Chuck palahniuks

WASHINGTON: The US Air Force has found itself in a brewing scandal after it emerged that the service has been spending more than US$1,000 to replace high-tech coffee cups with fragile handles. The mugs in question aren't your usual porcelain caffeine containers; rather, a special copper-and-chrome plated beaker that can plug into aircraft electrical systems to keep the cherished contents nice and warm. According to Travis Air Force Base in California, which has "poured" over the numbers, the cups have risen in cost from US$693 each in 2016 to US$1,220 in 2018, due to a lack of replacement plastic handles. "Unfortunately, when dropped, the handle breaks easily leading to the expenditure of several thousand dollars to replace the cup as replacement parts are not available," Technical Sergeant James Hodgman, a spokesman for Travis's 60th Air Mobility Wing, wrote in a release. The costly cups have become grounds for a grumble for at least one influential lawmaker, namely senior … [Read more...] about Don’t choke on your coffee: US Air Force in hot water over US$1,220 mugs

Source: BRO(.)vector/Shutterstock All of us have been impacted by the pandemic, but mothers in particular are bearing a burden of responsibility that is almost intolerable. Recent headlines and data from the last year are grim: Women have lost more jobs than men. According to U.S. Department of Labor data, women lost 156,000 jobs overall in December 2020, while men gained 16,000. More than just a lost foothold in a profession, reduced work hours, layoffs, and vacated jobs often trigger food insecurity and homelessness. The pandemic economy has hit child care workers, who are predominantly women, especially hard. Sixty percent of licensed child care centers have closed during the pandemic, and as many as 4.5 million child care slots could be permanently lost due to the pandemic. Interruptions caused by child care affect women more than men. Studies show that as a result of school, child care, and camp closings, significantly more women than men have reduced their work … [Read more...] about Mothers Deserve to Feel Like Heroes of the Pandemic

Sen. Ron Johnson Ronald (Ron) Harold Johnson Senate coronavirus bill delayed until Thursday Democrats cut deals to bolster support for relief bill Senate GOP will force clerks to read bill to delay COVID-19 relief vote MORE (R-Wis.), a staunch Trump ally and fiscal conservative, has told colleagues that he plans to force the Senate clerks to read aloud the entire $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on the Senate floor, which could slow it down by as much as 10 hours. Democrats on Wednesday were grumbling over the prospect of having to factor an additional 10 hours of floor time into passing the bill. Any senator can force a reading of a bill on the floor, but the formality is almost always skipped by unanimous consent to avoid wasting time. ADVERTISEMENT Now senators will likely have to spend 10 hours listening to the bill be read aloud, which will come on top of the 20 hours of debate time scheduled for the legislation. A Republican senator said … [Read more...] about Senate GOP will force clerks to read bill to delay COVID-19 relief vote