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  • Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

    Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

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    A strong geomagnetic storm is impacting the Earth. 

    NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has observed extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions for the first time since Oct. 2003, meaning the northern lights, or aurora borealis, could be visible for much of the northern United States on Friday night and early Saturday morning.

    It may be visible low on the horizon further south, from Southern California east across the Southern U.S.

    What You Need To Know

    • The northern lights could be visible in the northern U.S. on Friday night

    • Extreme (G5) geomagnetic conditions have been observed for the first time since 2003

    • Further south, the northern lights may be visible on the horizon

    According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have reached Earth, leading to extreme geomagnetic activity. A CME is an eruption of solar material, and G5 conditions are very rare.

    Geomagnetic storming could continue through the weekend, with more CMEs on the way to Earth. Under clear skies, the northern lights should be visible across much of the northern U.S. on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Further south, they could be visible on the horizon.

    Tonight’s forecast

    Here is tonight’s forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. The northern lights are likely to be visible on Friday night and early Saturday morning for areas shaded in green, and they could be visible on the horizon for areas shaded in yellow.

    To ensure the best chance at getting a look at the northern lights tonight, look toward the northern horizon. The best viewing conditions are under cloud-free skies and away from bigger cities with light pollution.

    If you see the northern lights tonight, be sure to submit your photos on the Spectrum News App!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • The northern lights: Photos vs. what your eyes see

    The northern lights: Photos vs. what your eyes see

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    Dazzling, shimmer curtains of red and green… you’ve probably seen amazing photos of the aurora, or northern lights. Unfortunately, if you’re lucky enough to see the aurora with your own eyes, it typically won’t live up to those expectations.

    Technology and biology are why.

    What You Need To Know

    • Cameras can have long exposures and wide apertures to let in lots of light

    • Image editing can bring out the colors

    • Our eyes don’t pick up color very well in low light



    For those of us in the mid-latitudes–that is, most of the U.S.–aurora aren’t visible very often, especially the farther south you are. And when they do show up, they’re typically not very bright.

    So how do photographers snap such stunning photos?

    Technology

    “Cameras with long exposures will pick up on the northern lights because cameras use that long exposure of several seconds to absorb the light and colors of the aurora,” says Willard Sharp, who photographs everything from severe storms to solar storms. “Modern camera sensors are very sensitive in low light, so it’s easier to get a detailed photo of the aurora.”

    Northern lights fill the sky in Edinburg, N.Y. (Photo by Derek Spagnola)

    A long exposure and wide-open aperture let a lot of light in. “This allows the camera to gather data in a photo that I can then work with in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to bring out details and get the colors to look good and natural,” Sharp says.

    “Your eyes may not catch as much color here [in the Lower 48], but the camera will do a wonderful job with that several second exposure to get a vivid picture.”

    Biology

    And why won’t your eyes catch much color? As great as they are, they’re just not equipped to do color at night.

    You might know that your eyes have rods and cones, which are stimulated by light. The gist is that we have three types of cones that work with the brain to see red, green and blue (and all the combinations of those), but cones need a lot of light… something that the night sky doesn’t provide.

    Rods are much more sensitive to light so we can see at night, but they don’t have nearly the same color abilities as cones. Sure, we can kind of see color, but it’s not at all vivid. Our eyes, like a camera, need a wide aperture and a lot of light to get the most out of what’s in front of us.

    Normalized wavelengths the rods and cones of the eye are sensitive to. (CC by 4.0/Ibrahim Al-Bahadly)

    Even so, “when you head north to, say, Canada, the lights are much brighter even with weaker geomagnetic storming, so the eyes can see them much more easily,” Sharp says.

    Photography tips

    Sharp has a “night skies cheat sheet,” if you’re interested in trying out astrophotography. And you’ll need patience. Forecasting space weather is even more difficult than Earth weather forecasts, and Sharp says looking at the data can be “daunting.”

    “Sometimes a predicted geomagnetic storm will not pan out as expected. Other times minor space weather events trigger big and bright aurora displays,” says Sharp.

    NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has an aurora dashboard that displays current space weather conditions and aurora forecasts. Sharp also recommends SpaceWeatherLive. Here are the parameters he likes to see:

    • Kp: At least 5
    • Bz: At least -10 for at least one hour; two or more hours is better, and -20 suggests aurora visible to the naked eye
    • Solar winds: At least 500 km/sec
    • Density: At least 5, but 10 or higher is better

    Wondering how northern lights even happen in the first place? We have the answer. Plus, your chances of seeing amazing aurora photos–or maybe with your own eyes–could be increasing, as solar activity is forecast to peak in 2024.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • U.N. assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights

    U.N. assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights

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    The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.N. General Assembly has voted by a wide margin to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and has called on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations

    • The 193-member world body approved the Arab and Palestinian sponsored resolution on Friday by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions

    • The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent

    The 193-member world body approved the Arab and Palestinian-sponsored resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions.

    The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

    U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear on Thursday that the Biden administration opposed the assembly resolution. The United States was among the nine countries voting against it, along with Israel.

    “We’ve been very clear from the beginning there is a process for obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and this effort by some of the Arab countries and the Palestinians is to try to go around that,” Wood said Thursday. “We have said from the beginning the best way to ensure Palestinian full membership in the U.N. is to do that through negotiations with Israel. That remains our position.”

    Under the U.N. Charter, prospective members of the United Nations must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval. Palestine became a U.N. non-member observer state in 2012.

    The resolution “determines” that a state of Palestine is qualified for membership — dropping the original language that in the General Assembly’s judgment it is “a peace-loving state.” It therefore recommends that the Security Council reconsider its request “favorably.”

    The renewed push for full Palestinian membership in the U.N. comes as the war in Gaza has put the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict at center stage. At numerous council and assembly meetings, the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians in Gaza and the killing of more than 34,000 people in the territory, according to Gaza health officials, have generated outrage from many countries.

    The original draft of the assembly resolution was changed significantly to address concerns not only by the U.S. but also by Russia and China, according to three Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were private.

    The first draft would have conferred on Palestine “the rights and privileges necessary to ensure its full and effective participation” in the assembly’s sessions and U.N. conferences “on equal footing with member states.” It also made no reference to whether Palestine could vote in the General Assembly.

    According to the diplomats, Russia and China, which are strong supporters of Palestine’s U.N. membership, were concerned that granting the list of rights and privileges detailed in an annex to the resolution could set a precedent for other would-be U.N. members — with Russia concerned about Kosovo and China about Taiwan.

    Under longstanding legislation by the U.S. Congress, the United States is required to cut off funding to U.N. agencies that give full membership to a Palestinian state — which could mean a cutoff in dues and voluntary contributions to the U.N. from its largest contributor.

    The final draft drops the language that would put Palestine “on equal footing with member states.” And to address Chinese and Russian concerns, it would decide “on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent” to adopt the rights and privileges in the annex.

    The draft also adds a provision in the annex on the issue of voting, stating categorically: “The state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”

    The final list of rights and privileges in the draft annex includes giving Palestine the right to speak on all issues not just those related to the Palestinians and Middle East, the right to propose agenda items and reply in debates, and the right to be elected as officers in the assembly’s main committees. It would give the Palestinians the right to participate in U.N. and international conferences convened by the United Nations — but it drops their “right to vote” which was in the original draft.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas first delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application for U.N. membership in 2011. It failed because the Palestinians didn’t get the required minimum support of nine of the Security Council’s 15 members.

    They went to the General Assembly and succeeded by more than a two-thirds majority in having their status raised from a U.N. observer to a non-member observer state. That opened the door for the Palestinian territories to join U.N. and other international organizations, including the International Criminal Court.

    In the Security Council vote on April 18, the Palestinians got much more support for full U.N. membership. The vote was 12 in favor, the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstaining, and the United States voting no and vetoing the resolution.

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    Associated Press

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  • Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

    Northern lights could be visible across U.S. on Friday night

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    A strong geomagnetic storm is expected Friday night. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Watch for the first time since 2005, meaning the northern lights, or aurora borealis, could be visible for much of the northern United States on Friday night and early Saturday morning.

    It may be visible low on the horizon further south, from Southern California east across the Southern U.S.

    What You Need To Know

    • The northern lights could be visible in the northern U.S. on Friday night

    • It’s the first G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Watch issued since 2005

    • Further south, the northern lights may be visible on the horizon

    According to the Space Weather Predicition Center, several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) will likely reach Earth and lead to highly elevated geomagnetic activity. A CME is an eruption of solar material, and G4 watches are very rare.

    The CMEs are forecast to arrive at Earth late Friday, May 10, or early Saturday, May 11. Under clear skies, the northern lights should be visible across much of the northern U.S. Further south, they could be visible on the horizon.

    Tonight’s forecast

    Tonight’s forecasted “planetary K index” is an 8 out of 9, and the forecasted G-scale is a 4 out of 5. That indicates a severe geomagnetic storm, and a very active aurora.

    Here is tonight’s forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. The northern lights are likely to be visible on Friday night and early Saturday morning for areas shaded in green, and they could be visible on the horizon for areas shaded in yellow.

    To ensure the best chance at getting a look at the northern lights tonight, look toward the northern horizon. The best viewing conditions are under cloud-free skies and away from bigger cities with light pollution.

    If you see the northern lights tonight, be sure to submit your photos on the Spectrum News App!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Reid Lybarger

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  • Heavy fighting in Gaza’s Rafah keeps aid crossings closed

    Heavy fighting in Gaza’s Rafah keeps aid crossings closed

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    Heav(y fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and caused over 100,000 people to flee north, a United Nations official said Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • A United Nations official says heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left crucial nearby aid crossings inaccessible and caused over 100,000 people to flee north

    • Israel’s plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah appear to be on hold for now

    • The United States is deeply opposed to that and is stepping up pressure by threatening to withhold arms

    • But even the more limited incursion launched earlier this week threatens to worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe

    Israel’s plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah appear to be on hold for now, with the United States deeply opposed and stepping up pressure by threatening to withhold arms. But even the more limited incursion launched earlier this week threatens to worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe.

    Heavy fighting was also underway in northern Gaza, where Hamas appeared to have once again regrouped in an area where Israel has already launched punishing assaults.

    Over a million Palestinians have fled to Rafah to escape fighting elsewhere, with many packed into U.N.-run shelters or squalid tent camps. The city on the border with Egypt is also a crucial hub for bringing in food, medicine, fuel and other goods.

    The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA, says about 110,000 people have fled Rafah and that food and fuel supplies in the city are critically low. Georgios Petropoulos, an OCHA official working in Rafah, said the two main crossings near the city remain closed, cutting off supplies and preventing medical evacuations and the movement of humanitarian staff.

    “Even if there were assurances to us being able to pass through a corridor, the proximity so close to a military involved in fighting is just not acceptable for something that has to be a humanitarian zone,” he said.

    The U.N.’s World Food Program will run out of food for distribution in southern Gaza by Saturday unless more aid arrives, Petropoulos said. He said about 30,000 people were leaving Rafah daily in search of safety, but that humanitarian workers had no supplies to help them set up camp in a new location.

    “We simply have no tents, we have no blankets, no bedding, none of the items that you would expect a population on the move to be able to get from the humanitarian system,” he said.

    Israeli troops captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, forcing it to shut down. Rafah was the main point of entry for fuel needed to power vehicles, as well as the generators on which hospitals and water treatment plants rely.

    Israel says the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing — Gaza’s main cargo terminal — is open on its side, but the U.N. says it remains inaccessible on the Gaza side because of ongoing fighting.

    Israeli troops are battling Palestinian militants in eastern Rafah, not far from the crossings. An Associated Press reporter in the city heard heavy artillery and gunfire throughout the night into Friday.

    The military said in a statement that it had located several tunnels and eliminated militants “during close-quarters combat and with an aerial strike.”

    Hamas’ military wing said it carried out a complex attack in which it struck a house where Israeli troops had taken up position, an armored personnel carrier and soldiers operating on foot. There was no comment from the Israeli military,

    It is not possible to independently confirm battlefield accounts from either side.

    Hamas also said it launched a number of mortar rounds at the Kerem Shalom crossing, close to where Israeli troops are operating. The military said it intercepted two launches. The crossing was initially closed after a Hamas rocket attack last weekend that killed four Israeli soldiers.

    Israel says Rafah is the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza and key to its goal of dismantling the group’s military and governing capabilities and returning scores of hostages captured in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.

    But Hamas has repeatedly regrouped, even in the hardest-hit parts of Gaza.

    Heavy battles erupted this week in the Zeitoun area on the outskirts of Gaza City in the northern part of the territory. Northern Gaza was the first target of the ground offensive, and Israel said late last year that it had mostly dismantled Hamas there.

    The north remains largely isolated by Israeli troops, and the U.N. says the estimated 300,000 people there are experiencing “full-blown famine.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to proceed with the offensive with or without U.S. arms, saying “we will fight with our fingernails” if needed in a defiant statement late Thursday. The Israeli military says it has what it needs for the missions it has planned, including in Rafah.

    The war began with Hamas’ surprise attack into southern Israel last year, in which it killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The militants are still holding some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year.

    The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures. Israel’s offensive, waged with U.S.-supplied munitions, has caused widespread devastation and forced some 80% of Gaza’s population to flee their homes.

    Israel’s surprise incursion into Rafah complicated what had been months of efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages. Hamas this week said it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel says the plan does not meet its “core” demands. Several days of follow-up talks appeared to end inconclusively on Thursday.

    Hamas has demanded guarantees for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal — steps Israel has ruled out.

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    Associated Press

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  • NCAA waives cap on official recruiting visits in basketball

    NCAA waives cap on official recruiting visits in basketball

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    The NCAA has approved a waiver that will allow men’s and women’s basketball programs to pay for unlimited official recruiting visits to help teams deal with roster depletion caused by transfers, according to a memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

    What You Need To Know

    • An NCAA waiver will allow college basketball programs unlimited official recruiting visits, according to a memo obtained by AP 

    • Currently, men’s programs are allowed 28 official visits and women’s 24 over a two-year rolling period

    • The waiver covers the period from Aug. 1, 2023 through July 31, 2025 

    • The NCAA Division I Council in June will consider proposed legislation that would make the change permanent

    • The move is being made as unlimited transfers are depleting the programs at some schools

    The Athletic first reported the approval of a blanket waiver by the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees.

    Currently, men’s basketball programs are allowed 28 official visits over a rolling two-year period. The number for women’s programs is 24.

    The waiver will cover a two-year period, starting Aug. 1, 2023, and run through July 31, 2025. The NCAA Division I Council in June will consider proposed legislation that would lift the limit on official visits in men’s and women’s basketball permanently.

    Last month, the NCAA changed its rules to allow all athletes to be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements. The move came after the association fast-tracked legislation to fall in line with a recent court order.

    Several states, including West Virginia, sued the NCAA late last year, challenging rules requiring undergraduate athletes to sit out for a season if they transferred more than once.

    With what amounts to unlimited and unrestricted transfers, player movement in basketball has increased and forced programs into a bind created by unusually high levels of roster turnover.

    In some cases, coaches are replacing almost an entire team. The scholarship limit in Division I for men’s basketball is 13 and 15 for women’s teams.

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    Associated Press

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  • Lower-income spenders are showing economic strain

    Lower-income spenders are showing economic strain

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    Cracks are showing in one of the main pillars keeping the economy out of a recession: resilient spending by U.S. households.

    Consumer goods giants from PepsiCo to Kraft Heinz have described recently how the combination of high inflation and higher interest rates is hurting their lower-income customers.

    What You Need To Know

    • Lower-income consumers are feeling the weight of high inflation and higher interest rates

    • They are strategizing to make their budgets work

    • Customers are also shifting away from fine dining toward quick-service restaurants and cooking at home

    • McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said after reporting his company’s latest quarterly results, “I think all consumers are looking for good value”

    It’s the culmination of everything getting more expensive amid high inflation, even if it’s not as bad as before, and the drag of higher interest rates because of more expensive credit-card and other payments.

    Remarkably resilient spending by U.S. consumers overall has been one of the main reasons the economy has avoided a recession, at least so far. Capitulation at the lower end of the spectrum could be the first crack for the economy.

    “The lower income consumer in the U.S. is stretched,” PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said late last month when reporting better profit than expected, and “is strategizing a lot to make their budgets get to the end of the month. And that’s a consumer that is choosing what to buy, where to buy, and making a lot of choices.”

    At Tyson Foods, during a conference call to discuss its better-than-expected results for the latest quarter, one of the first questions asked by a Wall Street analyst was for executives of the company to describe how they see the state of the U.S. consumer.

    “As you know, the consumer is under pressure, especially the lower income households,” Chief Growth Officer Melanie Boulden said.

    She said the producer of beef, pork, chicken and prepared foods has seen customers shift away from fine dining and toward quick-service restaurants. It’s also seen customers drop down from those not-as-expensive restaurants to eating more at home.

    Kraft Heinz CEO Carlos Arturo Abrams-Rivera also said lower-income customers are pulling back from restaurants and convenience stores. That’s even as higher-income earners buy more Kraft Heinz products because they’re spending more on travel and entertainment.

    At Mondelez International, Chief Financial Officer Luca Zaramella recently told analysts that U.S. sales of some products particularly popular with lower-income households have been weakening, such as Chips Ahoy cookies.

    Much of the commentary recently has come from big food and drink companies, but several retailers will be joining them in upcoming weeks. Walmart, Dollar General and others will offer more evidence about how well or not lower-income Americans are faring.

    Of course, it’s not just the lowest-earning households bothered by higher prices for seemingly everything.

    “We’re in an environment where the consumer is being price discriminating and, again, that’s not just something that’s low income,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said after reporting his company’s latest quarterly results. “I think all consumers are looking for good value, for good affordability, and so we’re focused on that action.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Attorney: Florida deputies who fatally shot airman burst into wrong apartment

    Attorney: Florida deputies who fatally shot airman burst into wrong apartment

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    Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man’s family said Wednesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • A civil rights attorney says deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman

    • Attorney Ben Crump says Senior Airman Roger Fortson was home alone Friday when deputies saw he was armed with a gun

    • Fortson died after the shooting at his off-base residence in Fort Walton Beach

    • The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy responding to a disturbance call fired in self-defense after encountering an armed man

    Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach when the shooting happened on May 3.

    Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman at the time of the encounter.

    According to Crump, the woman, whom Crump didn’t identify, said Fortson was alone in his apartment when he heard a knock at the door. He asked who was there but didn’t get a response. A few minutes later, Fortson heard a louder knock but didn’t see anyone when he looked through the peephole, Crump said, citing the woman’s account.

    The woman said Fortson was concerned and went to retrieve his gun, which Crump said was legally owned.

    As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump’s statement. The woman said Fortson was on the ground, saying, “I can’t breathe,” after he was shot, Crump said.

    Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

    The woman said Fortson wasn’t causing a disturbance during their Facetime call and believes that the deputies must have had the wrong apartment, Crump’s statement said.

    “The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” Crump said.

    “We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger’s death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family,” Crump said. “His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy.”

    Crump is a nationally known attorney based in Tallahassee, Florida. He has been involved in multiple high-profile law enforcement shooting cases involving Black people, including those of Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and George Floyd.

    Crump and Fortson’s family plan to speak at a news conference in Fort Walton Beach on Thursday morning.

    The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to an email or voicemail from The Associated Press seeking comment about Crump’s claims. But Sheriff Eric Aden posted a statement on Facebook Wednesday afternoon expressing sadness about the shooting.

    “At this time, we humbly ask for our community’s patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event,” Aden said.

    The sheriff’s office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The office did not offer details on what kind of disturbance deputies were responding to or who called them.

    The sheriff’s office also declined to immediately identify the responding deputies or their races. Officials said earlier this week that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local State Attorney’s Office will investigate the shooting.

    FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it is highly unlikely the agency will have any further comment until the investigation is complete.

    Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles as a member of the squadron’s AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load the gunship’s 30mm and 105mm cannons during missions.

    Fortson’s death draws striking similarities to other Black people killed in recent years by police in their homes, in circumstances that involved officers responding to the wrong address or responding to service calls with wanton uses of deadly force.

    In 2018, a white former Dallas police offer fatally shot Botham Jean, an unarmed Black man, after mistaking his apartment for her own. Amber Guyger, the former officer, was found guilty of murder the following year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

    In 2019, a white former Fort Worth, Texas, officer fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson through a rear window of her home after responding to a nonemergency call reporting that Jefferson’s front door was open. Aaron Dean, the former officer, was found guilty of manslaughter in 2022 and was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison.

    Crump has represented families in both cases as part of his ongoing effort to force accountability for the killings of Black people at the hands of police.

    “What I’m trying to do, as much as I can, even sometimes singlehandedly, is increase the value of Black life,” Crump told The Associated Press in 2021 following the conviction a former Minneapolis officer in the murder of George Floyd.

    Fort Walton Beach is between Panama City Beach and Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

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    Associated Press

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  • Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

    Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

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    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is introducing an artificial intelligence minor to its list of degree offerings beginning this fall.

    What You Need To Know

    • Beginning in the fall 2024 semester, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is offering a new artificial intelligence minor 

    • It will be offered through the College of Informatics

    • NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering

    • Courses will also cover societal, ethical and legal implications 

    Many believe AI will continue to become a part of everyday life as it advances at a rate that Kevin Kirby, dean of the College of Informatics at NKU, said he has never seen before.

    “I’ve never seen anything change so fast,” Kirby said. “It’s very important to keep our subject matter fresh, and we know students are coming to NKU right now with lots of experience in AI.”

    NKU created the new AI minor through the College of Informatics. The university said according to the Wall Street Journal, AI expertise adds value to a wide variety of careers, which is why it created the minor to pair with nearly any major.

    “When students come here, we want them not to be just users of AI,” Kirby said. “We want them to be, maybe, power users. We want them to understand … this is how it works, this is why it consumes so much data and so much power.”

    “AI is not just tech; it’s not just computer science. It’s about communicating with a new form of intelligence in some way. How do you talk to AI? How do you bend AI to your will?”

    The opposite happening is one of the major concerns some have expressed about AI. It’s a topic Robert Greenleaf Brice said he plans to address in his “philosophy of mind” class.

    “There are issues about consciousness … and of course, that falls right into the full wheelhouse of, ‘What is AI?’” Greenleaf Brice said. “Is it alive in the sense it has consciousness? Or is it just what some philosophers call weak AI, which is just kind of a tool?”

    “My concern is less that there’s a doomsday scenario, the ‘Terminator’ effect, where it will rise and have this consciousness. I’m less concerned about that. My concern is mostly about what it is that we’re putting into these programs. What sort of moral, ethical decision-making process is going into these programs?”

    NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering, along with societal, ethical and legal implications. 

    “There are some things to be afraid of with AI, but we want the fear to be informed,” Kirby said. “You are going to be thrown into a world where you’re using AI; your colleagues (and) your students are going to be using AI, so we want to empower you with the ability to deal with that.”

     

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    Sam Knef

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  • How to understand tornadoes and stay safe

    How to understand tornadoes and stay safe

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    Not every thunderstorm spawns a tornado, but when they do, the strong rotating wind can really wreak havoc. So what causes a tornado to form?

    There are multiple variables that go into the development of a tornado that are not available in every storm.

    What You Need To Know

    • About 1,200 tornadoes hit the U.S. each year

    • There are different tornado seasons for different regions

    • Tornadoes are classified on the EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale

    What is a Tornado?

    A tornado is a violently rotating funnel of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground.  Sometimes a tornado can be confused with a hurricane, which is also a rotating storm, but on a larger and slower scale. Tornadoes are narrow and faster, making them much harder to prepare for and take cover.  

    Where Tornadoes Occur

    According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, about 1200 tornadoes hit the United States yearly and can occur in all 50 states.

    They are more common along the Gulf Coast in early spring, May through June for the southern plains, and June through July for the northern plains and upper Midwest.

    The reason for the higher frequency during these months is because conditions for tornado development are more common. Conditions include an unstable atmosphere, sufficient moisture, and sufficient vertical wind shear, which is the change in wind speed and direction as it rises.

    These conditions are typically found along a boundary, such as a cold front, dryline, or sea breeze.

    These boundaries indicate an area where cold and warm or moist and dry air masses meet. This will cause air to rise and thunderstorms to form. If the vertical wind shear is then present, the thunderstorm will start to rotate and a tornado can spin down to the surface.

    Determining the Tornado Classification

    Tornadoes can come in all shapes, sizes, and strengths. It’s not until a tornado has weakened that a determination can be made on how strong it was.

    This is different than a hurricane that immediately gets ranked a category 1-5 based on wind speed. The EF Scale (Enhanced Fujita) is based on the damage that the tornado caused and can be as weak as an EF-0 or as strong as an EF-5.  

    No matter the strength of the tornado, it is important to take cover when a warning is issued.

    A warning means that a tornado is likely occurring and you’ll need to get to your safe spot immediately.

    How to Stay Safe During a Warning

    Safe locations include a basement or an inside room without windows on the lowest floor. Try and grab something to protect your head from falling debris, like a helmet, and wait for the threat to completely pass before leaving.

    Remember that tornadoes can occur at any time of year and during the day or night.

    If the ingredients are there, a spin-up may occur fast, so it’s important to have a way to be alerted wherever you are. If a warning is issued, have a plan in place to quickly respond and get yourself to safety.

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    Meteorologist Mallory Nicholls

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  • Anaheim makes it official. DisneylandForward passes

    Anaheim makes it official. DisneylandForward passes

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    ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disneyland’s future starts now. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Anaheim City Council made the Walt Disney Co.’s DisneylandForward rezoning project official

    • The Anaheim City Council unanimously passed DisneylandForward — after listening to three hours of public comment — last month, but it needed a second reading to make it final

    • The new master plan will reshape and guide the construction of attractions, hotels, entertainment, rides and other projects at the 490-acre Disneyland Resort for the next 40 years

    • Disney plans to invest at least $1.9 billion in the resort in the first ten years of the initiative

    On Tuesday, the Anaheim City Council made the Walt Disney Co.’s DisneylandForward rezoning project official. 

    “The next era of Disneyland Resort is about to begin,” said Disneyland President Ken Potrock in a statement on the Disney Parks blog.

    The Anaheim City Council unanimously passed DisneylandForward — after listening to three hours of public comment — last month, but it needed a second reading to make it final.

    The new master plan will reshape and guide the construction of attractions, hotels, entertainment, rides and other projects at the 490-acre Disneyland Resort for the next 40 years.

    Disney asked the city to rezone the properties as mixed-use instead of independently designated areas. 

    Disney plans to invest at least $1.9 billion in the resort in the first ten years of the initiative.

    As part of the deal, Disney is also giving the city $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for parks, $85 million in traffic improvements and pedestrian safety and continued investment in workforce development programs, Potrock said.

    “A Cal State Fullerton economic impact study projects increased revenues of about $15 million annually for Anaheim from each $1 billion we invest,” said Potrock. “This will help fund necessary community services, including additional fire and police, parks and libraries.”

    With the project passing, Disneyland will now focus on which of their intellectual properties they will build on the property. Will it be “Avatar” or “Encanto”?

    “Our future is indeed bright,” said Potrock.

    “For nearly seven decades, Disneyland Resort has made a unique, irreplaceable impact on hundreds of millions of guests from around the world. How exciting to know our best days are still ahead – I can’t wait to show you what’s to come,” he added.

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    Joseph Pimentel

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  • An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing

    An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — An American soldier visiting a girlfriend in Russia’s port city of Vladivostok was arrested on charges of stealing from her and remains in custody, according to several U.S. officials.

    What You Need To Know

    • An American soldier visiting a girlfriend in Russia’s port city of Vladivostok was arrested on charges of stealing from her and remains in custody, according to several U.S. officials
    • The soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos in Texas

    • Officials also said that Black, an infantry soldier, did not tell his unit that he was going to Russia, and did not receive any authorization to go there. They said he was essentially on leave, as he left Korea to redeploy back home to Fort Cavazos

    • The arrest comes less than a year after American soldier Travis King sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas. North Korea later announced that it would expel King, who was returned to the U.S. He was eventually charged with desertion

    U.S. officials said Monday the soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos in Texas. Instead, officials said that Black, who is married, traveled to Russia to see a longtime girlfriend. His arrest only further complicates U.S. relations with Russia, which have grown increasingly tense as the war in Ukraine drags on.

    The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details.

    Cynthia Smith, Army spokeswoman, confirmed that a soldier was detained on Thursday in Vladivostok, a major military and commercial Pacific port, on charges of criminal misconduct. She said Russia notified the U.S. and the Army told the soldier’s family.

    “The U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia,” Smith said.

    According to Smith, on May 3 an official from the Russian Ministry of Interior informed the U.S. Embassy Moscow that Black was arrested on May 2. He is currently in a pre-trial detention facility and will stay in detention until his next hearing, pending determination.

    According to officials, the Russian woman had lived in South Korea, and last fall she and Black got into some type of domestic dispute or altercation. After that, she left South Korea. It isn’t clear if she was forced to leave or what, if any, role Korean authorities had in the matter.

    Officials also said that Black, an infantry soldier, did not tell his unit that he was going to Russia, and did not receive any authorization to go there. They said he was essentially on leave, as he left Korea to redeploy back home to Fort Cavazos.

    It’s unclear, however, if U.S. service members are specifically prohibited from traveling to Russia, although the State Department strongly advises U.S. citizens not to go.

    Black enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2008 and was deployed to Iraq from October 2009 through September 2010, and to Afghanistan from June 2013 until March 2014, according to a statement from Smith.

    The arrest comes less than a year after American soldier Travis King sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas. North Korea later announced that it would expel King, who was returned to the U.S. He was eventually charged with desertion.

    Russia is known to be holding a number of Americans in its jails, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U.S. government has designated both as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate for their release.

    Others detained include Travis Leake, a musician who had been living in Russia for years and was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, also on drug charges; and dual nationals Alsu Kurmasheva and Ksenia Khavana.

    The soldier’s arrest in Russia was first reported by NBC News.

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    Associated Press

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  • Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

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    A large storm system crossed the Rockies over the weekend. It produced rain and snow in parts of Wyoming and Montana. On Monday it pushed east toward the Plains as a cold front developed along it.

    This system will encounter a warm moist area in the center part of the country, helping to support thunderstorm development. Simultaneously, a low pressure will ride along this front, enhancing the storms.

    Heavy rain and flooding will be possible with already saturated grounds and swollen waterways. Several weather disturbances will rotate around this larger system this week, keeping severe weather chances in play. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The month of May sees a high number of tornadoes on average from the Midwest to the Plains


    • Severe threat moves to the Ohio River Valley for Tuesday

    • With unstable air in place on Wednesday, a large severe weather outbreak is possible along the Midwest


    With storm fuel in place and the advancing system, severe thunderstorms will be possible from the Plains to the Mississippi River Valley. This will not be a one-day event. Severe weather will be possible from Tuesday through Thursday.

     

     

    Severe weather potential this week

    The severe potential pushes east into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio during the day on Tuesday. The region is under a level 3/5 for severe weather with all threats possible. Damaging wind, large hail, tornadoes and heavy rain. 

     

    Another low pressure develops along the frontal boundary on Wednesday, enhancing the threat for Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and eastern Texas. The Storm Prediction Center already categorized the threat as a level 3/5 with all impacts expected on Wednesday afternoon into the evening. Those impacts include tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain. 

    With the system moving off to the south and east on Thursday, the front will trigger storms for areas from New Jersey south through North Carolina and east-central Texas. While the risk for severe storms exists on Thursday, the threat is lower. 

    However, there is still the potential for damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes in the highlighted regions. 

    Prepare for storms

    Make sure you have a plan for if you are at work or home. Even if you could be driving. 

    Here are five ways to prepare in case the sirens go off. 

    Have a way to stay updated on weather information, including a NOAA Weather Radio and making sure notifications are turned on for your weather and news apps.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Some Planters nuts recalled in 5 states over potential listeria

    Some Planters nuts recalled in 5 states over potential listeria

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    Hormel Foods has voluntarily recalled two types of Planters nuts in five states over concerns about potential contamination from the bacteria listeria. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Hormel Foods has voluntarily recalled two types of Planters nuts in five states over concerns about potential contamination from the bacteria listeria

    • The food manufacturer is recalling some 4-ounce packages of honey roasted peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of deluxe lightly salted mixed nuts

    • The recall only impacts products shipped to Publix supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree stores in Georgia and South Carolina

    • Listeria infections can be serious and sometimes fatal in young children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women

    The food manufacturer is recalling some 4-ounce packages of honey roasted peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of deluxe lightly salted mixed nuts.

    The recall only impacts products shipped to Publix supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree stores in Georgia and South Carolina.

    The recalled honey roasted peanuts have a “best if used by date” of April 11, 2025, while the mixed nuts have a date of April 5, 2026.

    All of the potentially contaminated items were produced at one of Hormel’s facilities in April, the company said.

    There have been no reports of illnesses related to the products, Hormel said in a news release Friday.

    Listeria infections can be serious and sometimes fatal in young children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, they can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births and potentially fatal infections in newborns, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    The effects of listeria infections may be mitigated with prompt antibiotic treatment.

    Other people can be infected by listeria but rarely become seriously ill. Symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. 

    Roughly 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, with about 260 dying, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

    Hormel is advising customers who purchased the recalled products to discard them or exchange them at the store. 

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    Ryan Chatelain

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  • Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    Multiple rounds of severe weather to impact millions this week

    [ad_1]

    A large storm system crossed the Rockies over the weekend. It produced rain and snow in parts of Wyoming and Montana. On Monday it pushed east toward the Plains as a cold front developed along it.

    This system will encounter a warm moist area in the center part of the country, helping to support thunderstorm development. Simultaneously, a low pressure will ride along this front, enhancing the storms.

    Heavy rain and flooding will be possible with already saturated grounds and swollen waterways. Several weather disturbances will rotate around this larger system this week, keeping severe weather chances in play. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The month of May sees a high number of tornadoes on average from the Midwest to the Plains


    • Severe threat moves to the Ohio River Valley for Tuesday

    • With unstable air in place on Wednesday, a large severe weather outbreak is possible along the Midwest


    With storm fuel in place and the advancing system, severe thunderstorms will be possible from the Plains to the Mississippi River Valley. This will not be a one-day event. Severe weather will be possible from Tuesday through Thursday.

     

    Severe weather potential this week

    The severe potential pushes east into Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio during the day on Tuesday. The region is under a level 3/5 for severe weather with all threats possible. Damaging wind, large hail, tornadoes and heavy rain. 

    Another low pressure develops along the frontal boundary on Wednesday, enhancing the threat for Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and eastern Texas. The Storm Prediction Center already categorized the threat as a level 3/5 with all impacts expected on Wednesday afternoon into the evening. Those impacts include tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain. 

    With the system moving off to the south and east on Thursday, the front will trigger storms for areas from New Jersey south through North Carolina and east-central Texas. While the risk for severe storms exists on Thursday, the threat is lower. 

    However, there is still the potential for damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes in the highlighted regions. 

    Prepare for storms

    Make sure you have a plan for if you are at work or home. Even if you could be driving. 

    Here are five ways to prepare in case the sirens go off. 

    Have a way to stay updated on weather information, including a NOAA Weather Radio and making sure notifications are turned on for your weather and news apps.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • Boeing, NASA scrub maiden launch of crewed Starliner

    Boeing, NASA scrub maiden launch of crewed Starliner

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    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — NASA and Boeing announced their decision to scrub the maiden launch of the company’s Starliner spacecraft nearly two hours before liftoff due to an issue with an oxygen relief valve. 

    Boeing announced Tuesday that the next launch attempt would be Friday, May 10. 

    “NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are targeting no earlier than Friday, May 10, for launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, pending resolution of the technical issue that prevented the May 6 launch attempt.

    The delay allows teams to complete data analysis on a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank of the Atlas V rocket ‘s Centaur upper stage and determine whether it is necessary to replace the valve.”

    What You Need To Know

    • The new launch time has not been announced yet
    • United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will take off from Launch Complex-41
    • This will be the first time that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard
    • Find out why the Starliner spacecraft is named Calypso; this will be the second mission for the craft

    ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III made the decision that the launch operations would not continue. During a live feed, NASA stated that there was an issue with an oxygen relief valuve. Depending on the severity of the issue, the next launch attempt could be Tuesday, May 07, or later, stated NASA.

    “Today’s #Starliner launch is scrubbed as teams evaluate an oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage on the Atlas V. Our astronauts have exited Starliner and will return to crew quarters,” NASA stated on X, formerlly known as Twitter.

    Scroll down to the graphic to see where the Centaur stage is on the stacked rocket.

    NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams had just gotten into the Starliner spacecraft when the announcement was made at around 8:34 p.m. ET. They were ready to be sent to the International Space Station.

    The Crew Space Transportation (CST) 100 Starliner spacecraft named Calypso, while sitting on top of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, will take off from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to NASA.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only worries being the cumulus cloud rule.

    About Starliner and Atlas V rocket

    While the Starliner can fit up to seven crew members, for NASA missions it will carry between four to five people.

    Each 16.5-foot (5 meter) tall Starliner is designed for up to 10 launch missions and they are made for each assignment, stated Boeing.  

    The Starliner spacecraft only has two missions under its wide belt: The first Orbital Flight Test in December 2019, which launched well but there was a glitch in the mission-elapsed timer that caused the spacecraft to go into an orbital insertion burn at the wrong time and used too much fuel.

    This meant that while it was in a stable orbit, it could not make a rendezvous with the space station.

    In fact, the Starliner in the first Orbital Flight Test will be the same one used for this maiden crewed mission. And it is named Calypso after Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s oceanography vessel, RV Calypso, stated NASA.

    The second Orbital Flight Test in May 2022 was a success and made it to the International Space Station.

    After the stage separation, the Atlas V booster will fall into the ocean. Unlike SpaceX rockets, Atlas rockets do not land.

    The Atlas V rocket, with the Starliner on top, stands at 171 feet (52 meters) tall. It is a bit smaller than a stacked SpaceX Falcon rocket at 229.6 feet (70 meters).

    Understanding the mission

    After the launch, the Starliner crew will have a more than 27-hour journey to the ISS, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module autonomously, stated NASA.

    “During its stay, the crew will evaluate the spacecraft, its displays, and cargo transfer systems. Wilmore and Williams will also go inside Starliner, close the hatch, and demonstrate the spacecraft can perform as a ‘safe haven’ in the case one is needed in the future,” NASA explained.

    One of the main objectives of the mission is to demonstrate the Starliner’s ability to launch and land. This will be the first time that the Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard.

    Former NASA astronaut and former Boeing CST-100 Starliner Director of Crew and Mission Systems Christopher J. Ferguson was explaining to Spectrum News what Wilmore and Williams will experience as the Starliner launches.

    Artemis II mission specialist Jermey Hansen shared his thoughts with Spectrum News about the Boeing mission and what it means for him to go into space for the first time. And his first mission is the Artemis II, where humans will return to orbit the moon.

    This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which is designed to work with American aerospace companies to build spacecraft and rockets to send equipment, technology and astronauts from American soil.

    “The goal of the program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation on space station missions, which will allow for additional research time,” NASA stated.

    United Launch Alliance is the joint business venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which are famed for the Atlas V and the now-retired Delta IV Heavy rockets and the new Vulcan rockets.

    “In 2014, Boeing was awarded up to $4.2 billion by NASA to build, test and fly the Starliner. The contract includes six service missions, as well as an uncrewed and a crewed flight test to the ISS,” Boeing stated in a-page document.

    Both Wilmore and Williams will be at the ISS as part time Expedition 71 members for about a week before they climb back onboard the Starliner and return to Earth.

    (ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)

    The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest. Its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching the earth again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.

    Getting to know the crew

    Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are seen in this 2022 photo. They will be the first astronauts to crew Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

    The crew for this mission is no strangers to being in space. Wilmore, the commander of the Crew Flight Test mission, became a NASA astronaut in July 2000.

    The retired Navy veteran has been on the Atlantis shuttle mission STS-129 in 2009 and two ISS Expedition missions: 41 and 42 between 2014 and 2015.

    Williams will be the pilot for this first voyage of the crewed mission. The Ohio native was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1998 and has been on two ISS missions: Expeditions 14 and 15 in 2006 and 2007. And then 32 and 33 in 2012.

    “Williams, who has spent a 322 total days in space, ranks sixth on the all-time U.S. endurance list, and second all-time for a female astronaut,” Boeing stated of the former retired Navy test pilot and captain.

    Watch the launch here

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    Anthony Leone

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  • A ‘deputy’s deputy’: Memorial service honors U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks

    A ‘deputy’s deputy’: Memorial service honors U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks

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    The life and service of Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr. is being honored Monday at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte.

    The service began shortly after 10:30 a.m. as a group of bagpipers led a procession made up of family, carrying Weeks’ ashes up the aisle. It was followed by the presentation of colors and a soulful and somber singing of the national anthem. 

    Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Graham opened the service, speaking to a large gathering of family, friends and members of the U.S. Marshal Service and other law enforcement agencies gathered to pay tribute to Weeks, 48, of Mooresville, North Carolina, who was killed on April 29 while trying to serve warrants on a wanted fugitive.

    U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the director and various members of the U.S. Marshals Service and Weeks’ wife, Kelly Weeks were among those speaking at the service. Local and state officials were also in attendance, including Gov. Roy Cooper, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.

    Garland was the first to speak and opened by recounting the initial call he made to Weeks’ wife following the loss of her husband. Garland said he was taken back by the courage she demonstrated.

    During the call he said after offering her words of support, she responded by asking what she could do for the Marshals Service. “I called hoping to lift your spirits. The call ended with you lifting mine,” Garland said of the conversation.

    Garland spoke for several minutes about the man he described as “dedicated, selfless and courageous,” sharing details of not only his time in law enforcement but also his time as a hockey player, history buff, passionate golfer and all-around athlete. He also spoke on the impact Weeks had not only on the community, but those who served along side him.

    “Tommy would give you the shirt off his back to anyone,” he said.

    He closed by saying, “Please know that your husband, father, son and brother will always be remembered by this country as a hero. We will never stop working to fulfill the mission to which he gave his life.”

    Speakers went on to share humorous and heartfelt anecdotes about their fallen colleague. Among them, Deputy U.S. Marshal Ryan King talked about his time serving with Weeks and the close friendship they developed.

    When describing their partnership, King said, “We were like Daniel Glover and Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon.”

    “Tommy boy was a true shining star, he was original, he was authentic,” King said of his friend and partner. “He was passionate, he was resilient, he was competitive. He was a leader, a warrior, a hero to many, an inspiration and a mentor. I stated all week, tommy boy was legit, one of one. He has left so many memories to so many souls he has touched.”

    With strength and poise, Weeks’ wife Kelly finally stepped to the podium.

    “I’m humbled by all the people here, and Tommy would be humbled by the fact that we’re in a hockey arena,” she said as she began talking about her late husband.

    She spoke of her husband’s strength, courage and love for the community and country he served.

    “So many people have referred to him as a hero, but before this tragedy, he was already a hero to me and our family,” she said.

    During her comments, Kelly Weeks also spoke of how she intends to use her husband’s death to lift up and support the law enforcement community, calling on others to do so also.

    “What can we do? How can we help? What do you need? Tommy’s mission in life was to make the world safer and fight for justice, so what do I need? I need this country to come together to support our law enforcement officers so they can continue to fight for justice like my husband did every day,” she said.

    In closing, Kelly Weeks said, “To my husband, I will love you forever, my very sweet man.”

    You can watch the service live on The U.S. Department of Justice website by clicking here.

    Weeks was a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service and had served in the Western District of North Carolina for the last 10 years. On April 30, employees of the United States District Court there gathered to remember him.

    “I’ll bet there were over 100 people talking about Tommy,” District Judge Bob Conrad said. “The thing that comes to mind with him is not only his competence at what he did, but his demeanor. Everybody remembers him and his smile.”

    “He enjoyed his job, and he was good at it,” Conrad added.

    Inside the courtroom, Weeks was responsible for security, and would often bring in defendants for a sentencing hearing.

    “He would sit behind in a way that didn’t draw attention to himself, but you knew that he was ready should anything go wrong,” Conrad said.

    Weeks also worked on the fugitive task force and was helping apprehend a suspect when he was killed on Monday. Conrad said Weeks knew the dangers of his job.

    “In many ways, he was a tough guy,” he said. “And he, like the other deputies he worked with, knew that there was no guarantee anytime they went out that they were going to come back.”

    Weeks started his Marshals Service career in 2011 in the District of Columbia’s Superior Court, Washington, D.C., according to a news release from the Service. He transferred to Charlotte in 2014. Prior to joining the Marshals, he spent eight years with Customs and Border Protection.

    He leaves behind a wife and four children. 

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer and N.C. Adult Corrections Officers Sam Poloche and William “Alden” Elliott were also killed during the April 29 shooting. Poloche and Elliott were serving on a U.S. Marshal task force at the time.

    Four other officers were injured, but are recovering. 

    During Weeks’ service, Garland also commented on the officers sacrifice saying, “Their deaths stand as a stark reminder of the enormous risks our law enforcement officers face everyday even when making the relatively routine arrests they make everyday.”

    “While this community will never be the same without the brave officers we lost on April 29, it will be always be safer ebacuse of them,” he added.

    The incident became the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016, according to The Associated Press. 

     

    Related

    The 4 officers killed in N.C. were tough but kind and loved their jobs, friends say

     

    On Friday, Eyer was laid to rest at Sharon Memorial Park following a funeral service attended by hundreds of law enforcement from various agencies not only across the Charlotte region, but also other parts of the country. Eyer is the first of the four officers killed to be buried.

    Funeral services for Elliott are scheduled for Thursday, May 9, followed by Poloche on Monday, May 13.

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    Associated Press

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  • A ‘deputy’s deputy’: Memorial service honors U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks

    A ‘deputy’s deputy’: Memorial service honors U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks

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    The life and service of Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr. is being honored Monday at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte.

    The service began shortly after 10:30 a.m. as a group of bagpipers led a procession made up of family, carrying Weeks’ ashes up the aisle. It was followed by the presentation of colors and a soulful and somber singing of the national anthem. 

    Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Graham opened the service, speaking to a large gathering of family, friends and members of the U.S. Marshal Service and other law enforcement agencies gathered to pay tribute to Weeks, 48, of Mooresville, North Carolina, who was killed on April 29 while trying to serve warrants on a wanted fugitive.

    U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the director and various members of the U.S. Marshals Service and Weeks’ wife, Kelly Weeks were among those speaking at the service. Local and state officials were also in attendance, including Gov. Roy Cooper, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.

    Garland was the first to speak and opened by recounting the initial call he made to Weeks’ wife following the loss of her husband. Garland said he was taken back by the courage she demonstrated.

    During the call he said after offering her words of support, she responded by asking what she could do for the Marshals Service. “I called hoping to lift your spirits. The call ended with you lifting mine,” Garland said of the conversation.

    Garland spoke for several minutes about the man he described as “dedicated, selfless and courageous,” sharing details of not only his time in law enforcement but also his time as a hockey player, history buff, passionate golfer and all-around athlete. He also spoke on the impact Weeks had not only on the community, but those who served along side him.

    “Tommy would give you the shirt off his back to anyone,” he said.

    He closed by saying, “Please know that your husband, father, son and brother will always be remembered by this country as a hero. We will never stop working to fulfill the mission to which he gave his life.”

    Speakers went on to share humorous and heartfelt anecdotes about their fallen colleague. Among them, Deputy U.S. Marshal Ryan King talked about his time serving with Weeks and the close friendship they developed.

    When describing their partnership, King said, “We were like Daniel Glover and Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon.”

    “Tommy boy was a true shining star, he was original, he was authentic,” King said of his friend and partner. “He was passionate, he was resilient, he was competitive. He was a leader, a warrior, a hero to many, an inspiration and a mentor. I stated all week, tommy boy was legit, one of one. He has left so many memories to so many souls he has touched.”

    With strength and poise, Weeks’ wife Kelly finally stepped to the podium.

    “I’m humbled by all the people here, and Tommy would be humbled by the fact that we’re in a hockey arena,” she said as she began talking about her late husband.

    She spoke of her husband’s strength, courage and love for the community and country he served.

    “So many people have referred to him as a hero, but before this tragedy, he was already a hero to me and our family,” she said.

    During her comments, Kelly Weeks also spoke of how she intends to use her husband’s death to lift up and support the law enforcement community, calling on others to do so also.

    “What can we do? How can we help? What do you need? Tommy’s mission in life was to make the world safer and fight for justice, so what do I need? I need this country to come together to support our law enforcement officers so they can continue to fight for justice like my husband did every day,” she said.

    In closing, Kelly Weeks said, “To my husband, I will love you forever, my very sweet man.”

    You can watch the service live on The U.S. Department of Justice website by clicking here.

    Weeks was a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service and had served in the Western District of North Carolina for the last 10 years. On April 30, employees of the United States District Court there gathered to remember him.

    “I’ll bet there were over 100 people talking about Tommy,” District Judge Bob Conrad said. “The thing that comes to mind with him is not only his competence at what he did, but his demeanor. Everybody remembers him and his smile.”

    “He enjoyed his job, and he was good at it,” Conrad added.

    Inside the courtroom, Weeks was responsible for security, and would often bring in defendants for a sentencing hearing.

    “He would sit behind in a way that didn’t draw attention to himself, but you knew that he was ready should anything go wrong,” Conrad said.

    Weeks also worked on the fugitive task force and was helping apprehend a suspect when he was killed on Monday. Conrad said Weeks knew the dangers of his job.

    “In many ways, he was a tough guy,” he said. “And he, like the other deputies he worked with, knew that there was no guarantee anytime they went out that they were going to come back.”

    Weeks started his Marshals Service career in 2011 in the District of Columbia’s Superior Court, Washington, D.C., according to a news release from the Service. He transferred to Charlotte in 2014. Prior to joining the Marshals, he spent eight years with Customs and Border Protection.

    He leaves behind a wife and four children. 

    Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer and N.C. Adult Corrections Officers Sam Poloche and William “Alden” Elliott were also killed during the April 29 shooting. Poloche and Elliott were serving on a U.S. Marshal task force at the time.

    Four other officers were injured, but are recovering. 

    During Weeks’ service, Garland also commented on the officers sacrifice saying, “Their deaths stand as a stark reminder of the enormous risks our law enforcement officers face everyday even when making the relatively routine arrests they make everyday.”

    “While this community will never be the same without the brave officers we lost on April 29, it will be always be safer ebacuse of them,” he added.

    The incident became the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016, according to The Associated Press. 

     

    Related

    The 4 officers killed in N.C. were tough but kind and loved their jobs, friends say

     

    On Friday, Eyer was laid to rest at Sharon Memorial Park following a funeral service attended by hundreds of law enforcement from various agencies not only across the Charlotte region, but also other parts of the country. Eyer is the first of the four officers killed to be buried.

    Funeral services for Elliott are scheduled for Thursday, May 9, followed by Poloche on Monday, May 13.

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    Associated Press

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  • Columbia cancels university-wide graduation ceremony in wake of protests

    Columbia cancels university-wide graduation ceremony in wake of protests

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    Columbia University has canceled its university-wide graduation ceremony set for May 15 in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests that have spread across college campuses around the country.

    Instead, the university said it will hold ceremonies for individual schools, spanning across seven days from Friday, May 10 to Thursday, May 16.

    What You Need To Know

    • Columbia University said it has canceled its university-wide graduation ceremony set for May 15

    • Instead, the university said it will hold ceremonies for individual schools, spanning across seven days from Friday, May 10 to Thursday, May 16

    • The cancellation comes nearly a week after police cleared a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the campus and arrested protesters who took over a school building

    “We are determined to give our students the celebration they deserve, and that they want. Our Deans and other colleagues who work directly with our students have been discussing plans with student leaders, and, most importantly, listening,” the university said in a statement Monday. “Based on their feedback, we have decided to make the centerpiece of our Commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15.”

    According to the university, the school ceremonies will not be held on the South Lawn of its Morningside Heights campus. The majority of the events will be held at Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex, the school said. 

    “These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for our community. Just as we are focused on making our graduation experience truly special, we continue to solicit student feedback and are looking at the possibility of a festive event on May 15 to take the place of the large, formal ceremony. We are eager to all come together for our graduates and celebrate our fellow Columbians as they, and we, look ahead to the future. We will share more in the coming days,” the statement said.

    Anti-war protests began on the Ivy League university’s campus on April 17, when students set up an encampment on the South Lawn. The encampment emerged the same day Columbia president Minouche Shafik appeared before Congress to answer questions about concerns of antisemitism on campus.

    Shafik called on the NYPD to remove the protesters a day later, resulting in more than 100 arrests.

    Protesters rebuilt the encampment soon afterwards. It remained there until April 30, the day dozens of protesters from the encampment took over Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, saying they planned to remain there until the school agreed to divest from Israel.

    Hundreds of NYPD officers in riot gear breached the building that night at Shafik’s behest, clearing the encampment and arresting more than 100 people. Shafik has requested an NYPD presence on campus through at least May 17 to keep students from setting up another protest encampment.

    A full lineup of Columbia University graduation ceremonies is below:

    School Ceremonies Schedule

    Friday, May 10

    • 8:30 a.m. – Professional Studies, Morning Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 12:30 p.m. – Professional Studies, Afternoon Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 4:30 p.m. – Social Work | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 5:30 p.m. – Columbia Climate School | The Forum

    Saturday, May 11

    • 8:00 a.m. – Business School, EMBA & PhD Candidates | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 11:30 a.m. – Business School, MBA | Baker Athletics Complex

    • Architecture, Planning and Preservation | St. Paul’s Chapel

    • Your school will communicate the time and further details

    Sunday, May 12

    • 8:00 a.m. – Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, PhD | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 10:00 a.m. – Baccalaureate Service | St. Paul’s Chapel

    • 11:00 a.m. – Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, MA | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 3:00 p.m. – The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Graduate Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex

     Monday, May 13

    • 8:00 a.m. – Columbia School of General Studies | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 11:45 a.m. –  The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Undergraduate Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 3:30 p.m. – Law School | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 7:30 p.m. – International and Public Affairs | Baker Athletics Complex

    Tuesday, May 14

    • 9:30 a.m. – Columbia College | Baker Athletics Complex

    • 10:00 a.m. – School of Nursing | The Armory

    • 10:00 a.m. – Physical Therapy | Alumni Auditorium, CUIMC

    • 3:30 p.m. – Genetic Counseling | VEC 201, CUIMC

    • 4:00 p.m. – Mailman School of Public Health | The Armory

    • 5:00 p.m. – Business School, MS | David Geffen Hall, Manhattanville Campus

    • Teachers College | United Palace Theatre

    • Varying times

    Wednesday, May 15

    • 12:00 p.m. – Journalism School | Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall

    • 2:00 p.m. – Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons | The Armory

    • 4:00 p.m. – Barnard College | Radio City Music Hall

    • 7:00 p.m. – School of the Arts | Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall

    • Teachers College | United Palace Theatre

    • Varying times

    Thursday, May 16

    • 10:00 a.m. – Occupational Therapy | Alumni Auditorium, CUIMC

    • 10:30 a.m. – Dental Medicine, Predoctoral | The Armory

    • 2:00 p.m. – Institute of Human Nutrition | Alumni Auditorium, CUIMC • 4:00 p.m. – Dental Medicine, Postdoctoral | The Armory

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  • Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation

    Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation

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    The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions,” the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.

    What You Need To Know

    • Hamas says the latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks has ended in Cairo after “in-depth and serious discussions”
    • The militant group reiterates key demands that Israel again rejects
    • After signs of progress, the outlook appears to dim. Israel has closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas militants attacked it
    • And the defense minister warns of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza”
    • Egyptian state media says the Hamas delegation has left for discussions in Qatar and will return to Cairo for further negotiations on Tuesday

    After signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza after Hamas militants attacked it. The defense minister claimed Hamas wasn’t serious about a deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza.”

    Israel didn’t send a delegation to the talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement.”

    Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation left Cairo for discussions in Qatar and will return to the Egyptian capital for further negotiations on Tuesday.

    Another threat to talks came as Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network to close, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban did not appear to affect the channel’s operations in Gaza.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the key Hamas demands “extreme” — including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the fighting, Netanyahu said.

    Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.

    But Israel’s government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

    Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

    Land and sea routes are available to get humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip. (AP Digital Embed)

    The attack came shortly after the head of the U.N. World Food Program asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory. The comments were not a formal famine declaration.

    In expanded remarks as the full NBC interview was released Sunday, WFP chief Cindy McCain said famine was “moving its way south” in Gaza and that Israel’s efforts to allow in more aid were not enough. “We need more ability to be able to get more trucks in,” she said. “We have right now a mass on the outside border, about enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We need to get that in.”

    Gaza’s vast humanitarian needs put further pressure on the pursuit of a cease-fire. The proposal that Egyptian mediators had put to Hamas sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack, and would include some sort of Israeli pullout. The initial stage would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

    Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but said it “will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved.” That includes the stated aim of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the U.S. and others about the danger to civilians.

    An Israeli strike Sunday on the al-Attar family house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital.

    In later remarks for Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu added: “We will defend ourselves in every way. We will overcome our enemies and we will ensure our security — in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere.”

    The Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Netanyahu is under growing pressure from some hostages’ families to make a deal to end the war and get hostages freed.

    Israeli’s air and ground offensive has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up a majority of those killed.

    Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of embedding in residential and public areas. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

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    Associated Press

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