Bernie Sanders is Nominated for a Grammy Award This Year

The 60th GRAMMY Awards will take place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. The telecast will be broadcast live on CBS at a new time: 7:30–11 p.m. ET and 4:30–8 p.m. PT.

Nominees for the BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS & STORYTELLING) are:

Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil Degrasse Tyson

Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen

Confessions Of A Serial Songwriter by Shelly Peiken 

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In (Bernie Sanders) spoken by Bernie Sanders & Mark Ruffalo

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

About Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In by Bernie Sanders

When Bernie Sanders began his race for the presidency, it was considered by the political establishment and the media to be a “fringe” campaign, something not to be taken seriously. After all, he was just an Independent senator from a small state with little name recognition. His campaign had no money, no political organization, and it was taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment.

By the time Sanders’s campaign came to a close, however, it was clear that the pundits had gotten it wrong. Bernie had run one of the most consequential campaigns in the modern history of the country. He had received more than 13 million votes in primaries and caucuses throughout the country, won twenty-two states, and more than 1.4 million people had attended his public meetings. Most important, he showed that the American people were prepared to take on the greed and irresponsibility of corporate America and the 1 percent.

In Our Revolution, Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all―and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on.

Hwasong-15 ICBM: An Analysis of North Korea’s Photos by South Korean Experts

2017/11/30

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) — North Korea released photos of its new long-range ballistic missile Thursday, which features a different warhead shape from the previous version.

The front part of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is round and relatively blunt, while that of the Hwasong-14 ICBM is sharp, according to a photograph published by the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and monitored online here. It was shown on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) with nine wheels on each side, indicating the new one is longer than the Hwasong-14, which is carried by a 16-wheel TEL.

The newspaper also made public dozens of other photos of the new ICBM launch early Wednesday morning, including those of leader Kim Jong-un giving a “field guidance” at the launch site north of Pyongyang.

He pumped his fist, monitoring flight data on a screen and celebrating the successful launch with his aides. The missile reportedly flew 950 kilometers at an apogee of 4,475 km to splash into the East Sea.

The North announced that it has completed its “nuclear force” and claimed the ICBM is capable of hitting all areas of the United States and delivering a “super-sized heavy” nuclear warhead.

The newspaper used four front pages to hype up the communist nation’s first ballistic missile firing in 2 1/2 months.

Experts said the round warhead tip may reflect the North’s pursuit of a multiple reentry vehicle.

“North Korea seems to have designed the protection cover of the reentry vehicle in consideration of a possible multiple warhead system,” said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

He added it appears to have replaced the engine system for the second-stage rocket.

“There’s a possibility that it has a bigger fuel tank and more vernier thrusters,” Chang said. “But it remains unconfirmed whether it’s a solid-fuel engine.”

Shin Jong Woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum (KODEF) based in Seoul, said the North seems to have used a cluster engine for the first stage of the Hwasong-15 as well.

“The Hwasong-14 type was equipped with one Paektusan rocket engine but the Hwasong-15 appears to have two,” he said.

Pyongyang fired two Hwasong-14 ICBMs in July.

It remains uncertain whether the isolated communist nation has developed a brand-new ICBM in just a few months.

Drone Safety: FAA and ASSURE Announce Results of Air-to-Air Collision Study

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 28, 2017) — Last month, a report from Canada indicated the possible collision of a drone with a jet approaching Quebec City’s International Airport. The incident reintroduced public concerns about air collisions between small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and commercial aircraft and what it may mean to the safety of air travel.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not yet able to definitively address these concerns, studies by a consortium of leading universities, through the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), have begun to bring better understanding to the physical damage associated with small unmanned aircraft – or drones – colliding midair with commercial and business aircraft.

Wing impact.

The ASSURE research team began its research in FY 2016, using unique resources from Mississippi State University, Montana State University, Ohio State University, and Wichita State University. This research team set out to answer the question of what happens when – not if – there is a collision between a sUAS and an airplane.

“While the effects of bird impacts on airplanes are well documented, little is known about the effects of more rigid and higher mass sUAS on aircraft structures and propulsion systems,” said Mississippi State University’s Marty Rogers, the Director of ASSURE. “The results of this work are critical to the safety of commercial air travel here in the United States and around the world.”

Bird strike.

The FAA Federal Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the FAA, along with ASSURE members, announced their findings in The sUAS Air-to-Air Collision Severity Evaluation Final Report. Researchers’ efforts began by first determining the most likely impact scenarios. This was done by reviewing operating environments for both sUAS and manned aircraft.  The team then selected the commercial and business aircraft and sUAS based on these impact scenarios and their likely exposure to one another.

Fixedwing_Baseline_takeoffQuadcopter_VerticalStabilizer_Impact

The commercial narrow-body air transport selected was characteristic of a Boeing B737 and an Airbus A320 aircraft, which represent 70% of the commercial aircraft fleet.  The business jet model represented a Learjet 30/40/50. Similarly, the team selected a small quadcopter and a light fixed-winged unmanned aircraft as representative of the most-likely threats to manned aircraft.

Researchers determined the areas of manned aircraft most likely to be impacted as being the leading edges of wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and windscreens.

ASSURE researchers also performed engine impact simulations on the fan section of an existing business-jet-sized, turbofan-engine model that the FAA previously used for fan blade-out testing.  The FAA/ASSURE team conducted this research to better inform the scope of the next phase of research, as well as the critical variables essential to their continued research and engine ingest testing.

“Computer simulations, supported by material and component level testing, were conducted to determine the effects of sUAS impacts on manned aircraft,” said Gerardo Olivares, Ph.D., Director, Crash Dynamics and Computational Mechanics Laboratories at Wichita State University. “Conducting this study through full-scale physical tests would not have been possible from a cost and time perspective due to the immense complexity of the task.  On the other hand, simulation enabled us to study over 180 impact scenarios in a twelve-month period. To ensure results accurately predict the actual physical behavior of collisions, we have spent a lot of time developing, verifying, and validating detailed models of manned and unmanned aircraft. Once the models are validated, we can use them in the future to investigate other impact scenarios.”

Researchers observed various levels of airframe and engine damage in all sUAS collision simulations. They confirmed that energy (projectile mass and velocity) and the stiffness of the sUAS are the primary drivers of impact damage. This research showed that the severity of the collision is also dependent on the design features of the sUAS and the dynamics of the impact.

Commercial aircraft manufacturers design aircraft structural components to withstand bird strikes from birds up to eight pounds for the empennage and four pounds for windscreen. ASSURE simulations show sUAS collisions inflict more physical damage than that of an equivalent size and speed bird-strike. sUAS components are much stiffer than birds, which are mostly composed of water. Therefore, bird-strike certification regulations are not appropriate for unmanned aircraft. Additionally, regulators do not require and manufacturers do not design commercial and business aircraft to withstand collisions from other aircraft.

The ASSURE research team also conducted both physical testing and simulation on sUAS lithium batteries. Typical high-speed impacts caused the complete destruction of the battery, therefore, in these cases, there was not an increased risk of fire due to a shorted battery.  However, during some of the low-speed impacts, associated with landing and takeoff, the battery was not completely destroyed. In some of these simulations, the battery remained lodged in the airframe and there was potential for increased risk of battery fire.

The findings above show the importance of properly researching and regulating the use of sUAS in a crowed national airspace system. While design features can decrease the severity of a drone impact, sUAS pilots and the public must be aware of and abide by regulations for safe sUAS operations. It is critical that everything be done to keep these collisions from occurring through the safe separation of all aircraft, both manned and unmanned. The FAA will depend on the sUAS community to help develop the technology for proper detect-and-avoid so that these aircraft do not meet in flight.

This is the first in a series of research projects conducted to understand and quantify the potential severity of airborne collisions. Future studies will research the severity of collisions with general aviation (GA) aircraft, rotorcraft, and high-bypass turbofan engines representative of those found in airline fleets today. Because of the scope and magnitude of this research, and the impact it will have on industry and national airspace safety, the follow-on studies will be broken into multiple phases beginning this year and running through FY21.

The complete report is available at http://www.assureuas.org/projects/deliverables/sUASAirborneCollisionReport.php

Bone Treats Not Safe for Dogs: FDA

Many dog owners know not to toss a turkey or chicken bone to their dog; those bones are just too brittle. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says the risk goes beyond that, especially when it comes to the “bone treats” you may see at the store.

What’s a Bone Treat?

FDA has received about 68 reports of pet illnesses related to “bone treats,” which differ from uncooked butcher-type bones because they are processed and packaged for sale as dog treats. A variety of commercially-available bone treats for dogs—including treats described as “Ham Bones,” “Pork Femur Bones,” “Rib Bones,” and “Smokey Knuckle Bones”—were listed in the reports. The products may be dried through a smoking process or by baking, and may contain other ingredients such as preservatives, seasonings, and smoke flavorings.

So if you’re planning to give your dog a stocking full of bone treats this holiday season, you may want to reconsider. According to Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at the FDA, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet.”

Illnesses Reported

Illnesses reported to FDA by owners and veterinarians in dogs that have eaten bone treats have included:

  • Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
  • Choking
  • Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Bleeding from the rectum, and/or
  • Death. Approximately fifteen dogs reportedly died after eating a bone treat.

The reports, sent in by pet owners and veterinarians, involved about 90 dogs (some reports included more than one dog). In addition, FDA received seven reports of product problems, such as moldy-appearing bones, or bone treats splintering when chewed by the pet.

Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe

Here are some tips to keep your dog safe:

  • Chicken bones and other bones from the kitchen table can cause injury when chewed by pets, too. So be careful to keep platters out of reach when you’re cooking or the family is eating.
  • Be careful what you put in the trash can. Dogs are notorious for helping themselves to the turkey carcass or steak bones disposed of there.
  • Talk with your veterinarian about other toys or treats that are most appropriate for your dog. There are many available products made with different materials for dogs to chew on.

“We recommend supervising your dog with any chew toy or treat, especially one she hasn’t had before,” adds Stamper. “And if she ‘just isn’t acting right,’ call your veterinarian right away!”

To report a problem with a pet food or treat, please visit FDA’s Web page on “How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.

DPRK Gov’t Statement on Successful Test-fire of New-Type ICBM

Date: 29/11/2017 | Source: Rodong Sinmun (En)


The government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced the following statement Wednesday over the successful test-fire of new-type ICBM:
The test-fire of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15, newly developed under the political resolution and strategic decision of the Workers’ Party of Korea, was successfully carried out.
The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the U.S. This system has much greater advantages in its tactical and technological specifications and technical characteristics than Hwasong-14 whose test-fire was conducted in July last, and it is the most powerful ICBM which meets the goal of the completion of the rocket weaponry system development set by the DPRK.
Upon authorization of the WPK and the government of the DPRK, ICBM Hwasong-15 was launched at 02:48 on Nov. 29, Juche 106 (2017) in the suburbs of Pyongyang under the guidance of Comrade Kim Jong Un.
After making a 53-minute flight along its preset orbit, the rocket accurately landed in the target waters set in the open sea in the East Sea of Korea.
The test-fire was conducted in the highest angle launch system and it had no adverse effect on the security of neighboring countries.
The rocket soared to the highest altitude of 4 475 km and then flew the distance of 950 km.
After watching the successful launch of the new type ICBM Hwasong-15, Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power.
The great success in the test-fire of ICBM Hwasong-15 is a priceless victory won by the great and heroic people of the DPRK who have upheld the WPK’s line on the simultaneous development of the two fronts with loyalty without the slightest vacillation despite the vicious challenges by the U.S. imperialists and their followers and manifold difficulties.
The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of the DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists’ nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people, and therefore, they would not pose any threat to any country and region as long as the interests of the DPRK are not infringed upon. This is our solemn declaration.
As a responsible nuclear power and a peace-loving state, the DPRK will make every possible effort to serve the noble purpose of defending peace and stability of the world.
Rodong News Team

North Korea Announces Missile was Hwasong-15 ICBM Capable of Striking U.S.

 

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea announced Wednesday that it has successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), claiming that the missile can strike anywhere in the continental United States with a nuclear warhead.

North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 ICBM earlier in the day from an area north of Pyongyang, according to the state-run TV broadcaster in its “important” announcement.

In July, Pyongyang test-fired two Hwasong-14 ICBMs.

The North’s missile flew 960 kilometers to an altitude of around 4,500 km, Seoul’s military said.

“North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced that the country realized great historic cause of completing state nuclear force,” the North’s media said.

N. Korea Gives No Advance Notice of ICBM Test in Violation of ICAO Agreement

N. Korea gives no advance notice of ICBM test: ICAO

2017/11/29 10:40

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea gave no prior notice to the international aviation body in testing what appeared to be its third intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the wee hours of Wednesday, neglecting its obligation to do so for the safety of international civil aviation in the region, a U.S. broadcaster reported.

The North fired off the projectile into the East Sea at 3:17 a.m., ending its inactivity since mid-September. The provocation took place a week after U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated the North as a terror-sponsoring state for the first time in nine years.

In an email, Anthony Philbin, a spokesman of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said his organization did not receive any prior notice from the North in relation to the latest missile test, Voice of America said.

As it joined the ICAO in 1977 and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1986, Pyongyang is obligated to give prior notice to the organizations for the safety of civilian aircraft and vessels.

At its session in Montreal early last month, the ICAO Council strongly condemned the North for carrying out a series of missile tests, including two ICBM launches in July, without giving prior notice to the ICAO.

Chronology of North Korea’s missile, rocket launches

Photo Courtesy Yonhap News Agency.

2017/11/29

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired what appears to be a long-range ballistic missile on Wednesday. The following is a chronology of the North’s major missile provocations.

— Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires off its first ballistic missile, the Unha-1, also known as the Taepodong-1, from the launch site of Musudan-ri in North Hamgyong Province.

— July 5, 2006: North Korea test-fires an advanced version of the Taepodong-2 missile at the Musudan-ri launch site.

— April 5, 2009: North Korea launches the Unha-2 rocket at the Musudan-ri launch site with the attendance of leader Kim Jong-il and his son, Kim Jong-un.

— April 13, 2012: North Korea fires off a long-range rocket, the Unha-3, from the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province. But the rocket crashes in pieces into the sea shortly after takeoff.

— Dec. 1, 2012: North Korea says it will launch a working satellite, the Kwangmyongsong-3, on the carrier rocket Unha-3, between Dec. 10 and 22.

— Dec. 10, 2012: North Korea extends the rocket launch window until Dec. 29, citing technical problems in the first-stage control engine module.

— Dec. 12, 2012: North Korea launches a long-range rocket from the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province.

— May 8, 2015: North Korea for the first time tests a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), dubbed KN-11. Seoul said that it was more of a test for the ejection rather than firing.

— Nov. 28, 2015: North Korea fires off an SLBM in the East Sea, but Seoul views the test as a failure.

— Dec. 21, 2015: South Korea’s military says North Korea conducted another SLBM test in December, but the test ended in failure. The Washington Free Beacon reported that North Korea succeeded in the underwater test of a KN-11 missile near the eastern port of Sinpo on Dec. 21, citing unidentified U.S. defense officials.

— Feb. 2, 2016: North Korea notifies U.N. agencies of its plan to launch a satellite between Feb. 8 and 25.

— Feb. 6, 2016: North Korea informs the International Maritime Organization of its plan to move up the launch date to Feb. 7-14.

— Feb. 7, 2016: North Korea fires a long-range rocket from the Dongchang-ri launch site at around 9:30 a.m. The North claims it has successfully placed a satellite, named Kwangmyongsong-4, into orbit.

— March 18, 2016: North Korea launches what appears to be two mid-range Rodong ballistic missiles from its western province.

— April 15, 2016: North Korea conducts its first test-launch of an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, also known as the BM-25, but the launch ends in failure.

— April 23, 2016: North Korea test-fires an SLBM in the East Sea, which flies only about 30 km

— April 28, 2016: North Korea launches two intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missiles, but the launches end in failure.

— May 31, 2016: North Korea test-fires an intermediate-range Musudan, but the launch ends in failure.

— June 22, 2016: North Korea fires off two intermediate-range Musudan missiles. One missile flies about 400 km, which experts widely view as a success.

— July 9, 2016: North Korea launches an SLBM off its east coast, but Seoul says the missile appears to have exploded at an altitude of some 10 kilometers.

— July 19, 2016: North Korea test-fires two mid-range Rodong missiles and a shorter-range Scud missile.

— Aug. 3, 2016: North Korea fires off two mid-range Rodong ballistic missiles from near the southwestern area. One missile flies about 1,000 km before falling into Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

— Aug. 24, 2016: North Korea test-fires an SLBM in waters off its east coast towards Japan. The missile flies about 500 km, making it the longest flight by such a missile.

— Oct. 15, 2016: North Korea fires off an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, but it explodes after launch.

— Oct. 20, 2016: North Korea launches what appears to be an intermediate-range Musudan, but the test ends in failure.

— Feb. 12, 2017: North Korea launches a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, Pukguksong-2, into the East Sea. Experts say the country appears to apply technology used in the SLBM to have developed a new missile.

— March 6, 2017: North Korea fires four ballistic missiles from its the Dongchang-ri launch site toward the East Sea.

— March 22, 2017: North Korea launches a missile from its east coast that is presumed to have failed. The type of the missile is not confirmed.

— April 5, 2017: North Korea fires what appears to be a type of KN-15 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

— May 14, 2017: North Korea fires a new mid-to-long-range ballistic missile, the Hwasong-12, from a northwest site. It flies about 700 km before landing in the East Sea.

— May 21, 2017: North Korea fires the ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile, also known as a KN-15. It flies more than 500 km.

— May 27, 2017: North Korea is presumed to have launched a surface-to-air guided missile, believed to be a KN-06, from the eastern region.

— May 29, 2017: North Korea fires what is presumed to be a Scud-type ballistic missile. It flies about 450 km.

— June 8, 2017: North Korea test-fires multiple surface-to-ship cruise missiles.

— July 4, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile from a northwestern province into waters off its east coast. Pyongyang claims that it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and that it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 km.

— July 28, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile from the northern province of Jagang into the East Sea.

— Aug. 26, 2017: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.

— Aug. 29, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile over Japan from a region near Pyongyang. It flies more than 2,700 kmat a maximum altitude of around 550 km.

— Sept. 15, 2017: North Korea fires a ballistic missile over Japan from Pyongyang. It reaches as high as some 770 km and flies around 3,700 km. It marked the first missile launch after the U.N. Security Council implemented fresh sanctions over its sixth nuclear test.

— Nov. 29, 2017: North Korea launches what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It flies some 960 km, reaching an apogee of around 4,500 km.