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Navy warship fires laser weapon in Middle East
The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet disclosed the laser weapon test in a press release on Wednesday.
The laser, known as the Solid State Laser – Technology Maturation Laser Weapons System Demonstrator (LWSD) Mark 2 MOD 0, was deployed aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD-27).
The Navy said the LWSD “successfully engaged a static surface training target.”
The LWSD is a successor to the earlier Laser Weapon System (LaWS), which the Navy first installed for testing on the USS Ponce (LPD-15) in 2014.
The Gulf of Aden holds particular significance for the laser weapon test, as it is situated along the southern coast of Yemen. Since 2014, Yemen has been in a state of civil war between the Saudi Arabian-backed Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Damaged US submarine that struck underwater mountain near China limps back to harbor in CA
Ship spotters have been sharing photos of the sub pulling into the San Diego harbor in California on Sunday morning.
The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) news portal has previously said that the USS Connecticut’s ballast tanks and forward section were damaged.
It’s difficult to tell from the pictures but military watchers say it appears that there is a temporary cover over the bow where the submarine’s sophisticated sonar is located.
That means the ship has transited from the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, where it underwent preliminary assessment and repairs, entirely on the surface as it would be dangerous for it to travel underwater.
Disgraced Soros-backed activist sits on influential board that determines fate of criminals
Tonja Honsey was removed from all her major leadership roles except for one after it was revealed that she allegedly lied to and defrauded those around her.
Now, she only sits on the MSGC that Gov. Tim Walz appointed her to, helping to decide what punishments should be available for Minnesota judges to dole out.
In this position, she’s presently advocating for a measure that would eliminate stronger sentences for criminals who commit more crimes while on probation or parole.
Presently, the Center of the American Experiment is circulating a petition Minnesotans can sign to signal their opposition to the new sentencing guidelines that Honsey supports. Minnesotans can also attend the MSGC’s next meeting on Dec. 16 to voice their opposition to the proposed changes.
Gov. DeSantis Introduces the Stop W.O.K.E. Act
“In Florida we are taking a stand against the state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
“We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other. We also have a responsibility to ensure that parents have the means to vindicate their rights when it comes to enforcing state standards.
Finally, we must protect Florida workers against the hostile work environment that is created when large corporations force their employees to endure CRT-inspired ‘training’ and indoctrination.”
NYPD Names Keechant Sewell First Female Police Commissioner
Adams, himself a former New York City police captain, will introduce Keechant Sewell at a news conference in Queens on Wednesday, New York’s Daily News reported.
“Keechant Sewell is a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve,” Adams said in a statement published by the newspaper.
The New York Times reported that Sewell is a 23-year veteran of the police department in Nassau County, New York, where she is chief of detectives. She would be New York City’s third Black police commissioner.
5 more people robbed and 3 are pistol-whipped in Lakeview and Lincoln Park on Tuesday evening
According to CPD’s just-released weekly statistics report, robberies in the Lakeview-based 19th (Town Hall) District were up 375% last week compared to the same week last year, with 19 robberies reported.
In the neighboring 18th (Near North) District, which includes much of Lincoln Park, robberies were up 220% compared to the same week last year, with 16 hold-ups reported.
Tuesday’s robberies began around 10 p.m. on the 2100 block of North Fremont.
Chicago area teen guilty of murdering 15-year-old boy during drug deal gets probation
A teenager in a Chicago suburb who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a 15-year-old was sentenced to three years of probation and to complete community service hours.
The unidentified defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after 15-year-old Elias Valdez was fatally stabbed in August of 2020 in Glenview, which is about about 20 miles from Chicago. The defendant was charged as a juvenile in the case.
In addition to probation and completing 100 community service hours, a Cook County judge ordered the 17-year-old high school senior and his parents to participate in counseling.
NORTH CAROLINA STORE EMPLOYEE SHOOTS ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT DEAD, POLICE SAY
Greensboro police said that three males entered the store on the city’s north side at around 7:45 p.m. The suspects took some cash at gunpoint and then fled the area.
North Carolina store employee shoots armed robbery suspect dead, policy say Dek: A 17-year-old is dead after being one of three robbery suspects Monday in Greensboro
(WGHP FOX8).
According to the news release, it was during the robbery that the store clerk fired a gun at one of the suspects and killed him. The suspect was identified as Gabriel Malachi Kalu, 17, of Greensboro.
JFK assassination files are released
The files are not expected to include any bombshells about the 1963 Dallas assassination, but will shed more light on what happened that day and the government’s investigation into it.
The files were always meant to be made public within 25 years of the assassination under the JFK Records Act, but Biden delayed their release earlier this year, citing COVID back-logs as the reason.
President Trump agreed to make 10,000 public when he was in office, but they were mostly redacted.
Historians and experts do not believe that Wednesday’s dump of files will contain any bombshells or revelations about the assassination but because of the secrecy that has surrounded them, there is still suspicion that the government isn’t telling the public everything.
Dan Bongino Speaks About the Rise of Rumble
Politics:
US gov’t has hundreds of billions in unspent COVID relief funds
The roughly $500 billion in relief that has not been obligated could be returned for other government uses if not distributed according to each program’s deadline.
Budget experts say it can take time for funds to be distributed to the American people due to processing requirements. For example, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Labor must follow procedures to legally commit funds, known as “obligating,” before they can actually spend the money.
Marc Goldwein, a senior vice president with the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the government intends to use almost half of the leftover money in the future.
Education has more money available than any other group: roughly $260 billion was obligated for elementary, secondary and vocation education, but just $60 billion has been spent so far.
Schools have until 2025 to spend the remaining money.
Biden Admin Proposes Bonuses For Doctors Who Implement ‘Anti-Racism’ Plans
According to the proposal, clinics should have value statements and policies that are “aligned with a commitment to anti-racism and an understanding of race as a political and social construct, not a physiological one.”
It also states that “this activity begins with the premise that it is important to acknowledge systemic racism as a root cause for differences in health outcomes between socially defined racial groups.”
The proposal cites President Joe Biden’s executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce.
Trump names names on potential running mates for 2024 election
His comments came as he was on the first night of a “History Tour” with former Fox News host and commentator Bill O’Reilly.
The “Limited Engagement National Tour” has been touted as a way for Trump to discuss the history of his administration in a series of live conversations, Just the News reported.
But Trump noted there were a number of other strong candidates, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. And he noted there were women who were qualified as well.
Senate approves $778 billion military funding bill after delay
The National Defense Authorization Act passed through the House earlier this month by a 363-70 vote and is set to fund national defense programs and policy initiatives for the Department of Defense for 2022.
Roughly $740 billion of the legislation’s sum will provide funding for the Pentagon, including a $25 billion boost to President Biden’s initial defense budget request from earlier this year.
Another $28 billion will be set aside for nuclear weapons programs.
Service members can expect to see a 2.7% pay raise and active-duty members who refuse to get the jab in their arms to ward off the coronavirus will no longer be subject to a dishonorable discharge.
Manchin KILLS Biden’s hopes of passing Build Back Better this year
‘Manchin has talked with Biden and they are still miles apart,’ a person familiar with the talks told DailyMail.com.
Schumer had said he’d like to pass Biden’s Build Back Better legislation by Christmas but that won’t happen without Manchin’s vote. In the evenly divided Senate, Biden needs every Democrat on board. Manchin, a moderate Democrat, has repeatedly expressed concern about the bill’s cost.
Talks are continuing but the Senate on Wednesday wrapped up its list of legislation it must pass by year’s end when it approved the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Pentagon.
Biden, himself, admitted on Wednesday that his Build Back Better bill was not a done deal.
World News:
Report: North Korea executed at least 7 people for watching movies, K-pop from South Korea
The South Korea-based human rights group interviewed 683 North Korean defectors since 2015 for its latest report, which documents locations in the North where people were killed and buried in state-sanctioned public executions.
The report documented 27 total accounts of state-sanctioned killings, including “seven documented cases of individuals being charged with watching or distributing South Korean media before execution.”
Under a law adopted last year, those who distribute South Korean entertainment face punishment up to the death penalty. Even before this law passed, the Transnational Justice Working Group’s report shows North Korea has used executions in the past against those caught with South Korean media.
China Claims Its First Floating Nuclear Reactor Can Withstand Extreme Typhoons
China claims its floating nuclear reactors, which will power off-shore oil rigs, can withstand “once-in-10,000-year” storms, according to an initial report from The South China Morning Post. That means hurricane-force winds, and more.
Floating nuclear reactors are not a new idea. The United States military operated the world’s first floating nuclear plant in the 1960s and 70s, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2018, Russia launched the Akademik Lomonosov, a 70-megawatt floating power plant that detractors dubbed “nuclear Titanic”.
Last year, Seaborg, a startup based in Copenhagen, announced it had raised more than $10 million to begin its effort of building thousands of relatively cheap floating reactors.
Despite taking significant safety measures, the company’s CEO and co-founder said his firm is “not reducing the likelihood of an accident to zero, there will be accidents. We should avoid them as much as we can, but there will be accidents.”
IDF redefines its “red line” on Iran’s nuclear program – TV7 Israel News 15.12.21
1) The Israeli Defense Establishment reportedly redefined its so-called “red line” regarding Iran’s nuclear program – as to align itself with the U.S. position.
2) France, Germany and Britain warn that “Iran must choose between keeping to the terms of the (2015 nuclear) agreement or face an escalation.”
3) The Gulf Cooperation Council stresses the need for Iran to “respect other countries’ sovereignty” and “not interfere in (their) internal affairs.”
Commentary/Opinion:
What Caused the Texas Freeze?
Will Witt asked people at the University of North Texas if they know what caused the Texas Freeze earlier this year and if they think wind and solar are good sources of energy. Tell us what you think in the comments!
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