest of the members become their wedding band. During the wedding of the band’s Ryan Hahn, he got to watch the rest of the band perform without him for the first time, as they covered some of his favorite songs (including one by The Strokes). That inspired “NYE.” Hahn further explians: “I was so psyched watching the guys play this from the audience, something I’d never seen before, that I thought we had to do a fast and wild song, and ‘NYE’ was born.” The rest of Local Natives’ lineup is Taylor Rice, Kelcey Ayer, Matt Frazier, and Nik Ewing. Local Natives released an EP, Sour Lemon, in 2020. Their most recent album was Violet Street, which was released in 2019 on Loma Vista. Local Natives SoCal In-Store Tour Dates: July 11, 2023 - Hollywood, CA - Amoeba July 12 - Long Beach, CA - Fingerprints July 15 - Encinitas, CA - Lou’s Records Local Natives Tour Dates: August 1, 2023 - Los Angeles, CA - Ford Theater (Hummingbird 10th Ann. Show) August 2, 2023 - Los Angeles, CA - Ford Theater (Hummingbird 10th Ann. Show) August 18, 2023 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue^ August 19, 2023 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater^ August 20, 2023 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre^ August 22, 2023 - Boston, MA - House of Blues^ August 24, 2023 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club^ August 25, 2023 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club^ August 26, 2023 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE^ August 27, 2023 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall^ August 29, 2023 - New York, NY - Pier 17^ September 8, 2023 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre* September 9, 2023 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues* September 11, 2023 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall* September 12, 2023 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works* September 13, 2023 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern* September 15, 2023 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues* September 16, 2023 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater* September 17, 2023 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom* September 19, 2023 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren* September 21, 2023 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom* September 22, 2023 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot* September 23, 2023 - Bozeman, MT - The Elm* September 25, 2023 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre* September 26, 2023 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre* September 27, 2023 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Grand Lodge* September 28, 2023 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater* September 30, 2023 - Del Mar, CA - The Sound* ^ w/ Annika Bennett * w/ Halfnoise 

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 88%

www.rappler.com

'Today the world saw that the masters of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all. Just complete chaos,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Chaos in Russia works to Kyiv’s advantage, Ukraine officials said on Saturday, June 24, but it remains to be seen whether President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his army can capitalize on the disorder caused this weekend as mercenaries marched towards Moscow. Late on Saturday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a founder of the Wagner army, said he was halting his “march for justice” on Moscow after a deal that spared him and his mercenaries from facing criminal charges. The deal also exiled Prigozhin to Belarus. “Today the world saw that the masters of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all. Just complete chaos,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, urging Ukraine’s allies to use the moment and send more weapons to Kyiv. The Prigozhin unrest, the biggest internal challenge to President Vladimir Putin as Russia’s paramount leader for 23 years, has spurred global security concerns and a frenzy of calls between Washington and its allies to coordinate actions. “Any chaos behind the enemy lines works in our interests,” State-run Ukrinform news agency quoted Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying on Saturday. Putin called Prigozhin’s actions a “blow to Russia,” but there were no immediate signs his rule was threatened. The defense ministry, under the helm of Putin’s loyal ally Sergei Shoigu, remained silent throughout the weekend’s events. Kuleba said it was too early to speak of consequences for Ukraine, but later in the day he held a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the events and Kyiv’s counteroffensive efforts. The US State Department said in a statement afterwards that Washington will stay “in close cooperation” with Kyiv as the situation develops. Ukraine’s military reported on Saturday an offensive near villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Kyiv also claimed the liberation of Krasnohorivka village in Donetsk, but gains were incremental. The counteroffensive has been in general “slower than desired,” Zelenskiy said recently. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said on Saturday there was no immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the frontline to Moscow. “They…all remain in their places. They continue their resistance,” Ukrainian state media quoted Danilov as saying. – Rappler.com

California badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

A staff member at a dementia care facility in Diamond Bar was arrested Saturday on suspicion of killing two elderly women under his care, authorities said. Sheriff’s deputies were called around 8 a.m. to the Happy Home Care for Elderly, an assisted-living facility located in a four-bedroom suburban home, according to Lt. Daniel Vizcarra. Two “extremely elderly women ... were found in a room within the house,” Vizcarra said. Paramedics came and attempted to provide aid, but both women died at the scene. Detectives did not disclose the identity and age of either victim. Their manner of death was under investigation by the L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroner, but Vizcarra dismissed online reports of a shooting. “Nobody was shot,” he said. The live-in caretaker, Jianchun Li, was arrested Saturday afternoon and booked on suspicion of killing both women. Li, 40, was being held in county jail in lieu of $4-million bond, according to booking records. He is scheduled to appear in the Pomona Courthouse on Tuesday. The Happy Home Care for Elderly, a state-licensed residential care facility, touts its “homelike environment” and “well-trained staff to look after your loved ones,” according to its website. The home has space for up to six residents, according to state records; four other residents at the home were not harmed, Vizcarra said. The slayings were a shock to the quiet San Gabriel Valley neighborhood. “We would never have thought something like this could occur,” Ivonne Trypucko, the manager of a swim club across the street from the elder care home, told KTLA.

www.grimygoods.com

Osees Powerlift Their Way Through Synth-Punk on New Single and Video “Goon” On their second single from their upcoming album, Intercepted Message, “Goon” wastes no time to turn the amps up with the help of some tasteful 80s synths. June 23, 2023 Osees - Photo by Titouan Massé Osees – Photo by Titouan Massé Released just before they embark on their North American tour, garage-punk band Thee Oh Sees, currently going by Osees, are switching lanes into synth-punk on their latest track and video, “Goon.” Once a solo project of guitarist and vocalist John Dwyer, the band is known for constant name changes and reinventions from album to album. On their second single from their upcoming album, Intercepted Message, “Goon” wastes no time to turn the amps up with the help of some tasteful 80s synths. Ad Please note: This post may contain affiliate links. Complete with verses and a chorus that comes rapidly in just over two minutes of track time, Dwyer’s voice, using his gravelly diaphragm, shouts like there’s no tomorrow. From the jump, the drums go at lightning speed without slowing down for a second, fitting for “your 24-hour news cycle eyes,” as Dwyer put it when describing his intentions behind the song. The quote also applies to the lyrics, with Dwyer seemingly speaking to conformities and embracing himself as a goon while simultaneously raising hell on the guitar. Ad The music video clocks in at the same exact time as the song, keeping matters concise and tight. Perhaps just as tight as Zack Palmisano’s muscles, the focal point of the video. Alone in a mostly empty gym, he pumps iron through constantly changing frames, taking note of posters that tell him to “work hard” and “use every single inch.” He takes the latter to heart and comically uses his hard-on to lift heavy weights like the star of an absurd 80s movie à la Repo Man. artist to watch in 2023 “Goon,” described by Dwyer as “a pop record for tired times. Sugared with bits of shatterproof glass to put more crack in your strap,” just about captures that essence and then some. It also helps that the music video works so well with the track and understands how much it will get your blood flowing. But that should be expected from a band that, after more than twenty studio albums, still manages to keep everyone guessing about what’s around the corner. “Goon” by Osees is out on all streaming services. For more on their upcoming album and North American tour, including a date at Substance Festival in LA on November 9th, follow them on Bandcamp and their website. Arctic Monkeys tour Dates 2023 Ad Ad Best Summer Music Festival in Southern California submit your new song influential black women femalesingers 

Movies and TV Shows badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 95%

www.mentalfloss.com

Saw a dude with a They Live shirt on today, and we agreed it was the truth! A gem by a true master! [](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/03/28/ff/0328ff3017ff2f0be56b24cf4ef54ad5.gif)

www.obscuresound.com

A stirring single from Chicago-based band SOFT CHARM, “soup” launches quickly into an exhilarating guitar-laden soaring amidst a calming acoustical pulse. The caressing vocal tone emerges amidst a lusher backing disposition; the seamless alternations between urging contemplation and subsequent soaring reminds fondly of Japanese Breakfast. “Everything that you believe in is a lie,” the vocals let out, the bitter truth contrasted by the exuberant guitar play. The lyrics play poignantly, with this particular line reflective of current society’s trend toward false truths. The track itself “poses itself as a challenge” to such blind acceptances, and does so in rousing form with the climactic rock production. Check out the band’s track description: “soup” is a song about brainmelt. Lyrically it weaves gently but potently through subjects such as reproductive justice, gender affirming healthcare, gun control, and police brutality. It poses itself as a challenge to those who may be blindly accepting and reciting dangerous conservative rhetoric. A leftist manifesto tucked into an upbeat sway and melody, reminiscent of an early 2000s indie / pop rock ballad. — This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of June 2023’ Spotify playlist.

Impressing in both twangy yearning and bright hooky rock, the I Don’t Hear You Anymore EP is a stellar release from The Money War. The Western Australian-based duo of Dylan Ollivierre and Carmen Pepper concoct a heartrending sound, authentically capturing a range of emotions. “The songs are special to me because they remind me of moments in the last year where I felt desperate to express myself,” Ollivierre says. “In the past, we often had numerous songs to choose from, but nowadays, with three young kids, our time has significantly decreased. Therefore, a song only progresses beyond the ‘idea’ stage if it strongly demands to be realized.” The good thing about limited time is that selectivity becomes of greater importance; that’s emphasized in the EP’s 4-for-4 success rate, not wasting any time during its brief yet memorable runtime. Opener “I Don’t Hear You Anymore” is immediately indicative of such, presenting a caressing folk sound. A lush acoustic guitar complements Ollivierre’s affecting vocal lead. “Is this the cross I’m nailed upon, or just my ego out for blood?” the vocals stir. Pursuing a more playful, peppy sound with twangy guitars and light reflective keys, “Was It Ever Really Anything?” enamors with its hooky, laid-back production. The duo alternate vocal leads, joining for the “if we gave up now, was it ever really anything?” refrain. Further captivation arises upon the gorgeous burst of guitar twangs past the two-minute turn. The track also features FEELDs, the Melbourne-based project of James Seymour. Taking inspiration “by the beauty of living in the present moment,” “Ride” scales things back with beautiful twangs and a resonating vocal emphasis on the importance of love. “Come on ride with me, come and take the ride of your life with me,” the vocals entice, comforting amidst the western-y, desert-set sound. The closing “Somebody Loves You” brings back the vibrancy, exuding a nostalgic rock quality with its mellow pushes and bouncy guitars. The title-touting chorus shines with replay-inducing warmth. Featuring two shimmering rockers and two scaled-down beauties, The Money War’s I Don’t Hear You Anymore is an EP with dynamic and melodically impactful resonance.

Movies and TV Shows badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

Leaders of SAG-AFTRA signaled they are making good headway in contract negotiations with the major studios, suggesting Hollywood may avert a second strike. In a video message to members Saturday, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland shared no details of the talks, but said they were progressing well. “We are having an extremely productive negotiations that are laser focused on all the crucial issues you told us are most important to you,” Drescher said. The talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers began June 7 and are being closely watched in light of the ongoing writers’ strike, which began May 2. The writers’ strike has brought nearly all scripted production to a halt in Los Angeles. But an actors’ strike could be even more destabilizing for the film and TV industry. An agreement with the actors, coming on the heels of a contract recently negotiated by the Directors Guild of America, would likely put more pressure on Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP to resolve their standoff, although guild leaders have stressed they would not be bound by terms negotiated by other guilds. Actors have been vocal in their support of writers and share many of the same demands to boost pay and improve working conditions that they say have eroded during the streaming era. Subscribe to Continue Reading SAG-AFTRA members have already authorized their leaders to call a strike if they can’t reach a deal on a new film and TV contract before their contract expires June 30. The last time actors went on strike was in 2000 in a dispute over their commercials contract. The previous actors’ strike against the major film and TV studios was in 1980. Despite the tensions, SAG-AFTRA leaders expressed optimism they could reach a deal that would avert another walkout. “We have a very narrow window of time remaining before our contract expires,” Crabtree-Ireland said in the video. “We remain optimistic that we will be able to bring the studios, networks, streamers along to make a fair deal.” SAG-AFTRA, which represents some 160,000 performers and broadcasters, is seeking increased wages to counter inflation, higher residuals from streaming and protections from the use of AI. Additionally, the union wants to bolster contributions to its health and pension plans and curb the practice of self-taped auditions, a trend that accelerated during the pandemic. The video message was first reported by Deadline.

Although What Matters Most is his first studio album since So There, his collaboration in 2015 with the string ensemble yMusic, Ben Folds has been keeping himself busy. Aside from his day job as the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, he’s written a memoir (A Dream About Lightning Bugs), launched a podcast, displayed his photography in galleries in the U.S. and Europe, and appeared onscreen in films and television (including the hit Amazon Prime series The Wilds.). He’s also been nominated for an Emmy for his composition and performance of the theme song to the Apple TV special It’s the Small Things. So, what made Mr. Folds go back into the studio to make something as old fashioned as a pop record? We spoke to Folds, who made a name for himself in the mid to late 1990s with Ben Folds Five, about the new album (recently released by New West) and whether it’s better to retire or turn into a heritage act. Ian Rushbury (Under the Radar): You’ve said that What Matters Most has a specific sequence which builds to a finale. Was that always the concept or was that organic? Ben Folds: I remember talking to Scott Litt, the guy that produced R.E.M. and he said they were a fucking mess at the start of their sessions but then right at the end, when you don’t think the goal is going to be scored, you kick the ball through 36 pairs of legs and the goalie’s hands and you score. They did that over and over again with their music. I kind of think that this album had a little bit of that going on. I was looking to make an album that made a trip because I felt that life is like that. I believe that keeping an LP as the template is the best way to make records. It gives you something to focus on—a format, a time limit and an intermission, because, in the era where everyone forgot about vinyl, I was one of the people that didn’t. Every single one of my records was pressed on vinyl and I was always so concerned about how long the programs are on each side and where the highest dynamic is. I always have those things in mind. I wanted it to be a journey. Sometimes, I got a little bit lost; I thought I was in the park but I was actually on the highway, but that’s fine. I felt my way through. There’s a cinematic feel to the record and it finishes on a real high with “Moments.” Did you always have in the back of your mind that it was going to end on something uplifting? I’m willing to admit that I’m not very good at [writing] an utterly positive song. And that’s my problem! I eventually went to my friends Tim Harrington and Paul Wright from Tall Heights for help. I had the first line of the song and I told them, “It needs to be like this but I just can’t do it,” and they finished writing the song for me. It became an “era” thing—my era is not that good at “everything’s gonna be okay” songs. In the ’90s, we thought that everything was gonna be okay but now, when we know everything isn’t gonna be okay, the kids like some fantasy! They’re cool with it. Kids can write positive songs now and I admire that. One track on What Matters Most—“Exhausting Lover”—is a candid recounting of a liaison with an aggressive groupie, ending with some bizarre flagellation involving a length of Hot Wheels track. Please tell me this is drawn from experience? I hate to tell you this but it’s a product of amalgamation, exaggeration, and straight up fiction. I did want to write a song like Ice-T’s “The Girl Tried to Kill Me.” It’s so good—what he really nailed in his song was the absurdity of it. How artists have a really inflated idea of who they are. It’s dudes telling stories and they get crazier and crazier. It’s okay with me if people think it’s true. I made most of it up—sorry! Let’s say the guy in this song is just some kind of middle American middle-class kid who’s in over his head. Just when he starts thinking, “I think this might not be the girl of my dreams!” she turns around with a piece of Hot Wheels track in her hand! Another track I thought was really interesting was “Kristine From the 7th Grade.” It’s got a European feel to it. It’s quite unusual for an American artist to write like that. Oh yeah, you’re gonna hear Nino Rota in there, and Jacques Brel. Definitely a European influence. You can’t erase Leonard Cohen from the equation either. The song is definitely within the field of rock ‘n’ roll but it owes as much to Neil Hannon [of The Divine Comedy] as it does to any American artist. It’s funny—I don’t know why that song came together in such a way after the content of the lyric. You’re in the middle of a pretty exhaustive world tour, including a return visit to The Royal Albert Hall in London in November. Surely all the stresses and strains of tour bus life are behind you now? My initial plan was that this was going to be my last album. I mean I’m 56, why should I be shaking my ass on stage in leather pants after this? I’m not saying I’ll never tour again, but I felt I needed to document my feelings about the changing world in a musical time capsule. I felt like the guy on the hill with a long beard looking down from his cave, saying, “Oh God I suppose I’d better come down from the cave and scare some children,” and go back home. Have you still got the legs for the leather pants? I’ve still got the stick-like pins I’ve always had and I’m going to shake my ass one more time. But the day after the Albert Hall I’m gonna be stuffing my face with cake. Do you feel that more, older artists should be leaving the stage, rather than just carrying on regardless? I do feel for all of us. Some artists are hard-wired to do what they do. It’s a working-class job—I don’t care how much fucking money you make; this is manual labor. You show up and you get paid. It’s an honest day’s work. Some of these guys have been doing it since they were 15 years old. Who are we to tell them that they can’t go out and make an honest living anymore? When I first heard the term “heritage artists,” I thought, “Are you serious here?” I am not going to be a heritage artist! I’m not saying that I’m retiring from stuff. I just don’t plan to do any of that album cycle stuff where you make an album and you go on tour. I’ve spent my whole life learning a craft. What I need to capture about this requires every bit of craft that I can muster. The kids don’t got the craft now. They’ve got another kind of craft and that’s fine, but they haven’t got that classic ’70s songwriting craftsmanship. The art of shaking a song out of your sleeve. So, I think it’s time for the old fella to come down from the cave, show some kids how to dot I’s and cross T’s and write a proper three-verse song with a great chorus and modulations and cool chords and metaphors and all kinds of good shit. Then I can head back up to the cave and hang up my leather pants

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 94%

www.rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Japan’s military is testing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service with an eye to adopting the technology next fiscal year, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday, June 25, citing unnamed government sources. The Ministry of Defense already has access to communication satellites in geostationary orbit, but use of Starlink technology, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, would add a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, the Yomiuri said. Countries around the world are seeking to build resilience against the risk of jamming of communications or attacks on satellites in the event of conflict. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have been testing Starlink since March with the system deployed in about 10 locations and in training, the newspaper said. Defense ministry spokespeople could not immediately be reached for comment on the report outside business hours. Starlink technology is being deployed by Ukraine on the battlefield, and Russia is attempting to block its use in the region. Musk said in October SpaceX could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink’s use in Ukraine. The US Defense Department said this month it had contracted to provide Starlink services there. – Rappler.com

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 97%

www.rappler.com

Heavily armed Russian mercenaries who advanced most of the way to Moscow halted their approach, de-escalating a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power, in a move that their leader said would avoid bloodshed. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Putin ally and founder of the Wagner army, said his men reached within 125 miles (200 km) of the capital on Saturday. Earlier, Moscow deployed soldiers in preparation for their arrival and told residents to stay indoors. The Wagner fighters captured the city of Rostov hundreds of miles to the south before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armoured trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them, video showed. On Saturday night, they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, a Reuters witness said. “In 24 hours we got to within 200 km of Moscow. In this time we did not spill a single drop of our fighters’ blood,” Prigozhin, dressed in full combat uniform at an undisclosed location, said in a video. “Understanding… that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps as planned.” Reuters could not independently verify how far Prigozhin’s mercenaries had reached. Video earlier showed convoys of Wagner vehicles less than 310 miles (500 kilometers) from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that under a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped, Prigozhin would move to Belarus, and Wagner fighters who joined his “march for justice” would face no action, in recognition of their previous service to Russia. Peskov, who called the events of the day “tragic”, said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Putin’s approval, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years. Little pushback from armed forces Wagner’s lightning insurrection appeared to develop with little pushback from Russia’s regular armed forces, raising questions about Putin’s hold on power in the nuclear-armed nation even after the abrupt halt to Wagner’s advance. Earlier, Prigozhin said his “march” on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine. In a televised address, Putin said the rebellion put Russia’s very existence under threat. “We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history,” Putin said, vowing punishment for those behind “an armed insurrection”. In later outlining the deal brokered by Lukashenko, Peskov said the agreement had the “higher goal” of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed. Peskov declined to say whether any concessions were made to Prigozhin, other than guarantees of safety for him – something he said Putin gave his word to vouch for – and for Prigozhin’s men, to persuade him to withdraw all his forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the developments, which sparked a flurry of high-level calls between Western leaders, exposed turmoil at the heart of in Russia. “Today the world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing. And that means nothing. Simply complete chaos. An absence of any predictability,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. Ex-convicts in Wagner ranks The fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails. His men fought the bloodiest battles of the 16-month Ukraine war, including for the eastern city of Bakhmut. He railed for months against the military’s top brass, especially Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters. This month, he defied orders to sign a contract placing his troops under Defense Ministry command. He launched the apparent mutiny on Friday after alleging that the military had killed many of his fighters in an air strike. The Defense Ministry denied this. He said he had captured the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District without firing a shot in Rostov, which serves as the main rear logistical hub for Russia’s entire invasion force in Ukraine. Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions. Western capitals were closely following the situation. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to G7 counterparts. The top U.S. military officer, Army General Mark Milley, canceled a scheduled trip to the Middle East. Ukraine attacks near Bakhmut The insurrection risked leaving Russia’s invasion force in Ukraine in disarray, just as Kyiv is launching its strongest counteroffensive since the war began in February last year. Some Ukrainians were gleeful at the prospect of a split in Russian ranks 16 months after the Kremlin’s troops invaded their country. Ukraine’s military said on Saturday its forces made advances near Bakhmut, on the eastern front, and further south. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, commander of the southern front, said Ukrainian forces had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka, west of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk. Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014. – Rappler.com

National Parks badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 96%

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1499927 > Carlsbad Caverns National Park is known for its caves, but there’s a lot more to the national park – which is celebrating its centennial this year. > > Despite its name, there is only one Carlsbad Cavern, but there are many other caves in the park. There’s also plenty to see above ground, including the park’s famous bats, brilliant night sky and the rugged beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert. > > “The combination of the desert ecosystem, being so kind of harsh and fragile with hot temperatures and stabby plants, and then the fragile nature of the cave ecosystem beneath your feet is a really neat contrast,” said Anthony Mazzucco, a park guide and acting supervisory park ranger at Carlsbad Caverns. “The bats being like a link between the cave and the desert kind of brings it all full circle. It's a really powerful lesson in the way our ecosystems work and relate to each other.” > > Here’s what visitors should know about Carlsbad Caverns, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series. > The Bat Flight Amphitheater is perfectly situated so visitors can see bats exiting Carlsbad Cavern's Natural Entrance from a safe distance. > How many caves are in Carlsbad Caverns? > > There are at least 120 known caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The only one currently open to the general public is Carlsbad Cavern. Mazzucco explained most caves are off limits to both visitors and park staff not only for their safety but to protect the cave ecosystems. > > “Those areas of the self-guided routes in Carlsbad Cavern, and to an extent even the guided tour areas, have all been kind of sacrificed in a way,” he said. “The infrastructure and the lighting and the trail system create an element of permanent damage to the cave. (It) is great because you can allow people to see it up close and personal and learn about it in a safe manner, but some caves, that’s just not possible to do it in.” > > Cavers can sometimes get recreational permits for other caves in the park, but that program is on hold, as are interpretative tours of Slaughter Canyon Cave. The only ranger-led tour currently available is the King’s Palace Tour of Carlsbad Cavern. > Fragile soda straw stalactites and columns fill Doll's Theater in Carlsbad Cavern's Big Room. > What’s so special about Carlsbad Cavern? > > Carlsbad Cavern is full of mesmerizing rock formations that visitors can explore at their own pace. > > The park notes late humorist Will Rogers once likened it to “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it,” adding “it’s got all the cathedrals of the world in it, with half of ’em hanging upside down.” > Do you have to make a reservation for Carlsbad Caverns? > > Reservations are required to enter the cavern itself. They must be made in advance at Recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. > > Reservations cost $1 per person, regardless of age. A $15 cavern entrance fee is also required for visitors ages 16 and up. Cave entry is free for guests age 15 and under, but they still need a $1 reservation. > > “Anything on the surface, no reservation and no entry fee is needed into the park,” Mazzucco said. “So any surface hiking trails or watching the Bat Flight Program we do in the summertime evenings or any astronomy dark sky programs or just star-watching on their own, wildlife viewing, if the park has any special presentations or looking around the visitor center exhibit hall or doing any shopping in the bookstore, all of that is free.” > > Visitors should note a number of surface hiking trails and Walnut Canyon Desert Drive are currently closed, due to flood damage. The latest conditions and closures can be found on the park’s website. > Snow lightly covers Slaughter Canyon at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. > What months are the bats at Carlsbad Caverns? > > Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to 17 bat species. > > “The colony that we're famous for is referred to as Brazilian freetailed bats,” Mazzucco said. The migratory bats spend the summer roosting in Carlsbad Cavern, arriving as early as April and staying until September or October. “By the fall, whenever the weather gets a little colder, there's no insects around to eat, the bats will migrate south to Mexico or further south in Central America.” > > Weather permitting, each night during the summer, rangers host a free Bat Flight Program talk at the park’s Bat Flight Amphitheater, where visitors can watch hundreds of thousands of bats take flight from the cavern’s Natural Entrance. The third Saturday of each July, the park hosts a whole bat celebration. > > “Every day we like to celebrate our flying mammal friends but for Dawn of the Bats is kind of a day focus on that education,” Mazzucco said. “We typically have these ranger talks in the evening to watch the bats exit the cave every night. For Dawn of the Bats, we kind of reverse it and some of our staff will get up pretty early and invite the public to join right around sunrise for a chance to watch or mainly listen to the baths return to the cavern.” Other activities are held throughout the day. > Visitors can watch hundreds of thousands of bats take flight each summer night at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. > How long does it take to walk through Carlsbad Cavern? > > Exploring Carlsbad Cavern can take as little as 45 minutes to upwards of two-and-half hours, depending on if visitors walk the steep path down from the cave’s Natural Entrance or take an elevator to the relatively flat Big Room. > > “For being such an extreme environment, it's fairly accessible, all things considered,” Mazzucco noted. “If folks have any of their own mobility devices, you know, wheelchair, electric scooter, one of those kinds of knee carts if they have a leg injury, things like that, A-OK to go down the elevator and explore most of the Big Room. We just kind of prohibit those devices on the main corridor section because of the steep switchbacking trail, to prevent any safety issue.” > > There are more than 60 switchbacks on the Natural Entrance Trail, which he said descends 750 feet or the equivalent of three-quarters of the height of the Empire State Building. > Visitors who use wheelchairs can access Carlsbad Cavern's Big Room by elevator. > > National parks for every body:How to make the outdoors more accessible to people with disabilities > Is Carlsbad Caverns the biggest cave in the US? > > The Big Room is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America, but Carlsbad Cavern is not the biggest cave. > > Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the longest known cave system in the whole world. > What is the closest city to Carlsbad Caverns? > > Carlsbad Caverns is 20 miles away from Carlsbad, New Mexico and 145 miles away from El Paso, Texas. El Paso International Airport is the nearest major airport. > A caver looks out across Carlsbad Caverns National Park at night. > How close are White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns? > > The national parks are less than three and a half hours apart by car. > > Carlsbad Caverns is actually closer to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. They are just over 30 minutes away from each other. > Who are the Indigenous people of Carlsbad Caverns? > > According to the park, prehistoric Native peoples lived in the Guadalupe Mountains between 12,000 to 14,000 years ago and Mescalero Apache arrived in the area in around 1400. > > Mazzucco said while there is so far no known evidence of these early residents going far into the dark zone of Carlsbad Cavern, they did leave some pictographs and rock art near the Natural Entrance of the cavern.“Folks hiking down the main corridor, they kind of walk past that area, and keen observers can notice them,” he said. “There are lots (more) within the park, mostly in hard to reach backcountry areas that have some specific closures.” > More than 60 switchbacks takes visitors down Natural Entrance Trail, which is not advised for visitors with heart or respiratory conditions.

Los Angeles badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

omny.fm

The vote on whether to suspend L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price is postponed. An LA architect has found an affordable housing solution using plastic. Tips on summer stargazing from the L.A. Astronomical Society. Plus, more. Support The L.A. Report by donating now at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.com

www.latimes.com

In West Hollywood, home to one of the largest Russian-speaking communities in the United States, residents watched with hope and apprehension Saturday as a mercenary rebellion that threatened to upend the Russian government and undermine its bloody invasion of Ukraine appeared to subside. Some were buoyed by the news that Yevgeny Prigozhin, a wealthy Russian entrepreneur who owns the mercenary army known as the Wagner Group, announced that he was halting his march to Moscow. Others, like Andrei Braginski, dismissed the armed rebellion as an insignificant development in Russia, where the invasion of Ukraine and its mounting casualties have become increasingly unpopular. “They’re rebels without support,” said Braginski, 58, carrying a bag of groceries filled with cherries, Kefir and tomato juice outside Odessa Grocery on Santa Monica Boulevard. “I don’t think it’s going to change the war. [Prigozhin] won’t win and won’t weaken the Russian army.” Braginski, who was born in Estonia, has cousins in Russia and said he supports Ukraine and anyone standing on their side. Inside the market, shoppers strolled past shelves lined with Russian candies and chips as a song from Russian Lithuanian singer Kristina Orbakaite blared through the speakers overhead. Some spoke on condition that they not be identified out of fear of reprisals by those who disagreed with their opinions. Nina, 67, who was raised in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and declined to give her last name, was optimistic by the news that the Wagner Group had halted its march to Moscow. “At the end of the day, peace will prevail,” she said as she scoured the frozen food aisle looking for pierogies for her mother. She noted that her sister and nephew live in Zaporizhia, a city in southeast Ukraine where intense fighting has taken place in recent weeks. Nina said she isn’t a fan of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but added that she does not support the war in her homeland. “So many young kids are dying,” she said. “There have been tragedies beyond imagination.” The Wagner Group operates in multiple countries and has fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The mercenary operation in Ukraine has relied on well-trained Russian military veterans and convicts recruited from prisons and used for indiscriminate “human wave” attacks against Ukrainian forces, according to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service. Regardless of the outcome of Prigozhin’s mercenary rebellion, he has tapped into popular sentiment across Russia, using social media to call out corruption and ineptitude of Russian generals leading the war in Ukraine, said Robert English, director of Central European Studies at USC. He said Prigozhin will continue to pose a threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s long hold on power. “Prigozhin is hitting all the right notes,” English said Saturday in a telephone interview from Europe, where he has been monitoring the developments. “His message resonates.” In West Hollywood, Liana sat at her desk in a notary public office, describing the rebels as criminals but adding that “any means to overthrow Putin is good enough.” “It’s probably benefiting Ukraine that the mutiny and disruption is happening,” said the 26-year-old, who declined to give her last name out of concern for her mother in Russia. “I believe in the domino effect, that one event will impact another and then another. But no one knows what’s going to happen.” Liana, who came to the United States nine years ago to attend drama school, called the war “surreal” and had complicated thoughts about the U.S.’s support of Ukraine. “I don’t think the U.S. is supporting Ukraine out of the pureness of its heart,” she said. “ I think there’s always a political agenda when a country gets involved. Nevertheless, it’s good because Ukraine doesn’t have the same resources as Russia. And now it can fight back.” But she doesn’t know how, or when, the war will end. “I really hope for the best,” she said after a long pause. “ I just want people to be safe and continue to live as they were. But so many things have happened that are irreversible. That will never be forgotten.” Her co-worker Nadia Akarsu, 36, remembers the day a bomb shook her awake in her Kyiv apartment. It was Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russian troops stormed into her homeland. “It’s horrible. We Ukrainians didn’t think it was possible in 21st century,” she said. Although she called the leader of the Wagner group a “criminal,” Akarsu was glad when she heard news of their rebellion against the Russian army. “When an enemy is divided and there’s conflict between themselves, it’s good,” she said. “I don’t think it will benefit Ukraine yet, but it will spread the attention of Russian forces.” Akarsu fled the war last year and left behind her father and many friends, and said she’s appreciative of the U.S. support of Ukraine. “The attack is a danger to world society and to peace,” she said. “The United States is the strongest country in the world and the leader of the world, and I’m glad they are taking responsibility as a leader.” As for how she thinks the war will end, Akarsu is hopeful. “I hope and believe that Ukraine will get back all territories occupied by Russia right now, and that we will be more independent and stronger than ever,” she said. But she thinks it won’t happen anytime soon.

Earlier this month, General Motors announced that beginning in 2025, it will adopt Tesla's charging connector for all its electric vehicles. With the announcement, GM joins Ford in partnering with Tesla to integrate Tesla charging connectors into the companies’ electric vehicles beginning in 2025, vastly expanding charging access for Ford and GM EV owners. Tesla opened its charging technology, which it calls the North American Charging Standard, in late 2022. “We invite charging network operators and vehicle manufacturers to put the Tesla charging connector and charge port, now called the North American Charging Standard (NACS), on their equipment and vehicles,” Tesla said in a press release. The announcements from Ford and GM are a major shift toward adopting the North American Charging Standard as the industry’s standard EV charging system. Both automakers' electric vehicles use the Combined Charging System (CCS), which has been a standard in North America. To make Tesla Superchargers available to Ford and GM owners with CCS-compatible vehicles, the companies will provide adapters to hook into the Tesla stations. The NACS charging system will be available on all Ford and GM electric vehicles beginning with the 2025 model year. Tesla dominates the U.S. electric vehicle market As demand for electric cars and trucks has increased, automakers have moved quickly to debut vehicles that rely only on battery power, as opposed to hybrid or internal combustion engines. Twenty-four brands offered pure electric vehicles in the U.S. in 2022. As of 2022, EVs represent 8% of the overall market, up from just over 5% in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. Despite a rush to meet demand across the rest of the industry, Tesla maintains dominance over the EV sector. Of all EVs sold in the U.S. in 2022, Tesla vehicles made up 64.5% of the market. Ford held the second-largest market share behind Tesla, selling 7.5% of all EVs. Tesla tops EV sales in 2022 Part of what makes Tesla so dominant is the diversity and familiarity of its electric vehicle lineup. Tesla offered four EVs in 2022, more than any other company, and they aren’t brand-new releases. The Model S was first released in 2012, while Tesla’s most recent new release, the Model Y, first hit the market in 2020. For comparison, Ford’s first EV, the Mustang Mach-E, first went on sale in December 2022. Tesla still controls the electric vehicle market Since Tesla electric vehicles greatly outnumber EVs from other brands, the NACS system is already the most common EV charger in North America, according to Tesla. Tesla maintains nearly 7,000 charging stations in the U.S., giving drivers access to more than 33,000 NACS ports, according to the Department of Energy. To date, just over 12,000 CCS chargers are available across the U.S. Where EV chargers are located

Astronomy badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

Curious travelers have the chance to indulge in astronomy at some of the few remaining safe havens for pitch-black skies providing a clear glimpse of thousands of luminous stars. To promote public excitement and knowledge about the issue, several National parks will host stargazing festivals for sky watching and meteor showers in 2023. For those who can’t make it to these events, many national parks offer regular star parties throughout the year. Here’s a list of events to take advantage of and make the most of the darkness this year. Badlands National Park astronomy festival in South Dakota — July 14 – 16 Past events have included a guided walk through a "solar system," demonstrations, guest speakers and observations with special solar telescopes. Shenandoah National Park night sky festival in Virginia — Aug. 11–13 The Blue Ridge Mountains park is located within a day’s drive from two-thirds of Americans. Past events have covered space weather, nocturnal creatures and more. Great Basin National Park astronomy festival in Nevada — Sept. 14–16 The 77,000-acre park is one of the least crowded national parks and is home to the Great Basin Observatory — the only research-grade observatory in a national park. Participants in the festival’s “Art in the Dark” program can paint in low-light conditions and experiment with how their eyes perceive color. Joshua Tree National Park night sky festival in California — Oct. 13–14 The festival conveniently overlaps with an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse. The moon will appear to obscure between 70 and 80 percent of the sun. Joshua Tree became an official dark sky park in 2017. For the tens of millions of people who live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Joshua Tree is the “nearest convenient place to go stargazing under a relatively dark sky,” according to the International Dark Sky Association. Many areas part of the National Park Service (NPS) have received International Dark Sky Association certification as light pollution gets worse. More:You can see a galaxy with the naked eye: Astrotourism is an adventure 'you can't experience from photos' Certified International Dark Sky parks in the U.S. Arizona Buffalo National River Chiricahua National Monument Flagstaff Area National Monuments Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument Kartchner Caverns State Park Oracle State Park Petrified Forest National Park Pipe Spring National Monument Tonto National Monument Tumacácori National Historical Park Utah Antelope Island State Park (U.S.) Arches National Park (U.S.) Bryce Canyon National Park Canyonlands National Park Capitol Reef National Park Cedar Breaks National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park East Canyon State Park Fremont Indian State Park Goblin Valley State Park Goosenecks State Park Jordanelle State Park Kodachrome Basin State Park Zion National Park Natural Bridges National Monument North Fork Park Rockport State Park Steinaker State Park California Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (U.S.) Death Valley National Park Joshua Tree National Park Colorado Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Curecanti National Recreation Area Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Dinosaur National Monument Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument Hovenweep National Monument Jackson Lake State Park Lake Fork Earth and Sky Center Mesa Verde National Park Top of the Pines Texas Big Bend National Park Big Bend Ranch State Park Copper Breaks State Park Enchanted Rock State Natural Area Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park Milton Reimers Ranch Park South Llano River State Park UBarU Camp and Retreat Center Florida Big Cypress National Preserve Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park Best stargazing events of 2023How to see green comet, meteor showers and an eclipse this year Georgia Stephen C. Foster State Park Idaho City of Rocks National Reserve Illinois Middle Fork River Forest Preserve Kentucky Mammoth Cave National Park Maine AMC Maine Woods (U.S.) Michigan Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park Headlands Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, Michigan Minnesota Voyageurs National Park Montana/Canada Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park North Carolina Cape Lookout National Seashore Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute New Mexico Chaco Culture National Historical Park Clayton Lake State Park Capulin Volcano National Monument El Morro National Monument Fort Union National Monument Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Valles Caldera National Preserve Nevada Great Basin National Park Nebraska Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area Ohio Geauga Observatory Park Oregon Prineville Reservoir State Park Pennsylvania Cherry Springs State Park Craters Of The Moon National Monument Tennessee Obed Wild and Scenic River Pickett CCC Memorial State Park & Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area Virginia James River State Park Natural Bridge State Park Rappahannock County Park Sky Meadows State Park Staunton River State Park West Virginia Watoga State Park Wisconsin Newport State Park Visit NPS's website to view more stargazing events throughout the year.

SportsCarRacing badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.theverge.com

During the Formula E qualifying round in Portland, Oregon, today, the DS Penske team was fined €25,000 after it surreptitiously installed an RFID scanner at the entrance to the pit, which the FIA stewards said could collect data from other race cars and give them an advantage. The team’s racers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne, were also hit with a pit lane start penalty for today’s race — meaning they will have to wait at the end of the pit lane until all of the other cars have driven past before entering the race. The FIA Stewards explanation for the penalty was provided to The Verge via email: The Stewards were advised by the Technical Delegate that the competitor had installed RFID scanning equipment in the pit lane entry this morning that was able to collect live data from all cars. Firstly, it is forbidden in general for competitors to install or place any equipment in the pit lane. Secondly, the collection of data by this method gives the competitor a lot of information, which is a huge and unfair advantage. Taking all the circumstances together, the Stewards feel that the given penalty is appropriate. RFID chips have been used in Formula E tires for the entirety of the still-young motorsport, primarily to track the condition of tires, including temperature and tire pressure, and encourage their efficient use, according to a 2014 article in Tyrepress. For the 2023 season, Formula E has switched to a new “Gen 3” car design and a new tire manufacturer, going from Michelins to the Hankook iON. A Motorsport.com report from off-season testing discussed how much of a challenge that presented for the teams and a possible reason why attempting to glean data from the entire field was something Penske would even try. For the 2022-2023 season, the series picked up a sponsorship from Hankook tires, which a report in Motorsport indicated presented challenges for the drivers, who had been used to the same Michelin tires for the previous 8 seasons.

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 98%

mashable.com

Should go without saying, but: Telegram and Twitter were big spreaders of misinformation during the Russian coup attempt. Credit: Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The potential coup attempt in Russia by a paramilitary organization may already be over(opens in a new tab), but the misinformation sure did flow during the breaking global event. On Friday, news quickly spread that the Kremlin-aligned private army known as Wagner Group, led by "Putin's chef" Yevgeny Prigozhin, was leaving the war in Ukraine and marching towards Moscow. This breaking news caught many by surprise, and people flocked to social media in an effort to make sense of what appeared to be a coup attempt. However, with information sparse as events in Russia were still unfolding, misinformation and wild speculation ran rampant online, showing that modern day social media and internet news sources are still highly flawed and lacking. A major issue with this particular event is that many of the most popular platforms in the country aren't ones that get much use in the western world. Telegram, for example, is extremely popular in non-English speaking countries like Russia. Much of the breaking news surrounding the coup attempt was first being posted there, and in Russian. English speakers not only had to understand the language, but be familiar with which Telegram channels were legitimate sources of information. Due to lackadaisical moderation on the platform, many English-language users that are on Telegram tend to be far right-wingers and biased towards Putin's regime. These accounts are not the best sources of information, if they even have any actual on-the-ground info to begin with. Much of what flowed on Telegram eventually did make its way to English-speaking users in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere via Twitter. And that poses yet another problem. Since Elon Musk acquired the platform, Twitter has gone through changes that don't exactly bode well for it as an invaluable breaking news resource like it once was. For example, prior to Musk, the blue checkmark meant that a user was verified by Twitter as the journalist or expert that the individual claimed they were. Remember, the purpose of the checkmark was to make sure these users couldn't be impersonated. Now, however, anyone who pays $8 per month for Twitter's premium subscription service, Twitter Blue, gets a blue checkmark. Furthermore, those paid blue checkmark users now get priority placement in Twitter's For You feed algorithm, and in the replies to other users' tweets. And, echoing the issue on Telegram, many Twitter Blue subscribers are not far, ideologically speaking, from the Putin regime. ​​"It's probably not good that during a major breaking news event, the ongoing Wagner mutiny in Russia, the majority of viral false and misleading claims are from accounts with Twitter Blue subscription, whose posts are promoted by Twitter's algorithm," observed(opens in a new tab) Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist that covers disinformation and conspiracy theories at BBC Verify. The issues on Twitter became so obvious that they quickly even became meme-fodder(opens in a new tab) on the platform. For example, many blue checkmark users began spreading information in long tweet threads about the Russian coup, regardless of the fact that they had no expertise on the matter. It also didn't help that Elon Musk, who owns the platform and has more than 144 million followers, decided not to use his reach to promote experts or journalists on the ground. Instead, Musk deemed(opens in a new tab) a cryptocurrency and tech entrepreneur who hosts larger Twitter Spaces audio chats, the provider of the "best coverage of the situation," and referred his followers to their account. And unfortunately for those most affected, like people living in Russia, online information was hard to come by as well. Internet observatory NetBlocks reported(opens in a new tab) that the country's major telecommunications providers were blocking users from accessing Google's popular news aggregator, Google News. Wagner Group now appears to have reversed course and will no longer march towards Moscow. Instead, the paramilitary group will join the Kremlin and again turn their focus to Ukraine, the country that Russia has invaded, to continue a war that has been subjected to its own disinformation campaigns. However, this potential coup, which lasted less than 24 hours, put a big spotlight on how the internet may be worse off than ever before when it comes to spreading accurate information during breaking global news events. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use(opens in a new tab) and Privacy Policy(opens in a new tab). You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 96%

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian paramilitary organization known as Wagner Group, said he will end an attempted coup d'état against Russian President Vladimir Putin, turn his mercenary group around from Moscow, and start heading in the opposite direction. Despite months of supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, Prigozhin has grown increasingly critical of the Russian Ministry of Defense and its efforts to support the war. Tensions boiled over on Friday after Prigozhin said his Wagner mercenaries would lead a "march of justice" against the Russian army. The Wagner mercenary group came within 200 kilometers of Moscow on Saturday, before agreeing in the evening to turn around because Russian "blood might be shed," Prigozhin said. In an address to the nation Saturday morning, Putin vowed to punish Prigozhin and the Wagner troops supporting the "attempted armed rebellion." "Those who organized and prepared the military uprising, who took arms against their military comrades, have betrayed Russia and will pay for it," Putin said. This is what you need to know about the Wagner Group and its leader: What is the Wagner Group in Russia? Wagner boss to withdraw troops from Bakhmut The Wagner mercenary group is a paramilitary organization founded by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a longtime close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin recently admitted to founding the Wagner Group in 2014 to support Russia in its annexation of Crimea and provide military assistance to pro-Russian separatists fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. In the years since, the Wagner Group has been suspected of operating in at least 30 countries to further Russian interests, including in Syria, Libya, Venezuela, and the Central African Republic. The split between the Kremlin and Prigozhin's Wagner forces raises questions about the future of the group's influence in those regions. The split between Putin and Prigozhin also raises questions about how long Wagner forces will continue to prop up Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Nicolas Maduro's in Venezuela, and some governments in Africa, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Prigozhin sent his Wagner troops to the frontlines of the war. He has also visited Russian prisons to fill the group's ranks, promising freedom to Russian inmates between the ages of 22 and 50 if they choose to serve in the mercenary outfit for six months. The exact size of the group is unclear, but Prigozhin has previously claimed that he leads a force of more than 20,000 soldiers. Who is the Wagner Chief? Prigozhin, 61, is the head of the Wagner mercenary group that was supporting the Russian government in its war against Ukraine before Prigozhin turned against the Russian Ministry of Defense. After months of becoming increasingly critical of the Russian military and its efforts in the war against Ukraine, Prigozhin is now waging a campaign against the same people his group spent months fighting alongside in Ukraine. Prigozhin was born in the former Soviet Union and served ten years in prison when he was younger. After he was freed from jail, Prigozhin ran a hot dog stand before he became the owner of several fancy restaurants in Saint Petersburg. His restaurants drew the attention of the Russian elites and brought Prigozhin into close contact with Putin. The Russian president dined at Prigozhin’s restaurant with former French President Jacques Chirac and former U.S. President George W. Bush. Earning the nickname “Putin’s chef,” Prigozhin found other ways to make himself useful to Russia’s president. Prigozhin has admitted to being the founder of the Internet Research Agency, a network of companies that interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He was indicted in 2018 by a U.S. grand jury for interfering in American political elections. In 2021, Prigozhin was placed on the FBI’s “most wanted” list. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 96%

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal with Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin on Saturday that ended an attempted armed rebellion against the Russian government. Prigozhin said on Friday that his Wagner mercenaries would lead a "march of justice" against the Russian army, but ended the attempted coup d'état Saturday evening after arriving within 200 kilometers of Moscow because he claimed he wanted to avoid spilling Russian blood. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during the Supreme State Council of the Union State Russia-Belarus meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 6, 2023. The Belarusian foreign ministry announced on Twitter that Lukashenko held negotiations with Prigozhin throughout the day on Saturday and that the Wagner group leader accepted the Belarusian president's proposal to end the Wagner group's march on Moscow. This is what you need to know about the controversial Belarusian president: Who is Alexander Lukashenko? Lukashenko, often described as Europe's last dictator, is the disputed president of Belarus. He has led the country as president for nearly 29 years, assuming office in July 1994. Lukashenko, 68, began a sixth term in office after the controversial August 2020 Belarusian presidential election. The results of the election were widely regarded as fraudulent by Western countries and hundreds of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets to protest Lukashenko's attempts to hold onto power. He is also a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Amid a wave of protests following the 2020 Belarusian election, Putin offered to provide Lukashenko with military support. Lukashenko also supported Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allowing the Russian military to invade Ukraine from Belarusian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the resort city of Sochi, Russia, Friday, June 9, 2023. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is Lukashenko's main political opponent. She challenged Lukashenko in the 2020 election after her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, was arrested and prevented from running in the presidential election that year. Tsikhanouskaya was forced to flee Belarus after the 2020 election and currently lives in exile in Europe. She has since been sentenced to prison in-absentia by Belarusian authorities.

California badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1496151 > More than 20 years after a woman’s body was discovered during a construction project in Redondo Beach, police have identified her as a mother who was last in contact with her family in 1981. > > Catherine Parker-Johnson’s remains were identified earlier this year through DNA comparisons with her daughter and sister, Redondo Beach police said in a statement. > > The last time Parker-Johnson’s family was in contact with her was in May 1981 in Lennox and she had not been reported missing, police said. > > Twenty years later, on Aug. 29, 2001, Parker-Johnson’s body was found during a construction project on a residential street in Redondo Beach. Police said there was a lengthy investigation at the time but they were not able to identify the body. > > There is now an active homicide investigation into Parker-Johnson’s death, police said. They encouraged anyone with information about her to reach out to Redondo Beach police investigators John Skipper or Rick Petersen at (310) 379-2477 Ext. 2714 or janedoe2001@redondo.org. > > Police have also scheduled a news conference for Monday at 10 a.m. at 200 N. Pacific Coast Hwy in Redondo Beach, to ask for help from the public and discuss additional details. > > The stories shaping California > > Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. > > You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. > > Paloma Esquivel is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She was on the team that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for public service for investigating corruption in the city of Bell and the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the San Bernardino terror attack. Prior to joining The Times in 2007, she was a freelance writer, worked in Spanish-language radio and was an occasional substitute teacher. A Southern California native, she graduated from UC Berkeley and has a master’s in journalism from Syracuse University.

Los Angeles badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

More than 20 years after a woman’s body was discovered during a construction project in Redondo Beach, police have identified her as a mother who was last in contact with her family in 1981. Catherine Parker-Johnson’s remains were identified earlier this year through DNA comparisons with her daughter and sister, Redondo Beach police said in a statement. The last time Parker-Johnson’s family was in contact with her was in May 1981 in Lennox and she had not been reported missing, police said. Twenty years later, on Aug. 29, 2001, Parker-Johnson’s body was found during a construction project on a residential street in Redondo Beach. Police said there was a lengthy investigation at the time but they were not able to identify the body. There is now an active homicide investigation into Parker-Johnson’s death, police said. They encouraged anyone with information about her to reach out to Redondo Beach police investigators John Skipper or Rick Petersen at (310) 379-2477 Ext. 2714 or janedoe2001@redondo.org. Police have also scheduled a news conference for Monday at 10 a.m. at 200 N. Pacific Coast Hwy in Redondo Beach, to ask for help from the public and discuss additional details. The stories shaping California Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Paloma Esquivel is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She was on the team that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for public service for investigating corruption in the city of Bell and the team that won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the San Bernardino terror attack. Prior to joining The Times in 2007, she was a freelance writer, worked in Spanish-language radio and was an occasional substitute teacher. A Southern California native, she graduated from UC Berkeley and has a master’s in journalism from Syracuse University.

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 80%

www.politico.com

Members of Wagner Group stand on the balcony of the circus building in the city of Rostov-on-Don. | AFP/Getty Images U.S. officials suspect the rebellion by a Russian warlord against the Kremlin’s military leadership could provide Ukraine with a much-needed opportunity to reverse the fortunes of its sputtering counteroffensive. The Biden administration has yet to draw up a formal assessment and officials cautioned it was too early for definitive conclusions. But multiple interagency meetings Friday night and Saturday morning arrived at a preliminary consensus that the Wagner mercenary group’s insurrection will occupy the Kremlin’s attention. “I don’t see how it could hurt them,” said one of the senior administration officials. Others said it was likely to help, especially since Wagner overtook the Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, the epicenter of Russia’s operational management for its invasion of Ukraine. The officials, granted permission to speak anonymously about the greatest challenge to Putin in more than 20 years, said they were tracking Wagner forces into Rostov and now as they make their way northward toward the Russian capital. The local governor of the Lipetsk region, roughly six hours from Moscow, said Wagner troops drove through the oblast with armored vehicles Saturday morning. Russian military bloggers indicated that a Wagner advance reached the Moscow region. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conceded his country’s counteroffensive hasn’t gone to plan as Russian airpower and dormant mines stalled Kyiv’s advances on multiple fronts. The Biden administration feared that a lack of clear success heading into next month’s NATO summit would erode alliance unity and complicate the politics of continued support for Ukraine. But Prigozhin’s play could change the calculus. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed Saturday by Cabinet-level officials — including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines — about Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed march toward Moscow. Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs, spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Gen. Valery Zaluzhnyy Saturday. “I told him about the offensive and offensive actions of our units,” Zaluzhnyy said, according to a readout of the conversation. “I informed him that the operation is going in accordance with the plan.” Biden also spoke Saturday about the situation in Russia with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. Further, Blinken chatted with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “Ukraine remains focused on achieving the goals of its counteroffensive in the territory of Ukraine with the steadfast support of our American allies,” Kuleba said in a Saturday tweet. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin plans to speak to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov later on Saturday. A U.S. official said phone calls to European counterparts are focused on the effort to “reassure them” and also reinforce the need to message neutrality. “No one should be spiking the football.” The general agreement on the calls between the U.S. and its European allies is that Kyiv now has an unprecedented opportunity to advance while a key mercenary force shifts its attention from holding Ukrainian positions to attacking points inside Russia. Biden was scheduled to travel Saturday to Camp David — which is equipped with resources with which he could monitor the unfolding situation — but his departure for the presidential retreat in the Maryland woods was delayed until early Saturday afternoon. Even if Putin quashes the rebellion, it could occupy the resources of the Russian military and would likely eliminate the use of the Wagner Group at the front, where it had proven successful against Ukrainian forces. “Cracks in the Putin regime are wide and bright now. The Kremlin has to put the Prigozhin rebellion down with force to avoid it from threatening regime legitimacy,” said Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis. NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said the military bloc is “monitoring the situation.” One early complication for NATO is that Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, a NATO ally, already pledged his “full support” in a call with Putin Saturday. But the open rebellion — and the ease with which Wagner took the military command center in Rostov, where the Kremlin controls its war on Ukraine — also vividly displayed the weakness of Russia’s military. Officials cautioned that events over the next few hours and days were difficult to predict, from Vladimir Putin swiftly putting down the insurrection to his grip on power slipping, as the myth of his total control over Russia shatters in real time. Administration figures said they couldn’t confirm Putin’s whereabouts. And while U.S. officials currently believe Putin will remain in charge, there’s quiet fear inside the administration that the Russian leader could reach for the most catastrophic options available to him if he sniffs a challenge to his power. No one in the White House would miss Putin, but there’s no evidence that Prigozhin — or at least someone aligned with him — would be any less dangerous. Any sort of tumult or coup in the country with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal would be an inherently deep concern, the officials said. “This sort of instability is dangerous, no matter what the outcome,” said one U.S. official. Paul McLeary and Myah Ward contributed to this report.

World News badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 91%

Too long to post article

Technology badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

mashable.com

YouTube has been making some big announcements for creators at this year's VidCon(opens in a new tab). Yesterday, Mashable reported on the new long-awaited thumbnail A/B split testing feature called Test & Compare which will help YouTubers maximize their video views. And now YouTube is working on a potential new way to help creators reach a larger audience: AI-powered multi-language voiceover dubbing for their video content. The tool is powered by Aloud, an AI dubbing company that is part of Google's own Area 120 startup incubator. Aloud first provides the creator with a transcription of their video. The user can then edit the transcribed text as they see fit. After the creator signs off on the transcription, Aloud creates(opens in a new tab) an AI voiceover dub for the video. Aloud currently provides this service for free on its website, which is separate from the tool YouTube is building into its platform, but there's currently a waitlist. A YouTube spokesperson told(opens in a new tab) The Verge that the company has already been testing out the AI dubbing tool with "hundreds" of creators. There are a few pretty big limitations with Aloud, according to the FAQ section on its website(opens in a new tab). The startup's AI-powered tool currently only works with English-language videos and can only dub into two languages, Spanish and Portuguese, at this time. However, with Google's backing and this new partnership with YouTube, it wouldn't be surprising to see Aloud roll out more language options in the near future. This tool would mark the second major feature related to multi-language dubbing that YouTube launched this year. In February, the company rolled out an option to upload multiple audio tracks for individual videos, sorted by language. Viewers can now simply hit the Settings button on any YouTube video that enables this feature and choose to listen with an alternative audio track in the language of their choice. However, this feature requires creators to supply their own audio, which would require the YouTuber to go out and have their video translated and dubbed on their own. YouTube's partnership with Aloud to create AI-powered dubs could help YouTubers save both time and money while still broadening their audience.

Sports badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

A last-ditch effort by the Angels and Major League Baseball to get former visiting clubhouse manager Brian Harkins’ defamation complaint dismissed was rejected by an Orange County Superior Court judge on Friday, clearing the way for the case to go to jury trial on July 31. “We’re getting out of the dugout and going up to bat — finally, after three years,” said Daniel L. Rasmussen, the attorney who filed the suit on Harkins’ behalf in 2020. “We will be grateful to get the opportunity to present our case to a jury.” Attorneys for the Angels and MLB filed a motion for summary judgment on May 31, claiming Harkins conceded in a deposition that he provided “sticky stuff” to visiting pitchers to aid in their grip of the baseball in violation of MLB rules and that he was unable to identify who leaked the details of his 2020 firing to the media. Rasmussen argued in an opposition motion that Harkins merely provided the blend of rosin and pine tar — which former Angels closer Troy Percival taught Harkins to make in the mid-1990s — to visiting pitchers such as Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer and numerous Angels pitchers, and that he didn’t apply it to baseballs. Thus, he did not break any rules. Subscribe to Continue Reading In 10 minutes of oral arguments before Judge Melissa R. McCormick on Thursday, Adam Lauridsen, the attorney representing the Angels and MLB, argued that the substance itself is illegal because it was “being provided to a pitcher with knowledge that the pitcher is going to apply it to his hand or the ball to get an improved grip.” Rasmussen countered by explaining pine tar and rosin are regularly used by hitters, “so it’s not illegal,” he said. “What’s illegal is the act of a pitcher using a foreign substance on a baseball. … To ask the court to throw out this case after all the litigation and on the eve of trial based solely on these word games is inappropriate.” McCormick, who issued a tentative ruling in Harkins’ favor Thursday, took the matter under submission and issued her final written ruling Friday. Harkins, nicknamed “Bubba,” spent nearly four decades with the Angels before being fired by then-general manager Billy Eppler in March 2020 after the Angels learned he was providing a blend of sticky substances to visiting pitchers. Harkins filed suit in August 2020, claiming he was made a “public scapegoat” in baseball’s efforts to crack down on the use of foreign substances. The complaint listed “defamation” and “false light” as causes of action against the Angels and MLB. Harkins claimed he was fired without warning, labeled a “traitor, cheater and a fraud” in the wake of news reports of his dismissal and is now unemployable. Orange County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Glass granted a motion by the Angels and MLB to dismiss the complaint in January 2021, pointing to the fact that sources confirming the reasons for Harkins’ firing in news reports were anonymous, making them “inadmissible hearsay.” To prove defamation, a plaintiff must prove who exactly defamed them. But the Orange County 4th District Court of Appeals reversed that decision on Feb. 2, 2022, the three-justice panel writing in its opinion that “there is sufficient circumstantial evidence connecting the statements to defendants [the Angels and MLB] to allow his case to proceed.” Harkins was fired three days after MLB issued a memo to teams saying it would be enforcing a long-ignored policy of forbidding the use of illegal substances to enhance a pitcher’s grip. Rasmussen argued in a previous hearing that Harkins was “scapegoated” because he did not receive the illegal-substances memo — issued by then-MLB senior vice president and now Texas Rangers GM Chris Young — until the day he was fired. Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Mike DiGiovanna has been covering Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Times since 1995 and spent 19 years as the Angels beat writer and two seasons on the Dodgers. He won Associated Press Sports Editors awards for game-story writing in 2001, feature-story writing in 2017 and breaking news in 2019. A native of East Lyme, Conn., and a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, he began writing for The Times in 1981.

Los Angeles badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1492100 > The most decorated infield in Dodgers history started, of all things, with one small, harmless lie. > > On June 23, 1973, the Dodgers were stifled in the first game of a doubleheader by the Cincinnati Reds. They lost 4-1. They recorded only seven hits. And before that day’s nightcap, manager Walter Alston looked for a way to shake up his lineup. > > Utility infielder Steve Garvey was the solution. > > “I was sitting at my locker,” Garvey recalled, “and Walter Alston came by and stopped me and asked me, ‘Have you ever played first?’ ” > > Garvey hadn’t, not really. There was one time in Little League, another in triple A and a handful of appearances in the first few years of his big league career, including coming off the bench 10 days earlier following some behind-the-scenes work at the position throughout the season. > > “But,” Garvey added with a grin, “I wasn’t gonna tell him.” > > Instead, Garvey coolly fibbed to his manager. “Oh, sure,” he answered. Thus, that night, he lined up alongside Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Davey Lopes. > > For the next 8½ years, the Dodgers’ infield rarely changed again — the quartet going on to collect a combined 21 All-Star Game appearances, four National League pennants and a memorable 1981 World Series title playing alongside one another. > > Subscribe to Continue Reading > > “It’s one of those things in Dodger history that,” Cey said, “you don’t go back too many times over 50 years.” > > Indeed, a half-century later, that Dodgers infield was honored Friday night before the team’s game against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. The three Southern California residents of the group — Garvey, Cey and Russell — were at the stadium to throw out the first pitch and watch a pregame video tribute. > > More than that, though, they relished standing alongside one another on the same field they called home for almost a decade. > > “It’s just like your family,” Russell said. “We didn’t take anything for granted back then. You had to be successful to be together that long.” > > That, the foursome was. Cey went to six straight All-Star Games from 1974 to 1979. Russell made the Midsummer Classic in 1973, 1976 and 1980. Lopes was a rookie of the year finalist in 1973, a Gold Glove winner in 1978, and a four-time All-Star from 1978 to 1981. > > And then there was Garvey, who not only became a four-time Gold Glove winner at his adopted first base position but also won an NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1974 and appeared in eight consecutive All-Star Games through 1981 — the year the four infielders helped lead the Dodgers past the New York Yankees for the franchise’s first World Series title in 16 years. > > “When you look at the accomplishments, the longevity, the contribution to the Dodger organization and baseball,” Garvey said, “all four of us have taken a lot of pride in it.”

Sports badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

The most decorated infield in Dodgers history started, of all things, with one small, harmless lie. On June 23, 1973, the Dodgers were stifled in the first game of a doubleheader by the Cincinnati Reds. They lost 4-1. They recorded only seven hits. And before that day’s nightcap, manager Walter Alston looked for a way to shake up his lineup. Utility infielder Steve Garvey was the solution. “I was sitting at my locker,” Garvey recalled, “and Walter Alston came by and stopped me and asked me, ‘Have you ever played first?’ ” Garvey hadn’t, not really. There was one time in Little League, another in triple A and a handful of appearances in the first few years of his big league career, including coming off the bench 10 days earlier following some behind-the-scenes work at the position throughout the season. “But,” Garvey added with a grin, “I wasn’t gonna tell him.” Instead, Garvey coolly fibbed to his manager. “Oh, sure,” he answered. Thus, that night, he lined up alongside Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Davey Lopes. For the next 8½ years, the Dodgers’ infield rarely changed again — the quartet going on to collect a combined 21 All-Star Game appearances, four National League pennants and a memorable 1981 World Series title playing alongside one another. Subscribe to Continue Reading “It’s one of those things in Dodger history that,” Cey said, “you don’t go back too many times over 50 years.” Indeed, a half-century later, that Dodgers infield was honored Friday night before the team’s game against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium. The three Southern California residents of the group — Garvey, Cey and Russell — were at the stadium to throw out the first pitch and watch a pregame video tribute. More than that, though, they relished standing alongside one another on the same field they called home for almost a decade. “It’s just like your family,” Russell said. “We didn’t take anything for granted back then. You had to be successful to be together that long.” That, the foursome was. Cey went to six straight All-Star Games from 1974 to 1979. Russell made the Midsummer Classic in 1973, 1976 and 1980. Lopes was a rookie of the year finalist in 1973, a Gold Glove winner in 1978, and a four-time All-Star from 1978 to 1981. And then there was Garvey, who not only became a four-time Gold Glove winner at his adopted first base position but also won an NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1974 and appeared in eight consecutive All-Star Games through 1981 — the year the four infielders helped lead the Dodgers past the New York Yankees for the franchise’s first World Series title in 16 years. “When you look at the accomplishments, the longevity, the contribution to the Dodger organization and baseball,” Garvey said, “all four of us have taken a lot of pride in it.”

Science badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 97%

www.sciencedaily.com

Using surveys, cognitive tests and brain imaging, researchers have identified a type of depression that affects about a quarter of patients. The goal is to diagnose and treat the condition more precisely.

sports badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1491507 > Happy Gilmore is happy for Happy Gilmore. > > On Friday, Adam Sandler congratulated the high school golfer who goes by the same name as Sandler's 1996 character in the movie after he announced his commitment to play at Ball State as a member of the Class of 2024. > > "Go get em Happy," Sandler wrote on Twitter, quoting Gilmore's announcement post. "Pulling for you." > > The real life Gilmore, who was born Landon James Gilmore, expressed excitement at getting a response from the movie star. > > "My life is complete," he replied. > > Live Leaderboard: US Open Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and More > > Per Golf.com, Gilmore, who attends Indiana's Bloomington High School South, earned the nickname "Happy" as a child because he can hit the long ball like Sandler's character. When he was nine, he won a long-drive contest at a junior event. > > The name stuck and the senior plays it up. He enters all tournaments using the moniker and even posed for a picture wearing a Boston Bruins jersey like Sandler's character. Unlike Sandler's character, Gilmore does not play hockey. > > Gilmore said people still get fascinated at his name, but he's risen on his own merit. Earlier this month, he tied for seventh in the Indiana high school state championship and helped his team to a fourth-place finish. > > “I don’t think it adds any pressure to me,” Gilmore told the IndyStar. “But I do know that whatever I do is going to be seen. Especially as far as leaderboards when people are scrolling down and see ‘Happy Gilmore’ they are going to look at it, obviously. So I do know that, but I don’t let it get in my head or that I have to play good because of it. I just go out and do my thing.”

Sports badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

Happy Gilmore is happy for Happy Gilmore. On Friday, Adam Sandler congratulated the high school golfer who goes by the same name as Sandler's 1996 character in the movie after he announced his commitment to play at Ball State as a member of the Class of 2024. "Go get em Happy," Sandler wrote on Twitter, quoting Gilmore's announcement post. "Pulling for you." The real life Gilmore, who was born Landon James Gilmore, expressed excitement at getting a response from the movie star. "My life is complete," he replied. Live Leaderboard: US Open Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and More Per Golf.com, Gilmore, who attends Indiana's Bloomington High School South, earned the nickname "Happy" as a child because he can hit the long ball like Sandler's character. When he was nine, he won a long-drive contest at a junior event. The name stuck and the senior plays it up. He enters all tournaments using the moniker and even posed for a picture wearing a Boston Bruins jersey like Sandler's character. Unlike Sandler's character, Gilmore does not play hockey. Gilmore said people still get fascinated at his name, but he's risen on his own merit. Earlier this month, he tied for seventh in the Indiana high school state championship and helped his team to a fourth-place finish. “I don’t think it adds any pressure to me,” Gilmore told the IndyStar. “But I do know that whatever I do is going to be seen. Especially as far as leaderboards when people are scrolling down and see ‘Happy Gilmore’ they are going to look at it, obviously. So I do know that, but I don’t let it get in my head or that I have to play good because of it. I just go out and do my thing.”

California badbrainstorm • 1 year ago • 100%

www.latimes.com

A San Jose physician was convicted of illegally prescribing and distributing large quantities of opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, including to one person who died of an overdose, federal prosecutors announced Friday. Donald Siao, 58, a family physician, was convicted by a federal jury on Tuesday of 12 counts of distributing the controlled substances oxycodone and hydrocodone outside the usual course of his medical practice over a 12-month period between 2016 and 2017, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release. After identifying Siao in a separate prescription fraud investigation, investigators discovered Siao had written 8,201 prescriptions for controlled substance medications in just the one-year period from May 2016 to May 2017, according to prosecutors. During the course of the investigation, Siao prescribed increasing amounts of opioids to four separate undercover agents posing as patients, even though in some instances they admitted to sharing the drugs with co-workers or friends. Each of the 12 counts against Siao carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Ismail J. Ramsey, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, announced on Friday he would seek to have Siao’s medical license forfeited. Calls to the U.S. Attorney’s office and to Siao’s lawyer were not immediately returned. Eight of the 12 counts against Siao involved a mother and son identified in court documents as E.J. and A.J., respectively. Both mother and son claimed to have lost or had pills stolen and Siao continued to respond with prescriptions, according to court documents. Siao also ignored a warning from an insurer about potential fraud regarding E.J. and a notice that A.J. had previously been arrested for selling pills, prosecutors said in the news release. A.J. overdosed twice but still received prescriptions from Siao, according to court documents. A.J. died from an overdose of opioids in December 2019. In addition, Siao did not comply with medical records requests from the coroner following A.J.’s death. The last four counts against Siao were related to an operation conducted by an undercover interagency task force. The California Department of Justice Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, or BMFEA, was one of several agencies investigating Siao in 2017, according to court documents. In May of that year, the agency searched a state controlled substance database and found that Siao had written more than 8,000 prescriptions for controlled substances. Many of those prescriptions called for 30 milligrams of oxycodone, which is at the higher end of dosage strength. The National Library of Medicine states, for instance, that immediate-release oxycodone tablets begin at 5 mg and top out at 30. Along with oxycodone, Siao issued prescriptions for combinations of opioids, muscle relaxers and benzodiazepine, often known as the “Holy Trinity,” according to court documents. The Department of Justice has said the trio taken together “depress the central nervous system and the ability to breathe.” The drug task force conducted an investigation from February to May 2018. Four agents visited Siao’s office multiple times to request prescriptions for controlled substances. In one case, one agent known as A.M. pretended to be a retired football player who complained of pain in his shoulder, arm and elbow. He saw Siao three times, with each visit ending with a prescription. In his third appointment with Siao in July 2018, A.M. admitted he had shared a portion of a previous 60-tablet, 30-mg strength oxycodone dosage, a potentially addictive controlled substance used for pain management, with a co-worker. The agent asked if Siao could increase the amount of pills to compensate for the borrowed cache. Siao obliged and increased the total to 75 pills at an appointment that lasted approximately two minutes, according to court documents. Another agent, identified only as E.T. in court documents, sought Siao for a prescription of Norco, a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen used for pain management. The agent said he had previously purchased Norco at work for $10 a pill. Siao said, “That is nuts,” according to court documents. The doctor then added, “I’m not going to say anything. Some people try to make a business out of that; put it that way.” The physician then prescribed 45 tablets of 10-mg strength after a first visit in April 2018, according to court documents. Siao eventually increased the amount to 60 tablets upon E.T.’s second visit, prosecutors said. He also prescribed a cannabinoid, Marinol, at the agent’s request. The agent told Siao he was a marijuana user and needed to show his employer that any cannabis found in his blood stream through random testing was due to another drug. Siao replied “gotcha” and filled out the prescription, prosecutors said.