No tracks for police boats or USCG except New Jersey State Police 5502 up to the north and no sign of movement
>>22184681 (me)
Nope, nothing broadcasting a position in the area
Damage control. Between Fidelito and Ontario's Premiere Doug Ford the tariff war will devastate Canada.Somebody wants us to all be friends and nevermind the illegals crossing into the U.S. from Canada
>US federal agencies have initiated at least three reviews into whether Elon Musk and his company SpaceX complied with security reporting protocols
Let me guess, each one of those agencies fears DOGE
PANIC IN LONDON: British Pubs Fear They’re Running Out of Guinness, Begin Rationing Pints
by Mike LaChance Dec. 16, 2024
Pubs in the UK fear that they may be running out of Guinness and in some cases are even rationing pints of the famous black beer.
If this keeps up, there really will be panic in the streets of London. The famous Irish brew is as popular in England as it is in Ireland. There is a constant demand for the product and anyone who has spent time in England can tell you that the English love their drink.
Luckily, the shortage has not been an issue in Ireland. If they ever started to run short of Guinness, it’d likely be an international incident.
The Independent UK reports:
Guinness stocks run dry as pubs forced to ration pints
Pubs across the UK are having to ration pints of Guinness amid a national shortage of the iconic Irish stout ahead of Christmas.
Establishments have been panic buying the beverage in the hope they don’t run dry over the festive period, as some say they have already run out of stock completely.
Pubs such as the Old Ivy House, in Clerkenwell, London, introduced rationing rules last week to preserve their stock – but still found themselves short of supply.
The landlady Katie Davidson told The Times that they had issued cards to customers allowing them to purchase one pint of the black stuff – but only once they had bought two other drinks first.
“I normally make sure I have seven barrels per week and I would up that in the run-up to Christmas,” she told the paper. “But I was restricted to only four [by our brewery]. So on Wednesday, when I got my order, we only had half a barrel left in the cellar at the busiest time of the year. And we’d run out by 10pm on Friday night.”
More:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/panic-london-british-pubs-fear-theyre-running-guinness/
GAO Report Reveals Massive Waste in Navy’s $3.7B Cruiser Modernization Program
Mike Schuler December 17, 2024
The U.S. Navy’s ambitious modernization program for its Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers has largely failed to meet its objectives, resulting in billions in wasted taxpayer dollars, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Since 2015, the Navy has invested approximately $3.7 billion in modernizing seven cruisers, but the program’s outcomes have fallen dramatically short of expectations. Of these vessels, only three will complete the modernization process, with none achieving the intended five-year service life extension.
“The Navy wasted $1.84 billion modernizing four cruisers that have now been divested prior to deploying,” states the GAO report. The program has been particularly marred by a case involving the USS Vicksburg, where contractors performed substandard work on the vessel’s sonar dome, a crucial component for anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The report joins other recent GAO assessments critical of Navy and Coast Guard modernization and expansion programs.
According to the GAO, the root of these issues lies in inadequate planning, which led to an overwhelming 9,000 contract changes and subsequent cost overruns. Compounding these problems, the Navy’s leadership made controversial decisions that weakened quality control measures. In 2018, they restricted the ability to impose monetary penalties on contractors, and by 2020, they had reduced vital inspections by nearly 50 percent.
The Navy contracts with private shipyards to maintain and modernize its non-nuclear surface ships.
The modernization program’s troubled history dates back to 2012-2013 when Congress rejected the Navy’s initial proposal to retire several cruisers due to budget constraints. Instead, Congress provided funding for modernization, aiming to extend the service life of 11 cruisers by five years while upgrading their combat capabilities.
In response to these findings, the GAO has issued six recommendations, focusing on the need for the Navy to analyze the root causes of unplanned work and implement stronger quality assurance measures. The Navy has agreed to all recommendations, though the impact of these failures on naval readiness and taxpayer resources remains a significant concern.
https://gcaptain.com/gao-report-reveals-massive-waste-in-navys-3-7b-cruiser-modernization-program/
Dark fleet still growing by 10 tankers a month
Sam Chambers December 17, 2024
Broker BRS has provided an update of the size of what it terms as the grey tanker fleet, ships suspected of carrying oil linked to Iran, Venezuela, Syria, North Korea or Russia.
Despite slowing, the grey fleet is still growing by around 10 tankers a month, according to BRS, and now stands at a total of 850 ships, representing 9.1% of the total tanker fleet. For ships of 34,000 dwt and above, the total stands at 764 tankers, equating to what BRS stated in a markets update was an “extraordinary” 13.8% of the global 34,000 dwt or above fleet.
So far this year only four deepsea tankers have been demolished, which should make 2024 the lowest year for tanker scrapping since at least 1990, according to BRS, who attributed this dearth of demo candidates largely down to the fact grey fleet tankers cannot be demolished easily.
“Cash buyers who purchase tankers to be demolished in breakers’ yards on the Indian subcontinent appear reluctant to purchase tankers from the grey fleet,” BRS noted.
“All told, and even considering today’s lacklustre crude and product tanker markets, we reiterate our view that any clumsy regulation of the grey tanker fleet remains the most significant upside grey swan for tanker markets over the coming year,” BRS suggested, arguing that a significant pollution incident or even from a humanitarian situation such as grey fleet tankers being abandoned if they cannot be disposed of otherwise could lead to a greater crackdown on the shadow fleet.
“Therefore, as a new year turns, and as the grey fleet ages and continues to expand unabated without an appropriate release valve, it appears evident that the risk from the grey fleet is continuing to rise which, in turn, makes its eventual regulation even likelier,” BRS predicted.
Splash reported yesterday on accidents involving two laden Russian product tankers (pictured) – both in excess of 50 years old – leading to significant spills in and around the Kerch Strait.
https://splash247.com/dark-fleet-still-growing-by-10-tankers-a-month/
Norway to Provide $242 Million to Strengthen Ukrainian Navy
Reuters December 16, 2024
COPENHAGEN, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Norway said on Monday it would provide 2.7 billion crowns ($242 million) to strengthen the Ukrainian navy and help it deter Russian naval forces in the Black Sea.
Much of the funding will go towards innovation and autonomy under the Maritime Capability Coalition, which Norway and Britain launched last year to make Ukraine’s navy more compatible with Western allies, the government said.
“It is essential to protect the Ukrainian population and Ukrainian infrastructure from attacks by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement.
“It is also important to protect exports by sea of grain and other products, which generate crucial revenues for Ukraine,” he added.
The support includes donations from the Norwegian Armed Forces as well as military equipment to be procured from industry for subsequent donation.
The funding will also be used for mine clearance operations and the training of Ukrainian soldiers, the government said.
“The systems we are providing will enhance the ability of Ukrainian forces to detect and defuse mines along their coastline,” Defence Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said in the statement.
https://gcaptain.com/norway-to-provide-242-million-to-strengthen-ukrainian-navy/