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☆ Hertz apologizes after refusing rental to Puerto Rican
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Maria Santana | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hertz has apologized to a Puerto Rican customer after one of its employees refused to rent him a car he had paid for in advance because he did not show her his passport. Humberto Marchand said that he traveled to New Orleans last Wednesday and presented his Puerto Rican driver’s license at the Hertz counter at the Louie Armstrong International Airport. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, and anyone born on the island is by law a US citizen. In a statement to CNN, Hertz (HTZ) said that the company accepts Puerto Rican driver’s licenses from customers renting in the United States without requiring a valid passport. It is not clear if Hertz took any disciplinary action against the employee, however, the company said that this employee, like all their employees, has been reminded of their longstanding policy related to Puerto Rican driver’s licenses.

☆ As US military recruitment dips, elite Air Force demo pilots seek to be ‘beacon of excellence’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hampton, Va. CNN —In a small conference room just off a runway at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, some of the US Air Force’s most elite F-16 pilots were gathered. This year marks the team’s 70th anniversary – it was established in 1953, six years after the Air Force split from the Army and became its own service. A US Air Force Thunderbird F-16D Fighting Falcon flies overhead. US Air Force Thunderbird F-16D Fighting Falcons fly in a diamond formation. Anthony Nin Leclerec/US Air ForceBut Grindstaff, like so many throughout the military, said the Air Force seemed like it would provide him a pathway to more opportunities in life.

☆ The body of an Arby's employee was found in a walk-in freezer at a Louisiana location — and police think it may have been an accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A woman's body was found in a freezer at an Arby's in Louisiana Thursday evening. The woman who died was an employee at the Arby's restaurant in New Iberia, and her body was found by another employee, according to the spokesperson. Leland Laseter told told News 15. Hughes confirmed that the New Iberia Police Department would release an announcement with more information on the investigation later on Friday. The Arby's where the woman's body was found is located at 1120 E. Admiral Doyle Drive in New Iberia's Lagniappe Village shopping center, Hughes confirmed.

☆ A Navy jet just landed on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time, but the famous flattop's days are numbered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A fighter jet landed on the USS Nimitz for the 350,000th time — a historic milestone. The aircraft carrier became the first in active service to hit that mark after 48 years in the Navy. Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has recorded 326,600 arrested landings, the next highest total. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr.

☆ Ukraine's special operators have been 'taking it to the Russians,' the head of US Special Operations Command says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators have been putting their US-provided training to use against Russia. Ukrainian special-operations forces will also have a key role in the outcome of those battles. Ukrainian commandos on the jobRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets train in Romania in May 2021. Roxana DavidovitsAs Russian forces poured into the country at the start of the war, Ukrainian special operators went hunting. SOCOM had also incorporated a focus on unconventional warfare, a specialty of US Army Special Forces, into its training.

☆ Why you don’t have to worry about a US airline strike disrupting your summer travel plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —American Airlines pilots voted to go on strike Monday. Southwest pilots are holding a strike vote as well. Many unions have had members participate in informational pickets at major airports, at American pilots did Monday. The last time a major airline was grounded by a strike was 25 years ago when Northwest Airlines pilots went on strike for two weeks. But most negotiations are settled, even after a strike vote, without a work stoppage.

☆ American Airlines pilots vote for potential strike while airline says negotiations are progressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pilots talk as they look at the tail of an American Airlines aircraft at Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport. American Airlines pilots have voted overwhelmingly to allow their labor union to call a strike while the carrier said talks for a new contract are getting close to a conclusion. More than 96% of American's pilots participated in the vote and 99% of them voted to allow the union to call a strike, the Allied Pilots Association said Monday. The APA called the strike authorization vote in March as talks for a new deal dragged on. A spokeswoman for American Airlines said the carrier believes a deal is "within reach" and that a "handful" of issues are left to complete.

☆ 40 years ago, a US Navy aircraft carrier ran aground as thousands of sailors' families watched
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Miguel Ortiz | We Are The Mighty | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On April 28, 1983, USS Enterprise arrived in San Francisco after an eight-month deployment. Imagine, then, the frustration felt by sailors and family members alike when a ship ran aground right before it docked. USS Enterprise sails under the Golden Gate Bridge as it returns from a deployment in April 1983. 4,500 sailors and 3,000 family members could now just see each other, but were still far from being reunited. "Our vessel is the Starship Enterprise and this is the USS Enterprise," he later said, "We've got a new drink—Enterprise on the Rocks."

☆ After 20 Years, an Arrest in the Murder of a Detective’s Daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Christopher Maag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Megan McDonald’s body was discovered near a dirt path on the outskirts of Middletown, N.Y., on March 15, 2003. The search for her killer would last 20 years, one month, and four days. On Wednesday, Edward Holley, 42, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Ms. McDonald, the New York State Police announced Thursday. Mr. Holley, who had once dated Ms. McDonald, was arrested inside Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, N.Y., where he had been incarcerated on unrelated probation violation charges stemming from a narcotics arrest. The murder charges are a dramatic step in a case that has frustrated Ms. McDonald’s family, local law enforcement and Middletown residents for two decades.

☆ Oklahoma official caught on tape talking about lynching Black people and killing reporters resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jennings was caught on tape talking about lynching Black people and killing reporters. In the recording, Jennings also appears to complain about not being able to hang Black people, saying: "They got more rights than we got." The newspaper has filed a lawsuit against the sheriff's office seeking body camera footage and other records connected to Barrick's death. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association, a voluntary membership organization and not a regulatory agency, held an emergency meeting of its board. It voted unanimously to suspend Clardy, Manning and Hendrix from the association.

☆ A 1960s-era cannon is 'kicking ass' against Russia's drones, but the country that makes ammo for it won't send more to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But Switzerland, where Gepard ammo is made, is not allowing more of that ammo to be sent to Ukraine. The Gepard SPAAGA German Gepard anti-aircraft tank during an exercise near Munster in June 2007. German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann built 570 Gepards between 1963 and 1980 — 420 for the German Bundeswehr, 95 for the Dutch army, and 55 for the Belgian army. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty ImagesAfter being criticized for its reluctance to send heavy weaponry to Ukraine, the German government promised some 50 Gepards to Ukraine in April 2022. In February, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that German firm Rheinmetall would restart ammo production for the Gepard.

☆ Southwest Airlines Pilots Association explains what grounded the airlines' fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSouthwest Airlines Pilots Association explains what grounded the airlines' fleetCapt. Tom Nekouei of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association discusses what led to Tuesday's grounded Southwest flights. Hosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

☆ Kenya launches first operational satellite into space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A model of a prototype of a 3U Earth observation satellite, the Taifa-1, is displayed ahead of the launch of Kenya's first operational satellite, at the University of Nairobi's Taifa Hall in Nairobi, Kenya April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, April 14 (Reuters) - Kenya launched its first operational earth observation satellite on Saturday onboard a SpaceX rocket from the United States, a live feed from Elon Musk's rocket company showed. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Taifa-1 satellite, took off at about 0648 GMT without incident from Vandenberg Base in California, after three postponements due to bad weather. Alloyce Were, an aeronautical engineer and deputy director of Navigation and Positioning at the government-run Kenya Space Agency, told Reuters on Friday before the satellite's launch. The satellite was put together with the help of Bulgarian aerospace company Endurosat at a cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($372,000) over two years, the space agency said.

☆ The newest US aircraft carrier is heading for deployment after a decade of hard lessons the Navy says it should 'never' do again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier, will deploy in early May. USS Ford is the first carrier of its class and has an array of new and advanced technology. 'We should never do that again'An aviation boatswain's mate (handling) directs an F/A-18E aboard USS Gerald R. Ford in October. The final weapons elevator was completed in December 2021, with Rear Adm. James Downey, program executive officer for aircraft carriers, calling it "a significant milestone." "She's earned every certification she needs to deploy, and I fully believe that the aircraft carrier, her air wing, and her battlegroup are capable of defending themselves."

☆ The NATO military alliance has its own song, as well as a jingle specially recorded over 60 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It has its own official "NATO Hymn," as well as a decades-old jingle called "The NATO Song." Among the more interesting tributes, however, was "The NATO Song." And "The NATO Song" is far from the only musical celebration of the alliance's existence. A separate NATO informational page refers to a piece called the "NATO hymn song sheet" and links to the lyrics and notes to something titled "NATO — Song." Like Helsinki, Stockholm would provide the military alliance with a meaningful firepower boost as it faces threats from Russia.

☆ Russia's struggles in Ukraine are showing US special operators that they'll need to fight without their 'tethers' to win future wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For US special operators, the war is a reminder that such a network won't always be available. Ukraine thwarted Russia's initial attack and, with extensive Western support, has driven Russia's forces back. Logistics and special operatorsRomanian, Ukrainian, and US Army Green Berets conduct close quarters battle training in Romania in May 2021. We are trained and mentally prepared to fight without much logistical support," said the Green Beret, who was granted anonymity to discuss potential future operations. "Again, depending on the unit and the mission, we will require some sort of logistical support eventually.

☆ 20-minute drive turns into 7-hour nightmare for stranded traveler after winter storm wreaks havoc across US
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alahn Ek, who lives just outside of Portland, Oregon, told Oregon Live a 20-minute drive to her friend's house wound up taking seven hours in heavy snow and standstill traffic. "It was like I blinked" and suddenly the snow was falling, she told Oregon Live. Hannah Schaferm a spokesperson for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, told Oregon Live the city is equipped for winter weather, but not in the face of a storm like the one that came this week. As parts of the country continue to experience severe weather, officials across the US are warning travelers to remain vigilant. "Snow & freezing rain are creating hazardous road conditions in parts of the state," New York Gov.

☆ How unusually mild weather prevented what could've been the first aircraft carrier battle since World War II
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Argentine jets were poised to strike when the usually turbulent South Atlantic winds took a mild turn. Few of the half-dozen Argentine aviators expected to survive the attack, dubbed "Banzai Night" after the famous Japanese battle cry. Government of ArgentinaIronically, the Veinticinco de Mayo was originally a British carrier named the HMS Venerable launched by the Cammell Laird shipyard near the end of World War II. After a damaging boiler-room fire, the Karel was sold in 1969 to the Argentine Navy which extensively modernized and rebuilt the 25-year-old vessel. The Harrier and the Sea DartSea Harrier jump jets aboard HMS Hermes in the South Atlantic on May 1, 1982.

☆ Meet the 'Arizona Balloon Buster,' the ace WWI pilot famous for shooting down enemy balloons on 'suicide' missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For his efforts in the skies above the battlefield, Luke became famous as the "Arizona Balloon Buster," according to the US Air Force. Shortly after the US entered World War I in the spring of 1917, the 20-year-old enlisted in the military and trained to become a pilot. These expensive assets were protected by anti-aircraft guns and aircraft, so trying to attack them was "practically suicide," the Air Force said. American World War I fighter ace, Frank Luke Jr (1897 - 1918), with his SPAD S.XIII biplane, France, 18th September 1918. Luke Air Force Base in Arizona is named after Frank Luke Jr., and the ace pilot also has a statue in Phoenix.

☆ Decades after winning the world's first jet-powered dogfights, US fighter pilots are still flexing their muscles over Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That November, US Air Force and Navy pilots notched the first victories between jet-powered aircraft. The first, involving an Air Force Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star piloted by Lt. Russel Brown, occurred on November 8, 1950. Air superiorityUS Air Force F-80C fighters return from a mission in August 1952. The Air Force's 'first'A US Air Force F-80C armed with napalm bombs takes off from a Korean airfield in February 1951. The exercise, called Vigilant Storm, involved roughly 100 US aircraft and some 140 South Korean aircraft flying more than 1,600 sorties.

☆ JetBlue pilots approve contract extension that comes with over 21% in raises
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

JetBlue Airways pilots have approved a contract extension that comes with 21.5% raises over the next 18 months as the industry reverses slow progress in labor deals during a pilot shortage. That airline's pilots approved a new two-year contract that their union estimated to be worth around $463 million. If the merger isn't approved by regulators, the union will go back into contract negotiations with the airline. A shortage of aviators and high demand from airlines large and small have also limited airlines' ability to grow. United Airlines , American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are still in talks with their pilots' labor unions.

The slayings of seven people, gunned down in a small Northern California city, was an act of "workplace violence" that victimized members of the "migrant community," officials said Tuesday. Suspect Chunli Zhao, a 66-year-old resident of Half Moon Bay, worked at Mountain Mushroom Farm, one of two agricultural businesses where workers were killed on Monday afternoon, authorities said. Zhao was arrested in the parking lot of a sheriff’s substation in Half Moon Bay shortly after the attacks. “Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the latest tragic shooting in Half Moon Bay, California,” President Joe Biden said in a White House statement issued Tuesday. The Half Moon Bay slayings were in the middle of a horrific 72-hour period of gun violence across California and the nation.

☆ Police Hunt for Monterey Park, California, Dance-Club Shooter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Scott Calvert | Alicia A. Caldwell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MONTEREY PARK, CALIF.—Police on Sunday were searching for a gunman after at least 10 people were killed in a mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., east of Los Angeles, late Saturday. At least 10 others were taken to hospitals with injuries, some in critical condition, Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau said at a news briefing on Sunday morning.

☆ The Nord Stream pipeline attack shows what Russia can do, Western officials say, even if they can't prove Russia did it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After months of investigation, Western officials can't prove Russia blew up the Nord Stream pipelines. While they can't name Russia as the culprit, officials say the attacks illustrate what Russia can do. The vulnerability of undersea infrastructure, like pipelines and data cables, is a growing concern. Four months on, investigators are unable to prove Moscow was behind the attack, but officials say the explosions illustrate the threat malign actors — especially Russia — pose to vital undersea infrastructure. Despite the uncertainty, the attack has only added to concern about threats to undersea infrastructure, particularly cables and pipelines, that connects continents and powers economies.

☆ Police Hunt Gunman After 10 Killed in Shooting in Monterey Park
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Scott Calvert | Michael Wright | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Police were searching for a gunman after at least 10 people were killed in a mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., east of Los Angeles, late Saturday. At least 10 others were taken to hospitals with injuries, some in critical condition, Capt. Andrew Meyer of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau said at a news briefing.

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