Tag: Kentucky

UAW, Daimler reach tentative deal for workers in N.C., Georgia and Tennessee
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The United Auto Workers announced a tentative deal with Daimler late Friday night covering thousands of workers at plants in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
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The United Auto Workers and Daimler have reached a tentative deal covering thousands of workers in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee

UAW President Shawn Fain announced the agreement late Friday night

The deal came a week after workers in Tennessee overwhelmingly voted for the first Southern auto union outside of the Big Three automakers
UAW President Shawn Fain addressed over 7,000 workers live on Facebook at nearly 11 p.m. shortly before a contract with the Mercedes-Benz-owned company was set to expire.

Daimler workers will get at least a 25% pay increase over four years, including a 10% raise immediately when the deal is ratified, Fain said. He hailed the contract as a “major victory for the members who build Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built buses.”

It will end wage tiers, he said, enabling workers who make trucks and those who make buses to receive equal pay. He said the lowest-paid workers, who make buses at Thomas Built, which has its headquarters in High Point, N.C., will get pay bumps of over $8 an hour.

Fain said the deal includes profit sharing and a cost of living adjustment to protect workers against inflation.

The four-year agreement — which covers workers at plants in North Carolina as well as distribution centers in Atlanta and Memphis, Tennessee — will go to union members for approval.

“The UAW members at these locations will now be asked to vote on the new contracts, and we hope to finalize them soon, for the mutual benefit of all parties,” Daimler said in a statement.

The UAW says its workers face declining real wages as the cost of living increases. “Daimler’s profits have increased by 90% while workers’ buying power has fallen 13%,” the UAW said in a press release.

The agreement comes after a month of negotiations with the company. Daimler workers had voted by 96% to authorize a strike.

Fain was joined in Charlotte by the UAW Daimler Truck North America Bargaining Committee for the livestreamed address.

The UAW filed four unfair labor practice charges against Daimler on Tuesday. The charges allege, among other things, that the company retaliated and discriminated against union members, interfered with workers’ right to organize and has not bargained with the UAW in good faith.

“Daimler Truck thinks it can intimidate us by trampling on our rights,” said UAW DTNA Council President Kenny Dellinger in a press release. “These unfair labor practice charges are a necessary step. It’s time for Daimler Truck to get serious about negotiating a record contract without violating the law.”

All of this comes on the heels of a historic victory for the UAW. Workers from a Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, overwhelmingly voted April 19 to join the UAW, becoming the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three (General Motors, Ford and Stellantis) to win a union.

North Carolina has the second lowest unionized rate in the country, followed closely by Georgia at sixth and Tennessee at 13th.

Workers at Mercedes factories near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the 18th least unionized state, could become the next Southern factory to join the UAW. An election is set for May.

Six Southern Republican governors, including Tennessee’s, Georgia’s and South Carolina’s, signed onto a statement on the eve of the union vote in Chattanooga, saying that unions would be a detriment to manufacturing in their states and lead to job cuts.

The UAW won 25% raises for autoworkers in Detroit last year. With cost of living increases, the raises will reach 33% by the end of those contracts.
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Associated Press

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April 27, 2024
Sen. Alex Padilla emerges as persistent counterforce for immigrants
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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden had a question.

“Is it true?” Biden asked Sen. Alex Padilla, referencing the roughly 25% of U.S. students in kindergarten through high school who are Latino. Padilla said the question came as he was waiting with the president in a back room at a library in Culver City, California before an event in February.
What You Need To Know

He is the son of Mexican immigrants and first Latino to represent his state in the Senate

Padilla has emerged as a persistent force at a time when Democrats are increasingly focused on border security and the country’s posture toward immigrants is uncertain

Padilla has urged the president and fellow Democrats to hold firm to the position that border enforcement measures be paired with reforms for immigrants who are already in the country

During Senate negotiations earlier this year over border policy, Padilla asserted himself as the leader of congressional opposition from the left
It was exactly the kind of opening Padilla was hoping to get with the Democratic president. Biden was weighing his reelection campaign, executive actions on immigration and what to do about a southern border that has been marked by historic numbers of illegal crossings during his tenure.

Padilla wanted to make sure Biden also took into account the potential of the country’s immigrants. “Mr. President, do you know what I call them, those students?” Padilla recalled saying. “It’s the workforce of tomorrow.”

It was just one of the many times Padilla, who at 52 years old is now the senior senator of California, has taken the opportunity — from face-to-face moments with the president to regular calls with top White House staff and sometimes outspoken criticism — to put his stamp on the Democratic Party’s approach to immigration.

The son of Mexican immigrants and first Latino to represent his state in the Senate, Padilla has emerged as a persistent force at a time when Democrats are increasingly focused on border security and the country’s posture toward immigrants is uncertain.

Illegal immigration is seen as a growing political crisis for Democrats after authorities both at the border and in cities nationwide have struggled to handle recent surges. The party may also be losing favor with Hispanic voters amid disenchantment with Biden. But Padilla, in a series of interviews with The Associated Press, expressed a deep reserve of optimism about his party’s ability to win support both from and for immigrant communities.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be reluctant to talk about immigration. Lean into it,” Padilla said. “Because number one, it’s the morally right thing to do. Number two, it is key to the strength, the security and the future of our country.”

The senator has tried to anchor his fellow Democrats to that stance even as the politics of immigration grow increasingly toxic. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has said immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally are “poisoning the blood” of the country and accused Biden of allowing a “bloodbath” at the southern border. Biden, meanwhile, has shifted to the right at times in both the policies and language he is willing to use as illegal border crossings become a vulnerability for his reelection bid.

Such was the case when Biden, during his State of the Union address, entered into an unscripted exchange with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia, and referred to a Venezuelan man accused of killing a nursing student in Georgia as an “illegal” — a term anathema to immigration rights advocates.

After the speech, Padilla discussed the moment with Rep. Tony Cárdenas in the apartment they share in Washington. Cárdenas said their conversation turned to how they wanted politicians to avoid labeling migrants as “illegals” because it deprived them of dignity.

Padilla told him he would call the White House.

“He’s is the kind of person who steps in and steps up, and, you know, he’s tactical about it,” Cárdenas said.

It’s a difficult role to play, especially as Democrats try to shore up what’s seen as a weakness on border security in the battleground states that will determine control of the White House and Congress.

Even in California, Republicans have been emboldened on immigration as they try to reassert statewide relevance, said Mark Meuser, a lawyer who lost elections against Padilla for the Senate in 2022 and California Secretary of State in 2018. He argued top California Democrats like Padilla “are driving hard towards the extreme edges of their party.”

Padilla has urged the president and fellow Democrats to hold firm to the position that border enforcement measures be paired with reforms for immigrants who are already in the country.

During Senate negotiations earlier this year over border policy, Padilla asserted himself as the leader of congressional opposition from the left.

Padilla, along with four other Democratic-aligned senators, eventually voted against advancing the package, ensuring its failure as Republicans also rejected it.

“He is a lone voice but it is a courageous voice in the Senate,” said Vanessa Cardenas, who leads the immigration advocacy organization America’s Voice.

It’s been a quick ascent for Padilla, who is just beginning his fourth year in Congress. Yet for Padilla, it’s the very reason he entered politics in the first place.

When he graduated in 1994 with an engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it was a dream fulfilled for his parents — his father a short order cook and his mother a house cleaner. But he was soon drawn into politics as the state’s attention turned to Proposition 187, a 1994 ballot measure that was approved to deny education, health care and other non-emergency services to immigrants who entered the country illegally.

It was branded by supporters as the Save Our State Initiative. Padilla still remembers the ads for the campaign.

“Trying to try to blame a downward economy on the hardest working people that I know was offensive and an outrage,” he said.

Now he sees parallels between California in the 1990s, which approved the ballot measure but then had it invalidated in federal court, and the wider country today: changing demographics, economic uncertainty and political opportunists “scapegoating” immigrants.

Yet it also spurred the state’s Latinos to get involved politically. To Padilla, there’s no coincidence that California, the state with the most immigrants, now boasts the nation’s largest economy and is a stronghold for Democrats.
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Associated Press

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April 26, 2024
JPMorgan’s Dimon says stagflation is possible outcome for U.S. economy
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JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says stagflation could be one of a number of possible outcomes for the U.S. economy as the Federal Reserve attempts to tame stubbornly high consumer prices.

In an interview with The Associated Press at a Chase branch opening in The Bronx, Dimon said he remained “cautious” about the U.S. economy and said inflation may be stickier for longer and that “stagflation is on the list of possible things” that could happen to the U.S. economy.
What You Need To Know

Stagflation is one of a number of possible outcomes for the U.S. economy, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Friday

He is “cautious” about the U.S. economy as the Federal Reserve attempts to tame stubbornly high consumer prices

Inflation may be stickier for longer

Dimon said he is still hopeful for the U.S. economy to experience a soft landing
“You should be worried about (the possibility of stagflation),” Dimon said.

Dimon did emphasize that he’s still “hopeful” for the U.S. economy to experience a soft landing, where growth slows but the economy avoids a recession even if inflation remains a little high, but he’s not certain it’s the most likely outcome.

“I’m just a little more dubious than others that a (soft landing) is a given,” he said.

The Fed rapidly raised interest rates in 2022 and 2023 after inflation reached the highest level in four decades. Fed officials have indicated they expect to begin lowering rates at some point, but the timeline has been pushed back as inflation remains well above the central bank’s target rate of 2%.

Dimon spoke to the AP on a range of issues, including the independence of the Federal Reserve, the health of the U.S. consumer, the need for banks to open branches and the pressing geopolitical issues of the day.

Inflation has been stubbornly elevated so far this year, and a report Thursday showing growth slowed in the first three months of this year fanned fears of “stagflation,” which occurs when the economy is weak, or in recession, yet prices keep moving higher. It’s a particularly miserable combination of economic circumstances, with high unemployment occurring along with rising costs. Typically, a sluggish economy brings down inflation.

Stagflation last occurred in the 1970s, when conditions were far worse than today. In 1975, for example, inflation topped 10% while the unemployment rate peaked at 9%. Inflation is now 3.5% and unemployment just 3.8%, near a half-century low. If stagflation did occur, Dimon said he believes it would not be as bad as it was in the 1970s.

Fears of stagflation eased Friday after a government report showed consumer spending stayed strong in March, suggesting the economy will keep expanding at a solid pace in the coming months.
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Associated Press

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April 26, 2024
Milk is safe, despite bird flu fragments, FDA says
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The Food and Drug Administration said the U.S. milk supply is safe, despite this week’s finding of bird flu fragments in 20% of commercial milk samples.

The majority of milk samples that tested positive for the strain of avian flu known as H5N1 were in areas with infected dairy herds.
What You Need To Know

The Food and Drug Administration said the U.S. milk supply is safe

Testing earlier this week found bird flu fragments in 20% of commercial milk samples

The FDA said pasteurization and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows has kept the U.S. milk supply safe

The agency continues to conduct tests
“To date, the retail milk studies have shown no results that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said Thursday.

The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture said pasteurization and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows has kept the U.S. milk supply safe.

On Tuesday, the USDA said it had found the H5N1 virus in livestock in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Texas.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird or avian flu, can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, the FDA said. They do not normally infect humans, though sporadic infections in people have occurred.

The FDA is currently conducting egg inoculation tests to determine if infectious virus is present in milk. Early research from the National Institutes of Health indicates there is no infectious virus in milk sold commercially.

“Positive results do not necessarily represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers,” the FDA said in a statement on its website. “Additional testing is required to determine whether intact pathogen is still present and if it remains infectious, which would help inform a determination of whether there is any risk of illness associated with consuming the product.”

The Centers for Disease Control has not found any cases of H5N1 beyond the one known case related to direct contact with infected cattle.
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Susan Carpenter

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April 26, 2024
Average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbs for fourth week
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The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level since late November, another setback for home shoppers in what’s traditionally the housing market’s busiest time of the year.
What You Need To Know

The average long-term mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level since late November

The rate rose to 7.17% from 7.1% last week, according to Freddie Mac

A year ago, the 30-year mortgage rate averaged 6.43%

The rate increase is a setback for homeshoppers in what is traditionally the housing market’s busiest time of year
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 7.17% from 7.1% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.43%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week, lifting the average rate to 6.44% from 6.39% last week. A year ago, it averaged 5.71%, Freddie Mac said.

When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford at a time when the U.S. housing market remains constrained by relatively few homes for sale and rising home prices.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has now increased four weeks in a row. The latest uptick brings it to its highest level since November 30, when it was 7.22%.

After climbing to a 23-year high of 7.79% in October, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had remained below 7% since early December amid expectations that inflation would ease enough this year for the Federal Reserve to begin cutting its short-term interest rate.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market reacts to the Fed’s interest rate policy and the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Home loan rates have been mostly drifting higher after a string of reports this year showing inflation remaining hotter than forecast, which has stoked doubts over how soon the Fed might decide to start lowering its benchmark interest rate. The uncertainty has pushed up bond yields.

Top Fed officials themselves have said recently they could hold interest rates high for a while before getting full confidence inflation is heading down toward their target of 2%.

The rise in mortgage rates in recent weeks is an unwelcome trend for home shoppers this spring homebuying season. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last month as homebuyers contended with elevated mortgage rates and rising prices.

While easing mortgage rates helped push home sales higher in January and February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage remains well above 5.1%, where it was two years ago.

That large gap between rates now and then has helped limit the number of previously occupied homes on the market because many homeowners who bought or refinanced more than two years ago are reluctant to sell and give up their fixed-rate mortgages below 3% or 4% — a trend real estate experts refer to as the “lock-in” effect.

“The jump in mortgage rates has taken the wind out of the sails of the mortgage market,” said Bob Broeksmit, CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association. “Along with weaker affordability conditions, the lock-in effect continues to suppress existing inventory levels as many homeowners remain unwilling to sell their home to buy a new one at a higher price and mortgage rate.”

Homebuilders have been able to mitigate the impact of elevated home loan borrowing costs this year by offering incentives, such as covering the cost to lower the mortgage rate homebuyers take on. That’s helped spur sales of newly built single-family homes, which jumped 8.8% in March from a year earlier, according to the Commerce Department.

“With rates staying higher for longer, many homebuyers are adjusting, as evidenced by this week’s report that sales of newly built homes saw the biggest increase since December 2022,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
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Associated Press

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April 25, 2024
Live Updates: Trump hush money trial resumes

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Opening statements began Monday in the hush money trial against Donald Trump, the first criminal case against a former president in U.S. history, after a full jury was selected last week. Witness testimony continues Thursday.

Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records around purported efforts to cover up his alleged infidelity with an adult film actress during his 2016 presidential campaign. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

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Spectrum News Staff

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April 25, 2024
U.S. growth slowed last quarter to 1.6% pace

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The United States’ economy slowed last quarter, growing at an annual rate of 1.6% in a sign that the high interest rates may be taking a toll on borrowing and spending.

Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — decelerated from its brisk 3.4% growth rate in the final three months of 2023. Consumers continued to drive growth last quarter but slowed their spending. Growth was also held back by businesses reducing their inventories.

The state of the U.S. economy has seized Americans’ attention as the election season has intensified. Although inflation has slowed sharply, to 3.5% from 9.1% in 2022, prices remain well above their pre-pandemic levels.

Republican critics of President Joe Biden have sought to pin responsibility for high prices on Biden and use it as a cudgel to derail his reelection bid. And polls show that despite the healthy job market, a near-record-high stock market and the sharp pullback in inflation, many Americans blame Biden for high prices.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

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Associated Press

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April 25, 2024
Biden administration announces new National Zero-Emission Freight Strategy
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Trucks, railroads and ships used to transport freight will be set on a path to zero emissions, under an ambitious new plan the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

As part of President Biden’s goal of reaching net-zero transportation emissions by 2050, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy announced nearly $1.5 billion in funding for various programs to transition freight from diesel to zero-emission electrics.
What You Need To Know

The Biden administration announced a new National Zero-Emission Freight Strategy to reduce emissions from trucks, railroads and cargo ships

The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and Department of Transportation announced almost $1.5 billion in funding to help the transition

The Biden administration has set a goal of net-zero transportation emissions by 2050

Trucks and buses account for almost a quarter of emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest source of polluting emisisons in the United States
Using a whole-of-government approach, the new National Zero-Emission Freight Strategy is focused on addressing hot spots for air pollution. Every day, trucks, ships, trains and planes move about 55 million tons of goods, according to a White House fact sheet. Trucks and buses make up almost a quarter of emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest source of polluting emissions in the U.S.

To help replace diesel-powered school buses, trash trucks and delivery trucks, the Environmental Protection Agency announced almost $1 billion for cities, states and tribes to replace such vehicles with zero-emissions models and to create fueling infrastructure and workforce development to help build it.

To help reduce truck pollution at the nation’s ports, the Department of Transportation announced $400 million in grants, while the Department of Energy announced a $72 million investment to create a program for integrating electric heavy-duty trucks with the power grid to increase resiliency.
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Susan Carpenter

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April 24, 2024
An Insider’s Louisville, Kentucky Hotel Guide

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Muhammad Ali, perhaps Louisville’s most famous native, proclaimed that “my greatness came and started in Louisville, Kentucky,” and declared that it was “one of the greatest cities in America.” The Greatest had a point. Louisville is the largest city in the Bluegrass State, and alongside its Southern charm and Midwestern heartiness, it offers a rich history, captivating architecture and green spaces galore. Situated on the Ohio River, the city took its name from the French in 1780—Louisville literally means “Louis’ city,” namechecking King Louis XVI in tribute to his support during the Revolutionary War.

For history and architecture buffs, downtown’s West Main Historical District has the largest collection of cast iron facades anywhere outside of Soho, New York. One of Louisville’s many monikers is Park City, so-called for the 18 parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was also the visionary behind Manhattan’s Central Park.

Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon, and the spirit’s aficionados can honor that heritage by following the Urban Bourbon trail, which includes bars, restaurants and distilleries serving the tipple across downtown’s Whiskey Row and beyond. Most famously, it is home to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, “the most exciting two minutes in sport,” which celebrates its 150th anniversary in May 2024.

For a long time, Louisville struggled to attract tourists outside of the Kentucky Derby. But over the last several years, an influx of young creatives, often fleeing high rents in bigger cities, have debuted a dizzying array of buzzy restaurants, trendy bars, locally curated concept stores and craft distilleries that have drawn a steady flow of travelers to the locale known as the Gateway to the South.

The city’s growing popularity has increased demand for stylish hotels. What Louisville lacks in corporate 5-star hotels, it makes up for in swanky properties that embrace the city’s charming quirks. If you’re ready to pack your bags, there are old-world grande dames, Parisian-inspired contemporary stays, an art museum-cum-inn and a hotel built in a former disco factory that’s keeping night fever alive and well. Below, see the best accommodations to book for your next trip to Bourbon City.

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Sahar Khan

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April 24, 2024
Less sugar and salt is on the menu for school meals under new USDA rules
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Schools will need to phase in meals with less sugar and salt under new nutrition standards the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The new rules will phase in gradually between fall 2025 and fall 2027.
What You Need To Know

Schools will need to limit sugar and salt in meals under new nutrition requirements the USDA announced Wednesday

The new standards call for limiting added sugars in cereals, yogurts and flavored milks by fall 2025

Sodium will need to be reduced 10% in breakfast and 15% in lunches by fall 2027

Around 30 million children receive breakfasts and lunches at K-12 schools currently
“This is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectation that their children are receiving healthy and nutritious meals at school,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday during a briefing on the new rules.

The new nutrition standards call for limiting added sugars in cereals, yogurts and flavored milks by fall 2025 and reducing sodium 10% in breakfasts and 15% in lunches by fall 2027. Beginning this fall, schools will also have the option of requiring unprocessed agricultural products to be locally grown, raised or caught when purchased for school meal programs.

“The goal here is to make sure that we are doing everything we can to be supportive of our own producers and our own industry,” Vilsack said.

Schools will have limits on the percentage of non-American grown and produced foods they can purchase starting with the 2025-2026 school year. Non-American foods will be capped at 10% in fall 2025 and reduce to 8% by fall 2028 and 5% by fall 2031.

The USDA expects the new rules will result in a 1% cost increase over the next 10 years.

About 30 million children receive breakfasts and lunches at K-12 schools. The USDA says school meals are the main source of nutrition for more than half of the children who receive them.
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Susan Carpenter

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April 24, 2024
Norfolk Southern’s earnings offer a chance to defend strategy before board vote
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Norfolk Southern’s first-quarter earnings report Wednesday gave the railroad the opportunity to publicly defend CEO Alan Shaw’s strategy again before investors decide on May 9 whether to back him. Since the railroad already preannounced its disappointing results earlier this month when it disclosed a $600 million settlement over the disastrous February 2023 Ohio derailment there were few surprises in Wednesday’s numbers.
What You Need To Know

Norfolk Southern’s first-quarter earnings report Wednesday gave the railroad the opportunity to publicly defend CEO Alan Shaw’s strategy again before investors decide on May 9 whether to back him

Since the railroad already preannounced its disappointing results, there were no surprises

Earlier this month it disclosed a $600 million settlement over the disastrous February 2023 Ohio derailment

Shareholders vote next month on a slate of directors nominated by Ancora Holdings, and those investors want to replace management and overhaul the way the railroad runs
Norfolk Southern confirmed the $53 million, or 23 cents per share, that it earned in the first quarter. Without the settlement and some other one-time costs, the railroad said it would have made $2.39 per share while Wall Street was predicting earnings of $2.60 per share. The Atlanta-based railroad’s profit was down from $466 million, or $2.04 per share, a year ago even though the railroad delivered 4% more shipments during the quarter.

The railroad and Ancora Holdings disagree over whether Shaw’s strategy of keeping more workers on hand during a downturn to be ready to handle the eventual rebound is the best way to run Norfolk Southern and whether he is the best man to lead the railroad.

The way Ancora wants to run the railroad reminds the investors’ CEO candidate, Jim Barber, of what he used to do when he was UPS’ chief operating officer. He said keeping more workers on hand during slower times is just wasteful and would be like UPS keeping its seasonal workers on the payroll year-round.

“This concept of Precision Scheduled Railroading is the exact same way that UPS has run its network for 60 or 70 years, which is you run it very efficiently, very effectively, and very balanced with as few assets as you can and leverage the efficiency of your employee base and the assets,” Barber said in an interview with The Associated Press.
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Associated Press

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April 24, 2024
Cloud seeding explained
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Widespread flooding in Dubai last week has people wondering if cloud seeding is to blame for the disaster. The short answer is no, but here, I explain why that is the case.
What You Need To Know

Cloud seeding can enhance rainfall by a small amount

You cannot create a rainstorm by cloud seeding

Cloud seeding works with water already present in the air
In order to understand cloud seeding, one must understand how rain develops.

In order to make it rain, you need moisture, a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere, and something for the moisture to condense on to.

That last part is what cloud seeding focuses on.

Condensation nuclei is the term for tiny particles in the air in which water vapor can condense on to, which in turn creates a rain drop.

There are plenty of naturally occurring condensation nuclei in the atmosphere.

Some examples are dust, smoke, pollen, sea salt, and other naturally occurring particles.

Humans have artificially added some of these particles to the air in an effort to enhance rainfall and we have been doing it for decades.

This is known as cloud seeding.

Silver iodide is the particular agent of choice for cloud seeding.

In order for cloud seeding to be successful, it must be done in an existing storm.

As stated earlier, without moisture and atmospheric lift, condensation nuclei are useless in producing rain.

In the case of cloud seeding, humans are attempting to make more raindrops in a given cloud.

Artificially adding condensation nuclei to the air in an existing storm can increase rainfall by up to 20%, but this is under ideal conditions.

So in the case of the Dubai flood, cloud seeding likely had little impact on its outcome.

Even if rainfall amounts were 10 to 20 percent less, similar flooding would have still occurred.

In any case, it’s hard to quantify how much, if any, of this rain was enhanced by cloud seeding. It likely was much less than 20 percent.

Weather models, including the one below, were predicting widespread flooding in the Dubai area days ahead of the event.

These models do not include the effects cloud seeding in their algorithms.

The city of Al Ain recorded 10 inches of rain from the storm, with around 6 inches at the Dubai airport. This is twice the city’s annual average.

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 Kyle Hanson

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April 23, 2024
Cloud seeding explained
[ad_1]
Widespread flooding in Dubai last week has people wondering if cloud seeding is to blame for the disaster. The short answer is no, but here, I explain why that is the case.
What You Need To Know

Cloud seeding can enhance rainfall by a small amount

You cannot create a rainstorm by cloud seeding

Cloud seeding works with water already present in the air
In order to understand cloud seeding, one must understand how rain develops.

In order to make it rain, you need moisture, a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere, and something for the moisture to condense on to.

That last part is what cloud seeding focuses on.

Condensation nuclei is the term for tiny particles in the air in which water vapor can condense on to, which in turn creates a rain drop.

There are plenty of naturally occurring condensation nuclei in the atmosphere.

Some examples are dust, smoke, pollen, sea salt, and other naturally occurring particles.

Humans have artificially added some of these particles to the air in an effort to enhance rainfall and we have been doing it for decades.

This is known as cloud seeding.

Silver iodide is the particular agent of choice for cloud seeding.

In order for cloud seeding to be successful, it must be done in an existing storm.

As stated earlier, without moisture and atmospheric lift, condensation nuclei are useless in producing rain.

In the case of cloud seeding, humans are attempting to make more raindrops in a given cloud.

Artificially adding condensation nuclei to the air in an existing storm can increase rainfall by up to 20%, but this is under ideal conditions.

So in the case of the Dubai flood, cloud seeding likely had little impact on its outcome.

Even if rainfall amounts were 10 to 20 percent less, similar flooding would have still occurred.

In any case, it’s hard to quantify how much, if any, of this rain was enhanced by cloud seeding. It likely was much less than 20 percent.

Weather models, including the one below, were predicting widespread flooding in the Dubai area days ahead of the event.

These models do not include the effects cloud seeding in their algorithms.

The city of Al Ain recorded 10 inches of rain from the storm, with around 6 inches at the Dubai airport. This is twice the city’s annual average.

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 Kyle Hanson

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April 23, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protests lead to arrests at Yale, canceled classes at Columbia
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Pro-Palestinian protests led to the arrests of 47 students at Yale University and the cancellation of in-person classes at Columbia University on Monday morning.
What You Need To Know

Pro-Palestinian protests led to the arrests of 47 students at Yale University and the cancellation of in-person classes at Columbia University on Monday morning

The incidents followed the arrests of more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia last week

Students at both of the Ivy League colleges set up encampments as they called for the schools to divest from companies connected to Israel, including those they say are profiting from Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip

More than 34,000 Palestinians — at least two-thirds of them women and children — have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s health ministry
The incidents followed the arrests of more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia last week.

Students at both of the Ivy League colleges set up encampments as they called for the schools to divest from companies connected to Israel, including those they say are profiting from Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

More than 34,000 Palestinians — at least two-thirds of them women and children — have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The Israeli invasion followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

At Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, protests at Beinecke Plaza, near the administration building, grew over the past week to include more than 250 people, according to the Yale Daily News. After negotiations between university administrators and protest organizers were unsuccessful, Yale police arrested 47 students who refused to leave the plaza Monday, the school said.

The university said it told the students they could avoid arrest if they left before the weekend ended. Protesters who left voluntarily Monday were not arrested, Yale said.

“The university made the decision to arrest those individuals who would not leave the plaza with the safety and security of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow access to university facilities by all members of our community,” the school said in a statement.

On Sunday, Yale President Peter Salovey said he was “aware of reports of egregious behavior, such as intimidation and harassment, pushing those in crowds, removal of the plaza flag, and other harmful acts.”

Those who were arrested face a range of disciplinary actions, including reprimand, probation or suspension, the school said.

After the arrests, more than 300 protesters had gathered in a circle blocking an intersection, the Daily News reported.

At Columbia in New York, President Minouche Shafik ordered all classes to be held virtually Monday to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.”

In her statement, Shafik said the “decibel of our disagreements” has increased in recent days after being “exploited and amplified” by protesters not affiliated with Columbia.

“Over the past days, there have been too many examples of intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus,” Shafik said. “Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken.”

She said a working group of deans, university administrators and faculty members will work in the coming days toward ending what she called a “crisis.”

Demonstrations at Columbia over the weekend targeted Jewish students with antisemitic rhetoric, according to reports and social media posts.

On Sunday, Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of Columbia’s Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus called for Jewish students to “return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”

“The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy,” he said in a statement.

The incidents drew condemnation from Mayor Eric Adams and the White House.

“I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus,” Adams wrote Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. “Hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law they receive a report about and will arrest anyone found to be breaking the law.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: “While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous.”

In his statement Sunday marking Passover, President Joe Biden called out “the alarming surge of Antisemitism – in our schools, communities, and online.”

“Silence is complicity,” he said. “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”

Columbia’s Students for Justice in Palestine — a coalition of more than 110 student groups calling for the university “to divest from apartheid and genocide” — said in a statement Sunday night: “We are frustrated by media distractions focusing on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us.”

“We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand vigilant against non-students attempting to disrupt the solidarity being forged among students—Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, Black and Pro Palestinian classmates and colleagues who represent the full diversity of our country,” it said.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., called Monday for Shafik to resign immediately, arguing “Columbia’s leadership has clearly lost control of its campus putting Jewish students’ safety at risk.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, sent a letter Sunday to Shafik and other Columbia officials saying she is “gravely concerned” about the protests at the school.

“Columbia’s continued failure to restore order and safety promptly to campus constitutes a major breach of the University’s Title VI obligations, upon which federal financial assistance is contingent, and which must immediately be rectified,” Foxx wrote.

Shafik testified before Foxx’s committee last week, where some lawmakers accused Columbia of not doing enough to protect students from antisemitism on campus.

Shafik defended the university’s commitment to free speech but also acknowledged some rhetoric used by protesters was antisemitic that violated Columbia’s code of conduct. She said the school had suspended 15 students and promised that a visiting professor was not welcome back.

“Antisemitism has no place on our campus and I am personally committed to doing everything I can to confront it directly,” Shafik said at the hearing.
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Ryan Chatelain

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April 22, 2024
Live Updates: Opening statements begin in Trump trial

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Opening statements began Monday in the hush money trial against Donald Trump, the first criminal case against a former president in U.S. history, after a full jury was selected last week.

Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records around purported efforts to cover up his alleged infidelity with an adult film actress during his 2016 presidential campaign. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

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Associated Press

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April 22, 2024
Weather Explained: Earth Day

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Earth Day marks the birth of the modern environment movement in 1970.

It falls on the same calendar day each year, April 22.

Its popularity has grown around the globe with more than 1 billion participants each year. Not only is Earth Day a day where people pick up trash around the world, but its ideas also led to policy changes within governments to push toward a cleaner environment.

Watch the video above to see how Earth Day got its start.

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Meteorologist Nick Merianos

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April 22, 2024
KENTUCKY’S WOODFORD PUDDING
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Woodford Pudding is a very old-fashioned dessert that dates back to the late 1800’s. It has a light texture and is a wonderful addition to any holiday gathering.

If you love old-fashioned recipes like this one, you must try this vintage Water Pie. It’s a depression-era pie, and it’s really good.

❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE

Woodford Pudding is a wonderful dish to serve during the holidays, a derby dinner or anytime you have guests and family. This recipe for Woodford Pudding dates back to 1875. The spongy, spiced pudding is named after Woodford County in Kentucky. John Egerton speaks about Woodford Pudding in his book, “Southern Food”. This pudding is so good, and you won’t be able to leave it alone.

🍴KEY INGREDIENTS
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Blackberry Jam
- All Purpose Flour
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Buttermilk
- Baking Soda
- Sauce ingredients listed in the recipe card.
SWAPS

I have swapped out raspberry jam in place of the blackberry and it was just as good. People often ask if you have to use buttermilk and I believe you do. Buttermilk adds a level of fat to the recipe and without it, it will not be the correct consistency.

🍽️HOW TO MAKE

This is a super simple recipe to make, which is one of the reasons we love it! Plus the combination of spices makes this pudding wonderful.

Step 1
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blackberry jam. Mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, and allspice and continue mixing.

Step 2
Pour in buttermilk with soda added to the milk. Mix well and pour into a sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish or a sprayed 10 inch bundt pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Step 3 – Making the Sauce
Combine sugar and flour in saucepan. Add boiling water and salt. Mix well with spoon or whisk. Bring to a boil on stove. Cook to desired thickness, about five or six minutes. If too thick add more boiling water. Remove from heat, add butter, milk and vanilla and stir. Serve pudding warm with sauce on top.

⭐TIP

You can make this in a 9 x 13 or in a bundt pan. I have found the temperature to be the same, and I cook it for the same amount of time, checking the center after about 40 minutes. This is a pudding, so it doesn’t rise like a cake.

OTHER OLD FASHIONED RECIPES
Old Fashioned Prune Cake – This cake has been around a very long time and it’s always a hit. The sauce on it is a wonderful addition.

Old Fashioned Snowball Cake – This cake is perfect for the holidays and it is a beautiful addition to any dessert table.

Southern Jam Cake – This is our favorite holiday cake and it’s a tradition in our family. If you love classics, this one is at the top of the list!

Old Fashioned Tomato Soup Cake – This cake was on the back of a campbells soup can many many years ago. It’s a spice cake and so good!
STORING, REHEATING & SERVING SIZE

We store this in a cool place. We like it hot or cold but the sauce on it warmed up is amazing. This makes about 8 servings.
Woodford Pudding

Judy Yeager

Woodford Pudding is a wonderful dish to serve during the holidays, a derby dinner or anytime you have guests and family. This recipe for Woodford Pudding dates back to 1875 and is definitely and old fashioned recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

1 stick butter or margarine softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup blackberry jam

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

Butterscotch Sauce

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup boiling water

1/2 stick butter or margarine

2 tablespoons cream or evaporated milk I use evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blackberry jam. Mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, and allspice and continue mixing. Pour in buttermilk and add soda. Mix well and pour into a sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish or a 10 inch bundt pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Butterscotch Sauce Instructions

Combine sugar and flour in saucepan. Add boiling water and salt. Mix well with spoon or whisk. Bring to a boil on stove. Cook to desired thickness, about five or six minutes. If too thick add more boiling water. Remove from heat, add butter, milk and vanilla and stir. Serve pudding warm with sauce on top.

Let us know by commenting below!

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Judy Yeager

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April 22, 2024
Ukrainian and Western leaders laud U.S. aid package
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Ukrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned that passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths.
What You Need To Know

Ukrainian and Western leaders have welcomed the passing of a desperately needed aid package for Ukraine by the U.S. House of Representatives

The Kremlin warned the passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine

The House approved $61 billion in aid as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s invasion

The Ukrainian president, who had warned that Ukraine would lose the war without U.S. funding, praised American lawmakers for their decision

The Kremlin spokesperson called the approval of aid to Ukraine “expected and predictable” and warned it would result in the deaths of more Ukrainians
Ukrainian leaders and analysts say the long-awaited $61 billion military aid package — including $13.8 billion for Ukraine to buy weapons — will help slow Russia’s incremental advances in the war’s third year — but that more will likely be needed for Kyiv to regain the offensive.

The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had warned that his country would lose the war without U.S. funding, said that he was grateful for the decision of U.S. lawmakers.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy said that the aid package would “send the Kremlin a powerful signal that (Ukraine) will not be the second Afghanistan.”

Zelenskyy told NBC that the aid “has to end up in tangible weapon systems,” highlighting that Ukraine would prioritize long-range weapons and air defense. These, he said, would enable Ukraine to “break the plans of Russia” in an expected “full-scale offensive,” for which Ukrainian forces are preparing.

The aid package will go to the U.S. Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.

It still could take weeks for it to reach the front line, where it is desperately needed.

Responding to a question on the timelines for Ukraine continuing to need such aid packages, the Ukrainian president drew attention to previous delays to promised support. “It depends on when we actually get weapons on the ground,” Zelenskyy told NBC.

“The decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, we had it a year ago,” he said. “A year has passed. We still don’t have the jets in Ukraine.”

“With this we can stop (Russian troops) and reduce our losses,” said infantry soldier Oleksandr. He has been fighting around Avdiivka, the city in the Donetsk region that Ukraine lost to Russia in February after months of intense combat.

Ammunition shortages linked to the aid holdup over the past six months have led Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, a disadvantage that Russia seized on this year — taking the city of Avdiivka and currently inching towards the town of Chasiv Yar, also in Donetsk.

“The Russians come at us in waves — we become exhausted, we have to leave our positions. This is repeated many times,” Oleksandr told The Associated Press. He didn’t give his full name for security reasons. “Not having enough ammunition means we can’t cover the area that is our responsibility to hold when they are assaulting us.”

In Kyiv, many welcomed the U.S. vote as a piece of good news after a tough period that has seen Russia grind out gains along the front line, and step up attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and other infrastructure.

“I heard our president officially say that we can lose the war without this help. Thanks very much and yesterday was a great event,” said Kateryna Ruda, 43.

Tatyana Ryavchenuk, the wife of a Ukrainian soldier, noted the need for more weapons, lamenting that soldiers “have nothing to protect us.”

“They need weapons, they need gear, they need it. We always need help. Because without help, our enemy can advance further and can be in the center of our city,” the 26-year-old said.

Other Western leaders, who have been scrambling to come up with ways to fill the gap left by stalled U.S. military aid, also lauded the aid package.

“Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO Allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer, in Europe & North America,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg posted on X.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia.”

Her statement was echoed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called it “a strong signal in these times.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson, while also noting the holdup in Congress. “Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine,” he wrote on X.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday called the approval of aid to Ukraine “expected and predictable.”

The decision “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

“The new aid package will not save, but, on the contrary, will kill thousands and thousands more people, prolong the conflict, and bring even more grief and devastation,” Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, wrote on Telegram.

Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said the logistics of getting U.S. assistance to the front line would mean that “Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks in the coming weeks while waiting for U.S. security assistance that will allow Ukraine to stabilize the front.”

“But they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed U.S. assistance arrives promptly,” it said in its latest assessment of the conflict.

Olexiy Haran, professor of comparative politics at the National University of Kyiv-Mohlya Academy, said that Ukraine was grateful for aid from the U.S. and other Western countries, “but the problem is, frankly speaking, it’s too late and it’s not enough.”

“This is the third year of the war and we still don’t have aviation, new aviation. We don’t have enough missiles, so we cannot close the skies. Moreover, recently we didn’t have even artillery shells,” he said.

“That’s why the situation was very, very difficult and the Russians used it to start their counteroffensive, or offensive. So that’s why it is so important for us. And definitely if we’d received it half a year before, we would have saved the lives of many Ukrainians, civilians included.”

On the ground, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its troops had taken control of the village of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials haven’t yet commented on the announcement.

One person was killed and four other people were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukrainsk, according to the prosecutor’s office in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region.
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Associated Press

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April 21, 2024
Not a toddler, not a parent, but still love ‘Bluey’? You’re not alone
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A small blue dog with an Australian accent has captured the hearts of people across the world.

She’s the title character of “Bluey,” a kids’ program consisting of seven-minute episodes that have enraptured children and adults alike. This week’s release of its longest episode yet — at a whopping 28 minutes — prompted an outpouring of appreciation for the show, even from those who are neither toddler nor parent.
What You Need To Know

Viewers don’t have to be young or a parent to appreciate the Australian kids’ television program “Bluey,” as this week’s release of a special episode proved

Not only is the animated, blue-colored Australian cattle dog a favorite among children for her playful humor, but the show also appeals to adults who are reminiscing about their childhood

“Bluey” premiered in Australia in 2018 and began streaming on Disney+ in 2020

The show has released more than 150 episodes, about seven minutes long and streamed around the world
“Bluey” follows an Australian blue heeler who, along with her sister (a red heeler named Bingo), navigates the days between home and school. It’s a favorite among children for its playful humor, but it also appeals to adults reminiscing about childhood.

“My childhood experience wasn’t the greatest so I’ve always resonated with shows where life is good,” says Miriam Neel, who lives in Colorado. “The parents in ‘Bluey’ enable imagination and creativity and really get involved with their kids, and I wish I had those experiences.”

Neel is 32 and has chosen not to have any children of her own. She says the show has become part of her morning routine and is often a go-to choice for background noise when she is working from home.

“I’m not going to speak for the entire generation, but millennials find comfort in cartoons. It’s what a lot of us grew up watching,” she said. “And if I’m going to spend time watching something I’d rather watch something that doesn’t make me afraid of the world, like any of the ‘Law & Order’ shows.”

“Bluey,” which now boasts more than 150 episodes, premiered in Australia in 2018 and began streaming on Disney+ in 2020. It also has been adapted into a digital series where famous fans like Bindi Irwin and Eva Mendes read some of the popular storybooks, and a live theater show that travels around the world.

The show has also won multiple awards, including the Australian Film Institute Award for best children’s television drama every year since 2019 and an International Emmy Kids Award.

The series provides a child’s perspective into morning routines, errands and chores, while also giving viewers a glimpse of what life is like for parents through mother Chilli and father Bandit.

This week’s special episode, “The Sign,” explores the emotions surrounding themes that resonate with both children and adults — moving houses, marriage, infertility and relationships after divorce. In addition to these universal themes, the episode wraps up the third season with Easter eggs for dedicated fans.

Lindsey Schmidt, 40, says the show’s continuity keeps her family looking forward to more.

“There are so many callbacks to previous episodes,” says Schmidt, who lives in Ohio with her husband and three children. “The shows that we watch with our kids regularly don’t reflect our lives like this show does. These anthropomorphic dogs feel just like us.”

But there are mixed feelings about the ending of the episode — SPOILER — in which the Heeler family scraps their move. Some families who relocate often for work found it unrealistic. Meg Korzon, 31, is in the process of a cross-country relocation with her four children because her husband is in the military. It’s her seventh move in 10 years.

“I was hoping it would be an episode that aligned itself with the realities of life, our lives, as a military family,” she says. “I was selfishly disappointed because it could have been an episode about change and growth.”

But the show does not shy away from other difficult topics — and that is part of the charm for adults as well.

“As a parent you aspire to be as good of parents as Chilli and Bandit are as parents. They always have a great way of talking kids through issues,” Schmidt’s 40-year-old husband John says, adding that the couple often refers back to episodes when trying to explain things to their children.

The series has touched on topics of aging, death and making friends as an adult. It also has introduced a character who uses sign language and another with ADHD.

Jacqueline Nesi, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, notes that “Bluey” promotes self-regulation and conflict resolution for children and engaged parenting and patience for adults.

“We see them working through some of the challenges that we, as parents, might be facing, too. And at the same time, they offer a nice model for different parenting skills — asking open-ended questions to facilitate kids’ creativity, using natural consequences when they misbehave, actively playing with them and letting them take the lead,” she says.

The show has also done a lot to expose children to the world of animation, flaunting different styles in the episodes “Escape” and “Dragon,” providing a near-voiceless episode in “Rain,” and breaching the fourth wall in “Puppets,” where the show stops briefly to zoom out on the creation of just a couple seconds of animated frames.

It’s also credited with appealing to dogs — and not because the characters are the same species.

Research has said dogs have vision similar to red-green color blindness in humans, meaning their color spectrum is limited to blue, yellow, brown and shades of gray — which happen to be the colors of the Heeler family. There were more pets named Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit across the U.S. last year, too, according to Rover.

So it’s fairly safe to say “Bluey” has appeal across species, as well as generations.

“I used to tell people what do ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The Wire’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ have in common? They all have lower IMDb scores than Bluey. It used to anyway. I watched all these great shows, but I think ‘Bluey’ is still a favorite, maybe because I have kids. But I put it right up there with all of them,” John Schmidt says, admitting that he and his wife have watched the episodes without their children.

Schmidt says the episode tied a nice bow to end the season, and would be a perfect series finale otherwise.

“I get emotional about the potential of Bluey no longer having new episodes,” says Schmidt. “But we’ll see.”
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Associated Press

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April 20, 2024
House poised to approve Israel, Ukraine aid despite GOP threats to oust Johnson
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The House of Representatives on Friday advanced a long-stalled foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, clearing the way for passage on Saturday and consideration in the Senate — despite a growing movement from House Speaker Mike Johnson’s own party to remove him.
What You Need To Know

The House of Representatives on Friday advanced a long-stalled foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, clearing the way for passage on Saturday

The procedural hurdle in the House was cleared with a widely bipartisan 316-94 vote, with 165 Democrats joining 151 Republicans in the majority to push the measure over the top

While the action from Johnson scored rare approval from President Joe Biden, the Louisana Republican is facing backlash from a motivated far-right wing of his conference, which could cost him his leadership job

A third House Republican, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, joined Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s effort to remove Johnson from the speakership
The procedural hurdle in the House was cleared with a widely bipartisan 316-94 vote, with 165 Democrats joining 151 Republicans in the majority to push the measure over the top. 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats opposed the rule vote.

“House Democrats have once again cleared the way for legislation that is important to the American people to be processed and considered on the House floor for an up or down vote,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. said during a press conference on Friday. “From the very beginning of this Congress, we’ve made clear, we’ll put people over politics.”

The package of four bills also includes a measure that would ban or force the sale of popular social media app TikTok, impose sanctions on Iran, Russia, China and criminal organizations that traffic fentanyl and a proposal that would allow the U.S. to seize Russian assets to help aid Ukraine.

“Ukrainians desperately need lethal aid right now,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on The Mark Levin Show, a conservative talk program. “We cannot allow Vladimir Putin to roll through another country and take it. These are very serious matters with global implications.”

While the action from Johnson scored rare approval from President Joe Biden — and, in an even more rare move, no detraction from former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president — the Louisiana Republican is facing backlash from a motivated far-right wing of his conference, which could cost him his leadership job.

“The world is watching what the Congress does,” the Biden administration said. “Passing this legislation would send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a pivotal moment.”

Far-right Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to vacate the speaker from office, and has drawn at least one other Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky as a co-sponsor. It could launch a bid to evict Johnson from the speaker’s office, should she call it up for a vote, much the way Republicans booted Kevin McCarthy from the position last fall.

Greene would not comment when asked if she would call for a vote on her motion to oust Johnson.

Massie told POLITICO on Friday that another lawmaker will join the effort to remove Johnson from leadership, expected Friday.

“The strategy all along has been to ask the speaker to resign in a fashion like John Boehner resigned after he cleaned the barn,” he said.

Shortly after Massie’s comment, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar joined the growing movement to oust Johhnson, writing in a statement largely focused on criticizing President Biden’s policies governing the U.S.-Mexico border that “we need a Speaker who puts America first.”

Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson told CNN and Axios that “there’s probably a clear consensus” that Johnson would not be House Speaker should the GOP retain control of the House after November’s elections; he “can’t say,” however, if he supports the motion to vacate.

Johnson told reporters on Friday that he is “not concerned” about threats to his speakership. Some Democrats have suggested that they will bail Johnson out should he face a vote to remove him from leadership.

“We’re gonna do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may,” Johnson said.

Jeffries on Friday told reporters that his previous “declaration” that there are a “reasonable number” of House Democrats that would not want Johnson to be ousted over putting the foreign aid up for a vote still stands. Jeffries, however, would not say what he would advise members to do in such a scenario.

He emphasized that “first things first” is making sure the aid bill gets through the House and over to the Senate.

“AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, AS HOUSE DEMOCRATS, WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH ANY HYPOTHETICAL MOTION TO VACATE,” he said.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at Friday’s briefing that the White House would not get involved on whether or not Democrats should bail out Johnson, saying the decision lies with Jeffries and his caucus.

With one of the most narrow House majorities in modern times, Johnson can only afford to lose a single vote or two from his Republican ranks to pass any bill. That dynamic has thrust him into the arms of Democrats as he searches for votes to pass the package.

Without his Republican majority fully behind him, Johnson cannot shape the package as the ultra-conservatives demand lest he lose Democratic backing. It has forced him to leave behind tough security measures to clamp down on migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and other priorities.

At best, Johnson has been able to carve up a Senate-passed version of the bill into separate parts, as is the preference among House Republicans, and the final votes will be on distinct measures — for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies.

Passing each bill, in votes expected Saturday, will require Johnson to form complicated bipartisan coalitions on each, with Democrats for example ensuring Ukraine aid is approved, but some left-leaning progressives refusing to back military aid for Israel over the destruction of Gaza.

The components would then be automatically stitched back together into a single package sent to the Senate where hardliners there are also planning procedural moves to stall final approval.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told lawmakers to prepare to stay in Washington over the weekend for votes on the foreign aid package.

Spectrum News’ Maddie Gannon contributed to this report.
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Associated Press

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April 20, 2024