Random News and Notes 21 June
Happy Father’s Day to all who are celebrated today.
On this date in 1788, the Untied States Constitution bec ame the law of the land. New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
By 1786, defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. Congress endorsed a plan to draft a new constitution, and on May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.
On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.
On February 16, 1808, under the pretext of sending reinforcements to the French army occupying Portugal, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain. Thus began the Peninsular War, an important phase of the Napoleonic Wars that was fought between France and much of Europe. On this date in 1813, at Vitoria, Spain, a massive allied British, Portuguese and Spanish force under British General Arthur Wellesley routs the French, pushing them out of Spain in the decisive battle of the Peninsular War.
80,000 allied troops under Wellesley routed the 66,000-man army of Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jourdan at Vitoria, 175 miles northeast of Madrid. By October, the Iberian Peninsula was liberated, and Wellesley launched an invasion of France. The allies had penetrated France as far as Toulouse when news of Napoleon’s abdication reached them in April 1814, ending the Peninsular War.
1942, General Erwin Rommel turns his assault on the British-Allied garrison at Tobruk, Libya, into victory, as his panzer division occupies the North African port. When he was unable to resist any longer, South African General Henrik Klopper ordered his officers to surrender early on the morning of the 21st.
Rommel took more than 30,000 prisoners, 2,000 vehicles, 2,000 tons of fuel, and 5,000 tons of rations.
We start the news in Oregon where a ballot initiative has gotten enough signatures to be added to this year’s ballot. Initiative Petition 28, the PEACE Act, would outlaw hunting, fishing, trapping, pest control, livestock farming and animal research by removing legal protections in Oregon’s statutes. It would give all animals the same protections from cruelty that Oregon grants dogs and cats.
David Michelson, a substitute teacher, vegan and the petition’s organizer,argues it extends companion animal protections to wildlife and farm animals, promoting plant-based alternatives.
This is insane. And very on brand for urban Oregon.
It looks like one of the worst British prime ministers since Neville Chamberlain is on his way out. Keir Starmer seems set to resign as early as tomorrow morning.
Starmer tried to hold on despite the resignations of most of his cabinet and nationwide disapproval of his job performance, The recently released grooming gang report stated he personally signed off on so-called warning letters for some 13,000 of the rapists and groomers that abused some 250,000 British children.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Adventure rider Henri Kretschmer FAFO’ed with a moose. He was slowly following the moose, thinking it would veer into the bushes. Instead, the 1,000-pound animal spun around and rammed his motorcycle, knocking him over before circling back for a second hit; he scrambled up unharmed.
Moose are dangerous, they they injure more people than bears annually.
There was a close call at Logan International in Boston yesterday, Around 11:30 a.m., Delta’s Airbus A319 from Dallas-Fort Worth approached Runway 33L at Boston Logan with 129 passengers and six crew aboard. At the same moment, an American Boeing 737-800 cleared for takeoff from intersecting Runway 27 accelerated toward them, forcing the Delta crew to climb sharply and radio air traffic control. The planes passed within hundreds of feet before safe separation.
The Delta jet landed shortly after with no injuries. The FAA is investigating this close call.
Sticking with air travel for a minute, a passenger on a flight from San Antonio to Philly was removed from the plane because she wouldn’t stow her carry-on where the FLight Attendant told her to. She was asked to deplane, and of course refused leading to the entire plane being emptied while police removed her.
Fatigue. . .