That’s one big apex predator! Fat Bear Week is coming!
As bears plump up for the winter hibernation season, one thing is certain, Fat Bear Week is coming! Beginning on Oct. 2 and going through Oct. 8, fans can pick their favorite chunky bear from a list of the apex predators at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
In the meantime, bear fans have to settle for a smaller competition. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, organizers unveiled a sub-competition between bear cubs in this week’s Fat Bear Jr. Contest, in which the “chubby champ” will go on to face those in the adult bracket. The voting ends Friday, Sept. 27, for this contest.
This year’s Fat Bear Week contestants include two former champs from 2022 and 2023. Park officials assure everyone that these ferocious competitors still qualify as cubs.
According to wildlife officials, most cubs stay with their mother for about 2 1/2 years before heading off on their own.
However, the 2022 champ is a real “momma’s boy,” or maybe an “aunt’s boy,” because he’s bucking the trend of 2 1/2 years. The 2022 champ, known as 909 Junior, is still with his aunt after four years of companionship.
Vote on the “cubtestants” for this competition of little ones here.
As for those waiting for the adult competition, the contestants for the Fat Bear Week Tournament will be announced on Monday, Sept. 30, and voting goes until Oct. 8.
The competition is guaranteed to be huge in more ways than one. Adult male brown bears can bulk up to more than a thousand pounds before hibernation, by scarfing down up to 30 salmon per day, Plus, the competition is wildly popular as well. More than 1.3 million people voted in Fat Bear Week competitions in 2023.
Is Temu spying on you? Lawmakers want the FBI to answer that
In a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, Sept. 24, members of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee requested a “joint briefing” on what the agency is doing to protect Americans personal data from alleged spying efforts from the Chinese-based app Temu and its parent company, Pinduoudou (PDD). Committee members wrote that they’re not the only ones concerned about Temu and PDD.
Lawmakers noted that U.S. senators, attorneys general and others have “raised the alarm” over the alleged practices of the entity’s connection to the Chinese government.
In the letter, lawmakers also point to PDD’s suspension from Google in 2023 after it was discovered that the app “exploited a zero-day vulnerability” allowing it to “steal personal data” from millions of Americans.
Since Temu and PDD are part of the U.S. stock market, lawmakers insist that they should face the same regulations as many other businesses listed on the Nasdaq.
The committee also wrote that it wants to know how the FBI is defending the “economic data of the U.S.” from the Chinese Communist Party (CPP), which the lawmakers allege is working in concert with Temu and its parent company.
Additionally, the group of lawmakers said it wants the agency to outline what it’s doing to thwart any attempts to “exploit democracy” and “free-market-principles.”
It’s not just spying Temu has been accused of in the past. The Chinese company has also faced allegations of stealing trade secrets, using child labor and other national security concerns.
It’s not yet known when or if the hearing will happen.
Feds charge man for allegedly sending threats to kill, torture 6 SCOTUS justices
An Alaskan man has been arrested for allegedly sending violent and threatening messages to six Supreme Court justices. Panos Anastasiou, 76, from Anchorage, is accused of sending more than 465 threatening messages to U.S. Supreme Court justices through the court’s public website from March 2023 to July 2024.
The messages contained violent, racist and homophobic rhetoric, including graphic threats of assassination by torture, hanging and firearms, with an escalation in January 2024.
In court documents, it’s revealed one of the messages said, “I’d like to see [Former President 1 and Supreme Court Justice 1] hanging together from an Oak tree. I’d gladly provide the rope and pull the handle.”
Another message reads, “We should make [Supreme Court Justices 1-6] be AFRAID, very AFRAID to leave their home and fear for their lives everyday.”
The threats also extended to family members of the targeted justices and continued even after FBI intervention, with Anastasiou allegedly daring justices to visit his house.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the severity of the threats and their potential impact on the justice system and democracy, saying public officials need to be able to do their jobs without fear.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, threats against federal judges have more than doubled in recent years. Anastasiou faces 22 counts, including nine for threatening federal judges and 13 for interstate threats. The charges carry up to 155 years in prison.
He pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance in Alaska’s federal court Wednesday, Sept. 18.
US moves soldiers, rocket launchers to Alaska island following Russian activity
The United States deployed approximately 130 soldiers and mobile rocket launchers to a western Alaskan island as Russia and China conducted joint military drills close to American territory. The two nations’ “Ocean-24” joint military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic oceans prompted a robust U.S. response.
Eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, have approached Alaska during these drills.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, reports a significant increase in Russian military aircraft activity near Alaska, with planes detected over a four-day period this month. While no aircraft breached U.S. sovereign airspace, their presence in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is notable.
In July, U.S. and Canadian fighters intercepted a joint Russian-Chinese air patrol near Alaska, involving six fighter jets.
“To my knowledge, those aircraft did not enter into U.S. airspace,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Tuesday, Sept. 17. “And it’s not the first time that we’ve seen the Russians and the Chinese flying, you know, in — in the vicinity. And that’s something that we obviously closely monitor, and it’s also something that we’re prepared to respond to. But in this particular case, it did not pose a threat to — to U.S. national security. And I’d refer you to the Russians in terms of why they feel compelled to want to look at the United States a little bit closer.”
The U.S. has also deployed a guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel to western Alaska in response to the Ocean-24 joint military exercises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin frames these joint operations as strengthening military cooperation with “friendly states,” while accusing the United States of attempting to maintain global military dominance.
NORAD intercepts Russian aircraft near Alaska 4 times in 1 week
Russian military aircraft have been intercepted flying near Alaska four times over the last week, according to the North American Aerospace Defense command (NORAD). It comes as there seems to be an uptick in activity as tensions grow between the U.S. and Russia.
NORAD says on all four occasions, the Russian aircraft stayed in international airspace in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone and were not considered a threat.
NORAD first intercepted a pair of Russian military aircraft last Wednesday, Sept. 11, then on Friday, Sept. 13, two more were detected. On Saturday and Sunday, the U.S. and Canada, which make up NORAD, intercepted two Russian military planes each day.
Russian flights in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone are not uncommon. Russian aircraft were also recently intercepted in that area in May and June.
What is a sovereign wealth fund? Both Trump and Biden want one.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are piqued by the idea of a sovereign wealth fund for the United States. It’s a strategy largely employed by oil-rich nations and may seem more out of place for a country with more than $35 trillion in national debt, a trade deficit and Social Security deficits.
“This wealth fund will return a gigantic profit, which will help pay down national debt,” Trump said. “We’re going to work on national debt very strongly, by the way. We’re going to have so much money coming in. We’re going to work on national debt.”
“We will be so successful, we’ll create America’s own sovereign wealth fund to invest in great national endeavors for the benefit of all of the American people. Why don’t we have a wealth fund? Other countries have wealth funds. We have nothing,” Trump said.
Trump admitted the concept might need a name change.
“Perhaps ‘sovereign wealth fund’ wouldn’t be appropriate, but it’s going to be the same thing,” he said.
What is a sovereign wealth fund?
Sovereign wealth funds are investment funds owned and controlled by governments. These funds manage more than $12 trillion in assets worldwide, and the vast majority comes from oil-rich nations.
Countries like Saudi Arabia use surpluses from oil revenues to fund projects that play to a national strategy. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund manages nearly a trillion dollars in assets. A big part of their “Saudi Vision 2030” plan is investing in sports to play on a global stage.
“They won’t cop to sports washing, but they will admit that sports is of great appeal. It’s really where they want to park a lot of this discretionary Saudi sovereign wealth fund money,” Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim explained, calling sports investments a “pillar of their economy.”
But Saudi Arabia has money to play. The country’s sovereign wealth fund is worth more than three times what it owes in national debt.
What do Trump and Biden have in mind for America’s global ambitions? Trump offered some thoughts during his speech last week.
“We will build extraordinary national development projects and everything from highways to airports to transportation infrastructure, all of the future,” Trump said. “We’ll be able to invest in state-of-the-art manufacturing hubs, advanced defense capabilities, cutting-edge medical research, and help save billions of dollars in preventing disease in the first place.”
As far as the White House plan is concerned, Bloomberg reports, “Proponents of the idea believe the fund could be tapped to support emerging technologies where there are high barriers of entry — including shipbuilding, emerging geothermal and nuclear fusion projects, and quantum cryptography.”
These proposed investments do not sound much different from what the U.S. already does; infrastructure investments, the CHIPS Act, solar subsidies and more come to mind.
Of course, there’s the question of how this fund will be funded. Trump said his tariffs will pay for it, though tariffs are also supposed to pay for his proposed tax cuts. It isn’t clear where funds would come from with the White House plan.
While the idea of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund is new, state funds are not. The Alaska Permanent Fund is the largest, managing $78 billion. It takes state proceeds from oil sales and invests in income-producing financial assets.
🚨🇺🇸#BREAKING Major Landslide in the City of Ketchikan Alaska killing 1 and injuring 2 A state of emergency has been declared in the city and mandatory evacuations.⚠️#AlaskaLandslidepic.twitter.com/cY3nDbUV8q
The National Weather Service said Ketchikan received more than 2.5 inches of rain in about 36 hours over the weekend, but rainfall totals at higher elevations ranged from 5 to 9 inches.
Russia launches largest air assault on Ukraine since start of war
Russia launches its largest air assault against Ukraine since the war began, targeting critical infrastructure in the country. And the Department of Justice is appealing a judge’s decision last month to toss out former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.
Russia launches largest air assault on Ukraine since start of war
At one point the entirety of Ukraine was under air raid alerts and residents were warned to take cover. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there were more than 200 drones and missiles launched at Ukraine’s “critical civilian infrastructure.”
The main target appears to have been Ukraine’s power grid. While one missile missed, another one hit a dam that was providing electricity to Kyiv, causing widespread power outages. The strike also puts millions at risk of devastating flooding.
Civilians’ homes were also hit. At least seven people were said to have been killed in the attack.
While Ukraine says its forces have advanced nearly two miles into the area and seized two more villages, Russia is also making gains in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow’s air assault on Ukraine was the largest seen in more than two and a half years since the war began.
Federal judge temporarily blocks Biden admin’s new ‘parole in place’ policy
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s new “parole in place” policy. The ruling sides with 16 Republican-led states that challenged the policy.
Parole in place allows unauthorized immigrants to apply for temporary work permits and deportation protections under an immigration benefit known as “parole” if they’re married to U.S. citizens, have lived in the country for at least 10 years, and pass background checks. The policy also offers a path to citizenship for up to half a million undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens.
The judge said the Republican states’ complaint raised legitimate questions about the authority of the president to bypass Congress and set immigration policy.
The Biden administration can keep accepting applications for the program, but it can’t approve them, under the judge’s order. That order is set to remain in place for 14 days while both sides submit arguments in the case, but it could be extended.
DOJ appeals to revive Trump’s classified docs case tossed by judge last month
Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing to revive the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. This comes after judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case last month.
Smith is now arguing that Cannon’s decision was flawed and lacked merit.
In a new court filing, Smith contends that Cannon’s ruling — which claimed the prosecutors’ office did not have the constitutional authority to pursue the case — was incorrect. Judge Cannon had ruled that the Justice Department couldn’t appoint or fund special counsels like Smith without congressional approval.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is now reviewing this decision.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has responded to the DOJ’s appeal, calling for all charges against Trump in different cases to also be dismissed.
1 killed in Alaska landslide; authorities concerned more landslides to come
So far, we know four homes were critically damaged, but homes next to where the landslide went through are still being assessed.
The National Weather Service said Ketchikan got more than 2.5 inches of rain in about 36 hours over the weekend, but rainfall totals at higher elevations ranged from 5 to 9 inches.
Australian airline accidentally sells first-class tickets 85% off
An airline accidentally sold hundreds of first-class tickets for about 85% cheaper than usual — and it wasn’t some sort of sale. A coding error that caused a glitch in its system and customers took advantage of it while they could.
Here’s how that happened: on June 26, Danny Jansen was on the Toronto Blue Jays and up to bat in their game against the Boston Red Sox when the game had to be suspended because of bad weather. On July 27, Jansen was traded from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox.
The unfinished June game finally picked up Monday after a two-month delay, with Jansen behind home plate playing catcher for the Red Sox. So, while it was months apart, it was technically still the same game, earning Jansen a spot in the MLB history books.
Runway clears for Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines merger after DOJ review expires
A proposed merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines has flown past a review by the U.S. Department of Justice. The decision clears the runway for the first major airline merger since 2016.
“This is a significant milestone in the process to join our airlines,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement about the expiring DOJ review period.
Instead of becoming one company under a single brand, both names will remain intact. Alaska said it is committed to maintaining the Hawaiian brand, jobs and continuing service between, to and from the islands.
The airline industry has become more and more consolidated in recent decades but there hasn’t been a major airline merger since Alaska acquired Virgin America for $2.6 billion in 2016.
The Justice Department has successfully put the brakes on big airline acquisitions in recent years. It stopped JetBlue from buying Spirit Airlines and halted a proposed partnership between JetBlue and American for service in the Northeast.
On Aug. 13, a federal judge in Hawaii dismissed a consumer lawsuit to stop this merger on claims it would decrease routes while increasing prices.
Why US special operators training in the Arctic matters to China
Things are heating up in one of the coldest places on the planet. For the better part of July and into early August, some of the most elite special operations forces in the U.S. military participated in Operation Polar Dagger.
The exercises test the most highly trained U.S. personnel in one of the planet’s most unforgiving environments. This year’s exercise marks the first since the Pentagon released its updated review of the U.S. Arctic Strategy, which calls the region critical to U.S. defense.
Despite denials from the Pentagon, there is growing evidence suggesting Chinese interest in using Cuba as a surveillance hub. https://t.co/tlTpzwMRgr
— Straight Arrow News (@StraightArrow__) July 2, 2024
“You never just have a training exercise just for the purpose of having an exercise. There’s always going to be a point or a goal” Matt Shoemaker, a former U.S. intelligence officer, said.
According to Shoemaker, the drills are a great chance for U.S. forces to hone their craft and they tell regional adversaries that U.S. interest in the Arctic isn’t going anywhere.
“If you remember, during the Cold War, the thought was, and actually the plan was, that the Soviets were going to fire their nuclear missiles over the North Pole,” Shoemaker said.
Units from the Army, Navy, and Air Force participated in this year’s Polar Dagger, providing air, land, and sea assets, like the USS John Canley, an expeditionary mobile base ship built out of a converted commercial cargo ship.
— Straight Arrow News (@StraightArrow__) July 26, 2024
The U.S.’ increased activity in the Arctic goes beyond just drills. A little over two years ago, the Army launched a new aviation command in Alaska. In June 2022, the 11th Airborne Division established its Arctic aviation command at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Known as the Arctic Angels, they oversee two active-duty aviation battalions.
One reason for the renewed interest in the top of the world is climate change. The Arctic has less ice, and scientists think the shipping lanes could soon be open year-round. Russia and China both want to use those lanes to ship goods to Europe. No one in the West or NATO wants to see China trying to throw its weight around in the Arctic like it’s doing in the South China Sea.
US, allies show force in South China Sea amid China’s territorial claimshttps://t.co/5JAbE7Iu8l
“As a former intelligence officer, I’m always going to be extraordinarily skeptical about what the Chinese are doing,” Shoemaker told Straight Arrow News. “Everything that any organization does in China is, technically speaking, meant to bolster and glorify the Chinese Communist Party. At the end of the day, everything that is produced is meant to showcase how wonderful Chinese communism is.”
China currently has several scientists positioned at various Arctic sites conducting environmental research, which is considered dual use, meaning the findings could also be used to benefit the military.
Everything that any organization does in China is, technically speaking, meant to bolster and glorify the Chinese Communist Party
Matt Shoemaker
“Anytime there’s dual use, anything, that’s always going to least raise eyebrows and throw up a couple of red flags just to take a closer look,” Shoemaker said.
Studying ionic changes in the atmosphere can help weather prediction. The findings can also help missiles fly more efficiently through the same atmosphere. Data from studying oceanic acoustics can be helpful in several applications, like tracking animal migrations or enemy submarines.
China spent the last decade building up its military. All that spending didn't leave enough in the budget for Chinese soldiers to cook their meals, though. So, the soldiers started stealing fuel from rockets, missiles, and jets. https://t.co/yudxfskzlY