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  1. Backup Camera on my RZR.
  2. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    Apple ‘aims to source all US iPhones from India’, reducing reliance on China Dan Milmo Global technology editor Fri, April 25, 2025 at 5:16 AM CDT 3 min read The manufacturing process behind iPhones involves more than 1,000 components sourced from all over the world – although they are largely put together in China.Photograph: James Manning/PA Apple is reportedly planning to switch assembly of all iPhones for the US market to India as the company seeks to reduce its reliance on a Chinese manufacturing base amid Donald Trump’s trade war. The $3tn (£2.3tn) technology company aims to make the shift as soon as next year, the Financial Times reported. Apple has been swept up in Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, with the iPhone maker at one point among the biggest stock market casualties because of the prospect of its Chinese-made products being hit with a hefty import tax when they reach the US. However, the blow was softened by a White House decision to exclude smartphones from the heaviest Chinese tariffs, although Apple is still exposed to a 20% levy on all Chinese goods as part of the US president’s response to China’s role in producing Fentanyl. The complex manufacturing process behind iPhones involves more than 1,000 components sourced from all over the world – albeit they are largely put together in China. Apple is secretive about details of its production processes but analysts estimate that about 90% of its iPhones are assembled in the country. According to the FT, Apple plans to source from India the more than 60m iPhones sold in the US annually by the end of 2026 – a commitment that would require more than doubling iPhone assembly in India. Apple has already been ramping up production in India and diverting iPhones assembled in the country to the US. The company’s main Indian suppliers, Foxconn and Tata, shipped almost $2bn worth of handsets to their largest market in March as Apple sought to offset the impact of looming tariffs. It also chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tonnes of iPhones – or as many as 1.5m devices – to the US to ensure sufficient inventory in an important market. Apple has three plants in India and last month temporarily extended operations to Sunday working at the biggest Foxconn India factory in Chennai. More than 5o% of Apple’s Mac products and 80% of its iPads are assembled in China as well, according to US investment bank Evercore. Apple watches are largely built in Vietnam. Analysts do not expect Apple to move iPhone production to the US, despite the White House insisting that the manufacturing of an American tech product will ultimately return home. The US president’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters that Apple’s recent announcement of a $500bn investment indicated a US-made iPhone was possible. “If Apple didn’t think the US could do it, they probably wouldn’t have put up that big chunk of change,” she said. However, experts have played down the prospect. Wedbush Securities, a US financial firm, said the cost of an American-made iPhone would more than treble if production was shifted to the US. “If consumers want a $3,500 iPhone we should make them in New Jersey or Texas or another state,” the Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said. Fraser Johnson, a professor at Ivey business school in Canada and an Apple supply chain expert, said last month that the US economy did not have the facilities or the flexible labour to assemble iPhones. “To train 200,000-300,000 people to come in and assemble iPhones is simply not practical,” he said. Apple has been approached for comment.
  3. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    https://www.foxnews.com/health/holding-paper-receipts-just-10-seconds-can-pose-health-risks-researchers-warn
  4. https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-governor-seeks-help-struggling-202855016.html
  5. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    1Columbia University has announced that Donald J Trump will be its next commencement speaker, receiving a doctor of business administration degree, honoris causa. The board of trustees has affirmed that there is absolutely no relationship between these distinctions and its previous concessions to the US government after its threats to withdraw $400m in federal funding from the university. It will continue, a press release stated, to award honors as befits an institution that, like Harvard, is renowned for its independence from all political pressure. 2The Nobel peace prize for 2025 has been awarded to Donald J Trump for his efforts to abolish war in our time and his unflagging support for the rights of women and immigrants worldwide. The decision by the Norwegian Nobel committee was accompanied by a plea for an end to Oslo’s coincidental occupation by peace-keeping contingents from the US fleet forces command. 3Columbia University’s Pulitzer committee has awarded Donald J Trump a Pulitzer prize in public service for having unleashed the potential of American greatness. 4The Society of American Magicians has named Donald J Trump as its escape artist of the year, thanks to his Houdini-like ability to avoid any consequence whatsoever for his multiple encounters with the law. 5The Kennedy Center has announced that all five of its 2025 honors in the performing arts will go to Donald J Trump for his past and ongoing contributions to American culture and fine arts. In other news from the capital, the Smithsonian Institution has named the newest building being planned for the Mall as the Donald J Trump White European Heritage Museum. 6Columbia University has added another honorary degree to be bestowed on Donald J Trump before his commencement speech: a doctor of humane letters, citing his campaign against false ideologies in our educational establishments. 7In a speech by the president during the bestowal of the Nasa distinguished service medal, he thanked the independent agency for renaming the Sombrero galaxy as the Donald J Trump galaxy, a signal, he declared, to alien invaders that they are not welcome in our beautiful homeland. 8The Nobel prize in literature has been awarded to Donald J Trump for his ability to meld fiction and non-fiction in hitherto uncharted ways, exercising an immense influence on writers and readers across the planet for generations to come. The Swedish Nobel committee cited the president’s books Save America and Kick Ass and Think Big as outstanding examples of his inimitable style. It also hoped that by the time the American laureate receives this honor from King Carl XVI Gustaf, the US Marines currently camped in Stockholm might be withdrawn from the city. To hasten such an evacuation, further measures may be taken by the committee. 9The Lee C Bollinger Forum at Columbia University has been selected as the auditorium where the Arnold J Palmer lifetime service award for sportsmanship while playing golf will be presented to Donald J Trump. The Forum also expects to be the site where Donald J Trump will collect the Nobel prize in economics, the first to be conferred since the Swedish Academy assigned the decision about that award to the board of trustees of the newly created Elon Musk Delete Institute at Columbia University. 10Donald J Trump was the 2025 recipient of an unprecedented four Emmy awards in the categories of acting, directing, editing and screen-writing, with a special emphasis on his enduring contributions to innovative forms of reality TV. The president was unable to attend the ceremony in New York as he had flown to San Diego, California, to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Bram Stoker Horror Writers Association for the way in which his entire body of work has substantially influenced terror and dread. 11During his investiture as the new chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Donald J Trump called on Iran to follow the example of Israel and elect him as supreme ayatollah, a way to guarantee, he declared, peace between these two nations. The rabbinical service took place at the site where the Trump Gaza Riviera hotel is being built. 12The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB have collectively voted Donald J Trump as the comeback coach of the year for leading Team America to victory against overwhelming odds. The ceremony will take place at the Lerner Roone Arledge Auditorium at Columbia University. 13The General Augusto Pinochet Foundation will host Donald J Trump, Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a mass rally at the National Stadium in Santiago de Chile to celebrate them as defenders of democracy. 14The Oxford Union has announced that Donald J Trump will debate himself in an upcoming session devoted to the question: “Is Donald J Trump the greatest American president of all time?” The unique decision to invite Mr Trump to argue twice in favor of the proposal as to his greatness was only reached after a judicious consideration of his outstanding rhetorical skills, which constantly keep his audience in suspense regarding what he will say or do next. 15Columbia University’s Pulitzer committee has awarded Donald J Trump two retroactive Pulitzers in non-fiction and biography for The Art of the Deal, with apologies for having overlooked this seminal work when it was published. 16The conclave of cardinals has chosen Donald J Trump as the new pope, citing his deep respect for the unborn and his wise stewardship of the environment and compassion for the poor. In a press release, the Vatican expressed the hope that the F-117 stealth fighters that have been deploying tactical nuclear weapons while hovering over Rome during this week might be ordered by the Air Force Strike Command back to their base in Aviano once the new pontiff is installed. The president is expected to easily pass the testicle test that every Holy Father must undergo, given that lots of people say that he has balls the likes of which have never been seen before. Ariel Dorfman, a distinguished professor emeritus of literature at Duke University, is the Chilean American author of the play Death and the Maiden and the novel The Suicide Museum and, more recently, Allegro, narrated playfully by Mozart
  6. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    The fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward.
  7. Just got a decent raise on my retirement starting May 1st..
  8. Bad news for owners of these vehicles – Toyota and Lexus recall more than 100,000 units due to serious engine failure – here is the list of modelsby Laura M. 04/18/2025 06:00 in Mobility Bad news for owners of these vehicles - Toyota and Lexus recall more than 100,000 units due to serious engine failure - here is the list of models Bad news for Hyundai and Kia in the U.S. – they are facing a class action lawsuit over defective fuel injectors that could cause serious engine failureFarewell to GM – production of this iconic model will cease and more than 2000 workers will be laid off – this is whyNo more queuing at DMW to renew your driver’s license – you can now do it at these kiosks installed in supermarkets – full listToyota, the most reliable brand on the market according to absolutely all analyses, has just announced that it will have to face one of the most expensive recall campaigns in recent years: it will completely replace the 3.4-liter V6 twin-turbo engines in more than 100,000 vehicles after detecting an internal manufacturing fault. The measure affects Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX models manufactured between November 2021 and February 2023, and although it was initially thought that only a percentage might be affected, the brand has decided not to take risks: all the engines from that series will be replaced, without exception. The problem, after analysis, seems to come from metallic residues that were not properly removed during the engine production, and these remains can cause power loss until the car stops while driving. And although initially, the cases were isolated, Toyota has already received more than 800 warranty claims and 166 technical reports, so they have opted for the most decisive action: recall and replace. More than 100,000 affected unitsThe campaign covers exactly 98,600 units of the Toyota Tundra and 3,500 of the Lexus LX, all with non-hybrid versions of the 3.4-liter V6 engine. Toyota notified the situation to NHTSA in May 2024, and although the exact percentage of defective engines is still unknown, the decision is clear: all the engines from that production period will be replaced to avoid any risk on the road. What exactly failedThis is not a visible breakdown or wear from use. The origin is in microscopic metal particles that were left inside the engine during assembly. Over time, these remains cause internal detonations, failed starts, and, in extreme cases, complete engine stoppage while driving. The first case was reported to the brand in 2022, when a customer informed that their vehicle had stopped for no apparent reason. From there, Toyota’s technical team followed the trail until they found the origin of the problem, recording 166 technical reports and more than 800 warranty claims. What owners need to doToyota has confirmed that it will send official notices before the end of this month. Owners will be able to take their vehicle to any authorized dealership to have the engine completely replaced at no cost. Although this involves a multimillion-dollar investment, the brand has decided to take it on to preserve safety and, above all, its reputation, something they value as gold in such a competitive market like the automotive one. What if you have a hybrid version?For now, this campaign only affects the non-hybrid engine versions. The hybrid variants of the Tundra and Lexus LX are not included. Still, Toyota is monitoring the situation and does not rule out expanding the review if it detects something similar in other lines. How do I know if my car is affected?If you have a Tundra or a Lexus LX manufactured between November 2021 and February 2023, you can now check your VIN number on Toyota’s official website or visit your trusted dealership. Even if you have not yet received the letter, you can already verify if you are part of the affected group. Protecting the imageWhile many brands extend timelines or minimize their problems until they can no longer hide them, Toyota has done just the opposite. They have acknowledged the fault, investigated rigorously, and opted to replace all the engines directly. A costly decision but also strategic: to prevent the problem from escalating and demonstrate that customer safety remains their priority. The repair will be free for users, but the overall bill will be extremely high. Still, Toyota has decided to take the hit to avoid risking its reliability. Because sometimes, the best way to save your reputation is to act before it’s too late.
  9. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    Scientists in Pennsylvania have invented a chewing gum that can eliminate 95% of the flu virusThe seasonal flu costs Americans more than $11.2 billion dollars per year. A new gum can drastically reduce the spread of flu. By Erik BarnesApr 12, 2025 According to the National Health Institute, influenza hospitalizes 200,000 people each year, along with killing more than 36,000 people in the United States annually. This is why the Center for Disease Control recommends taking a flu vaccine each year to help prevent infection or curb the dangers of infection of the flu virus. However, scientists have found a way that’s 95% effective at preventing the spread of the flu: chewing gum. Not just any chewing gum, mind you. The researchers and dentists over at the University of Pennsylvania with some collaborators in Finland have developed a special gum that neutralizes not just flu viral loads in human mouths, but can also prevent the spread of oral herpes simplex. This is considered a huge breakthrough in that seasonal influenza epidemics cause economic losses exceeding $11.2 billion each year in just the United States alone. On top of that, over two-thirds of the global population is infected with HSV-1 (herpes) as it is highly contagious. Henry Daniell and his team at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine created the chewing gum with an Australian pea plant Lablab purpureus. This plant naturally contains an antiviral trap protein called FRIL that can neutralize certain viral loads that are present in our mouths and saliva when we are infected. Daniell had been working on a gum to prevent viral spread of diseases since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the reasoning that most people catch viral disease through oral contact of some kind rather than from the nasal cavity. After testing alongside their Finnish colleagues, the researchers found that 40 milligrams of the pea plant bean powder within a two-gram gum tablet could reduce the spread of viral loads of two herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and two influenza A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) by 95%. This means that if you are infected with these virus strains, chewing this gum has a 95% chance of preventing you from infecting someone else that you are talking to, coughing around, or just plain breathing around. Daniell is also working on another gum for humans and a possible feed for birds that contain the bean powder to curb the spread of bird flu. You cannot be too careful when trying to prevent the spread of the flu.Photo credit: Canva “Controlling transmission of viruses continues to be major global challenge. A broad spectrum antiviral protein (FRIL) present in a natural food product (bean powder) to neutralize not only human flu viruses but also avian (bird) flu is a timely innovation to prevent their infection and transmission,” Daniell told Penn News. While this gum isn’t on the market yet, there are ways to help significantly prevent the spread of flu during the peak seasons of infection. Some of these may be common sense, but a review is never a bad thing. If you or someone in your house has the flu, be sure to regularly wash your hands with hot water to kill germs before you handle anything. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or in the crook of your elbow to prevent droplets of saliva and mucus from hitting other people or objects. Do your best to limit contact with other people face-to-face and wear a mask if you do. Lastly, until this gum is further proven effective and placed into the market, the best way to prevent the spread is to make it harder for the virus to infect you in the first place. The best way to do that is to get an annual flu vaccination at your local pharmacy or physician’s office. Contacting your doctor or pharmacist can help direct you to the best option near you.
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  11. 1 of 3 banks we use: Current balance $80,056.93 Current balance $5,361.87
  12. XCR1250 posted a post in a topic in Current Events
    Don't recall how I did it but I get it for free, for several years already.
  13. Military China could sink entire US carrier fleet in 20 minutes, Pentagon chief warnsHegseth said that the US “loses to China in every war game” run by the Pentagon.Updated: Apr 14, 2025 05:25 AM EST Kapil Kajal Pete Hegseth (right) and USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy (right). Wikimedia Commons/Britannica In a rare admission, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the Chinese hypersonic missiles can destroy all US aircraft carriers in just 20 minutes. “So far our [US] whole power projection platform is aircraft carrier and the ability to project power that way strategically around the globe,” said Hegseth in a recent interview. However, Hegseth added that China’s 15 hypersonic missiles “can take out 10 aircraft carriers in the first 20 minutes of the conflict,” added Hegseth. Losing wargames to ChinaHegseth said that the US “loses to China in every war game” run by the Pentagon. “China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the US.” Hegseth blamed the US bureaucracy and slow rate of weapon acquisition for China’s growing edge in the conflicts with the US. The US Defense Secretary also noted China’s risk to the Panama Canal, an artificial 82-kilometer (50.9 miles) Panama waterway connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. According to Sobel Shipping Network, approximately 40% of US container traffic relies on this route annually, with the United States as the canal’s largest user. In 2021, over 73% of all vessels transiting the canal were destined for or departing from US ports. Since Panama’s 2017 diplomatic recognition of China over Taiwan, Beijing has expanded its regional presence, investing heavily in infrastructure projects near the canal. China’s influence includes control over ports at both ends of the canal through Hutchison Ports PPC, a Hong Kong-based company with ties to Beijing. Hegseth admitted, “China poses an ongoing threat to the Panama Canal, but together the United States and Panama will keep it secure.” A joint deal, signed by top security officials from the US and Panama in early April, allows military personnel from the US to deploy to Panama-controlled facilities for training, exercises, and a range of other activities. Since returning to power in January, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that China has too much influence over the canal. With this latest deal, his administration planned to “take back” control of the United States’ strategic waterway funded, built, and controlled until 1999. China’s hypersonic missilesAccording to a US Department of Defense (DoD) report published in December 2024, China’s hypersonic missile technologies have greatly advanced during the past 20 years. Many PRC missile programs are comparable to other international top-tier producers. China’s deployment of the DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV)-armed medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) will continue to transform the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) missile force, the DoD added. The system, which was fielded in 2020, may replace some older short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) units and be used to strike foreign military bases and fleets in the Western Pacific. The DF-27 may have an HGV payload option in addition to conventional land-attack, antiship, and nuclear payloads. Official Chinese military writings indicate this range class spans 5,000–8,000 km (3,107–4,971 miles), designating the DF-27 as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and the local media indicates that it can potentially range as far as Alaska and Hawaii. On July 27, 2021, China tested an ICBM-range HGV that traveled 40,000 km (24,854 miles). In April 2019, the PLA Navy revealed during its 70th-anniversary celebration that its new guided-missile cruiser can employ long-range, land-attack cruise missiles and, in 2022, launched the YJ-21 hypersonic missile designed to defeat aircraft carriers. According to the DoD, China has the world’s leading hypersonic missile arsenal and has dramatically advanced its development of conventional and nuclear-armed hypersonic missile technologies.