lettruthout

archive (But really, if you're in the Southland please subscribe, they have consistently good/important articles)

SpaceX’s plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk’s political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire’s labor record at his companies.

The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife.

Among the issues raised were Musk’s decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.

Military officials argue that launches by SpaceX, a leading contractor at Vandenberg Space Force Base, should be considered a federal activity because all of its launches benefit military objectives... As such, Space Force officials don’t have to obtain a permit or permission from the California Coastal Commission for rocket launches; they only need to reach an agreement to mitigate the effects.

But commissioners in recent months have questioned whether SpaceX launches, which carry private Starlink equipment on up to 87% of their flights, should be considered private activity.

Military officials have gone before the commission repeatedly this year to try to significantly increase the number of SpaceX launches, and officials said they plan to once again ask for another increase — for up to 100 annually — by early next year.

“Today’s vote hasn’t changed the [Department of the Air Force’s] or Vandenberg’s unwavering commitment to preserving the California coastline and the precious species that reside there,”

My percentages: 0 / 0 / 100%

The buyer, a New York-area leasing company called American Lease, says in a new filing that Fisker now believes there is no way to transfer the information connected to each SUV to a new server not owned by the bankrupt EV startup. Since American Lease needs that information to operate the vehicles after Fisker is dissolved, the leasing company has filed an emergency objection to the startup’s liquidation plan.

They’re not just taking up store space. Retailers say the machines interfere with remodeling plans and expose them to potential safety hazards and liabilities. Some kiosks are hardwired into stores’ electrical systems. Outdoor machines are bolted into the concrete foundations and contain a coolant that is supposed to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner

"Help keep yourself, your family and your community safe by being aware of rumors and scams and sharing official information from trusted sources. Do your part to stop the spread of rumors by doing three easy things:

1. Find trusted sources of information.
2. Share information from trusted sources.
3. Discourage others from sharing information from unverified sources.

...will it take three tries to get their coffin in the ground?

When growing up my parents taught me to stand up to bullies. (We're talking about verbal abuse and manipulation, not physical bullying.) Following that advice as a kid led to mixed results yet it's stuck with me into my adult years.

These days though, using this advice only seems to backfire. When I give them what they've given me, the bullies just get more angry and use that to justify their continued bullying. They see themselves as the victim.

Any suggestions that would be more helpful?

If a mobile (cell, handy) phone is part of your life, do your dreams include reference to it?

The other night I dreamed that I left mine in someone's car. That struck me as odd because it may have been the first time one of my dreams included such a reference - even though I'm constantly on my phone during waking hours.

Riffing off the earlier post about heat pumps in cold weather (https://lemmy.world/post/10270502), how much noise does your heat pump make?

We're sandwiched between houses with traditional AC units and in the summer the noise level from each is oppressive. Would I be producing the same amount of noise, year round, if I install a heat pump?

EDIT: the AC units to either side of us are old (at least 10 years) and probably cheaper models. Maybe newer/better ones are quieter?

By switching to reader mode (on Firefox if that matters) from a sites that asks to accept/reject cookies , what happens? The browser doesn't accept by default, right? Documentation I've found on this so far is kinda sparse.

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