Latest news with #U.S.AirForce
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Linda fire chief seeks seat on Yuba board
Retired Linda fire chief and U.S. Air Force veteran Rich Webb announced that he will run for Yuba County Board of Supervisors, District 1, representing the Linda and Edgewater communities. 'My entire adult life has revolved around service and giving back to this community I love,' Webb said. 'First through my service in the Air Force, then through 34 years as a local firefighter, and now as a volunteer for local service groups and organizations that support survivors of tragedy and our first responders.' Webb's career began at 20 years old when he enlisted in the Air Force, where he trained as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician. After his active duty service, he became a civilian firefighter at Beale Air Force Base and volunteered for the Linda Fire District. He was awarded Yuba County Fireman of Year in 1986, nominated for the Department of Defense Civilian Firefighter of the Year in 1987, promoted to Linda fire captain in 1990 and appointed Linda fire chief in 2000. He served as chief for 20 years and retired in 2020. Currently, Webb is the president of the Yuba Sutter Trauma Intervention Program, where he volunteers to provide support for survivors of tragedy in the region. He is the vice president of Marysville Kiwanis and has been a member for 17 years. Webb also volunteers for the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank and Adventist Health and Rideout, serves on the Yuba County Measure K Citizens' Oversight Committee, and as president of the Yuba County Community Services Commission, working to reduce poverty in the county. Webb is seeking the board seat of current District 1 supervisor Andy Vasquez, as he is not seeking reelection. Vasquez, who has served on the board since 2009, has endorsed Webb. 'Rich's background in public safety, his decades of service to Yuba County, his professionalism and his calm, level-headed demeanor are unmatched, and make him the perfect candidate to lead us into the future,' Vasquez said. Webb said that if he is elected as supervisor, he will continue to support business development and infrastructure improvements in Linda, prioritize county funds for public safety, work to decrease homelessness and transient activity, and 'strive to bring back a sense of community to Linda through neighborhood events and more activities for our youth and seniors.' 'Through decades of good planning and our amazing partnership with the Yuba Water Agency, Linda is thriving and Yuba County has the opportunity to become the top business, residential and tourism destination in the region,' Webb said. 'Now more than ever, it is critical that we elect leaders with a proven track record of leadership, professional success and giving back. I would be honored to continue to serve our community as your next supervisor.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bond set for Grapevine Lake jet ski crash suspects
The Brief The woman accused in a Grapevine Lake jet ski hit-and-run crash had her bond set at $500,000. The man who helped her flee the crime scene has a $3,000 bond. But because both now have an immigration hold, they will stay in custody if they post bond. GRAPEVINE, Texas - A bond amount has been set for the two undocumented migrants accused in a deadly hit-and-run crash on Grapevine Lake on Memorial Day weekend. But they are not likely to get out of jail any time soon. What we know Several political officials and immigration authorities pushed for "no bond to be assigned" to 21-year-olds Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and Maikel Coello Perozo following the death of 18-year-old Ava Moore. But a magistrate on Thursday set Gonzalez's bond for a manslaughter charge at $500,000. Perozo's bond was set at a little more than $3,000 for his misdemeanor charges, including hindering apprehension and an accident involving damage to a vehicle. However, both suspects now have an immigration hold on them. Dig deeper The immigration hold means that if the suspects do post bond, they will stay in custody until they answer the state charges against them or until they are deported. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials would pick them up if either posted bond and take them to a federal facility, or they could stay in the Tarrant County jail, where they are now. What's next Moore's funeral service will be held in North Texas on Saturday. Moore was just weeks away from starting basic training for the U.S. military, a dream her friends and family said she was proud to pursue. She had recently graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School and was home visiting her parents in North Texas for Memorial Day. The U.S. Air Force will conduct full military honors at the end of her service. Her family has asked for privacy as they grieve the loss of their daughter. The backstory The crash happened near Oak Grove Park on Grapevine Lake on the evening of May 25. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, two women were on a jet ski that was traveling at a high rate of speed and dangerously close to other people in the water. Witnesses told investigators that Moore and other kayakers tried to paddle away before she was struck from behind. The 18-year-old victim suffered severe head trauma. She was pulled to shore by bystanders, then taken to a hospital where she later died from her injuries. Authorities said a passenger on the jet ski stayed at the scene and spoke with first responders. But the driver, later identified as Gonzalez, got into a vehicle with a man, later identified as Perozo. Several parked vehicles were hit as the pair drove away from the scene. Witnesses provided officers with photos and videos taken immediately after the accident, and a tip line was later set up to identify the suspects, receiving more than 900 tips. The arrest affidavit says that Gonzalez and Perozo were identified based on tips and facial recognition software. Both suspects entered the country illegally from Venezuela, according to ICE. ICE officials said they were both arrested at the time of their entry, processed for a notice to appear, then released on their own recognizance. ICE said both are now in removal proceedings. The Source The information in this story comes from Grapevine police, ICE officials, Tarrant County court records, and past news coverage.
UPI
21 hours ago
- Health
- UPI
CDC warns travelers of higher measles risk
A total of 14 outbreaks have been reported this year, with 16 through the entire 2024. An outbreak is considered three or more related cases. Photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Lotz/U.S. Air Force May 30 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people about the risks of contracting measles while traveling. The federal health agency updated its guidance Wednesday after reports from those flying within the United States contracting the highly contagious virus. The number of cases in the United States is the highest since 2000 after the debut of the vaccination program. Of the 1,088 measles cases reported so far this year, 96% were unvaccinated. "Travelers can catch measles in many travel settings including travel hubs like airports and train stations, on public transportation like airplanes and trains, at tourist attractions, and at large, crowded events," the agency said. About 90% of confirmed cases are linked to outbreaks within the United States, and not travel outside the country, the CDC said. Cases have been reported in all but 18 states this year, the CDC said Friday. New York and New York City are listed separately among the 33 jurisdictions listed. Two more states -- Iowa and Nebraska -- reported their first confirmed cases this week. Texas, where the first outbreak was reported in January, leads with 225 infections. There were 285 cases in 2024 with the highest since 2000 in 2019 with 1,274. Three deaths have been reported. Of the cases, 30% are children under 5, 37% 5-19 years old, 32% 20 years and older. The CDC has received at least 62 reports of travelers contagious with the highly transmissible virus while flying into the U.S. or within the country, a spokesperson for the CDC told CBS News in a statement. The agency investigated 50 of those travelers, and determined that measles spread during air travel in at least one of those situations, the spokesperson said. The CDC connected confirmed cases of measles among airline passengers sitting near each other. Unvaccinated U.S. residents are infecting those on aircraft, the CDC said. "International travelers are at risk of measles if they have not either been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure OR had measles in the past," the CDC said. The agency urges all international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine, according to CDC's recommendations. These include a dose for infants 6-11 months old, and at least 28 days apart for anyone 12 months old or older without adequate evidence of immunity. Also in the update, the CDC dropped its list of countries facing "high incidence" of measles. The agency now warns only that the virus is "an ongoing risk around the world, and more international travelers are getting infected." A total of 14 outbreaks have been reported this year, with 16 through the entire 2024. An outbreak is considered three or more related cases. Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000 after the debut of the vaccination program, meaning there is no measles spreading within the country and new cases are only found when someone contracts measles abroad and returns to the country. Before then, nearly every child got measles by the time they were 15. The measles vaccine was first licensed for public use in 1963, according to the WHO. The first MMR vaccine was administered in 1971.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Offers F-47 Sixth-Gen Fighter To Japan: Reports
Boeing's F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter has been pitched to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to reports. The idea of an export-configured F-47 was brought up by Trump when he announced Boeing's win in the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned combat jet initiative in March. Meanwhile, Japan is reportedly also considering increasing its purchase of F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, prompted by concerns over the timeline for the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a sixth-generation combat jet being pursued jointly by Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. A possible sale of the F-47 to Tokyo was raised during a phone call between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last week, according to a report from the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun. According to this source, the short-notice call was confirmed by Ishiba administration officials and came just before a visit to the United States by Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top trade negotiator, for talks on Trump's economic tariffs. Trump and Ishiba are said to have discussed the strengthening of the U.S.-Japanese military alliance, with the U.S. leader asking whether the Japanese prime minister agreed that '47' is a good number. The new Boeing fighter received the Mission Design Series designation F-47, echoing the fact that Trump is the 47th U.S. president. The Asahi Shimbun also reports that Trump praised the F-22 Raptor and the so-called F-55, a purported development of the F-35 that the U.S. president first mentioned while talking to the press earlier this month. Trump has described the F-55 as a twin-engined F-35, but there has been no confirmation from the manufacturer or the Pentagon that such an aircraft is in the works. According to Japanese officials, Trump asked whether Ishiba was interested in U.S.-made fighters and promised to get 'the best' for Japan. The same officials noted that the offer of buying U.S. combat jets was not tied to any tariff negotiations. At this stage, there's no sign that Tokyo is actively looking to add a new type of fighter jet to its inventory, although earlier this year, Ishiba did disclose an interest in buying C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the United States. With Boeing's C-17 production line now shuttered, any such aircraft would have to be transferred from the U.S. Air Force or from an allied operator inventory. Officially, at least, Japan is still committed to the GCAP program, which aims to field a sixth-generation crewed fighter, which is known in the United Kingdom as Tempest. You can read more about what we know of this aircraft and its planned capabilities here. However, there are now indications that Japan may be concerned that the Tempest fighter will not be ready for service soon enough for its requirements. Citing two unnamed defense sources, Reuters reports today that Japan is looking at ways of filling a gap in its fighter fleet pending the likely delayed arrival of GCAP. One of those sources blamed a lack of urgency on the part of Italy and the United Kingdom for the slow pace of the GCAP initiative, while the other noted it was taking too long to align each country's concept of how the aircraft will operate. A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Reuters that: 'The United Kingdom, Italy and Japan are focused on delivering a next-generation combat aircraft for 2035 and we are making strong progress.' Recently, however, at least one senior British official in the GCAP team has mentioned the goal for Tempest replacing the U.K. Royal Air Force's Typhoon in the 2040s. The first option for Japan involves buying additional F-35s. Already, Japan is the largest overseas customer for the aircraft. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is in the process of introducing 147 Joint Strike Fighters, in the form of 105 conventional takeoff and landing F-35As and 42 short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs. The STOVL jets will go aboard Japan's two Izumo class helicopter carriers, which have been modified to operate F-35Bs. Reuters reports that senior officials in Tokyo are now discussing the possibility of buying more F-35s, although the numbers involved are unclear. Currently, Japan has received 43 F-35As, while six F-35Bs have been delayed. Overall, delays in F-35 deliveries related to the introduction of critical upgrades have impacted the program significantly, and it's unclear how quickly the aircraft could be provided to Japan, even if they were to be ordered imminently. 'We have already paid for many items, and they haven't arrived,' a senior lawmaker from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party told Reuters about the current F-35 delays. 'It's not right to be told to buy more when previous orders haven't been fulfilled.' However, if Japan does opt for more F-35s, that could come with a potential economic advantage, serving as a bargaining chip for Tokyo amid tariff talks with Washington. 'Japan's purchase of defense equipment would contribute to the U.S. trade surplus, so in that sense, it could be considered [in trade talks],' Ryosei Akazawa told reporters yesterday. The second option is to upgrade Japan's existing fourth-generation fighters. These comprise around 85 Mitsubishi F-2s and approximately 200 F-15Js. Already, 68 of the F-15Js have been earmarked for a long-awaited upgrade that will take them to F-15JSI Japanese Super Interceptor standard with the addition of new radar, electronic warfare systems, weapons, and possibly more. An upgrade to the F-2s would be a new development, but it would help ensure combat air capability until the arrival of the GCAP. However, were Japan to buy more F-35s, that could threaten the future of its involvement in GCAP altogether, and if the Japanese were to leave the program, it's far from certain whether Italy and the United Kingdom would be able to continue without them. Even with Japanese participation, there are questions about the feasibility of GCAP, not least because of the enormous pressure on the U.K. defense budget with various other big-ticket programs competing for funds. Provided that Trump's tentative offer of F-47s for Japan is firmed up, that would provide another route for Japan to acquire a sixth-generation fighter, on a similar or potentially more favorable timeline than GCAP. The F-22 was never offered for export, on account of the sensitive nature of its technologies, as you can read about here. But it seems increasingly likely that the F-47, or a version of it, might be sold. As one of America's closest military allies, Japan would be well-positioned to buy it, should it be offered. When announcing the F-47 contract award, Trump said that U.S. allies 'are calling constantly' with a view to obtaining an export version of the NGAD fighter. He said that the United States would be selling them to 'certain allies … perhaps toned-down versions. We'd like to tone them down about 10 percent, which probably makes sense, because someday, maybe they're not our allies, right?' For Japan, or any other potential export customer, the big problem is likely to be the cost, with the baseline F-47's unit cost expected to be at least twice that of an F-35, or in the $180 million to $200 million range, based on publicly available information. On the other hand, a somewhat downgraded NGAD crewed fighter, which should also be notably cheaper, could be a very interesting option for Japan, as an alternative to GCAP. It would give Japan the chance of operating America's top fighter, something it was never allowed to do with the F-22. It would also allow the JASDF to integrate more seamlessly with its U.S. counterparts, which is even more important than for European allies. Moreover, it could open the door to other export opportunities, notably Australia, which is increasingly cooperating with both the United States and Japan. For the U.S. Air Force, F-47 foreign sales would increase production numbers and could lower unit costs, as well as making maintenance less expensive. U.S. officials are already talking about different future iterations of the NGAD combat jet. The former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, Andrew Hunter, recently suggested that the baseline F-47 might just be 'Increment 1' of the NGAD crewed combat jet initiative. An export-optimized increment would seem to make a lot of sense. On the other hand, buying more F-35s or F-47s would come with disadvantages, including reliance on the United States for operational support and sustainment at a time when even close allies are having doubts about the reliability of Washington as a strategic partner. With Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) having a major stake in GCAP, Japan will have sovereign control of the aircraft once it's delivered, meaning, for example, that it would be able to adapt or upgrade them without U.S. approval. Tokyo would also benefit from MHI's industrial partnership in GCAP, with revenues from every sale. For years now, Japan has been steadily increasing its military budget as it faces what its 2024 defense white paper described as 'the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II.' The three primary threats are identified as China's ambitions toward its southwestern archipelago, as well as Russian and North Korean missile and nuclear programs. While stepping away from the GCAP effort altogether would have considerable repercussions, far beyond Japan, further delays to that program might well force Tokyo to look at other options for its fighter force. Contact the author: thomas@
India.com
a day ago
- Business
- India.com
China's indigenous fighter jet is giving tough competition to US's F-35, its name is.., top features include..
After the collapse of the USSR(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), the global power balance has been gradually shifting. Russia is not as influential as it once was and cannot compete with the United States in every area. At the same time, China is growing significantly and is seen as a rising global power. Along with its economic growth, China has also made steady progress in modern military technology. In both these areas, China is now becoming a strong competitor to the United States. The role of air forces plays a significant role in today's warfare. Undoubtedly, the U.S. holds the pole position in this regard. Meanwhile, China is making every possible effort to match the global superpower. Recently, the United States announced the development of a sixth-generation fighter jet. Notably, both the U.S. and China possess fifth-generation fighter jets. While the U.S. Air Force is equipped with the F-22 Raptor, China's Air Force also has the Chengdu J-20 fighter jet. Both of these are fifth-generation aircraft. Surprisingly, the Chengdu J-20 has a unique feature that is also found in the Rafale fighter jet. Referred to as 'Mighty Dragon,' China's Chengdu J-20 fighter jet is the first fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. It was developed by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). According to the news 18 Hindi report, the key roles of the J-20 are to establish air superiority and enhance long-range strike capabilities. Furthermore, the aircraft strengthens China's strategic presence in sensitive regions like the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Going by the media reports, a new tailless stealth jet has recently appeared on social media platforms, seen flying alongside the J-20S. This has led to speculation that China may be working on a sixth-generation fighter jet, although there is no official confirmation yet. Speaking of its Stealth Capabilities, the J-20 is designed to evade radar detection, featuring a low radar cross-section and technologies that reduce its infrared signature. Going by the News18 Hindi report, the J-20 is powered by two Shenyang WS-10C turbofan engines, which enable it to reach a maximum speed of Mach 2 and offer an approximate range of 5,500 kilometers. Speaking of its features, the J-20 features a modern digital glass cockpit, equipped with multi-spectral sensors, a helmet-mounted display, and an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS). These systems provide the pilot with 360-degree situational awareness, enhancing combat effectiveness. The J-20 is armed with a range of advanced weapons, including PL-10, PL-12, PL-15, and PL-21 air-to-air missiles, laser-guided bombs, and anti-radiation missiles, making it capable of engaging various threats in the air, reported News18Hindi. The J-20 is equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system, a key feature of fifth-generation fighter jets. Notably, the Rafale fighter jet is also believed to use a similar radar system. The United States had strongly criticized the J-20 Mighty Dragon, claiming that China copied American technology to create a duplicate of the F-22 Raptor. This aircraft is known as the J-20 Mighty Dragon.
