5 US Army Blackhawks se from Ft. Drum, NY
morning
Japan bans Olympics spectators at Tokyo venues
The 2020 Olympics will be held without spectators in Tokyo, the organizing committee said Thursday, as the Japanese capital enters a fourth state of emergency after a surge in COVID-19 infections. The committee will decide whether to allow spectators at venues in three surrounding prefectures after consulting with local authorities.
The Tokyo Olympics, postponed by one year due to the pandemic, now will be held without fans at the opening ceremony as well as at specific events in the capital. Nikkei had learned that organizers were leaning toward the decision early in the evening, during five-way talks among the Japanese and Tokyo governments and Olympic officials. It comes hours after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced emergency measures for Tokyo that will last through Aug. 22, covering the length of the Summer Olympics and ending days before the Paralympics begin. Speaking before the meeting, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach indicated that organizers were always open to the possibility of shutting out all spectators in the interest of a "safe and secure" games. Tokyo 2020 organizers last month decided to cap spectators at 10,000 in large venues and ban alcohol sales at Olympic events, in response to criticism from a public that has lived through dry restaurants and closed bars since the end of April.
The organizing committee and their domestic sponsors, the 68 Japanese corporations that raised over $3 billion for the games, had held out hope that some local spectators would be allowed after overseas fans were banned from entering Japan in March. The decision clouded Bach's arrival in Japan. Bach will quarantine for three days in Tokyo before visiting Hiroshima next week for the first day of the Olympic truce, a U.N. tradition to cease hostilities and grant safe passage to athletes. His lieutenant John Coates, who arrived in Japan mid-June, will visit Nagasaki on the same day. Athletes and other officials are meant to remain in Olympic bubbles in Tokyo.
Asked why the Olympics are being held while other large events such as rock festivals are canceled, Suga told reporters on Thursday evening that the games will also be subject to domestic restrictions. "I have argued that I won't hesitate to ban spectators if a state of emergency is declared," Suga said. "I will do everything in my power to contain the infections and accelerate vaccinations to get back our normal life." Thursday's decision follows the recommendations of Shigeru Omi, Japan's top medical adviser on COVID-19, who told Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto in June that holding the games without spectators would be "least risky and desirable." "We want to make sure that the next state of emergency is the last one," Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister overseeing Japan's COVID response, said earlier on Thursday. Placing the capital and its 14 million people under restrictions for a fourth time for the unpopular Olympics is a politically risky move for Suga, who must call a general election this October.
Although his party won the most seats in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election last Sunday, the Liberal Democratic Party's failure to secure the majority was seen as a signal of voter dissatisfaction with the government's COVID response and Olympic plans.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Tokyo-2020-Olympics/Japan-bans-Olympics-spectators-at-Tokyo-venues
C101 US Coast Guard G5 departing New Haven, CT Tweed Airport after a ground stop-inbound from Reagan National
82-8000 USAF 747 departed JBA north with 09-0017 USAF c-32A heading over Atlantic CIty way....
Both on what appear to be cert and/or maintenance flights.
from the start have always felt that number way too low
Could double it and still not get close imo.
morning B seems we get some o dat too.
Prolly need to do doggo soon...no low clouds today so up goes the temp quickly-alos humid for here
Still not as bad as previous summers, moar the sun but the real 90+ day after day is a comin'
hope so too...was laughed at in 2018 when said same thing.
Moar relevant to this state cause I noes it's different where youz at and in other states.
Most here just don't care so most of this stuff is not an issue for them until it starts affecting bank accounts, credit cars, gas supply etc.
And then it's "oh shit wut's going on here?"
If the cyber-polygon thing gets going we may see some o dat soon.
P-8's from Ft. Worth (coupla P-3s on the tail end dere) and San Antonio heading back to NAS Jax
There are moar P-3's that were evacuated..just not visible on this end