DAVE ARIPOTCH: I GET PASSIONATE ABOUT IT BECAUSE…I JUST WANNA BE FAT, DUMB AND HAPPY. AND I’M FAT AND DUMB, BUT THE WINDMILLS DON’T MAKE ME HAPPY.

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THE FUTURE OF OFFSHORE WIND ON THE EAST COAST IS BEING LEASED ON GROUNDS WHERE MANY FISHERMEN MAKE THEIR LIVING. SOME FEAR THAT THEIR INDUSTRY, AND THE FISH THEY BRING HOME ARE AT RISK, AND THAT THEIR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN DISMISSED IN FAVOR OF A FAST-TRACKED PLAN FOR CLEAN ENERGY.

ARIPOTCH: MY NAME’S DAVID ARIPOTCH AND I’M A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN. I HAVE BEEN ALL MY LIFE, IT’S ALL I’VE EVER DONE FOR WORK. I DON’T FAULT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN THAT LIVES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY’RE THINKING WELL, THE OCEAN IS A BIG PLACE. I MEAN, YOU DON’T NEED IT AT ALL. YOU DON’T OWN IT. WE ALL OWN IT, YOU KNOW? YEAH. OKAY. BUT THERE’S ONLY FISH IN CERTAIN PLACES.

MEGHAN LAPP: THE COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY, A LOT OF PEOPLE, I DON’T THINK, REALIZE HOW HEAVILY REGULATED WE ARE. A LOT OF THE REGULATIONS WE ABIDE BY ARE SPATIAL IN NATURE.

MEGHAN LAPP IS A LIAISON FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING COMPANY SEAFREEZE IN RHODE ISLAND. IF OFFSHORE WIND FARMS ARE JUST BEING CITED UNCONTROLLABLY ON OUR COMMERCIAL FISHING GROUNDS, WHICH IS WHAT’S HAPPENING, WE CAN’T JUST NECESSARILY RELOCATE TO SOMEPLACE ELSE.

LONGWORTH: NOT ALL FISHING ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE OFFSHORE WIND. SOME HAVE EVEN PARTNERED WITH WIND PROJECTS TO SUPPORT THE EFFORT. BUT CONCERNS REMAIN FOR MANY REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ORDERS OF COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN.

BOTH ARIPOTCH AND LAPP SAY IT WON’T BE SAFE TO DEPLOY THEIR GEAR ANYWHERE BETWEEN A PROJECT’S TURBINES, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE A MILE APART LIKE IN VINEYARD WIND–AMERICA’S FIRST COMMERCIAL-SCALE WIND FARM. IF SO, THAT MAKES THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF FISHING GROUND PRACTICALLY OFF-LIMITS.

THIS IS A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO BY DOMINION ENERGY, SHOWING HOW EXCITED FISHERMEN ARE ABOUT CASTING NEAR THEIR WIND TURBINES.

BUT THESE MEN ARE FISHING FOR SPORT – WITH ROD & REEL. MANY COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR DOMESTIC FOOD PRODUCTION DO NOT SHARE THAT ENTHUSIASM.

LAPP: THE NETS ARE NOT RIGHT BEHIND THE BOAT, THEY ARE QUITE A WAYS BEHIND THE BOAT ATTACHED TO THE BOAT BY STEEL CABLES / YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER THAT BETWEEN WIND TURBINES WITH YOU KNOW ACRES OF ROCK SCOUR PROTECTION, ELECTRICAL CABLES WITH 10S OF 1000S OF VOLTS, ALSO COVERED BY SCOUR PROTECTION, YOU WILL HANG UP YOUR GEAR ON IT, WHICH CAN ENDANGER YOU KNOW THE STABILITY OF YOUR VESSEL AND THE LIFE OF YOUR CREW.

LONGWORTH: IN BOEM’S FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR VINEYARD WIND, THE AGENCY ADMITS THAT A FISHERMEN’S ABILITY TO MANEUVER BETWEEN TURBINES “MAY VARY” DEPENDING ON VESSEL SIZE, GEAR, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE OBSTACLES AREN’T SOLELY BENEATH THE SURFACE. NETWORKS OF 800-FOOT TALL TURBINES CAN SCRAMBLE A BOAT’S MARINE RADAR. IN LOW VISIBILITY, COMMON ALONG THE NORTH ATLANTIC COAST, CREWS NEED RADAR TO NAVIGATE SAFELY. A NATIONAL ACADEMIES REPORT CONFIRMS THIS PHENOMENON, BUT FISHERMEN CAN ATTEST FIRST-HAND.

LAPP: OUR BOATS ARE OUT THERE AT NIGHT IN INCLEMENT WEATHER IN THE FOG IN THE RAIN WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE. AND IF YOU CAN’T HAVE RELIABLE MARINE RADAR, THEN THAT’S A MAJOR MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.

LONGWORTH: RADAR INTERFERENCE COULD AFFECT MILITARY AND SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS AS WELL.  BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY.

BOEM, THE AUTHORITY ON WIND ENERGY LEASES, HAS MOVED FORWARD WITH A GENERAL EXPECTATION THAT FISHERMEN WILL EVENTUALLY FIGURE IT OUT. THEY’LL FIND A WAY TO ADAPT. BUT THEY DON’T KNOW, AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT SOME WON’T TAKE THE RISK.

ARIPOTCH: YOU CAN’T TOW A NET ALONG THERE, YOU CAN’T TOW A NET. BECAUSE IF YOU GO OVER A ROCK, YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO RIP IT UP, AND THAT’S $30,000 NOW. NOT TO SAY SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT, YOU COULD LOSE IT, THE CABLES THAT RUN FROM THE BOAT TO THE NET COULD BREAK, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. SO THEY’RE TAKING THAT WHOLE BOTTOM, JUST TAKING IT AWAY. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FISH THERE.

BONNIE BRADY: HONEY!  HE CAN’T HEAR ME.

ARIPOTCH: I KNOW MORE ABOUT WINDMILLS THAN I EVER WANTED TO. BECAUSE MY WIFE HAS BEEN RESEARCHING THEM FOR 20 YEARS.

BRADY: MY NAME IS BONNIE BRADY, AND I’M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LONG ISLAND COMMERCIAL FISHING ASSOCIATION. SEAFREEZE, THEY ARE THE MAIN PLAINTIFF IN A LAWSUIT SUING THE FIRST RECORD OF DECISION WHICH IS THE VINEYARD WIND PROJECT. LONG ISLAND COMMERCIAL FISHING ASSOCIATION IS A PLAINTIFF ALSO, AS IS DAVID ARIPOTCH WHO IS A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN FROM NEW YORK, AND MY HUSBAND.”

HTTPS://CDN01.DAILYCALLER.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2023/03/001-COMPLAINT.PDF

THE TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION IS REPRESENTING THEM IN THE LAWSUIT, CLAIMING FEDERAL AGENCIES FAILED TO CONDUCT AN ADEQUATE REVIEW OF THE VINEYARD WIND PROJECT BEFORE GREENLIGHTING IT.

THE THINK TANK HAS A HISTORY OF CAMPAIGNING AGAINST RENEWABLE ENERGY AND SUPPORTING FOSSIL FUELS…BUT THE PLAINTIFF’S MOTIVATING CONCERN IS THEIR LIVELIHOOD.

ONE POINT OF CONTENTION: A LINE IN THE RECORD OF DECISION FOR VINEYARD WIND, WRITTEN BY BOEM, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, AND NOAA, PREDICTING IT’S “LIKELY THAT THE ENTIRE 75,614 ACRE AREA WILL BE ABANDONED BY COMMERCIAL FISHERIES DUE TO DIFFICULTIES WITH NAVIGATION.

ARIPOTCH: THAT STATEMENT WAS BROUGHT UP BY MY LAWYER. HE HAD READ THE DOCUMENTS. AND I MEAN, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE…BONNIE AND I WERE IN COURT WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE LAWSUIT. AND THE JUDGE SAID OH, WELL IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT WAS A TYPO. WELL, THAT’S SOME TYPO.

LONGWORTH: A CLARIFICATION WAS LATER ISSUED, SAYING IT WAS BASED SOLELY ON PUBLIC COMMENTS–CONCERN FROM FISHERMEN–AND THAT IT WAS NOT THE RESULT OF AN AGENCY’S EVALUATION.

EITHER WAY, THE RISK TO SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT IS ENOUGH TO KEEP FISHERMEN OUT OF THE WIND FARMS, LEAVING LESS GROUND FOR THE SAME NUMBER OF BOATS.

AND THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT ONE OR TWO WIND FARMS. A DECADE FROM NOW, THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF ALL THE PROJECT SITES WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL ALONG THE EAST COAST.

THOUSANDS OF TURBINES AND MILES OF CABLE SPANNING NEARLY TWO AND A HALF MILLION ACRES, WHEN IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE.

MEGHAN: IF ALL THE OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND BEING PLANNED FOR THE EAST COAST, I DON’T SEE THERE BEING A COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY ON THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES IN 20 YEARS. BECAUSE WE WON’T HAVE ANY PLACE TO FISH.

LONGWORTH: THESE FACES OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY ARE LOOKING FOR A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPERS ARE ALREADY PLANTING IN THE OCEAN THEY SHARE.

LAPP: WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT NO MEANINGFUL REVIEW EVER REALLY HAPPENS. THE GOALS ARE TO MEET THE DEVELOPERS POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND THE STATE’S RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS. AND THOSE HAVE TIMELINES AND THEY WANT TO PUSH THEM THROUGH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DELAYING A PROJECT TO MAYBE DO A MORE IN DEPTH REVIEW, OR A PARTIAL OR FULL DISAPPROVAL OF A PROJECT IF THE PROJECT IS FOUND TO BE IN A PLACE THAT IT REALLY SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SITED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

ARIPOTCH: I’M STARTING TO GET OLD FOR DOING THIS. BUT I LOVE IT. AND I ACTUALLY FEEL PRIVILEGED TO HAVE EVER FOUND FISHING BECAUSE MY LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY DIFFERENT IF I HADN’T. I MEAN, YOU COULD NEVER SAY. BUT I HAVE NO EDUCATION OTHER THAN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, AND THIS FIT MY LIFE SO PERFECTLY. AN ACE AND CHUCK AND CHRIS AND PAT AND EVERY GUY AT THIS DOCK AND EVERY GUY THAT DOCK AND THAT DOCK IF IT WAS PERFECT AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS PUSHING US INTO DOING IT!

DEVELOPERS, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, ARE AWARE THERE WILL BE ECONOMIC IMPACTS ON THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

BOEM SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE FISHING COMMUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS CONCERNS.

A VINEYARD WIND SPOKESPERSON REPLIED THAT DISCUSSIONS WITH FISHERMEN HAVE LED TO A $40 MILLION MITIGATION FUND. THE MONEY WOULD GO TOWARDS GEAR, REVENUE LOSS AND VESSEL MODIFICATION.

BRADY, ARIPOTCH AND LAPP SAY THAT’S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH.

BRADY: “SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? WE ARE DOMESTIC FOOD PRODUCTION. I MEAN, DIDN’T COVID TEACH US ANYTHING ABOUT WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM MATTERS?”

LAPP: NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY IS A BIG DEAL. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A NATIONAL SEAFOOD SOURCE ANYMORE, YOU’RE GOING TO BE EATING IMPORTS FROM CHINA. AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU’RE GOING TO PERMANENTLY DESTROY A FOOD SOURCE, A NATIONAL FOOD SOURCE.

BRADY: THE FACT THAT BOEM AND THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS SAY THERE WILL BE NO–THERE’LL BE A NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE IS IF IT’S LIKE NEVER NEVERLAND, BUT MEANWHILE, WE’RE GOING TO DESTROY THE OCEAN’S PRODUCTIVITY?

ARIPOTCH: HOW CAN YOU MAKE AN EXPERIMENT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE’S LIVES? WHAT HAPPENS IF IT DOESN’T WORK?

WE’RE LEARNING NEW DETAILS ABOUT A BIO LAB IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA – WITH TIES TO CHINA.
WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE REEDLEY, CALIFORNIA, FACILITY BACK IN AUGUST. 

AT THE TIME – DETAILS OF WHAT WAS INSIDE, RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY IN FRESNO COUNTY. 

DOZENS OF REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS – HOOKED UP TO ILLEGAL WIRING. VIALS OF BLOOD AND HUNDREDS OF LAB MICE STORED IN CROWDED AND SOILED CONTAINERS. 

NOW- ACCORDING TO INTERNAL EMAILS AND DOCUMENTS OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS – NOT ONLY DID STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS KNOW ABOUT THOSE CONDITIONS AT THE OFF-THE-GRID LAB *MONTHS BEFORE THE PUBLIC DID. THERE HAD ALSO ALREADY BEEN CALLS TO INVESTIGATE THE COMPANY BEHIND IT. 

LOCAL OFFICIALS CALLED FOR A STATE INVESTIGATION INTO THE COMPANY BEHIND THE LAB IN THE FALL OF 20-22. AT THAT TIME – THEY WERE OPERATING OUT OF ANOTHER FACILITY IN FRESNO. 

BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL MARCH OF THIS YEAR THAT A RAID ON THE COMPANY’S REEDLEY LAB WOULD UNCOVER DISTURBING, AND DANGEROUS TESTING BEING CONDUCTED WITHOUT LICENSES TO DO SO.

THE SURROUNDING CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY WOULD WAIT SEVERAL MORE MONTHS BEFORE FINDING OUT ABOUT THE LAB.

AND EVEN THEN IT WAS THANKS TO REPORTING FROM A LOCAL ONLINE NEWS OUTLET WHICH PUBLISHED A STORY QUOTING COURT DOCUMENTS. 

ACCORDING TO FOX NEWS’ REVIEW OF THE NEWLY OBTAINED INTERNAL DOCUMENTS –

TWO CALIFORNIA STATE AGENCIES SAY THE CITY OF FRESNO **DELAYED ACTION TO SHUTDOWN A FACILITY FULL OF BIOLOGICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES –

INCLUDING THE CORONAVIRUS, MALARIA, AND H-I-V.

ONE CITY OFFICIAL FILED URGENT PLEAS WITH CALIFORNIA’S “ENVIRONMENTAL AND TOXIC SUBSTANCE AGENCIES” TO STEP IN AND HELP SHUT DOWN THE FRESNO FACILITY.

BUT THE PLEA REPORTEDLY FELL ON DEAF EARS FOR MONTHS IN A BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS –

ON **WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT WAS TO PROPERLY INVESTIGATE “GRAVE CONCERNS” ASSOCIATED WITH VIRUSES TESTED IN HUNDREDS OF RODENTS.

“UNIVERSAL MEDITECH INCORPORATED” AND “PRESTIGE BIOTECH” – 

HAD POPPED UP ON OFFICIALS’ RADAR **TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THE RAID THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY SHUT DOWN THE REEDLEY WAREHOUSE.

THAT’S BECAUSE FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO A FIRE AT MEDITECH’S WORKSTATION IN FRESNO –

A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION AFTER THE FIRE FOUND NUMEROUS SAFETY VIOLATIONS –

AND THE FIRE CHIEF ASKED FOR OTHER AGENCIES TO STEP IN AND FURTHER INVESTIGATE AFTER REPORTING FOUL ODORS IN THE BUILDING THAT THEY SUSPECTED WERE LINKED TO ANIMAL TESTING.

“PRESTIGE BIOTECH” TOLD INVESTIGATORS THEY WERE A “MEDICAL TESTING LAB”.

BUT LOCAL OFFICIALS CONCLUDED THIS QUOTE “WASN’T THE FULL PICTURE.”

AND SAID THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FOUND WERE BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITIES.

THE FIRE INSPECTOR FOR THE COUNTY SAID “TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE” FOR STATE RESOURCES TO STEP IN AND ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD.

THE INSPECTOR KNEW OF THE LAB’S PLANS TO TRANSFER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TO THE WAREHOUSE IN REEDLEY – AND ASKED FOR INTERVENTION BEFORE THE MOVE WAS MADE.

BUT STATE OFFICIALS SAID – THIS WASN’T THEIR WHEELHOUSE –

AND REFERRED THE ISSUE BACK TO THE COUNTY.

IT WAS DURING THIS BACK AND FORTH THAT THE CHINESE LAB WOULD TRANSFER MATERIALS TO THE REEDLEY WAREHOUSE —

WHERE CDC OFFICIALS WOULD DISCOVER THE LAB “IMPROPERLY HOUSED” 20 INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND VIRUSES –

AND NEARLY 800 MICE WERE FOUND – A QUARTER OF WHICH WERE DEAD.

ONE OF THE ROOMS INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE WAS PRODUCING PREGNANCY TESTS FOR COVID-19.

A HOUSE INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER NEWS OF THE RAID WAS MADE PUBLIC IN JULY.

THE LAB WAS FOUND INSIDE HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY’S CALIFORNIA DISTRICT.

HE SAYS LAWMAKERS ARE WORKING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE **INTENTIONS BEHIND THE EXPERIMENTS TAKING PLACE AT THE LAB –

AND WHETHER THIS IS OCCURRING ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S.

{“When you look at what’s going on in our own soil, our own background here, here is a lab that is studying doing things they didn’t have jurisdiction or rights to do, but if it wasn’t for code enforcement and fire, we would’ve never known about it. They were selling test kits that weren’t right, research that wasn’t allowed. My concern is to get to the bottom of what happened here but also where is this happening in other parts of the country as well.”}

THE WAREHOUSE HAS SINCE BEEN SHUT DOWN.

THE CITY OF REEDLEY CONSIDERS IT AN “ABANDONED BUILDING” AND PLANS TO DESTROY IT.

THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE NEEDS MORE PILOTS, BUT SOME TURBULENCE IN THE TRAINING PIPELINE MEANS THE AIR FORCE WILL MISS ITS TARGET FOR NEW AVIATORS ONCE AGAIN.

IT’S A FRUSTRATING SITUATION FOR THE USAF. THE SERVICE IS ALREADY HAVING PROBLEMS RECRUITING NEW PEOPLE TO BE PILOTS, NOW IT’S HAVING PROBLEMS TRAINING THE PEOPLE IT ALREADY HAS IN THE PIPELINE. THE AIR FORCE WANTED TO TRAIN 1470 PILOTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, BUT INSTEAD WILL FINISH 120 PILOTS SHORT OF THE GOAL. MEANWHILE, AROUND 900 FUTURE AIR FORCE PILOTS ARE WAITING FOR CLASSROOM SPACE TO CLEAR.

FOR THE MOST PART, THE AIR FORCE CURRENTLY RELIES ON A FLEET OF T-38 TALONS TO TRAIN NEW JET JOCKEYS. THE TALONS TOOK TO THE SKIES STARTING IN THE 1960S, AND THE FLEET LOST A FEW BIRDS ALONG THE WAY. A SERIES OF RECENT ENGINE PROBLEMS MEANS THEY’RE ALSO FLYING FEWER HOURS.

THANKFULLY FOR THE AIR FORCE, A NEW RAPTOR IS NOW AIRBORNE: THE T-7A RED HAWK. THE NEW TRAINING AIRCRAFT IS THE FIRST TO BE DESIGNED IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THERE WERE SEVERAL DELAYS IN DEVELOPING THE RED HAWK, INCLUDING PROBLEMS WITH THE JET’S EJECTION SEAT. BUT IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, THE AIR FORCE TOOK DELIVERY OF ITS FIRST RED HAWK AND WILL NOW SUBJECT THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS OWN RIGOROUS FLIGHT TESTING.

THE RED HAWK SPORTS A GLASS COCKPIT AND STADIUM SEATING FOR TWO. THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT FEATURES A MODULAR DESIGN SAID TO BE FOCUSED ON THE MAINTAINERS. RED HAWKS ARE ALSO HOME TO A NEST OF DIGITAL INTEGRATIONS THAT WILL ALL HELP TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICAN FIGHTER AND BOMBER PILOTS.

BOEING WON THE $9.2 BILLION CONTRACT BACK IN 2018 TO SUPPLY THE USAF WITH AROUND 350 RED HAWKS. LAST YEAR THE COMPANY PARTNERED WITH RED 6 TO MAKE SURE THE TRAINING WILL BE COMMISSERATE WITH THE CRAFT.

RED 6 IS A DEFENSE INDUSTRY STARTUP THAT’S CREATED WHAT IT CALLS THE ADVANCED TACTICAL AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM, OR ATARS. THE SYSTEM USES AN ENHANCED VISUAL ENVIRONMENT HEADSET TO DELIVER AN AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE. SO, WHETHER IT’S PERFORMING A ROLL, REFUELING, ENGAGING ENEMY AIRCRAFT OR EVADING ENEMY AIR DEFENSES ATARS CAN CREATE THE PROPER TRAINING SCENARIO AND PROJECT THE VIRUAL IMAGES INTO THE PILOT’S ACTUAL FIELD OF VISION.

Tom Ferguson: This is the future of joint training, combined training and coalition training.

LEADERS FROM BOEING AND RED 6 CELEBRATED THE ONE YEAR MILESTONE OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP AT THE AFA’S AIR, SPACE AND CYBER 2023 CONFERENCE HELD IN NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND.

Ferguson: Our training has always been a strategic advantage that the United States has had, but we can’t take it for granted. Because we’ve been able to out train our enemies and potential enemies, when we get to combat, it’s actually easier than your training.”

IN COMBINATION WITH ATARS, RED 6 ALSO DESIGNED A SYSTEM IT CALLS ARCADE, WHICH ALLOWS PILOTS AND INSTRUCTORS TO BUILD COMPLEX VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND ALSO COLLECT DATA FROM ALL THE MISSIONS PERFORMED IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS, DATA WHICH CAN THEN BE USED TO CREATE MORE IMPACTFUL TRAINING.

Ferguson: Because it’s all about learning from every mistake, making every flight better, like we’ve done in all of our training here in the United States. So that ultimately, no matter who we go up against we can fly, fight and win.

THE AIR FORCE HAD HOPED TO BE FLYING ITS FULL FLEET OF RED HAWKS IN 2025, BUT DELAYS SET THAT DELIVERY DATE BACK TO 2027.

FOR MORE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ABOUT THE US AIR FORCE OR OTHER STORIES FROM AIR, SPACE AND CYBER 2023 BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY OR LOG ON TO SAN.COM

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., made his first public remarks since he was indicted on bribery and corruption charges. Menendez said he believes he’ll be exonerated, and that he’ll remain New Jersey’s senior Senator. 

Menendez is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for using his Senate seat to help associates and friends. When the feds searched his home, they found $480,000 in cash hidden in clothing, closets and safes. 

But the New Jersey Democrat says he legally earned that money during his decades of public service.

“For thirty years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies, and because of the history my family facing confiscation in Cuba,” Menendez said. “Now this may seem old fashioned, but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years.” 

Mendendez said he’ll address the other issues at trial. The Senator did not take questions during his press conference, but said his indictment was written to be as salacious as possible and that prosecutors get it wrong sometimes. 

“Instead of waiting for all the facts to be presented, others have rushed to judgment because they see a political opportunity for themselves or those around them,” Menendez said. 

The indictment alleges Menendez and his wife worked together to provide sensitive US government information to the government of Egypt and tried to influence criminal investigations and prosecutions into his associates and friends. Prosecutors included pictures of the cash, gold bars and Mercedes that they say the couple received in exchange. 

Menendez is facing three separate charges: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. The former charge carries a maximum five year sentence, while the latter two carry 20 years each. 

THE SPEAKER OF THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS, ANTHONY ROTA, APOLOGIZED ON SUNDAY AFTER RECOGNIZING A UKRAINIAN VETERAN WHO FOUGHT FOR A NAZI MILITARY UNIT DURING WORLD WAR TWO. THIS AFTER UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY SPOKE TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN AN EFFORT TO BOLSTER SUPPORT FROM THE WESTERN ALLY.

CANADIAN LAWMAKERS OFFERED A STANDING OVATION RECOGNIZING NINETY-EIGHT YEAR-OLD YAROSLAV HUNKA WHOM ROTA RECOGNIZED AS A WAR HERO WHO FOUGHT FOR UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE AGAINST RUSSIA AS PART OF THE FIRST UKRAINIAN DIVISION.

THE APOLOGY FROM ROTA COMES AFTER IT CAME TO LIGHT THAT THE FIRST UKRAINIAN DIVISION WAS ALSO CALLED THE SS 14TH WAFFEN DIVISION… A VOLUNTARY UNIT CONTROLLED BY THE NAZIS DURING WORLD WAR TWO THAT FOUGHT THE SOVIETS ON THE EASTERN FRONT.

JEWISH HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE FRIENDS OF SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST STUDIES AND B’NAI BRITH CANADA DEMANDED AN APOLOGY… ADDING THAT HUNKA’S DIVISION WAS QUOTE: “RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASS MURDER OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS WITH A LEVEL OF BRUTALITY AND MALICE THAT IS UNIMAGINABLE.”

IN A 2022 RALLY… VLADIMIR PUTIN ACCUSED HIS UKRAINIAN ENEMIES OF BEING NEO-NAZIS. INSISTING THAT HIS DECISION TO INVADE UKRAINE WAS NECESSARY TO PREVENT GENOCIDE. AN IDEA THAT HAS BEEN REJECTED BY  LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD.

RUSSIAN LEADERS HAVE MADE CLAIMS THAT ZELENSKY MAY BE A NAZI… EVEN THOUGH ZELENSKY HAS JEWISH HERITAGE AND SAYS HIS GRANDFATHER FOUGHT THE NAZI’S IN WORLD WAR TWO.

RUSSIAN LEADERS CLAIM THAT ZELENSKY’S JEWISH HERITAGE DOESN’T MEAN HE ISN’T A NAZI ADDING TO THE CLAIM THAT HITLER WAS PART JEWISH. HISTORICAL EXPERTS SAY THESE CLAIMS ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKY HAS SAID PUBLICLY THAT MANY OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS WERE KILLED BY NAZI’S DURING WORLD WAR TWO. AND THAT ACCUSATIONS THAT HE IS A NAZI ARE BASELESS.

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega is persecuting members of his own religion. 

Ortega is Catholic, yet it is the official position of theUS Commission on International Religious Freedom that Nicaragua’s government, “has taken harsher measures against Catholic-affiliated organizations such as shutting down charities and expelling their workers, stripping universities of funding and legal status, shutting down news media, and eliminating non-governmental organizations.” 

Ortega’s actions are being monitored by many groups, including the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in Congress, co-chaired by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. 

“He has so far departed from basic decency,” Smith said in an interview with SAN. 

Smith compared Ortega to Chinese President Xi Jingping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. 

“There’s just a malevolence there, a hatred of people,” Smith added.  

Ortega’s regime has shut down at least 26 private universities and 54 news outlets. 

In August, a Nicaraguan court ordered the Ortega government to take control of a Jesuit run university. They ruled the school was a center for terrorism. 

Ortega went to that university before joining the junta, his children went there too. 

According to Aljazeera, Ortega once said of the church in a televised speech “everything is imposed. It’s a perfect dictatorship. It’s a perfect tyranny.”

“If they are going to be democratic, let them start with Catholics voting for the pope, for cardinals, for bishops.” 

Ortega also said he doesn’t feel represented in the church as a Catholic and as a Christian. 

On February 10,  2023, Bishop Rolando Alvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison for criticizing religious freedom conditions in the country. He declined to be exiled to the United States. Smith asked Ortega to let him meet with Bishop Alvarez in person so he can perform a welfare check. 

If the meeting happens, it wouldn’t be Smith’s first time in the country. Smith met with Ortega in 1984 along with other members of Congress including 

Frank Wolf and Tony Hall. 

The delegation raised human rights concerns, specifically about torture. The group then had a suspicious experience after Ortega served them tea. 

“The three of us that drank it got deathly sick. So I’m sure he drugged it or did something. You know, for two weeks, I was doubled over, as were my colleagues,” Smith said.  

The State Department says the Ortega regime has allowed corruption and impunity to reign. 

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on the state-owned mining company after it said Ortega stole the 2021 election. But Smith wants more. 

“Shut him down. No economic trade, nothing.” Smith said. “How else you reach a guy that is destroying his own people?” 

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ OF NEW JERSEY IS FACING A GROWING NUMBER OF CALLS TO RESIGN FOLLOWING HIS INDICTMENT ON BRIBERY CHARGES ANNOUNCED FRIDAY.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOHN FETTERMAN AND REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDRIA OCASIO–CORTEZWANT THEIR COLLEAGUE TO STEP DOWN.

AND DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAVE ALSO CALLED FOR HIS RESIGNATION — INCLUDING GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY.

OTHER PROMINENT DEMOCRATS ARENT GOING SO FAR IN THEIR CRITICISM OF THE SENATOR —

BUT ARE CALLING THE CHARGES ALLEGED AGAINST HIM SERIOUS.HE AND HIS WIFE FACE CHARGES THAT INCLUDE CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT EXTORTION AFTER NEARLY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH WAS FOUND INSIDE HIS HOME.

ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT —THE SENATOR AND HIS WIFE ACCEPTED BRIBES THAT BENEFITED THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT.

SENATOR MENENDEZ DID RESIGN FROM HIS ROLE AS CHAIR OF THE “FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE” AFTER NEWS OF THE INDICTMENT CAME OUT FRIDAY.

NEWLY COLLECTED ASTEROID SAMPLES COULD PROVIDE CLUES ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

THERE WAS MUCH EXCITEMENT FROM NASA ON SUNDAY WHEN THIS CAPSULE MADE A SAFE LANDING BACK TO EARTH AFTER A SEVEN YEAR JOURNEY.

THE CAPSULE HAS TRAVELED FAR AND WIDE ON ITS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS —

A TOTAL OF 4 BILLION MILES IN SPACE.THE COLLECTED SAMPLE COMES OFF OF THE ASTEROID “BENNU”.

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE RAW MATERIAL COLLECTED IS 4.5 BILLION YEARS OLD…

AND IS THE SAME MATERIAL THAT ** MADE EARTH.

NASA WILL NOW HAND THE SAMPLES OVER TO SCIENTISTS.

HOPING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF OUR UNIQUE EARTH.

COMING UP —

A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT IS REACHED BETWEEN WRITERS AND HOLLYWOODS STUDIOS.

AND —

A JOURNEY SEVEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.

SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM AN ASTEROID MAKE A GRAND ENTRANCE ONTO EARTH.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.I’M KARAH RUCKER.

UNIONS REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF HOLLYWOOD WRITERS HAVE REACHED A TENTATIVE DEAL WITH MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS — THE AGREEMENT IS EXPECTED TO END A STRIKE THAT HAS LASTED MORE THAN  FIVE MONTHS

VIRTUALLY ALL HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION OF **SCRIPTED CONTENT HAS BEEN ON HOLD AS WRITERS AND STUDIOS WERE AT A STANDSTILL OVER WORKERS CONTRACTS.THE STRIKE BEGAN IN MAY —

146 DAYS AGO.LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS WERE PUT ON PAUSE.TV SHOWS AND MOVIES EXPERIENCED PRODUCTION DELAYS.WARNER BROTHERS SAID THE STRIKE LIKELY COST THEM 500 MILLION DOLLARS IN EARNINGS

MEANWHILE —

A STRIKE AMONG AUTOWORKERS IS ONGOING.AND THE “UNITED AUTOWORKERS UNION” IS REPORTEDLY READY TO STAY ON STRIKE FOR **MONTHS.ACCORDING TO INTERNAL EMAILS OBTAINED BY CNN —

THE UNION’S COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR SAID A MONTHS LONG STRIKE WOULD “DAMAGE REPUTATIONS” OF THE AUTO MAKERS AND CREATE “PRODUCTION LINE CHAOS”. THE STRIKE ORIGINALLY AFFECTED JUST THREE ASSEMBLY PLANTS, BUT ON FRIDAY THE UNION MOVED TO EXPAND IT TO THIRTY EIGHT PARTS AND DISTRIBUTION CENTERS ACROSS 20 STATES AMID ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ OF NEW JERSEY IS FACING A GROWING NUMBER OF CALLS TO RESIGN FOLLOWING HIS INDICTMENT ON BRIBERY CHARGES ANNOUNCED FRIDAY.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR JOHN FETTERMAN AND REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDRIA OCASIO–CORTEZWANT THEIR COLLEAGUE TO STEP DOWN.

AND DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY HAVE ALSO CALLED FOR HIS RESIGNATION — INCLUDING GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY.

OTHER PROMINENT DEMOCRATS ARENT GOING SO FAR IN THEIR CRITICISM OF THE SENATOR —

BUT ARE CALLING THE CHARGES ALLEGED AGAINST HIM SERIOUS.HE AND HIS WIFE FACE CHARGES THAT INCLUDE CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT EXTORTION AFTER NEARLY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH WAS FOUND INSIDE HIS HOME.

ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT —THE SENATOR AND HIS WIFE ACCEPTED BRIBES THAT BENEFITED THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT.

SENATOR MENENDEZ DID RESIGN FROM HIS ROLE AS CHAIR OF THE “FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE” AFTER NEWS OF THE INDICTMENT CAME OUT FRIDAY.

A DEADLY AND DEVASTATING COLLISION BETWEEN AN SUV AND TRAIN IS RAISING RENEWED CONCERNS OVER RAILROAD TRACKS LACKING SIGNALS.

SIX PEOPLE INCLUDING THREE CHILDREN DIED AFTER THE SUV CROSSED IN FRONT OF A BARRELING TRAIN.

THE CRASH OCCURRED JUST OUTSIDE OF TAMPA FLORIDA ON SUNDAY.

7 PEOPLE WERE INSIDE THE SUV WHEN IT WAS T BONED BY A TRAIN —-

FLIPPING THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES IN WHAT POLICE CALLED A “VIOLENT IMPACT.”

THERE WERE NO TRAIN SIGNALS AT THE INTERSECTION.

THE TRAIN CONDUCTOR WAS HONKING AND FLASHING LIGHTS AT THE SUV’S DRIVER…ANDACCORDING TO CAMERAS ON THE TRAIN…

THE CAR ROLLED THROUGH A STOP SIGN AT THE TRACKS.

THE TRAIN TRIED TO BRAKE — BUT WAS STILL TRAVELING AT 55 MILES PER HOUR ON CONTACT.

A WASHINGTON POST-ABC NEWS POLL RELEASED SUNDAY FOUND THAT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TRAILS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP BY TEN PERCENTAGE POINTS AS THE TWO CANDIDATES ARE READYING FOR THE 2024 ELECTION.

HOWEVER, THE POST ALSO SAID THIS POLL WAS LIKELY A QUOTE “OUTLIER,” CITING OTHER POLLS THAT SHOW BIDEN AND TRUMP IN A DEAD HEAT.

THAT INCLUDES A CBS NEWS POLL FROM EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT HAD THE PAIR SEPARATED BY JUST ONE POINT.

MEANWHILE, THIS LATEST POLL BY THE POST AND ABC ALSO FOUND BIDEN’S APPROVAL RATING CURRENTLY SITS AT THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT, FIVE POINTS DOWN FROM WHERE IT WAS IN FEBRUARY. FIFTY SIX PERCENT OF AMERICANS RESPONDED THAT THEY DISAPPROVE OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT.

IN COMPARISON, WHEN ASKED TO LOOK BACK AT TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY, THE RESULT WAS FORTY EIGHT PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS SAYING THEY APPROVED OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, WHILE FORTY NINE PERCENT SAID THEY DISAPPROVED.

THAT FORTY EIGHT PERCENT APPROVAL RATING IS UP TEN POINTS FROM WHEN TRUMP LEFT OFFICE IN 2021, AND HIGHER THAN IT WAS THROUGHOUT ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF HIS PRESIDENCY.

SEVEN MONTHS SINCE FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ENTERED HOSPICE CARE —HE AND HIS WIFE MADE A SURPRISE VISIT TO THEIR HOMETOWN IN GEORGIA FOR AN APPEARANCE AT THE PEANUT FESTIVAL.

THE TWO WAVED TO THE CROWD AS THEY DROVE THROUGH.THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IN HOME HOSPICE CARE SINCE FEBRUARY.HIS WIFE — RECENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA.

THE TWO ARE THE NATION’S LONGEST-MARRIED COUPLE — AT 77 YEARS. CARTER WILL TURN 99 YEARS OLD NEXT WEEK.

AND FINALLY THIS MORNING —

NEWLY COLLECTED ASTEROID SAMPLES COULD PROVIDE CLUES ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

THERE WAS MUCH EXCITEMENT FROM NASA ON SUNDAY WHEN THIS CAPSULE MADE A SAFE LANDING BACK TO EARTH AFTER A SEVEN YEAR JOURNEY.

THE CAPSULE HAS TRAVELED FAR AND WIDE ON ITS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS —

A TOTAL OF 4 BILLION MILES IN SPACE.THE COLLECTED SAMPLE COMES OFF OF THE ASTEROID “BENNU”.

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE RAW MATERIAL COLLECTED IS 4.5 BILLION YEARS OLD…

AND IS THE SAME MATERIAL THAT ** MADE EARTH.

NASA WILL NOW HAND THE SAMPLES OVER TO SCIENTISTS.

HOPING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF OUR UNIQUE EARTH.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES.

BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MORNING RUNDOWN PODCAST TO LISTEN TO OUR SHOW EACH WEEKDAY MORNING.

AND CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT SAN.COM AND ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.

UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

BOB STERN: WHALES WASH UP ON SHORE, OBVIOUSLY DEAD. AND THAT IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.

CINDY ZIPF: IT’S VERY MOVING IN A BAD WAY TO SEE THAT… SOMETHING THAT’S SO MAJESTIC AND SO BEAUTIFUL, JUST KIND OF LIFELESS ON LAND.

BONNIE BRADY: I WOULD THINK, OVER THE LAST 7 YEARS OF MARINE MAMMAL DEATHS, THE MARINE MAMMALS MIGHT BE TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING.

STERN: WE SUSPECTED, AND STILL SUSPECT THAT THE CAUSE OF THAT WAS THE VESSEL SURVEYS, THAT A NUMBER OF THE WIND COMPANIES ARE NOW DOING OFFSHORE.

LONGWORTH: BEFORE BUILDING A WIND FARM OFFSHORE, DEVELOPERS MAP THE SEAFLOOR AND THE GEOLOGICAL LAYERS BENEATH IT USING SOUND WAVES. IT’S CALLED A GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY.

WE MET WITH MEMBERS OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY WHO BELIEVE THE SURVEY SOUNDS MAY BE DISORIENTING WHALES, LEAVING THEM MORE LIKELY TO COLLIDE WITH SHIPS.

BRADY: THEY’VE BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK. AND ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE WORK STARTED IS WHEN THE WHALES STARTED PILING UP.

LONGWORTH: NOAA CONSIDERS THE HUMPBACK WHALE STRANDINGS–SINCE 2016–AND THE MINKE, AND NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE STRANDINGS–SINCE 2017–“UNUSUAL MORTALITY EVENTS,” OR UMES

THAT MEANS AN UNEXPECTED, SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF WHALES HAVE STRANDED SINCE 2016… AND IT’S HAPPENED AS SURVEY WORK PICKED UP IN THE ATLANTIC, LEADING SOME TO ASK THAT THEIR STATES PUMP THE BRAKES ON OFFSHORE WIND.

ZIPF: IN THIS REGION, WE DID CALL FOR A PAUSE–A HALT–TO ANY ACTIVITY, SO WE COULD DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF PRE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY…MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS INCREDIBLY DEVASTATING SPIKE IN WHALE AND DOLPHIN DEATHS THAT OCCURRED.

WHILE DEVELOPERS HAVE DONE SURVEYS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, SEVERAL PROJECTS BEGAN IN THE NORTHEAST AROUND THE TIME THAT WHALE STRANDINGS BEGAN CLIMBING IN 2016.

THAT YEAR, US WIND PERFORMED SURVEYS NEAR MARYLAND AND DONG ENERGY–NOW ORSTED–WORKED OFF OF MASSACHUSETTS INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

IN 2017, OCEAN WIND AND DEEPWATER WIND CONDUCTED SURVEYS OFF NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK.

CRITICS AREN’T SAYING THAT SOUNDS ARE DIRECTLY KILLING WHALES. THEY’RE SPECULATING THAT SOUNDS ARE DISRUPTING BEHAVIOR, MAKING WHALES MORE LIKELY TO COLLIDE WITH SHIPS AND DIE.

NOAA FISHERIES SAYS THERE’S “NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE” THAT NOISE RESULTING FROM OFFSHORE WIND SURVEYS COULD CAUSE MORTALITY OF WHALES.

INSTEAD, THE AGENCY BLAMES CLIMATE CHANGE FOR DRIVING WHALES CLOSER TO SHORE, PUTTING THEM AT HIGHER RISK FOR VESSEL STRIKES AND ENTANGLEMENT. THIS WOULD MAKE OFFSHORE WIND THE SOLUTION TO THE WHALE PROBLEM, RATHER THAN THE CAUSE… THAT IS, IF IT CAN REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE.

NEITHER SIDE KNOWS WHAT’S CAUSING THE UNUSUAL MORTALITY EVENTS. ONE SAYS IT’S THE INCREASED SOUNDS FROM OFFSHORE WIND, THE OTHER SAYS GLOBAL WARMING…

BOTH ARE SPECULATING, BUT ONLY ONE SIDE IS BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

THE OTHER IS BEING DISCREDITED BY THE MEDIA.

TV CLIP

CHRIS SMITH: THEY SAY IT’S MISINFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION. NO, THESE ARE REASONABLE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THESE SEA CREATURES TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.

BRADY: THIS IS AN ISSUE, BUT WHEN YOU SAY THAT, I’M A “CYNICAL DISINFORMATION EXPERT”

LONGWORTH: THE SITUATION HAS BECOME OVERTLY PARTISAN IN NATIONAL DISCOURSE. THOSE WE INTERVIEWED HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING PAWNS FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY, AND “RIGHT-WING”, REGARDLESS OF THEIR TRUE POLITICAL LEANINGS.

STERN: WHEN PEOPLE BRING THAT UP TO ME, IT JUST INDICATES THAT THEY’RE JUST UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PROBLEMS. I DON’T BELIEVE THE MEDIA HAS DONE A GOOD JOB.

TO US THIS IS NOT POLITICAL… I’M AN OFFICER WITH THE DEMOCRATIC CLUB ON LONG BEACH ISLAND… AND NOBODY’S KICKED ME OUT OF THE CLUB YET … ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, YEAH, I HAVE TO PART COMPANY WITH SOME OF OUR DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVES.

ZIPF: THE OCEAN CONCERN IS BEING USED AS SORT OF A POLITICAL TOOL AND NOT AS AN ISSUE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE FOR ALL OF US.

STERN: REMARKS BY PROPONENTS, WHEN THEY COME OUT, AND THEY SAY THINGS LIKE, WE’RE GOING TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE, OR WE’RE GOING TO CREATE 10S OF 1000S OF JOBS AND YOUR ELECTRIC BILLS WILL GO DOWN, THAT THOSE STATEMENTS ARE PRINTED, BECAUSE THEY’RE COMING FROM OFFICIALS OR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AGENCY HEADS OR WHATEVER. BUT WHEN A GROUP LIKE OURS TRIES TO GO BACK TO THAT NEWSPAPER OUTLET AND SAY IN A PRESS RELEASE, NAH, IT’S REALLY NOT THE CASE. YOU KNOW, YOU’RE ONLY GONNA HAVE A FEW TEMPORARY JOBS. YOU’RE NOT ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT DOES NOT GET PRINTED.”

LONGWORTH: THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR VINEYARD WIND STATES CLEARLY THAT OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS WOULD HAVE “NO COLLECTIVE IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING.” BUT THEY “MAY BENEFICIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO A BROADER COMBINATION OF ACTIONS.”

VINEYARD WIND DECLINED AN INTERVIEW, BUT WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THE MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT’S LACK OF IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING, THEY REPLIED: “[IT] WILL SHOW THAT WE CAN RESPONSIBLY BUILD CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS THAT MOVE US FORWARD IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE.”

THE HASTE WITH WHICH WE’RE BUILDING THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS UNDENIABLE. PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS WIND ENERGY TO PRODUCE 30 GIGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY BY 2030.

JOE BIDEN: 30 GIGAWATTS IS ENOUGH TO POWER 10 MILLION HOMES. IT’LL HELP PUT US ON A PATH TO 100 PERCENT CLEAN ENERGY BY 2035.

HOWEVER LOFTY THAT GOAL, GOVERNORS IN THE NORTHEAST–MOSTLY DEMOCRATS–ARE ON BOARD.

KATHY HOCHUL: [AND] WE KNOW THAT THE FUTURE DOES LIE IN CLEAN ENERGY, AND RIGHT HERE THAT MEANS OFFSHORE WIND.

STERN: I THINK NEITHER PARTY IS REALLY ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE WELL. I THINK YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ONE PARTY WHO ARE DENYING THE PROBLEM. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE OTHER PARTY, SAYING THEY CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH SOME WIND TURBINES. NEITHER IS ACCURATE. AND NEITHER FRANKLY, IS USEFUL.

DARLENE KETTEN: MY NAME IS DARLENE KETTEN. I’M A RESEARCH SCIENTIST. I WORK PRIMARILY ON HEARING AND HEARING PARTICULARLY IN MARINE ORGANISMS, BUT ALSO IN HUMANS.

THERE’S NO EVIDENCE THAT HEARING HAS HAD A ROLE IN THOSE SHIP STRIKES. I’M NOT SAYING THAT IT DIDN’T. BUT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE HASN’T BEEN AN EXTENSIVE EXAMINATION, OR ANY KIND OF PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE IF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING HIT BY SHIPS HAVE HEARING DEFICITS.

IF THE WHALES ARE TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING, WE CAN’T HEAR IT. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH DATA FROM THE WASHED-UP WHALES THEMSELVES TO EVALUATE WHETHER HEARING DAMAGE PLAYED A ROLE IN THEIR STRANDINGS.

ACCORDING TO KETTEN, WHEN NECROPSIES ARE DONE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES: NOT ALL HEARING LOSS IS VISIBLE POST-MORTEM. THE WHALE COULD BE TOO DECOMPOSED WHEN IT GETS TO SHORE. IT’S ALSO JUST REALLY DIFFICULT TO CUT THE EAR OUT OF A 40-TON MAMMAL. IN TRUTH, RESPONDERS AREN’T REQUIRED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON HEARING DAMAGE AT ALL.

SO WE DON’T KNOW FOR SURE WHETHER HEARING LOSS IS PLAYING AN INDIRECT PART IN WHALE DEATHS. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE CURRENT ACTIVITY BY OFFSHORE DEVELOPERS CAN DISTURB THEM. THEY APPLY FOR AUTHORIZATION TO DO SO THROUGH NOAA.

KETTEN: THE DEGREE OF DISTURBANCE IS THE QUESTION.

IT’S LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD LEAVE THE AREA, LEAVING THE AREA COULD BE AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM. IF THEY LEAVE THE AREA AND IT TURNS OUT THAT’S WHERE THEIR MAJOR SOURCE OF FOOD IS… THEN WE’VE DISTURBED THEIR ABILITY TO FORAGE TO FEED. AND THAT CAN ALSO HAPPEN FOR BREEDING HABITATS, ETC.”

LONGWORTH: THEY WOULDN’T APPLY FOR AN INCIDENTAL HARASSMENT AUTHORIZATION IF THEY DIDN’T THINK THEIR WORK COULD AFFECT MARINE LIFE.

DOCUMENTS FOR THE ATLANTIC SHORES PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, STATES PLAINLY THAT THE SOUNDS FROM SURVEY WORK HAVE POTENTIAL FOR “BEHAVIORAL HARASSMENT.” AND BEHAVIORAL HARASSMENT INCLUDES TEMPORARY HEARING LOSS.

DURING CONSTRUCTION, THE AUTHORIZATIONS ALLOW FOR PERMANENT HEARING LOSS. MORE PROJECTS ARE NEARING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

THE NOISY PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION IS THE “PILE DRIVING.” HAMMERING A GIANT PILE INTO THE OCEAN FLOOR TO SECURE EACH TURBINE’S FOUNDATION.

BOEM, WHICH OVERSEES OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT, DOES REQUIRE THAT DEVELOPERS USE VARIOUS MITIGATION TACTICS. THEY SCHEDULE WORK AROUND MIGRATION PERIODS AND OBSERVERS MONITOR THE WORK AREA FOR LARGE MAMMALS.

BUT MITIGATION TACTICS AREN’T PERFECT. THE “BUBBLE CURTAIN” TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPERS USE TO DAMPEN THE SOUNDS FROM PILE DRIVING DOESN’T WORK FOR LOWER FREQUENCIES, WHICH BALEEN WHALES CAN HEAR.

THE FINAL PHASE COMES WHEN TURBINES ARE INSTALLED, AND THEY BEGIN TO CAPTURE AND TRANSMIT ENERGY FROM THE WIND. THE UNDERWATER SOUNDS FROM THIS PHASE WILL BE CONSTANT, DURING MULTIPLE DECADES OF A WIND FARM’S LIFE.

STERN: AND THE NOISE FROM THESE NEWER TURBINES, THE LARGER TURBINES, IS MUCH, MUCH LOUDER UNDERWATER, THAN THE PREVIOUSLY SMALLER TURBINES.”

THIS RAISES PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR THE ENDANGERED NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE.

ACCORDING TO SAVE LBI’S CALCULATIONS, THE ATLANTIC SHORES PROJECTS WILL CREATE NOISE AT LEVELS GREATER THAN 130DB IN THE RIGHT WHALE’S MIGRATION CORRIDOR. THAT’S 10 TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN NOAA’S THRESHOLD FOR BEHAVIORAL HARASSMENT (120DB).

TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THE AVERAGE ROCK CONCERT IS UP TO 120DB.

BRADY: YOU’RE AT THE CONCERT AND YOU DON’T WANT TO WALK TOWARD THAT SPEAKER BECAUSE IT’S SO LOUD, YOU CAN’T HEAR YOURSELF THINK AND YOUR EARS ARE OR YOU MIGHT BE NEAR THAT SPEAKER FOR SO LONG THAT WHEN YOU WALK AWAY FROM IT, YOU CAN’T HEAR PROPERLY.

STERN: THE CONCERN IS THAT THEY ENCOUNTER THESE HIGH LEVELS OF SOUND WHEN THEY’RE TRYING TO MIGRATE, WE SUSPECT THAT COULD BLOCK THE MIGRATION. AND OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD OUTCOME FOR THIS WHALE.

BOEM IS FUNDING SOME RESEARCH TO THAT END. ONE STUDY IS LOOKING AT THE POPULATION EFFECTS OF OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT ON NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES. BUT WHILE THAT AND OTHER STUDIES ARE ONGOING, WIND FARMS ARE BEING BUILT. MORE OCEAN IS BEING LEASED. NOTHING IS STOPPING.

BRADY: “IT’S NOT THE TURBINES… YET. BUT THE PROCESS THAT’S BEING DONE NOW SEEMS TO BE TO HURRY UP AND GET ‘ER DONE, AND THE WHALES AND FISHING AND THE OCEAN BE DAMNED.”

NO, THERE’S NO CONCRETE PROOF- NO SMOKING GUN- SHOWING OFFSHORE WIND CONSTRUCTION IS LEADING TO THE UNPRECEDENTED DEATHS OF WHALES. IT’S JUST NOT THAT SIMPLE.

BUT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MEDIA ARE DISCREDITING REASONABLE CONCERNS FROM OFFSHORE COMMUNITIES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. STERN, BRADY, AND ZIPF REMAIN DETERMINED TO SEEK ANSWERS.

ZIPF: THERE’S AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT MARINE MAMMALS THAT SCIENCE DOESN’T REALLY KNOW YET. AND FOR US TO BE RECKLESSLY GOING OUT THERE AND REALLY CHANGING THEIR HABITAT FROM WIDE OPEN SPACES TO A CONCRETE AND STEEL JUNGLE. WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO BE, IS AGAIN, IS RECKLESS. AND WE THE PEOPLE HAVE TO STAND UP FOR THESE WHALES.