October 27, 2020
US announces planned $2.37 billion weapon sale to Taiwan
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration on Monday notified Congress of plans for a $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan just hours after Beijing announced sanctions on U.S. defense contractors, including Boeing, the lead contractor on the Harpoon deal.
"The United States maintains an abiding interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and considers the security of Taiwan central to the security and stability of the broader Indo-Pacific region," the State Department said. It said the sale would not alter the military balance in the region.
Harpoon missiles are capable of striking ships and land targets. Boeing says the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation and delivers a 500-pound blast warhead. It can target coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft, ships in port, and port and industrial facilities.
Earlier Monday, China said it was imposing sanctions on Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other U.S. defense firms for providing weapons to Taiwan.
The ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan, which split with the mainland in 1949 during a civil war, as part of its territory and has threatened to invade. Washington promised in the 1980s to reduce and eventually end weapons sales to Taiwan but insists its dispute with Beijing must be settled peacefully.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, gave no details on what penalties might be imposed or when.
"In order to safeguard national interests, China decided to impose sanctions on the American companies that were involved in arms sales to Taiwan," Zhao said.
Chinese-U.S. relations have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid disputes about security, technology, the coronavirus pandemic and human rights.
Taiwan has long been an irritant in relations. Washington has no formal relations with the island's democratically elected government but is its main ally. U.S. law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself. Weapons sales to the island have increased in quantity and quality.
Beijing regularly pressures American companies including Boeing in an effort to influence U.S. policy. China is one of Boeing's biggest markets for commercial aircraft, which might make it vulnerable to a boycott, but Zhao mentioned only Boeing's military arm, Boeing Defense, not its civilian jetliner business.
"The United States maintains an abiding interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and considers the security of Taiwan central to the security and stability of the broader Indo-Pacific region," the State Department said. It said the sale would not alter the military balance in the region.
Harpoon missiles are capable of striking ships and land targets. Boeing says the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation and delivers a 500-pound blast warhead. It can target coastal defense sites, surface-to-air missile sites, exposed aircraft, ships in port, and port and industrial facilities.
Earlier Monday, China said it was imposing sanctions on Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other U.S. defense firms for providing weapons to Taiwan.
The ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan, which split with the mainland in 1949 during a civil war, as part of its territory and has threatened to invade. Washington promised in the 1980s to reduce and eventually end weapons sales to Taiwan but insists its dispute with Beijing must be settled peacefully.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, gave no details on what penalties might be imposed or when.
"In order to safeguard national interests, China decided to impose sanctions on the American companies that were involved in arms sales to Taiwan," Zhao said.
Chinese-U.S. relations have plunged to their lowest level in decades amid disputes about security, technology, the coronavirus pandemic and human rights.
Taiwan has long been an irritant in relations. Washington has no formal relations with the island's democratically elected government but is its main ally. U.S. law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself. Weapons sales to the island have increased in quantity and quality.
Beijing regularly pressures American companies including Boeing in an effort to influence U.S. policy. China is one of Boeing's biggest markets for commercial aircraft, which might make it vulnerable to a boycott, but Zhao mentioned only Boeing's military arm, Boeing Defense, not its civilian jetliner business.
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October 25, 2020
Watch live: SpaceX to launch 60 new Starlink satellites into orbit
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 60 more Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Saturday (Oct. 24) and you can watch it live here. Liftoff is set for 11:31 p.m. EDT (1531 GMT).
The launch will mark SpaceX's second Starlink mission this week as the Hawthorne, California-based company builds up a megaconstellation to provide global high-speed internet service. The company launched 60 Starlink satellites on Sunday.
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 22 at 12:14 p.m. EDT, 16:14 UTC, for its fifteenth Starlink mission, which will launch 60 Starlink satellites to orbit. Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There is a backup opportunity available on Friday, October 23 at 11:53 a.m. EDT, 15:53 UTC.
Falcon 9's first stage previously supported the GPS III Space Vehicle 03 mission in June 2020 and a Starlink mission in September 2020. Following stage separation, You may also like: Autel TPMS sensor. SpaceX will land Falcon 9's first stage on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. You can watch the launch webcast live starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
Earlier this week, Ector County Independent School District in Texas announced their participation in a pilot program to help local students and their families access high-speed, low-latency internet. Similar to other rural communities, many residents of Ector County have limited to no connectivity. This issue was brought to the forefront for the school district earlier this year when COVID-19 forced school building closures and nearly two in five students did not have access to reliable high-speed internet at home. Starting in 2021, Starlink will connect up to 45 households in the community as part of the pilot program. As network capabilities continue to grow, it will then expand service to an additional 90 households in the school district.
If you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com.
Update for 9:57 p.m. EDT, Oct. 2: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GPS III SV04 navigation satellite for the U.S. Space Force suffered an abort just two seconds before tonight's liftoff. A new launch date has not yet been announced.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the GPS III SV04 satellite for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
SpaceX is targeting Friday, October 2, for a Falcon 9 launch of the GPS III Space Vehicle 04 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 15-minute launch window opens at 9:43 p.m. EDT, or 01:43 UTC on October 3.
Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9's first stage on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft will deploy approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes after liftoff.
Last week, the United States Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) announced an agreement with SpaceX to launch previously flown boosters on future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions.
You can watch the launch webcast here, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
Update for Sept. 30, 11:59 p.m. EDT: Tonight's launch attempt was scrubbed after the rocket's Terminal Countdown Sequencer Rack detected an issue. A new launch target has not been announced.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Wednesday night (Sept. 30).
The mission, titled NROL-44, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, at 11:54 p.m. EDT (0354 GMT on Oct. 1). Watch it live in the window above, courtesy of ULA.
Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
Mission: NROL-44 Launch
Date: Sun., Sept. 27, 2020
Launch Time: 12:10 a.m. EDT
Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Flo...
The launch will mark SpaceX's second Starlink mission this week as the Hawthorne, California-based company builds up a megaconstellation to provide global high-speed internet service. The company launched 60 Starlink satellites on Sunday.
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 22 at 12:14 p.m. EDT, 16:14 UTC, for its fifteenth Starlink mission, which will launch 60 Starlink satellites to orbit. Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There is a backup opportunity available on Friday, October 23 at 11:53 a.m. EDT, 15:53 UTC.
Falcon 9's first stage previously supported the GPS III Space Vehicle 03 mission in June 2020 and a Starlink mission in September 2020. Following stage separation, You may also like: Autel TPMS sensor. SpaceX will land Falcon 9's first stage on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. You can watch the launch webcast live starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
Earlier this week, Ector County Independent School District in Texas announced their participation in a pilot program to help local students and their families access high-speed, low-latency internet. Similar to other rural communities, many residents of Ector County have limited to no connectivity. This issue was brought to the forefront for the school district earlier this year when COVID-19 forced school building closures and nearly two in five students did not have access to reliable high-speed internet at home. Starting in 2021, Starlink will connect up to 45 households in the community as part of the pilot program. As network capabilities continue to grow, it will then expand service to an additional 90 households in the school district.
If you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com.
Update for 9:57 p.m. EDT, Oct. 2: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GPS III SV04 navigation satellite for the U.S. Space Force suffered an abort just two seconds before tonight's liftoff. A new launch date has not yet been announced.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the GPS III SV04 satellite for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
SpaceX is targeting Friday, October 2, for a Falcon 9 launch of the GPS III Space Vehicle 04 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The 15-minute launch window opens at 9:43 p.m. EDT, or 01:43 UTC on October 3.
Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9's first stage on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft will deploy approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes after liftoff.
Last week, the United States Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) announced an agreement with SpaceX to launch previously flown boosters on future National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions.
You can watch the launch webcast here, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
Update for Sept. 30, 11:59 p.m. EDT: Tonight's launch attempt was scrubbed after the rocket's Terminal Countdown Sequencer Rack detected an issue. A new launch target has not been announced.
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Wednesday night (Sept. 30).
The mission, titled NROL-44, will lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, at 11:54 p.m. EDT (0354 GMT on Oct. 1). Watch it live in the window above, courtesy of ULA.
Rocket: Delta IV Heavy
Mission: NROL-44 Launch
Date: Sun., Sept. 27, 2020
Launch Time: 12:10 a.m. EDT
Launch Location: Space Launch Complex-37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Flo...
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October 24, 2020
Space photos: The most amazing images this week!
Dramatic weather phenomena are center-stage in a meteorological photo contest, a NASA astronaut casts an election ballot from space and Hubble captures an image of a stellar nursery. These are some of the top photos this week from Space.com.
''From the International Space Station, I voted today,'' NASA astronaut Kate Rubins wrote in a tweet posted on Oct. 22. Rubins arrived at the orbiting laboratory on Oct. 14 and will stay in space for about six and a half months. Rubins is currently the only American in space.
Full story: US astronaut votes early from space station
A round saucer-shaped cloud hovers over the peaks on El Chaltén in southern Argentina in this photograph by Francisco Javier Negroni Rodriguez. This shot is a finalist in the Royal Meteorological Society's (RMS) 2020 Weather Photographer of the Year contest. This weather phenomenon is common over certain mountainous regions where high-speeds ricochet over a tall peak.
Full story: Ghostly 'UFO cloud' hovering over mountains wows judges in weather photo contest
The Operational Land Imager instrument on the Landsat 8 satellite captured this image on Sept. 26, 2020. The eerie picture of California's Bay Area shows the vast extent of the wildfire damage: the darker colors represent nearly total loss of living vegetation. The lighter tans regions are where some trees and plants survived a severe fire.
Full story: Severe burn damage from California wildfires seen from space
This image captures a tornado raging through rural Colorado. Photographer Tori Jane Ostberg calls it "the red terror." This image was a finalist in the Royal Meteorological Society's (RMS) 2020 Weather Photographer of the Year contest
Full story: Ghostly 'UFO cloud' hovering over mountains wows judges in weather photo contest
NASA's InSight Mars lander retracted its robotic arm on Oct. 3, 2020, revealing where the "mole" (InSight's heat probe) is trying to burrow. The ribbon attached to the mole has sensors to measure the planet's heat flow. In the coming months, the arm will scrape and tamp down soil on top of the mole to help it dig.
Full story: The oft-stuck 'mole' on NASA's InSight Mars lander may start digging again next year
The ten solar panels for the European Space Agency's Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) spacecraft are ready to be turned into solar wings. The panels arrived at Airbus Defense and Space in the Netherlands and, with five solar panels on each side of the spacecraft, the panels will fold up inside the launcher and then eventually deploy like wings for the probe.
The constellation of Orion, the hunter sparkles above the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile's Atacama Desert in this image by European Southern Observatory photo ambassador Yuri Beletsky. Two of the 66 radio telescopes that make up ALMA are shown in this view. Located on top of the 16,000-foot (5,000 meters) Chajnantor plateau, ALMA's location provides the dark, dry skies that are crucial for observing the cosmos in millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. - Hanneke Weitering
In this 16-image series, you can see NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft using its 11-foot robotic arm TAGSAM taking a sample from asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20, 2020. The arm's "head" briefly touched down on the asteroid's surface, where it emitted a puff of nitrogen gas. This gas stirred up asteroid material that was then collected into a container in TAGSAM.
The Hubble Space Telescope, which celebrated its 30th year of exploration and discovery earlier this year, snapped this image of the star-forming nursery formerly known as J025157.5+600606. This special type of stellar nursery is what's known as a "Free-floating Evaporating Gaseous Globules" or frEGGs.
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy landed back on Earth Oct. 22, 2020 after a stint aboard the International Space Station. Cassidy can be seen here outside the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft that he and his crewmates, cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin, landed in near the town of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! A...
''From the International Space Station, I voted today,'' NASA astronaut Kate Rubins wrote in a tweet posted on Oct. 22. Rubins arrived at the orbiting laboratory on Oct. 14 and will stay in space for about six and a half months. Rubins is currently the only American in space.
Full story: US astronaut votes early from space station
A round saucer-shaped cloud hovers over the peaks on El Chaltén in southern Argentina in this photograph by Francisco Javier Negroni Rodriguez. This shot is a finalist in the Royal Meteorological Society's (RMS) 2020 Weather Photographer of the Year contest. This weather phenomenon is common over certain mountainous regions where high-speeds ricochet over a tall peak.
Full story: Ghostly 'UFO cloud' hovering over mountains wows judges in weather photo contest
The Operational Land Imager instrument on the Landsat 8 satellite captured this image on Sept. 26, 2020. The eerie picture of California's Bay Area shows the vast extent of the wildfire damage: the darker colors represent nearly total loss of living vegetation. The lighter tans regions are where some trees and plants survived a severe fire.
Full story: Severe burn damage from California wildfires seen from space
This image captures a tornado raging through rural Colorado. Photographer Tori Jane Ostberg calls it "the red terror." This image was a finalist in the Royal Meteorological Society's (RMS) 2020 Weather Photographer of the Year contest
Full story: Ghostly 'UFO cloud' hovering over mountains wows judges in weather photo contest
NASA's InSight Mars lander retracted its robotic arm on Oct. 3, 2020, revealing where the "mole" (InSight's heat probe) is trying to burrow. The ribbon attached to the mole has sensors to measure the planet's heat flow. In the coming months, the arm will scrape and tamp down soil on top of the mole to help it dig.
Full story: The oft-stuck 'mole' on NASA's InSight Mars lander may start digging again next year
The ten solar panels for the European Space Agency's Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) spacecraft are ready to be turned into solar wings. The panels arrived at Airbus Defense and Space in the Netherlands and, with five solar panels on each side of the spacecraft, the panels will fold up inside the launcher and then eventually deploy like wings for the probe.
The constellation of Orion, the hunter sparkles above the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile's Atacama Desert in this image by European Southern Observatory photo ambassador Yuri Beletsky. Two of the 66 radio telescopes that make up ALMA are shown in this view. Located on top of the 16,000-foot (5,000 meters) Chajnantor plateau, ALMA's location provides the dark, dry skies that are crucial for observing the cosmos in millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. - Hanneke Weitering
In this 16-image series, you can see NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft using its 11-foot robotic arm TAGSAM taking a sample from asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20, 2020. The arm's "head" briefly touched down on the asteroid's surface, where it emitted a puff of nitrogen gas. This gas stirred up asteroid material that was then collected into a container in TAGSAM.
The Hubble Space Telescope, which celebrated its 30th year of exploration and discovery earlier this year, snapped this image of the star-forming nursery formerly known as J025157.5+600606. This special type of stellar nursery is what's known as a "Free-floating Evaporating Gaseous Globules" or frEGGs.
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy landed back on Earth Oct. 22, 2020 after a stint aboard the International Space Station. Cassidy can be seen here outside the Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft that he and his crewmates, cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin, landed in near the town of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! A...
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Mercedes-AMG S63e Rendering Takes After The Newest Spy Shots
The base S-Class in W223 flavor is by no means slow or underpowered, regardless if we're talking about Europe's S350d or North America's S500. That being said, Mercedes wants to cover all the bases by offering an extended lineup to suit a variety of preferences and budgets, therefore a new AMG derivative is in the making.
The same holds true for other models carrying the three-pointed star. Want a compact hatchback with 416 horsepower? Enter AMG A45 S. In the market for a midsize SUV with coupe styling and loads of power? Check out the 603-hp AMG GLE 63 S Coupe. We could go on forever, talking about the CLA45 Shooting Brake, GT 4-Door Coupe, and C63 Convertible.
Despite the SUV-hungry market, Mercedes-AMG is confident there is a market large enough to justify the development costs needed for a high-performance sedan. The S-Class remains the quintessential flagship for Daimler and the head honchos are pulling out all the stops for the revamped luxobarge. While the AMG S65 and its V12 will not return, the Germans are still planning two AMG variants of the S-Class.
The first will be an S63e that our spies caught undergoing testing earlier this week for the first time. Notice the "e" in the car's name? That's because rumors say it will have a hybrid V8 setup with somewhere in the region of 700 horsepower. Our pals at Kolesa have speculatively rendered the electrified sporty sedan using as foundation spy shots of disguised prototypes.
It has that low-key performance look you'd come to expect from a full-fat AMG, although the Panamericana grille and quad exhausts are dead giveaways this isn't a mere S powered by a diesel or a small gasoline engine. Larger air intakes at the front and a discreet rear diffuser are also cues reserved for the top-tier model, You may need: TPMS Programming Tool. which will likely ride a bit lower on larger wheels.
We're expecting the wraps to come off sometime next year, possibly in the first half. Further down the line, the S-Class family will be extended with a yet-to-be-confirmed S73e equipped with a higher-specification electric motor taking combined output to an estimated 800 hp. You'll only be able to get the AMG S with four doors as the S63/S65 Coupe and Convertible will not be renewed.
Should you prioritize cylinder count over everything else, the twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 will soldier on in the new S-Class, both only in the ultra-lux Maybach where it will be linked to a 4Matic system. The model carrying the double M emblem is expected to debut next month.
The same holds true for other models carrying the three-pointed star. Want a compact hatchback with 416 horsepower? Enter AMG A45 S. In the market for a midsize SUV with coupe styling and loads of power? Check out the 603-hp AMG GLE 63 S Coupe. We could go on forever, talking about the CLA45 Shooting Brake, GT 4-Door Coupe, and C63 Convertible.
Despite the SUV-hungry market, Mercedes-AMG is confident there is a market large enough to justify the development costs needed for a high-performance sedan. The S-Class remains the quintessential flagship for Daimler and the head honchos are pulling out all the stops for the revamped luxobarge. While the AMG S65 and its V12 will not return, the Germans are still planning two AMG variants of the S-Class.
The first will be an S63e that our spies caught undergoing testing earlier this week for the first time. Notice the "e" in the car's name? That's because rumors say it will have a hybrid V8 setup with somewhere in the region of 700 horsepower. Our pals at Kolesa have speculatively rendered the electrified sporty sedan using as foundation spy shots of disguised prototypes.
It has that low-key performance look you'd come to expect from a full-fat AMG, although the Panamericana grille and quad exhausts are dead giveaways this isn't a mere S powered by a diesel or a small gasoline engine. Larger air intakes at the front and a discreet rear diffuser are also cues reserved for the top-tier model, You may need: TPMS Programming Tool. which will likely ride a bit lower on larger wheels.
We're expecting the wraps to come off sometime next year, possibly in the first half. Further down the line, the S-Class family will be extended with a yet-to-be-confirmed S73e equipped with a higher-specification electric motor taking combined output to an estimated 800 hp. You'll only be able to get the AMG S with four doors as the S63/S65 Coupe and Convertible will not be renewed.
Should you prioritize cylinder count over everything else, the twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 will soldier on in the new S-Class, both only in the ultra-lux Maybach where it will be linked to a 4Matic system. The model carrying the double M emblem is expected to debut next month.
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October 23, 2020
Another MUJI Closure: MUJI To Shut Down Its Jewel Changi Cafe From Oct 26
On October 23 (Friday), Japanese minimalist lifestyle brand MUJI announced in an email to its customers that it will be closing its Café&Meal MUJI outlet at Jewel Changi Airport from next Monday onwards.
In the email, it said that its last day of operations will be on Sunday, October 25.
With its Jewel Changi outlet closed, there will be only two other Café&Meal MUJI outlets in Singapore - Plaza Singapura and Raffles City.
Meanwhile, fans of the brand will be glad to know that its retail store in the same space is operating as usual.
With global travel coming to a halt, Changi Airport has seen a drastic dip in traffic.
This month, Minister of Transport Ong Ye Kung has revealed that Changi Airport is now serving just 1.5 per cent of its usual passenger volume and 17 per cent of the pre-Covid-19 number of flights.
It has also plummeted to be the 58th busiest airport for passenger traffic, down from seventh place.
Just like many retail stores, You may also like: TPMS Sensor. MUJI has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with overall decreased footfall traffic.
In June this year, it closed down its Marina Square branch. All MUJI stores in Singapore were also temporarily closed for a period of time due to the Covid-19 situation.
In the same month, MUJI also filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States (US), citing Covid-19 as the driver behind the move.
Its liabilities are listed between US$50m (S$69.5m) and US$100m (S$139m), and are owed to between 200 and 999 creditors.
The household name's US unit joined a slew of more than 100 companies that have declared bankruptcy in the US, and cited the Covid-19 pandemic as a key reason.
Featured Image Credit: MUJI
The post Another MUJI Closure: MUJI To Shut Down Its Jewel Changi Cafe From Oct 26 appeared first on Vulcan Post.
In the email, it said that its last day of operations will be on Sunday, October 25.
With its Jewel Changi outlet closed, there will be only two other Café&Meal MUJI outlets in Singapore - Plaza Singapura and Raffles City.
Meanwhile, fans of the brand will be glad to know that its retail store in the same space is operating as usual.
With global travel coming to a halt, Changi Airport has seen a drastic dip in traffic.
This month, Minister of Transport Ong Ye Kung has revealed that Changi Airport is now serving just 1.5 per cent of its usual passenger volume and 17 per cent of the pre-Covid-19 number of flights.
It has also plummeted to be the 58th busiest airport for passenger traffic, down from seventh place.
Just like many retail stores, You may also like: TPMS Sensor. MUJI has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with overall decreased footfall traffic.
In June this year, it closed down its Marina Square branch. All MUJI stores in Singapore were also temporarily closed for a period of time due to the Covid-19 situation.
In the same month, MUJI also filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States (US), citing Covid-19 as the driver behind the move.
Its liabilities are listed between US$50m (S$69.5m) and US$100m (S$139m), and are owed to between 200 and 999 creditors.
The household name's US unit joined a slew of more than 100 companies that have declared bankruptcy in the US, and cited the Covid-19 pandemic as a key reason.
Featured Image Credit: MUJI
The post Another MUJI Closure: MUJI To Shut Down Its Jewel Changi Cafe From Oct 26 appeared first on Vulcan Post.
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October 22, 2020
Best ThinkDiag Full Systems Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Review 2020
THINKDIAG is professional car diagnostic tool with full system diagnosis, 16 reset service functions, ECU coding, adaptation, matching, See: autel review. IMMO (key coding) and active test.
ThinkDiag Full Systems Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Review:
ThinkDiag Bluetooth Diagnostic Scanner OE-Level Adapter and App for ECU Coding, Active Test, All Systems Diagnoses, 16 reset Service Functions, Remote Diagnostics, for Android and iOS with 1 Year Warranty.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner BULLET POINTS
One-Stop Solution ➤ Convert your Android/iOS devices into an OE-Level Bluetooth scanner to customize, diagnose, and service your car: ECU Coding, Active Test, All Systems Diagnostics, and 15 Maintenance Services for over 115 vehicle brands (Honda, Ford, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, GM, VW, BMW etc.)
OE-Level Bluetooth Scanner ➤ ThinkDiag ranks on the same level as an expensive handheld workshop scan tool. The Bluetooth scanner can modify the car software to allow the use of functions not available, and drive the actuators without using the vehicle's control etc., which set it apart from other normal Bluetooth dongle scanners.
Cost Effective ➤ Exclusive “Real Time Remote Diagnostics†for remote diagnostic work; AutoVIN for quick vehicle VIN acquisition; built-in DTC Lookup Library to define the codes etc., with 2 free manufacturer software packed for 1 year. (Each Manufacturer software: $39.95/year. Each reset software for all manufacturers supported: $49.95/year.)
Easy to Use ➤ A code reader with the benefits of portability, wireless operation, interactive graphing of live data etc. with a suite of resources easy enough for DIYers to check the vehicle's status; for mechanics to pinpoint the diagnostic issues.
Worry Free ➤ ThinkDiag App and dongle work exclusively with each other to avoid the third-party APP's unreliability, with a complete 12-month guarantee. Welcome to contact us for your vehicle's compatibility check, 24/7.
Portable and Wireless ➤ Small, lightweight and stylish crafted with comfortable grip of handling. Keep you unattached by using App that talks to the Bluetooth scanner plugged. So you can carry the Bluetooth scanner around no matter in garage or on a trip.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Advantages: Full System Diagnostic Tool, Portable size.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Disadvantages: Comes with only one 2 software. All software need paid subscription.
More information: thinkdiag price : https://www.obd2reviews.com/best-topdon-volcano-2000a-peak-jump-starter-review/
ThinkDiag Full Systems Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Review:
ThinkDiag Bluetooth Diagnostic Scanner OE-Level Adapter and App for ECU Coding, Active Test, All Systems Diagnoses, 16 reset Service Functions, Remote Diagnostics, for Android and iOS with 1 Year Warranty.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner BULLET POINTS
One-Stop Solution ➤ Convert your Android/iOS devices into an OE-Level Bluetooth scanner to customize, diagnose, and service your car: ECU Coding, Active Test, All Systems Diagnostics, and 15 Maintenance Services for over 115 vehicle brands (Honda, Ford, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, GM, VW, BMW etc.)
OE-Level Bluetooth Scanner ➤ ThinkDiag ranks on the same level as an expensive handheld workshop scan tool. The Bluetooth scanner can modify the car software to allow the use of functions not available, and drive the actuators without using the vehicle's control etc., which set it apart from other normal Bluetooth dongle scanners.
Cost Effective ➤ Exclusive “Real Time Remote Diagnostics†for remote diagnostic work; AutoVIN for quick vehicle VIN acquisition; built-in DTC Lookup Library to define the codes etc., with 2 free manufacturer software packed for 1 year. (Each Manufacturer software: $39.95/year. Each reset software for all manufacturers supported: $49.95/year.)
Easy to Use ➤ A code reader with the benefits of portability, wireless operation, interactive graphing of live data etc. with a suite of resources easy enough for DIYers to check the vehicle's status; for mechanics to pinpoint the diagnostic issues.
Worry Free ➤ ThinkDiag App and dongle work exclusively with each other to avoid the third-party APP's unreliability, with a complete 12-month guarantee. Welcome to contact us for your vehicle's compatibility check, 24/7.
Portable and Wireless ➤ Small, lightweight and stylish crafted with comfortable grip of handling. Keep you unattached by using App that talks to the Bluetooth scanner plugged. So you can carry the Bluetooth scanner around no matter in garage or on a trip.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Advantages: Full System Diagnostic Tool, Portable size.
ThinkDiag Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Disadvantages: Comes with only one 2 software. All software need paid subscription.
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Electric power replaces diesel: Solingen public transport company invests in buses with IMC technology from the Kiepe Electric
In the city of Solingen, they are playing a key role in the electrification of the entire bus fleet: battery trolleybuses with In Motion Charging (IMC®) technology from Kiepe Electric, a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking and other systems for rail and commercial vehicles. A consortium between Kiepe Electric and Solaris, You may also like: Autel car diagnostic. one of Europe's leading manufacturers of buses and trolleybuses, will supply 16 emission-free Solaris Trollino 12-metre trolleybuses with IMC® technology to Solingen's public transport authority from the end of 2021. They will replace diesel-powered buses and use battery power to cover extensive route sections without overhead wires.
"Solingen has been a pioneer in eco-friendly public transport for decades. The cooperation with Kiepe Electric stretches back just as far and contributes significantly to these goals. Now, Stadtwerke Solingen will use our IMC technology to replace more diesel buses with electric buses. We are delighted to be able to support the city's sustainability strategy with these new 12-metre IMC® buses and our trusted on-site service," says Alexander Ketterl, Managing Director of Kiepe Electric GmbH, Düsseldorf. Four electric articulated buses with IMC500 equipment have already been in service in Solingen since 2018. Known as BOBs (battery overhead wire buses) in Solingen, they currently operate on 12 km of overhead wire sections, which represents 75% of the total route. Kiepe Electric uses identical assemblies for the existing BOBs and the new ones. This allows the operator to save maintenance and repair costs and to keep its spare parts stock to a minimum.
Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach, looks forward to the renewed cooperation with Kiepe Electric and says: "Trolleybuses, along with electric and hydrogen buses, occupy a key position in our emission-free portfolio. Once more, SWS has recognized our experience in producing 1,600 units of this type and has placed its trust in our trolleybuses by making this investment, which will improve quality of life for the people of Solingen."
Aside from this new order, Kiepe Electric and Solaris are in the process of supplying 16 IMC500 articulated buses (Solaris Trollino 18 trolleybuses) to Stadtwerke Solingen under a contract option. The In Motion Charging (IMC®) vehicles particularly stand out in terms of versatility, as lines previously operated with diesel buses can be converted to fully electric operation. The BOBs charge while operating on routes with overhead wires. But on sections without overhead wires, they offer the flexibility to continue the journey in battery mode. Depending on the battery capacity and route layout, IMC® buses can cover up to 30 kilometers without charging.
For the Solingen public transport company, IMC® technology is a reliable companion on the road to CO¬¬2-free public transport. The city intends to further expand its share of electric transportation while making use of its existing overhead wire system. This is why it invited tenders for additional BOBs with powerful energy storage systems and intelligent charging and energy management. Conrad Troullier, Managing Director of the Solingen public transport company, commented on the decision: "We chose Kiepe Electric as the electrical equipment supplier for this highly specific and innovative project – because IMC® allows the buses to be used in regular service both on the existing overhead wire system and on sections without overhead wires."
Alexander Ketterl is looking to the future: "This order could well act as a signal in the market. It shows that 12-meter diesel buses operating on routes with overhead wires can now be electrified thanks to the IMC® concept. Kiepe Electric is a true pioneer in this field." In North America alone, including cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, there are currently 566 12-meter trolleybuses with electrical equipment from Kiepe Electric in operation – most of them using IMC® technology. This path is open to numerous European cities seeking to push sustainable public transport concepts. The city of Solingen is already realizing its vision, boasting th...
"Solingen has been a pioneer in eco-friendly public transport for decades. The cooperation with Kiepe Electric stretches back just as far and contributes significantly to these goals. Now, Stadtwerke Solingen will use our IMC technology to replace more diesel buses with electric buses. We are delighted to be able to support the city's sustainability strategy with these new 12-metre IMC® buses and our trusted on-site service," says Alexander Ketterl, Managing Director of Kiepe Electric GmbH, Düsseldorf. Four electric articulated buses with IMC500 equipment have already been in service in Solingen since 2018. Known as BOBs (battery overhead wire buses) in Solingen, they currently operate on 12 km of overhead wire sections, which represents 75% of the total route. Kiepe Electric uses identical assemblies for the existing BOBs and the new ones. This allows the operator to save maintenance and repair costs and to keep its spare parts stock to a minimum.
Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach, looks forward to the renewed cooperation with Kiepe Electric and says: "Trolleybuses, along with electric and hydrogen buses, occupy a key position in our emission-free portfolio. Once more, SWS has recognized our experience in producing 1,600 units of this type and has placed its trust in our trolleybuses by making this investment, which will improve quality of life for the people of Solingen."
Aside from this new order, Kiepe Electric and Solaris are in the process of supplying 16 IMC500 articulated buses (Solaris Trollino 18 trolleybuses) to Stadtwerke Solingen under a contract option. The In Motion Charging (IMC®) vehicles particularly stand out in terms of versatility, as lines previously operated with diesel buses can be converted to fully electric operation. The BOBs charge while operating on routes with overhead wires. But on sections without overhead wires, they offer the flexibility to continue the journey in battery mode. Depending on the battery capacity and route layout, IMC® buses can cover up to 30 kilometers without charging.
For the Solingen public transport company, IMC® technology is a reliable companion on the road to CO¬¬2-free public transport. The city intends to further expand its share of electric transportation while making use of its existing overhead wire system. This is why it invited tenders for additional BOBs with powerful energy storage systems and intelligent charging and energy management. Conrad Troullier, Managing Director of the Solingen public transport company, commented on the decision: "We chose Kiepe Electric as the electrical equipment supplier for this highly specific and innovative project – because IMC® allows the buses to be used in regular service both on the existing overhead wire system and on sections without overhead wires."
Alexander Ketterl is looking to the future: "This order could well act as a signal in the market. It shows that 12-meter diesel buses operating on routes with overhead wires can now be electrified thanks to the IMC® concept. Kiepe Electric is a true pioneer in this field." In North America alone, including cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, there are currently 566 12-meter trolleybuses with electrical equipment from Kiepe Electric in operation – most of them using IMC® technology. This path is open to numerous European cities seeking to push sustainable public transport concepts. The city of Solingen is already realizing its vision, boasting th...
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October 21, 2020
Small Q, big coup: The Audi Q2 in new top form
Progressive design, compact dimensions, and great driving pleasure: The Audi Q22 established itself as a car full of character right away when it was introduced on the market four years ago. Audi has now refreshed the car, giving the exterior an even more distinctive profile with striking details and new headlights. The Audi connect services now connect the compact SUV even more closely with its owner, You may also like: Autel obd2 scanner. and state-of-the-art assist systems make for an even more confident driving experience.
The Audi Q23 is a robust, sporty all-around vehicle as its design indicates at the first glance: It is sporty, elongated, and powerful at the same time, and its corners and edges give it an even more confident appearance. The compact SUV measures 4.21 meters (13.8 ft) in length, 17 millimeters (0.7 in) more than before. The wheelbase of 2.60 meters (8.5 ft), the width of 1.79 meters (5.9 ft), and the height of 1.54 meters (5.1 ft) have remained the same. The drag coefficient with sport suspension is 0.31 – a top-of-the-range result in the small SUV segment.
The Audi designers have now applied the motif of the polygon, which already characterized the front and shoulder line, to the rear end as well: The bumper has an integrated angular diffuser insert with large pentagons on both sides. The front has also been modified, and the surfaces below the headlights now have a more distinctive shape. The large implied air inlets, which are also pentagonal, also appear even more expressive, especially in the optional S line equipment line. The octagonal Singleframe is slightly lower than before, making the front section appear wider.
The color palette of the updated Audi Q2 includes five new colors: Apple green is celebrating its premiere with the brand, and Manhattan gray, Navarra blue, arrow gray, and turbo blue are newly available for the compact SUV. The blades on the C-pillars are painted either in body color or designed in black, gray, and silver shades, and genuine carbon is also available as an option.
In addition to the basic version, Audi offers the advanced and S line exterior equipment lines. In the basic version, the attachments in the lower area of the body are grained black; in the advanced line, they are painted in Manhattan gray, and in the S line, they are painted in the body color. Both lines include mirror housings in the body color, and the front entries feature illuminated aluminum strips. Two versions of the black styling package and the exclusive carbon styling package are available in addition.
Even in the standard version, the revised Q2 illuminates the road with LED headlights, and Audi will install the new Matrix LED headlights upon request. One shared module houses seven individual LEDs. The intelligently controlled high beam light always illuminates the road as brightly as possible without blinding other road users. Ten further light-emitting diodes installed behind rhomboid optical components generate the daytime running light. Seven LEDs generate the dynamic turn signals independently.
For the rear lights, Audi offers a version with LED technology. If the Matrix LED headlights are on board, the dynamic turn signal is also included. When the car is locked and unlocked, dynamic light sequencing plays in the headlights and rear lights.
The compact SUV is being launched on the German market with two powerful engines. The 1.5 TFSI that powers the Q2 35 TFSI4 has an output of 110 kW (150 PS) and p...
The Audi Q23 is a robust, sporty all-around vehicle as its design indicates at the first glance: It is sporty, elongated, and powerful at the same time, and its corners and edges give it an even more confident appearance. The compact SUV measures 4.21 meters (13.8 ft) in length, 17 millimeters (0.7 in) more than before. The wheelbase of 2.60 meters (8.5 ft), the width of 1.79 meters (5.9 ft), and the height of 1.54 meters (5.1 ft) have remained the same. The drag coefficient with sport suspension is 0.31 – a top-of-the-range result in the small SUV segment.
The Audi designers have now applied the motif of the polygon, which already characterized the front and shoulder line, to the rear end as well: The bumper has an integrated angular diffuser insert with large pentagons on both sides. The front has also been modified, and the surfaces below the headlights now have a more distinctive shape. The large implied air inlets, which are also pentagonal, also appear even more expressive, especially in the optional S line equipment line. The octagonal Singleframe is slightly lower than before, making the front section appear wider.
The color palette of the updated Audi Q2 includes five new colors: Apple green is celebrating its premiere with the brand, and Manhattan gray, Navarra blue, arrow gray, and turbo blue are newly available for the compact SUV. The blades on the C-pillars are painted either in body color or designed in black, gray, and silver shades, and genuine carbon is also available as an option.
In addition to the basic version, Audi offers the advanced and S line exterior equipment lines. In the basic version, the attachments in the lower area of the body are grained black; in the advanced line, they are painted in Manhattan gray, and in the S line, they are painted in the body color. Both lines include mirror housings in the body color, and the front entries feature illuminated aluminum strips. Two versions of the black styling package and the exclusive carbon styling package are available in addition.
Even in the standard version, the revised Q2 illuminates the road with LED headlights, and Audi will install the new Matrix LED headlights upon request. One shared module houses seven individual LEDs. The intelligently controlled high beam light always illuminates the road as brightly as possible without blinding other road users. Ten further light-emitting diodes installed behind rhomboid optical components generate the daytime running light. Seven LEDs generate the dynamic turn signals independently.
For the rear lights, Audi offers a version with LED technology. If the Matrix LED headlights are on board, the dynamic turn signal is also included. When the car is locked and unlocked, dynamic light sequencing plays in the headlights and rear lights.
The compact SUV is being launched on the German market with two powerful engines. The 1.5 TFSI that powers the Q2 35 TFSI4 has an output of 110 kW (150 PS) and p...
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October 20, 2020
Swapping a 40-Year-Old Detroit Diesel Into a 2009 Ford Super Duty Takes So Much Work
Folks familiar with modern diesel engines will tell you that they're infinitely more complicated than the heavy-hauling workhorses of the '70s and '80s. Most of this boils down to ramped-up efficiency measures that keep the compression-ignition units legal, though that means there's plenty to go wrong. Some power plants are more likely than others to break down, so what do you do when your new-age truck has major issues? If you've got the know-how, why not swap in something more...rudimentary?
So goes the origin story for this two-stroke, 4-53T Detroit Diesel-powered Ford F-350. Rather than spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to repair a problem that could very well pop up again, the owner decided to ditch the 6.4-liter Power Stroke altogether for a four-cylinder engine that was manufactured in 1979.
Why? It just works. There are no check engine lights on the dash and the truck's stock mechanical components function as they should, including the factory five-speed transmission. Keep it simple, stupid.
As the truck's owner Harling Park told The Drive, AD: Launch diagnostic code reader. the original 6.4-liter started acting up and was on its way to big trouble before he pulled it. He found himself three hours from home when the Power Stroke started blowing black smoke uncharacteristically and, as it turned out, the injectors for cylinders one and two were stuck partially open. This is one of the many problems common with the Power Stroke in question, so Park knew it was time to figure out something else.
It's somewhat typical for folks to replace that troublesome 6.4-liter with a straight-six Cummins, but it's admittedly a tight fight since the Ford came from the factory with a V8 crammed in there. You might think that's where the four-cylinder Detroit comes into play.
Except, it's no shrimp. Although the engine sizes up at just 212 cubic inches, or a hair under 3.5 liters, it weighs around 1,300 pounds on its own thanks to its cast iron construction.
"The truck weighs 9,200 pounds with the Detroit in it," Park said. "It added 1,000 pounds [over the 6.4-liter]. I went overboard on the soundproofing ... I used lead on the firewall, 16-gauge sheet lead, and that really helped."
Two-stroke Detroits are known for their insane volume, so it's hard to blame him there, especially since it's his daily driver...yup.
Park has actually owned the engine for 10 years or so, and he had plans of dropping it into an F-550 chassis to make a mini Peterbilt of sorts. But when his Power Stroke started giving up the ghost, he called an audible.
He estimates power figures hover around the 200-horsepower mark given the handful of modifications he's made to the compound turbocharged Silver series engine. The all-important torque output is also respectable at north of 450 pound-feet. For comparison's sake, a stock 6.4-liter Power Stroke makes 350 hp and 650 pound-feet. Likewise, Park calculated his fuel mileage and it's returning 11-13 mpg in the city and 16-18 mpg on the highway.
The build required loads of custom fabrication, well beyond fit and finish features like engine mounts. A custom crankshaft had to be made and, luckily, Mr. Park had the skills to do it himself-chalk that up to spending countless hours in his father's mechanic shop as a kid. In our phone call, though, he noted the transmission was his biggest concern.
"I bought another transmission at auction-I bought two, actually-because I was afraid I wouldn't be up to the standards required for those transmissions in terms of machining. The transmission was the most critical part of this build because the tolerances are so tight," Park explained. "I'm using one of my $300 transmissions right now and it's working perfectly fine."
Given that the truck has retained its stock five-speed automatic, it also utilizes the same 3.73 rear end. That means it can run at highway speeds without deafening passersby.
The truck has racked up more than 4,000 miles with its "new" engine, and that's involved several rounds of towing 6,500 pounds through Western Canada. At elevations exceeding 8,000 feet above sea level, the little 4-53T performs admirably, even with a load on.
Park ke...
So goes the origin story for this two-stroke, 4-53T Detroit Diesel-powered Ford F-350. Rather than spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to repair a problem that could very well pop up again, the owner decided to ditch the 6.4-liter Power Stroke altogether for a four-cylinder engine that was manufactured in 1979.
Why? It just works. There are no check engine lights on the dash and the truck's stock mechanical components function as they should, including the factory five-speed transmission. Keep it simple, stupid.
As the truck's owner Harling Park told The Drive, AD: Launch diagnostic code reader. the original 6.4-liter started acting up and was on its way to big trouble before he pulled it. He found himself three hours from home when the Power Stroke started blowing black smoke uncharacteristically and, as it turned out, the injectors for cylinders one and two were stuck partially open. This is one of the many problems common with the Power Stroke in question, so Park knew it was time to figure out something else.
It's somewhat typical for folks to replace that troublesome 6.4-liter with a straight-six Cummins, but it's admittedly a tight fight since the Ford came from the factory with a V8 crammed in there. You might think that's where the four-cylinder Detroit comes into play.
Except, it's no shrimp. Although the engine sizes up at just 212 cubic inches, or a hair under 3.5 liters, it weighs around 1,300 pounds on its own thanks to its cast iron construction.
"The truck weighs 9,200 pounds with the Detroit in it," Park said. "It added 1,000 pounds [over the 6.4-liter]. I went overboard on the soundproofing ... I used lead on the firewall, 16-gauge sheet lead, and that really helped."
Two-stroke Detroits are known for their insane volume, so it's hard to blame him there, especially since it's his daily driver...yup.
Park has actually owned the engine for 10 years or so, and he had plans of dropping it into an F-550 chassis to make a mini Peterbilt of sorts. But when his Power Stroke started giving up the ghost, he called an audible.
He estimates power figures hover around the 200-horsepower mark given the handful of modifications he's made to the compound turbocharged Silver series engine. The all-important torque output is also respectable at north of 450 pound-feet. For comparison's sake, a stock 6.4-liter Power Stroke makes 350 hp and 650 pound-feet. Likewise, Park calculated his fuel mileage and it's returning 11-13 mpg in the city and 16-18 mpg on the highway.
The build required loads of custom fabrication, well beyond fit and finish features like engine mounts. A custom crankshaft had to be made and, luckily, Mr. Park had the skills to do it himself-chalk that up to spending countless hours in his father's mechanic shop as a kid. In our phone call, though, he noted the transmission was his biggest concern.
"I bought another transmission at auction-I bought two, actually-because I was afraid I wouldn't be up to the standards required for those transmissions in terms of machining. The transmission was the most critical part of this build because the tolerances are so tight," Park explained. "I'm using one of my $300 transmissions right now and it's working perfectly fine."
Given that the truck has retained its stock five-speed automatic, it also utilizes the same 3.73 rear end. That means it can run at highway speeds without deafening passersby.
The truck has racked up more than 4,000 miles with its "new" engine, and that's involved several rounds of towing 6,500 pounds through Western Canada. At elevations exceeding 8,000 feet above sea level, the little 4-53T performs admirably, even with a load on.
Park ke...
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October 19, 2020
Jim Harbaugh's Michigan football news conference: What we learned
Here's what we learned from Jim Harbaugh's weekly news conference Monday afternoon, as Michigan football readies to play its season opener at Minnesota on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ABC):
Harbaugh was hesitant to name a starter at any position considering the nature of the season (he mentioned how players will need to continually test negative to be able to practice, travel and play), but said quarterback Joe Milton has worked with the first-team offense.
"He's shown a lot of great things," Harbaugh said. "Joe's been running with the 1s. He's made a lot of strides. Getting a lot of reps. As well as Cade McNamara, who has closed all gaps as well, You may also like: code reader. he's playing extremely well. Really good. Really good command of the offense. Shown a real savviness and also a lot of talent. Been really good between the receivers and Joe and Cade. It's fun watching them. They're excited to play with each other, and the tight ends as well."
Milton, a redshirt sophomore, is the presumed favorite to take over for Shea Patterson. He has earned consistent praise during the offseason from coaches and players.
"As I said before, naming any starter at this point, it's a daily thing right up into game time," Harbaugh said. "Tough for me to say that definitely anybody is going to be starting when they have to test on Friday before we leave to be able to make the trip, and they have to be able to test negative on game day to be able to play."
MEET JOE MILTON: Joe Milton primed to start. Here's how he improved in offseason
A VISION: How Joe Milton could be Michigan football's version of Cam Newton
Vincent Gray is projected to start at one cornerback position, but the Wolverines are in search of a replacement for Ambry Thomas, who opted out of the season.
"Yeah, Gemon Green's doing a very good job," Harbaugh said. "Sammy Faustin's moved from safety to corner and he's gotten up to speed really fast. Very smart player. Also Jalen Perry, D.J. Turner are also in competition for that spot as well."
Green, a redshirt sophomore, was previously mentioned by defensive coordinator Don Brown as the "leader in the clubhouse" for the No. 2 cornerback position.
More Michigan football coverage:
• Michigan football's 2020 depth chart: Our final projection
• Michigan, Michigan State football will play at noon on Halloween
• Michigan football 2020 schedule predictions: Picking every game
Harbaugh, who has one year left on his contract, was asked if there was any update on a potential extension. In July, he said he believed news could be coming, but that it wasn't a priority as Michigan navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think there's bigger fish to fry - for our athletic director, for our administration, for me as a coach," Harbaugh said July 8. "It hasn't been on the top of the priority list. I would expect something, [that] there will be an announcement sometime."
Harbaugh's response Monday was similar.
"No, no update since then," Harbaugh said. "Just been other fish, bigger fish to fry."
He was later asked if he had any comment to other programs who may be negatively recruiting against Michigan by citing Harbaugh's short contract length.
His response: "Go blue."
[ Jim Harbaugh and the uncomfortable truth of his Michigan football tenure ]
Star receiver Nico Collins was not listed on the team's official roster Monday, and Harbaugh confirmed Collins is currently not a member of the program.
"Nico is not participating in football right now," Harbaugh said. "I don't have a crystal ball as to if his mind would change or not. I know he's not currently on the team."
Collins reportedly signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus. He would be the second player to opt out, along with Thomas.
Michigan must replace four starters along the offensive line, and Harbaugh provided an update on where things stand.
[ Ranking Big Ten offensive lines: Why Michigan football, MSU both fall short ]
"Feel very good," Harbaugh said. "Big, lot of length and really good athleticism. The two tackles are both experienced gu...
Harbaugh was hesitant to name a starter at any position considering the nature of the season (he mentioned how players will need to continually test negative to be able to practice, travel and play), but said quarterback Joe Milton has worked with the first-team offense.
"He's shown a lot of great things," Harbaugh said. "Joe's been running with the 1s. He's made a lot of strides. Getting a lot of reps. As well as Cade McNamara, who has closed all gaps as well, You may also like: code reader. he's playing extremely well. Really good. Really good command of the offense. Shown a real savviness and also a lot of talent. Been really good between the receivers and Joe and Cade. It's fun watching them. They're excited to play with each other, and the tight ends as well."
Milton, a redshirt sophomore, is the presumed favorite to take over for Shea Patterson. He has earned consistent praise during the offseason from coaches and players.
"As I said before, naming any starter at this point, it's a daily thing right up into game time," Harbaugh said. "Tough for me to say that definitely anybody is going to be starting when they have to test on Friday before we leave to be able to make the trip, and they have to be able to test negative on game day to be able to play."
MEET JOE MILTON: Joe Milton primed to start. Here's how he improved in offseason
A VISION: How Joe Milton could be Michigan football's version of Cam Newton
Vincent Gray is projected to start at one cornerback position, but the Wolverines are in search of a replacement for Ambry Thomas, who opted out of the season.
"Yeah, Gemon Green's doing a very good job," Harbaugh said. "Sammy Faustin's moved from safety to corner and he's gotten up to speed really fast. Very smart player. Also Jalen Perry, D.J. Turner are also in competition for that spot as well."
Green, a redshirt sophomore, was previously mentioned by defensive coordinator Don Brown as the "leader in the clubhouse" for the No. 2 cornerback position.
More Michigan football coverage:
• Michigan football's 2020 depth chart: Our final projection
• Michigan, Michigan State football will play at noon on Halloween
• Michigan football 2020 schedule predictions: Picking every game
Harbaugh, who has one year left on his contract, was asked if there was any update on a potential extension. In July, he said he believed news could be coming, but that it wasn't a priority as Michigan navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think there's bigger fish to fry - for our athletic director, for our administration, for me as a coach," Harbaugh said July 8. "It hasn't been on the top of the priority list. I would expect something, [that] there will be an announcement sometime."
Harbaugh's response Monday was similar.
"No, no update since then," Harbaugh said. "Just been other fish, bigger fish to fry."
He was later asked if he had any comment to other programs who may be negatively recruiting against Michigan by citing Harbaugh's short contract length.
His response: "Go blue."
[ Jim Harbaugh and the uncomfortable truth of his Michigan football tenure ]
Star receiver Nico Collins was not listed on the team's official roster Monday, and Harbaugh confirmed Collins is currently not a member of the program.
"Nico is not participating in football right now," Harbaugh said. "I don't have a crystal ball as to if his mind would change or not. I know he's not currently on the team."
Collins reportedly signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus. He would be the second player to opt out, along with Thomas.
Michigan must replace four starters along the offensive line, and Harbaugh provided an update on where things stand.
[ Ranking Big Ten offensive lines: Why Michigan football, MSU both fall short ]
"Feel very good," Harbaugh said. "Big, lot of length and really good athleticism. The two tackles are both experienced gu...
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Let’s Check In On Lamborghini... Oh. Okay | The Drive
Greetings, pitiful humans! You have tried admirably to make 2020 a strange year full of chaos, but you're not trying hard enough. That is why I, Strange Featureless Alien Body, had to step in for this
Lamborghini
photoshoot.
I mean, the GALL of you excessively dull normies. You don't even know how to drive a Lamborghini. This is how you do it:
I bet you don't even have a third eyeball hidden in the tip of your head-cone. Sad!
You should all be cowering in my bizarrely plain presence, gasping at the oblong-ness of my bare white head and praying to G'hrufruffuhna that you can finally learn how to car.
You can't even get into your Lambos the right way and you're the unworthy species who makes them! Only peasants get into a car with their own feet. This isn't a Facebook Marketplace Geo Metro that you swapped for two tribbles and a box you dare not open lest you open up a black hole that sucks the universe into an alternate dimension where pain is the only emotion. Real ballers use an excavator to lift themselves in.
Why would your pathetic little planet even have such delightful machines if they weren't there to lift you into cars?
Lamborghini finally gave me the chance to show you all how it's done thanks to its "With Italy, For Italy" photo project, wherein they've enlisted 21 photographers to feature the best of Italy's 20 regions as Italy rebounds from COVID-19. Oh, You may need: diagnostic code reader. and the photos also feature Lambos. Of course they're featuring Lambos.
Architectural photographer Valentina Sommariva featured the Abruzzo region in southern Italy with the first good photos of me, Faceless Alien With a Name Incomprehensible to Humans, enjoying a Lambo in the region's incredible mountainous terrain.
Get in, losers, we're going to f'whatattffrrrfffrrghds some fjdklsfjdsklgrrrns.
Another alien bud and I teamed up in these photos to show your insufficiently peculiar planet how to wield a Huracán Evo Spyder, which Lamborghini describes as "the spaceship that aliens use to interact with the environment, revealing the relationship between space and earth."
Yes, earth. It's cute. Can I keep it as a pet?
We even showed you the best way to look at your overwhelmingly gorgeous mountains, which is by framing them with your Lamborghini hood:
This is what happens when I forget to shield some of that natural beauty from my strangely undefined eye-indentations. I just kind of shut down. It's not pretty:
My planet does not look like this.
Anyway, Lamborghini themselves should be offering my people a boatload of k'ffsklabngjios, as this is the best marketing they've had in years. Everyone who's seen these photos has had some take on them. It's great timing, too, as this particular leg of the "With Italy, For Italy" photo series coincides with rumors that the Volkswagen Group might sell off Lambo and its other prestige brands to double down on electric vehicles.
In the meantime, gaze in awe at the right way to use a Lambo. Pro tip: If you don't crouch down and sneak up on it to unlock it, it will bite.
Lamborghini
photoshoot.
I mean, the GALL of you excessively dull normies. You don't even know how to drive a Lamborghini. This is how you do it:
I bet you don't even have a third eyeball hidden in the tip of your head-cone. Sad!
You should all be cowering in my bizarrely plain presence, gasping at the oblong-ness of my bare white head and praying to G'hrufruffuhna that you can finally learn how to car.
You can't even get into your Lambos the right way and you're the unworthy species who makes them! Only peasants get into a car with their own feet. This isn't a Facebook Marketplace Geo Metro that you swapped for two tribbles and a box you dare not open lest you open up a black hole that sucks the universe into an alternate dimension where pain is the only emotion. Real ballers use an excavator to lift themselves in.
Why would your pathetic little planet even have such delightful machines if they weren't there to lift you into cars?
Lamborghini finally gave me the chance to show you all how it's done thanks to its "With Italy, For Italy" photo project, wherein they've enlisted 21 photographers to feature the best of Italy's 20 regions as Italy rebounds from COVID-19. Oh, You may need: diagnostic code reader. and the photos also feature Lambos. Of course they're featuring Lambos.
Architectural photographer Valentina Sommariva featured the Abruzzo region in southern Italy with the first good photos of me, Faceless Alien With a Name Incomprehensible to Humans, enjoying a Lambo in the region's incredible mountainous terrain.
Get in, losers, we're going to f'whatattffrrrfffrrghds some fjdklsfjdsklgrrrns.
Another alien bud and I teamed up in these photos to show your insufficiently peculiar planet how to wield a Huracán Evo Spyder, which Lamborghini describes as "the spaceship that aliens use to interact with the environment, revealing the relationship between space and earth."
Yes, earth. It's cute. Can I keep it as a pet?
We even showed you the best way to look at your overwhelmingly gorgeous mountains, which is by framing them with your Lamborghini hood:
This is what happens when I forget to shield some of that natural beauty from my strangely undefined eye-indentations. I just kind of shut down. It's not pretty:
My planet does not look like this.
Anyway, Lamborghini themselves should be offering my people a boatload of k'ffsklabngjios, as this is the best marketing they've had in years. Everyone who's seen these photos has had some take on them. It's great timing, too, as this particular leg of the "With Italy, For Italy" photo series coincides with rumors that the Volkswagen Group might sell off Lambo and its other prestige brands to double down on electric vehicles.
In the meantime, gaze in awe at the right way to use a Lambo. Pro tip: If you don't crouch down and sneak up on it to unlock it, it will bite.
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October 18, 2020
Conan O'Brien tells Michigan to vote, jabs Ohio in hilarious video
Conan O'Brien may hail from Massachusetts, but in his heart, he's a ... Michigander?
"What can I say? I love my doughnuts from Dilla's and my beer from Bell's," claims the TBS late night host in a video posted Monday to urge swing state residents to vote Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.
O'Brien's public service announcements are also aimed at Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Michigan one notes the Oct. 19 online voter registration deadline (in-person registration is OK through Nov. 3) and directs viewers to get more information from WhenWeAllVote.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization to increase voter participation.
When We All Vote was launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
How to vote absentee: We walk you through how to vote by mail
O'Brien's Michigan spot shows a fairly decent understanding of state cultural references. During the brief video, he drops in mentions of Vernors, Mackinac Island, Yoopers, Traverse City's Great Wolf Lodge and Duke's Dogs hot dogs in Cheboygan.
And, as he switches from wearing hats for the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and the maize block M of the University of Michigan, he lands a pretty funny college football coaching jab: "Unlike Jim Harbaugh, voting costs nothing, it's very effective and it lives up to the hype."
Clearly, Conan knows how to win the hearts and minds of Michigan, especially with his warning that not participating in elections allows states that aren't as awesome as Michigan to make decisions for us.
Yeah, we heard him whispering Ohio.
"What can I say? I love my doughnuts from Dilla's and my beer from Bell's," claims the TBS late night host in a video posted Monday to urge swing state residents to vote Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.
O'Brien's public service announcements are also aimed at Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Michigan one notes the Oct. 19 online voter registration deadline (in-person registration is OK through Nov. 3) and directs viewers to get more information from WhenWeAllVote.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization to increase voter participation.
When We All Vote was launched in 2018 by co-chairs Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.
How to vote absentee: We walk you through how to vote by mail
O'Brien's Michigan spot shows a fairly decent understanding of state cultural references. During the brief video, he drops in mentions of Vernors, Mackinac Island, Yoopers, Traverse City's Great Wolf Lodge and Duke's Dogs hot dogs in Cheboygan.
And, as he switches from wearing hats for the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and the maize block M of the University of Michigan, he lands a pretty funny college football coaching jab: "Unlike Jim Harbaugh, voting costs nothing, it's very effective and it lives up to the hype."
Clearly, Conan knows how to win the hearts and minds of Michigan, especially with his warning that not participating in elections allows states that aren't as awesome as Michigan to make decisions for us.
Yeah, we heard him whispering Ohio.
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October 17, 2020
In reversal, court says late-arriving ballots should not be counted
LANSING The Michigan Court of Appeals on Friday reversed a lower court ruling that said late-arriving ballots must be counted, as long as they are postmarked the day before Election Day.
The Republican-controlled Legislature had appealed the September ruling by Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens that said ballots postmarked before Election Day could arrive as much as 14 days late and still be counted.
On Friday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in favor of the House and Senate in the case involving the union-backed Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans.
The ruling also reversed Stephens on the question of who may lawfully possess
another voter's ballot to give assistance. Stephens said that with a voter's consent, anyone can help deliver an absentee ballot from 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election until polls close. Under normal state law, only immediate family members or a local clerk, until 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day, can help.
Stephens had ordered the changes for the Nov. 3 election only, citing problems related to the coronavirus pandemic and a slowdown in the U.S. Postal Service.
The Michigan Secretary of State's Office and the Attorney General's Office, You may also like: obd2 scanner. which were the defendants in the case, opted not to appeal Stephens' ruling. As a result of that decision, the House and Senate were given legal "standing" to appeal the ruling, instead.
It was not immediately known whether the retiree group would try to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
The court ruled that on the statutory requirement that absentee ballots must be received before the polls closed, it is bound by an earlier ruling it issued, in a case involving the Michigan League of Women Voters, that the deadline is constitutional.
More: Michigan ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 must be counted in election, judge rules
More: Michigan to ban open carry of guns at polling places, other spots on Election Day
The court ruled that the ballot-handling restrictions are justified in fighting voter fraud, even if such fraud is rare, and numerous steps have already been taken to help absentee voters in light of the pandemic.
"Municipalities across Michigan now have installed more than 700 ballot drop boxes available for absent voters who do not want to use the mail to deliver their ballot, and ... there will be more than 1,000 drop boxes available by Election Day," the ruling said.
"Additionally, satellite election centers embedded in some communities allow eligible persons to register to vote, receive a ballot, vote, and drop off their completed ballot, all on-site."
Further, the Legislature passed a law to allow clerks to begin processing absentee ballots early, the court said.
"While plaintiffs may view these efforts as inadequate first steps, there is no reason to believe that these specific efforts are constitutionally required, even in the midst of a pandemic."
Judge Thomas Cameron wrote the majority opinion, joined by Judges Mark Boonstra and Michael Gadola. All three were Republican appointees to the court. Boonstra wrote a separate concurring opinion to blast Stephens for "judicial overreach."
Laura Cox, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, called the ruling "a great day for the rule of law."
"It's important that the rules aren't changed during an election to advantage one party over another," Cox said in a news release. "I applaud the Michigan Court of Appeals for standing up for the rule of law and the laws passed by the people's representatives."
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.
The Republican-controlled Legislature had appealed the September ruling by Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens that said ballots postmarked before Election Day could arrive as much as 14 days late and still be counted.
On Friday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled unanimously in favor of the House and Senate in the case involving the union-backed Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans.
The ruling also reversed Stephens on the question of who may lawfully possess
another voter's ballot to give assistance. Stephens said that with a voter's consent, anyone can help deliver an absentee ballot from 5 p.m. on the Friday before the election until polls close. Under normal state law, only immediate family members or a local clerk, until 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day, can help.
Stephens had ordered the changes for the Nov. 3 election only, citing problems related to the coronavirus pandemic and a slowdown in the U.S. Postal Service.
The Michigan Secretary of State's Office and the Attorney General's Office, You may also like: obd2 scanner. which were the defendants in the case, opted not to appeal Stephens' ruling. As a result of that decision, the House and Senate were given legal "standing" to appeal the ruling, instead.
It was not immediately known whether the retiree group would try to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
The court ruled that on the statutory requirement that absentee ballots must be received before the polls closed, it is bound by an earlier ruling it issued, in a case involving the Michigan League of Women Voters, that the deadline is constitutional.
More: Michigan ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 must be counted in election, judge rules
More: Michigan to ban open carry of guns at polling places, other spots on Election Day
The court ruled that the ballot-handling restrictions are justified in fighting voter fraud, even if such fraud is rare, and numerous steps have already been taken to help absentee voters in light of the pandemic.
"Municipalities across Michigan now have installed more than 700 ballot drop boxes available for absent voters who do not want to use the mail to deliver their ballot, and ... there will be more than 1,000 drop boxes available by Election Day," the ruling said.
"Additionally, satellite election centers embedded in some communities allow eligible persons to register to vote, receive a ballot, vote, and drop off their completed ballot, all on-site."
Further, the Legislature passed a law to allow clerks to begin processing absentee ballots early, the court said.
"While plaintiffs may view these efforts as inadequate first steps, there is no reason to believe that these specific efforts are constitutionally required, even in the midst of a pandemic."
Judge Thomas Cameron wrote the majority opinion, joined by Judges Mark Boonstra and Michael Gadola. All three were Republican appointees to the court. Boonstra wrote a separate concurring opinion to blast Stephens for "judicial overreach."
Laura Cox, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, called the ruling "a great day for the rule of law."
"It's important that the rules aren't changed during an election to advantage one party over another," Cox said in a news release. "I applaud the Michigan Court of Appeals for standing up for the rule of law and the laws passed by the people's representatives."
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.
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October 16, 2020
Michigan football adds grad transfer offensive tackle Willie Allen
Michigan football just made an interesting addition via the transfer market.
Louisiana Tech grad transfer Willie Allen, an offensive tackle, announced his commitment to the Wolverines on Thursday night.
#GoBlue ã€½ï¸ pic.twitter.com/Uze1d5j0nl
This could be a move geared toward next season, as Allen previously announced he was opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related issues before entering the portal. He also wrote on Twitter that he would return to play in 2021.
To be continued...ðŸ™ðŸ½ pic.twitter.com/ERc4IH7MM2
Meanwhile, the Wolverines already have two starting tackles in right tackle Jalen Mayfield, who started all 13 games in 2019 and is projected as a first-round pick by some outlets, and left tackle Ryan Hayes, who started the first two games in 2019 in place of an injured Jon Runyan Jr.
In 2019, Allen started all 13 games at left tackle for Louisiana Tech. He previously attended Tyler (Texas) Junior College after transferring from LSU, where he signed as a four-star recruit in the 2016 class.
Louisiana Tech grad transfer Willie Allen, an offensive tackle, announced his commitment to the Wolverines on Thursday night.
#GoBlue ã€½ï¸ pic.twitter.com/Uze1d5j0nl
This could be a move geared toward next season, as Allen previously announced he was opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related issues before entering the portal. He also wrote on Twitter that he would return to play in 2021.
To be continued...ðŸ™ðŸ½ pic.twitter.com/ERc4IH7MM2
Meanwhile, the Wolverines already have two starting tackles in right tackle Jalen Mayfield, who started all 13 games in 2019 and is projected as a first-round pick by some outlets, and left tackle Ryan Hayes, who started the first two games in 2019 in place of an injured Jon Runyan Jr.
In 2019, Allen started all 13 games at left tackle for Louisiana Tech. He previously attended Tyler (Texas) Junior College after transferring from LSU, where he signed as a four-star recruit in the 2016 class.
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October 13, 2020
Marine denied bond in Whitmer kidnap case; allegedly said 'Just cap her'
GRAND RAPIDS - Daniel Harris is a decorated Marine with no criminal background, but can't be trusted to roam free in society, not after he allegedly plotted to kidnap the governor and said 'just cap her' in a group chat, prosecutors argued.
Harris, one of 13 suspects charged with plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, See: Launch scanner. was denied bond Tuesday after prosecutors convinced the judge that Harris is a danger to the community.
It was Harris, the FBI said, who suggested killing Whitmer in an encrypted group chat, stating: "Have one person go to her house. Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her."
Harris, 23, of Lake Orion, also allegedly commissioned a hit on a Maine police officer in a text to accomplices that read: "Who would want to go to Maine to go kill a cop for a friend of mine."
Harris also allegedly suggested hiding the Maine cop's body, and the body of his wife - though neither came to pass, the prosecutor said.
"He's armed. He's trained. He has the military background, which makes him more dangerous" than his less-sophisticated co-defendants, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler, who described Harris as a "very casual" yet "volatile" person.
For example, Kessler said, Harris was so excited to go buy explosives to blow up a bridge as part of the kidnapping plan that he couldn't contain himself in the backseat of a car. On the way to buy the explosives, he said, Harris sat in the back seat and repeatedly loaded and unloaded a semiautomatic pistol.
"What the hell are you doing?" an undercover informant allegedly said to Harris at the time.
According to the FBI, Harris then pointed the gun at the informant's head and held it there until the informant said "get it away from me."
"He couldn't stop playing with an automatic pistol and pointed it someone's head," Kessler argued to the judge.
Harris's lawyer argued for bond and asked the judge to release his client on a tether to his parents, who sat expressionless in the courtroom as their handcuffed son was led out of the courtroom by U.S. Marshals. His parents declined to speak to reporters.
Quoting the prosecutor, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berrens said that if this were a credit card crime, then perhaps bond would be granted. But the alleged crime in this case is too serious.
"Conspiracy to commit kidnapping is a dangerous offense," Berrens said, later adding "It is not difficult to cut a tether and leave."
"I'm sure you don't agree with what I have decided," Berrens told Harris before asking him if he understood what had happened.
Harris stood and said, "Yes, you're honor."
Federal officials allege that Harris participated in multiple field training exercises in Munith and Luther in connection with a plot against Whitmer, according to the criminal complaint against him.
Harris served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a rifleman from June 2015 to June 2019, according to the military service. He became a corporal and was deployed in Japan for about six months. He earned a handful of awards, including the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
More: 13 men charged in alleged kidnapping plot, many with troubled pasts
More: How social media played a critical role in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
"The serious allegations are not a reflection of the Marine Corps, do not reflect the oath every Marine takes to support and defend the constitution, and do not align with our core values of honor, courage, and commitment," a Marine Corps spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press. The spokesperson did not describe the nature of Harris's discharge.
Upon leaving the Marines, Harris worked as a part-time security guard.
He worked at Burton-based Lagarda Security from mid-July to mid-September 2019 before quitting for what he said was a better gig, said Brent Leder, an attorney for Lagarda Security.
That new job was at DK Security, which provides security services to the State of Michigan.
Kevin Belk, se...
Harris, one of 13 suspects charged with plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, See: Launch scanner. was denied bond Tuesday after prosecutors convinced the judge that Harris is a danger to the community.
It was Harris, the FBI said, who suggested killing Whitmer in an encrypted group chat, stating: "Have one person go to her house. Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her."
Harris, 23, of Lake Orion, also allegedly commissioned a hit on a Maine police officer in a text to accomplices that read: "Who would want to go to Maine to go kill a cop for a friend of mine."
Harris also allegedly suggested hiding the Maine cop's body, and the body of his wife - though neither came to pass, the prosecutor said.
"He's armed. He's trained. He has the military background, which makes him more dangerous" than his less-sophisticated co-defendants, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler, who described Harris as a "very casual" yet "volatile" person.
For example, Kessler said, Harris was so excited to go buy explosives to blow up a bridge as part of the kidnapping plan that he couldn't contain himself in the backseat of a car. On the way to buy the explosives, he said, Harris sat in the back seat and repeatedly loaded and unloaded a semiautomatic pistol.
"What the hell are you doing?" an undercover informant allegedly said to Harris at the time.
According to the FBI, Harris then pointed the gun at the informant's head and held it there until the informant said "get it away from me."
"He couldn't stop playing with an automatic pistol and pointed it someone's head," Kessler argued to the judge.
Harris's lawyer argued for bond and asked the judge to release his client on a tether to his parents, who sat expressionless in the courtroom as their handcuffed son was led out of the courtroom by U.S. Marshals. His parents declined to speak to reporters.
Quoting the prosecutor, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berrens said that if this were a credit card crime, then perhaps bond would be granted. But the alleged crime in this case is too serious.
"Conspiracy to commit kidnapping is a dangerous offense," Berrens said, later adding "It is not difficult to cut a tether and leave."
"I'm sure you don't agree with what I have decided," Berrens told Harris before asking him if he understood what had happened.
Harris stood and said, "Yes, you're honor."
Federal officials allege that Harris participated in multiple field training exercises in Munith and Luther in connection with a plot against Whitmer, according to the criminal complaint against him.
Harris served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a rifleman from June 2015 to June 2019, according to the military service. He became a corporal and was deployed in Japan for about six months. He earned a handful of awards, including the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
More: 13 men charged in alleged kidnapping plot, many with troubled pasts
More: How social media played a critical role in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
"The serious allegations are not a reflection of the Marine Corps, do not reflect the oath every Marine takes to support and defend the constitution, and do not align with our core values of honor, courage, and commitment," a Marine Corps spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press. The spokesperson did not describe the nature of Harris's discharge.
Upon leaving the Marines, Harris worked as a part-time security guard.
He worked at Burton-based Lagarda Security from mid-July to mid-September 2019 before quitting for what he said was a better gig, said Brent Leder, an attorney for Lagarda Security.
That new job was at DK Security, which provides security services to the State of Michigan.
Kevin Belk, se...
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October 12, 2020
AI-Powered App Pinpoints Car Issues Listening Its Engine | IE
If you own a car, you may have found yourself more than once or twice stumped as to what's wrong with it. You hear a strange sound coming from the engine, but you can't see anything that could be the issue.
As of last Wednesday, automaker Å KODA has released an artificial intelligence-(AI) based app that can tell you exactly what's going on with one of its cars merely by listening to it.
The 'Sound Analyser' app records the car noises and compares it with pre-recorded sound patterns of 'healthy' Å KODAs.
SEE ALSO: 20+ GREATEST INNOVATIONS AND INVENTIONS OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING: FROM THE FIRST ENGINE TO TODAY
Car mechanics' lives have just become easier thanks to the Sound Analyser. In fact, since June 2019 already 245 Å KODA dealers in 14 countries including Germany, Russia, France, and Austria are trying out the app in real life as part of the pilot project.
After listening to the running car, You may also like: car diagnostic. the app uses an AI algorithm to run through stored sound patterns of the car in question. It can then figure out what the issues are, if there are any, and how they can be fixed.
The result is efficient and accurate car maintenance, which is meant to minimize the time a Å KODA car spends in a garage to ultimately create higher customer satisfaction.
Stanislav PekaÅ™, Head of After Sales at Å KODA AUTO, said, "Sound Analyser is a prime example of the new opportunities digitalization at Å KODA can create, even in terms of after sales. We will continue to consistently use artificial intelligence technologies to offer our customers an even more personalized service, thus enhancing the customer experience even further."
As it stands, the current software is able to analyze 10 patterns with an accuracy of up to 90%, per the automaker. Some of these patterns include the steering system, the air conditioning compressor, and the clutches in the direct-shift gearbox, per Å KODA. The app is set to be able to recognize more than 10 patterns.
As of last Wednesday, automaker Å KODA has released an artificial intelligence-(AI) based app that can tell you exactly what's going on with one of its cars merely by listening to it.
The 'Sound Analyser' app records the car noises and compares it with pre-recorded sound patterns of 'healthy' Å KODAs.
SEE ALSO: 20+ GREATEST INNOVATIONS AND INVENTIONS OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING: FROM THE FIRST ENGINE TO TODAY
Car mechanics' lives have just become easier thanks to the Sound Analyser. In fact, since June 2019 already 245 Å KODA dealers in 14 countries including Germany, Russia, France, and Austria are trying out the app in real life as part of the pilot project.
After listening to the running car, You may also like: car diagnostic. the app uses an AI algorithm to run through stored sound patterns of the car in question. It can then figure out what the issues are, if there are any, and how they can be fixed.
The result is efficient and accurate car maintenance, which is meant to minimize the time a Å KODA car spends in a garage to ultimately create higher customer satisfaction.
Stanislav PekaÅ™, Head of After Sales at Å KODA AUTO, said, "Sound Analyser is a prime example of the new opportunities digitalization at Å KODA can create, even in terms of after sales. We will continue to consistently use artificial intelligence technologies to offer our customers an even more personalized service, thus enhancing the customer experience even further."
As it stands, the current software is able to analyze 10 patterns with an accuracy of up to 90%, per the automaker. Some of these patterns include the steering system, the air conditioning compressor, and the clutches in the direct-shift gearbox, per Å KODA. The app is set to be able to recognize more than 10 patterns.
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October 11, 2020
This Graph Shows How Car Paint Colors Have Gotten More Boring Over the Years
A lot of things about the 90s get a rose-tinted treatment, but if you think there were more red cars back then, you're actually right. Reddit user Feemiror posted this illustrative breakdown of car colors by year of production, which paints-literally-the rise of monochrome compared to the relatively flamboyant 90s.
I should note that the data is sourced from Poland, but if you're hoping for the situation to be any better in the U.S., unfortunately it isn't. Over 23 percent of cars last year in the US were white and another 23 percent were black, mk908p $2000
. while purple languishes, unloved, as the least popular. Even though it seems obviously clear that if you can make your car obnoxiously purple, you should.
Globally, the situation is even worse. According to PPG, who make automotive paint so I assume know what they're talking about in their annual automotive color survey, 39 percent of cars worldwide were white in 2018, which makes it almost optimistic that it dropped a percent to have only 38 percent of 2019's share.
Back in 2018, PPG predicted the rise of green based on the slightly slim hopes of 2 percent of SUVs going Kermit-flavored. But they did have to acknowledge things have been getting steadily more boring since the 90s:
Jane Harrington, PPG's global manager of automotive OEM coatings, said at the time "While consumers are often choosing conservative colors for automobiles, such as white or black, green has historically been an incredibly popular color choice, particularly in the ‘90s."
"Beginning in 1999, consumer preferences shifted to more neutral options, shrinking green's popularity each year. While green makes up a small percentage of the current overall color preferences for 2018, future trends in the automotive industry are reflecting the popularity of green in home décor and wall colors, furniture, consumer electronics and more."
Sadly, it didn't manifest but PPG are keeping the faith. Yes their color of the year 2020, Chinese Porcelain, looks like if Ford Blue wore nothing but sweatpants for four months but they're now reporting a pickup in blue cars overall in Europe and North America, with 11 and 10 percent of the markets going to azure shades, respectively.
So cars are getting more boring. But you can do your bit to keep things exciting, here's a thread full of ideas.
I should note that the data is sourced from Poland, but if you're hoping for the situation to be any better in the U.S., unfortunately it isn't. Over 23 percent of cars last year in the US were white and another 23 percent were black, mk908p $2000
. while purple languishes, unloved, as the least popular. Even though it seems obviously clear that if you can make your car obnoxiously purple, you should.
Globally, the situation is even worse. According to PPG, who make automotive paint so I assume know what they're talking about in their annual automotive color survey, 39 percent of cars worldwide were white in 2018, which makes it almost optimistic that it dropped a percent to have only 38 percent of 2019's share.
Back in 2018, PPG predicted the rise of green based on the slightly slim hopes of 2 percent of SUVs going Kermit-flavored. But they did have to acknowledge things have been getting steadily more boring since the 90s:
Jane Harrington, PPG's global manager of automotive OEM coatings, said at the time "While consumers are often choosing conservative colors for automobiles, such as white or black, green has historically been an incredibly popular color choice, particularly in the ‘90s."
"Beginning in 1999, consumer preferences shifted to more neutral options, shrinking green's popularity each year. While green makes up a small percentage of the current overall color preferences for 2018, future trends in the automotive industry are reflecting the popularity of green in home décor and wall colors, furniture, consumer electronics and more."
Sadly, it didn't manifest but PPG are keeping the faith. Yes their color of the year 2020, Chinese Porcelain, looks like if Ford Blue wore nothing but sweatpants for four months but they're now reporting a pickup in blue cars overall in Europe and North America, with 11 and 10 percent of the markets going to azure shades, respectively.
So cars are getting more boring. But you can do your bit to keep things exciting, here's a thread full of ideas.
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October 10, 2020
Kevin Bacon eyeing Planes, Trains and Automobiles reboot role
Kevin Bacon "would love" to star in the upcoming reboot of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
The 62-year-old actor had a dialogue-free cameo role in the original 1987 movie, in which he beat Steve Martin in a race for a New York taxi cab. The film is now being revisited with Will Smith and Kevin Hart in the main roles - and Bacon has put himself forward for a bigger part this time around.
"They haven't called me, but I'm gonna call them!" he told Britain's NME website. "To me, that is the greatest idea. I'm not really in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I don't think of it as my movie at all. But yeah, I would love to be in that."
Among Kevin's other hopes for the future is a potential part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He starred as Sebastian Shaw in 2000 movie X-Men: First Class and, since the franchise is owned by Disney, he's hoping to land a future role.
"I haven't had many chances to work in the Marvel universe or even the comic book world," he said. "I love that franchise. And would love to be a part of it."
Smith and Hart are set to co-produce the Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake with Paramount, and while a director has yet to be attached to the project, Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Aeysha Carr has penned the script, making her feature-film debut.
The 62-year-old actor had a dialogue-free cameo role in the original 1987 movie, in which he beat Steve Martin in a race for a New York taxi cab. The film is now being revisited with Will Smith and Kevin Hart in the main roles - and Bacon has put himself forward for a bigger part this time around.
"They haven't called me, but I'm gonna call them!" he told Britain's NME website. "To me, that is the greatest idea. I'm not really in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I don't think of it as my movie at all. But yeah, I would love to be in that."
Among Kevin's other hopes for the future is a potential part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He starred as Sebastian Shaw in 2000 movie X-Men: First Class and, since the franchise is owned by Disney, he's hoping to land a future role.
"I haven't had many chances to work in the Marvel universe or even the comic book world," he said. "I love that franchise. And would love to be a part of it."
Smith and Hart are set to co-produce the Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake with Paramount, and while a director has yet to be attached to the project, Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Aeysha Carr has penned the script, making her feature-film debut.
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October 09, 2020
Turkish Cypriots choose leader as Cyprus talks reboot looms
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Turkish Cypriots vote Sunday to choose a leader who'll explore, with rival Greek Cypriots, whether there's enough common ground left for a deal to end the island's decades of ethnic division.
Analysts predict a race between leftist incumbent Mustafa Akinci, center-left CTP party leader Tufan Erhurman and hard-right candidate Ersin Tatar.
The election in Cyprus' breakaway north is likely to head into a runoff in a week's time. Most opinion polls put Akinci into the second round, against either Tatar or Erhurman.
The first major test for the winner will likely be a meeting hosted by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that will bring together the two sides with Cyprus' three ‘guarantors' - Greece, Turkey and Britain - to scope out the chances of resuming frozen peace talks.
The Mediterranean island has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south - seat of the internationally recognized government - and the breakaway north since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Decades of talks have failed to deliver a peace deal.
All polls agree that the Turkish Cypriots, politically isolated and dependent on Turkey both economically and militarily, have placed a peace deal delivering them back into the international fold as the top campaign issue.
But with Turkey now openly dictating terms on the kind of peace deal it wants, analysts say the theme that's resonating with voters more than ever before is whether Turkish Cypriots will retain some degree of control over their future, or submit completely to Ankara's diktats.
Many Turkish Cypriots "are clinging more to the defense of their identity" in response to Turkey's heightened assertiveness, said political analyst Tumay Tugyan.
As a reminder of who's pulling the strings, just days before the election Ankara - in coordination with Turkish Cypriot authorities - opened to the public a beach in uninhabited Varosha, 46 years after the Famagusta suburb's Greek Cypriot residents fled advancing Turkish troops.
Many Turkish Cypriots saw the move as a ploy to boost support for Tatar - a staunch proponent of fully aligning Turkish Cypriot policies with Ankara's.
Ensconced in a state in the north of Cyprus that's recognized only by Turkey, Turkish Cypriots have strived for legitimacy since declaring independence in 1983.
The accepted arrangement under which that would happen has been a negotiated deal with the majority Greek Cypriots to unify two separately administered zones under a central government.
But numerous rounds of U.N.-mediated negotiations on that basis have led nowhere. Greek Cypriots see a Turkish Cypriot demand for a permanent Turkish troop presence and Turkish intervention rights, as well as equal decision-making rights at all levels, as key stumbling blocks to an agreement.
Many in the Turkish Cypriot right now call for a shift away from federation, toward an arrangement between two equal, sovereign states. That mirrors the position of Turkey, which has pushed for alternatives to federation since the latest failed talks in 2017.
The Turkish Cypriot right generally favors closer ties with Turkey, which bankrolls their economy and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north.
Tatar, 60, who heads the Turkish Cypriot government and leads the right-wing UBP party, says both sides should have equal sovereignty and sees a two-state solution as a viable alternative to federation.
He insists that an agreement with Greek Cypriots to divide up rights to potential offshore gas and oil deposits should precede peace negotiations. He's also pushing for the development of Varosha.
Tatar's popularity has suffered from his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, following a recent sharp increase in confirmed cases.
Veteran leftist politician Akinci, 72, is seeking a second five-year term. He's a strong supporter of a federal accord with Greek Cypriots and a champion of Turkish Cypriots who oppose Turkey's complete dominion over their affairs. While not discounting Turkish Cypriot dependence on Turkey, Akinci insists on a relationship of "mutual respect."
...
Analysts predict a race between leftist incumbent Mustafa Akinci, center-left CTP party leader Tufan Erhurman and hard-right candidate Ersin Tatar.
The election in Cyprus' breakaway north is likely to head into a runoff in a week's time. Most opinion polls put Akinci into the second round, against either Tatar or Erhurman.
The first major test for the winner will likely be a meeting hosted by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that will bring together the two sides with Cyprus' three ‘guarantors' - Greece, Turkey and Britain - to scope out the chances of resuming frozen peace talks.
The Mediterranean island has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south - seat of the internationally recognized government - and the breakaway north since 1974, when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Decades of talks have failed to deliver a peace deal.
All polls agree that the Turkish Cypriots, politically isolated and dependent on Turkey both economically and militarily, have placed a peace deal delivering them back into the international fold as the top campaign issue.
But with Turkey now openly dictating terms on the kind of peace deal it wants, analysts say the theme that's resonating with voters more than ever before is whether Turkish Cypriots will retain some degree of control over their future, or submit completely to Ankara's diktats.
Many Turkish Cypriots "are clinging more to the defense of their identity" in response to Turkey's heightened assertiveness, said political analyst Tumay Tugyan.
As a reminder of who's pulling the strings, just days before the election Ankara - in coordination with Turkish Cypriot authorities - opened to the public a beach in uninhabited Varosha, 46 years after the Famagusta suburb's Greek Cypriot residents fled advancing Turkish troops.
Many Turkish Cypriots saw the move as a ploy to boost support for Tatar - a staunch proponent of fully aligning Turkish Cypriot policies with Ankara's.
Ensconced in a state in the north of Cyprus that's recognized only by Turkey, Turkish Cypriots have strived for legitimacy since declaring independence in 1983.
The accepted arrangement under which that would happen has been a negotiated deal with the majority Greek Cypriots to unify two separately administered zones under a central government.
But numerous rounds of U.N.-mediated negotiations on that basis have led nowhere. Greek Cypriots see a Turkish Cypriot demand for a permanent Turkish troop presence and Turkish intervention rights, as well as equal decision-making rights at all levels, as key stumbling blocks to an agreement.
Many in the Turkish Cypriot right now call for a shift away from federation, toward an arrangement between two equal, sovereign states. That mirrors the position of Turkey, which has pushed for alternatives to federation since the latest failed talks in 2017.
The Turkish Cypriot right generally favors closer ties with Turkey, which bankrolls their economy and maintains more than 35,000 troops in the north.
Tatar, 60, who heads the Turkish Cypriot government and leads the right-wing UBP party, says both sides should have equal sovereignty and sees a two-state solution as a viable alternative to federation.
He insists that an agreement with Greek Cypriots to divide up rights to potential offshore gas and oil deposits should precede peace negotiations. He's also pushing for the development of Varosha.
Tatar's popularity has suffered from his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, following a recent sharp increase in confirmed cases.
Veteran leftist politician Akinci, 72, is seeking a second five-year term. He's a strong supporter of a federal accord with Greek Cypriots and a champion of Turkish Cypriots who oppose Turkey's complete dominion over their affairs. While not discounting Turkish Cypriot dependence on Turkey, Akinci insists on a relationship of "mutual respect."
...
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October 08, 2020
Quarantined PM Muhyiddin Yassin delivering COVID update from home
Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will deliver updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from his home later today as he undergoes two-week quarantine that began yesterday.
Muhyiddin, 73, had come into contact with Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who tested positive yesterday. They were in Sabah together. Other politicians ordered to quarantine at home include the health chief himself, Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The Prime Minister will address the nation at 6pm through video call.
Muhyiddin already tested negative for the virus after returning from the Sabah elections earlier last week. He was in Sabah campaigning for the state elections that drew more than a million citizens to the polls.
Unfortunately, being in close contact with Zulkifli meant that Muhyiddin was required to undergo more swab tests and two weeks of home-isolation until results came out negative.
Malaysia recorded the highest number of new COVID-19 infections today at 691. The country has a total of 13,504 infections, and the death toll stands at 141.
Other stories to check out:
‘F*ck Politics!' banner in Ipoh pretty much captures Malaysia's mood right now
Muhyiddin, 73, had come into contact with Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who tested positive yesterday. They were in Sabah together. Other politicians ordered to quarantine at home include the health chief himself, Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The Prime Minister will address the nation at 6pm through video call.
Muhyiddin already tested negative for the virus after returning from the Sabah elections earlier last week. He was in Sabah campaigning for the state elections that drew more than a million citizens to the polls.
Unfortunately, being in close contact with Zulkifli meant that Muhyiddin was required to undergo more swab tests and two weeks of home-isolation until results came out negative.
Malaysia recorded the highest number of new COVID-19 infections today at 691. The country has a total of 13,504 infections, and the death toll stands at 141.
Other stories to check out:
‘F*ck Politics!' banner in Ipoh pretty much captures Malaysia's mood right now
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06:59 AM
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