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☆ Wagner Group shooting down a Russian command plane may be gift that keeps on giving for Ukraine's beleaguered air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

During Wagner Group's revolt in June, its mercenaries shot down several Russian military aircraft. The loss of one of Russia's few Il-22M could hinder its air force's ability to operate over Ukraine. Wagner Group's abortive revolt last month didn't just end with its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, fleeing the country and its troops being absorbed into the Russian military. The airborne command posts couldn't even communicate directly with air-defense units or with Russian fighters on combat air patrols. Royal Air ForceIndeed, command and control is the Achilles heel of the Russian military, which inherited the rigid command structure of its Soviet predecessor.

Persons: Wagner Group's, —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, NIKITA SHCHYUKIN, Greg L, Davis, Justin Bronk, aren't, Bronk, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, NATO, British Ministry of Defense, Getty, Ukraine, Ministry of Defense, Target, Boeing, Joint STARS, US Air Force, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian, Ground Forces, CAP, RAF Typhoons, Royal Air Force, US, CNA, Russian Aerospace Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, AFP, Davis Russian, Baltic, Forbes

☆ United CEO apologizes for flying private as airline cancels thousands of flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —United CEO Scott Kirby is apologizing to customers and his own employees after taking a private jet during a week when his airline was canceling thousands of flights. United customers have been plagued by flight delays, cancellations and lost luggage this week. On Friday as of the evening, United had 979 flight delays, or 34% of its operations, and 234 canceled flights, according to FlightAware. “The FAA frankly failed us this weekend,” said Kirby in an internal company memo to United staff shared with CNN on Wednesday. “Look, United Airlines has some internal issues they need to work through.

Persons: Scott Kirby, Kirby, ” Kirby, “, ”, Pete Buttigieg, They’ve, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Buttigieg, They’re Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Teterboro Airport, ”, Newark Liberty International Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, United, CNN, Newark, United Airlines Locations: New York, New Jersey, Denver , Colorado, Newark , New Jersey

☆ State Department review of 2021 Afghanistan evacuation critical of Biden, Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Victor Mancilla/Handout via... Read moreWASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. State Department report on Friay criticized the handling of the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, saying decisions by President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw troops had "serious consequences for the viability" and security of the former U.S.-backed government. The review, and a similar Pentagon study, contributed to a report released by the White House in April. But the State Department review's critical findings were not reflected in the White House report.cWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden's handling of the Afghan pullout. "I can't speak to that internal coordination piece and how the administration settled on the core conclusions that it presented" in April, a senior State Department official said. The review said State Department planning for the evacuation "was hindered" because it was "unclear" which senior official "had the lead."

Persons: Victor Mancilla, Read, Friay, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Antony Blinken, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden's, Steven Cheung, Afghanistan — Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Grant McCool, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Marines, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Evacuation Control Center, Hamid, Airport, . Marine Corps, Staff, U.S . State Department, State, White House, State Department, United, Trump, American, Department, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, WASHINGTON, U.S, United States, State

But now, as Mr. Putin seeks to project an image of restored stability and control, he has been putting his defense minister on display, even if Mr. Shoigu has not addressed the public or even been heard speaking. Mr. Shoigu was also present on Monday as Mr. Putin convened a meeting of his top security chiefs. On Tuesday, as Mr. Putin praised his security forces in a grandly choreographed speech, Mr. Shoigu was again present, wearing his military uniform. Mr. Shoigu, who was a very popular minister of emergency situations before becoming defense minister in 2012, has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin may have kept both men in charge as part of his decades-long efforts to place the sprawling Russian military more under his control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergei K, Shoigu, Valery V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, ” Mr, Gerasimov, Mr, Prigozhin, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, ”, ” Andrei Guryulov, Aleksandr Dugin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Dugin, Long, General Gerasimov, It’s, Andrei Soldatov, Putin “, ” Oleg Matsnev Organizations: Putin, Cuban, National Defense Control Center of Russia, Russian military’s Zvezda, United, Defense Ministry, General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Cuba, Russian, Ukrainian, Lyman, Chechnya, United Russia, Belarus

☆ Putin's embattled defense minister Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner mutiny that experts say is confusing and feels off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian defense chief Shoigu appeared in a video released after the Wagner Group's armed rebellion. Moscow published the video purportedly showing Shoigu in Ukraine, though its unclear when it was filmed. Some Russian milblogger channels have arrived at the same conclusion, that the video of Shoigu was older footage. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the notorious Wagner mercenary organization, has long criticized Moscow's military leadership over its handling of the war in Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations, but it didn't stop Prigozhin from openly encouraging his mercenaries to take up arms against the defense ministry in open rebellion.

Persons: Shoigu, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, —, Sergei Shoigu, General Yevgeny Nikiforov, Yevgeny Nikiforov's, Sergei Shoigu's, Jimmy Rushton, Mark Krutov, Yevgeny Nikiforov, I'm, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's, Moscow's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Don, Stringer, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, he's, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Service, Russian Defense, Wagner Group, Russian Ministry of Defence, Twitter, Radio Free, Radio Liberty's, Russian Ministry of Defense, RAND Corporation, Prigozhin Press Service, Prigozhin Press, Associated Press, Don REUTERS, Stringer Western, ABC News, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty's Russia, Shoigu, Rostov, Don, Russia, Belarus, Ukrainian, Kyiv

REUTERS/Carlos OsorioWINNIPEG, Manitoba, June 11 (Reuters) - The number of wildfires raging out of control across Quebec dropped on Sunday as firefighters in the Canadian province gained the upper hand in some areas, a provincial minister said on Sunday. Quebec Natural Resources Minister Maite Blanchette Vezina said told reporters that the number of out-of-control fires in the eastern province dropped to 44 from 72 on Saturday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported. By Monday, around 1,200 firefighters, including more than 100 from France and some from other provinces, are expected to be battling blazes across Quebec. A federal government meteorologist forecast on Saturday that Quebec could receive light rain on Tuesday in some burning areas. "Last Wednesday, we thought we could close down our emergency control center and come Friday, that idea went out the door when the fires went out of control very drastically," said Luc Mercier, chief administrative officer for Yellowhead County.

Persons: smokey, Carlos Osorio, Maite Blanchette Vezina, Blanchette Vezina, Luc Mercier, Karley, Rod Nickel, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Carlos Osorio WINNIPEG, Quebec Natural Resources, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Edmonton, Wildfire Service, Thomson Locations: Ontario, Quebec, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Carlos Osorio WINNIPEG , Manitoba, Canadian, France, New Brunswick, Alberta, Edson, Yellowhead County, Pacific, British Columbia, Tumbler, Winnipeg, Manitoba

☆ Molecular fossils open window on 'lost world' of primordial life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The researchers discovered that the molecular fossils indicating the presence of these primitive eukaryotes were commonplace in rocks spanning from about 1.6 billion years ago to 800 million years ago. "It is a lost world in the sense that we had not been able to see or detect them - although there was an entire world of them. It is a lost world also because these forms are now entirely extinct, Brocks added. The oldest of the rocks bearing these fossils were unearthed in the remote Outback of northern Australia, near Darwin. Scientists long were puzzled about the seeming absence of molecular fossils from this time span indicative of primitive eukaryotes.

Persons: Jochen Brocks, geobiologist Jochen Brocks, Benjamin Nettersheim, Brocks, sapiens, Konrad Block, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Australian National University, Handout, REUTERS, University of Bremen, Thomson Locations: Creek, Northern Australia, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Canberra, Germany, Australia, Darwin

☆ European Space Agency hosts first Mars live stream
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The European Space Agency is streaming on YouTube the first live images directly from Mars. Over the course of an hour, new images of Mars are expected about every 50 seconds, according to statement from the agency. The images, shared on YouTube, ESA’s Twitter account and with #MarsLIVE, will show the planet as it has never been seen before, ESA said. “I’m excited to see Mars as it is now — as close to a martian ‘now’ as we can possibly get!”But haven’t we seen images of Mars before? ESA shared images it deemed as close to live as physically possible during a June 2, 2023, event.

Persons: ”, James Godfrey, “, we’ve Organizations: CNN, European Space Agency, YouTube, Twitter, ESA, Mars Locations: Mars, Darmstadt, Germany

☆ Here’s how you can see Mars live for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Mars is making its live streaming debut, and the show will reveal the red planet in a whole new light. On Friday, the European Space Agency is set to stream on YouTube an hour of the first live images directly from Mars, according to statement from the agency. While it won’t be truly live, there will be a new image about every 50 seconds of that hour, the agency said. “I’m excited to see Mars as it is now — as close to a martian ‘now’ as we can possibly get!”But haven’t we seen images of Mars before? Depending on where Mars and Earth are in their orbits around the sun, the messages that journey through space can take anywhere from 3 to 22 minutes.

Persons: ”, James Godfrey, “, we’ve Organizations: CNN, European Space Agency, Mars, YouTube, Twitter, ESA Locations: Mars, Darmstadt, Germany

☆ China deletes 1.4 million social media posts in crackdown on 'self-media' accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator said 1.4 million social media posts have been deleted following a two-month probe into alleged misinformation, illegal profiteering, and impersonation of state officials, among other "pronounced problems". The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a statement on Friday it had closed 67,000 social media accounts and deleted hundreds of thousands of posts between March 10 and May 22 as part of a broader "rectification" campaign. Since 2021, China has targeted billions of social media accounts in a bid to "clean" its cyberspace and make it easier for authorities to control. The latest crackdown targeted accounts on popular Chinese social media apps including WeChat, Douyin, and Weibo that fall under the category of "self media," a term that broadly refers to accounts that publish news and information but are not government-run or state-approved. Some 25,000 other accounts were targeted for impersonating public institutions, such as disease and prevention control centers and state-run research institutes.

☆ FBI takes down Russian malware network that attacked allies, journalist computers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Taxis move past the headquarters of Russia's Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, in central Moscow, May 12, 2022. The Federal Bureau of Investigation disrupted a Russian government-controlled malware network that compromised hundreds of computers belonging to NATO-member governments and other Russian targets of interest, including journalists, the Justice Department said Tuesday. The unit, called Turla, used the malware to selectively target high-value devices used by allied foreign ministries and governments. Disrupting the malware was part of an effort by U.S. law enforcement to protect victims around the world. Snake's targeted capacities fed Russian intelligence huge amounts of information until U.S. law enforcement took down the network on Monday.

☆ Those Melatonin Gummies May Have More Than You Bargained For
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Liz Essley Whyte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Calls to poison-control centers from caregivers worried about melatonin their children ingested have grown sharply. Photo: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Greoup via Getty ImagesPeople who consume melatonin gummies to get a good night’s rest might be ingesting more natural sleep aid than they bargained for, scientists say. In an analysis of 25 melatonin gummy brands, researchers found that most had more melatonin than their label disclosed—with one brand’s product containing nearly 350% more, according to the analysis published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Another brand said its gummies contained melatonin and cannabinoid oil, though researchers found that they really contained only cannabidiol, an ingredient derived from cannabis.

☆ Sleep gummies: Possibly harmful doses of melatonin, CBD found
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Testing of over two dozen melatonin “gummies” sold as sleep aids found some had potentially dangerous amounts of the hormone that helps regulate sleep, according to a new study. “Four of the tested products contained levels of CBD that were between 4% and 18% higher than on the label,” Cohen said. “We choose gummies over other products because we thought parents would chose edibles to give to their children,” Cohen said. Gummies sold as sleep aids had much higher levels of melatonin than stated on the label, as well as CBD, according to the study. “However, that doesn’t mean melatonin products are going to work or they’re a good idea to take.

☆ Ukraine awaits US missile system after latest Russian strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The entrance to the Recknitztal barracks, home of the anti-aircraft missile group 24, on the left a mobile launch pad of the Patriot air defense system. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. Germany and the Netherlands also have pledged to provide a Patriot system each to Ukraine. Separately, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter died Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood of the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. The southern port city was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of the war, but Ukrainian forces regained control of it in November, one of the most notable battlefield defeats for Moscow.

When we've been awake for a long time, our sleep drive kicks in and tells us we need to sleep. During REM sleep, the cortex – responsible for cognition and emotion-processing – is activated in some regions and deactivated in others. After cycling through non-REM and REM sleep around 4 to 5 times, the basal forebrain and other structures receive signals to start exiting sleep. WHEN SLEEP GOES WRONGIn the U.S. alone, 50 to 70 million people experience some type of chronic sleep disorder, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In the United States, a list of board-certified sleep medicine physicians and accredited sleep disorders centers is available from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

☆ Why fighting the urge to sleep may be bad for our health
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +17 min

What happens when we sleep Sleep itself has cycles, in which the brain and body move through phases, marked by varying brain activity. Moving into REM sleep A region in the upper brainstem kickstarts the move into REM sleep. Waking up After cycling through non-REM and REM sleep around 4 to 5 times, the basal forebrain and other structures receive signals to start exiting sleep. Then we transition back to lighter sleep, into REM sleep and back down again, and so on until we wake up. Tips for better sleep Good sleep habits can contribute to better sleep, studies have found.

☆ I was a die-hard Apple iPad fan for over a decade. But I've grown frustrated and have mostly discarded it — I'm not the only one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Gartenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Former Apple exec Michael Gartenberg has an iPad Pro and has owned various iPads over the past decade. His iPad used to be his constant travel companion, more used than his laptop — but not anymore. He says the iPad is at an intersection between failure and ongoing success, and Apple must pay attention. So iPad users, like myself, are paying a premium for hardware that is far more advanced than the software we are able to run on it. If Apple wants to continue to succeed with the iPad, it will need to address these challenges head-on.

☆ Russian Ship at International Space Station Leaked Coolant, NASA Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Progress 82 cargo craft arrived at the space station in October last year. A Russian supply ship docked at the International Space Station has a coolant leak, but the incident poses no danger to the station’s crew, NASA officials said Saturday. Engineers at the Russian Mission Control Center outside Moscow recorded a depressurization in the coolant loop of the unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 82, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.

☆ Ohio woman arrested at Atlanta airport for spraying cops with fire extinguisher after refusing to pay food bill, witnesses say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jennifer Holder, 27, was caught on video spraying a fire extinguisher after a confrontation with airport staff. Witnesses say workers approached Holder after she skipped out on her dinner tab, according to reports. Witnesses said the incident began when Holder allegedly dined and dashed on her bill from Buffalo Wild Wings, according to Inside Edition. The Atlanta Police Department said in a news release officers responded to a report that a "suspicious female" was attempting to open secured doors inside the airport on Tuesday night. According to the National Capital Poison Control Center, fire extinguishers generally have "some risk for mild respiratory, skin, or eye irritation."

☆ FAA has struggled to modernize computer, air traffic operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The FAA has struggled to modernize some long-standing parts of air traffic control. A 2021 Transportation Department Office of Inspection General (OIG) report repeatedly cited challenges in the FAA's multi-billion dollar Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next) infrastructure project. In October, for example, the FAA said it was working to end a long-ridiculed, decades-old practice of air traffic controllers using paper flight strips to keep track of aircraft. ERAM in 2015 replaced the 40-year-old En Route Host computer and backup system used at 20 FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers nationwide. House Transportation Committee chair Sam Graves, a Republican, labeled as "inexcusable" FAA’s failure to properly maintain and operate the air traffic control system.

The only way to screenshot someone's Snapchat without them knowing is by using another device. Android users can also use screen recording or Google Assistant to secretly screenshot a Snapchat. These days, there's only one guaranteed way to screenshot someone on Snapchat without them knowing: Using a camera. How to take a screenshot on Snapchat without someone knowingWith another cameraUsing your iPhone or Android's built-in screenshot feature to capture someone's Snap will send that person a notification. Use Google Assistant on AndroidAndroid users also have another trick up their sleeve for taking a screenshot on Snapchat without the other person knowing: Google Assistant.

To fix one AirPod dying faster, switch ears regularly if you use one more than the other. Usually, the battery of each earbud is roughly the same in each ear all the time, but in some cases, you may find that one AirPod dies a lot faster than the other. Here's how to adjust your AirPods settings. Check the Apple support page for the latest AirPods firmware version that your earbuds need to have. If you want to remove your AirPods, tap the "i" icon and then tap "Forget This Device."

More young children are getting sick from inadvertently eating marijuana edibles, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics. Eating too much can lead to serious health problems in young children, including confusion, hallucinations, fast heart rate and vomiting, experts said. Nearly a quarter of the children were admitted to the hospital, 8.1% of whom who needed intensive care, the study found. Wang called for regulation of how marijuana manufacturers can advertise their products, including regulations that ensure the advertising doesn't appeal to children. Osterhoudt went a step further: "The safest thing for a parent of young children to do would be not to bring edible THC products into their homes."

☆ Risk of a dangerous new Covid variant in China is ‘quite low,’ U.S. health expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | Evelyn Cheng Is A Senior Correspondent With Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, pointed out there were likely billions of omicron infections worldwide this year, but no new Covid variant has emerged, only subvariants of omicron. “That’s why I would put the risk as quite low that there is a dangerous new variant in China,” he said. The U.S., Japan and a few other countries this week subsequently announced new Covid testing requirements for travelers from China. China’s National Health Commission said Sunday it would stop releasing daily information on Covid infections and deaths. Covid testing is no longer mandatory in China.

To fix an iPhone that is not receiving texts from Android phones, try toggling Airplane mode on and off. Restarting your iPhone, updating it, and resetting your network settings can also fix the problem. Even so, you should generally be able to exchange texts between iPhone and Android seamlessly — iPhones can receive SMS messages just as easily as Android. If you have trouble getting texts from Android devices on your iPhone, here are nine ways to troubleshoot the problem. Tap Messages.

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