ckf
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He's doing well. He spends most of his free time building radio antennas so he can make more contacts around the world. His latest setup bounces radio signals off the moon
Baked ziti, tossed salad and garlic bread
Scotts Miracle-Gro is squaring up to cash in on the marijuana business -- and JP Morgan is betting its stock will go higher. Scotts, a lawn and garden supplier, is buying up a few businesses involved in hydroponics, a method used to grow pot without soil. On Thursday Jeffrey Zekauskas, an analyst with JP Morgan, upgraded his outlook for the company's stock and raised its target price from $70 to $85. "The hydroponics market taps into marijuana demand and the company now has a growth option that we think an investor is able to capture for about the price of the traditional business," Zekauskas said, according to a Barrons blog post. Soon after the stock was upgraded, Scotts (SMG) hit an all time high of $80.14. That bested the previous all-time high set Wednesday after Scotts issued its latest earnings update. Despite sub-par earnings that the company blamed on poor weather conditions earlier this year, CEO Jim Hagedorn told investors that the company is finalizing its third "significant acquisition in the hydroponics space." "As we had promised, we are now beginning the transition away from acquisitions and will begin a more aggressive return of cash to shareholders," Hagedorn said in a press release. Its stock is now up more than 23% year to date. Wall Street has been bullish on marijuana, as legal sales have skyrocketed due to more states adopting recreational and medical marijuana laws. In 2015, sanctioned pot sales grew to $1.2 billion, more than triple the 2014 numbers.
Cheap oil has fueled a massive wave of job cuts that may not be over yet. Since oil prices began to fall in mid-2014, cheap crude has been blamed for 195,000 job cuts in the U.S., according to a report published on Thursday by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. It's an enormous toll that is especially painful because these tend to be well-paying jobs. The average pay in the oil and gas industry is 84% higher than the national average, according to Goldman Sachs. The cuts have occurred at a time when many other corners of the American economy have been adding jobs. About 95,000 positions were eliminated by energy companies in 2016 alone, according to Challenger. Most of those job cuts occurred earlier this year, as oil prices crashed to a 13-year low of $26 a barrel. But Challenger noted that there was a "resurgence" of energy-sector job cuts in July, when layoffs spiked by 796% to 17,725. Oil prices have rebounded from extreme low levels, but they're losing ground again in recent weeks, briefly slipping back below $40 a barrel this week. Expect more energy job losses to be reflected in Friday's government jobs report for July. Few oil companies have been spared the pink slips. Everyone from diversified oil companies like Chevron (CVX), to oil services firms like Schlumberger (SLB) and Baker Hughes (BHI) have announced mass layoffs. Halliburton (HAL) alone has slashed more than 30,000 jobs, including 5,000 during the second quarter of this year. "The industry has been hit harder than we've seen in the 15 years we've been in the business, much harder than '08 downturn," Jeff Bush, president of oil and gas job recruiter CSI Recruiting, recently told CNNMoney. And then there are the thousands of layoffs by non-energy companies that provide equipment used to drill for oil like Caterpillar (CAT) and Joy Global. (JOY) The good news for laid-off oil workers is that some think the pendulum may have swung too hard, creating a talent shortage when drilling activity eventually rebounds. Goldman Sachs predicted the oil and gas needs to hire between 80,000 and 100,000 people by the end of 2018 just to keep up. The oil industry may need to pay up to lure workers back to the oil patch. "Not only have laid off workers relocated to other areas for new jobs but, just as in many other industries, a large portion of the workforce is reaching retirement age," said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas
I don't read everything here, but I haven't seen it.
He seems to be able to engage just fine with Vince even though they don't share the same opinion
Sturm Ruger sales jump 19% by Jackie Wattles and Aaron Smith @CNNMoneyInvest August 2, 2016: 5:54 PM ET Gun sales in America are still soaring, pushing Sturm Ruger's sales and profits sharply higher this quarter. The company said its sales were driven by several new products, including the American Pistol, the LC9s pistol, the Precision Rifle and the AR-556s modern sporting rifle. Ruger's sales for the second quarter jumped 19%, to $168 million, while earnings-per-share climbed 34%. The company also announced that its CEO Michael Fifer, who's headed the company for a decade, will retire on May 9, 2017. Replacing him is Christopher Killoy, who currently serves as Ruger's COO. The country's other major gun maker, Smith & Wesson (SWHC), has also seen unprecedented sales volumes. Its stock hit a new all-time high yesterday. The FBI reported last month was the busiest July on record for background checks, putting 2016 on pace to set an annual record.
I miss most of those guys, too
Washington (CNN)A divided Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to temporarily block a lower court order that had cleared the way for a transgender male high school student to use the boys' bathroom in a Virginia public school this fall. The ruling is a victory for the school board and a loss -- for now -- for Gavin Grimm, the student who won at the lower court level. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan would have left the lower court decision undisturbed. It took five justices to act, and Justice Stephen Breyer wrote separately to say that he concurred in the decision in part because granting the stay would "preserve the status quo" until the court has a chance to consider a petition for cert. "I vote to grant the application as a courtesy," Breyer wrote. "The order comes as something of a surprise given the current composition of the court," said Steve Vladeck, CNN contributor and professor of law at the University of Texas School of Law. "In the short term, this means the relationship between transgender identity and sex discrimination will be left in limbo until the Supreme Court resolves it one way or the other. But given that Justice Breyer's vote was only a courtesy, it's hard to see the court being able to settle this matter until a ninth justice is appointed," Vladeck said. The case comes as the issue of transgender policies have caused controversy across the country. Most notably, the Department of Justice is suing North Carolina over its law concerning transgender bathrooms. On Monday, a federal court heard a separate challenge to the law from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups. In court papers in the Virginia case, lawyers for the Gloucester County School Board asked the court to preserve the status quo and allow the school's policy to remain in effect once the school year commenced, while they asked the Supreme Court to take up an appeal of the lower court ruling. The school board said the policy was meant in part to protect the "basic expectations of bodily privacy of Gloucester County students." It stressed that in September, when the school year commences, Grimm would have access to three single-user restrooms as well as a restroom in the nurse's office. Grimm's lawyers say the policy violates an anti-discrimination law and told the court that it should allow the lower court order to remain in place. "No irreparable harm will occur" said Joshua Block, an ACLU lawyer, if Grimm "is allowed to use the boys' restroom while this court considers whether to grant certiorari." Block said that Grimm "is a boy and lives accordingly in all aspects of his life" but that "the sex assigned to him at birth was female." Grimm was originally allowed to use the boys' restroom, but after complaints from some parents, the school administered a new policy restricting restrooms to students based on their biological gender. His lawyers say that the policy violates Title IX, a federal law banning sex discrimination in schools. They say the law protects the rights of transgender students to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity. "Banishing transgender students from the restrooms used by their peers unquestionably interferes with their equal educational opportunity under Title IX," Block argued. Block later said the court's ruling would mean Grimm will be "stigmatized" for the upcoming school year. "We are disappointed that the court has issued a stay and that Gavin will have to begin another school year isolated from his peers and stigmatized by the Gloucester County school board just because he's a boy who is transgender," Block said in a statement. "We remain hopeful that Gavin will ultimately prevail." The National Center for Lesbian Rights, meanwhile, called Wednesday's ruling "disappointing" but were encouraged that it was temporary. "Especially in light of Justice Breyer's statement that his vote for a stay was a mere 'courtesy' to preserve the status quo while the court considers whether to review the decision, this should not be taken as any sign of where a majority of the court is leaning on the substantive question of whether Title IX protects transgender students," the group said in a statement. The Gloucester County School Board issued a brief statement welcoming the court's decision. "The school board welcomes the Supreme Court's decision as the new school year approaches. The board continues to believe that its resolution of this complex matter fully considered the interests of all students and parents in the Gloucester County school system," the statement said.
only a matter of time before we see a big attack on American soil.
Washington (CNN)In the first case of a US police officer charged with aiding ISIS, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority cop was arrested Wednesday for providing material support to ISIS, the Justice Department announced. Nicholas Young was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday but was on law enforcement's radar since 2010, according to an affidavit released with Young's arrest. There was no evidence of any threat to the DC Metro system. Young will make his first appearance in court later Wednesday, according to two law enforcement officials. He would be the first police officer in the United States arrested and charged with supporting ISIS. Young has been in contact with undercover law enforcement officers and informants since 2011 and was interviewed as early as 2010 about his relationship with a friend, Zachary Chesser, who pleaded guilty to supporting a foreign terrorist organization, according to court documents. In addition, Young allegedly met several times with Amine El Khalifi before el Khalifi was arrested in 2012 for plotting to carry out a suicide bombing at the US Capitol building. In 2014, Young also began meeting with an informant who convinced Young he was traveling overseas to join ISIS in Syria, according to the FBI. Once Young believed that had happened, the FBI began communicating directly with Young electronically, posing as the informant. The core charge of material support came from Young allegedly buying gift cards to support ISIS through mobile messaging accounts. He sent the gift card codes to the person he believed to be in Syria in late July. Young also traveled to Libya in 2011 and tried to go a second time, telling law enforcement he was working with rebels to overthrow Moammar Gaddafi, according to the court documents. Numerous times he allegedly expressed desires to stockpile weapons, attack law enforcement and warned others about being watched. Young was a Metro police officer since 2003 but was fired Wednesday morning after his arrest, according to Metro Transit Police. "This investigation began with concerns that were reported by the Metro Transit Police Department, and it reinforces that, as citizens, we all have a duty to report suspicious activity whenever and wherever it occurs," Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik said in a statement. Metro General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedefeld called the case "profoundly disturbing," saying the agency has been working "hand-in-glove" with the FBI throughout the investigation.
New fighters are most-expensive weapons system in history US Air Force via CNN (CNN) —The U.S. Air Force says the most-expensive weapons system in its history is ready for combat. The service said Tuesday that its version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35A Lightning, has reached IOC (Initial Operating Capability), meaning that it is developed enough and has passed the proper tests to be flown on combat missions. "I am proud to announce this powerful new weapons system has achieved initial combat capability," Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said. "The F-35A will be the most dominant aircraft in our inventory because it can go where our legacy aircraft cannot and provide the capabilities our commanders need on the modern battlefield." Carlisle touted the squadron's performance during testing, including its ability to conduct basic close air support, suppress/destroy enemy air defenses and deploy and conduct operational missions using a program of record weapons and missions systems. "The declaration of initial operational capability marks an important milestone as the Air Force will operate the largest F-35 fleet in the world with more than 1,700 aircraft," the F-35 program's executive officer, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, said in a statement. "The F-35 will form the backbone of air combat superiority for decades and enable warfighters to see adversaries first and take decisive action," he said. The designation marks a major milestone for the $400 billion program. The single-engine F-35 fighter jet is touted as the future of military aviation; a lethal and versatile aircraft for three military branches that combines stealth capabilities, supersonic speed, extreme agility and state-of-the-art sensor fusion technology, according to Lockheed Martin, the plane's primary contractor. But the Joint Strike Fighter program has drawn sharp criticism after numerous hardware malfunctions and software glitches delayed the aircraft for more than three years and caused its budget to swell some $200 billion over initial estimates. "Any progress that helps our warfighters maintain air dominance is a good thing, and this marks an important milestone for the Air Force and for our air combat capabilities," Rep. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, told CNN. "However, the F-35 development process has also been rife with delays and cost overruns, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars," said Duckworth, a member of the House Armed Services Committee who has worked to bring more oversight to the F-35 acquisition process. In 2014, the entire fleet of F-35s was grounded following an engine fire during testing, and the program has experienced persistent software problems that have slowed mission testing and resulted in schedule delays. There were also setbacks at key milestones, including the start of the flight test program, delivery of the first production-ready aircraft and testing of critical missions systems, according to the Government Accountability Office. In April, the GAO documented risks to the F-35's Autonomic Logistics Information System, which Department of Defense officials have described as the "brains" of the fifth-generation fighter. The report warned that a failure "could take the entire fleet offline," in part, due to the lack of a backup system. And a cloud of skepticism still hangs over the program, even with Tuesday's announcement. "This is nothing but a public relations stunt," said Dan Grazier, a fellow of the Project On Government Oversight, a government watchdog group. "The Air Force said their first F-35s would be combat ready in August 2016, so they are going to say they are today," he said. "If they didn't make this declaration now, the Air Force and the JSF program would be embarrassed at the very least and cause serious questions about future funding." To maintain and operate the Joint Strike Fighter program over the course of its lifetime, the Pentagon will invest nearly $1 trillion, according to the GAO. Despite a controversial history that has spanned more than 15 years, the Air Force's certification that its variant of the F-35 is ready for combat marks the most significant sign, to date, that the next-generation aircraft is finally close to realizing its potential on the battlefield, according to Lockheed Martin. "With the F-35A, the Air Force now has a fighter combining next-generation radar-evading stealth, supersonic speed, fighter agility and advanced logistical support with the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor package of any fighter aircraft in history," Jeff Babione, the general manager of Lockheed Martin's F-35 program, said in a statement to CNN. "It will provide airmen unprecedented lethality and survivability, a capability they will use to defend America and our allies for decades to come," he said. Originally conceived in 2001 to upgrade the U.S. military's aging tactical fleet, the single-seat F-35 has slightly different forms and capabilities to meet the needs of each military branch. The Marine Corps declared the first squadron of its F-35B variant ready for combat in July 2015 with the intention of upgrading and resolving the software issues that still plagued the aircraft at the time before its first planned deployment in 2017. While the Air Force has had to wait more than a year longer than the Marines to reach the "combat ready" milestone, the significance of reaching this point in the development process is amplified due to the number of planes it has requested. The Air Force plans to buy 1,763 of the 2,443 total F-35s ordered by the Pentagon. And the service's confidence in its version of the aircraft, despite pending tests and software upgrades, is evidence that the program has gotten back on track in recent years, according to Pentagon officials. "The roads leading to IOC for both services were not easy and these accomplishments are tangible testaments to the positive change happening in the F-35 program," Bogdon said. Officials have also pointed to the progress made by the Marines' F-35 variant since it was declared combat ready as another sign that the program's major problems are in the past. It's "ready to go right now," said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the head of Marine aviation, when asked last week if the F-35 could be deployed for combat missions if needed, adding that the aircraft could even fly missions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria if called upon. "If we think we need to do that, we will," Davis said. "We're ready to do that." Last week, the Air Force's F-35 variant completed its first successful air-to-air "kill" test, destroying a flying drone with a missile launched from the aircraft's wing. "It's been said you don't really have a fighter until you can actually hit a target ... this successful test demonstrates the combat capability the F-35 will bring to the U.S. military and our allies," said U.S. Air Force test pilot, Maj. Raven LeClair. "This test represents the culmination of many years of careful planning by combined government and contractor teams, he said. We want to ensure operators will receive the combat capability they need to execute their mission and return home safely -- we cannot compromise or falter in delivering this capability." The F-35 also made its international debut in July at the Farnborough airshow in the United Kingdom. It is intended for use by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and 10 foreign countries. The Navy plans to declare its version of the F-35 ready for combat in 2018.
