National, Regional and Local News

[dryrunguy]

Anti-government RWNJ Ammon Bundy is... running for Governor of Idaho.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/20/politics ... index.html

[ti-amie]

Isn't part of Oregon trying to become part of Idaho? And isn't he from Arizona or New Mexico?

[JazzNU]

Yes to the Oregon to Idaho part, not sure about the rest. Those Oregonians will not be getting their wish.

[ti-amie]

American Airlines Is Cancelling Scores Of Flights Due To Lack Of Pilots
by Gary Leff on June 19, 2021

American Airlines has cancelled over 100 flights already today. The most common reason is ‘flight crew unavailable’. Many other flights show cancelled due to ‘operational decision’ which appears to be giving that flight’s pilots to another aircraft (in other words, also ‘flight crew unavailable’). In contrast, as of this writing United has cancelled eight flights today and Delta has cancelled two.

The issue appears to be concentrated on the Boeing 737 fleet. American’s schedule seems too big for the crew they have available, especially since they’re only midway through the process of bringing inactive pilots back online.

Government subsidies meant they couldn’t furlough anyone. However they didn’t need all of their pilots to fly planes, since they were operating fewer flights.
They didn’t keep those pilots who were staying home active and qualified to fly. And they’re not all back yet, either. In fact as of last week they’re only about halfway through re-qualifying pilots with a five day course (two days in-classroom, three days in simulator).
Let’s be clear. Taxpayers were had. The primary argument for $79 billion in federal airline subsidies over the past 15 months was that this would keep airlines ‘ready’ for when passengers returned. American Airlines took its share of the money but did not keep its pilots current. And now that passengers are back, the airline is cancelling flights as a result. I want my money back.

American announced two months ago that they’d need to hire pilots this fall but didn’t prioritize re-trainings. And while you might argue ‘they needed to save money’ even though the federal government gave them over $10 billion (annualized cost per job saved for the second and third payroll bailouts was over $1 million), they were still converting these Boeing 737s to cram in more seats throughout the pandemic (Project Oasis). Keeping pilots current so they wouldn’t have to cancel flights might have been given… higher priority.

I’ve reached out to American Airlines hoping they will offer an explanation for the cancellations, and insight into when they expect the situation to resolve itself. Lack of available crew usually doesn’t manifest itself until the end of the month, and we’re still just in the middle.

https://viewfromthewing.com/american-ai ... of-pilots/

[JazzNU]

Couldn't furlough anyone "until September 30, 2020" I believe, an important distinction. When that date hit, they basically took the money and ran, not sure why they are trying to pretend we don't know what they were doing then or now.

[ponchi101]

The American Airlines Industry (not the company) screwing everybody. How unusual.
Flew in AA back from ATL. On a 3.5 hours flight, covering noon, we were offered pretzels and a soda. Not even a small sandwich. They are super.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

If the comments were made on a private FB group or whatever they call them one of Guerrero's "friends" isn't.

[ti-amie]

[JazzNU]

[ti-amie]

Do we know who owns the building yet or the name of the construction company that oversaw its construction?

[JazzNU]

Researcher: High-rise that collapsed was sinking, due for recertification

The 12-story beachfront condominium tower in Miami-Dade County that collapsed early Thursday morning was built in 1981 on reclaimed wetlands and a Florida International University researcher told USA Today that the building had been sinking at an alarming rate.

The building had 136 units, 55 units of which were in the two wings that collapsed.

“I looked at this morning and said ‘Oh my God.’ We did detect that,” Shimon Wdowinski, professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Florida International University, told the newspaper.

Wdowinski said his research found the building was sinking at a rate of about 2 millimeters a year in the 1990s, and the sinking could have slowed or accelerated in the time since. The study was not done for the purpose of determining the soundness of the building but as part of an ongoing project to identify which parts of Miami could be most impacted by sea-level rise and coastal flooding.

“It was a byproduct of analyzing the data. We saw this building had some kind of unusual movement,” he told the newspaper.

The I-TEAM also learned the condominium association was in contact with engineers and architects preparing to complete its 40-year building recertification, which is required by Miami-Dade County to ensure that buildings remain structurally safe.

Work to re-roof the building began in April and was ongoing.

“There was work on the building being done to meet the 40-year standard,” Miami-Dade County Commission member Salley Heyman said. “That is something that has been put in place not just for the county, but for all municipalities and we have a strict building code since Hurricane Andrew for updates and improvements.”

The inspection is to determine the general structural condition of the building and the general condition of its electrical systems. A written recertification report must be prepared, certifying each building or structure is safe for continued occupancy.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed at least one person found dead in the rubble killed, 35 were able to get out after the Champlain Towers South building near 88th Street and Collins Avenue in Surfside partially collapsed shortly before 2 a.m. Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez confirmed early Thursday afternoon that 53 people are accounted for while 99 people remain unaccounted for and that search and rescue operations continue.

A hotel next to the condominium high-rise was evacuated because it was so close to the collapse.

During an appearance in Tampa before traveling to Surfside, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declined to speculate on potential deaths but said from videos and from calls with local officials, “this was a really, really catastrophic incident.”

“I know there has been some documented loss of life, but I think that this is going to be a really difficult day as they go through,” DeSantis said. “Hopefully, they’re able to save a lot more people because they have done a heck of a job so far.”

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, appearing later with DeSantis outside the scene, said rescue workers were doing their best to find survivors in the rubble.

Earlier, Burkett told reporters he suspects a grim day ahead for families and rescue workers.

“I think we need to bring some heavy equipment in, and that part of it is heartbreaking,” Burkett said.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said five state agencies were assisting local officials, including the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Transportation, as the collapse has affected traffic across the area.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy that will require our attention in the hours, days and weeks to come, and we will provide the needed support and comfort to our fellow neighbors and residents as they navigate this enormously difficult time,” Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach, wrote in a prepared statement.

News Service of Florida contributed to this story.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2 ... ming-rate/

[ti-amie]

I watched video of the building falling. It looked like the end of "Fight Club" which looked like what I saw live when the WTC towers fell.

[MJ2004]

I've seen a few articles touching on this point. It's early still, but the question is already out there.

Sea level rise due to climate change eyed as contributing factor in Miami-area building collapse

As the search for survivors of the collapse of a 12-story beachfront condominium in Surfside, Fla., continued on Friday, building experts began looking at the possibility that sea level rise caused by climate change may have contributed to the disaster that has left at least four people dead and 159 missing.

From a geological standpoint, the base of South Florida’s barrier islands is porous limestone. As the oceans encroach on land due to sea level rise and the worsening of so-called king tides, groundwater is pushed up through the limestone, causing flooding. That brackish water, which regularly inundates underground parking garages in South Florida, can potentially lead to the deterioration of building foundations over time.

“Sea level rise does cause potential corrosion and if that was happening, it’s possible it could not handle the weight of the building,” Zhong-Ren Peng, professor and director of the University of Florida’s International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design, told the Palm Beach Post. “I think this could be a wakeup call for coastal developments.”

While it is too early to say whether climate change is to blame for the collapse of the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South, or if it also threatens thousands of similar structures along Florida’s coastline, sea levels rose by 3.9 inches between 2000 and 2017 in nearby Key West, according to a 2019 report by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

Future projections are much more dire.

“Just using the U.S. government projections, we could be at 11 to over 13 feet [of sea level rise] by the end of the century,” Harold Wanless, director of the University of Miami’s geological sciences department and a leading expert on sea level rise, told Yahoo News. “There’s only 3 percent of Miami-Dade County that’s greater than 12 feet above sea level.”

The Champlain Towers South, which had been built on reclaimed wetlands, was found to have sunk by roughly 2 millimeters per year between 1993 and 1999, the Washington Post reported.

“It appears to be something very localized to one building, so I would think the problem was more likely to be related to the building itself,” Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University’s department of earth and environment, told the Post.

Though federal and state investigators will attempt to pinpoint the cause of the collapse, rising seas and flooding from king tides (exceptionally high tides that occur during a full or new moon) will certainly be examined as a possible contributing factor.

But even if climate change is ruled out as a significant contributor to this particular instance of structural failure, there is no avoiding the fact that if seas continue to rise, the habitability of much of South Florida will be put in question.

“People have to understand how serious this is going to be quickly, in the next two or three decades,” Wanless said. “We’re just seeing the beginning of this accelerated ice melt.”

-Yahoo News

[ti-amie]

I've seen a few articles touching on this point. It's early still, but the question is already out there.

Sea level rise due to climate change eyed as contributing factor in Miami-area building collapse

As the search for survivors of the collapse of a 12-story beachfront condominium in Surfside, Fla., continued on Friday, building experts began looking at the possibility that sea level rise caused by climate change may have contributed to the disaster that has left at least four people dead and 159 missing.

From a geological standpoint, the base of South Florida’s barrier islands is porous limestone. As the oceans encroach on land due to sea level rise and the worsening of so-called king tides, groundwater is pushed up through the limestone, causing flooding. That brackish water, which regularly inundates underground parking garages in South Florida, can potentially lead to the deterioration of building foundations over time.

“Sea level rise does cause potential corrosion and if that was happening, it’s possible it could not handle the weight of the building,” Zhong-Ren Peng, professor and director of the University of Florida’s International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design, told the Palm Beach Post. “I think this could be a wakeup call for coastal developments.”

While it is too early to say whether climate change is to blame for the collapse of the 40-year-old Champlain Towers South, or if it also threatens thousands of similar structures along Florida’s coastline, sea levels rose by 3.9 inches between 2000 and 2017 in nearby Key West, according to a 2019 report by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

Future projections are much more dire.

“Just using the U.S. government projections, we could be at 11 to over 13 feet [of sea level rise] by the end of the century,” Harold Wanless, director of the University of Miami’s geological sciences department and a leading expert on sea level rise, told Yahoo News. “There’s only 3 percent of Miami-Dade County that’s greater than 12 feet above sea level.”

The Champlain Towers South, which had been built on reclaimed wetlands, was found to have sunk by roughly 2 millimeters per year between 1993 and 1999, the Washington Post reported.

“It appears to be something very localized to one building, so I would think the problem was more likely to be related to the building itself,” Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University’s department of earth and environment, told the Post.

Though federal and state investigators will attempt to pinpoint the cause of the collapse, rising seas and flooding from king tides (exceptionally high tides that occur during a full or new moon) will certainly be examined as a possible contributing factor.

But even if climate change is ruled out as a significant contributor to this particular instance of structural failure, there is no avoiding the fact that if seas continue to rise, the habitability of much of South Florida will be put in question.

“People have to understand how serious this is going to be quickly, in the next two or three decades,” Wanless said. “We’re just seeing the beginning of this accelerated ice melt.”

-Yahoo News

Horrible situation and as MJ highlighted, one that was known since the '90's.