CNN: Pentagon Delayed Promotions of 2 Female Generals Until Trump was Gone
Promotions of two female generals were delayed by Pentagon officials until after the 2020 presidential election out of fear of “turmoil” from President Donald Trump’s White House, The New York Times reported Wednesday….
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/politics/pentagon-delayed-female-nominations/index.html
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ARS TECNICA: France Ties Russia’s Sandworm to a Multiyear Hacking Spree
On Monday, the French information security agency ANSSI published an advisory warning that hackers with links to Sandworm, a group within Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, had breached several French organizations….
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NASA: Planning 1st Test of System Designed to Protect Planet from Asteroids
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), NASA’s first flight demonstration for planetary defense, seeks to test and validate a method to protect Earth in case of an asteroid impact threat.
The mission aims to shift an asteroid’s orbit through kinetic impact – specifically, by impacting a spacecraft into the smaller member of the binary asteroid system Didymos to change its orbital speed.
At the request of Science Mission Directorate (SMD) senior leadership, a risk assessment was performed on the DART project schedule to determine the viability of the primary (July 21, 2021 to August 24, 2021) and secondary (November 24, 2021 to February 15, 2022) launch periods.
Based on the results of this assessment, SMD determined the primary launch period is no longer viable and has directed the DART project pursue their secondary launch window.
The DART project is currently working with SpaceX and NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) to identify the earliest possible launch opportunity within this secondary window….
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/dart-launch-moves-to-secondary-window
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CNN: Mysteries of Massive Holes Forming in Siberian Permafrost Unlocked by Scientists
The massive crater appeared violently and explosively in the Siberian tundra last year — a powerful blowout of methane gas throwing ice and rock hundreds of feet away and leaving a gaping circular scar in the empty and eerie landscape….
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/world/siberia-craters-arctic-climate-change-scn/index.html
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BETO O’ROURKE: ‘We are Nearing a Failed State in Texas’
THE HILL: Former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke blamed Republican leaders in Texas for what he says was a failure to prepare for widespread power outages resulting from a massive winter storm that swept across the state this week….
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AXIOS: Netanyahu Allies with Jewish Supremacists
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made great efforts ahead of Israel’s March 23 elections to ensure that Jewish supremacists from the Jewish Power party will make it into Israel’s parliament, the Knesset…
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KTXS – TV: Texas Mayor Resigns Tells Worried Citizens to Figure Out Themselves How to Keep Warm
Colorado City, Texas, Mayor Tim Boyd resigned and wrote this Facebook post:
“No one owes you are your family anything; nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim it’s you choice! The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for damn handout! If you don’t have electricity you step up and come up with game plan to keep your family warm and safe. If you have no water you deal without and think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family”…
https://ktxs.com/news/local/colorado-city-mayor-resigns-after-controversial-facebook-post
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NPR: Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino Is Reduced to Rubble
Former President Donald Trump’s shuttered hotel and casino in Atlantic City, N.J., was demolished Wednesday morning, collapsing amid gentle cheers from the crowd
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THE GUARDIAN: Conservatives Falsely Blame Green Energy for Texas Storm Outages
Lawmakers and the Murdoch media target wind and solar but grid operator says fossil fuel generators suffered biggest problems….
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CNN: Rush Limbaugh Dies
Rush Limbaugh, the conservative media icon who for decades used his perch as the king of talk-radio to shape the politics of both the Republican Party and nation, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.
A pioneer of AM talk-radio, Limbaugh for 32 years hosted “The Rush Limbaugh Show,” a nationally-syndicated program with millions of loyal listeners that transfigured him into a partisan force and polarizing figure in American politics…
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/media/rush-limbaugh-obituary/index.html
HILL REPORTER: Bannon Believes Trump Has Dementia
Steve Bannon told a “60 Minutes” producer that he concluded that Donald Trump was suffering from “early-stage dementia” while still in office….
BUSINESS INSIDER: Ted Cruz: ‘I Got No Defense’
Sen. Ted Cruz struck a rare conciliatory tone after Twitter users lambasted the Texas senator for a resurfaced August tweet in which he mocked California’s “failed energy policies,” as millions of Texans were left without electricity due to a severe winter storm this past weekend
https://www.yahoo.com/news/got-no-defense-ted-cruz-025155619.html
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REUTERS: Musk Asks Putin for a ‘Conversation’
An invitation from Tesla boss Elon Musk for Russian President Vladimir Putin to join him for a chat on a social networking app? “Very interesting,” the Kremlin said…
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HUFFINGTON POST: Trump Insurrection Has Tarnished U.S. Diplomacy
America’s ability to promote democracy around the world was unquestionably damaged by “recent events,” in particular the deadly U.S. Capitol riot carried out by a violent mob of ex-President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a new interview…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anthony-blinken-us-diplomacy-tarnished_n_602cc1c7c5b67c329619fb73