TYB
Funding patch would avert shutdown through Dec. 11, fund Navy’s Columbia program
WASHINGTON ― House Democrats have five a stopgap spending measure to avoid a government shutdown and keep the Department of Defense and other federal agencies operating through Dec. 11.
The continuing resolution would allow the Navy to begin detailed design and construction work on two Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, but it left out White House-requests for Space Force and nuclear weapons programs.
The bill, expected to be taken up by the House this week, was released was by the House Appropriations Committee on Monday.
The CR comes amid weeks of stalled negotiations on a new pandemic relief bill, but lead lawmakers have committed to reach an agreement to avoid a government shutdown. Democrats apparently rejected a path by with the CR would run into early 2021, which Republicans opposed.
Defense officials and industry leaders had said they preferred a shorter continuing resolution, because they cannot start new programs or increase spending on existing priorities under the restrictions from previous fiscal year funding.
Aside from the $1.6 billion or the Columbia-class sub, the bill would bar the Pentagon’s new start programs, and it omits several other so-called anomalies the Trump administration requested. The White House would have just days to bargain for the flexibility it sought.
Without congressional intervention, the Navy would not have the money or authorization to begin work on the boats the sea service announced in June as part of a planned $10.4 billion contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat.
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/09/21/funding-patch-would-averts-shutdown-through-dec-11-fund-navys-columbia-program/
Army Approaches Goal of Destroying Chemical Weapon Agents
This month, the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant team at the Army's Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado completed the destruction of nearly 300,000 155mm projectiles, which each contained 12 pounds of mustard agent, said Walton Levi, site project manager.
Chemical agent destruction operations in Colorado began in March 2015 and are scheduled to be completed by 2023, said Levi. More than 780,000 munitions were in the original chemical weapons stockpile in Pueblo.
A blister-producing mustard agent is contained within three types of munitions, each named after the diameter of its shell: 155mm projectile, 105mm projectile and 4.2-inch mortar round, he said.
This marks the end of the first munitions campaign at PCAPP and the safe elimination of approximately two-thirds of the original chemical agent stored at the depot, said Levi. We proudly completed this campaign ahead of schedule — and while implementing strict, new protocols to keep our workforce safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
In the 1980s, increased international concern about the effects of chemical warfare led Congress to direct the Army to destroy all U.S. chemical weapons.
This was reinforced by a presidential directive and the U.S. ratification in 1997 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty that calls on all member nations to destroy their chemical weapons and production facilities.
https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2354786/army-approaches-goal-of-destroying-chemical-weapon-agents/
Space Force continues work securing space from cyberattacks
As military leaders try to secure global communications and space-based data, the Air Force Research Lab has turned to a Silicon Valley-based company to develop new cybersecurity architecture for satellites.
The new U.S. Space Force will work with Xage Security on prototyping a zero trust-style security system that is “rooted in tamperproof blockchain technology” to protect space systems in a new deal announced last week.
The Air Force and Space Force have recently been ramping up satellite protections, mainly through events like “Hack-A-Sat” and other bug bounty-type programs that enlist private researchers to disclose vulnerabilities. Xage told FedScoop its work will focus less on specific vulnerabilities and more on monitoring network activity to ensure a secure system.
“What Xage is doing is proving a much more fine-grained security solution,” Xage CEO Duncan Greatwood said in an interview. He added, “you can think of what Xage does as a means of blocking [attacks], it is very much zero trust architecture.”
A top concern for space leaders in the military is ensuring communications integrity and data protection. Everything from GPS to command and control systems relies on space operations, an arena that doesn’t yet have the cybersecurity maturity as those on the ground.
Greatwood said another critical part of the work Xage will be doing is preparing for “coordinating many different systems” in a secure way. With the number of satellites and other space systems growing, putting them under a common security architecture will be a challenge for the Space Force, he said.
“The connectivity environment is constantly changing,” he said.
Space Force will also have a large amount of data to work with. In April, the service inked a deal with the big data company Palantir to help use data from space. Now with Xage, it is working to secure that data and its integrity. Greatwood added that Xage will work on allowing “fine-grained access control” on data management to ensure its integrity.
https://www.fedscoop.com/space-force-cybersecurity-contract-silicon-valley-xage-security/
'''Microsoft details its plan to become ‘water positive’ by 2030
The company plans to replenish more water than it uses.'''
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced plans to become carbon negative by 2030. But the company isn’t just looking at its emissions. Today, it unveiled its plan to be “water positive” by 2030, too. By that, Microsoft means it will replenish more water than it consumes.
To replenish water sources, the plan includes actions like investing in wetland restoration and removing impervious surfaces like asphalt. Microsoft will focus on highly stressed water basins near its operations.
Reducing water consumption is also a focus. At the company’s new Silicon Valley campus, 100 percent of the site’s non-potable water will come from onsite recycling sources like rainwater collection and waste treatment. That could save as much as 4.3 million gallons of potable water each year. At other campuses, Microsoft will use recycled water for landscaping, plumbing and tower cooling.
Microsoft says it will use its tech to help individuals and governments better understand their water consumption. And the company plans to partner with NGOs to make sure underserved communities have access to clean drinking water.
Big tech companies like Microsoft and Google have set lofty emissions reduction goals, but this dedicated focus on water consumption is a newer trend. In July, as part of its first ever sustainability report, Facebook said it’s trying to improve water usage, too. It plans to use less water for cooling its data centers and to restore about 206,000 cubic meters of water annually. As companies get closer to erasing their “carbon legacies,” perhaps more will focus on water.
https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-water-positive-2030-164019192.html
Ilhan Omar says no Republicans have even privately condemned death threats against her
-Why would they?-
Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.), one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has faced constant threats of violence since her election in 2018. They include public threats from Republicans set to join her in the House in January — and absolutely no condemnation from congressmembers on the other side of the aisle, she tells the The New York Times Magazine.
In an interview with the Times, Omar discussed "hateful" attacks against her from Fox News' Tucker Carlson, as well as the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican House candidate in a far-right Georgia district who held a gun next to a photo of Omar's "Squad" in a campaign video. Greene's video is just one of many "dangerous" people spouting "bizarre, ill-informed conspiracies" about Omar and other Democrats and "terrorizing so many of us," Omar said.
But despite receiving "a few death threats that have been very publicized where people have been arrested and are incarcerated for it," Omar said she has received no support or condemnation from Republicans. "I can't remember a public statement or private comment of support," she continued.
Despite being "discouraged" by this lack of unity "sometimes," Omar said she "have hope" that "the lived reality of what exists in American cities and towns" isn't the same as what's online.
https://news.yahoo.com/ilhan-omar-says-no-republicans-161010222.html
Live: Tracking Tropical Storm Beta | NBC News
damn image board
Navy’s undersea warfighting command celebrates 5 years
GROTON, Conn. – The Navy’s Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC) marked its five-year anniversary Sept. 21, a celebration conducted virtually due to current travel restrictions.
Rear Adm. Richard Seif, current UWDC commander and Pittsburgh native, highlighted the accomplishments of his predecessors who all chimed in to praise the command’s accomplishments and capabilities.
“The Undersea Warfighting Development Center was established to ensure our Navy, as part of the joint force, maintains its asymmetric advantage in the undersea domain,” Seif said. “In this era of great power competition, it’s a privilege to lead such professional civilians and Sailors in their mission to enable the enduring combat readiness and lethality of our undersea forces.”
UWDC also develops doctrine for how multi-domain undersea warfare platforms integrate with each other, referencing last week’s Black Widow exercise in the Atlantic.
“As our premier integrated theater undersea warfare exercise, this year’s Black Widow was also an opportunity to leverage our undersea Aggressor Squadron, charged with emulating potential adversary submarines, in order to provide our warfighters with realistic threats and a deeper understanding of our potential adversaries’ capabilities and tactics,” Seif explained.
Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, UWDC’s 1st commander and current director of naval intelligence at the Pentagon, said he was proud to be a part of the UWDC history.
“Five years later, I am in awe of the work the teams in Groton, San Diego, and Norfolk have done to meld together the strengths, minimize the weaknesses, and make the whole much greater than the sum of its parts,” Trussler said. “UWDC not only survived the first year I was there, but has now gone on to be the major innovator and influence in the U.S. Navy’s dominance undersea!”
Rear Adm. James Pitts, UWDC’s 2nd commander and incoming director of warfare integration on the Chief of Naval Operations staff (OPNAV N91), said that UWDC’s team “constantly challenged conventional wisdom as to the limits, range, capability and endurance of our boats.”
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/378245/navys-undersea-warfighting-command-celebrates-5-years
Army mints new cyber research and development agreement with Estonia
WASHINGTON — The Army has signed a cooperative research and development deal with Estonia focused on cyber defense and other technologies.
The Sept. 14th agreement, signed by the Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center and the ministry of defense, will establish a working group to identify new technologies mutually beneficial to each nation, mostly in the multidomain operations sphere.
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Cyber
Army mints new cyber research and development agreement with Estonia
Mark Pomerleau
30 minutes ago
The Army and Estonia will work to identify and develop technologies of mutual interest. (Georgia Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tracy J. Smith)
WASHINGTON — The Army has signed a cooperative research and development deal with Estonia focused on cyber defense and other technologies.
The Sept. 14th agreement, signed by the Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center and the ministry of defense, will establish a working group to identify new technologies mutually beneficial to each nation, mostly in the multidomain operations sphere.
“This is part of Army Futures Command’s' mission: to discover and deliver technology. We’re reaching out to pretty much any source that we can find something innovative, whether it’s innovative thoughts and ways of doing business or if it’s potentially altering a product or modifying it for use by government and by the military,” Brian Lyttle, division chief for cybersecurity at the C5ISR Center, told C4ISRNET in an interview.
Under the agreement, the two nations will identify technological areas of mutual interest and share researchers to develop them, Robert Kimball, senior research scientist for cybersecurity at the C5ISR Center, told C4ISRNET. He noted the agreement is in preliminary stages and researchers haven’t identified specific projects yet.
Andri Rebane, director of the Cyber Defense Department at the Estonian Ministry of Defense, also told C4SIRNET in an emailed response that the joint working group will hold regular meetings to identify those technologies and explore experimentation on those they both agree to.
“The ambition is to develop long term research and development projects in cyber defense to encounter the threats from disruptive technologies,” he said.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/cyber/2020/09/21/army-mints-new-cyber-research-and-development-agreement-with-estonia/
copypasta issues…
NTSB looking into crashes that killed 10 people in 4 states
Sept. 21 (UPI) – The National Transportation Safety Board has started investigating multiple aircraft crashes that killed nearly a dozen people in four states over the weekend, officials said.
There were three plane crashes in Kokomo, Ind., Hilltop, Texas, and Zeeland, Mich. and one helicopter crash in Red Bud, Ill. Ten people died in the crashes.
In the Indiana crash, three people died in a Piper PA-32 near the Glendale Airport.
Howard County Sheriff's Department Capt. Jordan Buckley said local officials will cooperate with the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration on the investigation.
While the crash happened during a celebration called Glendale Days, officials said they weren't sure if the downed plane was connected with the event.
In Texas, two Louisiana couples died when a Piper PA-46 crashed.
Officials identified the victims as Kenneth Hix, 59; his wife Missy Lynn Hix, 59; Philip Ackel, 59; and his wife Pauline Ackel, 58.
Authorities said the plane attempted to make an emergency landing near the Hilltop Lakes Airport Sunday.
In Michigan, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said two people died when a Vans RV-9 aircraft crashed after takeoff Saturday, just south of I-196.
The victims were identified as Dale Deweese, 61, and Joyce Deweese, 59.
In Illinois, police said a man was killed when a Safari Rotorcraft helicopter crashed Saturday. Officials said the two-seat chopper collided with a storage facility.
Witnesses said they saw the helicopter make a circle before crashing into the facility and catching fire.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/09/21/NTSB-looking-into-crashes-that-killed-10-people-in-4-states/4991600704446/
Netanyahu leaves Cabinet meeting for 'call of national importance'
Last time PM Netanyahu left a Cabinet meeting for a 'matter of national importance,' a peace agreement with the UAE was announced.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu abruptly left the weekly Cabinet meeting Monday, saying that he had to take “a call of national importance.”
Last month, Netanyahu left another government meeting for another call the nature of which he did not disclose at the time. The call turned out to be with United Arab Emirates leader Mohammed Bin Zayed and the two leaders announced the establishment of full relations between Israel and the UAE later that day.
At the time, Netanyahu said that he was being called away for “a matter of national importance”, adding that “you’ll find out later why I left.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/287656
Heidi Klum uses a perfectly positioned emoji to hide her bare bottom as she sprawls naked on the ground with her dog in bizarre social share
She's made a career off of displaying her incredible physique.
And Heidi Klum showcased her golden tan as she sprawled out on the floor next to her dog in a bizarre photo shared on Instagram Monday morning.
The 47-year-old stunner perfectly positioned a peach emoji over her bare bottom in the snap taken by her musician husband, Tom Kaulitz.
Heidi's caramel colored tresses covered the floor as she placed her pup's face in her hands for a quick kiss.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8756961/Heidi-Klum-sprawls-naked-ground-dog-bizarre-social-share.html
Just seems odd and random…