Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:43 a.m. No.10356511   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Mornig Bakes

 

General Electric Shares Gain On $1.2 Billion Iraq Power Contracts

 

General Electric Co. (GE) - Get Report shares edged higher Thursday after the group agreed a $1.2 billion power contract with the government of Iraq.

 

GE said late Wednesday that it's inked two new agreements with Iraq's Ministry of Electricity to strengthen the country's power infrastructure. One contract, valued at $500 million, will focus on maintenance of key power plants while the second, worth $727 million, will work towards reinforcing Iraq’s transmission network with the electricity grid of Jordan, GE said.

 

"GE has a long history in Iraq, and we continue to deliver on our promise to the nation and its people. In recent years, we have further accelerated our project execution to scale up and rebuild the country’s electricity infrastructure," said GE Power and Gas CEO Scott Strazik. "As demand for power increases in tune with a growing population and to support industries and developmental projects, identifying gaps and addressing them is our focal area. We are thankful to the Iraqi government for their confidence in our capabilities to deliver power where and when needed."

 

"The new agreements will contribute to a more reliable and stronger power infrastructure, which is the top priority of the government," he added.

 

GE shares were marked 0.5% higher in pre-market trading Thursday to indicate an opening bell price of $6.41 each, a move that would still leave the stock with a year-to-date decline of around 42.5%.

 

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/general-electric-gains-on-1-2-billion-iraq-power-contracts

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:45 a.m. No.10356520   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

Chinese Crowdfunding, Insurance Site Waterdrop Raises $230 Million, Plans U.S. IPO

 

Chinese online insurance technology platform Waterdrop Inc. has raised $230 million in a new funding round led by reinsurer Swiss Re and Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, it said on Thursday.

 

Waterdrop’s existing investors, including IDG Capital and Wisdom Choice Global Fund, also participated, it said in a statement.

 

Two sources with knowledge of the fundraising told Reuters that Waterdrop was valued at nearly $2 billion in the funding round. One of them said that Swiss Re itself had invested $100 million.

 

Swiss Re declined to comment on its investment size, but said the company’s participation in the round was part of its long-term commitment to China.

 

The fundraising comes ahead of Waterdrop’s initial public offering plan in the United States, according to two separate people.

 

The company has hired Bank of America and Goldman Sachs for the float, which could happen as early as this year, the people said. They added that preparations were still in the initial stages.

 

Waterdrop and the two banks declined to comment. The sources could not be named due to confidentiality constraints.

 

Founded in 2016, Beijing-headquartered Waterdrop distributes insurance policies online via Waterdrop Insurance Mall, provides illness insurance crowd-funding via its platform Waterdrop Crowdfunding, and operates mutual funds.

 

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2020/08/20/579682.htm

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:47 a.m. No.10356533   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Tropical Depression 13 heading toward South Florida

 

“South Florida is still in the forecast cone of Depression 13, but there is still high uncertainty to determine what, if any, impacts this system may have on South Florida at this time,” NWS Miami tweeted early Thursday.

 

The NWS’ forecast model shows the depression near Puerto Rico on Saturday morning and reaching South Florida early next week. The National Hurricane Center said there is a risk of tropical storm conditions in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Friday night and Saturday.

 

The depression formed in the tropical central Atlantic late Wednesday. On Thursday morning, it was 2,092 miles from Miami, moving west-northwest at 21 mph.

 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/tropical-depression-13-heading-toward-south-florida

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:49 a.m. No.10356545   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6574 >>6603 >>6674 >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235 >>7262

750 million genetically engineered mosquitoes approved for release in Florida Keys

 

A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022 received final approval from local authorities, against the objection of many local residents and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups. The proposal had already won state and federal approval.

 

"With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida — the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change — the administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment," said Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety, in a statement released Wednesday.

 

"Now the Monroe County Mosquito Control District has given the final permission needed. What could possibly go wrong? We don't know, because EPA unlawfully refused to seriously analyze environmental risks, now without further review of the risks, the experiment can proceed," she added.

 

Approved by the Environment Protection Agency in May, the pilot project is designed to test if a genetically modified mosquito is a viable alternative to spraying insecticides to control the Aedes aegypti. It's a species of mosquito that carries several deadly diseases, such as Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

 

The mosquito, named OX5034, has been altered to produce female offspring that die in the larval stage, well before hatching and growing large enough to bite and spread disease. Only the female mosquito bites for blood, which she needs to mature her eggs. Males feed only on nectar, and are thus not a carrier for disease

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/750-million-genetically-engineered-mosquitoes-approved-for-release-in-florida-keys-1.5071851

 

What could go wrong?

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:51 a.m. No.10356554   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Gigantic Floating Volcanic Raft Brings New Life To Australia's Shores

 

A sprinkling of pumice is starting to arrive in Australia after a long voyage across the Southwest Pacific. The visiting volcanic raft has also brought a housewarming present to its new location in the form of millions of reef-building organisms that could benefit the Great Barrier Reef.

 

The enormous field of pumice, made up of trillions of tiny seperate pumice stones, was spewed out in August 2019 by an underwater volcano found off the northwest coast of the island of Vava'u in Tonga. Pumice is formed when liquid lava erupts from a volcano into the sea and cools rapidly. It obtains its porous structure through gasses that have bubbled up through the frothy magma as it's cooling.

 

At its largest extent, the floating field of pumice was estimated to be 167 square kilometers (64 square miles) in size, around double the size of Manhattan.

 

Scientists were aware it was heading towards Australia, but now increasingly more pieces of pumice are arriving on the beaches in southeast Queensland. Associate Professor Scott Bryan of the Queensland University of Technology has been surveying the beaches for pumice since April 2020. He hopes the pumice will restock some of Australia's coral reefs by bringing new healthy corals and other biological material that has hitched a ride on the way

 

https://www.iflscience.com/environment/gigantic-floating-volcanic-raft-brings-new-life-to-australias-shores/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:53 a.m. No.10356567   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Heading back to that hellhole

 

US troop deployments in Iraq to be focus of White House talks this week

 

Further reductions to the U.S. military footprint in Iraq will be among the topics of discussion when Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visits the White House on Thursday.

 

Currently about 5,000 American troops are stationed in the country, even though President Donald Trump declared the Islamic State group defeated nine months ago and ordered the start of removing U.S. forces from the region.

 

American service members still stationed there are providing a train-and-assist role for local security forces similar to the ongoing mission in Afghanistan. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, al-Kadhimi said his country will need continued military support for years, but that assistance might not include boots on the ground in his country.

 

In a press briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the conversation between President Donald Trump and al-Kadhimi would include “a range of regional security issues, including the enduring defeat of ISIS.”

 

A senior administration official said that no timelines for a withdrawal of troops have been included in the planned discussions, and no specific reduction numbers are expected to be announced.

 

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/19/us-troop-deployments-in-iraq-to-be-focus-of-white-house-talks-this-week/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:56 a.m. No.10356592   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6610 >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

Eighteenth Air Force changes command

 

Maj. Gen. Kenneth T. Bibb Jr. took command of the Eighteenth Air Force during a change of command ceremony Aug. 18, at Scott Air Force Base.

 

Bibb, who most recently served as the director of strategic plans, programs, requirements and analyses at headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, took command from Maj. Gen. Sam Barrett who is Pentagon-bound after commanding for two years.

 

Maj. Gen. Kenneth T. Bibb, Jr., took command of 18th Air Force during a change of command ceremony Aug. 18, 2020, at Scott Air Force Base.

 

Bibb, who most recently served as the director of strategic plans, programs, requirements and analyses at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, took command from Maj. Gen. Sam Barrett who is Pentagon-bound after commanding for two years.

 

“Today it’s my honor to hand the guidon from one mobility sage to another,” said Gen. Maryanne Miller, Air Mobility Command commander.

 

Miller recognized Bibb’s impressive resumé and highlighted how his extensive experience has prepared him for this job.

 

“This command is running hard and it takes a leader of your caliber and your skill to keep strong under today’s stressful security environment,” she said.

 

After symbolically passing the guidon, the in-person crowd applauded and welcomed 18th Air Force’s newest commander.

 

“It is true that we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us,” Bibb said before mentioning the names of the former leaders of 18th Air Force.

 

Bibb noted community support as an essential aspect for the success of 18th Air Force wings.

 

He praised the warriors of 18th Air Force as being the people who make the command successful.

 

“Our future is not decided, but I’m confident we can live up to the high bar Gen. Miller, Gen. Van Ovost and other senior leaders have set for us,” said Bibb who is now responsible for ensuring readiness and sustainment of 36,000 Airmen who span 12 wings and one standalone group across the world.

 

He promised to give his all in command and stated that together, 18th Air Force will continue to sacrifice and serve.

 

The ceremony featured a small in-person audience due to COVID-19 mitigation measures. Ceremony participants also practiced social distancing and audience members wore masks to ensure the safety of all in attendance.

 

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2318338/eighteenth-air-force-changes-command/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 5:58 a.m. No.10356607   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

State TV says Iran unveiled 2 new missiles

 

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s state TV is reporting the country has unveiled two new missiles amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.

 

State TV said officials unveiled the two new missiles on Thursday — National Defense Industry Day in Iran. They are named after top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed outside Baghdad’s international airport in a U.S. strike in January.

 

The “Martyr Hajj Qassem” surface-to-surface ballistic missile has a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) range, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. State TV said the “Martyr Abu Mahdi” naval cruise missile has a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) range.

 

State TV said the “Martyr Hajj Qassem” missile was not intercepted by a defense system during a test.

 

Also on Thursday, Iran unveiled a fourth-generation light turbo-fan engine for its advanced drones.

 

Iran also inaugurated the production line of its domestically produced “Owj” engine for the Iranian-made twin-seat Kowsar fighter jet.

 

Iran routinely unveils technological achievements for its armed forces, its space program and its nuclear efforts.

 

President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers, known in 2018, and tensions between the two countries have escalated since.

 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/state-tv-iran-unveiled-missiles-72490289

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:01 a.m. No.10356626   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

Michigan to pay $600m to Flint residents following drinking water disaster

 

Michigan will pay $600m to compensate Flint residents whose health was damaged by lead-tainted drinking water after the city heeded state regulators’ advice not to treat it properly, an attorney involved in the negotiations told the Associated Press.

 

Details will be released later this week, according to the attorney, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it ahead of an official announcement. The settlement was first reported by the Detroit News, MLive.com and WXZY-TV.

 

It is intended to resolve all legal actions against the state for its role in a disaster that made the impoverished, majority-Black city a nationwide symbol of governmental mismanagement, the attorney said.

 

The offices of governor Gretchen Whitmer and attorney general Dana Nessel have been negotiating for more than 18 months with lawyers for thousands of Flint residents who have filed suits against the state.

 

Ryan Jarvi, a spokesman for Nessel, declined to confirm the reports of a deal Wednesday night.

 

“We and the other parties are bound by a federal court order to maintain the confidentiality of detailed settlement and mediation communications until we reach a certain point,” Jarvi said. “We have not yet reached the point where we can discuss a potential settlement.”

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/20/michigan-pay-600m-flint-residents-drinking-water-disaster-lead

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:03 a.m. No.10356646   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6650 >>6668 >>6670 >>6679 >>6800 >>7040 >>7071 >>7184 >>7235

Tennessee man, 33, accused of raping 3 children he was babysitting

 

County jail records show Brian Minnick faces two counts of rape of a child and one count of aggravated rape of a child.

 

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. — A Tennessee man has allegedly admitted to police that he raped three children he babysat back in 2013, according to multiple reports.

 

CBS affiliate WJHL reported the investigation into Brian Minnick, 33, began in 2018 after a referral from the state’s children’s services department.

 

One of the victims first told their father about the alleged crimes. The victims then told authorities about the assaults, and Minnick was tracked down in 2020.

 

Police said he “freely” gave investigators a statement and “admitted to sexual contact and penetration with all three juveniles.”

 

County jail records show Minnick faces two counts of rape of a child and one count of aggravated rape of a child.

 

WJHL reported he was placed in jail on $250,000 bond

 

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/brian-minnick-33-accused-of-raping-children-he-babysat/285-46ffd4c0-8e27-4813-b1ec-6f4d629cc0ad

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:07 a.m. No.10356680   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Israel Could Lose Its Military Edge in Middle East Under Trump Plans

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scored a historic win last week when the United Arab Emirates announced the normalization of ties between the two Middle Eastern nations—only the third Arab state to do so.

 

But reports about the details of the deal quickly took the shine off the agreement, suggesting that the U.S. brokered talks included an agreement to allow the UAE to purchase advanced American weaponry; specifically U.S. F-35 stealth jets and cutting edge attack drones.

 

Netanyahu and his allies quickly denied the suggestions—first made by Israeli news site Ynet—and said Israel remains committed to maintaining its qualitative military edge over its regional neighbors, whether relations with them are normalized or not.

 

But a New York Times report published Wednesday suggested that President Donald Trump is keen to push new lucrative weapons deals with the Emiratis, facilitated by son-in-law and aide Jared Kushner, who has been at the forefront of the administration's Middle East strategy

 

The key weapons in question are the F-35 stealth jet and U.S. attack drones, namely the Predator and the larger, better armed Reaper. Barbara Leaf, a former U.S. ambassador to the UAE, told the Times: "The F-35 has been the single-biggest defense system objective the Emiratis have had for years."

 

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-could-lose-military-edge-middle-east-under-donald-trump-f-35-uae-plans-1526425

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:11 a.m. No.10356696   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6800 >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

Jobless claims climb back above 1 million

 

The numbers: Initial jobless claims rose in mid-August and topped 1 million again, potentially pointing to an increase in layoffs or a pause in the number of people returning to work after a summer surge in the coronavirus.

 

New applications for unemployment benefits, a rough gauge of layoffs, climbed to 1.11 million from 971,000 in the prior week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

 

Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast 910,000 new claims in the seven days ended Aug. 15. These seasonally adjusted figures reflect applications filed the traditional way through state unemployment offices.

 

The increase in new claims wasn’t as bad as it seemed, however, based on actual or unadjusted figures. They rose a much smaller 52,776 to 891,510 and remained below 1 million for the third straight week.

 

MarketWatch is reporting select jobless claims data using actual or unadjusted figures to give a clearer picture of unemployment. The seasonally adjusted estimates typically expected by Wall Street have become less accurate during the pandemic.

 

New jobless claims are still extremely high, however. They are almost five times higher now than they were before the pandemic struck. Earlier in the year they were running in the low 200,000s and stood near a 50-year bottom.

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-climb-back-above-1-million-2020-08-20?mod=marketwatch-and-learn

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:15 a.m. No.10356710   🗄️.is 🔗kun

China Is Already Practicing for an Amphibious Invasion of Taiwan

 

A number of events and trends are coming together now to drive Taiwan, and with it the whole Asia-Pacific region, to the edge of disaster. These include the recent election for Taiwan’s leadership, the unrest in Hong Kong, China’s increasing military might, and the downward spiral of contemporary U.S.-China relations. For sure, Taiwan has been at or near the center of U.S-China relations for the last seventy years, so at one level, there is nothing particularly new here.

 

Yet, before U.S. leaders dismiss this warning into a heap of other global calamities, they should briefly peruse the words below from an unsigned Chinese editorial in the December 25, 2019 edition of Global Times: “The United States as a whole must understand that although Taiwan is the easiest place to provoke Mainland China, it is also the place where the U.S. is most at risk. It is precisely that China has the most real cards against the U.S. provocation in the Taiwan Strait region, and China has the strongest will and capability to defend the core interests of the country

 

” The editorial continues, “This is not a joke. Mainland China has so far exercised restraint in the Taiwan Strait region and has not meddled in some of America’s vulnerabilities across the world."

 

It concludes, “We hope the U.S. Congress is not acting as a prelude to a future U.S.-China crisis. To be honest, we don’t think that the U.S. is ready for a Sino-U.S. crisis related to Taiwan, and we don’t think the DPP authorities are ready for it."

 

Merry Christmas? Not so much. Fighting words or a brash bluff?

 

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/china-already-practicing-amphibious-invasion-taiwan-167240

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:18 a.m. No.10356731   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Cargo ship and tanker collide off Shanghai, China; 14 missing -state media

 

BEIJING - An oil tanker carrying 3,000 tonnes of gasoline collided with a cargo ship near Shanghai on Thursday, leaving 14 people missing, state media reported.

 

State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of the oil tanker burning at sea as coastguard ships sprayed it with streams of water. Three people had been rescued, CCTV said. The cargo ship sank soon after the collision.

 

Rescue efforts to recover the 14 missing crew were ongoing, CCTV reported. -Reuters

 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/752264/cargo-ship-and-tanker-collide-off-shanghai-china-14-missing-state-media/story/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:21 a.m. No.10356750   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>6784

North Korean leader's sister is 'de facto second-in-command', South Korean lawmaker says

 

South Korea's intelligence agency believes that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is serving as his "de facto second-in-command" but has not necessarily been designated his successor, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday.

 

SEOUL: South Korea's intelligence agency believes that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is serving as his "de facto second-in-command" but has not necessarily been designated his successor, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday (Aug 20).

 

Believed to be in her early 30s, Kim Yo Jong is the leader's only close relative with a public role in politics, recently spearheading a new, tougher campaign to put pressure on South Korea.

 

Ha Tae-keung, an opposition party lawmaker on parliament's intelligence committee, told reporters that Kim was helping to run the regime with mandated authority from her brother.

 

"The bottom line is that Kim Jong Un still holds absolute power, but has turned over a bit more of his authority compared to the past," Ha said, following a closed-door briefing by the South's National Intelligence Service.

 

"Kim Yo Jong is a de facto second-in-command," Ha added in a transcript of remarks seen by Reuters.

 

More authority on economic and military policy has also been delegated to several other senior officials, although at a lower level, possibly to reduce strain on Kim Jong Un as well as help him avoid blame for any failures, Ha said.

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/north-korea-leader-sister-kim-yo-jong-de-facto-second-command-13038152

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:24 a.m. No.10356771   🗄️.is 🔗kun

13-inch long 'Darth Vader' crustacean found in Indonesia

 

Researchers have found a new "supergiant" species of an isopod known as Bathynomus raksasa in the waters off Indonesia for the first time, measuring more than one foot in length.

 

B. raksasa, which has also been known as the "Darth Vader of the seas," is an isopod, a type of crustacean that can live on land or in the sea. It has segmented exoskeletons, compound eyes, two pairs of antennae and four sets of jaws, according to a description by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

The discovery was mentioned in the scientific journal ZooKeys.

 

Most isopods are less than an inch in length, but B. raksasa is significantly larger than that, at 13 inches. This is not uncommon, considering the male and female specimens were found between 3,116 and 4,133 feet (950 and 1,260 meters) below the ocean surface.

 

"These giant isopods exhibit what is known as deep-sea gigantism, in which some animals found in the deep sea tend to be much larger than their relatives in shallow waters," a statement discussing the finding says.

 

 

https://www.foxnews.com/science/darth-vader-crustacean-found-indonesia

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:27 a.m. No.10356785   🗄️.is 🔗kun

OFF TOPIC

 

Grab this 24-inch monitor for only $90 at Office Depot

 

If you're starting to feel a little claustrophobic preparing spreadsheets and answering Zoom calls on a tiny laptop screen, today is your lucky day. Office Depot has a great deal on an Acer 24-inch widescreen LCD monitor for only $90 (marked down from $120). We haven't seen monitors of this size and in this price range in stock for the past few months as many people are setting up home offices. This TN display features a full HD 1920x1080 resolution, perfect for working or watching movies. With a 5 ms response rate, it can also be a decent gaming panel. The VESA mount compatibility means that if you get 3 of these guys together, you can actually make a pretty sweet setup to enjoy the newly released Microsoft Flight Simulator. Make sure your GPU can handle it.

 

In the market for something bigger? Office Depot also has a 27-inch IPS monitor from AOC for only $100. The caveat is that you have to find them in stock at your local store. These deals are part of Office Depot's back-to-school sale, which features office and school supplies up to 60% off. If you're preparing for distance learning or remote working, the sale is worth checking out.

 

https://www.cnet.com/news/grab-this-24-monitor-for-only-90-at-office-depot/

 

pretty good deal

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:30 a.m. No.10356819   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Google has retooled its search and maps with vital wildfire information

 

As wildfires rage in California, and Colorado reports the second largest wildfire in that state’s history, Google has announced it will be providing near-real-time information about such conflagrations on its search engine and mapping platform.

 

In addition to breaking news from media sources, information from local government offices, and safety tips from the Red Cross, Google will provide updated maps of the extent of fires, based on satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and information about road closures and alternate routes. In a videoconference demonstration, Google product manager for crisis response Can Comertoglu showed how Google Maps provided directions from Glenwood Springs to Avon, Colorado, routing around a usual short route along Interstate 70, with a note that the route was affected by the ongoing fires in the area.

 

The company did a pilot test of the program last year around roughly five wildfires, working with agencies such as California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Office of Emergency Management in Boulder, Colorado, to make sure they could provide information accurate and timely enough to be useful.

 

“This information is potentially life and death when we’re talking about fast-moving disasters like fires,” says Ryan Galleher, program manager for crisis response at Google.

 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90541253/google-has-retooled-its-search-and-maps-with-vital-wildfire-information

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:33 a.m. No.10356844   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Facebook is quietly pressuring its independent fact-checkers to change their rulings

Long Read

 

When Mark Zuckerberg went to Washington for a rare, three-day charm tour last September, his schedule featured behind-closed-doors lunches, dinner with President Trump and Peter Thiel, and one-on-ones with lawmakers who, among other things, wanted to talk about a video on Facebook.

 

The two-minute-40-second clip, titled “Abortion is never medically necessary,” had racked up a few thousand shares since it had appeared weeks earlier, and had already stirred up a litany of outrage. The anger wasn’t over the video’s misleading title or its content, but because Facebook had slapped the video with a “false” label.

 

A post-2016 innovation, the labels aren’t placed by Facebook but by harried subcontractors, fact-checkers and journalists, and scientists who are fed a never-ending feed of potential misinformation. They can flag extreme misinformation for total removal—think dangerous coronavirus hoaxes—but mostly they place “false” or “partly false” labels on content, which gray out posts with a warning message and a link to an article explaining the fact-checkers’ reasoning. Fact-checks bring internal penalties too, like limits on content distribution or on a page’s ability to microtarget ads. In some cases, Facebook says repeat offenders can be deleted entirely.

 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90538655/facebook-is-quietly-pressuring-its-independent-fact-checkers-to-change-their-rulings?partner=feedburner

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:45 a.m. No.10356939   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7040 >>7184 >>7235

DA: Massage parlor operators sent to prison in sex-slave investigation

 

A 51-year-old man, Rui Wang, and a 47-year-old woman, Junhua Wu, were the focus of a human-trafficking investigation conducted by the Anderson Police Department starting in February 2019.

 

A tip led police to a massage parlor in Anderson where clients paid for sexual acts, according to the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office.

 

The eight-month investigation expanded to eight massage parlors in Shasta, Tehama and Butte counties associated with Wang’s and Wu’s criminal operation, as described on the DA’s Facebook page.

 

In July, Wang pleaded guilty to one count of pandering, three counts of money laundering and one count of filing fraudulent tax returns from 2015 to 2019. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to eight years and eight months in state prison.

 

Also in July, Wu pleaded guilty to one count of acquiring a prostitute, one count of money laundering and one count of submitting fraudulent tax returns from the same time period of 2015 to 2019. She received a state prison sentence of two years and eight months.

 

Both Wang and Wu will be required to register as sex offenders for 10 years after they’re released from prison, the DA’s office said.

 

The California Franchise Tax Board helped in the investigation. As part of their sentence, the pair were ordered to pay about $1.5 million in restitution.

 

Anderson Police Chief Michael Johnson announced the pair’s arrests in March. Police said the women at the massage parlors were expected to perform sex acts “from the time they wake up until the time they go to sleep.”

 

RELATED: 'Sex slaves' in Shasta County massage parlors: 2 arrested in human trafficking probe, APD says

 

Johnson described the women as indentured servants, or sex slaves, who were tricked into moving to the North State by Wang and Wu, two Chinese nationals who were living in Chico.

 

The Shasta County DA’s office originally filed 58 felony charges against the pair.

 

The investigation started at Relax Massage in Anderson and spread to the other parlors that included three in Redding, two in Chico, one in Oroville and one in Red Bluff.

 

Investigators identified six potential victims who were Chinese women ranging in age from their 20s to 50s or 60s.

 

"They're promised prosperity. They're promised freedom. They're promised a future," detective Jacob Duncan said at the time. "When they come here, they're stripped of their passports … and expected to perform sex acts."

 

The detective said the women were living out of the massage parlors. Typically they didn’t speak English very well and lacked money, had no transportation and didn’t have local family or friends.

 

The women were offered help with housing, relocation, health screenings and immigration assistance, police said.

 

California fire tracker:Map traces current fires burning across state in real-time

 

News:Program alerts schools when something traumatic happens to student

 

530 Crime Watch:Alleged speeder accused of spinning doughnuts and spitting in deputy's face

 

Record Searchlight reporter Matt Brannon contributed to this report.

 

Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RS. Subscribe today!

 

https://www.redding.com/story/news/2020/08/19/da-massage-parlor-operators-sent-prison-sex-slave-operation/5614057002/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:53 a.m. No.10357020   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7040 >>7061 >>7184 >>7235

North Korea 'Whale'-class submarine detected, Seoul says

 

Aug. 20 (UPI) – North Korean submarines used to launch ballistic missiles continue to be detected at Sinpo Shipyard, Seoul's spy agency says.

 

Kim Jong Un could also be delegating more of his responsibilities to subordinates due to "stress," according to South Korean lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung.

 

South Korea's national intelligence service said during a briefing at Seoul's parliamentary committee on intelligence a North Korean Sinpo-class submarine, also known as the Gorae or "Whale" class, and equipment for underwater launches, continue to be identified by U.S. and South Korean intelligence authorities, Newsis reported Thursday.

 

North Korea first disclosed information about the Sinpo-class submarine in 2014.

 

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2020/08/20/North-Korea-Whale-class-submarine-detected-Seoul-says/1321597927791/

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 6:59 a.m. No.10357092   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7112

==Kim Jong-un gives sister Yo-jong 'more responsibilities'=

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has delegated more responsibilities to his aides, including his sister Kim Yo-jong, South Korea's spy agency claims.

 

Mr Kim still maintains "absolute authority", but handed various policy areas to others to reduce his stress levels, the spy agency reportedly said.

 

Ms Kim is now "steering overall state affairs", the National Intelligence Service added.

 

However, Seoul's spy agency has been wrong about North Korea in the past.

 

The claims were reportedly made during a closed-door briefing on Thursday to South Korea's National Assembly.

 

Lawmakers then discussed the assessment with journalists.

 

"Kim Jong-un is still maintaining his absolute authority, but some of it has been handed over little by little," the agency was quoted as saying.

 

Kim Yo-jong: North Korea's heir apparent?

 

Kim Jong-un's 'weight problem' and the pitfalls of spy briefings

 

Ms Kim now has responsibility for Pyongyang's policy towards the US and South Korea, among other policy issues, and is "the de-facto number two leader," it added, although it stressed that Mr Kim had "not selected a successor."

 

Mr Kim's decision to delegate was in part to "relieve stress from his reign and avert culpability in the event of policy failure," it said.

 

However, some analysts have been sceptical of the intelligence, with website NKNews noting that she appeared to have missed two important meetings this month, leading to speculation from some observers that she may have been demoted.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/kim-jong-un-gives-sister-115708061.html

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 7:01 a.m. No.10357114   🗄️.is 🔗kun

China reluctant to hit back at US firms over Washington’s new Huawei ‘death sentence’

 

China is finding it hard to retaliate against US efforts to choke Huawei from access to key technology because any move to punish American businesses could harm the country’s still-fragile economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, analysts say.

Washington stepped up restrictions on the Chinese company’s access to chips and other technologies this week, tightening the noose on one of the country’s most prized technology champions and threatening its business as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer.

Beijing, while expressing anger at the US move, has not announced any measures to hit back, including curbs on American businesses operating in the world’s second biggest economy.

China said 15 months ago it would create an unreliable entity list of foreign individuals, businesses and organisations that posed a threat to the country, but so far it has refrained from unveiling details.

 

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3098184/china-reluctant-hit-back-us-firms-over-washingtons-new-huawei

Anonymous ID: d5081a Aug. 20, 2020, 7:03 a.m. No.10357138   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7184 >>7235

US-China relations: PLA Navy conducts live-fire exercise in East China Sea

 

Warships from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have completed a three-day live-fire drill in the East China Sea, according to an official report.

The exercise involved a flotilla from the PLA Navy’s East Sea Fleet and simulated a “sudden encounter with the enemy in the air and on the surface”, the navy’s social media platform Naval News said.

The report did not give a precise location or say when the drill took place, but the PLA Eastern Theatre Command said last week manoeuvres had taken place in the Taiwan Strait, and to the north and south of the self-ruled island.

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3098170/us-china-relations-pla-navy-conducts-live-fire-exercise-east