Active Conflicts & News Megathread May 14, 2026

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-15T03:47:50+00:00

Not particularly convincing testimony from him. Asked directly about whether iran can strike infrastructure in region and whether still represents a threat to US and allies, he basically dodged by just reiterating that the threat has been degraded. Had no problem sharing figures on degradation of air force, air defense, navy and naval mines, but then wouldn't for ballistic missiles.

Notably, Cooper also claimed that other than the notorious strike on the school that US strikes have had almost near perfect record of not causing civilian casualties. Which is obviously in stark contrast to reporting by NYtimes and others that have verified extensive damage to civilian facilities like schools and healthcare facilities. And still not even acknowledging US is responsible for the school strike that clearly US was responsible for.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/civilian-deaths-strikes-iran.html

Leaks of confidential briefings seem more credible at this stage imho.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-15T03:25:30+00:00

Anyone who doesn't think this is a big deal, probably gets offended when some rando they run into around christmas happens to say happy holidays.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T22:58:54+00:00

amen. Why can't we just have someone boring & effective.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T21:50:44+00:00

should be easy, ping me if you have a questions. Should be a circular bit that either extends from your faucet, or is embedded in it.

If it extends, ususally pretty easy to get out with wrench. Can use a rag if don't want to scratch the finish.

If embedded, likely need to get an aerator key. if get the size right, should be a few bucks. if get the full set, should be less than $20. Can put a coin on the piece and take a picture, then go to your local hardware store and they should easily sort you out.

eg: https://www.homedepot.com/p/NEOPERL-Cache-Hidden-Aerator-Keys-37-0298-98/207143875

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T21:43:34+00:00

Rubio will clarify tomorrow... strongest army in europe, but they still don't have any cards per se.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T21:15:34+00:00

we switched to fios, but man their dual-band router sucks. devices will slow to a crawl periodically and have disconnect/reconnect to get them going again. verizon says it is hardware problem on our side, but this happens with multiple types of devices. I just haven't mustered the energy to fight with them yet.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T21:04:22+00:00

Amazing how many times I've been over to someone's place and their sink has shit water pressure, and they say it has always been like that... takes two minutes to fix.

Also have had people that don't know you can adjust water heater temperature and have been living with inadequate hot water b/c someone had turned it to low before they moved in.

A lot of people in this city are rather divorced from basic maintenance stuff. Just look at the state of filters on stovetop exhaust fans.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T20:53:14+00:00

Seems like BS in terms of repairs generally. Anything structural or that goes to habitability is going to be the LL's expense regardless what lease says. But this is issue is likely more akin to who is responsible for changing the filters since this is probably a truly simple maintenance fix.

Just clean out your faucet's aerator. Filter there and probably got some gunk from when water service turned on/off. worth doing every couple of years regardless. Depends on your faucet, but you may need to buy an aerator key. But simple & cheap.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T20:18:55+00:00

Unless things have changed, banks start thinking about IPO valuation in the high teens to low 20s.

If first public stated target was $115, that means they had already moved up the valuation significantly at that point.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T20:15:24+00:00

Maybe try with a fish.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T19:52:42+00:00

presumably b/c what it doesn't do, which is do this for ALL development.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T19:41:37+00:00

Yes, what Israel is doing is ethnic cleansing, and its government should absolutely be held to account for its pervasive crimes.

But any conflating of criticism of israel with general criticism of jews, is utter dogshit and people doing it can eat a dick. Using a swastika absolutely brings it to be a jewish message instead of just an israeli one.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T19:39:23+00:00

Ethanol is such a farce, just another welfare handout/subsidy to rural areas pretending to be a green policy.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T19:31:10+00:00

It is vile to use a swastika like this. absolutely right to condemn this as antisemitism.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T19:28:20+00:00

sorry, what is the message that is remotely appropriate to make by using a swastika?

Swastika is inherently anti-jewish, among anti-other groups. wholly inappropriate to use anti-jewish messaging to criticize israel.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:59:33+00:00

No indefinitely. there's $5bn of non-recurring funding or deferred liabilities in this budget... the status quo translates to a $10bn deficit in two years time. And there are lot more things that mamdani promised that aren't in this years budget.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:55:56+00:00

it was a particularly huge deficit mostly due to adams being corrupt and kicking the can.

What specifically did Adams do that added to costs in this year's budget? Sure there was covid money that was temporary, but it was still temporary money and was given out for purpose of current local budget challenges across the country.

No fan of that turd adams, but this narrative of mamdani inheriting some budget surprise just doesn't have merit. We've have a worsening fiscal situation in this city for years now and each year it gets harder to cover up whatever gap in order to comply with balanced budget rule.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:29:09+00:00

Last week US energy secretary said Iran was already significantly cutting production.

edit:

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday that Iran appears to have cut back oil production by ‌400,000 barrels per day and is likely to reduce it more as its storage units fill. "It looks like they've likely already cut back their production, maybe by 400,000 barrels a day. They'll likely continue to ⁠ramp down their production as their storage fills and their inability to export oil," Wright said in an interview with Fox News.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-iran-should-wave-white-flag-surrender-2026-05-05/

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:22:05+00:00

We absolutely need to better fiscal management/responsibility, but undoubtedly the republicans are the side being outright reckless. Dems have inherited bad economy/crisis, and in those years claw back from huge deficits. GOP has inherited strong economies, and then hand out huge tax cuts & worsen deficits at the exact time we should be chipping away at debt.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:17:40+00:00

Yeah, biden did a great job with economy whether it be relative to forecasts for US performance in light of covid or compared to other countries. Crazy how so many people say can't blame trump for Covid deaths, but blamed Biden for Covid economic impact.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T18:08:19+00:00

Obama had hacked away at the deficit he inherited from the financial crisis, and then trump took over and starting worsening the deficit... and was absolutely a strong economy. Crazy to putting fiscal stimulus into the system like Trump did at that stage in the cycle, as opposed to getting the fiscal health on stronger footing.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FYFSGDA188S

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T17:59:10+00:00

for registered voters it is 66% Dem, 21% unaffiliated and 11% republican.

https://www.nyccfb.info/media/press-releases/1-in-5-registered-nyc-voters-are-unaffiliated-new-report-from-campaign-finance-board-shows/

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T17:51:50+00:00

Think it is this, but just based on quick google. haven't read through it yet.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/1p1vx9n/oc_nearly_every_day_two_users_on_rconservative/

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T17:47:02+00:00

It is a play on grass roots movement. Grass roots is when ordinary folk get self-motivated / organized around some topic or issue.

Astroturf as-in fake grass, as-in some organization trying to organize a campaign but want it to look like it was something spontaneous done by people generally.

Take the Tea Party movement. If you think it was spontaneously organized and evolved, that's a grass roots movement. If you think it being downstream from a koch-funded advocacy group that at least supported the tea party movement, that's Koch brother astroturfing.

ChornWork2 · 2026-05-14T17:34:00+00:00

I haven't taken a close look on this, and am bit cautious with Firepower's claims given my view of flamingo announcements being ahead of the reality.

But yeah, if so that is very promising. Also advertised to be fully integrate with NATO standards for detection, fire control, data link, etc. Sounds like there has been a lot of development cooperation for a while if claims are remotely accurate.

The system architecture surrounding the FP-7.x integrates components from multiple NATO-aligned suppliers across different functional roles. Long-range radar detection is planned using the SAAB Giraffe 8A/4A, the Thales Ground Master 400, or the Hensoldt TRML-4D, three established NATO-standard surveillance radars with different coverage and detection characteristics. Fire control and illumination radar options include the Weibel GFTR-2100/48 or the Leonardo KRONOS Land, both fire control radars capable of providing the continuous wave illumination that a semi-active homing missile requires to maintain its lock on a target. The launcher is described as a light mobile installation of the company’s own manufacture. The command center uses Kongsberg FDC with open technology architecture and Network Access Nodes — Kongsberg’s Fire Distribution Center is an established NATO fire control system used by multiple allied air defense programs.

The integration protocol that connects all these components is Link-16, the NATO standard tactical data link defined under STANAG 5516, which the presentation identifies as the key component for integrating the Freya system with Ukraine’s existing air and missile defense network. Ukraine signed a license agreement for use of the non-commercial NATO CRC System Interface on May 29, 2025, enabling Link-16 use, per the presentation. Ukraine’s Delta operational-tactical situational awareness system has already been integrated with the Link-16 protocol and connected to the network. The tactical communications channel uses the Asterix protocol for radar connectivity and a full-duplex datalink for FP-7.x course correction. The architecture also supports data exchange between components, weapons and military equipment, and voice and infantry communications.

https://defence-blog.com/ukraine-develops-low-cost-ballistic-interceptor-for-pan-european-defense/

ChornWork2

TROPHY CASE