Select Page ::

Elon Musk: “Highly Likely” Europe Will Get a Smaller Tesla Cybertruck

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Small But Mighty

According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the electric car company is “highly likely” to produce a smaller version of its long-awaited Cybertruck for the European market, as Electrek reports.

When asked if there will be a smaller version for the EU on Twitter Tuesday morning, Musk responded “highly likely down the road.”

Scaled Down

One Twitter user suggested that “reducing width is more important than reducing length, at least when it comes to cities,” on Twitter, which Musk replied to with “true.”

The news comes after Tesla decided not to shrink the Cybertruck by three percent in May after Musk sat down with chief designer Franz von Holzhausen.

It’s still unclear how big a European Cybertruck will end up being — let alone if or when such a vehicle will ever roll off the lot.

Everything is Bigger in Texas

What is clear, as Electrek points out, is that the American pickup market dwarfs truck sales in Europe. Without a major market, it’s less likely Tesla will attempt to scale down the Cybertruck for the EU market.

“We’re really, fundamentally making this truck as a North American ass-kicker, basically,” Musk told Automotive News in an interview earlier this week. “The goal is to kick the most amount of ass possible with this truck.”

As of right now, over 200,000 people have signed up to reserve a Cybertruck, according to Musk — a number that may be subject to change, but still shows a healthy appetite for such a vehicle in the US.

More on the Cybertruck: Cybertruck Metal Can Be Etched, Heated Into a Rainbow

The post Elon Musk: “Highly Likely” Europe Will Get a Smaller Tesla Cybertruck appeared first on Futurism.

Follow this link:
Elon Musk: “Highly Likely” Europe Will Get a Smaller Tesla Cybertruck

Physicist: Knowing How the Universe Will Die Comforts Me

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Cosmologist Katie Mack says that understanding the ways our universe could theoretically come to an end is

Cosmic Acceptance

For cosmologist Katie Mack, understanding that the ways that the universe might die provides a sense of comfort and connection with everything around her.

Mack, a researcher at North Carolina State University, told BBC News that studying the ways the universe could theoretically end at any moment — or the distant future — gave her a strange sense of peace.

“There’s something about acknowledging the impermanence of existence that is just a little bit freeing,” Mack told BBC News.

All Connected

Mack argues that many people may feel that the universe is happening elsewhere. To them, everyday life isn’t really tethered to the goings-on of the cosmos.

“It kind-of made it personal, this idea that the whole universe has these processes going on all the time, but in principle they could happen to me: I’m in the universe, and I don’t have any protection from this stuff,” Mack told BBC News.

Mack added that with her new book, “The End of Everything,” she’s trying to “share that terror a little bit, which seems mean, but to help people have that more personal connection with what’s going on in the universe.”

Distant Future

Whether it’s heat death, vacuum decay, or any of the other theoretical ways that our universe could go bye-bye, Mack says that any of these scenarios are likely far into the future, if they happen at all.

“It’s probably not going to happen in the next, you know, trillions and trillions and trillions and trillions of years and so on,” Mack told BBC News. “But, technically, it could happen at any time.”

READ MORE: Katie Mack: ‘Knowing how the universe will end is freeing’ [BBC News]

More on the universe: A Complete Timeline of the Future of Our Universe

The post Physicist: Knowing How the Universe Will Die Comforts Me appeared first on Futurism.

Continue reading here:
Physicist: Knowing How the Universe Will Die Comforts Me

NASA Astronauts “Almost Speechless” At How Well SpaceX Crew Dragon Did

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

In a news conference, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley told reporters what it's like to ride SpaceX's Crew Dragon back to Earth.

In a news conference, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley gave a first person account of what it’s like to come screaming back through the Earth’s atmosphere inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Behnken described the riveting events leading up to the splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, with up to four times the Earth’s gravitational force being exerted on their bodies.

“You can hear that rumble outside the vehicle,” he said. “And as the vehicle tries to control, you feel a little bit of that shimmy in your body.”

“It doesn’t sound like a machine, it sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere with all the puffs coming out of the thrusters and the atmosphere noise,” he added.

The NASA astronauts completed SpaceX and NASA’s Demo-2 mission on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time a for-profit group has successfully launched human astronauts into orbit inside a commercial spacecraft.

And it sounds like the mission went by without a hitch.

“We’re almost kind of speechless as far as how well the vehicle did and how well the mission went,” Hurley said during the conference.

Hurley said that he anticipated challenges with the vehicle during the mission, noting that there were plenty of issues with NASA’s retired Space Shuttle.

“The mission went just like the simulators, from start to finish, all the way,” he said. “There really were no surprises.”

Even while screaming through the atmosphere, “the vehicle was rock solid,” even when parachutes deployed.

Behnken described the separation events from the space capsule’s trunk section and parachute firings “very much like getting hit in the back of the chair with a baseball bat.”

“It was just a great relief at that point for both of us,” Behnken said referring to seeing water of the Atlantic splashing up against the water after landing.

“The pizza was waiting when we made it on board,” he added.

Hurley also addressed the fact that more than a dozen of private boaters showed up after splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico to greet the astronauts.

“We appreciate the folks wanting to participate in the event, but there are some safety aspects we’ll have to take a look at,” Hurley said. “It can’t happen like it did before.”

Hurley also addressed reports that the pair made prank calls while waiting inside the spacecraft.

“There was a real reason for it,” he said. “We wanted to get a test objective out of the way which was to call the core station at Hawthorne.”

But after being put on standby, the pair decided to call others as well.

“‘Hi this is Bob and Doug, we’re in the ocean,'” Hurley recalled saying. The pair also called their wives, who were together nearby.

Aside from several spacewalks, the pair had a fairly conventional stay on board the International Space Station — relatively speaking. Behnken gave an account how he told his son over the satellite phone, from on board the space station, how to take care of the family’s new puppy.

“To just share in that journey, that odyssey, that endeavor — as we named our ship — was just one of the true honors of my entire life,” Hurley said, noting the historical significance of the mission.

More on splashdown: Bored Inside Their Spacecraft, NASA Astronauts Made Prank Calls to Pass the Time

The post NASA Astronauts “Almost Speechless” At How Well SpaceX Crew Dragon Did appeared first on Futurism.

See more here:
NASA Astronauts “Almost Speechless” At How Well SpaceX Crew Dragon Did

Watch SpaceX’s Epic Starship Test Flight From Inside the Giant Rocket

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

A new video uploaded by SpaceX shows off the company's impressive first full-scale Starship hop in glorious HD. We even got an inside view.

And Now in HD

Yesterday evening at its testing facilities near Boca Chica, Texas, SpaceX flew its gigantic SN5 Starship prototype to an impressive 500 feet.

And now, we get to watch the event not from a shaky camera set up miles away by onlookers — but in crispy high definition video, courtesy of SpaceX, recorded by drones surveying the incredible event and even inside the giant rocket itself.

Inside Look

The internal view even shows the self-stabilizing Raptor engine pumping out thrust by burning liquid methane and oxygen.

The video also shows side thrusters firing, ensuring that the water tower-like structure stays upright during flight.

Spider Legs

Towards the end of SpaceX’s video, Starship’s six stubby and telescopic legs can be seen swinging out from inside the chassis, ensuring the prototype can securely make its landing.

SpaceX has changed the design of the vehicle’s landing legs during development. Early versions, as shown in renders, resembled those found on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket boosters, extending from the rocket’s sides.

The leg design shown off in today’s video, however, differs greatly from Falcon 9’s, flipping down from attachment points inside Starship’s fuselage. They’re designed to allow landings on uneven ground — including the lunar and Martian surface.

“We’re working on new legs,” Musk wrote in a June tweet. “Wider stance & able to auto-level. Important for leaning into wind or landing on rocky & pitted surfaces.”

More on the launch: Incredible: Watch SpaceX Fly Full-Scale Starship Prototype to 500 Feet

The post Watch SpaceX’s Epic Starship Test Flight From Inside the Giant Rocket appeared first on Futurism.

Read the original here:
Watch SpaceX’s Epic Starship Test Flight From Inside the Giant Rocket

Incredible: Watch SpaceX Fly Full-Scale Starship Prototype to 500 Feet

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Lift-Off!

SpaceX has successfully flown its massive SN5 Starship prototype at its Boca Chica, Texas testing grounds to a planned height of 150 meters, or roughly 500 feet.

“Mars is looking real,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted in response to the news.

And it was quite the sight — a livestream showed the gigantic cylindrical stainless steel structure float up into the air, leaving a massive dust cloud behind. It then smoothly made its return journey downward.

“This looks simultaneously cool as hell and fucking ridiculous,” tweeted Ars Technica senior space reporter Eric Berger.

LAUNCH! Starship SN5 has launched on a 150 meter test hop at SpaceX Boca Chica.
Under the power of Raptor SN27, SN5 has conducted what looks like a successful flight!
Listen to the SpaceXers cheer!
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) filming history!
Livestream: https://t.co/rUNxATy7VJ pic.twitter.com/p5UTRFd0gI
— Chris B – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) August 4, 2020

A Major Milestone

It’s a big milestone in SpaceX’s efforts to build a rocket capable of ferrying up to 100 passengers (or 100 tons of cargo) to the Moon and even Mars.

The massive fuel tank, the company’s sixth full-scale testing prototype, lifted off the ground, with only one of the company’s next-generation Raptor rocket engines roaring below.

Just so we're clear, SpaceX built a Mars rocket out of rolls of steel, in tents, in South Texas, in weeks. And the first time they flew it, it made a smooth launch, a controlled flight, and safely landed. This is truly remarkable.
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) August 5, 2020

Despite today’s success, the SpaceX team still has a long way to go. The final version is designed to hold six Raptor engines and sport a massive nosecone on top. During today’s test, SN5 had a simulated payload mounted to the top of it to compensate for future payloads.

Long Time Coming

An earlier attempt on Monday had to be scrubbed. “Scrubbed for the day,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter yesterday from the Boca Chica control room. “A Raptor turbopump spin start valve didn’t open, triggering an automatic abort.”

The news comes after a series of preceding prototypes have crumpled like cans or exploded spectacularly in a giant fireball.

The SN5 prototype successfully completed a static fire test on July 30 leading up to today’s first hop.

A scaled-down version called “Starhopper” flew to 150 meters during a successful attempt in August 2019. “One day Starship will land on the rusty sands of Mars,” Musk quipped on Twitter at the time.

More on Starship: SpaceX to Attempt First Full-Scale Starship Test Flight This Week

The post Incredible: Watch SpaceX Fly Full-Scale Starship Prototype to 500 Feet appeared first on Futurism.

Read more from the original source:
Incredible: Watch SpaceX Fly Full-Scale Starship Prototype to 500 Feet

Scientists Played a Game of Go at the Quantum Scale

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

A team of scientists made a version of the game

Quantum Realm

A team of Chinese scientists put a new twist on the ancient game Go: They shrunk it down to the quantum scale.

In this new version, the classic black and white stones players use as game pieces were taken away and replaced by pairs of entangled photons, according to Phys.org. While the game is an unusual quantum experiment on its own, the researchers say that the work could herald a new era of quantum physics-based games.

The Rules

In a regular game of Go, players try to claim territory on a board and capture each other’s stones by surrounding them with their own. It’s an extremely complex game governed by extremely simple rules, which has made it a common target for AI researchers.

But in the quantum version, which is described in a paper shared on the preprint server ArXiv last month, the use of entangled photons introduces new layers of complexity and randomness.

Fake Out

The main difference between the two games is that now it matters whether an encircled photon is entangled with another or not. When a player places down two photons, they remain entangled until another photon is placed next to one of them. For as long as they’re entangled, neither photon can be captured.

And thanks to the tricky nature of quantum physics, a player won’t know whether a given photon is entangled with another until they try to capture it, adding a new element of chance and trickery that renders classic Go strategies useless.

READ MORE: Using entangled photons to play “quantum Go” [Phys.org]

More on Go: Human Go Champion Who Lost to AI Says Machines Cannot Be Defeated

The post Scientists Played a Game of Go at the Quantum Scale appeared first on Futurism.

View original post here:
Scientists Played a Game of Go at the Quantum Scale

Astronomers Say That Planets Orbiting Black Holes Are Called “Blanets”

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

A team of scientists figured out how new exoplanets could form around a black hole. They've named the theoretical worlds

Behold The Blanet

A team of scientists was studying how new exoplanets could form around black holes when they ran into a serious problem: figuring out what to call the class of theoretical worlds.

But fret not. They now have a name, ScienceAlert reports, and that dubious name is “blanet.”

Blanet Nine

The actual process, according to the Kagoshima University scientists behind the research submitted to The Astrophysical Journal for peer review last week, would be fairly similar to how regular planets form around stars, just under more extreme conditions.

As dust and gas whirl around a black hole, it could gradually clump together to form a new world — just so long as it’s far enough away to not get gobbled up by the black hole’s gravitational pull.

Blanet Of The Bapes

Though the processes of blanet and planet formation are fairly similar, the end results can be extremely different.

For instance, the research found that blanets could theoretically grow to be anywhere between 20 and 3,000 times more massive than Earth, which Science Alert notes is the highest possible mass a world can reach before it stops being a pla- sorry, a blanet, and is instead classified as a brown dwarf.

READ MORE: We Have Ploonets. We Have Moonmoons. Now Hold Onto Your Hats For… Blanets [Science Alert]

More on exoplanets: NASA Scientist Ponders Life on Planets Orbiting Black Holes

The post Astronomers Say That Planets Orbiting Black Holes Are Called “Blanets” appeared first on Futurism.

Read the rest here:
Astronomers Say That Planets Orbiting Black Holes Are Called “Blanets”

Like Your First Quarantine Sourdough Attempt, This Exoplanet Is “Surprisingly Dense”

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Astronomers have observed an unusual young exoplanet some 150 light-years from Earth that's far more dense for its size and age than thought possible.

My Density

Astronomers have observed an unusual exoplanet, some 150 light-years from Earth, that’s far more dense for its size and age than thought possible. The discovery could force scientists to rethink how planets are formed.

The planet, dubbed K2-25b, orbits a young M dwarf star — the most common type of star in our galaxy — in the Hyades cluster, better known as the Taurus constellation. The planet orbits its star in just 3.5 Earth days.

And yet, scientists say, the planet packs 25 times the mass of Earth into a package smaller than Neptune, which has a diameter only about four times that of Earth. In other words, it’s really, really dense.

Chungus Planet

Conventional theories suggest that giant planets first form an ice-rock core of five to ten Earth masses, before shrouding themselves in a thick layer of gas, hundreds of times the mass of Earth, like Jupiter.

But K2-25b breaks this mold. “K2-25b is unusual,” Gudmundur Stefansson, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, and lead author of the paper, which was recently accepted into The Astronomical Journal, said in a statement. “The planet is dense for its size and age, in contrast to other young, sub-Neptune-sized planets that orbit close to their host star.”

“K2-25b, with the measurements in hand, seems to have a dense core, either rocky or water-rich, with a thin envelope,” he added.

Fair Diffuse

The discovery was made using highly sensitive telescopes that used an “Engineered Diffuser” — a $500 piece of equipment anybody can buy. This diffuser allows light from faraway stars to be spread over more pixels, giving observations more detail and precision.

In other words, thanks to the diffuser, smaller diameter telescopes can be used to make far more precise measurements of stars that otherwise would’ve required much larger telescopes.

READ MORE: Surprisingly dense exoplanet challenges planet formation theories [Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy]

More on dense stars: Star Blasts Own Planets Into Shattered Corpses, Devours Remains

The post Like Your First Quarantine Sourdough Attempt, This Exoplanet Is “Surprisingly Dense” appeared first on Futurism.

NASA Imaged the Bubble Around the Solar System and… Yikes

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

According to new research, the shape of our solar system's heliosphere could resemble a

Only two manmade objects have traveled beyond the far edges of the solar system: NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.

Beyond the heliosphere, the bubble of space created by the Sun, lies the interstellar void of space between stellar systems in our galaxy.

For years, astronomers have suggested that the heliosphere is shaped like a comet, with a characteristically long tail that helps act like a shield that blocks incoming cosmic rays.

But according to new research, its shape could look far more peculiar than that: like a “deflated croissant,” according to a NASA statement. Less comet and more like a chewed up piece of gum, or maybe something vaguely biological from the movie “Annihilation.”

To construct the model, a team of astronomers took a closer look at data collected by NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). The mission analyzed energetic neutral atoms as cosmic rays travel from the Sun and outwards towards the heliopause, the theoretical boundary past which solar winds can’t penetrate, some ten billion miles from Earth.

The team also considered data about charged particles being reflected towards the inner solar system, courtesy of NASA’s Cassini mission, as well as measurements from NASA’s New Horizons mission. Astronomers found that the further solar wind moved away from the Sun, it interacted with an increasing amount of material from interstellar space.

With all this data in hand, the team then got to work to come up with a 3D model of the heliosphere, as detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy in March.

The result looks far more peculiar than the elegant comet-like shape from conventional models. Two jets shoot out of the center of this “croissant,” caused by the solar magnetic field. The overall shape is far smaller, rounder, and narrower than the conventional model.

Knowing the shape of the heliosphere could prove to be helpful in figuring out whether other star systems could also be shielded by a similar bubble, and thereby harbor life. The heliosphere stops most galactic cosmic rays from penetrating through — the ones that get through can prove dangerous, particularly to astronauts.

Astronomers are hopeful that NASA’s upcoming Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) could shed more light on the actual shape of our solar system’s heliosphere. The probe, slated for launch in 2024, will attempt to measure how energetic particles behave and interact with solar wind.

READ MORE: Uncovering Our Solar System’s Shape [NASA]

More on the heliosphere: It’s Official: NASA Is Considering an Interstellar Mission

The post NASA Imaged the Bubble Around the Solar System and… Yikes appeared first on Futurism.

Original post:
NASA Imaged the Bubble Around the Solar System and… Yikes

Democrats Accused of Letting Cops Access Americans’ Browsing Histories

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Advocacy groups accuse Democrats Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi of enabling mass surveillance and underminnig attempts to strengthen privacy.

No Privacy

A group of 11 advocacy organizations, including Fight for the Future and Free Press Action, just signed a letter accusing Democratic Party leadership of throwing Americans’ online privacy under the bus by concealing potentially unauthorized mass surveillance by the FBI.

Specifically, the letter accuses party leaders including Congressman Adam Schiff and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of undermining negotiations to strengthen digital privacy and limit warrantless surveillance or browsing history seizures, Gizmodo reports. It suggests that federal law enforcement is continuing to conduct “dragnet” mass surveillance, even after the laws that allowed those practices expired.

Closed Doors

Particularly damning, Gizmodo reports, is the allegation that Schiff and Pelosi derailed closed-door negotiations among Democrats trying to stop warrantless surveillance in May.

Schiff, who’s the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, refused to back legislation that blocked Feds from accessing Americans’ internet activity without a warrant, claiming that it wouldn’t actually guarantee protection. Meanwhile, the advocacy groups behind the letter say it would have done its job just fine. The vote to approve the legislation ultimately failed.

Grace Period

The letter and Gizmodo’s reporting suggest that the FBI is continuing mass surveillance even though Section 215 of the Patriot Act, the law that allowed it to do so, expired in March of this year. And members of Congress in the know, including Schiff, are allowing it to happen even without Congressional approval.

The letter says that Schiff’s statements suggest “the government may have secretly contorted the law to justify dragnet surveillance of the internet activity of people in the United States, regardless of their United States personhood.”

More on surveillance: The US Government Is Seizing Huge New Surveillance Powers

The post Democrats Accused of Letting Cops Access Americans’ Browsing Histories appeared first on Futurism.

More:
Democrats Accused of Letting Cops Access Americans’ Browsing Histories

Tesla Competitor Slams Cybertruck For Looking “Like a Doorstep”

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

CEO of Tesla competitor and truck maker Nikola Mark Russell recently took aim at Elon Musk's passion project, the Cybertruck — and he didn't mince words.

One Expensive Doorstep

Mark Russell, the CEO of electric truck maker Nikola Motor Company, recently took aim at Elon Musk’s passion project, the Cybertruck — and he didn’t mince words about his most prominent competitor.

“A lot of people didn’t like the look of the Cybertruck, including me,” Russell told CNBC in a recent interview. “I think it looks like a doorstop, but they got lots of reservations for it, so more power to them.” Oh, the shade!

But credit where credit is due: Russell also revealed that his company was inspired by the Cybertruck to build its pickup truck competitor, the Badger.

“A year ago we didn’t believe we would be building a pickup truck,” he told CNBC. “We had built several off-road vehicle prototypes and had a concept for a pickup truck. We didn’t intend to do anything with it until we saw the Cybertruck.

The Badger

Nikola recently started taking reservations for the Badger, an electric pickup that can come with an optional hydrogen fuel cell for an extended range.

Nikola has risen to become a worthy competitor in recent months, at least in the eyes of investors. Share values for the Tesla competitor surged in June following a reverse merger, making it more valuable than both Ford and Fiat-Chrysler.

“Staggeringly Dumb”

Musk has been a vocal critic of hydrogen fuel cell technology in the past, striking up a feud between the two CEOs. “Fuel cells = fool sells,” Musk tweeted in June, mocking the carbon neutral fuel concept, adding that it’s “staggeringly dumb.”

The Cybertruck’s design was extremely divisive after it was first unveiled in November — and that’s not lost on Musk.

“If it turns out nobody wants to buy a weird-looking truck, we’ll build a normal truck, no problem,” Musk said on the “Daily Drive Podcast,” as reported by Teslarati on Monday.

More on the feud: A Brief History of Elon Musk’s Festering Feud With Rival Automaker Nikola

The post Tesla Competitor Slams Cybertruck For Looking “Like a Doorstep” appeared first on Futurism.

See the original post:
Tesla Competitor Slams Cybertruck For Looking “Like a Doorstep”

‘The Umbrella Academy 2’: Who Plays Lila on the Netflix Series and What Else Has She Been In? – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Fans are diving back into the time-traveling adventure of the Hargreeves siblings in Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy. Ritu Arya, who plays Lila Pitts, is an exciting new addition to the cast this season. Heres everything we know about the actor and what else shes been in.

Arya is a British actor who studied at the Oxford School of Drama. According to her IMDB bio, she also has a Bachelors degree in Astrophysics from Southampton University.

The actor got her start on television in 2013 in an unnamed role on The Tunnel, and was then featured on an episode of Sherlock in 2014 opposite Benedict Cumberbatch. She then appeared on a number of British TV shows and short films before landing her first major role as Dr. Megan Sharma on the long-running series, Doctors.

After that, Arya found recurring roles on shows like Humans, Feel Good, The Good Karma Hospital, and Sticks and Stones. She recently appeared on an episode of Doctor Who as Gat, a Time Lord who works with the Fugitive Doctor.

RELATED: The Umbrella Academy 2: Heres Why Yusuf Gatewood, the Actor Who Plays Raymond Chestnut Looks So Familiar

In the second season of The Umbrella Academy, Arya plays Lila Pitts, a mysterious woman who befriends Diego Hargreeves (David Castaeda) after hes dropped in 1960s Dallas, Texas by his brother, Five (Aidan Gallagher).

Lila is committed to an institution with Diego and seems innocent enough in the beginning.But when they escape, and she begins showing off her killer fighting moves, its clear theres more than meets the eye. Diego finds a real connection with Lila, but her ulterior motives ultimately catch up with him and the rest of his siblings.

RELATED: Where Is Netflixs The Umbrella Academy Filmed?

In an interview with Brief Take, Arya revealed that she placed provocative pictures around her trailer to get into Lilas shocking and unpredictable headspace. The Umbrella Academy star said that she immediately fell in love with the character, and truly had a blast playing her.

I mean shes just written really well, said Arya. Ive got to give credit to the writers for that because shes just an incredible character that everything feels like a game for her and I think theres great power in that. I would just bring this. Shes always three steps ahead of everyone else, and when you are coming in with a mindset like that, something shifts.

Arya noted that just like Season 1, the second season of The Umbrella Academy features a diverse cast and inclusive storylines. And she revealed how proud she is to be a part of a series that highlights these different stories.

Its wonderful, she added. I feel like its a real celebration for all the oddballs out therewhich I love, I think its one of the more progressive shows and I love that there is the queer storyline with Ellen (Page) and Marin (Ireland), who I think is amazing. I think that they have great representation in the show, kind of without talking about it. Thats important. I love that about the show that theyre not sort of preaching about the diversity, that they are simply doing it.

Both seasons of The Umbrella Academy are streaming on Netflix.

'The Umbrella Academy 2': Who Plays Lila on the Netflix Series and What Else Has She Been In? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Where to catch live entertainment right now on and near the Las Vegas Strip – Las Vegas Sun

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Richard Brian / Special to the Sun

David Browne, left, and Dave Rooney of The Black Donnellys pose for a photo after a performance at Ri Ra Irish Pub at the shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

The return of big Las Vegas entertainment at arenas, showrooms, theaters and clubs is still far from becoming reality. But there is plenty of smaller-scale live entertainment programmed every week in the citys tourism corridor along Las Vegas Boulevard.

Heres a resort-by-resort breakdown of all the live entertainment currently scheduled on or near the Strip. Keep in mind that anything and everything is subject to change and reservations are strongly encouraged if not required, so get in the habit of calling ahead.

ARIA

Aria has one of the most dramatic lobby areas on the Strip and its stylish Lobby Bar (702-590-8638), open around the clock, welcomes Vegas visitors with a pianist Friday and Saturday nights starting at 7 p.m.

BELLAGIO

The center Strip titan quickly emerged as one of the most entertaining destinations upon reopening thanks to the iconic fountain show and the equally magnetic conservatory, but the incredible musicians, singers and dancers that make the show go at Mayfair Supper Club (702-693-8876) have created plenty of buzz as well. Take it all in along with dinner and drinks Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. Bellagio also has live DJs at Lily Bar & Lounge (702-692-5615) and the legendary pianists at the recently renovated Petrossian Bar (702-693-7111).

CIRCUS CIRCUS

The classic and free circus acts on the second-level Midway (702-734-0410) begin every day at 11:30 a.m.

COSMOPOLITAN

One of Cosmos newest venues, the Barbershop (702-698-7434) is serving up live bands from its intimate stage at 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Thats been a bit of a secret because of the places speakeasy-style of operations, but less under-the-radar is the modern supper club experience at Rose. Rabbit. Lie. (877-893-2001), which offers a variety of acts during dinner and operates Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. The resorts popular club Marquee (702-333-9000) has been booked solid for weekend day and night pool lounging with DJ music, drink service and a full food menu, and you can also catch DJ performances at the casino-level Clique Lounge at 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Courtesy

A general view at Mayfair Supper Club during its debut on New Years Eve at Bellagio Las Vegas on December 31, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for The Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio Las Vegas)

ELLIS ISLAND

The new indoor-outdoor beer garden and restaurant known as the Front Yard (702-733-8901) at the friendly casino and hotel just east of the Strip is currently open Thursday through Saturday and bringing live music to the stage starting at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

FLAMINGO

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (702-733-3302) offers music from a live soloist at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, some relaxing tunes to go with your margarita and cheeseburger in paradise. The Flamingo bar and restaurant also offers plenty of patio space.

MANDALAY BAY

With DJs spinning nightly at 10 p.m. on the 63rd floor Foundation Room lounge (702-632-7631) and on weekends at Daylight Beach Club (702-632-4700), plus regular live music in the restaurant space at the House of Blues (702-632-7600), Mandalay Bay has one of the busiest entertainment programs on the reopened Strip. Bonus pick: The rollicking Irish pub Ri Ra (702-632-7771) at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place continues to host beloved Celtic rock duo the Black Donnellys at 7 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

MGM GRAND

Sitting at the gateway from the casino to MGMs restaurant row is country music hot spot the Losers Bar (702-891-3003) and it continues to offer live music nightly at 6 p.m. in its comfy saloon environment.

NEW YORK-NEW YORK

Sadly, the iconic dueling pianos act at the Bar at Times Square has once again been shuttered, but until its return you can find live bands rocking out at 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday at another long-standing Strip music bar, Nine Fine Irishmen (702-740-3311).

ORLEANS

The off-Strip casino is set to bring the bands back to its live music haven, restaurant and bar Bailiwick (702-365-7111) starting this weekend on July 31. Bands and solo acts will perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

TUSCANY

Just a few blocks east on Flamingo Road lies one of the liveliest lounges in Las Vegas. The staff and musicians that make up the Tuscanys Piazza Lounge (702-893-8933) have been working hard to maintain a robust weekly schedule of music that currently includes Laura Shaffer on Mondays, Ashley Fuller on Tuesdays, Kelly Clinton on Wednesdays, Michael Grimm on Thursdays, Kenny Davidsen on Fridays, Rita Lim on Sundays and a slate of rotating performers on Saturday nights.

VENETIAN/PALAZZO

There are singers and musicians entertaining during the day at St. Marks Square inside the Grand Canal Shoppes and the twin luxury resorts are amping up the atmosphere with live DJs at nightlife spots the Dorsey (702-414-1945) and Electra Cocktail Club (702-607-1950) during weekend evening hours.

WYNN/ENCORE

Though Wynn has reactivated its nightlife venues as lounges, including Encore Beach Club, XS and Intrigue, the only DJ music on property is at Encores Eastside Lounge on Friday and Saturday nights.

Excerpt from:

Where to catch live entertainment right now on and near the Las Vegas Strip - Las Vegas Sun

Angel McCoughtry already making a big impact for the Las Vegas Aces, both on and off the court – CBS Sports

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

It took less than a minute for Angel McCoughtry to announce her presence. In her Las Vegas Aces debut, she grabbed a defensive rebound, took the ball the length of the floor, and weaved her way around multiple Chicago Sky defenders to finish at the rim.

She went for 25 points and eight rebounds on the day, not bad for someone who missed all of last season recovering from knee surgery. The Aces lost, but the strong start was a confidence boost for the five-time All-Star, a reminder that she's still one of the top players in this league.

"It felt like unfinished business," McCoughtry told CBS Sports. "I could just go out there and go."

In the bubble, McCoughty's business goes beyond basketball. The WNBA has dedicated this season to social justice and honoring women who were victims of police and racial violence. In one of many statements the players have made, they are wearing Breonna Taylor's name on their jerseys -- McCoughtry's idea.

It took some time to get the league on board, but what started with just a tweet has blossomed into a relationship with Taylor's family. Seeing her plan come to fruition "meant a lot" to McCoughtry.

"We know that your jersey is so important, because it's basically your personal brand, your jersey is who you are," McCoughtry said. "People buy your jersey. They don't buy your shorts, they don't buy your headbands. I thought if we could put the names on there, that was a great way to advocate while we play."

McCoughtry said Taylor's family was "ecstatic" about the gesture, and she and other players are determined to make sure their partnership doesn't stop when the basketball does. They intend to continue supporting the Breonna Taylor Foundation once they leave the bubble and the spotlight goes away.

For now, though, McCoughtry and the Aces will have to balance their commitments. And so far, it hasn't been a problem for the veteran forward. She's second on the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game and shooting 53.5 percent, while chipping in 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal per game.

To most outside observers, McCoughtry has been everything Las Vegas would have expected. A former scoring champ, she has no problem creating her own offense, something they desperately need with Liz Cambage and Kelsey Plum both out for the season. And she contributes in other areas as well, notably on the defensive end, where she's still a menace.

In the eyes of Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer, however, she's been even more.

"She's better than I thought she was," Laimbeer said. "I wish I had her when she was a youngster. Got a little bit of miles on her now, but she's very capable. Very smart basketball player, great team-oriented basketball player. Smart, leader in her own right, and I expect her to have a really solid year."

McCoughtry said her relationship with Laimbeer, which includes long chats over wine, is unlike any she's had with a coach in her long career. His philosophy and the way he approaches the game was one of the main reasons she chose to sign with the Aces over other interested teams this offseason.

"I like that he keeps it real," McCoughtry said during the Aces-Wings broadcast. "He tells you what you need to work on, and if you're not having a good day, he tells you 'hey, pick it up!' I love that about him."

Another deciding factor was the chance to play with Cambage, but that will have to wait until 2021. But even without the All-WNBA center, McCoughtry still believes the Aces can compete for a title, which was the most important reason she joined the franchise.

Now in her 11th season, McCoughtry has done just about everything besides get a ring. She won Rookie of the Year, two scoring titles, has been to five All-Star Games, was named to six All-WNBA teams and seven All-Defensive teams and captured two Olympic gold medals. She led the Dream to three Finals appearances, where they were always overmatched.

Through the first 12 days of the season, the Aces look strong. Their 2-2 record tells an incomplete story, as the those losses have come by a combined nine points and they're in the top six in the league in both offensive and defensive rating. A 22-game season is inherently unpredictable, but they have the starpower and defense to compete with anyone. If they can continue finding consistent offense despite a lack of outside shooting, contending for a title isn't out of the question.

On the latter point, much of that responsibility will fall to McCoughtry, and her impressive start has not only boosted her confidence, but her teammates' as well. It hasn't taken long for them to realize how much easier she can make the game for those around her.

"Oh Angel McCoughtry, she's nice on the court," Sugar Rodgers said. "She's a beast."

Nice on the court, and nice off of it, McCoughtry is already making a big impact for the Aces.

The rest is here:

Angel McCoughtry already making a big impact for the Las Vegas Aces, both on and off the court - CBS Sports

Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blast amid public anger – Las Vegas Sun

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Published Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 | 4:30 p.m.

Updated 2 hours, 47 minutes ago

BEIRUT (AP) Investigators probing the deadly blast that ripped across Beirut focused Wednesday on possible negligence in the storage of tons of a highly explosive fertilizer in a waterfront warehouse, while the government ordered the house arrest of several port officials.

International aid flights began to arrive as Lebanons leaders struggled to deal with the widespread damage and shocking aftermath of Tuesdays blast, which the Health Ministry said killed 135 people and injured about 5,000 others.

Public anger mounted against the ruling elite that is being blamed for the chronic mismanagement and carelessness that led to the disaster. The Port of Beirut and customs office is notorious for being one of the most corrupt and lucrative institutions in Lebanon where various factions and politicians, including Hezbollah, hold sway.

The investigation is focusing on how 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers, came to be stored at the facility for six years, and why nothing was done about it.

Losses from the blast are estimated to be between $10 billion to $15 billion, Beirut Gov. Marwan Abboud told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath, adding that nearly 300,000 people are homeless.

Beirut as we know it is gone and people wont be able to rebuild their lives, said Amy, a woman who swept glass from a small alley beside by a tall building that served as a showroom for a famous Lebanese designer and was a neighborhood landmark.

This is hell. How are they (people) going to survive. What are they going to do? she said, blaming officials for lack of responsibility and stupidity.

Hospitals were overwhelmed by the injured. One that was damaged in the blast had to evacuate all its patients to a nearby field for treatment.

It was the worst single explosion to strike Lebanon, a country whose history is filled with destruction from a 1975-1990 civil war, conflicts with Israel and periodic terrorist attacks.

Lebanon already was on the brink of collapse amid a severe economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. Many have lost their jobs and seen their savings evaporate because of a currency crisis. Food security is a worry, since the country imports nearly all its vital goods and its main port is now devastated. The government is strapped for cash.

A senior U.S. Defense Department official and member of the U.S. intelligence community said there were no indications the explosion was the result of an attack by either a nation state or proxy forces. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss intelligence briefings publicly. They told AP that at the moment, the explosion seems to have been caused by improper storage of explosives.

Fueling speculation that negligence was to blame for the accident, an official letter circulating online showed the head of the customs department had warned repeatedly over the years that the huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored in the port was a danger and had asked judicial officials for a ruling on a way to remove it.

Ammonium nitrate is a component of fertilizer that is potentially explosive. The 2,750-ton cargo had been stored at the port since it was confiscated from a ship in 2013, and on Tuesday it is believed to have detonated after a fire broke out nearby.

The 2017 letter from the customs chief to a judge could not be immediately confirmed, but state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat ordered security agencies to start an immediate investigation into all letters related to the materials stored at the port, as well as lists of those in charge of maintenance, storage and protection of the hangar.

In the letter, the customs chief warned of the dangers if the materials remain where they are, affecting the safety of (port) employees and asked the judge for guidance. He said five similar letters were sent in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The letter proposes the material be exported or sold to a Lebanese explosives company. It is not known if there was a response.

Badri Daher, the head of the customs department, confirmed to the local LBC TV channel that there were five or six such letters to the judiciary. He said his predecessor also pleaded with the judiciary to issue orders to export the explosive materials because of how dangerous they are to the port and staff there.

Daher said it was his duty to alert authorities of the dangers but that is the most he could do. I am not a technical expert.

President Michael Aoun vowed before a Cabinet meeting that the investigation would be transparent and that those responsible will be punished.

There are no words to describe the catastrophe that hit Beirut last night, he said.

After the meeting, the Cabinet ordered an unspecified number of Beirut port officials put under house arrest pending the investigation.

The government also said public schools and some hotels will be opened for the homeless and promised unspecified compensation for the victims.

With the Port of Beirut destroyed, the government said imports and exports will be secured elsewhere, mostly in the northern city of Tripoli and the southern port of Tyre.

There were signs that public anger went beyond port officials to Lebanon's long-entrenched ruling class. Political factions have divided control of public institutions, including the port, using them to benefit their supporters, with little actual development. That has translated into crumbling infrastructure, power outages and poor services.

May the Virgin Mary destroy them and their families, Joseph Qiyameh, a 79-year-old grocery store owner, said of the leadership. The blast damaged his store, his wife was hospitalized with injuries she suffered at home next door, and his arm was hurt. He doesnt have the money to fix his business, with his savings locked up in banks by controls imposed during the financial crisis.

The Hospital of the Sisters of Rosaries was knocked out of service by the blast, with one of the nuns killed and three others badly injured.

In a moment, there was no longer a hospital. It is all gone," said one of the nuns, who suffered a leg injury.

Residents confronted a scene of utter devastation Wednesday, with smoke still rising from the port. The blast tore out a crater 200 meters (yards) across that filled with seawater, as if the Mediterranean had taken a bite out of the port and swallowed buildings with it. Much of downtown was littered with damaged cars and debris.

Drone footage shot by the AP showed the blast tore open a silo structure, dumping its contents into the debris. Estimates suggested about 85% of the countrys grain was stored there.

Economy and Trade Minister Raoul Nehme said all the wheat was contaminated and unusable. But he insisted Lebanon had enough for its immediate needs and would import more, according to the state news agency.

Two planeloads of French rescue workers and aid headed to Beirut and French President Emmanuel Macron was to arrive Thursday to offer support for the former protectorate. The countries retain close political and economic ties.

Several planes of medical equipment and supplies from Greece, Kuwait, Qatar and elsewhere arrived at Beiruts international airport. Turkey sent search-and-rescue teams, humanitarian aid, medical equipment and a field hospital, its Foreign Ministry said. The EU planned to send firefighters with vehicles, dogs and equipment designed to find people trapped in debris.

Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb and Hassan Ammar in Beirut, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed.

Here is the original post:

Negligence probed in deadly Beirut blast amid public anger - Las Vegas Sun

MGM Growth says hotel-casino tenants paying rent in full and on time – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

The CEO of MGM Growth Properties which acts as landlord for a number of MGM hotel-casinos said the company sits in a very enviable position.

On Tuesday, the real estate investment trust reported access to nearly $2 billion worth of liquidity and said its tenant, MGM Resorts International, was paying rent in full and on time, despite the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Its portfolio includes 15 Las Vegas and regional assets, including the MGM Grand and New York-New York on the Strip.

CEO James Stewart said the company continued to return value to shareholders in the second quarter by redeeming and retiring 30.3 million operating partnership units with MGM Resorts for $700 million in May. The deal brought the casino operators stake in the company down from 61 percent to nearly 57 percent.

MGM Resorts has until February 2022 to cash out on another $700 million worth of units.

The affiliated casino operator is currently the companys sole tenant, but MGM Growth CEO James Stewart said the REIT is in discussions with various gaming operators about potential sale-leaseback transactions.

(These deals) would help them generate liquidity and provide them with an opportunity to replace financial debt with predictable, long-term leases, Stewart said. Benefits of long-term leases with no maturities are more apparent than ever, were confident in our ability to grow over the long term.

Most discussions are focused on either a large asset or more than one asset, Stewart said, but moving forward with deals has proven to be tricky in the midst of a global pandemic, since share volatility makes it difficult to determine an assets underlying cash flow and value.

Changing protocols, the ebbs and flows of the impacts of the pandemic, the impact on property openings, etc. all of that made deal-making much harder, Stewart said.

Nevertheless, Chief Financial Officer Andy Chien remained confident that transactions will come and said integrated resort operators are finding sale leasebacks more and more attractive.

Stewart added that MGM Growth continues to focus on tenants within the gaming industry.

Theres not been a single industry I can think of thats been more responsive to changing customer tastes than the integrated resort business, he said. If theres any industry that can figure out how you reposition space and drive profitability through that space as needed, its the gaming business.

MGM Growth reported $97 million in net income for the second quarter, a 43 percent bump compared with the same period last year, showing once more that real estate investment trusts are some of the strongest-performing gaming-affiliated businesses in the age of COVID-19.

Revenue from rent was $188.3 million for the quarter. Total revenue was down 14 percent to $194.3 million.

MGM Growths shares were up 1.3 percent to $27.71 late Tuesday morning on the New York Stock Exchange.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.

See the rest here:

MGM Growth says hotel-casino tenants paying rent in full and on time - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Its really getting bad here: Summerlin nursing home deadliest in Nevada – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

he voicemails became more desperate as the weeks dragged on.

Maria Alimusa, a 70-year old resident at The Heights of Summerlin skilled nursing home, was recovering from a stroke when she left a voicemail for her son in California on Feb. 21. Her voice quavered as she predicted her impending death.

I just want to say Ive been thinking about you, and I feel like Im going to be passing soon, she told him.

Alimusa, a nurse for 30 years, wasnt worried about the new coronavirus then, as it had not yet reached the U.S. But she told her son, Roderick, she feared she would suffer another stroke because the quality of care at the facility was so poor. She begged him to transfer her to a different nursing home.

Before he could, it was too late.

In one of her last messages, on April 5, she whispered in a raspy voice that she felt she had a cold, though she chalked it up to allergies. But then she developed a phlegm-filled cough.

The symptoms worsened until April 12, when she was transferred from The Heights to Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, where she had once worked.

Alimusa died there two days later.

Only after her death did Roderick Alimusa learn his mother had died of COVID-19, which she apparently contracted in the nursing home.

Though The Heights of Summerlin is licensed by the state as a skilled care nursing home, a newly released, 26-page investigative report from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Review-Journal interviews with current and former staff and patients paint a picture of a facility where the most basic safety precautions were ignored both before and after the coronavirus invaded.

As some patients were discharged without being tested for the illness, families were also left with unanswered questions as to whether their loved ones were counted among the facilitys 28 patient deaths the most of any other state-run or regulated facility.

Maria Alimusa

One other facility, Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites in Reno, has lost 27 residents and one staff member.

To date, The Heights, which has 190 beds, has logged 150 cases of COVID-19 among 87 patients and 63 staff, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services nvhealthresponse.nv.gov website.

Its sister property, St. Joseph Transitional Rehabilitation Center in Las Vegas, also has seen a surge of the disease, recording 57 new cases and five deaths over the past month. It has the second-highest case total among nursing homes at 101 and also is under investigation by the state.

Summit Care LLC is listed as the owner of both properties. Its parent company is Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare Inc., which says on its website that it operates different types of senior facilities in 25 states.

Genesis Healthcare announced in late May that it had received more than $300 million in government grants and loans to help it grapple with the coronavirus pandemic that at the time had killed about 1,500 of its residents.

Its unclear how much of that if any went to its Las Vegas Valley facilities.

The administrator of both nursing homes, Andrew Reese, said in a statement Friday that The Heights is a larger-than-average facility, with more than 300 employees and a significant volume of hospital admissions, which increases the risk of transmission. Patients are also still leaving the facility for lifesaving treatment, like dialysis and chemotherapy.

Despite all of the preventive steps nursing homes are taking, the virus is still making its way into nursing homes across the nation. This is a complex virus that is hard to detect, he said.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by COVID-19 during this difficult time, especially the families of the three patients that passed away at our facility.

One of the most alarming deficiencies state investigators found at The Heights was a lack of timely, accurate reporting of COVID-19 cases and related deaths to the state.

Some cases were not reported until the state found an undisclosed positive test associated with The Heights in the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System and ordered the facility to correct any similar omissions, the investigation found.

The same problem occurred with deaths, as The Heights death case count jumped from eight to 18 when the recheck of records occurred, investigators said.

These additional deaths were already in the COVID death database, but were not known to be associated with the facility until the facility later reported them, investigators wrote.

Reese, The Heights administrator, disputed that, saying an independent review found the facility had not violated record keeping or reporting regulations.

The result was that we successfully disputed the findings and the tag (complaint) was deleted, he said.

Shannon Litz, a spokeswoman for the state Health and Human Services Department, clarified that the complaint was dismissed in reporting to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Healthcare Safety Network, but not on the state level.

The state of Nevada inspection and the (statement of deficiencies) provided still stands, and the Division of Public and Behavioral Health is working with the facility, she said.

Among other findings of the state investigation:

Staff assigned to the quarantine area of the facility were not fit tested or medically cleared for use of the N95 face masks.

Staff improperly wore isolation gowns and jumpsuits and did not follow the procedure for disinfecting them before leaving the isolation areas.

Workers were observed failing to change out of their protective gear after visiting patients.

One symptomatic resident was spotted in the quarantine area without a mask.

Patients often went outside their rooms without wearing masks.

Those familiar with The Heights operations wonder if management bears the blame.

Employees who were present at the time say that news that the coronavirus had been confirmed in the facility came only via whispers, as Reese kept them in the dark and hoarded protective gear in his office.

It wasnt until people spoke up that they stopped doing that and started implementing another plan, according to one worker who was furloughed and asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.

A former nurse supervisor, who left in mid-April out of concern over unsafe working conditions and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the nursing home was not compliant with safety guidelines for health care workers.

I said, COVID is going around, so we do need to have that to protect the nurses and foremost the patients, said the nurse, who did not wish to be identified by name as she is looking for work.

They told me that the (personal protective equipment) supply is in his office, and I said why is it in the office? I dont need to ask him. Hes supposed to provide us with masks, she said.

Nurse

They were not smart enough to get one step ahead. The invisible enemy got there before we could even think. And learning that several of (my patients) died was heartbreaking for me, it really was.

Reese said that workers have been wearing full gear since March 31 and that there has been no shortage of personal protective equipment since then. The supply is secured to make sure that it is not stolen, he said, and he or the supervisor on duty is responsible for distributing it to employees and patients.

Other workers said that the facility also was so desperate for certified nursing assistants that supervisors had other staff members help out on the floors and answer call lights for patients.

At times, the ex-supervisor said, she alone would work a floor with 30 patients.

Reese denied any manpower shortage, saying, At no time during the outbreak have we had any material staffing issues as (the number of patients in the facility) was also impacted.

The facility is advertising job openings for four nurses and two certified nursing assistants on its website.

Patients who stayed at The Heights in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak said they also were not surprised that the disease ran rampant.

Geraldine Garcia, 74, was admitted April 4 for a broken ankle and checked herself out after 10 days.

She said she was not given a mask until April 12, and she alleged that on multiple occasions a nursing assistant changed her diaper with his mask below his chin.

Other times she was left in a wet diaper, sometimes for four hours, she said. Once, she held herself up in a bedpan for 40 minutes before somebody came to help.

She overheard workers say that a man living at a nursing home had died from the coronavirus.

I thank God that I yelled and told them I wanted out of there. I just couldnt take it no more, Garcia said. I could have been one of those that was stuck in there and maybe died.

Other families were not so fortunate.

Phyllis Wyant, who had a small stress fracture in her back, needed six weeks of rehabilitation. But instead the 80-year-old was discharged with a cough after just four days.

The facility never responded to questions from her family on why she was discharged early, they said.

The day after she returned home, Wyant called her daughter, Tracy LaMonica, and told her, I dont feel right.

Wyant was taken to Summerlin Hospital, where she became very weak. The coronavirus claimed her life on April 18.

It went from a cough to pneumonia to COVID to dead in five days, LaMonica recalled later. I definitely feel like they gave it to her and withheld (that information) from us.

Another former Heights resident, 98-year-old Faye Brown, also died at a hospital the same day. Her daughter-in-law, Shelly Robinson, said they were never, not once told that there had been COVID-19 in The Heights.

Robinson said her family received a call from staff at 4:30 a.m. and were told that Browns oxygen levels were low and she was unconscious and couldnt be revived. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at the hospital.

Later that day, the family stopped by the nursing home and were told that there wasnt staff available to help pack up her belongings.

Instead, they invited family members in, gave them masks, took their temperatures and gave them three hours to pack stuff up, Robinson said.

That all changed when they returned the next day. They wouldnt let us in because it wasnt safe, she said.

Reese, The Heights administrator, disputed the account, saying that family members were not allowed to enter the building and that when a patient or resident is discharged or has died, staff members pack up any belongings and contact the family to arrange a pickup.

As far as Robinson knows, Brown was never tested for COVID-19. Her death certificate lists cardiopulmonary arrest and essential hypertension as the immediate cause of death.

Robinson said that throughout the ordeal, she experienced a complete lack of accountability in the culture at The Heights.

Everybody wanted to pass the buck, she said. Just because a person is 98 years old, you cant discount their death. You cant say, Oh, they just died.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Michael Scott Davidson contributed to this report.

Originally posted here:

Its really getting bad here: Summerlin nursing home deadliest in Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa in domestic terrorism hearing, Andy Ngo says – Fox News

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Tensions ran high at a Senate hearing on Antifa on Tuesday as Sen. TedCruz, R-Texas, blasted Democrats for not condemning theleftist extremist groupmore directly for the violencethat has erupted in certain U.S. cities in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.

FBI HAS OPENED 300 'DOMESTIC TERROR' INVESTIGATIONS AS A RESULT OF RIOTS, ATTORNEY TELLS CAPITOL HEARING ON ANTIFA

Andy Ngo, a conservative journalist from Portland who has documented the movements of Antifa for years and was allegedly attacked by members of the group in 2019, saidthey have'mastered the art of making its violence appear innocuous.'

I don't think Congress currently is equipped to handle domestic terrorism because it's so politicized and that's very dangerous for this country, saidNgo, who testified as a witness on Tuesdayshearing.

During the hearing, there was a refusal by Democrats to condemn Antifa, according to Ngo.

I think Republicans have by and large done a very good part with speaking very honestly and openly about far-right extremism and making sure that the sort of world views and ideologies of racist extremist movements don't find root in grounding in the mainstream conservative movement, Ngo told Fox News.Whereas Democrats really struggle with drawing the line on where they feel okay about far-left extremism. As of right now, I don't see them drawing the line anywhere.

BARR: VIOLENCE FROM ANTIFA, OTHER GROUPS 'IS DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND WILL BE TREATED ACCORDINGLY'

There are two contrasting narratives being painted about the realities of what is taking place in Portland and around the country, said Ngo.

If you listen to the local press in Portland, the establishment media, they will talk about how things are peaceful everywhere else around outside of this area. If you follow my work and you see the videos I put up through myself or through tweets from others, that's absolutely not the case, explained Ngo.

According to the Portland journalist, the notion that the riots and violence havestopped is a falsely painted picture by the mainstream media.'

Last night, there was a riot that was declared by the Portland police because riotersAntifablack bloc militants broke into the police union building and trashedthe lobby. Fortunately, they were repelled before they were able to start a fire," Ngo told Fox News.

ANTIFA: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE MASK

There's a solution and you get on the path of working towards a solution by actually admitting there's a problem. And when one half of this country is not willing to admit that there isa problem, then you can't get on working towards even imaginingwhat steps you can take to come up with solutions, Ngo said. Democrats have chosen really to stand in the way of what should be anonpartisan condemnation of an anti-American, anti-government, violent extremist movement.

Antifa is viewed by many as a loosely organized, unstructured movement. Despite statements from President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr, U.S federal prosecutors have produced no evidence linking any of the dozens of people arrested in Portland to Antifa.

We have not alleged defendant affiliation with any specific groups or ideologies in our cases stemming from recent Portland protests, Kevin Sonoff, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland, told Reuters. Our cases focus purely on the criminal conduct alleged.

Originally posted here:

Democrats refuse to condemn Antifa in domestic terrorism hearing, Andy Ngo says - Fox News

Authorities tell people to leave Oak Island, declaring much of it unsafe after Isaias – WRAL.com

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

By Amanda Lamb, WRAL reporter

Oak Island, N.C. Brunswick County authorities cut utilities to much of Oak Island on Tuesday to encourage people to leave the area after Hurricane Isaias roared through the barrier island late Monday.

The storm surge pushed water though the bottoms of beachfront homes and buried several streets in feet of sand. Authorities said many structures aren't safe to stay in, so they want people to leave for now.

A mandatory evacuation order for visitors and residents on the western half of the island takes effect at noon Wednesday, and a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will remain in effect for the entire island until further notice.

Katie Allen stayed in the house her family has owned on Oak Island since the 1960s until she heard it breaking apart at the height of the storm.

"I was there until pretty late, sitting in the bathtub with the lights out, with a bottle of water and my go bag," Allen said. "I'm so glad that I did get out. When I looked back at the house when I left around midnight and saw how much had already been [damaged], I was very upset and emotional."

She stayed with a neighbor and awoke to find that Isaias had washed her car away.

"[It] was banked up against this piling" under a house across the street, she said.

The car was towed away Tuesday afternoon, and Allen said she believes it's a total loss.

Derrick Palecek of Raleigh stayed at his family's vacation home on the island through the storm and said he was stunned at the devastation he saw Tuesday morning.

"I've never seen anything like this. It's the first hurricane I've ever been through. It was eye-opening to me," said Palacek, who shot drone video of the island and shared it online.

"A lot of people were already up just walking around, and it was immediate cleanup," he said. "It was 'Let's help this person dig their car out.'"

He said the hurricane experience was a one-time thing for him.

"I wouldn't do it again," he said. "It was very alarming how big just a Category 1 [hurricane] was."

Follow this link:

Authorities tell people to leave Oak Island, declaring much of it unsafe after Isaias - WRAL.com

Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island reopen to residents and vendors; minimal damage from Isaias – WAVY.com

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Danzig

Posted: Aug 4, 2020 / 12:18 PM EDT / Updated: Aug 4, 2020 / 04:44 PM EDT

HATTERAS, N.C. (WAVY) Both Hatteras and Ocracoke islands are reopening after issuing mandatory evacuations ahead of Isaias.

After facing minimal impacts from tropical storm Isaias, Dare County officials say Hatteras Island reopened with unrestricted access at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Hyde County officials also reopened Ocracoke Island for residents, property owners and vendors effective at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Ocracoke would reopen for visitors at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

NCDOT announced Tuesday the U.S. Coast Guard gave permission for the Hatteras Inlet ferry route to resume service Tuesday afternoon.

The route will run this limited schedule for the rest of the day Tuesday:

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the temporary schedule will be as follows:

The ferry will resume its regular schedule Thursday, Aug. 7.

Meanwhile, more inland areas of the state were hit hard, including Bertie County, where at least two people are dead after tornadoes touched down early Tuesday morning.

Gov. Roy Cooper held a press conference to discuss the states storm response at 3 p.m.

Dare County Emergency Management says some sand and water may be in low-lying areas, including Highway 12 south of the Etheridge Bridge, but damage has been relatively small. No ocean overwash was reported on NC 12.

Though officials say delays should be expected and drivers should check road conditions ahead of time at http://www.drivenc.gov.Surf conditions are still dangerous and ocean swimming is prohibited at this time.

Hyde County officials warn those traveling to Ocracoke that there may be delayed with the ferries.

Outer Banks national park sites are safe to reopen by Wednesday. Those sites include Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Facilities and operations that have been closed and/or suspended due to COVID-19 safety precautions will still remain closed.

Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island reopen to residents and vendors; minimal damage from Isaias - WAVY.com

Select Page ::