ONE Championship will pay tribute to martial artist Victoria Lee on her birthday, January 13, by naming that day "Victoria Lee Day" every year. Lee, a prolific fighter who competed in the atomweight division, died in December at the age of 16. Beyond the annual dedication, the martial arts promotion will also present the Victoria Lee award to a fighter whose charitable contributions go "above and beyond the call of duty" in helping their community. Additionally, Victoria's siblings' gym, Evolve MMA, will provide scholarships to deserving youths.
US House Republicans have proposed a permitting overhaul as part of negotiations with President Biden on raising the debt limit. The permitting reforms would cover energy projects, but Democrats are reluctant to support them, at least in part because they suspect Republicans would not honour a pledge to revisit the reforms later and add in Democrats’ priorities. There is bipartisan enthusiasm for permitting reform, which Republicans included in the bill they recently passed to lift the debt limit. However, some Democrats want the priority to be building new transmission lines for clean energy projects financed under the Biden administration’s climate law. Changes to the permitting process for energy projects is a high-stakes issue in the negotiations to raise the debt limit before the federal government runs out of money to pay its bills on 1 June. It is unclear whether Congress could regulate artificial intelligence, another thorny issue, which has prompted calls for the creation of an independent regulator, although legislation introduced by Democratic Senator Michael Bennet has failed to make it through Congress.
The nomination of Michael Delaney for the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to be withdrawn due to his inability to secure the necessary votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Delaney faced opposition from Democrats over a legal brief on abortion that he signed as deputy attorney general in New Hampshire, which defended a parental notification law in the state. He also represented a private boarding school in New Hampshire that was sued in connection with a sexual assault. Although New Hampshire's Democratic senators supported Delaney, other Democrats expressed concerns, with some indicating that they were undecided.
CFL in the blood of Hamilton Tiger-Cats coaches Milanovich, Reinebold
CBC
23-05-18 15:42
Scott Milanovich, former head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, has returned to the CFL, this time as senior assistant coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His appointment marks Milanovich’s fifth stint in Canada. He has previously worked as Montreal Alouettes quarterback coach, where he won Grey Cup rings in 2009-2010, as well as offensive coordinator under head coach Marc Trestman. His career saw him move from being head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars to returning to the CFL in Edmonton under the same guise, prior to resigning to pursue NFL opportunities. Milanovich is joined at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by veteran special-teams coordinator Jeff Reinebold, who has been with six different teams and, like Milanovich, has worked with the Lions and Hamilton more than once.
7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes South Pacific, triggers tsunami warning for Vanuatu, Fiji and Kiribati
CNN
23-05-19 03:44
A powerful earthquake registering 7.8 magnitude hit the South Atlantic region triggering a tsunami warning for several Pacific nations. Vanuatu, Fiji and Kiribati were among those warned following the earthquake between New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. A tsunami watch was issued for coasts within 1000km (621 miles) of the earthquake's epicentre. In Vanuatu, wave activity was expected to reach up to a meter, while smaller activity was predicted along the coastlines of Kiribati, Fiji and New Zealand’s remote Kermadec Islands. New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency also confirmed it was assessing the risk of a tsunami from the event. No injuries have been reported as a result of the quake. The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of the south pacific that experiences a large number of earthquakes, with tremors often causing volcanic activity leading to natural disasters.
Politicians from nine blue states in the US including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington have come together to devise ways to prevent the wealthy leaving for lower tax states. The answer? A “tax cartel”. Coordinating their bills, proposals include wealth taxes on those with net worth of over $50m from California Assembly Bill 259 and an 8.2% billionaires’ tax for New York Senate Bill 1570. If successful, this is aimed at stopping a mass exodus of investors from high-tax states, but will unlikely succeed. With the former Director of the National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, dismissing such measures as a "stupid" concept, other states that have implemented wealth taxes, which this cartel has based their approach on, have faced opposition or financial problems. It is also unlikely that the states will have the jurisdiction to follow through with its plans without a constitutional challenge.
China's increasing military presence around Taiwan, coupled with President Xi Jinping's reported order for the army to be ready to invade the island by 2027, means the US needs a strong strategy to defend against the People's Republic, according to John P Lehman, former Secretary of the US Navy. Currently, the Biden administration appears to be underestimating the danger and the shipbuilding plan now under review may not be sufficient to defend strategic interests, he said. Congress's constitutional responsibility to provide and maintain the Navy must also be considered, and it needs to double the current shipbuilding programme from 100 to 200 ships, he urged.
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has called for a shift in US foreign policy that focuses more on Taiwan and less on Ukraine in a speech entitled, "China and Ukraine: A Time for Truth". The senior senator spoke at The Heritage Foundation in February 2023, and argued that the US should work to deter China from invading Taiwan rather than getting involved in the Ukraine conflict. Hawley criticized the "uniparty" of neo-conservatives and liberal globalists for perpetuating what he called the "story of American empire". He claimed that the current foreign policy has not worked for decades and has been detrimental to American security and the economy.
Hawley recounted his own experience in Hong Kong in October 2019, describing it as a scene of “chaos” and “the true face of Chinese tyranny”. He warned that the same thing could happen in Taiwan if the US does not “change course soon”. Hawley cautioned that the “familiar and comforting story” of American military might and infinite power has created a false sense of security, and did not believe that China would not challenge the US.
The senator argued that the current foreign policy has failed because it is over-committed and over-reliant on the dream of liberal empire. He accused the uniparty of being unwilling to acknowledge the tough trade-offs that exist, and of writing blank checks to other countries. Hawley did not provide specific details on what a foreign policy focused more on Taiwan and less on Ukraine would look like or how the US would achieve it.
This week Toyota revealed its all-new fourth-generation Tacoma mid-sized pick-up truck which is more powerful with two powertrains and packed full of AI driver's assistance and software. It is more rugged with outstanding grunt: the two engines create 310 and 317 lb-ft of torque respectively, up from the 265 of the older truck, and a hybrid motor in the more powerful version. It's probably more fuel-efficient, though official figures haven't been released yet. The all-new overlander with the hybrid engine is called the i-ForceMax, and this is only available with the automatic transmission. Grades are broken down into the basic two-door truck (SR5), three different TRD models designed for fast off-roading, a luxurious, road-focussed version (Limited), and an all-new Trailhunter. The Trailhunter is designed for round-the-world adventurers who want to travel and camp in remote areas. The road-oriented Limited has an adaptive variable suspension, while the three TRDs come with various grades of sport-tuned shocks.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific has prompted tsunami warnings for Vanuatu, Fiji, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Kiribati. Warnings of potential tsunami waves of up to 1m (3ft) were issued for Vanuatu, which prompted authorities in New Caledonia to evacuate certain beaches. The first tsunami activity could reach New Zealand’s shores by 5 p.m. local time around North Cape, according to New Zealand’s national emergency management agency. The Bureau of Metrology in Australia warned of possible “dangerous rips, waves, and strong ocean currents” for Lord Howe Island. Meanwhile, no tsunami threat has been expected for Hawaii as a result of the quake, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
Readers from the Sydney Morning Herald have criticised Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a series of letters to the newspaper. One critic called Morrison the "worst ever PM" and accused him of trashing Australia's international reputation and obstructing action on climate change. Morrison was also accused of grandstanding, while going missing when the going got tough. Unemployment seemed to be another focus of criticism, with one letter writer saying that Morrison would struggle to win any other jobs outside of parliament. Others questioned why he remains in parliament at all, suggesting that he has no purpose other than a sinecure. The PM received criticism after it was reported that he is mentoring younger colleagues while on the back bench, with one Sydney Morning Herald reader declaring that the claims were the "best laugh" they'd had all day.
The remains of a Medal of Honor recipient who went missing in action during the Korean War have been identified almost 73 years later and will be buried on 29 May, Memorial Day. The body of Cpl. Luther H. Story will be interred at Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia. Story was last seen fighting off North Korean attackers so that his fellow soldiers could escape. Unable to flee himself due to his wounds, Story remained behind, using every weapon available to fend off more attackers. He was posthumously awarded the highest military honor for his bravery.
Hawaii’s governor, who is also a doctor, stops to help at site of crashed vehicle
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 18:29
Hawaii Governor Josh Green helped pull a driver from an upside-down vehicle that landed in a lava field on its way to a Big Island event on Thursday. Before becoming governor, Green was an emergency room doctor. The driver had a few cuts and bruises but seemed to be OK.
China's DF-27 hypersonic missile has been in service for at least four years, according to a military source. The missile could, according to the same source, strike all major US bases across the Asia-Pacific region.
2 killed when plane headed for Hawaii crashes in Pacific Ocean off Northern California
The Toronto Star
23-05-21 20:01
A small passenger plane headed for Hawaii crashed off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California, on 20 February, according the the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot and copilot died in the incident, just after takeoff from Santa Rosa, California. The aircraft is a Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter, a utility aircraft that typically seats 19 passengers. Both the NTSB and The Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. Half Moon Bay is approximately 20 miles from San Francisco.
Republican legislators in Wisconsin have proposed legislation that would make it a felony offence to possess dolls resembling children for sexual purposes, punishable by up to 3.5 years in prison. A first offence involving three or more dolls would be punishable by 6 years, while subsequent offences that involve dolls resembling specific children could carry a penalty of up to 25 years’ imprisonment. According to the Child Rescue Coalition, some dolls can be built to look like specific children. The dolls are legal in the US except in a number of states including Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, South Dakota and Tennessee.
‘Fuel starvation’ possible cause of plane crash that killed 2 off California coast, official says
The Toronto Star
23-05-22 23:10
Investigators in California are looking into the possibility that fuel issues caused a small plane to crash into the Pacific Ocean. The Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter was equipped with an additional fuel system that would have allowed it to go further than it could with its original fuel tanks, raising fuel starvation as a likely cause of the crash. The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the accident, and crews are now working to recover the wreckage.
The strongest typhoon to hit the US Pacific territory in decades, Typhoon Mawar, provided the Aydlett twins, both meteorologists with the National Weather Service's Guam office, with the chance to provide their thousands of followers on Facebook Live with a firsthand account of the chaos unfolding on the remote island. Landon Aydlett, warning coordination meteorologist, and his science and operations officer brother, Brandon, provided descriptions of the storm that painted a picture that included trees snapped like toothpicks, nearly 2ft of torrential rain and "whiteout conditions".
Typhoon Mawar has hit Guam, damaging vehicles and infrastructure, uprooting trees, flooding streets and causing power outages. The typhoon arrived as a Category 4 storm at around 9pm local time and spent around 30 to 35 minutes on land. Its swirling winds subsequently caused a storm surge and disrupted utilities, while the central and northern territories experienced more than two feet of rain. Buildings made of concrete appeared to weather the typhoon, while other structures had suffered damage. Although power and internet outages made it difficult to assess the scope of the damage caused by Mawar, the availability of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group indicated the island may require substantial aid.
Guam 'like a scene from Twister' after powerful typhoon thrashes Pacific island
CBC
23-05-25 02:48
Typhoon Mawar hit the US Pacific territory of Guam, tearing down trees, flooding the international airport and knocking out utilities. 60 centimetres of rain were recorded in the central and northern parts of the island as the storm passed. Although most buildings made of concrete appear to have fared well, "most of Guam is dealing with a major mess", according to Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Typhoon Mawar briefly made landfall at around 9pm local time on Wednesday night as a category 4 storm, causing power and internet failures and hindering some rescue efforts.
