Friday, September 20, 2024
Hello, it is Friday, September 20, 2024. I’m taking Alex’s place for today. Here are today’s top stories.
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Kentucky sheriff fatally shot district judge at courthouse
Local sources reported that district judge Kevin Mullins (54) was found dead Thursday with multiple gunshot wounds at the Letcher County courthouse in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines (43) shot Mullins after an argument inside the judge’s chambers. According to the Mountain Eagle, Stines walked into the judge’s outer office and told court employees that he needed to talk to Mullins alone. The pair entered the inner office, closed the door and shots ran out shortly after. Stines then walked out of the room with hands raised and turned himself over to police. Stines is now facing a first-degree murder charge. Investigators are trying to determine what motivated Stines to allegedly shoot and kill Mullins.
https://www.themountaineagle.com/articles/shooting-in-letcher-courthouse/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/09/19/kentucky-judge-shot-killed-kevin-mullins/
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Automatic plane takeoffs to enter service by end of 2025
Nearly 60 years ago, a commercial flight made history as the first to land automatically. Today, automatic landing systems are installed on most commercial aircraft, improving the safety of landings in difficult weather or poor visibility. But what about automatic takeoffs? Currently, commercial passenger jets are not able to take off automatically. However, the world’s third-largest aircraft manufacturer, Brazil’s Embraer, is introducing automatic takeoffs. The company stated that the system is better than pilots because, while pilots may have room for error, the system is so precise and consistent, performing the same way every time. Embraer has already started flight testing, aiming for approval by aviation authorities in 2025 before introducing it at select airports.
https://www.newsweek.com/embraer-automatic-takeoff-pilot-1930953
https://www.businessinsider.com/embraer-195-e2-automatic-takeoff-system-airbus-a220-rival-2024-7
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NC gov. candidate Mark Robinson declared himself ‘Black Nazi’
A CNN investigation reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican nominee for governor, made numerous inflammatory comments on a porn website's message board a decade ago. Robinson referred to himself as a 'black NAZI!' and a 'perv' on the boards. He also expressed support for reinstating slavery and admitted to enjoying transgender pornography, despite his recent anti-transgender rhetoric. The comments were made under the username 'minisoldr,' which Robinson frequently used online. He used the same alias and email across several social media platforms, though many of those accounts have been inactive for years. Robinson vowed on Thursday to stay in the race despite the CNN report and pressure from some Republicans to resign, saying he won’t be forced out by 'salacious tabloid lies.' The state’s Republican Party also said Thursday that they are standing by Robinson.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/mark-robinson-refuses-to-drop-out-of-north-carolina-governor-race/
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[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
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Dodgers’ Ohtani becomes first player to join 50-50 club
Among the roughly 23,000 men who played Major League Baseball (MLB) over the past century and a half, none had ever achieved a season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases–until now. Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani became the first 50-50 player on Thursday when he hit his 50th and 51st home runs and stole his 50th and 51st bases in a game against the Miami Marlins. A 50-50 in a single season! The Dodgers went on to win the game 20-4, clinching a spot in the playoffs. After the game, Ohtani said: “It was something that I wanted to get over as quickly as possible and you know it’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time.”
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Three Mile Island nuclear plant reopens, sells its power to Microsoft
The Three Mile Island nuclear plant, the site near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the location of the worst nuclear disaster in the United States, is reopening and will exclusively sell power to Microsoft as the company searches for energy sources to fuel its AI ambitions. Constellation Energy announced Friday that its Unit 1 reactor, which closed five years ago, is expected to be revived in 2028. Microsoft will purchase the carbon-free energy produced from it to power its data centers and support artificial intelligence. Clean energy advocates and businesses alike are looking towards nuclear energy as a source of zero-carbon power that serves as a reliable baseload source. A major advantage of nuclear energy is its ability to operate continuously, day and night, unlike wind and solar. According to Constellation, the reopening of the Unit 1 reactor will create 3,400 jobs.
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That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light.