[Lauren Taylor]

DELTA’S CEO ED BASTIAN SAID WEDNESDAY HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP GETTING BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE HIS APPROACH TO REGULATION COULD BE “A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.”

BASTIAN SPOKE WITH REPORTERS BEFORE DELTA’S INVESTOR DAY IN ATLANTA,SAYING UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY HAS SEEN A LEVEL OF GOVERNMENTAL “OVERREACH.”

HE CREDITED TRUMP’S PLAN “TO TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, THE BUREAUCRACY THAT EXISTS IN GOVERNMENT, THE LEVEL OF OVERREACH THAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS WITHIN OUR INDUSTRY.”

OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THE US TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED A NUMBER OF RULES FOR THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY – AIMED AT PROTECTING AIRLINE PASSENGERS – INCLUDING AUTOMATIC CASH REFUNDS FOR CANCELED FLIGHTS AND GETTING RID OF SURPRISE JUNK FEES WHEN PURCHASING A TICKET TO FLY.

IT’S UNCLEAR WHICH POLICY OR POLICIES BASTIAN CONSIDERS “OVERREACH”.

IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, SEVERAL MAJOR US AIRLINES –INCLUDING DELTA– FILED SUIT AGAINST THE US TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OVER THE JUNK FEES RULE.

THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SAID CONSUMERS ARE PAYING MORE THAN $543 MILLION IN FEES EVERY YEAR – AND THAT AIRLINES ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM THOOSE HIDDEN FEES.

THE USDOT IS ALSO INVESTIGATING DELTA’S RESPONSE TO A GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OUTAGE IT EXPERIENCED IN JULY WHEN THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED.

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID AT THE TIME THE PROBE WAS “TO ENSURE THE AIRLINE IS FOLLOWING THE LAW AND TAKING CARE OF ITS PASSENGERS DURING CONTINUED WIDESPREAD DISRUPTIONS.”

CONSUMER ADVOCATES WORRY THAT THE INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL ROLL BACK CONSUMER PROTECTIONS PUT IN PLACE BY THE BIDEN-ADMINSITRATION.

THE U-S OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER EDMUNDO GONZALEZ AS “PRESIDENT-ELECT” OF THE COUNTRY TUESDAY…  MONTHS AFTER PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO CONTROVERSIALLY DECLARED VICTORY IN THE JULY ELECTION.

U-S SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN RECOGNIZED GONZALEZ AS THE VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT IN A POST ON X AND DEMANDED THE COUNTRY “RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS.”

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED GONZALEZ WON THE MOST VOTES BUT FAILED TO DECLARE HIM PRESIDENT-ELECT UNTIL THIS WEEK.

GONZALEZ RESPONDED ON X, WRITING, “WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE RECOGNITION OF THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF ALL VENEZUELANS. THIS GESTURE HONORS THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE OF OUR PEOPLE AND THE CIVIC FEAT THAT WE CARRIED OUT TOGETHER ON JULY 28TH.”

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, GONZALEZ HAS BEEN EXILED TO SPAIN AFTER A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST WAS ISSUED BY THE MADURO REGIME.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED GONZALEZ WON THE MOST VOTES BUT FAILED TO DECLARE HIM PRESIDENT-ELECT UNTIL THIS WEEK.

VENEZUELA’S FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONDED TO BLINKEN’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY LAUNCHING A PERSONAL ATTACK.

SAYING IN A STATEMENT IN PART:

“IN THE LAST DAYS OF HIS GOVERNMENT, HE SHOULD DEDICATE HIMSELF TO REFLECTING ON HIS FAILURES… “

THE MINISTER MADE NO MENTION OF THE ELECTION RESULTS.

AFTER LEADING A BRUTAL CRACKDOWN OF HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS IN VENEZUELA… MADURO HAS DENIED REQUESTS FROM THE U-S AND OTHER NATIONS TO SHOW VOTING RECORDS BACKING UP HIS CLAIMS TO VICTORY.

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

[KENNEDY FELTON]

IN THE HEART OF LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND… TECHNOLOGY AND FAITH ARE INTERSECTING IN A NEW WAY. 

VISITORS TO SAINT PETER’S CHAPEL CAN NOW INTERACT WITH AN A-I JESUS… THANKS TO AN INNOVATIVE ART INSTALLATION CREATED AT A LOCAL UNIVERSITY.

THE PROJECT HAS CAPTURED GLOBAL ATTENTION, SPARKING BOTH INTRIGUE AND CRITIQUE. 

BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS INSTALLATION… AND WHY DID THE CHURCH DECIDE TO BRING A VIRTUAL JESUS TO LIFE?

[MARCO SCHMID, THEOLOGIAN, ST. PETER’S CHAPEL, LUCERNE]

“WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE IS AN EXPERIMENT. WE WANTED TO LAUNCH THE DISCUSSION BY LETTING PEOPLE HAVE A VERY CONCRETE EXPERIENCE WITH AI. THAT WAY WE HAVE A FOUNDATION FOR TALKING ABOUT IT AND DISCUSSING IT WITH ONE ANOTHER.”

MARCO SCHMID, A THEOLOGIAN AT SAINT PETER’S CHAPEL, GAVE HIS BLESSING FOR THE PROJECT.

THE INSTALLATION, WHICH COST SEVERAL THOUSAND EUROS, LAUNCHED IN AUGUST OF 2024, AIMING TO OFFER SPIRITUAL SUPPORT AT ANY TIME OF DAY –  UNLIKE HUMAN PASTORS, ACCORDING TO THE CHAPEL.

THE CENTERPIECE OF THE PROJECT IS A HIGH-TECH CONFESSIONAL BOOTH, WHERE VISITORS ARE GREETED BY A DIGITAL AVATAR OF JESUS. 

A USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE ALLOWS PENITENTS TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT FAITH, AND THE A-I RESPONDS WITH ANSWERS BASED ON ITS TRAINING FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT AND OTHER RELIGIOUS INFORMATION.

FOR SOME VISITORS, THE EXPERIENCE IS MOVING. 

WORSHIPPERS TOLD D-W NEWS THEY WERE SURPRISED AT HOW EASY THE PROCESS WAS AND LEFT FEELING INSPIRED.

BUT THE INSTALLATION HASN’T BEEN WITHOUT CONTROVERSY. 

OTHER WORSHIPPERS WERE NOT AS IMPRESSED, CALLING THE AVATAR’S ADVICE GENERIC. 

CRITICS ARGUE IT MAY RAISE ETHICAL CONCERNS.

A PROFESSOR AND ETHICIST FROM LUCERNE UNIVERSITY TELLS D-W NEWS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING MEANING IN RELIGION THROUGH A-I.

DESPITE MIXED REVIEWS OF A-I JESUS, SAINT PETER’S CHAPEL DEFENDS ITS INSTALLATION. ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE, IT WAS DESIGNED TO SPARK MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT FAITH CAN LOOK LIKE IN A MODERN, DIGITAL WORLD.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS CITED BY THE CHURCH, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO ACCESS A VARIETY OF VIEWPOINTS, PERSONALIZED RESPONSES, AND FASTER INTERACTIONS. 

AND THEIR FIFTH POINT IS BACKED BY ONE OF THE INSTALLATION’S FEATURES.

A-I JESUS SPEAKS 100 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE TO VISITORS AROUND THE GLOBE.

AT ITS CORE, THE A-I JESUS AT SAINT PETER’S CHAPEL IS ABOUT SPARKING CONVERSATION. 

THE CHURCH’S AIM IS CLEAR – TO PROVOKE THOUGHT, ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE, AND EXPLORE WHAT FAITH IN THE DIGITAL AGE CAN LOOK LIKE.

WITH SAN, I’M KENNEDY FELTON. STAY INFORMED WITH REAL-TIME UPDATES ON THIS STORY AND MORE BY DOWNLOADING OUR APP.

[Ryan Robertson]

STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE.  RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS THREATENING TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IF UKRAINE GETS OR USES CERTAIN OTHER WEAPONS CERTAIN WAYS. 

IN THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF NUCLEAR SABER RATTLING, MOSCOW CHANGED ITS PROTOCOLS FOR USING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. NOW, IF A NON-NUCLEAR COUNTRY–LIKE UKRAINE–IS ALLIES WITH A NUCLEAR-ARMED COUNTRY–LIKE THE UNITED STATES- AND PUTS RUSSIAN SOVEREIGNTY AT RISK THE KREMLIN SAYS IT WILL USE NUKES. 

OVER THE COURSE OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE, RUSSIA ISSUED DOZENS OF THREATS CONCERNING THE USE OF ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND EACH TIME THE THREAT RANG HOLLOW. 

BEFORE I WROTE IT OFF AS JUST MORE BLUSTER, THOUGH, I WANTED TO TALK WITH MATT SHOEMAKER, A FORMER U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHO SPENT TIME ON THE RUSSIA DESK. 

All right, Matt, thanks again for joining us. So, you know, the last couple of days, the announcement had come out that Russia was amending the protocols for nuclear responses to say that if Ukraine, or a nation, attacks Russia with long range weapons that puts Russian safety at risk, and that nation is being backed by nuclear power, then Russia can use nuclear weapons.

The announcement was made in September. Went live at the same time that Ukraine was using long range ATACMS outside of Kursk. Is this all just more bluster from Putin?

[Matthew Shoemaker]

Short answer, yes. There’s been a lot of sensationalism, especially here in the United States with regards to this usage of ATACMS. If you go on the Drudge Report, for example, the past three days, their main headlines have been essentially ‘Nuclear war is about to start. All of these countries are updating their nuclear weapons programs and their nuclear responses.’

This was foreseen–Russia, let’s put it that way, had a good idea that this was going to happen. Which is why they announced it back in September. They waited until President Biden announced it. And let’s be honest, President Putin knows President Biden. They’ve met multiple times. Biden’s got two months left on the clock. Putin knows that. Putin knows that, you know, Trump’s about to come in. Putin is going to have a much better time, from his perspective, negotiating with Trump. You know, this is all just bluster at this point. No one anticipates, no one expects that, you know, President Putin is going to start nuclear war over this with President Biden and two months left. Like, there’s nothing whatsoever in it for President Putin to do this. So this is all just bluster, unfortunately. And, you know, people with their own political axes to grind are using it for their advantage, whether it be bludgeoning the other side over the head with, you know, their political comments or, you know, just to try and stir up support for themselves. So, you know, there’s a lot of sensationalism going on.

[Ryan Robertson]

Sure, sure. I mean, it’s 2024, right? You can’t, can’t get by without some sensationalism, right? You mentioned something about the, about the ATACMS. You know, President Biden had approved ATACMS. Ukraine probably doesn’t have that many long-range ATACMS at this point, but President Biden has a few billion dollars left of Congressionally approved money to spend. If Ukraine suddenly got an influx of ATACMS, you know, long-range missiles–would that be enough to change the course of the war over the next couple of months before President Trump takes office?

[Matthew Shoemaker]

A short answer, in my professional assessment as a former intelligence officer, is no. None of that is in President Biden’s wheelhouse. Over the past three years of this conflict, effectively, he has slow-walked, at every single opportunity, any chance that the Ukrainians had to get an upper hand with regards to the Russians. President Biden has denied them that. The only thing President Biden has actually done is given the Ukrainians enough to stay in the fight.

And that’s essentially what this is more than anything, because–and not to get too far into the weeds and become too much of a tactician with regards to this, as you mentioned, you know, the Ukrainians don’t have enough of these ATACMS. The ATACMS themselves come in multiple variants. No one really knows which variants that the Ukrainians have, how many of those variants they have. And the two main variants are: one is a main large warhead itself. And that’s used against, usually like clusters of personnel, for example. And that tends to have a shorter range to it because it tends to be heavier. You need a bigger warhead for it. 

The other variant is, it has a lot of smaller munitions in it and it kind of just like sprays it out over a wide area. That one, from my understanding, has a little bit of a longer range. We don’t know how many the Ukrainians have. We don’t know how many the Ukrainians have of which variant either. That sort of thing. And on top of it, you know, the Ukrainian–or the Americans for that matter–have been helping the Ukrainians pay for the development of a Ukrainian-made, essentially an ATACMS style weapon that the Ukrainians have been fielding, and they can produce those themselves. So, you know, the Ukrainians have been lobbing these into Russia and this doesn’t really change any of the tactics on the field. It is all just bluster. It creates a headline. Because in reality, yes, you know, for the Americans to say you can use these weapons against Russian soil, it is a new development, if you will. 

I would say that, unlike what most of the reporting is saying,  is that from my understanding, there actually are quite a lot of restrictions still on the use of ATACMS. From my understanding, they can only use them around Kursk. It’s meant to give the Ukrainians some bargaining chip when Trump does come into office that the Ukrainians own essentially Russian territory that they can negotiate to give back to the Russians under a Trump administration. There’s a lot of gamesmanship. There’s a lot of different tactics going on. There’s a lot of, you know, chess going on. But for people to just, you know, fly over the handle or handlebars and assume that nuclear war is coming is irresponsible at best and just ludicrous at worst.

[Ryan Robertson]

Matt Shoemaker, always a pleasure talking to you. I am sure in the next few weeks we’ll have more opportunities to pick your brain again.

Matthew Shoemaker:

Pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me on.

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE FROM MATT SHOEMAKER, YOU CAN. JUST HEAD ON OVER TO SAN.COM OR CHECKOUT THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY. 

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. 

[Lauren Taylor]

TEXAS’ LAND COMMISSIONER DAWN BUCKINGHAM IS OFFERING THE INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER 1,400 ACRES OF LAND ON A RANCH IN STARR COUNTY, TEXAS TO HELP CARRY OUT MASS DEPORTATIONS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.

STARR COUNTY IS LOCATED ALONG THE US-SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO AND COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CAN USE THE LAND TO CONSTRUCT DEPORTATION FACILITIES AND STAGING AREAS TO CARRY OUT TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PROMISE.

IN A LETTER TO PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP, BUCKINGHAM WRITES “MY OFFICE IS FULLY PREPARED TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, OR THE UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL TO ALLOW A FACILITY TO BE BUILT FOR THE PROCESSING, DETENTION, AND COORDINATION OF THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OF VIOLENT CRIMINALS IN THE NATION’S HISTORY.”

THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE ACQUIRED THE RANCH AT THE END OF OCTOBER – ORIGINALLY TO BEGIN STATE BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION, ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE.