In 2019 and 2020, the same inspector led teams checking the condition of a bridge that spans the Mississippi River, connecting Arkansas and Tennessee. Both times, the teams failed to notice a crack that has now shut down the bridge for repairs, the New York Times reports.

There's no mystery, Arkansas transportation officials said. "He didn't see it," said Lorie Tudor, the department's director. "But the reason he didn't see it is because he wasn’t following proper protocol." His job was to check "every inch of the beam,"

Tudor said. A reexamination of drone video footage showed the beam was cracking in May 2019, before that year's inspection. On Monday, the inspector, who'd been on the job for 15 years, was fired. The results of the state's investigation have been forwarded to federal officials for possible criminal prosecution, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

https://www.newser.com/story/306311/inspector-fired-for-cutting-corners-on-bridge-inspection.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=uol&utm_campaign=rss_top


The unidentified employee, who has worked at the department for approximately 15 years, was placed on leave Friday after a review last week of drone video from May 2019 confirmed the existence of the crack before the bridge superstructure and substructure inspections were conducted in September 2019 and September 2020.

He was fired on Monday morning after an investigation that lasted throughout the weekend, said Lorie Tudor, the department director. The preliminary results of the investigation, which is continuing, have been referred to federal authorities for potential criminal charges, she said.

"From our investigation, we have determined that the same employee who conducted the inspection in both 2019 and 2020 failed to carry out his responsibilities correctly," Tudor said at the briefing. "This is unacceptable and this employee has been terminated as of this morning."



https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/may/18/state-fires-inspector-over-i-40-bridge-crack/

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/05/17/ricky-schroder-apologizes-costco-confrontation-mxp-vpx.cnn

Former child star apologizes after confronting Costco employee

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ricky-schroder-costco_n_60a1cd54e4b063dcceab1871

Former Child Star Ricky Schroder Roasted On Twitter For Harassing Costco Workers
The actor rambled about masks in a bizarre video that was posted online.

https://twitter.com/davenewworld_2/status/1393932542147977217

Bucknell University condemns 'horrific incident' against LGBTQ student community and orders investigation
By Artemis Moshtaghian and Christina Maxouris, CNN



In a Friday statement, university officials in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, said a group of male students approached the Fran's House student residence -- also known as Tower House -- on Thursday night and allegedly "harassed and intimidated" residents while trying to enter the building.


==========

Luong said the harassment came from nearly 20 former members of a fraternity that once was based in the building. Compounding the horror was a late and lacking response from campus public safety officials, he wrote.

Luong said the assailants banged on windows and doors, swung a metal bar at a flag pole that displays a pride flag and urinated on the front porch.
"They yelled, 'Let us in!', 'This isn't your home!', 'This is our home!'" he wrote.
The building formerly housed the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity until two years ago, when the group was removed, university officials said in their statement.

The fraternity no longer formally exists at the university or is recognized as a student organization and has been banned from campus operation, officials said. Bucknell, in an anti-hazing report, said it terminated recognition of the chapter in 2019 amid allegations of underage drinking, the use of dog shock collars on members and other activity that could lead to bodily injury.
CNN reached out Monday to the national TKE office for comment.

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In his letter, Luong said safety officers did not arrive in a timely manner. And when they did, he claims, they laughed at the situation.

"The officers bonded with our offenders, reminiscing their college days and calling them handsome young men. President Bravman, the two officers didn't even speak to me. Neither of the two officers came up to us Fran's House residents to ask if we were okay."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/17/us/bucknell-university-pennsylvania-lgbtq-student-community-incident/index.html

https://newsone.com/4146457/andrew-brown-jr-judge-facebook-posts/

Judge Who Blocked Andrew Brown Jr.’s Bodycam Video Called George Zimmerman Acquittal ‘The Right Thing’

North Carolina Superior Court Judge Jeffery Foster's past Facebook posts suggest he harbors pro-police bias.

They’re Vaccinated and Keeping Their Masks On, Maybe Forever
Face coverings have been a political flash point for more than a year. But now, the backlash is directed at people who don’t plan to take them off.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/17/nyregion/vaccinated-masks-cdc.html


oe Glickman has been wearing two masks and goggles for grocery runs — and said he planned to continue doing so for at least the next five years.Credit...Cindy Schultz for The New York Times

For people like Mr. Glickman, a combination of anxiety, murky information about new virus variants and the emergence of an obdurate and sizable faction of vaccine holdouts means mask-free life is on hold — possibly forever.

“I have no problem being one of the only people,” said Mr. Glickman, a professional photographer and musician from Albany, N.Y. “But I don’t think I’m going to be the only one.”

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But as more Americans become vaccinated and virus restrictions loosen, masks are at the center of a second round in the country’s culture brawl. This time, people who choose to continue to cover their faces have become targets of public ire.


In interviews, vaccinated people who continue to wear masks said they are increasingly under pressure, especially in recent days; friends and family have urged them to relax, or even have suggested that they are paranoid. On a recent trip to the grocery store, Mr. Glickman said he was stared down by a man who entered, unmasked.

“I’m confused,” the retired news anchor Dan Rather wrote on Twitter last week as backlash mounted on the platform to those still masked. “Why should people care if someone wants to wear a mask outside?”

Under a highway, beautiful structures offer food, healthcare, showers and a free ‘store’ – as well as a strong sense of community

Tucked under a highway overpass in West Oakland, just beyond a graveyard of charred cars and dumped debris, lies an unexpected refuge.

There’s a collection of beautiful, small structures built from foraged materials. There’s a hot shower, a fully stocked kitchen and health clinic. There’s a free “store” offering donated items including clothes and books, and a composting toilet. There are stone and gravel paths lined with flowers and vegetable gardens. There’s even an outdoor pizza oven.

The so-called “Cob on Wood” center has arisen in recent months to provide amenities for those living in a nearby homeless encampment, one of the largest in the city. But most importantly, it’s fostering a sense of community and dignity, according to the unhoused and housed residents who came together to build it. They hope their innovative approach will lead to big changes in how the city addresses its growing homeless population.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/11/oakland-homeless-cob-on-wood-village

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Oaklanders sick of the housing crisis build a complex below an underpass complete with a hot shower, fully stocked kitchen, outdoor pizza oven and CLINIC for around 300 homeless residents at nearby encampments

Cob on Wood is a small village center along Wood Street in West Oakland, beneath Interstate 880
It has transformed a patch of one of the city's biggest homeless encampments into a community area

Between 150 and 300 homeless people access the services and facilities including small huts known as 'cobins' for homeless people to safely shelter

There's also a communal kitchen, hot shower and compostable toilet, and a free store full of donated clothing
The center has a free health clinic with on-site practitioners, vegetable gardens and a cob pizza oven
It also provides opportunities such as construction training, cooking classes and careers development
Unhoused residents told DailyMail.com they finally have a place 'that I can call home'
Local organizers began the project in December in response to the city's inadequate response to the homelessness crisis













https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9580571/Oaklanders-build-complex-complete-hot-shower-kitchen-CLINIC-homeless-residents.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/16/middleeast/israel-bleacher-collapse/index.html

Video of collapse

https://twitter.com/KulfalAysen/status/1394027239549845508?s=09

he's been on talk radio telling this story over and over. he tells it as this long detailed story!! Trump level lie. surprise!! taking credit for a woman's accomplishment.

---------------------------------

Incredible rags-to-riches story of the janitor who became director after 'inventing' the Cheetos Flamin' Hot flavor is exposed as a LIE - as MBA grad emerges as the person who actually made the snack



Richard Montañez, 62, has made a career telling his remarkable story
The Mexican-American joined Frito-Lays as a janitor in 1976

He claims he invented the Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and called the CEO to pitch it
Yet the CEO he names was not at the company when the snack was created

Lynne Greenfeld, hired in 1989, created test versions in August 1990

Montañez's CEO did not start at the company until early 1991
A film is being made of Montañez's story by Eva Longoria
Frito-Lays have warned the producers that the 'urban legend' is not quite true




A Mexican-American laborer who claimed to have invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos, setting his life on an incredible rags-to-riches pathway, was exposed on Sunday as having invented key parts of the story.

Richard Montañez, 62, has written two books telling his remarkable tale, and commands up to $50,000 for motivational speeches. A biopic of his life, Flamin' Hot, is currently being made by Eva Longoria.



Yet The Los Angeles Times spoke to former colleagues and executives at the food company, who called into question Montañez's story.

In particular, one woman, Lynne Greenfeld, said that she was put in charge of developing the brand and came up with the Flamin' Hot name and product idea.

'It is disappointing that 20 years later, someone who played no role in this project would begin to claim our experience as his own and then personally profit from it,' she told the paper.

Montañez has not commented on the claims.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9584971/Incredible-story-Frito-Lays-janitor-director-inventing-Flamin-Hot-flavor-LIE.html

I recall my brother watching moon landing. My parents watching funeral of MLK.

My own personal obvservations started with Nixon resigning because sixth grade teacher made us pay attention


https://twitter.com/DaxGigandet/status/1393898159575900170?s=19

Longmont-based Bethlehem Lutheran Church announced on Thursday it has started a free-standing pantry for residents.

“The Pratt St. Little Free Pantry facilitates community,” pantry administrator Chili Chullino wrote. “Regardless of religion, race, or economic status the Pratt St. Little Free Pantry is for you. You are invited to visit the pantry to take what you need or leave what can.”

----------------------

https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/05/13/longmonts-bethlehem-lutheran-church-opens-free-standing-food-pantry/


https://www.katc.com/community/gma/indian-bayou-united-methodist-church-opens-free-food-pantry

"You don't have to fill out paperwork. You don't have to register. It's open to the general public and that's why we made it 24 hours because some people have so much pride, they don't want to be seen standing in line for food, and they're in need," says Johnson. "Here's an opportunity to come whenever you please."

A high school aged group of church goers came up with the plan for the pantry.

https://www.republicanherald.com/news/little-free-food-pantry-at-baber-cemetery-helps-pottsville-community/article_3bab9a4a-bcb3-5eb8-8cce-f1ae8c5e6f90.html