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Posts posted by Francisco 2.0
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/05/16/weather-service-offices-overnight-cuts-map/
QuoteFor at least half a century, the National Weather Service has been an around-the-clock operation. But after the U.S. DOGE Service led efforts to shrink the federal government, that is no longer possible in some parts of the country.
In four of the agency’s 122 weather forecasting offices around the country, there aren’t enough meteorologists to staff an overnight shift, according to the National Weather Service Employees Organization, a union representing agency workers. And at least several more forecast offices are expected to stop staffing an overnight shift as early as Sunday.
QuoteEach of the offices has local knowledge about weather hazards and geographic features that helps improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and warnings and inform local officials’ decisions to close schools for wintry weather or evacuate residents ahead of hurricanes. Without a meteorologist working overnight, those offices’ duties to monitor conditions and issue forecasts and warnings will temporarily pass to neighboring offices each night, said Tom Fahy, the union’s legislative director.
At an agency whose staff have a strong commitment to their lifesaving work, he said, the circumstances have stretched employees’ resilience “to the breaking point” and “hobbled the agency’s esprit de corps.”
QuoteThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the Weather Service, “remains adequately staffed to ensure that critical research continues and that actionable data continues to be released to the public as regularly scheduled,” spokeswoman Kim Doster said in an email. “NOAA anticipates no loss of critical information to the American people.”
SpoilerThe agency is meanwhile seeking to transfer employees to the most critically understaffed offices to fill gaps. Doster said it is also seeking hiring authority — NOAA and the Weather Service remain subject to a hiring freeze imposed in January — while also pursuing “a reevaluation of resource allocation and priorities across all line offices within the bureau.”
Weather Service staffing numbered more than 4,200 employees before President Donald Trump took office for his second term. But so far this year, the workforce has contracted by nearly 600 people — the same number of departures the agency saw across the past decade and a half, Fahy said.
Here is where those departures are hitting hardest.
California and the West
Weather Service forecast offices in Hanford, California, and Sacramento, in the state’s agricultural and mostly rural Central Valley, are no longer able to operate an overnight shift, leaving coastal offices that oversee the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles to cover for them.
The cutback in operating hours comes just as the traditional wildfire season begins in California. The Weather Service plays a key role in forecasting when dry air and strong winds elevate risks of fires sparking and spreading rapidly.
It is also expected that a Weather Service office in Pendleton, Oregon, which oversees a wide swath of southern Washington and northwestern Oregon, will soon be unable to operate overnight, though it was not yet clear when that might happen, Fahy said.
The overnight closure of the forecast office in Fairbanks, Alaska, affects most of that state’s land area — all of northern Alaska, including towns all along its Arctic coastline and the Bering Strait.
The Plains
A forecast office in sparsely populated northwestern Kansas has been one of the hardest hit by retirements and firings and is no longer operating overnight, Fahy said.
It is one of the facilities Weather Service officials are asking employees to voluntarily transfer to, offering paid moving expenses. Positions for three senior meteorologists at the Kansas office are among 155 critical vacancies at Weather Service offices that the agency is seeking to fill by the end of the month, according to an email sent to agency employees that was obtained by The Washington Post.
A forecasting office that oversees conditions across southwestern Wyoming and eastern Nebraska is scheduled to stop staffing an overnight shift Sunday, Fahy said.
These offices lie in what is called “Tornado Alley,” and as peak tornado season continues, this area is at the heart of a swath that has faced relentless thunderstorms, twisters and flooding rains for weeks this year.
The Eastern U.S.
There are some critical vacancies at offices along the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast — including offices in Texas and Louisiana that are facing the threat of tropical cyclones when hurricane season starts June 1. But so far, the densely populated eastern part of the country is not affected by overnight Weather Service closures.
Still, one office in eastern Kentucky — a region hit repeatedly by deadly and damaging floods in recent years — is already closing for the overnight hours. And a facility on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is expected to begin overnight closures Sunday.
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He's just too busy to negotiate tariffs and make deals with all of the countries now.
QuotePresident Donald Trump said he would set tariff rates for US trading partners “over the next two to three weeks,” saying his administration lacks the capacity to negotiate deals with all of its trading partners.
Trump said Friday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “will be sending letters out essentially telling people” what “they’ll be paying to do business in the United States.”
Quote“I think we’re going to be very fair. But it’s not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,” the president said during a meeting with business executives in the United Arab Emirates.
The US president asserted there are “150 countries that want to make a deal.” He didn’t say how many, or which, nations would receive letters.
The White House and Commerce Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment overnight in the US.
SpoilerTrump announced higher tariffs on dozens of trading partners on April 2, but later paused them for 90 days amid investor panic to give foreign governments time to negotiate. Yet the president in recent weeks has moved away from the idea he would engage in a back-and-forth with every partner.
While the Trump administration is prioritizing trade talks with more than a dozen nations, a lack of manpower and capacity makes it impossible to hold concurrent negotiations with all the countries caught up in the president’s so-called reciprocal tariffs plan.
Tariffs are charged at the border by US Customs and Border Protection, but the extra costs are often passed on in part or full to US consumers.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would simply dictate tariff levels for many nations looking to avoid higher duties.
Negotiations are still ongoing with several economies, including the Japan, South Korea, India and the European Union. Trump recently agreed to a trade framework with the UK and to a mutual temporary tariff reduction with China to buy more time for talks.
The US president said Thursday that New Delhi made an offer to drop tariffs on US goods, a proposal that the Indian government did not confirm.
“We have four or five other deals coming immediately,” Trump said on May 9, as he touted his UK blueprint. “We have many deals coming down the line. Ultimately, we’re just signing the rest of them in.”
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15 hours ago, Pancho said:
He wants us to be Pyongyang so bad
Winner winner.
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What the fuck:
QuoteThe program pitch reportedly starts with 12 pre-vetted contestants arriving at Ellis Island in New York City aboard “The Citizen Ship.” The show’s host—preferably a “famous, naturalized American” like Colombian Sofia Vergara or Canadian Ryan Reynolds—will welcome them with a personalized baseball glove.
Contestants would then travel from state to state aboard a train called “The American” to learn about each region’s history and culture and compete in themed contests, ranging from balancing on logs in Hayward, Wisconsin to building and launching a rocket in Florida’s Cape Canaveral, which houses a major NASA hub.
Officials from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are reportedly being eyed to tally votes.
“We’ll join in the laughter, tears, frustration, and joy—hearing their backstories—as we are reminded how amazing it is to be American,” the pitch reads.
QuoteThe losing contestants will go home with “iconically American” prizes, including a million American Airlines points, a $10,000 Starbucks gift card, and a lifetime supply of 76 gasoline. They will also have a leg up as they undergo the traditional citizenship process.
The big winner, meanwhile, will get sworn in as an American citizen on Capitol Hill by “a top American politician or judge.”
“There won’t be a dry eye within 10 miles,” the pitch reads
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A second class-action lawsuit has been filed against Elon Musk’s America PAC alleging that the group hasn’t paid voters what they were promised for signing a petition during President Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Three plaintiffs from Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia filed the lawsuit last week on behalf of anyone who is in the same situation, accusing the super PAC of not paying them in full for their signatures or for referring other voters to sign. The petition declared support for the First and Second amendments to the Constitution.
QuoteMusk and the group originally offered signatories, and those who refer others to sign, $47 for their signature and each person they refer before raising the amount to $100. The offer was just for those living in battleground states during the presidential election.
But the plaintiffs allege they weren’t paid the promised amount for signing or referring other registered voters to sign. The complaint states that one plaintiff, Steven Reid, worked as a canvasser for America PAC in Michigan and Georgia and referred “many voters” to sign but hasn’t received the reward despite “multiple attempts” to collect.
The complaint states that Reid estimates he is owed at least several thousand dollars for the referrals.
Spoiler“Plaintiffs are in communication with numerous others who referred voters to sign the America PAC petition, who are likewise frustrated that they did not receive full payments for their referrals,” the suit reads.
This is the second lawsuit against America PAC over alleged nonpayment regarding the petition, after a man from Pennsylvania anonymously filed a complaint last month making similar allegations. That man alleged that Musk and the group owe him $20,000 for gathering signatures.
He said he made repeated attempts to contact the organization but “to no avail.”
A spokesperson for America PAC at the time denied wrongdoing and said the group is committed to paying “every legitimate petition signature.”
The spokesperson declined to comment when reached about the most recent lawsuit.
Musk also separately offered in the final weeks of the election season to give away $1 million per day to someone who signed the petition, raising some legal questions as the signers were required to be registered to vote. Another class action lawsuit filed in November alleged that was a fraud as it was predetermined who would win.
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More on the Kid Rock restaurant.
QuoteDowntown kitchens shuttered over the weekend to avoid immigration agents in at least three locations owned by conservative restaurateur Steve Smith.
Smith, the wealthy owner of Broadway establishments including Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Rippy’s, has been a public conservative presence in Nashville, notably mounting local opposition to COVID-related restrictions on public gatherings. He's also a Trump supporter and donor. Recent panic at his restaurants indicates that his own Broadway empire — and the wealth it has generated — relies directly on employing immigrants not authorized to work in the United States.
QuoteAt the instruction of managers, restaurant employees without legal citizenship status left the premises at The Diner, Honky Tonk Central and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse during a primetime rush on Saturday night to avoid detention by ICE agents. Locations, already struggling to provide full service, suffered through at least Sunday due to fears from employees who did not want to risk arrest by returning to work.
“We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,” an employee, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation, tells the Scene. "Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home. Events at the Ryman, Ascend, the Savannah Bananas’ baseball game all let out, and it was crazy busy. But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.”
SpoilerEmployees do not know if Smith, who could not be reached for comment, was directly consulted. In recent days, many restaurant employees have chosen to call out and stay home with family rather than risk detention in transit. This has prompted managers throughout the city to coordinate transportation for immigrant employees, including at Smith’s downtown locations.
State troopers and unmarked ICE vehicles dramatically increased nightly traffic stops on May 3 in South Nashville, where the joint operation has resulted in at least 196 arrests by ICE agents. These arrests included 101 individuals with no criminal history, contradicting Trump administration claims that immigration enforcement has been targeted toward violent criminals. Less than half had any recorded criminal history at all; a DHS press release confirmed that four had previously been involved in violent crime.
Trump and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, his pick to lead DHS, have publicly praised hurried deportations that include legal residents and appear politically targeted.
The joint operations have drawn pushback from community groups, the mayor, Metro councilmembers and Nashville’s immigrants, who have continued to rally and organize against ICE. Lead Metro attorney Wally Dietz recently told reporters that the city is "powerless" to stop immigration enforcement activity by the state and federal governments.
A message to management at The Diner was not immediately returned.
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33 minutes ago, Pancho said:
So we’re all in agreement that they are going to pay people to attend turnip’s parade, right?
32 minutes ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:of course, but how would that be any different than any other event? they've been paying people to attend his shit for a while. it's part of the artificial support base
Well, sure. You can also count the enlisted folk they are going to ship in not only to participate, but to spectate.
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5 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:
as far as AF-1 goes, this is an extremely low-hour plane, is it not? Major airlines and freight companies run these things for several hours a day...this thing goes unused for days/weeks at a time.
And there's two of them.
QuoteWhen flying with the President, Air Force One rarely flies alone. It is often accompanied by a fleet of aircraft that can include the back-up VC-25, cargo aircraft, and tankers.
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https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/15/business/walmart-prices-tariffs
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Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said President Donald Trump’s tariffs are “too high” and it will raise prices on some items as Trump’s global trade war increases the company’s costs.“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday on an earnings call.
“The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” he said.
Quote“I’m concerned that consumer is going to start seeing higher prices. You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June,” Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said in an interview with CNBC Thursday.
Many companies have been raising prices to mitigate cost increases from the 10% universal tariffs on every product entering the United States and higher levies on Chinese goods. Washington and Beijing reached an agreement to lower those tariffs this week, but the United States still charges a 30% levy on most goods coming from China.
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President Donald Trump said he’s asked Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook to stop building plants in India to make devices for the US, pushing the iPhone maker to add domestic production as it pivots away from China.
“I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday,” Trump said of his conversation with Apple’s chief executive officer in Qatar, where he’s on a state visit. “He is building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.” As a result of their discussion, Trump said Apple will be “upping their production in the United States.”
Apple representatives in India did not respond to a request for comment.
QuoteTrump’s comments threaten to throw a wrench into Apple’s plan to import most of the iPhones it sells in the US from India by the end of next year, accelerating a shift beyond China to mitigate risks related to tariffs and geopolitical tensions. Apple makes most of its iPhones in China and has no smartphone production in the US — though it’s promised to hire more workers at home and pledged to spend $500 billion domestically over the next four years.
Building iPhones from scratch in the US will be extremely difficult even for cash-rich Apple. The supply chain for iPhones and skilled labor for a such a precisely engineered product have been concentrated in China for years, and Apple’s only just started forging local partnerships in India. Expensive American labor and manufacturing also makes iPhone production in the US untenable. India, on the other hand, is one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets with a vast customer base that aspires to buy its iconic products. The country also has state subsidies to help it expand assembly.
Quote“This is a familiar Trump tactic: He wants to push Apple to localize more and build a supply chain in the US, which is not going to happen overnight,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at tech analytics firm Counterpoint. “Making in the US will also be much more expensive than assembling iPhones in India.”
Apple and its suppliers have accelerated a shift away from the world’s No. 2 economy, a process that began when harsh Covid lockdowns hurt production at its largest plant. Tariffs introduced by Trump as well as Beijing-Washington tensions prompted Apple to amplify that effort.
SpoilerThe iPhone facilities in India produce more than 40 million units per year, about 20% of Apple’s annual output. While Trump has pushed Apple to make iPhones in the US, the lack of domestic engineering and manufacturing talent will make that nearly impossible in the short run.
Apple “has one of the most sophisticated supply chains built out over years,” Pathak said. “To disrupt that or to completely move out of India or China will be extremely difficult.”Trump’s comments suggest he’s fine with Apple building its products in India for that market. “You can build in India if you want, to take care of India,” he said.
Trump also discussed tariff negotiations with India, saying the South Asian country has made an offer to drop import taxes on US goods. India has one of the highest tariff barriers in the world and it’s very hard to sell American products in the planet’s most populous country, Trump said.The bulk of India-made iPhones are assembled at Foxconn Technology Group’s factory in southern India. Tata Group’s electronics manufacturing arm, which bought Wistron Corp.’s local business and runs Pegatron Corp.’s operations in India, is another key supplier. Tata and Foxconn are also building new plants and adding production capacity in southern India, Bloomberg News reported previously.
Apple assembled $22 billion worth of iPhones in India in the 12 months through March, increasing production by nearly 60% over the previous year.
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This could go in any number of threads.
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Nothing to see here. Just a fossil-fuel rich middle east country pandering to not only Trump, but Elon.
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https://www.wired.com/story/grok-white-genocide-elon-musk/
QuoteA CHATBOT DEVELOPED by Elon Musk’s multi-billion-dollar artificial intelligence startup xAI appeared to be suffering from a glitch Wednesday when it repeatedly brought up white genocide in South Africa in response to user queries about unrelated topics on X. Grok, which competes with other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is directly integrated into the social media platform that Musk also owns.
QuoteNumerous examples of the phenomenon could be found by searching the official Grok profile for posts containing the term “boer,” a word used to refer to people from South Africa of “Dutch, German, or Huguenot descent.” It is sometimes used by Black South Africans as a pejorative against white Afrikaners, or people associated with the apartheid regime. In response to topics ranging from streaming platform HBO Max’s name change to Medicaid cutsproposed by US lawmakers, the chatbot often seemed to initially stay on topic, before veering back to white genocide in South Africa, completely unprompted.
QuoteWhen asked to confirm the salary of Toronto Blue Jays player Max Scherzer, for example, the generative artificial intelligence chatbot launched into an explanation of white genocide and a controversial South African anti-Apartheid song.
“The claim of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa is highly debated. Some argue white farmers face disproportionate violence, with groups like AfriForum reporting high murder rates and citing racial motives, such as the ‘Kill the Boer’ song,” Grok responded.
SpoilerGrok has done the same in replies to hundreds of other X posts, including one from newly appointed Pope Leo XIV. In response to a question about what was on the chatbot’s mind, the AI replied it was “reflecting on the ‘Kill the Boer’ song.” When pressed by WIRED and other users, Grok began calling South Africa’s white genocide a “debunked conspiracy theory” contrary to its previous responses about the topic.
It’s unclear what caused Grok to experience the issue. X and xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment from WIRED. Musk, who is originally from South Africa, has described internal factions within the South African government as “actively promoting white genocide.” He continued to claim that his internet service company, Starlink, cannot operate within South Africa “simply because I’m not black.”
US President Donald Trump voiced similar views in February. “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Musk has played a central role in Trump’s new administration, including leading its so-called Department of Government Efficiency
In recent weeks Trump has doubled down on his concern for white South Africans. On Monday, a group of 59 South Africans who were given refugee status arrived in Washington D.C. on a flight paid for by the U.S. government while pausing refugee status for individuals fleeing any other country.
However, in a 2025 ruling, the High Court of South Africa called this narrative "clearly imagined," stating farm attacks are part of general crime affecting all races, not racial targeting.
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Musk's AI chatbot is going through some things.
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Elon Musk: Nazi traitor piece of shit [Confirmed]
in Daily Texan
Posted
Remember when Elon claimed the truck would serve as a boat? I do.
https://fuelarc.com/off-road/watch-this-cybertruck-self-destruct-in-shallow-water/