The Shining City Upon a Hill

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Amazon is starting to deliver packages with Rivian electric vans

• Amazon is starting to roll out some of the electric delivery vans that it developed in partnership with Rivian, the companies announced Thursday.
• The vans will be deployed in a handful of cities to start, including Seattle, Baltimore, Chicago and Phoenix.
• The move marks a significant step forward in Amazon’s efforts to decarbonize its last-mile delivery fleet, an effort which began in 2019 when then-CEO Jeff Bezos announced the company would purchase 100,000 vans from Rivian.

Amazon is beginning to roll out some of the electric delivery vans that it developed with Rivian Automotive, the companies announced Thursday.

In September 2019, Amazon founder and then-CEO Jeff Bezos stood on stage at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce that the company had purchased 100,000 electric vehicles from the startup as part of its ambitious push to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040.

Amazon debuted a version of the van in October 2020, and then tested the vehicles in a number of cities throughout 2021. Now, Amazon says it will use the electric vehicles to make deliveries in a handful of cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Tennessee, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and St. Louis, among others.
Amazon said it expects to have “thousands” of Rivian vans in more than 100 cities by the end of this year, the first step toward its goal of having 100,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in the U.S. by 2030.

“Fighting the effects of climate change requires constant innovation and action, and Amazon is partnering with companies who share our passion for inventing new ways to minimize our impact on the environment,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement. “Rivian has been an excellent partner in that mission, and we’re excited to see our first custom electric delivery vehicles on the road.”

Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe said the vehicle deployment is a “milestone” in efforts to decarbonize last-mile delivery.

[Phil B.]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

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Big names!

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[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Shock: NASCAR launching electric racing series in 2023, leaked documents say

NASCAR Cup cars could be converted for six-race series


NASCAR hasn't hidden its intention to electrify stock car racing in the coming years, but it may happen sooner than expected.

Documents uncovered by the Kickin' the Tires website reveal potential plans to launch an electric support series next year.

According to the report, NASCAR will demonstrate a prototype electric racing car during the Clash at the L.A. Coliseum pre-season event in February, then follow it up with a six-race series "aligned with Cup Series" weekends.

The cars will be modified Cup Series cars with fully electric, all-wheel-drive powertrains rated near 1,000 horsepower, compared to the 670 hp V8s used in the conventional vehicles.

The performance goal is for the EVs to be able to lap a track as quickly as a Cup Series car, and efforts are being made to add an entertaining sound to the otherwise near-silent electric drive.
Just 12 cars would feature in the races, which would be split between two 30-minute events with no pit stops or charging held on Saturday and Sunday.

NASCAR and the manufacturers are also considering using sport utility vehicle style bodies to help set the series apart, the documents said.

NASCAR did not confirm the details of the report, but issued the following statement to Fox News Autos:

"As we have mentioned in the past, we are exploring the potential for an EV demonstration series. We are currently working with our OEM [original equipment manufacturer] partners and race teams as the program progresses."

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Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

California just ran on 100% renewable energy, but fossil fuels aren't fading away yet


On a mild Sunday afternoon, California set a historic milestone in the quest for clean energy. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and on May 8th, the state produced enough renewable electricity to meet 103% of consumer demand. That broke a record set a week earlier of 99.9%.

Energy experts say the falling records are a sign of the remarkable progress that renewable energy has made. But that doesn't mean fossil fuels were out of the picture.

Even as the record was broken, natural gas power plants were still running in California.
Because despite the dramatic growth of renewable energy, turning off natural gas power still isn't possible in California. The reason is due to a tricky time of day: when the sun sets and solar farms stop producing. California needs to replace that power quickly and seamlessly with other sources, like hydropower and natural gas.

The state is rapidly building huge battery projects for that purpose, so power generated during the day can be stored for use at sunset. But so far, it's still a small fraction of what's needed.

It's a sign that, even as California and more than a dozen other states work towards long-term goals of getting 100% clean energy year-round, weaning off fossil fuels is no simple task.

"Their role is not going to go away until we have a substitute for the service that natural gas generation provides," says Arne Olsen, senior partner at Energy + Environmental Economics, an energy think tank. "The good news is that you can get an awful long way just by adding wind and solar and batteries to our current grid."

How California hit 100% renewable energy

Springtime is an ideal time of year for renewable energy in California. The days are getting longer, so solar energy is on the rise. Wind power and hydropower from dams is humming along and mild temperatures mean air conditioners aren't turned up, so electricity demand is still relatively low.

For about an hour on April 30th, grid operators at the California Independent System Operator (ISO), which serves about 80% of the state, had enough electricity from solar, wind, geothermal and small hydropower dams to meet all of the demand in their area More power was being generated than was needed at that moment, so some was exported to other Western states.

"That's quite an accomplishment because it demonstrates if you can do it for one instantaneous hour, you can do it for longer periods of time," says Mark Rothleder, senior vice president at the California ISO.

Records have fallen consistently in the spring over the last few years, due to the dramatic expansion of solar farms. Renewable energy, including solar panels on building rooftops, has more than tripled in the state since 2005. In 2019, 63% of the state's power came from carbon-free sources, including renewables, hydropower and nuclear.

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Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Bo Jackson covered all funeral expenses for Uvalde victims' families, governor says




Former sports star Bo Jackson covered all funeral expenses for the families of the victims of the Uvalde school massacre "so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved," according to a statement from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told CNN that Jackson flew in and presented a check for $170,000 to Abbott while in Uvalde to cover the expenses.

In May a gunman opened fire in Robb Elementary School, killing 19 children and two adults. A preliminary report by the Texas House investigative committee probing the massacre outlines a series of failures by multiple law enforcement agencies.

Jackson was a football and baseball standout at Auburn University in Alabama.

Abbott praised the sports star for his donation.

"The true spirit of our nation is Americans lifting up one another in times of need and hardship," Abbott said in a statement. "We are truly grateful for the generosity of Texans and Americans like Bo Jackson, who have stepped up to help in the aftermath of the shooting at Robb Elementary School. When we asked people to support the Uvalde community in the days after, Bo did not hesitate in reaching out to my office to offer his help to the grieving families."

Jackson, a Heisman Trophy winner, was originally drafted first overall out of Auburn by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he did not sign with them. The Los Angeles Raiders drafted him the following year and he went on to play for both the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL and the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball.

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Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Jury finds Steve Bannon guilty of contempt for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoena

A federal jury found former Trump adviser Steve Bannon guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
These are the two counts he was found guilty of:

• Count 1: Refusal to appear for a deposition
• Count 2: Refusal to produce documents

Bannon faces a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail, according to federal law.

The conviction is a boost for the House Jan. 6 Committee’s investigation and the congressional power to subpoena documents and testimony. It is also a victory for the Justice Department, which is under intense scrutiny for its approach to matters related to the Jan. 6 attack.

After two days of hearing evidence and witness testimony, the jury reached a unanimous verdict in less than three hours.

[slimslob]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Inside Trump '''25: A radical plan for Trump’s second term

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Governor Newsom signs California gun bill modeled after Texas abortion law


California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill into law that allows private citizens to bring civil action against anyone who manufactures, distributes, transports or imports assault weapons or ghost guns, which are banned in the state.

California Senate Bill 1327 is modeled after a Texas law that allows private citizens to bring civil litigation against abortion providers or anyone who assists a pregnant person in obtaining an abortion after as early as six weeks of pregnancy. The US Supreme Court in December allowed Texas' six-week abortion ban to remain in effect, which prompted Newsom, who has been supportive of abortion rights and pro-gun control, to say he was "outraged" by the court's decision and direct his staff to draft a similar bill to regulate guns.

Under the California law, a person would also be able to sue a licensed firearms dealer who "sells, supplies, delivers, or gives possession or control of a firearm" to anyone under 21 years old. It allows citizens to sue for a minimum of $10,000 on each weapon involved, as well as attorney fees.
Newsom, a Democrat, on Friday acknowledged that the law would likely be challenged in court.

"We believe this will be litigated in the Supreme Court and we believe the Supreme Court will be challenged. Because if there's any principle left whatsoever -- and that's an open ended question -- with this Supreme Court, there is no way they can deny us the right to move in this direction," he said after signing the bill at Santa Monica College, the site of a 2013 shooting spree.

The law, introduced in February, says that it would become "inoperative upon invalidation" of the Texas abortion law, should the US Supreme Court or Texas Supreme Court strike down that measure. The California law would then be "repealed on January 1 of the following year."

The US Supreme Court last month ruled that the Constitution protects the right to carry a gun outside the home, and in striking down a New York gun carry restriction, allowed for all sorts of gun safety laws to be challenged in federal court. The decision will likely impact legal challenges to California's assault weapons ban, its ban on magazines holding more than 10 rounds and its prohibition on keeping people under the age of 21 from purchasing certain semi-automatic weapons.

California has passed several gun measures this month aimed at curbing gun violence in the wake of several mass shootings across the nation, including a mass shooting on July 4 in downtown Sacramento and a mass shooting in the same city just three months before.

Newsom last week signed a bill into law that makes it easier for gun violence victims or local governments to sue gun makers if the firearms were used in crimes. And the governor on Thursday signed a slew of gun legislation that would require more regulations on gun sales and dealers within the state, as well as increased information sharing between schools and law enforcement agencies.

[bsm2]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

[Phil B.]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Fake is as fake does.

AOC Admits Disturbing Details Behind Staged Arrest: Soros-Funded, Dark-Money Group Coordinated Stunt

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[Phil B.]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Leftist's Utter Ignorance on Guns Becomes Clear When he Points to Plastic Part and Describes Magical Properties

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[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

Leftist's Utter Ignorance on Guns Becomes Clear When he Points to Plastic Part and Describes Magical Properties

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... you want a cookie? One democrat politician may have got his facts wrong.

[bsm2]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

[Copier Addict]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill

... you want a cookie? One democrat politician may have got his facts wrong.

Definitely a better record than 80% of the republican party who still lie about the 2020 election results.

[bsm2]

Re: The Shining City Upon a Hill