In line with the positive outlook for the aerospace industry, which is expecting commercial revenues to grow 14% year-on-year, the forthcoming edition of the Farnborough International Airshow in 2024 is reporting record-breaking demand for exhibition space, sponsorship packages and marketing activations. (Aerospace Manufacturing 09/04/23) Farnborough Airshow 2024 reports record demand - Aerospace Manufacturing (aero-mag.com)
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Ship-build focus: Miss.-Bahrain?
Echoes spread across the sprawling shipyard on the Mississippi Gulf Coast - banging, hissing, horns and bells and whistles - as more than 7,000 workers hustled to fill orders by the largest shipbuilding budget in Navy’s history.
The $32B surge in spending, this year alone, has allowed the HII's Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula to hire thousands of more workers to assemble guided missile destroyers and amphibs.
“More ships are always better,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls, pointing to the efficiencies that come with a continued flow of contracts and the jobs.
But the focus from Washington on producing new warships is creating a fleet that some inside the Pentagon think is too wedded to outdated military strategies and that the Navy might not be able to afford it in the decades ahead.
Half a world away, at a U.S. Navy outpost in Bahrain, a much smaller team was testing out a very different approach to the service’s 21st-century warfighting needs.
Bobbing in a small bay off the Persian Gulf was a collection of tiny, unmanned vessels, cheaper and easier-to-build prototypes of a more mobile force.
Operating on a budget that was less than the cost of fuel for one of the Navy’s big ships, Navy personnel and contractors pieced together drone boats, unmanned submersible vessels and aerial vehicles capable of monitoring and intercepting threats over hundreds of miles of the Persian Gulf, like Iranian fast boats looking to hijack oil tankers.
Now they are pleading for more money to help build on what they have learned.
“It’s an unbelievable capability — we have already tested it for something like 35,000 hours,” said Michael Brown, who was the director of the Defense Innovation Unit, which helped set up the unmanned drone tests in Bahrain. “So why are we not fielding that as fast as possible?”
The contrast between of approaches in Pascagoula and Bahrain helps to illustrate one of the biggest challenges facing the Navy. (NY Times 09/04/23) Facing Threats, U.S. Navy Struggles to Modernize Its Ships - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Congress returns: CR major issue
U.S. legislators return to Washington after months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything. Lawmakers will be trying to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
A short-term funding measure - Continuing Resolution (CR) - will dominate September's agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings. (The AP 09/05/23) Read more.
Fed-up immigrants gain fed hopes
Mexican immigrant workers, faces weather-beaten and bodies gaunt, showed the toll of long days spent in the punishing sun of a Louisiana crawfish farm. They'd had enough.
Seated in a fast-food joint along I-10 in the heart of Acadiana, they described their plight to labor organizers: They were being terribly underpaid. Some even had their immigration papers seized.
All of them were being housed in squalid facilities with brown tap water too dirty to drink or bathe in.
The complaints voiced later reached federal authorities, which set in motion a 4-year legal battle between the Mexican-born crawfish harvesters and Louisiana employers.
It ended months ago with a significant overhaul of American labor and immigration policy that affords new protections for migrant workers who blow the whistle on workplace abuses. (NOLA.com 09/05/23) Louisiana crawfish workers reshaped U.S. immigration rules | Business News | nola.com
Monday, September 4, 2023
Sept. 4 history: Geronimo
Sept. 4 in history
In 2016, elevating the “saint of the gutters” to one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, praising her radical dedication to society’s outcasts and her courage in shaming world leaders for the “crimes of poverty they themselves created.”
In 1781, Los Angeles was founded by Spanish settlers under the leadership of Governor Felipe de Neve.
In 1862, during the Civil War, Confederate forces led by Gen. Robert E. Lee began invading Maryland.
In 1886, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to U.S. government troops. For 30 years, the warrior had battled to protect his tribe's homeland; however, by 1886 the Apaches were exhausted and hopelessly outnumbered. General Nelson Miles accepted Geronimo's surrender.
In 1888, George Eastman received a patent for his roll-film box camera, and registered his trademark: “Kodak.”
In 1944, during World War II, British troops liberated Antwerp, Belgium.
In 1957, Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus used Arkansas National Guardsmen to prevent nine Black students from entering all-white Central High School in Little Rock.
In 1969, the Food and Drug Administration issued a report calling birth control pills “safe,” despite a slight risk of fatal blood-clotting disorders linked to the pills.
In 1972, U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz won a seventh gold medal at the Munich Olympics in the 400-meter medley relay.
In 1974, the United States established diplomatic relations with East Germany.
In 1999, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat signed a breakthrough land-for-security agreement during a ceremony in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
In 2005, six days after Hurricane Katrina left a devastated New Orleans in chaos, police stormed the Danziger Bridge, shooting and killing two unarmed people and wounding four others.
In 2006, “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin died at age 44 after a stingray’s barb pierced his chest.
In 2014, comedy legend Joan Rivers dies.
In 2018, the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
In 2021, Willard Scott, the longtime weatherman on NBC’s “Today” show who was known for his self-deprecating humor and daily happy birthdays to viewers turning 100 years old, died at age 87.
Black crew flies Red Tails Classic
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - An all-black aircrew from Hurlburt Field, Fla., performed a flyover in an HC-130J gunship for the Red Tails Football Classic between two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) here on Sept. 3.
For the crew, it was more than an honor to be part of the flight - it was also an opportunity to inspire the next generation.
“I want them to be able to see someone who looks like them, doing something they aspire to do,” said Tech Sgt. Curtis Lassiter, a special missions aviator. “That’s something I didn’t really have, especially at the start of my career.”
When he arrived at his first flying squadron 16 years ago, Lassiter was one of only a handful of African Americans. Now with the 73rd Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Lassiter noted a lot has changed since then.
"(T)here’s been major strides,” he said.
Similarly, aircraft commander Capt. Malcom Lee recalls moments during his 17-year career where he was one of only a few African Americans in his squadron.
“But the fact that we are shifting to adapt and become more diverse and inclusive is so important.”
The flyover kicked off the football game between Tuskegee University and Fort Valley State.
The Red Tails Classic is held annually to recognition the famed Tuskegee Airmen – a group of African American military pilots and crews who fought in WWII.
The crew was also recognized on the field at halftime in front of the nearly 15,000 fans. (1st Special Operations Wing 09/03/23) Inspiring the next generation: all-black Gunship crew performs flyover at Red Tails Classic > Hurlburt Field > Article Display (af.mil)
College to honor civil rights pioneer
Civil rights pioneer Anne Moody will be inducted into the Tougaloo (Miss.) College National Alumni Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Oct. 13 at the Jackson Convention Complex Center.
Frances Jefferson, Moody’s sister, shared the news Aug. 31 and is looking forward to the event.
“I’m so proud that after 59 years since her graduation, she’s finally given this honor in the Hall of Fame,” Jefferson said. “If she were alive today, I know she would be very happy about this recognition.”
Kerry Thomas, committee chairman for the association, said the banquet is a ticketed that is open to the public.
In addition to Moody, a 1964 graduate of Tougaloo, other honorees will include the Shirley C. Byers; Dr. Jean D. Chamberlain; and Dr. Sandra C. Melvin.
Chamberlain and Moody will be honored posthumously. Moody is the author of “Coming of Age in Mississippi.” She died in 2015 in Gloster at the age of 74. She will be recognized for her work in the field of communications.
The Hall of Fame honor is presented to Tougaloo alumni “who have distinguished themselves through their dedication and commitment to their professions and Tougaloo College,” according to the association’s website.
Moody grew up in Centreville and enrolled at Natchez College in 1959 on a basketball scholarship.
After graduating from Natchez College, Moody began her studies at Tougaloo College, where she became a civil rights activist. She once said she had planned to study medicine and become a doctor, but life had other plans. (Magnolia State Live 09/04/23) College to honor Mississippi civil rights pioneer 59 years after graduation from school - Magnolia State Live | Magnolia State Live
Atmos: Rebuilding Rolling Fork
Through its Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities program, Atmos Energy is helping the City of Rolling Fork, Miss.'s rebuilding efforts for families impacted by the tornado in March.
On Aug. 31, Atmos announced it was donating $100,000 to the Community Foundation of Washington County to assist rebuilding efforts.
“Residents of Rolling Fork have been in our thoughts and prayers since March 24th," said Mathew Davidson, president of the Mississippi division.
"At Atmos Energy we recognize that ... we also have the responsibility to help the community in their rebuilding efforts,” he said in a statement. The Community Foundation of Washington County team is "doing remarkable things, and we hope this contribution enhances the work being done.”
Atmos Energy has performed nearly $3M worth of work restoring the natural gas system and infrastructure in Rolling Fork. (Magnolia Tribune 09/03/23)
It's Labor Day: Unions & giving
It’s Labor Day for those who observe the national holiday across the U.S.
History of Labor Day Labor Day 2023: Facts, Meaning & Founding | HISTORY
Louisiana officials warn no grilling outdoors for Labor Day. State under burn ban. (WDSU 09/03/23) Grilling not encouraged Labor Day amid burn ban in Louisiana (wdsu.com)
Don't have to be Christmas to serve community
JACKSON, Miss. - Ward 3 Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes and celebrity Chef Kazzy Ferdinand helped to feed seniors on Labor Day. They provided an array of foods to cater seniors at the Azalea Manor Apartments.
The two believe it was a great way to honor the older community.
"They feel like they've worked hard and nobody cares," Stokes told WAPT.
"We're trying to make sure they understand we care, and we love them, and we want to make sure that they understand their hard work was not forgotten," he said.
It's a time for giving and it "don't have to be Christmas," Ferdinand chimed in.
Stokes and Ferdinand said they hope to continue to bring the Jackson community together through service. (WAPT 09/04/23)
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Sept. 3 history: Stars & Stripes
Sept. 3 in history
In 1770, The Stars and Stripes flies in battle for the first time
In 1914, Pope Benedict XV named to papacy.Poll indicates Reeves ahead in MS
A new Mississippi Today/Siena College poll indicates incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is leading Democratic nominee Brandon Presley by 11 points ahead of the November general election.
The poll, which surveyed 650 likely Mississippi voters between August 20-28, found 52% of respondents would vote for Reeves, while 41% would support Presley. Six percent of respondents were undecided, and 1% said they were not going to vote. Magnolia State Live 09/03/23) Poll: Tate Reeves leads Brandon Presley by 11 points in governor’s race - Magnolia State Live | Magnolia State Live
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4%, which means adding 4% and detracting 4% from each candidate to get the widest results of the poll.
Editor's Note: Example - Reeves -4% to 48% vs +4% to Presley for 45% ... or Reeves +4% to 56% and -4% to Presley for 37%.
Methodology at ms-todaysiena-august-2023.pdf (documentcloud.org)
Solex gets $2.6M: Gives up oil lease
BILLINGS, Mont. - Solex LLC, a Baton Rouge, La.-based company will receive $2.6M to relinquish the last remaining oil and gas lease on U.S. forest land near Montana's Glacier National Park that is sacred to Native Americans, government officials and attorneys involved in the deal said Sept. 1.
The deal would resolve a decades-long dispute over the 10-square-mile O&G lease in the mountainous Badger-Two Medicine area of NW Montana.
Solenex founder Sidney Longwell, who died last year, bought the 10-square-mile lease in 1982 but never drilled on the site because of federal bureaucracy.
The site is on the site of the creation story for the Blackfoot tribes of southern Canada and Montana's Blackfeet Nation. Tribal members bitterly opposed drilling.
In exchange for giving up the lease, Solenex will get $2.6M, according to David McDonald with the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which represented the company.
The government will pay $2M. The Wyss Foundation, a charitable group founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, will provide the remaining $625,000.
The Solenex lease was cancelled in 2016 by U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell - at the request of the Blackfoot tribes and conservation groups.
But U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered the lease reinstated last year. (The AP 09/02/23) Company gets $2.6M to give up oil lease on sacred land | News | nola.com
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Sept. 2 in history: Japan surrenders
In 1945,
| Aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan formally surrenders to the Allies, bringing an end to World War II. By the summer of 1945, the defeat of Japan was a foregone conclusion. The Japanese navy and air force were destroyed. The Allied naval blockade of Japan and intensive bombing of Japanese ... read more In 1969, First ATM opens for business. In 1789, Congress founds U.S. Treasury. In 1666, Great Fire of London begins. In 2013, Diana Nyad, 64, makes record swim from Cuba to Florida. In 1944, Navy aviator George H.W. Bush and his squadron attacked. In 1969, Vietnamese president and communist icon Ho Chi Minh dies. In 1945, Vietnam declares independence from France. (History.com 09/02/23) What Happened on September 2 | HISTORY |
La. Notes: Energy hub & Biscuit
* Could Central Louisiana be a new energy hub? Officials hope new project signals bright future. New methanol plant brings hope to Central Louisiana | Business News | nola.com
* How an Instagram Account Dedicated to NO Potholes Is Actually Fixing Them (Tulane University 08/28/23) How an Instagram Account Dedicated to NO Potholes Is Actually Fixing Them - Biz New Orleans
* Biscuit, a decades-old African tortoise, rescued from Ascension canal (NOLA.com 09/01/23)
Steel Dynamics seeks port property
Steel Dynamics Inc., with plans to build a greenfield state-of-the-art recycled aluminum flat rolled mill in Columbus, Miss., is hoping to close a deal to purchase 90 acres on the Lowndes County Port Authority's east bank by Oct. 1.
LCPA Attorney John Crowell said the port is waiting to see a finalized version of a contract from SDI before finalizing a sale. A purchase price has not been disclosed.
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins told The Dispatch the company is now working on a finalized contract with LCPA to build its own on-loading and off-loading operations at the port. (The Dispatch 09/01/23)
Additional Mississippi news
* Some Mississippi counties face insurance crisis because of heavy losses (WAPT 09/02/23) Humphreys County insurance crisis affects sheriff's office patrols, MHP called in to assist (wapt.com)
* Ready to start a family business? Wanting to strengthen your investment? Don’t miss this annual symposium! (Magnolia State Live 09/02/23) Ready to start a family business? Wanting to strengthen your investment? Don’t miss this annual symposium! - Magnolia State Live | Magnolia State Live
* No info lost in online phishing attack to NMHS: TUPELO, Miss. - A phishing attack in early July did not result in the online theft of financial or personal information, North Mississippi Health Services announced Sept. 1. (WTVA 09/01/23) No personal information stolen in July phishing attack, NMHS says | News | wtva.com0
'Margaritaville' master has died
The Gulf Coast's own Jimmy Buffett died Sept. 1 at age 76.
The Margaritaville master "passed away peacefully ... surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many,” a statement confirming Buffett’s death on his official website said.
James William Buffett was born on Christmas day 1946 in Pascagoula, Miss., and raised in the Mobile, Ala. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and went from busking the streets of New Orleans to playing six nights a week at Bourbon Street clubs. (The AP 09.02/23) ‘Margaritaville’ singer Jimmy Buffett, who turned beach-bum life into an empire, dies at 76 (wlox.com)
Clarion Ledger Jimmy Buffett, 'Margaritaville' musician and mogul, dies at 76 (clarionledger.com)
Aramco: Historic share offering?
Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-controlled oil company, is considering offering $50B in shares, which would be the largest offering in the history of global capital markets, according to unnamed Wall Street Journal sources.
No official date has been set, if it happens at all, but the offering is expected to take place before the end of 2023.
If the offering proceeds, it would be listed on the Riyadh stock exchange to avoid legal risks associated with an international listing.
Aramco is the world's most valuable oil company. In March, the company announced a record-breaking $161B in profit, making it the highest net income ever recorded by an energy company. (Press Rundown 08/31/23) Aramco of Saudi Arabia reportedly considering $50B stock sale, potentially largest ever (pressrundown.com)
Friday, September 1, 2023
DoD regional contracts Sept. 1
* Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $67,811,401 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5151 to exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (41%); San Diego, California (10%); Bath, Maine (9%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (9%); Norfolk, Virginia (8%); Devesulu, Romania (5%); Redzikowo, Poland (5%); Washington, D.C. (3%); Mayport, Florida (2%); and various places each below one percent (8%) and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $6,596,592 (50%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy funds in the amount of $1,924,093 (15%); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy funds in the amount of $1,236,487 (9%); fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy funds in the amount of $1,143,884 (9%); fiscal 2023 defense-wide procurement funds in the amount of $1,002,009 (8%); fiscal 2023 other procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $576,892 (4%); fiscal 2022 other procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $277,020 (2%); fiscal 2015 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy funds in the amount of $267,691 (2%); and fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy in the amount of $138,420 (1%), will be obligated at time of award, of which $6,596,592 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
* Aptim Federal Services LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded a $10,000,000 modification (P00006) to contract W912DY-22-F-0271 for minor and emergency repair. Work will be performed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Diego Garcia, United Kingdom; and multiple locations and military installations in Japan, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
* General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was awarded a $48,273,698 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5603 to exercise options for the sustainment of the Littoral Combat Ship Integrated Combat Management System and associated combat system elements. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (85%); San Diego, California (14%); and Mobile, Alabama (1%), and is expected to be completed by August 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $757,093 (44%); fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $683,387 (34%); and fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $434,607 (22%), will be obligated at time of award, of which $683,387 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Aug. 30, 2023) [DoD 09/01/23]
Sept. 1 history: NOLA mayor's SOS
Sept 1 in history
In 1939, World War II began as Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
In 1715, following a reign of 72 years, King Louis XIV of France died four days before his 77th birthday.
In 1807, Aaron Burr acquitted of treason.
In 1864, Atlanta falls to Union forces during Civil War.
In 1942, U.S. District Court Judge Martin I. Welsh, ruling from Sacramento, California, on a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Fred Korematsu, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese Americans as well as Japanese nationals.
In 1945, Americans received word of Japan’s formal surrender that ended World War II. (Because of the time difference, it was Sept. 2 in Tokyo Bay, where the ceremony took place.)
In 1969, a coup in Libya brought Moammar Gadhafi to power.
In 1983, 269 people were killed when a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter after the airliner entered Soviet airspace.
In 1988, fed regulation makes automobile airbags mandatory.
In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a “desperate SOS” as his city descended into anarchy amid the flooding left by Hurricane Katrina. (The AP 09/01/23)
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