Can you start off by giving me the lay of the land of space traffic management and space situational awareness today? How would you evaluate how well the world currently does these things?

Space traffic management is very much an emerging field. Were in the early stages, where the discussions in the international community are in the development of norms and standards of behavior. The fundamental purpose of space traffic management is to prevent collisions in space. Collisions, by their nature, are debris-generating events, which cause the domain itself to become polluted and less safe for future actors. So its twofoldits not just that a collision damages satellites; a collision also causes long-term damage to the environment itself. And we see that very clearly in all of the evaluations of the [2009]Iridium-Cosmos collision.

Space situational awareness is a different thingits about providing data. Different countries and companies around the world detect where these objects are in orbit and share whats out there. For 50 years, you didnt really need much information other than [the location of debris so it can be avoided]. But as the orbital domain becomes more congested with junk, its not just a question of How do you avoid debris? Its now How do you interact with other [satellite] operators up there? When theres two maneuverable satellites that want to be in the same place at the same time, thats when you get to that question of management rather than space situational awareness.

Ive been on a quest to find an authoritative reference that talks about the process from end to end. I wish I could say, Go to this resource, and itll show you what happens from the time they look for a close approach to the time that the decision is made for whether or not to maneuver a satellite. But its a bit opaque. Different operators have different internal processes that they dont necessarily want to share.

The US Space Forces 18th Space Control Command Squadron is constantly watching the skies and reevaluating the situation every eight hours. If they detect that a close approach is possible, theyll issue a conjunction alert to the owner-operator of the satellite. Then it goes into the hands of the owner-operator to decide what to do with that information. And then the 18th will continue to monitor things. The projection of where something might be in space varies wildly based on the object, how its shaped, how it reacts to the atmosphere around it If theres any intention by the operator to move it on purpose, that changes the observations as well.

All of the worlds international airspace is designated to a single entity state for the purposes of providing air traffic control services. So, for example, the US controls 5 million square miles of domestic airspace but 24 million square miles of international airspace. They are the sole authority to provide those air traffic control services in that airspace by virtue of the ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization].

Space doesnt have anything like that. But the high seas dont have that either. What the high seas have is a collection of agreed-upon rules of behavior and the authority over each vessel: the state under which the vessel flag is flown. Theres not a high-seas authority that says yes or no, you can operate here and you cant operate here. Everyone has access to this shared resource, and the principles of freedom of the sea include the freedom of navigation, freedom of overflight, freedom to lay cables underneath, freedom of fishing. Within the maritime agreements, there is freedom to conduct commercial activities. This is different from airspace, which historically has been an area purely for transportation.

The orbital domain is not solely for transportation [either]. Its the domain in which the commercial activity occurs: telecommunications, remote sensing, etc.

Of course, maritime law is also meant to prevent collisions on the high seas. Collision regulations, or colregs, dictate whats supposed to happen if two vessels are [on course for] a head-on collision: who has priority to maneuver, what to do if something happens in a narrow channel These sort of principles are laid out very clearly. They have very clear applicability to the challenges were facing in the space domain. There are very clear parallels. Whereas if we take the aviation model, were really trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

I think its trending that way, by virtue [of the fact] that its really the only viable path forward, but there is always discussion. Having someone or some singular body decide what we can do is not a realistic outcome, given the nature of the space domain. We dont do space traffic like air traffic because its not simply a safety question. It is a diplomatic question and an economic question as well.

Giving control of space traffic to one regulatory body would be easy, like the 18th Space Control Squadron, which provides these services free of charge. But there are countries that are suspicious of that [idea]. And then, of course, there is the issue of classified data. So you get into these complexities of trustyou know, if there was one trusted global entity, then sure, we could do that. [But] there arent any that are trusted by all, and trust is something that changes over time.

So the path forward is to create a way for that information to be shared and trusted. For example, Im working on a project where were talking about blockchain as an enabler for trusted information sharing. By nature of the blockchain, you can determine who inputted the information and validate them as a legitimate participant, and that information cant be altered by a third party.

I would argue that space isnt actually the Wild West. There is an obligation in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty for states to supervise objects that they permit to launch from their countries. So its not unregulated; its not completely free. Its just we havent agreed on what that actually means for continuing supervision.

The Iridium-Cosmos accident was a wake-up call. It sparked a lot of activity, like the development ofon-orbit servicing technologytodispose of big objectsthat remain in space, and also the development ofcommercial sensor networksso that we can have better and better space situational awareness information.

The next big catalyst, I believe, is megaconstellations. Were seeing more [potential collision] alerts between two maneuverable satellites, which is a solvable problem if we have a set of rules. This creates a lot of pressure on the system to start reaching these agreements.Capitalism is a pretty effective motivator. When people see more and more economic opportunities in popular orbits, then balancing access to those orbits becomes a motivator as well.

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To solve space traffic woes, look to the high seas - MIT Technology Review

To achieve the aggressive goals of Seabed 2030, uncrewed survey systems must be used to augment more traditional ocean mapping efforts, particularly on the high seas. In addition to providing a much-needed force multiplier for surveying, these systems lower environmental impacts by using harvestable energy, eliminating personnel at sea, and reducing ship-generated noise, overboard discharge, and potential for pollution. Saildrone Surveyor, a 22m Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), recently completed a mapping mission that traversed approximately 4,200 kilometres and mapped nearly 22,000 square kilometres (see box) of previously unmapped seafloor. Primarily powered by solar and hydro energy, and propelled by wind, Saildrone Surveyor ushers in a new era of long endurance, low impact (LELI) USVs for ocean mapping.

An example of ocean mapping data collected by Saildrone Surveyor.

Seabed 2030 is a joint project of The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO with a goal of mapping 100% of the worlds oceans by the year 2030. As of today, only 21% of the ocean is considered mapped to modern standards.[i] Many coastal nations have instituted programmes to map their waters, focusing primarily on their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). If one were to exclude these EEZs from the calculation of unmapped seafloor, the remaining high seas are less than 15% mapped (approximately 31,874,043 of 212, 881, 389 km2)[ii],[iii]. Generally, the high seas are deep, difficult to reach, and more accurately, expensive to survey with manned vessels, and there is limited incentive to map the seafloor. This will be a significant challenge for the Seabed 2030 project how to map the deep ocean in areas of low priority to countries with limited budgets. As marine resource exploitation efforts, such as deep-sea mining, become a reality, mapping of the high seas will become a higher priority, but it is unlikely these areas will receive the necessary attention prior to 2030. Industry, government, and philanthropic organizations must be convinced to fund high seas mapping projects to achieve the goal of Seabed 2030. These high seas projects must be efficient, cost-effective, and attractive to potential funding partners by offering something unique and different to traditional survey ships. In other words, mapping of the high seas requires long endurance, low impact (LELI) survey vehicles.

High Seas Bathymetric Coverage (Courtesy: Esri).

Mission endurance for motorized USVs, whether diesel or electric, typically ranges from hours to less than two weeks. These systems often have limited power available on board, which restricts both endurance and capability of installed sensors. Many advanced USVs are outfitted with high resolution multibeam sonars for use in shallow (less than 300m) water and may require a mother ship or local team to provide necessary services and support. To address the mapping shortfall of the high seas, without using a mother ship or local support, a USV must have a deep ocean mapping sonar system and be able to transit to a remote area, survey for months at a time, and safely return to port. Saildrone Surveyor was uniquely designed for this exact mission - by sailing to and from a survey area, using solar and hydro power to charge batteries, and limiting engine use to battery charging unless absolutely necessary, Surveyor can remain on station for upwards of six months before returning to port. A traditional survey ship would very likely need to return to port multiple times for fuel, replenishment, and crew swap, losing valuable survey days to transit.

Saildrone Surveyor departing San Francisco enroute to Honolulu.

In addition, USVs emit very little or zero CO2 when compared to a survey ship. This makes the overall carbon footprint of Surveyor and other USVs extremely small, hence the low impact adjective. This advantage is being recognized and, primarily to reduce the effects of CO2 on our climate, is often seen as a contract requirement to use carbon friendly methods in survey operations. But low impact is more than just about carbon USVs significantly reduce impact to the environment by simply being uncrewed and quiet. Crewed vessels not only use tremendous amounts of fuel for propulsion and power generation, but they also must provide hotel services, such as food storage and preparation equipment, bathing facilities, and air conditioning for the people on board. Overboard discharge of pollutants and fuel is always a possibility, especially because of a collision or grounding. While USVs are not excluded from the risk of accidents, there is not a significant amount of fuel or pollutants on board. Finally, ships are very noisy despite efforts to reduce machinery and propeller noise projected into the ocean. Specific impacts of ship-generated noise on ocean inhabitants, especially marine mammals, continues to be the focus of significant research, especially as ships have become the most ubiquitous and pervasive source of anthropogenic noise in the oceans.[iv] USVs, especially the Surveyor, are incredibly quiet during operations, which is good for the environment and even better for collecting sonar data.

The challenges of high seas surveying outlined above have been mitigated by the Saildrone Surveyor, a USV capable of harnessing renewable energy to transit to remote areas of the ocean and survey for months at a time. For any USV, the main components for success are the availability of power, robust communications, and precise, safe navigation. Surveyor uses both solar and hydro generated power to charge the battery banks on board; a small diesel engine is also available for additional power generation and propulsion, if needed. Although much larger than Saildrones original Explorer (7m) class USV, Surveyor retains the unique rigid wing design that enables efficient propulsion from the wind with minimal electric power required. However, Surveyors modern multibeam sonar systems, the Kongsberg EM 304 and EM 2040, require significant, sustained electrical power to operate properly, as does the onboard computer stack, a Kongsberg Seapath positioning system, a winch with attached Sound Velocity Profiler, and a host of other atmospheric and oceanographic sensors. In addition, Surveyor is an extremely capable survey platform from nearshore to the deep ocean, but, like all large USVs, it does require satellite communication and navigation systems. The hardware and software for ocean mapping is currently no different from that aboard a ship, which means a surveyor must be on watch to monitor operations, conduct SVP casts, and troubleshoot any problems that might arise. Communication via the Iridium Certus service allows global coverage and sufficient bandwidth for this remote monitoring and limited onboard operations. Survey data is currently not offloaded until return to port; only coverage maps, health and status messages, and quality control information are pushed ashore. Onboard data processing is utilized to prepare the data prior to offload and limit the time required to deliver final products. In the future, higher bandwidth satellite communications combined with direct to cloud services should allow for near real-time offload of survey data. Surveyors navigation systems, including surface radar, automated identification system (AIS), and a high-resolution camera array add increased power requirements but are necessary components to ensure safe navigation during transit and while on mission. A Surveyor Pilot, operating from Saildrone Headquarters or other remote operations centre, provides vigilant oversight of operations, aided by a virtual bridge and a sophisticated set of alerting algorithms to provide timely images and reports of close contacts, engine performance, and communications status.

Seabed 2030 estimates that mapping our deep oceans could take as long as 350 ship years and cost over US$3 billioni. As demonstrated by the successful ocean mapping transit of Saildrone Surveyor from San Francisco to Honolulu, LELI USVs offer a substantial and much needed increase in our ability to successfully achieve the goal of Seabed 2030, especially on the high seas.

Saildrone Surveyor arriving in Honolulu after mapping over 4100km of unmapped seafloor during a mission between San Francisco and Honolulu.

San Francisco-Honolulu Challenge

In June 2021, the uncrewed, autonomous Saildrone Surveyor arrived in Hawaii after a groundbreaking maiden voyage from San Francisco to Honolulu.While ocean crossings are nothing new for Saildrones autonomous surface vehicles, the Saildrone Surveyor is a new, much larger class of vehicle that is optimized for deep-ocean mapping. During the 28-day voyage, the Saildrone Surveyor sailed 2,250 nautical miles and mapped 6,400 square nautical miles of seafloor.

Measuring 72 feet long (22m) and weighing 14 tons, theSaildrone Surveyorcarries a sophisticated array of acoustic instruments that is normally only carried by large, manned survey ships. The Surveyors sensors interrogate the water column, looking at underwater ecosystems and mapping the seafloor in high resolution to a depth of 23,000 feet (7,000m).

Multibeam data from the Saildrone Surveyor has been calibrated and assessed by an external team from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), which normally calibrates large government survey vessels. The data quality from the Surveyor is of very high quality; as good as anything we have seen from a ship, said Larry Mayer, director of the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM). Due to the wind-powered nature of the vehicle, it is very quiet, and this enables the very accurate acoustic measurements needed to map to these depths.

This successful maiden voyage marks a revolution in our ability to understand our planet, said Richard Jenkins,Saildronefounder and CEO. We have solved the challenge of reliable long-range, large-payload remote maritime operations. Offshore surveying can now be accomplished without a large ship and crew; this completely changes operational economics for our customers. Based on this achievement, I am excited to apply Saildrone Surveyor technology to other markets normally reserved for large ships, such as homeland security and defence applications. The implications of a low-carbon solution to these critical maritime missions are significant.

[i] https://seabed2030.org/

[ii] Flanders Marine Institute (2020). Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase: High Seas, version 1. Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/418

[iii] Calculation provided by Esri, personal correspondence

[iv] Erbe C, Marley SA, Schoeman RP, Smith JN, Trigg LE and Embling CB (2019) The Effects of Ship Noise on Marine MammalsA Review. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:606. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00606

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Who Is Going to Map the High Seas? - Hydro International

Damage to the pilothouse of the tanker Mercer Street (Courtesy CENTCOM)

PublishedAug 23, 2021 12:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

The recent attackon the Israeli-operated tankerMercer Street off Omanleft a Romanian captain and a British security guard dead, killed by a drone packed with military-grade explosives.

The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nationscondemnedthe Iranians for the attack, emphasizing their joint "commitment to maritime security and the protection of commercial shipping." Iran rejected responsibility and complained that it is the real victim of terrorism.

A few days later, the Panama-flagged tankerAsphalt Princesswas entering the Strait of Hormuz when she was boardedby six armed men. Theyinstructed the captain to sail to Iran,but the crew shut down the engines, leaving the vessel to drift powerless in the currents. The hijackers abandoned the vessel before Omani and British commando forces arrived on scene, and the vessel's crew was unharmed.

Shipping experts are keenly aware there is an undeclared war going on between Iran and Israel throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The back-and-forth attacks have been going on for years, and Israeli forces have targetedat least a dozen Iranian tankers since 2019, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This February, Israeli officials accused theIranian tankerEmerald ofdeliberately releasing crude at sea, drenchingalmost 100 miles of Israeli beaches with a thick tar. On August 4, according to Iranian media, an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine was detected transiting the Red Sea in the company oftwo destroyers, arare deployment that sends a clear signal to Tehran.

The G7 nations have warned Iran not to interfere with commercial shipping,especially in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 188 million barrels of crude per day. The strait is only 21 miles wide and is considered the jugular vein for crude oil transportation for most of the world.

The United States imposed crippling sanctions on the Iranian oil industry in 2019, but Iran has managed to keep the taps open. In fact, the Iranians have been moving large amounts of crude to China, and India has signaled its readiness to buy Iranian oil when sanctions ease.Irans huge $2 billion investment in Jask Port, Hormozgan Province - which lies strategically below the Strait of Hormuz and exports about 1 million barrels of crude per day - has helped to takethe pressure off.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are expected to meet on August 26 to discuss regional and global security concerns.

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War on the High Seas - The Maritime Executive

Good morning. We are into the final week of August, and this brings both good and bad news. The good news is that were much closer to the end of summer than the beginning. Based upon our climate normals, the warmest stretch of summer in Houston lasts from July 31 through August 8, when the average temperature is 85.8 degrees. (Thats simply an average of the daily high and low temperature). We are, reasonably, about one month from when we can expect falls first significant cool front.

The bad news is that we still have about a full month of summer left, and it coincides with the absolute peak of hurricane season for Texas. Although we see no immediate threats to the greater Houston region (read more below), the next few weeks do look active for the Gulf of Mexico. So were asking you to hang on for one more month, after which well escape the heat of summer and the main threat of tropical activity.

Monday will see a continuation of conditions the region experienced over the weekend, which is to say hot and sunny. High temperatures for inland areas could well flirt with 100 degrees, and even coastal areas should be solidly in the low- to mid-90s. Skies will be mostly sunny, with only light southerly winds. This will be a day for care during the hottest, afternoon hours. Overnight lows should be in the upper 70s.

Another hot and sunny day, with high temperatures in the upper 90s. Winds will again be calm.

Our overall pattern should begin to change by the middle of the week, as high pressure lifts away from the area. This should bring a few clouds to our skies, and introduce rain chances of perhaps 30 to 40 percent each day during the afternoon hours. This may also help to moderate temperatures slightly, from the upper 90s to mid-90s.

The weekend forecast is far from settled, but for now it appears as though the combination of low pressure and increasing levels of tropical moisture should combine for healthy rain chances, especially by Sunday. For now Id guess well see highs in the low 90s, with partly sunny skies, and at least a 50 percent chance of rain showers each day. Under some scenarios, heavy rain is possible by Sunday, but that will depend to some extent on tropical development, discussed below.

After Tropical Storm Henri moved into the northeastern United States this weekend, there are no active systems over water. However that could change later this week as a tropical wave moves into the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center gives this wave a 30 percent chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm within the next five days.

The global models are generally pretty bullish on this system eventually developing in the Southern Gulf of Mexico this weekend, and its something well be watching closely as it will influence our rain chances this weekend. For now the bulk of these models suggest the storm will come ashore somewhere along the Mexican mainland, south of the Texas border. Although it is far too early to have much confidence in this, such a scenairo would also be unfortunate, give the recent landfall of Hurricane Grace near the resort town of Tecolutla.

After this system, there are hints of more potential activity in the Gulf of Mexico about two weeks from now, which would be consistent with early September. As we said above, the next month is the peak of hurricane season for Texas, so have a plan and be prepared.

More:

Almost there: One more month until calmer seas, better weather - spacecityweather.com

Harrison Eidsgaard has just unveiled the crown jewel of expedition yachts.

The new concept goes by the name of RexLatin, of course, for king. Quite fittingly, the 417-footer sports a regal exterior that commands attention on the high seas along with a royally good assortment of amenities.

More from Robb Report

The UK design studio penned the vessel for an exacting client who was craving something different. As such, all the typical superyacht features have been elevated for the upper crust.

Case in point: the princely owners suite. It comprises four private terraces, two jacuzzis and a private gym for its discerning occupant. The 10 guest suites, meanwhile, sit at the center of the yacht and each comes complete with its own terrace plus direct access to both the forward and aft atrium staircases.

Surrounded by glass, the 46-foot pool can be used in any climate. - Credit: Harrison Eidsgaard

Harrison Eidsgaard

While aboard, loyal subjects can expect to soak in some incredible seascapes. The yacht is crowned by the Panorama Lounge that offers 360-degrees views, an observation lounge with access to a jacuzzi, and a submerged space called the Neptune Lounge that offers prime underwater vistas.

Seafarers will also have access to an array of amazing amenities. Occupying pride of place on the main deck, theres a 46-foot pool that can be closed off with glass to ensure you can still take a dip even in colder climates. Theres also a large cinema, a two-story gym and spa facility, as well as multiple lounges for chilling.

Elsewhere, there is a sizable helicopter hangar that can accommodate an Airbus A160 and also transform into a squash court when desired, plus another smaller helipad. The vessel is also fitted with a full-beam garage that can store a 49-foot expedition vessel and two 30-foot tenders, along with a large crane to assist with getting the toys into the water.

Story continues

As for performance, Rex sports a significant hull chine and sharp bow for improved fuel efficiency and smoother sailing on rough seas. Harrison Eidsgaard envisions a hybrid propulsion package that could be converted to a hydrogen system in the future for true, zero-emissions cruising.

At first blush, Rex certainly deserves its title as King of the Seas.

Check out more photos below:

Rex Expedition Yacht

Rex Expedition Yacht

Rex Expedition Yacht

Rex Expedition Yacht

Rex Expedition Yacht

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Meet Rex, a Regal 417-Foot Expedition Yacht Concept With an Underwater Lounge and Helicopter Parking - Yahoo Lifestyle

In Earthjustices legal work to protect the ocean, one of the most pernicious problems we face around the globe is widespread illegal fishing practices that deplete species and upset marine biodiversity.

Its not an easy thing to measure, but we do have one key indicator the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides a report to Congress every two years about international fisheries management. In that report, NOAA identifies countries where fishing fleets use illegal or unregulated practices. Once a country gets an official listing in the report, NOAA engages with that nation to fix the problem. If the nation fails to change practices, the United States can negatively certify that country and impose various penalties. The NOAA report is both a tool to shine light on unsustainable fishing behavior and the first step in a process to hold bad actors accountable.

Although illegal or unregulated fishing accounts for 1530% of annual global catch, in previous reports, NOAA identified only three to 10 nations engaging in illegal fishing a drop in the ocean. In the recently released 2021 report, NOAA started to swim in the right direction, improving the agencys approach to how it determines whether a nation gets listed and also expanding the number of nations listed as having illegal or unregulated fishing practices to 31.

The biennial reports are a key component of the U.S. regulatory scheme to combat illegal fishing and protect U.S. fishers and consumers. In the reports, NOAA is required to list countries for three types of fishing behavior: violating international fishery conservation measures, incidental catch (called bycatch) of protected species, and shark catch on the high seas.

Of the 31 nations listed in NOAAs 2021 report, seven were listed for violating international fishery conservation measures and 29 were listed for protected species bycatch. For only the second time since it began reporting to Congress in 2009, NOAA negatively certified a country Mexico for allowing Mexican fishermen to illegally fish red snapper in U.S. waters. This means that the U.S. may impose penalties on Mexico for not effectively addressing these illegal fishing practices.

Illegal fishing: NOAA listed seven countries that were engaged in illegal fishing. In the 2021 report, NOAA took the step of relying on evidence provided by non-government organizations monitoring the problem and collecting testimony from fishermen, fisheries observers, and undercover investigators. In some cases, these brave individuals put their lives at risk to provide this evidence in hope of stopping the forced labor and fishing practices that violate human rights and can devastate our marine ecosystems. By taking into account evidence from these sources, NOAA is expanding its on-the-ground capacities to identify and stop illegal fishing.

Bycatch of Protected Species: In the 2021 report, NOAA listed 29 countries with fishing fleets that catch sea turtles as bycatch in the Atlantic Ocean and lack a regulatory scheme with protections comparable to those required by the U.S. Until now, NOAA had identified only one nation that was harming sea turtles by snagging them as bycatch when fishing fleets were targeting other species and that was back in 2015. NOAAs previous neglect of the bycatch issue meant that nations were not being held accountable, and marine biodiversity was at risk. With the 2021 report, NOAA took a large step towards fixing this oversight. However, there are other protected species, such as sharks, at risk from fishing practices.

Shark Catch:Unfortunately, in its 2021 report, NOAA still failed to list a single country for catching sharks on the high seas, even though it is clearly happening. Illegal and unregulated shark catching is a significant problem that NOAA is supposed to address in these reports under the law. Sharks are a major victim of the biodiversity crisis: Over a third of shark species are at risk of extinction, with some species declining by more than 99% over the past half century. Sharks are also one of the biggest victims of illegal and unregulated fishing, often targeted for their fins and tangled up as bycatch. NOAAs continued neglect of this avenue to list countries and address the problem means that nations are still catching sharks on the high seas with impunity. Until regulators can get a handle on illegal shark catching, marine ecosystems are at risk.

Sharks are apex species, which means many other marine creatures depend on them in the finely tuned oceans ecosystems. At Earthjustice, working to protect this marine biodiversity is at the core of our legal work. You can join us in the effort.

First, theres a bill in Congress worth keeping an eye on called the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act. It targets human rights abuses and illegal fishing practices in the seafood supply chain.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congressmen Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, and Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican. The legislation would expand NOAAs authority to identify nations whose fleets engage in illegal or unregulated fishing practices, and it would strengthen NOAAs capacity to enforce penalties if a nation fails to improve, once identified. The legislation also specifically strengthens legal provisions that require NOAA to list nations that are fishing sharks on the high seas, a change that will help close a gap in the way the agency implements the law. Given the growing threat of illegal fishing, the abundant evidence of where it is occurring, and the bipartisan support for swift Congressional action, we urge members to pass the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act this year without further delay.

Second, if you eat seafood, make sure it is sustainable and traceable. You can do this by looking for a label or certification that indicates the seafood is sustainably caught. There are also seafood guides available that can help you make responsible decisions on which seafood to choose.

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NOAA Just Named 31 Nations That Engage in Illegal or Unregulated Fishing. Here's Why That's a Step in the Right Direction. - Earthjustice

Photo Credit: James Grenz

Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning, then scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 74 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 68 to 75 near the shore to around 57 at 4000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 74 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the afternoon. Highs 82 to 87 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with slight chance of thunderstorms and isolated showers. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 70 to 75 near the shore to around 56 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 82 to 87 near the shore to around 72 near 5000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Scattered showers in the morning, then showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 72 to 85. North winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows around 70 near the shore to 58 to 64 near 3000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 72 to 85. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Scattered showers in the morning, then showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 72 to 85. North winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows around 70 near the shore to 58 to 64 near 3000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 72 to 85. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Breezy. Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the afternoon. Highs around 87 near the shore to around 77 near 5000 feet. West winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 55 near 5000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph shifting to the southeast after midnight.

Monday: Breezy. Cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs around 87 near the shore to around 77 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Today: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning, then scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 74 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 68 to 75 near the shore to around 57 at 4000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday: Cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 89 near the shore to around 74 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Sunny with scattered showers in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 88 near the shore to 69 to 76 above 4000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows around 74 near the shore to 53 to 61 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 83 to 88 near the shore to 69 to 76 above 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

The remnants of former Tropical Cyclone Linda are expected to move through the islands between today and Monday night, bringing with it the potential for heavy rains that may result in flash flooding, and accompanied by locally breezy winds. The weather is expected to improve with a return to a more trade wind pattern starting Tuesday, and lasting through the second half of the week.

A flash flood watch remains in effect for all Hawaiian Islands through 6am HST Tuesday morning. The overall expectations remain largely unchanged, that is generally 2-4 inches, with locally higher amounts, to 6 inches is forecast for the windward areas. Locally up to 10 inches is possible should thunderstorms develop. The weather will be deteriorating east of Kauai today, particularly the Big Island and Maui later this morning, then the rest of Maui County this afternoon, followed by Oahu tonight. It could be an all day event for Oahu on Monday, while the weather spreads to Kauai Monday afternoon. Most of the unsettled weather should be west of Kauai by sunrise Tuesday, with a return to a more typical trade wind weather for the rest of the week.The path of Lindas remnants is critical as far as winds are concern. Should Linda cuts across leeward Maui County, the islands will be on the windy side of the system. Should Linda stays slightly north of the smaller islands, it will not be so windy. The current wind grids have breezy east to northeast winds traversing islands and the windward waters. So, a Wind Advisory is not out of the question at this time.The current forecast has Lindas circulation reaching Maui shortly after midnight tonight, and passing just south of Oahu Monday afternoon. From that point on, the circulation of Linda becomes a trough as it passes Kauai Monday night.As of 200 am HST, satellite imagery shows the circulation of former TC Linda about 225 miles ENE of Hilo. It is moving west at 10 mph. The remnants of Linda has been voided of any deep convection since Saturday afternoon. So far, the trade showers have been scattered, with windward Big Island the wettest, and Oahu and Kauai, the driest, although radar is picking up a few trade showers just upwind of Oahu.

The outer circulation of a gale low, which is former Tropical Cyclone Linda, is approaching the islands from the east. As this system continues to move toward the state, expect breezy to locally windy northeasterly winds to spread from east to west across the area. In addition, the coverage of low clouds and showers will likely increase from east to west across the state through tonight. This will result in MVFR conditions over the north through east sections of the islands, especially the Big Island, Maui and Molokai. In addition, the easternmost terminals, such as PHTO and PHOG, will likely continue to have periods of MVFR conditions. These deteriorating conditions will eventually spread to Oahu and Kauai later today and tonight.AIRMET Tango remains in effect for moderate low level turbulence over and downwind of the higher terrain of all islands. This AIRMET will likely be required through this evening as the circulation of the gale low moves closer to the state.AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration remains in effect for windward sections of the Big Island, Maui and Molokai. This AIRMET may need to be added for Oahu, and possibly Kauai, later today or tonight.

As of 0300 HST, a gale low from what was once Tropical Cyclone Linda is approximately 200 miles northeast of Hilo. This low is in our northeastern offshore waters and will steadily move due west into the nearshore waters tonight. Winds gusting to gale force mainly along the northern periphery of this low has initiated an offshore Gale Warning (GLW). This GLW is in effect for primarily the northeastern offshore waters through early Monday morning.The northeast trade winds running ahead of Linda will continue at moderate to locally strong with the potential of further strengthening as described in the discussion above. Last nights ASCAT pass confirmed that winds are at Small Craft Advisory in the Alenuihaha Channel. Thus, an SCA is in effect for the windy areas surrounding Maui County as well as for responding seas reaching 10 foot thresholds over more eastern windward waters today. The gale low will pass within the vicinity of Maui and Oahus nearshore waters during the day Monday with the strongest winds likely on the north side of the low. SCAs are in effect from east- to-west through early Tuesday morning to account for both strong to near gale force winds and high seas in association with the passing circulation. Thunderstorms are also possible today through Monday night with any winds in the vicinity of these storms quickly becoming dangerous. The passage of the low or open wave trough west of Kauai will have areawide moderate to locally fresh trades returning Tuesday.East swell from a gale low will be arriving over the eastern end of the state today. Surf and buoy observations indicate a steady rise in the lower period wind wave swell energy bands. A High Surf Advisory (HSA) is in effect for all east facing shores through Monday morning as this swell propagates west and impacts more western islands. Resultant east facing surf heights will likely peak later today over the eastern end of the state and Monday over the western end of state. A series of small, low to moderate period south swells will maintain small surf along south facing shores next week. No anticipated north or west swell equates to near flat north and west surf the next several days.

Flash Flood Watch through late Monday night for all Hawaii islands,High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Monday for Maui Windward West, Molokai Windward, Molokai Southeast, Windward Haleakala, Kipahulu, Big Island Southeast, Big Island East, Big Island North.High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Monday for Olomana, Kauai East, Kauai South, East Honolulu, Koolau Windward.Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Monday for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel.Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Monday for Big Island Windward Waters.Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Monday for Kaiwi Channel, Maui County Windward Waters.Small Craft Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 6 AM HST Tuesday for Kauai Windward Waters, Kauai Channel.Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM Monday to 6 AM HST Tuesday for Kauai Northwest Waters.Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Tuesday for Oahu Windward Waters.

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HAWAII Hawaii County Weather Forecast for August 22, 2021 BIG ISLAND NOW - Big Island Now

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. This August saw a few true firsts for our family including a mostly uninterrupted two weeks away from Staten Island. We spent our time in Ocean Grove, N.J., a wholesome town that reminds me of childhood summer vacations where time passed at a happy, slow pace.

But what a point in history to be away from the restaurant beat with news unfolding back at home of the must-show vaccination cards at catered events and to access indoor dining. A time thats supposed to be recovery from the pandemic hardly feels as such this week from whats happening abroad to what our world looks like right here in a seemingly divided and angry New York City. It has been a wild week to be back to writing stories, to say the least.

So Im going to pull us back to our little world in the Garden State where we hardly drove the car, bet over Backgammon or Gin Rummy games and watched the boob tube only for baseball. We played Iron Chef with a few fresh catches and cooked from the inventories of either the cheese shop or the only deli within the confines of Gods Mile, the venerable Pathway Market.

The Pathway Market (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

My husband always takes his fishing pole on vacation. By some small miracle this is the first time hes actually caught something in the surf. As a result we had a few meals of summer fluke thank you, Dave and even sauteed some mussels our boys hunted down on the beach. Our younger guy took an evening boat trip on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar with dad on the high seas and they came home with enough bass for a few dinners.

James Cavagnaro on the Golden Eagle in Belmar, N.J. with a bass (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Ocean Grove reminds me a bit of my own West Brighton neighborhood with that sense of community and everything within walking distance. In the mid-1800s the Methodists laid it out beautifully like a K. Hovnanian housing development. Its like a Greenbriar II retirement village where my grandmother used to live, just with a town center as the Great Auditorium, a tabernacle, youth center and the aptly named Tent City interspersed with these various handsome buildings.

Our kids have made friends over the years with other children who spend their summer in the tents. And from them weve been introduced to their parents who also have become friends. Going back there is like Old Home Week.

As the sun sets on Pilgrim Pathway, so must a vacation end. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Just as the sun sets over the Pilgrim Pathway and it becomes closing time for Jimmy and Dee at Ocean Groves resident convenient mart, so must a vacation come to an end. But that doesnt mean its peacefulness should as well.

With this fresh sense of Ocean Grove calm, Im going to savor the last of the tomatoes in our garden and embrace a new season ahead writing about pumpkin spiced everything. I will not honk at anyone in front of me malingering at a traffic light. I will not throw a shoe at those squirrels who run along the fence eyeing the only sunflower in our yard to survive sometimes-violent whiffle ball games.

And I promise not to delight in chronicling the fall of any politician who has made restaurant reporting so painful in the pandemic. But come Monday, it will certainly start keeping me busy.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

Summer heat, warm nostalgia: When time (and meals) moved more slowly in NYC

Cooking with PAM | Pamelas Food Service Diary

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Our first vacation fish, and other standout moments of summer 2021 | Pamelas Food Service Diary - SILive.com

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Northern Delaware could see rain as Tropical Henri makes its way up the Atlantic Coast, the National Weather Service reported Sunday

Henri took a turn to the East and was downgraded to a tropical storm. The storm will make landfall in New England.

The forecast for northern Delaware calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. The chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

On Sunday night there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. A chance of rain continues into Monday.

The Weather Service forecasts rough seas, and dangerous rip currents along with coast, with waves of six to ten feet high. Rip currents are expected to continue into Sunday.

Minor coastal flooding could occur in areas to the north.

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Henri likely to bring rough seas to the south, possibly heavy rainfall in northern Delaware - delawarebusinessnow.com

The pirate theme in movies continues to be as alive and well in 2021 as it was 100 years ago. Disneys recent ride-inspired film The Jungle Cruise scored A-listers Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as the leads and the upcoming live-action Peter Pan & Wendy starring Yara Shahidi and Jude Law is set to be released in 2022. Thankfully, you dont have to wait to watch a great pirate film today, matey.

From action films that pack literal punches (it wasnt just the bad diet that made pirates lose their teeth) to family-friendly films that have just enough scares to keep teens and adults entertained, the world of the best pirate movies is as wide as the open seas.

Pirate movies can be a fun way to get inspired for Halloween (yay, costume ideas!), or they can simply serve as a night of entertainment. Dream of sailing the high seas, searching for treasure, and pulling off a hat and bird-on-shoulder combo? Check out our favorite pirate movies below, if you dare theres a lot of curses in the best pirate movies.

It doesnt get much more swashbucking than the first installment in the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Inspired by the Disney theme park ride, the film doesnt conclude with a trip through a gift shop, but it did lead to four more films and a renewed interested in all things pirate (see: every Halloween costume after 2003). Johnny Depps introduction to his Keith Richardson-inspired Jack Sparrow character, a drunken sailor who is just smart enough to stay alive through fights, follies and scurvy, earned him an Oscar nomination. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley help to ground the film and add a love story with plenty of sword fighting, while Geoffrey Rushs villainous Barbossa brought a splendidly spooky aspect to a pirate movie that features pirates both living and dead.

Buy: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl $17.99

Story continues

If you judge a films success based on how well iconic lines are remembered, Captain Phillips definitely earned its spot on our list. Based on the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the hostage situation of his merchant boat by Somali pirates, this pirate movie earned six Academy Award nominations, including one for newcomer Barkhad Abdi i.e. the captain now. Tom Hanks stars as Phillips in the Paul Greengrass-directed film, which packs pulse-racing action and real-world stakes into a two-hour film that proves real pirates are just as scary, if not more so, than the fictionalized version audiences see in movies.

Buy: Captain Phillips $12.99

In Steven Spielbergs beloved 1991 pirate movie, Peter Pan finally grew up and became a corporate lawyer. Yeah, this is exactly what he was afraid of happening. When his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook, Peter, who has no memory of his childhood, must figure out what it means to use his imagination and fly. Robin Williams is brilliant as Peter and the all-star cast is rounded out by Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, Maggie Smith as Wendy Darling, Bob Hoskins as Smee, and Dustin Hoffman as the eponymous Captain Hook. From the stunning sets to the high-action fight scenes, Hook remains a classic family film that will still have young viewers believing in magic and chanting for Rufio.

Buy: Hook $12.99

The Goonies may have the least amount of water of all the pirate films on our list, but the classic Spielberg coming-of-age film still has plenty of yo-ho-hoing to earn its spot. While trying to save the homes in their neighborhood from foreclosure, a group of friends known as the Goonies stumbles upon a treasure map leading them to a fortune once owned by a pirate. The film made stars out of its young cast, which included Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Corey Feldman, and continues to be a fan favorite that new generations of movie-goers can enjoy.

Buy: The Goonies $7.99

Starting in 1953 with Disneys animated film, which, tbh, still holds up, the story of Peter Pan and Neverland continues to be celebrated on screen. Theres Hook, Pan, Wendy, the aforementioned upcoming Peter Pan & Wendy, plus several live-action movies made for TV. One of the best forays into the world of the Lost Boys was in 2003s Peter Pan. The film failed to land on its feet at the box office, possibly due to a lack of big-name stars attached, but it remains one of the best retellings of J.M. Barries classic story. From intricate backdrops to impressive special effects, the film is filled with several pirate-heavy fight scenes and has all the magic and wonder of Barries original tale.

Buy: Peter Pan $14.99

Most pirate films focus on a central character who is an impressive commander of the seas. This is not one of those movies. The hilarious and family-friendly pirate movie, The Pirates: Band of Misfits, is a stop-motion flick that centers around a band of misfit pirates (its right there in the title) as they try to win the Pirate of the Year award. The film was helmed by Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film. Featuring voices by Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Salma Hayek, Imelda Staunton, and David Tenant, the fun-loving film has enough humor to keep adults entertained without the blood and gore that makes most pirate films too scary for kids.

Buy: The Pirates: Band of Misfits $12.99

Theres no shortage of examples of Disneys take on the pirate genre, but one of the most important was the studios 1950 pirate move, Treasure Island. Starring Bobby Driscoll and Robert Newton, Treasure Island was Disneys first film that was completely shot in live-action. Bringing Robert Louis Stevensons novel to life, the film was a marvel at the time thanks to its impressive sets and action scenes. While more recent Treasure Islands have had the benefit of improved special effects, the OG film of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver was a marvel at the time of its release.

Buy: Treasure Island $17.99

For a fun take on the pirate genre, the 1952 pirate movie The Crimson Pirate brings action, comedy, romance and even some impressive stunts for the time period. A tongue-in-cheek pirate flick that stars Burt Lancaster and his abs, the action-packed film is part pirate-spoof, part pirate homage. The classic film has earned an impressive 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and continues to be a delightful watch for anyone looking for a pirate film that doesnt take itself too seriously.

Buy: The Crimson Pirate $2.99

As evidenced by the 2020 re-enactment featuring todays biggest celebs and a virtual table read by the original cast, the love for all things Princess Bride continues. The film about two lovers separated by pirates continues to be one of the most beloved comedies ever made. Adapted from William Goldmans 1973 novel, the 1987 Rob Reiner pirate movie didnt open to great fanfare at the box office but has since become a cult classic. Rumors of a remake were quickly shot down (prepare to die, remake rumors) by film lead Cary Elwes and Jamie Lee Curtis, whose husband Christopher Guest also appeared in The Princess Bride. A perfect pirate film left untouched for future audiences to enjoy? As you wish.

Buy: The Princess Bride $14.99

It can get lonely on the high seas, so naturally, there are some pirate movies with a touch of romance. Exhibit A is Cutthroat Island, a film plagued by rewrites and panned as one of the biggest box office bombs ever but to be clear, its still pretty entertaining. Were not watching pirate films for Oscar-winning performances, right?* While the script may be a bit outlandish (again, its a pirate movie), Geena Davis and Matthew Modine star in the 1995 movie that serves up plenty of action and stunning backdrops. For a pirate film that purely entertains, Cutthroat Island continues to be a fun romp.

*Ignore several of the Oscar-nominated films above when reading this statement.

Buy: Cutthroat Island $6.99

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Gather Round Mateys, These Arrrrre The Best Pirate Movies To Watch Right Now - Yahoo Lifestyle

Purely Political, By James Buckley

So much for serenity now.Until a week ago, the overwhelming majority of Democrats, progressives, bureaucrats, the very wealthy, media pundits and news readers (there are no more actual journalists that I can tell, certainly not among that group), along with their water carriers in the entertainment industry were settling into what they hoped would be four years of political bliss, or at least for the two years until the midterm election.

The steady hand of their 77-year-old commander-in-chief was on the bridge of the ship of state. Sonar blips emanating from the deep-sea intelligence community informed him there was no danger from below.

Radar signals forecast some slight turbulence ahead, but the vessels on the screen were deemed friendly. President Steady-As-You-Go Biden stood tall and his trusty ginger-haired first mate was at his side, ready to interpret the musings of her captain.

Executive Officer Kamala Harris, second-in-command, was itching and eager to take over the helm and become captain, as soon as Steady-As-You-Go left the bridge for a well-deserved nap, or if a sudden bout of sea-sickness overwhelmed him.

All was well on the good ship Lollipop.

So what if the southern border was essentially wide open or that hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 infected tourists? immigrants? invaders? drug dealers? money launderers? human traffickers? were waltzing across that imaginary line in the sand?

So what if President Steady-As-You-Go slowed, stopped and impeded production of oil and gas in the country, turning the newly energy-independent U.S.A. (the reason for the creation of the Department of Energy in the Carter years was to reach that fabled goal) into just another hat-in-the-hand energy beggar?

We will all become accustomed to $5-a-gallon gas at the pumps, wont we? After all, that would speed up the conversion to electric cars, wouldnt it? And, should the pump price of a gallon of gas go to $6 or more, our OPEC partners would be willing and able to fill the oil-and-gas gap, wouldnt they?

Turns out those faraway blips werent that friendly after all. What looked like harmless fishing vessels in all directions on a placid sea, as displayed on Captain Steady-As-You-Gos sophisticated radar screens, were hostile. And they were moving at increasingly faster speeds as they neared the good ship Lollipop.

Before Second-in-Command Kamala could shout Ships Ahoy! or even Incoming! Man Your Battle Stations! Full Speed Ahead! the blips had taken over 99% of the surrounding ocean. Not only had the super-sophisticated radar screens miscalculated the speed of the blips, but the Sonar under-sea intelligence crew had failed to notice anything at all.

Not to worry, now that the blips had control of the high seas, theyd allow safe passage for Steady-As-You-Go and his crew, wont they?

Aye, Aye, Captain!

America First!

Build Back Better!

(Wo)Man Overboard!

Wheres Kamala?

BACK ASHORE

Okay, enough with the seafaring references. I spent four years in the U.S. Navy, much of that time as a radioman third-class, so the only things I know about the military I learned on board a tender, then later a destroyer (affectionately known as a Tin Can by us seafarers). My job was to calibrate our receivers to a constant frequency, use Morse Code when all else failed, and to deliver messages to the captain on the bridge or in the radar room.And I never spent one day as a soldier and never saw military action (though my ships crew was called to General Quarters and ordered to take up battle stations a couple times while off the coast of Vietnam).

But, as an enlisted sailor, I came into contact with a large number of enlisted personnel (as opposed to officers), and I can say that we were an unsophisticated bunch. Though in my defense, I was a voracious reader in between poker games in the gun mount and liberty weekends ashore.

So, rather than state my opinion of the ongoing Afghanistan disaster, Im going to relate what retired U.S. Army General Don Bolduc, who served 10 tours in Afghanistan, said during a recent interview with Douglas Blair from the online Daily Signal.

I do believe General Bolduc hits the nail on the head.

BUILDING A NATION

This (war) was lost at the higher levels, the general said, noting that initially, the Armys role was to advise and assist (ousted President) Hamid Karzai in developing an Afghan indigenous force to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda in southern Afghanistan. We did that.

It absolutely is a war we could have won, the general said, and he laid the blame squarely on the notion of nation building that the military engagement turned into.

By June 2002, the Army had essentially completed its mission, and, the general elaborated, it was our opinion on the ground that the best way to approach this war (would be to) let the Afghans defend themselves, let them build their security, let them figure out how theyre going to prosper.

Unfortunately, the general observed, the U.S. decided to try and create a Western-style government, Western-style military, Western-style police, and he believed that was the wrong approach.

In light of that, the U.S. did change and began a bottoms up approach that was beginning to work. U.S. casualties were falling dramatically and the Afghan government effectively controlled about 90% of the country, the general said.

Next thing I know, the general said ruefully, Im sitting in briefings and were in the middle of 2013 in Afghanistan, and (Im told that) were going to pull all our assets out of the village areas before the mission was actually complete and solidified.

President Barack Obama had decided the war was over, and were going to transition to noncombat operations. Within three years of that decision, casualty rates climbed again.

We were losing big time, said the general.

As special ops, we were down there in the villages, and they loved us because we werent trying to change them. We were trying to facilitate their success using their culture and their beliefs in the way they want to live and just supporting that so they could build back up their institutions.

The Taliban destroyed their family; the Taliban destroyed their education system; the Taliban destroyed their security, their confidence. And so that all needed to be restored, and that took time. And thats what they saw our special operation forces doing, working with them, beside them and not trying to turn them into Americans

And I think thats one of the biggest frustrations that people in Afghanistan see and have is that in many respects, we took over. I mean in the early years we named their country, wrote the constitution.

We brought the Italians in to put together their justice system. We brought the Germans in to put their police together, and the U.S. military put their army together. Then we built their government, and we built it largely on a bureaucratic process that we were familiar with in the West. We focused top-down, so one of the things we did was we invested in corruption.

I credit President Trump with his plan, the general related, but he was pushing back against the Defense Department that wasnt onboard. So when he transitioned out of the White House, and President Biden came in, I could see quickly that this was going to deteriorate

I was very supportive of President Trumps withdrawal approach and plans. We needed to change our military mission there, but there was a responsible way to do it, and then theres an irresponsible way to do it. And I think we see the irresponsible way to do it

We can see that this is definitely the wrong way. And now were seeing the worst planned withdrawal by political and military leaders, I think, in the history of warfare.

It is a disaster; it is shameful.

James Buckley is a longtime Montecito resident. He welcomes questions or comments at voices@newspress.com.

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You have what you voted for - Santa Barbara News-Press

Have you noticed how weird the movies are this summer?

I dont mean the moviegoing experience, though if youve been inside a theater you know its unusual; I mean the movies themselves.

In Pig, for instance, Nicolas Cage plays a truffle hunter who goes after his stolen pig in what many expected would be a revenge thriller, but it turns out to be a quiet meditation on memory, loss, and ... fine dining in Portland? The Green Knight has been surprisingly successful despite releasing only in theaters during a pandemic and despite being deeply, almost off-puttingly strange. Old, a peculiar family drama set on a beach that makes you old, has sold enough tickets to triple its $18 million budget. Even the standard big-budget blockbusters F9, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, Free Guy have had an air of oddness about them, with flying space cars and discussions of ovaries and CGI depictions of the food chain and video game characters gone rogue.

As the summer careens to a close, cinemas freaky vibes are palpable. And the freakiest of them all might be emanating from Annette, Leos Caraxs new musical about ... uh. Well. Its about a doomed romance, but its also about a lot of other stuff: art, opera, death, stand-up comedy, the danger of taking a small craft on the high seas, the many things a puppet can do surprisingly well, fatherhood, and the whole concept of watching a movie in a theater.

Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, both bona fide movie stars, sing and wail and have some sex (sometimes all at the same time) in this aggressively non-accessible movie which, depending on how you feel about that, is either a blast or a nightmare. It begins with the cast and filmmakers singing to the audience about how were about to start watching a movie. At the end, they sing to us about how the movie has ended and they hope you enjoyed it, and please tell your friends.

Driver plays Henry McHenry, a wildly popular and wildly confrontational stand-up comedian who bills himself the ape of God and openly mocks his audience from the stage. He has fallen in love with the waifish, wondrous opera singer Ann Defrasnoux, whose gut-wrenching performances draw staggering crowds. (In the world of Annette, opera singers are as beloved and tabloid-worthy as rockstars.)

The pair live in Los Angeles, and they are madly in love, and they sing about it a lot in a recurring number entitled We Love Each Other So Much. Annettes songs penned by Ron and Russell Mael, a.k.a. the pop duo Sparks are mostly very literal, with characters often describing what they are doing or what they are about to do or what they think they might do.

Annettes entire vibe is much more opera than musical; honestly, it might be best to go into the film with that expectation. (Much of the music is more recitative than pop ballad.) Do you love the bluster, pretension, and glorious goofiness of opera? The improbable stories and over-the-top madness? The songs that often repeat themselves, over and over, morphing into different keys as the mood of the story changes from delirious romance to devastating tragedy? The moments when key characters inform the audience of whats going on by singing directly to them? The morally shaky but oddly compelling protagonists? If you dont care for any of that, Annette will most likely be baffling. If you do, Annette is for you.

Henry and Anns romance leads them on a tragic journey, made more tragic by the presence of Anns lovelorn accompanist (played, perhaps improbably, by The Big Bang Theorys Simon Helberg). Henry and Ann have a baby, named Annette, portrayed in the film by a puppet. She can sing. One scene is set at the Super Bowl. Its a strange film.

Annette was the opening night film at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where it fit right in with the festivals often bellicose offerings. After a modest two-week stopover in theaters, its now hitting Amazon Prime. So a lot of people have access to it, and its easy to imagine the confused reaction of audiences who hit play on the film because theyre excited to watch Kylo Ren sing.

For some, that unexpected turn may lead to disappointment or it may lead to the kind of frustration that some Nic Cage fans may have felt upon seeing Pig or that some Dev Patel fans may have felt upon seeing The Green Knight. Whatever your expectations are, Annette and other summer offerings are something else.

In our risk-averse movie industry heavily reliant on franchise fare, sequels, reboots, and Netflix originals that feel very much like some other movie you saw not that long ago this streak of oddball storytelling, this trend toward breaking convention, is refreshing. The truth is that the American film business hums along mainly by not rocking the boat, by not upsetting audiences, by trying to fulfill expectations but rarely challenge them. At best, thats how you give people something thats comforting and fun. More darkly, its how you rake in advance ticket sales and drum up free advertising, also known as fan buzz, and ensure your continued survival. Today, its often perilous to release a movie that people might find uncomfortable.

The truth remains that we live in the world the culture industry created, where selling an entertainment product that is content is the priority, and taking a chance is rare. But a silver lining to this strange summer, in which some of the biggest films flopped or failed to generate buzz, has been the opportunity to have robust conversations about films that dont pander to their audience.

My own mental measuring stick for a films greatness is the response it provokes. If audiences leave the theater (or turn off the TV) with an array of strong reactions some love it, some despise it, some think it has merit but will vigorously argue over their reservations then the movie they just watched was worth the investment of time and talent. Its doing what art should do. If a film receives a pretty good! reaction across the board, Im much less interested.

Sure, the latter variety will wind up with a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than the former. Yet the one that makes me argue with friends and resists attempts to cram it into a box is the movie I want to watch. That this summer has served up more of those kinds of films than usual Annette being only the latest example is probably a fluke. Its also a gift; for those of us who take movies seriously, its what we hope for all year.

Annette opened in theaters on August 6. It begins streaming on Amazon Prime on August 20.

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Annette and a truly weird summer at the movies - Vox.com

Winds and heavy seas from Hurricane Henri are expected to reach Long Island late Saturday, well before the storm itself makes landfall sometime on Sunday.

If possible, boaters should pull their vessels out of the water before the storm makes landfall, just to be safe, said Ed Michels, East Hampton Towns chief harbormaster.

In an 11 a.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that Air Force Reserve reconnaissance planes had reached the storm during the morning and observed that it was poised to strengthen. Uncertainty about the actual path Henri will take remained, however. Hurricane winds are expected to extend far from the center and tropical storm winds well beyond that.

This thing keeps changing so drastically every couple of hours, Mr. Michels said. I guess we're going to have to wait until tomorrow to get a closer track, but if you're worried, haul it out, or have the marina haul you out.

The National Hurricane Center said that storm conditions on eastern Long Island were possible as early as 8 p.m. on Saturday with Henri's eye passing just east of Montauk Point at about 8 p.m. Sunday, diminishing in strength slightly, then moving inland on Monday and Tuesday.

The extent of erosion along the ocean and bay beaches will depend on when the worst of Henri reaches eastern Long Island. The evening high tides around the full moon on Saturday and Sunday were already forecast to be the highest in August, well above normal. At their peak late Sunday, ocean waves were forecast at 10 to 15 feet and higher offshore.

Mr. Michels said that if Henri reached the shoreline as a tropical storm, that might help a little bit. Some people have issues with the surge, or the wind or rain. There are different problems caused by each one of them.

Coast Guard Station Montauk is well prepared in the event that distressed mariners call for help, said Boatswain's Mate Luke Schaffer, the executive petty officer of the Montauk station.

We have a 47-foot motor lifeboat and a crew that will be manning it, he said. We are a heavy-weather station, so we're capable of going out in some pretty rough weather. There is a chance that it will be out of our response parameters, but I'm predicting that will just be for a short period of time.

Officer Schaffer echoed Mr. Michelss concerns. Make sure boats are securely tied to docks and that small craft like kayaks and canoes are pulled further from the shore. The Coast Guard often starts searching for a missing person when those are floating around in the water, he said.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc's office advised residents and visitors to monitor weather forecasts closely. In a notice sent out Friday afternoon, the town said its emergency preparedness team was in place and coordinating with Suffolk County officials.

In a message to customers, Peter Mendelman, the president of Sea Coast Enterprises, which operates several marinas and ship's stores at Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton, called Henri a "serious" hurricane and recommended that boaters double-up on dock lines and place protective fenders alongside hulls.

A fireworks show that was to be held by the Devon Yacht Club in Amagansett on Saturday at dusk was canceled; the East Hampton Fire Department had not announced a decision about its own fireworks show at Main Beach in East Hampton Village, but on Friday morning appeared ready to proceed with the show.

The anticipated strength and path of Henri was similar to the track Hurricane Bob took in August 1991. Developed from low pressures of the atmosphere near the Bahamas, Hurricane Bob struck the Northeast including Long Island on Aug. 18, 1991. It left thousands of companies and residences without power.

Bob caused an estimated $4.5 million in losses to East Hampton and Sag Harbor boaters alone. With the hurricane changing course and hitting several states, it left over a $1 billion in damage.

With Reporting by Conor Hogan and Christine Sampson

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As Henri Nears US Coast, Threat to Long Island Increases - East Hampton Star

When experts look back at the early 2000s, they will observe that India embarked on a construction spree to develop its transport infrastructure. The country is emulating what the United States and Europe did in the previous century and what China and East Asia have done more recently. Traditionally, India focused on railways. For the last 20 years, roads have been the priority. Now, the country is also focusing on its 116 rivers and long coastline to develop commercial waterways.

As is well known, various factors contribute to a nations development. The most fundamental is the availability of food and water for the population. Here, India has had some success since its independence in 1947. In health care and education, India can and must do better. India also needs to improve safety and security for its citizens and improve the rule of law. The factor most important for Indias development is perhaps transportation because it has the greatest multiplier effect on the economy. As a result, transportation has the greatest potential to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.

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Transportation infrastructure, such as railways, roads, air traffic and waterways, are the arteries of a countrys economy. The German economy was built on the backbone of an outstanding railway system and the legendary autobahn. The US is knit together by a crisscrossing network of freight trains, interstate highways and airports. Advanced economies like Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the Netherlands are known for their evolved infrastructure.

In recent years, China has set the standard for implementing infrastructure at a scale and speed unprecedented in history. Most economists credit spectacular rates of economic growth to Chinese investment in infrastructure. India is betting that building good infrastructure will boost growth, create jobs and raise the standard of living for hundreds of millions.

According to a 2018 report by NITI Aayog, the premier policy think tank of the Indian government, 59% of all freight in India is transported by road, 35% by railways, 6% by waterways and less than 1% by air.

On March 31, 2020, Indias railway track length stood at 126,366 kilometers and, on March 31, 2019, the length of national highways was 132,500 kilometers. Per 100 square kilometers, India has more railway tracks and highways than countries like the US and France. This does not necessarily mean India is doing well. South Korea and Japan have over four times the highway length per 100 square kilometers.

Instead of the density of infrastructure per unit area, density per population size seems to be the more accurate metric. When it comes to infrastructure per million people, India fares very poorly. For instance, Indonesias population is merely 20% of Indias, but its highways are twice as long as Indias. South Koreas population is a tiny 4% of Indias, but its highways are thrice as long as Indias. The top two stars on the infrastructure front are the US and Australia, followed by Japan and France.

Indias highway network is inadequate for the countrys needs. Highways comprise 1.94% of Indias total road networks but carry a staggering 40% of total road traffic. This means that not only do they suffer high wear and tear, but transportation continues to be a big bottleneck for the economy. It is little surprise that India is finally investing in transport infrastructure.

After independence in 1947, India underinvested in infrastructure. Two centuries of colonial extraction had left the country with limited resources and almost unlimited public needs. In its early years of independence, India struggled to feed its masses. There was little money to build railways, roads, ports, airports and transport infrastructure.

India also lacked the expertise to build such infrastructure at scale. Planners, engineers and skilled labor were all in short supply. The nation did not have enough knowledge of transport technology either. There was another challenge in a densely populated democratic country. Infrastructure projects result in the displacement of large numbers of people. Many resist, others negotiate hard and still, others approach their local politicians who start resisting these projects to win votes.

Indias varied geography also imposed daunting challenges for developing infrastructure. Largely flat countries like Australia and France could focus on railways, which run twice as long as their roads. Mountainous countries like South Korea and Japan have built more roads than railway lines. While plains and plateaus in India are crisscrossed by railway lines, roads are the means of transportation in its extensive mountainous regions.

Over the last 20 years, Indias focus has shifted to roads. This began under the coalition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Although this government lost the 2004 election, NDAs vision set in motion transport infrastructure development. In 2014, the BJP-led NDA returned to power and accelerated the building of highways across the country.

NDA-initiated highway construction was kickstarted by the Golden Quadrilateral, a project connecting Indias four biggest cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. This boosted economic growth. Since NDA returned to power, India has embarked on Bharatmala Pariyojana, an ambitious project to connect the entire country through a network of highways like the fabled interstate highway system of the US. Even remote regions such as the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir will be covered.

In the past, India did not measure highways as per international standards. This meant their growth could not be measured and compared easily. To quote management guru Peter F. Drucker, If you cant measure it, you cant improve it. Since 2018, the measure of highway length in India has been aligned with international standards. While impressive figures on the growth of national highways have been published, their interpretation now is clear and consistent.

There has also been a steady increase in highway construction rates. In March 2021, it reached 37 kms/day. For the 2020-21 financial year Indias financial year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 road construction averaged 29.81 kms/day. In 2014-15, the rate was 16.61 kms/day. Six years on, the road construction rate has almost doubled and is the fastest India has achieved since independence. The credit goes to Nitin Gadkari, the minister for road transport, one of the star performers of the NDA cabinet. In March, he claimed that India had secured the world record for fastest road construction.

The oldest civilizations have originated and flourished near major rivers for a simple reason. They provide fresh water, a fundamental human need. Rivers also provided an easy way to travel and transport goods before the advent of roads and railways. Even today, commercial transport of goods via rivers, lakes and oceans continues to cost less than via land. While container ships regularly carry goods across the high seas, most countries no longer use their rivers very well. The US, Australia, Japan, Russia and China are among the few countries that use their rivers and inland waterways well.

India has 116 rivers. Potentially, these could provide 35,000 kilometers of waterways and should be tapped. The government set up the Inland Waterways Authority of India in 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. In spite of tremendous cost advantages, waterways commercialization received little attention over the next 30 years. In 2016, the NDA declared 111 rivers across India as national waterways, a quantum leap up from five. By 2020, the government operationalized 12 of these waterways. The journey to suitably develop the remaining 99 will be a long and expensive one. However, this investment will cut logistics costs tremendously in the long run and boost Indias competitiveness.

Gadkari points out that the cost of logistics in India is 18% of the total cost of production. For China, this figure is 8-10%. Notably, waterways account for 47% of total transportation in China, compared to 3.5% in India. As waterways develop, so will commercial activity along their banks and lead to job creation.

India has another major underutilized natural resource. It has a long coastline of 7,500 kilometers spread across 14 states. To develop ports and coastal transportation, the government has launched the Sagarmala project. This could achieve what the Golden Quadrilateral did for roads in the past. By 2025, the government aims to increase the share of waterways transportation from 3.5% to 6%, reducing logistics costs, boosting exports and generating 4 million new jobs.

About 53% of Indias population is under 25 years of age and many of them need jobs. Employed young people are more likely to send their children to school. They are likely to eat better and live longer. So far, Indias growth rate has not exceeded the job creation rate. For social and political stability, the government needs to create jobs.

While Indias economy continues to grow, the pace of growth does not match the employment needs of Indias young population. Building infrastructure is one of the best ways to generate employment because of its massive multiplier effect in an emerging economy like India. The country needs competent ministers and bureaucrats with domain expertise such as Gadkari. Key ministries overseeing power and finance in New Delhi and Indias state capitals should emulate this model.

Along with building infrastructure, India must reform its arcane laws of colonial and socialist heritage to boost economic activity. The government must also reform education and vocational training in collaboration with industry to raise the skills of the workforce, improve employability and increase productivity. This is a tall order, but if India can get its house in order, then domestic and foreign investment would flow in. Then, the country would finally be able to join the Asian tigers as one of the worlds fast-growing economies.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observers editorial policy.

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Indias Highway Construction Is in the Fast Lane - Fair Observer