What follows is the transcript of a piece I wrote for a (UK-based) radio show a couple of years ago, so apologies in advance for the slightly odd phrasing and the presumption of a certain level of knowledge of Eurovision Song Contest history.
Anyone who'd followed the build-up to the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest would have been forgiven for wondering if the entire event was losing its mind.
To begin with, the 1974 contest was held in Brighton in the UK, despite the fact Luxembourg had won the previous year. Normally the winner claimed the right to host the next pageant, but Luxembourg declined as 1973 was its second successive win and the cost of hosting Eurovision twice in a row were too much for the diminutive nation to bear.
Not to be outdone, the UK involved Australia in the contest 41 years before its official debut by choosing Olivia Newton-John as its representative. She courted further controversy by disagreeing with the entry the public voted for and stating afterwards that she'd wanted to sing something else.
This was after France pulled out of the competition at short notice, as it clashed with a memorial service for its former president Georges Pompidou, who'd died in office four days previously. Malta also withdrew, but mysteriously neglected to tell anybody why.
Greece competed for the first time in 1974, but did so under the worst possible conditions, sending a substitute performer after their original entry – rock group Nostradamus – were involved in a scandal involving a rape allegation related to a possible blackmail attempt.
Then the Italian state broadcaster refused to broadcast the competition for the most Italian reason possible: the country was in the middle of an intense referendum campaign over whether to legalise divorce. It was argued that the country's entry – entitled “Si” – could be construed as subliminal message to vote “yes” in the referendum. So although Italy still competed, the song was banned from Italian media.
Ultimately, Sweden triumphed with an entry called 'Waterloo'. The writers and performers of the song were a band called ABBA, who used it as a launchpad for a decade-long career in which they sold over 150 million albums and more or less conquered the world.
Amid these shenanigans, observers would have been forgiven for overlooking the Portuguese entry on the night. Most voters certainly did, meaning Paulo de Carvalho's Vegas-style ballad 'E Depois do Adeus' ended the night 14th and equal last alongside Germany and Switzerland, having received only 3 points.
However, certain extremely influential individuals were listening, meaning that Carvalho's song ultimately left a greater mark on history even than ABBA's.
At the time, Portugal was ruled by a brutal quasi-fascist dictatorship known as the Estado Novo, or “New State”. By the early 1970s, this regime was increasingly unpopular due to the immense human and financial costs of Portugal's ongoing colonial wars in its African and Asian colonies.
On April 24 1974, 19 days after Carvalho's Eurovision performance in Brighton, a radio station in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, played 'E Depois do Adeus' at 10:55pm. On this signal, an organisation of politically left-leaning Portuguese military officers known as the MFA launched a coup.
The MFA broadcast appeals for the public to stay indoors while it was taking place, but on hearing that someone was trying overthrow the hated Estado Novo, thousands of civilians took to the streets armed with nothing but red carnations. They gave the flowers to the MFA troops, who wore them on their uniforms and placed them in their gun barrels.
The military coup became a popular movement. Within hours, the “Carnation Revolution” had deposed the Estado Novo with barely a shot fired.
'E Depois do Adeus' translates into English as “and after the farewell”. The following year, Portugal held its first democratic election in nearly half a century.
The song.
The show.

Welcome new readers. Please start with chapter one https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/11ai7iv/last_of_the_defenders_ch_01/
Previously https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/11xe5m5/last_of_the_defenders_ch_27/
“I‘ve always been better able to swallow bad news with a good meal,” Li said as she walked around a counter and began rifling through a tall metal closet. She pulled out two wrapped bags.Sadly, we’ll have to settle for this excrement.
Allah took the bags when offered, and a pair of bowls. Li grabbed another tiny spade, this one with a jagged edge. She opened her mouth, blowing on the spork and rubbed it on her forearm. She stepped to a cupboard and set a cup inside. “Dispense 2.5 liters of water at 343 Kelvin, Demeter.”
Steaming hot water filled the tall glass. Li placed a second under inside the cupboard, “Repeat command, Demeter,” and the second glass filled.
She walked to the bench opposite Allah and set the glasses down. “It's hot so be careful,” Li cautioned, tearing open the smaller pouch. She poured its contents inside Allah’s bowl, “Veggie broth number one for the sick kitty,” and Allah poured the glass of hot water in as well. It looked, as the powder started to disperse into the water, like settling silt, “And soy chicken chunks with almond cheese spread for me--yum yum!” she grimaced, as she pulled out three packets. She held the smallest of the three aloft. “But I do get a cookie.”
Allah sniffed the broth, remembering to bless the meal with “Xièxiè nǐ de zhōngwén shíwù” before sipping slowly. It was weak, bland, but it was warm. She had contented herself with a few sips of water during the quorum and her belly now demanded more.
Li stabbed her spade into Allah’s glass, stirring vigorously, “Sorry,” the human said, “but look on the bright side. This time tomorrow,” she ripped off the top of the largest pouch and Allah’s nose was assaulted with a smell that could only be described as “artificial”, “you should be well enough to sample this culinary delight.”
“I think I would prefer the broth,” and she took another sip. It did taste better when the silt was mixed. Li chuckled, pouring half her water into the large bag and ripped open another. That smelled even worse as a brown powder puffed free when water was applied. Li stirred the contents of both vigorously before pouring the orangey brown “cheese” into the freeze dried soy chicken substitute, and spooning both into her own bowl.
The human took a bite as Allah hid a wince behind another sip. Li chewed woodenly, swallowed and said “Not bad for a fifty year shelf life,” and dug back into the packets, searching. “If I know those pesky anglos--Ah ha!” She pulled out the tiniest pouch yet, ripped off the top and a smell Allah could only describe as tamed fire struck her nostrils as the human squeezed red liquid into her meal. “Hot sauce!” Li grinned and took another bite, nodding, “but I should’ve saved it for the cookie.”
Allah nodded acceptance of the tip and finished her broth.
“Want some more?” Li asked as she chewed.
“I would be honored by such a gift,” Allah nodded her head up and down, imitating the human response. Though, truth told fully, she was not so certain she would feel as honored by a second bowl.
Li did not get up, but instead pointed at the packet the broth had been contained in. “See those symbols?” Allah nodded, committing the human glyphs to memory. “Go find a matching pouch.”
Allah stood, sniffing and walked cautiously behind the counter. She used her claws to pop the metal closets open, gasping at the rush of cold air. Frozen air; cold as a warm winter day. She looked over her shoulder at Li, then carefully riffled through the icey box.
Several had similar glyphs as her pouch, but they were too big, the glyphs in the wrong order.
She opened another box, finding small packets of the right size but…wrong glyphs. Was the trough before the broken box with a line in its center or after. The two tails with a dash in the center had sat next to each other, she was certain…
“Need help?” Li called from the table.
“I will find it,” Allah called, “thank you for the offer.” There! Two curved tails with a dash in their middle. The trough was before the broken box. She pulled the packet out, returning to the table with tight lips.
Li, nodded. “Good. Now,” she lifted Allah’s glass to her. “Do you remember the temperature I gave Demeter?”
“Too poin’tah f’eye’vah Li’tours,” Allah fumbled with the words.
“That's the volume,” Li corrected. “But you need both. The temperature was three hundred forty three degrees Kelvin. You try.”
T-ta-ta’ree hun der red f’or--bach! Ta’ree hun’red f’ord’ee ta’ree da’ggg’ree Kah’el vine.” It feels like I am speaking with a rock in my throat!
Li shrugged, “Welcome to English 101. Pop quiz,” she pointed to the hole in the wall. “Is to get our dim host over there to supply you with some fresh, hot water.”
Li continued eating as Allah took her glass to the square hole. She inspected the hole, say a metal nipple sticking from its top. She placed the glass directly under and began to practice.
“Dimetar! Too poin’tah f’eye’vah Li’tours va’tour. Ta’ree hun’red f’ord’ee ta’ree da’ggg’ree Kah’el vine”
“Command not recognised,” the cheerful voice replied, translated by her metal implant. “Please restate.”
Allah sighed, bit her lip and tried again. And again. Each time, Li offered hints, coaching and encouragement. Try breaking each command down, see where he misunderstood. Enunciate, don’t growl the ‘guh’ sound.
“Dimetar?
“Yes, User Allah?”
“Too poin’tah f’eye’veh Li’tours wah tour.”
“Please specify desired temperature.”
“Ta’ree hund’red fort ee ta’ree da’gah’reez Kah’el vine.”
And water poured into the glass.
Allah took her prize in her paws and returned to the table. She set it down and beamed at Li. Then clapped her paws together so sharply that the human jerked back. Allah rushed back behind the counter, grabbed her own spork and returned to sit, panting onto the tiny jagged spade before rubbing it on her forearm.
“Proud of yourself?”
“Yes,” Allah puffed out her chest and twitched her tail as she sliced the packet open with a claw. For the first time in two days, she fed herself.
“Good,” Li spooned the last of her fake chicken and cheese into her mouth, opening the cookie. “I plan to teach you some basic commands to use if you need Demeter to help you when I’m not around. How’d that sound.
Allah lowered her bowl and licked her lips with a small bow. “I will strive to be a worthy student.”
Li clapped her hands together, rubbing them furiously. “Then let's start with some ABCs,” but no sooner had the enthusiasm leap to her face, it vanished.
Allah lowered her bowl in mild alarm.
Li held up a hand, her human face squishing in confusion. “Jung’s hailing me. Priority transmission. One sec,” and her eyes glassed over.
And just as quickly the human’s eyes widened in alarm “What!?!” Li stood up from the bench, jostling the table. “No, n-no. Hold it.” She looked at Allah, glowering. “Jung, repeat that last aloud.”
The AI’s voice spoke from the wall speaker “Li, these are confidential orders. I don’t like keeping secrets any more than you do--”
“It directly concerns her, Jung,” Li growled.
“Very well,” and the AI’s voice sounded resigned as he said “Stardancer and her assigned personnel are hereby ordered to leave OGLE-3219-BLG-2624L with all available haste and set course for the supply depot above Basker III. Shipboard AI is required to reconfirm receipt of message once personnel have digitally signed the read receipt.”
“And I’ll mate a monkey before I sign excrement! And neither are you, buckethead!”
“Li,” Jung soothed, “you must understand, this is a fleet command order. I am incapable of refusing such an order. If you fail to acknowledge receipt, they will ask me if it was delivered. I would be incapable of dissemination.”
“Tell them the transmission was garbled,” she countered.
“What does this mean?” Allah asked, growing alarm blossoming into new panic.
“That will not work as I have already sent my own read receipt,” Jung replied.
“Why the mate did you do that?”
“I was ordered to via direct transmission.”
“What does this mean?” Allah forced the distressed purring to stop. She would not shake herself to uselessness. Li, Jung, what has happened?”
“They’re calling us home!” Li rounded and slammed her fists on the counter. “Without any notice of a reinforcement team.”
The human turned, a wild savagery in her dark eyes as she turned to look at Allah. The U’knock stood slowly but refused to back away in fear.
When Li spoke, spittle flew from her clenched teeth.
“We are not just leaving these people to die.”
“I empathize, Li,” Jung’s tone was soft, comforting. All Allah knew was that her world was about to die. No tone could comfort that grief. “But our orders are clear,” he continued. “If you disobey, they may begin sending instructions to Demeter to forcibly remove you.”
“Alright, alright.” Li took several calming breaths, in through her tiny nose and out through her mouth. “Alright,” and her voice retained a false calm. “Jung? Request reconfirmation on my authority. Ask them why they’re ignoring a Case Alamo.”
“I can send it immediately,” the AI replied
“You’ll send in a second,” she took another calming breath before saying “And Jung? Send it in the clear.”
“That,” Jung’s voice was flat to the point of refusal, “is a violation of Secure Communication Protocol 23.9, section A, and a court-martial offense, Corporal Zhōu.”
“On my authority as acting ground forces commander of,” she paused and looked at Allah, “did your people ever name this planet?”
Allah nodded “U’dam,” she answered.
“Ground forces commander of U’dam. Note your protest, Jung, and confirm when you send the message.
“Noted,” but the AI sounded reluctant. “Sent.”
“Now,” she rubbed her face with her hands, “cut yourself out of the local circuit; I’ll call you back.”
“Li,” Jung protested
“Now Jung.”
There was a pause of heartbeats before the AI softly said “Complying.”
Li strode to a black panel on the mess hall wall. “Demeter, PDF override. Create a new partition in primary through tertiary data cores.”
“Building partitions. What file size do you require?”
“How large is your current Operating System size?”
“Demeter-907OS is currently utilizing 8.87693 yottabytes.”
“Make the partitions 9 yottabytes each.”
“Stand by,” the wooden voice replied. “Processing.
“Partitions complete.”
“Clone core OS to new partitions and label them as BACKUP ONE.”
“Cloning,” Li was bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet; in excitement, renewed anger or impatience Allah was uncertain. “Files copied.”
“Run a scan against current OS and repair any anomalous files.”
“File check complete,”Demeter replied as Li growled a hushed “Comeon!” at the black panel. “Three thousand, one hundred and eight errors repaired across all copies.”
“Seal partitions labeled BACKUP ONE under Administrator Zhōu, Li, Corporal. Serial Service Number 218-08-986-42.”
“Files sealed. Private login access required for BACKUP ONE on primary core, secondary core and tertiary core. Would you like to open these files?”
Now,” Li growled, shaking her arms like pieces of rope, “time to mate some excrement up. Demeter, access all thermopylae command files.”
“Accessing,” the wooden voice replied.
“Open program labeled ‘Naughty Boy’,” she ordered.
“Ope--Warning! Virus detected! Administrati--
“Authorization Zhōu, Li, Corporal! Serial Service Number 218-08-986-42,” Li shouted as a shrill alarm sounded. She slapped her palm against the black panel on the wall “Open ‘Naughty Boy’. PDF override authority!
“Opeeeeeeee--” Demeter began, but the wooden voice hung. The speaker chirped, hiccuped and was silent. The mess hall lights flickered.
Li sighed, sitting back down on the nearest bench. “Thank you Sven,” she whispered.
“What has happened?” Allah asked. “What have you done to Demeter?”
“Hopefully,” Li forced a grin and patted the bench beside her. Allah came to sit next to her friend, “I’ve removed his ability to accept command instructions from offworld. Which sucks because that means Jung can’t interface directly via the comms until we establish a hard line connection.
“Demeter?” she called to the open air.
“Y-y-yes Administrator Li?”
“Contact Star Dancer.”
“N-n-no user found b-b-by that name.”
Li closed her eyes in thought. “Try AI Jung, or TSN-1337.
“User founnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd. Establishing c-c-connection.”
“What is wrong with him?” the lights flickered again. Li rose from the bench, pausing to pat Allah’s thigh, and walked to a white box opposite the counter. She opened it, pulling a thin package out. Ripping one end loose, she pulled a pair of green sticks out, tossing one to the U’knock.
Li bent her stick, shaking vigorously. It began to glow a soft green.
“Naughty Boy,” the human explained, “was based off of swarmer code the Star Dancer’s tech wizard acquired. It was originally written to strip local computer cores of higher thinking capability,” she gestured to the dark hallway. ”We should get moving.”
“Sven,” Allah asked, holding her own glowing stick above her head, “He was a friend of yours and Jung?”
Li’s head bobbed in agreement. “Our boy Sven retooled it to block external intrusion attempts--hostile or friendly. Never got it to work perfectly though. He always called it his ‘kitchen sink’ program; a last ditch effort to control an OS.”
“Is that why you told Jung to go away?”Li nodded again. “What would it do to him if he had not?” and silently Allah worried What could it do if he returned?
“Hopefully nothing,” Li answered,” Jung’s too smart to catch a cold,” and she smiled as she looked over her shoulder, “but there was no point in taking a chance.”
“Li?” an anxious voice called “Are you receiving?” the AI’s voice sounded strained, distant. Allah had played with other cubs near a culvert many times, calling to each other from different ends of the tube. Jung sounded like that now.
“I hear you Jung,” Li replied. “I was starting to worry.”
Demeter has been spamming my firewall with unhealthy requests,” Jung explained. “I had to find a clean port.” His tone grew stern as he said “I have also lost communications with the fleet network. With Demeter’s behavior, I suspect I know why.”
“That information is ‘compartmentalized’,” Li grinned.
“I appreciate your attempts to protect me,” though Jung’s voice was anything but appreciative, “but you must understand this is a stop gap measure, at best. If you intend to continue requesting fleet assistance we will have to restore long range communication and they will, in turn, repeat their order.”
“Let tomorrow's worries worry tomorrow,” Li entered the room they had sent mayday from. “What's your ETA?”
“Ram scoops at optimal angles, reactor mass at 60% of recommended capacity,” Jung sounded more distant still, as if talking next to a runoff stream, “I’ve begun suctioning the planet’s atmosphere and should be at safe slingtravel capacity in six hours, four minutes and twenty one seconds. I should be planetside in seven hours, fifty three minutes and nine seconds.”
Li took her seat at the monitor, tapping the screen on. “How long will it take to top off the tanks? I mean cutting out all safeties and max out pressure in your tanks.”
Jung hesitated.
“Seventeen hours, one minute and fourteen seconds, approximately,” he said so quietly that the noise of the connection almost drowned him out. “That assumes I would take such a risk.”
“Jung,” Li set her hands in her lap, looking up, “I know its a big ask--”
“Overriding safety protocols, Corporal Zhōu,” Jung interrupted angrily. The tone startled Allah. Jung didn’t get angry. Even when they had fought in the CNC and later in the Star Dancer’s mess, he had remained calm. “Rescheduling for high vector mass transport. Please be aware, traveling with such volatile materials will affect my time to return.
Li’s tone was soft now. “Revised ETA RTB?”
“Approximately two days dependant on U’dam weather patterns and celestial body avoidance routes,” he said resignedly.
Li winced. “That's cutting it close.”
“I would not complain if I were in your shoes,” Jung’s tone was acidic.
“If only you/I had any feet,” Li and Jung said together. The human smiled. Jung continued “You won't have remote access to Demeter until I’m on the surface,” he cautioned.
“’ll try to behave,” she patted the black screen affectionately. “Get back here as quick as you can, old man.”
“Stay safe down there, meatbag.”
And the speaker clicked dead.

(TLDR at bottom)
Hello, and thank you for clicking on this post.
I am currently serving on a ship as an E4 with almost 3 years in service. Got onto my ship a little less than a year ago, and already managed to get most of my upper COC to have a bit of a sour opinion of me.
Currently I am trying to get a conditional release from the navy, join the air national guard in another state, and attend AFROTC at one of the state's colleges. I'm sure you can tell already that this is a rather complicated pipe dream, but I truly do desire to commission, and as strange as it seems. This is the quickest and easiest way to do it unless I want to spend years enlisted, or risk potentially burning myself out with serving and going to college.
A bit of backstory:
My first month onboard I made the mistake of telling my COC that at MEPS I was led to believe my rate was a heavily computer involved rate, (it is not) and that I never had any desire to be anything but a computer technician. Some of my COC did not like that. Now I'm not going to sit and blame the navy for the people who led me to believe my rate was about computers, since ultimately the responsibility lies on my shoulders. However, since that happened I decided I wouldn't let anyone prevent me from getting what I was promised in exchange for service to my country. I have been working with people in the air force and air national guard to get this done, and am currently writing an essay to my CO and ECM regarding my desire to commission and why I should be allowed to do so.
I have the paperwork for the NAVPERS MILPERSON 1910-102, a request for conditional release form, a NAVPERS 1306/7 request for release, confirmation from my COC that my rate is overmanned on our ship so losing me wouldn't affect them, and my enlisted community overview showing my rate is either overmanned or meeting manning requirements in all ranks across the navy. I am in contact with an air national guard recruiter who has sent me required paperwork, have contacted officers in the air force who have confirmed that once I finish AFROTC I would be able to transfer into the air force as an officer, as well as have enrolled in a college offering AFROTC. As I stated previously I am currently typing out an essay to my CO and ECM to try to convince them to release me for this endeavor.
Well, there the problem lies. Not only do I have to convince my CO to release me, I have to convince my ECM, and even Big Navy themselves. All during a time when enlistment and retention is at an extreme low. I have absolutely no idea how I am going to achieve that. To top it all off my ECM is not allowing people to rerate despite our status as being overmanned, and I have a little under 4 years left on my contract. I also haven’t really been able to get any impressive qualifications or leadership positions due to my ship's current environment, and being sent TAD multiple times. So honestly, my chances are really not looking too great (basically a big fat 0 chance), and I understand that. However I'd like to at least say I tried everything in my power to achieve this goal.
I am asking reddit for help not because my entire ship is incompetent or full of villains/fools, it is not, but because while I have found a few people who helped me go about this path (it's how I got the right paperwork, thanks Chief), I have also had a hard time finding people that 1) are willing to help instead of just laughing or taking it as a personal insult that I don't want to be enlisted 2) are trustworthy/reliable/actually want to help 3) are able/knowledgeable enough about the subject to help. It's also hard asking around when there are a few people in your COC that hate what you are doing and are also in charge of you. (not a good combo)
There is still a lot (a lot) I have left out, as I don't want this to become a tangent or a pity party. Nor did I want to try to sell myself as a great sailor here (I'll leave that noise for the CO and Big Navy’s ears.) So I will just leave you with my closing statement/request.
TLDR: TLDR: TLDR: TLDR: TLDR:-------------CLOSING STATEMENT-------------TLDR: TLDR: TLDR: TLDR: TLDR:
I am new to the navy and my ship. I have already lost some trust from my COC, and vice versa, but I truly desire to be able to come to terms with any mistakes I have made, move on from them, and to also be put into a situation where I can grow as a person and leader. I am willing to do whatever steps necessary to get me there as quickly and efficiently as possible. Because of that, I personally do not feel as though staying in the navy as enlisted will be conducive to the future I am working towards.
I have received help from certain members of my COC, ship, and service members from other branches, however due to the nature of this request not many people know the exact steps. I also have a hard time trusting members of my ship I don't know, and so am reaching out for help online.
If you or someone you know can in any way help explain the process, the steps I need to take, proper formalities taken when writing an essay to CO/ECM/Big-Navy/etc, and any way for me to improve my chances of being released, I would greatly appreciate it. I have done a lot of work and research on my own, but have realized I may need a helping hand. Thank you.

From Roll Call:
Tech companies are using international trade agreements to conceal software codes behind artificial intelligence programs as well as circumvent U.S. legislation that could curb the industry’s freewheeling use of consumer data, according to lawmakers and advocacy groups. As Congress is trying to rein in Big Tech, industry “lobbyists and lawyers are trying to rig the digital trade deals to undermine those new laws,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said last week at an event organized by the advocacy group Rethink Trade. Tech companies managed to add digital trade rules to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that prohibits the parties from reviewing the source code for artificial intelligence programs and are trying to include similar provisions in the 13-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework trade talks, Warren said.
“Big Tech wants to keep its code in a black box where no one can see what they’re doing,” Warren said. Negotiators from the U.S. and 12 other countries in Asia have been meeting in Bali, Indonesia, for the past few days to work on the IPEF, a trade deal that is the Biden administration’s signature effort to counter China’s growing economic influence in the region. The dispute about the role trade deals play in creating global rules for the tech industry comes as Congress is weighing legislation that would address data privacy, content moderation, antitrust enforcement and curbs on artificial intelligence technologies. House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and ranking member Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., say they will revive an effort to pass legislation that would create a federal data privacy standard. The committee approved a bill in the last Congress, but it didn’t get a floor vote.
Rodgers has said holding Big Tech accountable is a key part of her agenda and has called for greater transparency into algorithms and software.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has also promised to pursue an antitrust measure aimed at tech companies. Klobuchar, the chairwoman of Senate Judiciary’s Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee, and Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, a member of the panel, teamed up on a similar bill in the last Congress. The Coalition of Service Industries, a trade group representing a broad group of service industries, including tech companies, said the trade deals allow exceptions for regulatory bodies to examine software source codes and aren’t intended to limit Congress’ ability to enact domestic laws.
The USTR has “has pursued an inclusive vision for digital trade that protects the privacy of consumers and workers, respects freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination and supports our environmental sustainability goals” in the IPEF negotiations, a USTR spokesperson said, adding that the talks and a potential deal will “provide space for Congress to enact digital reforms, as well as ensure our regulators can effectively implement our rules and regulations.” The spokesperson also said the USTR has held more than 300 briefings with lawmakers and their staffs on the agenda. Warren’s concerns were echoed at the Rethink Trade event by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., a top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.
Pharma and WTO
Tech companies are attempting to do what pharmaceutical companies managed to do in the global trade framework created by the World Trade Organization, said Lori Wallach, director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project. The pharmaceutical industry was able to get the WTO to codify a 20-year patent on drugs although U.S. law up until that point only allowed for 17-year patents, she said. Congress enacted the law bringing the U.S. into the WTO in 1994. “When the U.S. signed that agreement, we were legally obligated to change our domestic law to conform,” Wallach said. Wallach cited a provision of the USMCA that precludes the parties from prohibiting or restricting the cross-border transfer of information, including personal information of users. If similar provisions are included in other trade agreements, companies can ignore future U.S. data privacy regulations and move users’ personal data to a jurisdiction beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement, she said. Although the USMCA provides an exception by allowing the parties to enact laws and rules to “achieve a legitimate public-policy objective,” similar safeguards are missing from the discussion draft for IPEF, Rethink Trade and 17 other consumer advocacy groups said in a March 10 letter to President Joe Biden.
“Trade pacts must not include terms that limit government regulation of data flows related to privacy protections or data security,” the letter said.
Rethink Trade also published a report last week highlighting USMCA provisions prohibiting countries from seeking to examine tech companies’ software or algorithms, alleging that tech companies were seeking to include similar provisions in the IPEF discussions. Widespread adoption of such provisions in trade deals would run against U.S. legislative proposals seeking to examine algorithms and software code behind artificial intelligence programs that can discriminate on the basis of gender, race and other factors, Wallach said. In addition to potentially restricting congressional action, the trade deals would give tech companies ammunition to stop legislation and regulation emerging in other countries, including South Korea, Australia and the European Union, Wallach said. Industry groups aren’t trying to restrict Congress’ ability to enact domestic laws, said Christine Bliss, president of the Coalition of Service Industries, which includes tech companies as well as media, telecom and financial services providers. The group backs the ongoing IPEF trade discussions.
Neither the USMCA nor the 2019 U.S.-Japan Digital Trade agreement includes provisions “that would limit the right of Congress to legislate in the privacy area, or other areas with security, or really, in the digital space,” Bliss said. Earlier trade agreements and the IPEF also provide exceptions for investigations, inspections and examination of software source codes when such probes stem from law enforcement actions or judicial proceedings, Bliss said.

1. While Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" is probably one of the crooner's best-known songs, it was originally very different. Turns out, we have Robert De Niro to thank for it! Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb were tapped to write music for Martin Scorsese's 1977 film, New York, New York, which stars Liza Minnelli and De Niro. When the duo previewed the songs they had written, De Niro thought the title track, which was connected to his character, was too lighthearted. Although Kander and Ebb said they thought De Niro seemed "pompous" in telling them to rewrite the song, they took the criticism to heart and ended up penning their new version of the song in just 45 minutes.
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is my favorite movie of all time, so it's honestly criminal that I've never done a deep dive into some behind-the-scenes moments from the film! John Hughes, known for his teen movies, ended up writing the script in just a few days in order to get a draft finished before the Writers Guild of America went on strike. The script was reportedly so strong that it was barely edited before filming started. The movie is widely considered to be a love letter to Hughes's Chicago hometown and is filled with references to his own upbringing and shots of the city's skyline. In fact, Hughes even gave Ferris the same address as his childhood home, and his bedroom reportedly resembled Hughes's.
3. If I had to learn about this giraffe mating ritual, then it's only fair that you do too, okay? Unlike other animals, giraffes don't have a set mating season. Instead, they have an estrous cycle, which resembles a human menstrual cycle, except this cycle swaps blood for urine. When a male giraffe approaches a female giraffe, he begins to rub against her, which she takes as a signal to begin peeing. The male giraffe then tastes her pee to see if she's fertile, and thus, the mating ritual begins. A typical giraffe pregnancy lasts for 400–460 days. Male giraffes typically have no role in raising their offspring.
4. In 2007, Lisa Nowak became the first NASA astronaut to be arrested when she drove across the United States to confront a woman who was dating a fellow astronaut with whom Nowak had also had a relationship. About a decade after graduating from the US Naval Academy, Nowak was selected to be an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she specialized in robotics. Nowak said she was deeply affected by the 2003 Columbia space shuttle explosion because her best friend, astronaut Laurel Clark, died. Nowak told NASA that her children convinced her to continue on with her space career despite her unease.
5. Despite what you might believe after watching The Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum was not a good guy. He had a long history of animal cruelty and was known for mistreating enslaved people and people with disabilities. He even reportedly hated the people who paid money to come see his exhibits. Barnum was allegedly frustrated that people were taking their time during visits to his museum, so he decided to post signs reading "This Way to the Egress" all over the place. He (correctly) believed that most of the visitors wouldn't know that "egress" meant "exit," so when they followed the signs, they ended up unknowingly leaving the entire museum. As a result, many people paid to reenter, bringing home even more money for Barnum.
6. Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" is essentially History 101 in song form. The track name-drops 118 historical events from 1949 to 1989, including everything from pivotal moments in the civil rights movement to details from sports and pop culture history. Joel was inspired to write the song after having a conversation with Sean Lennon, who was then in his 20s, while in the recording studio. One of Lennon's friends allegedly said that it was a terrible time to be a young person. Joel, who was about to turn 40, reportedly said that his own younger years hadn't been that easy either.
7. Coney Island's skyline looked a lot different back in the 1800s. The Brooklyn boardwalk was once home to a 200-foot-tall elephant-shaped hotel! The hotel, known as the Elephantine Colossus, was built in 1885 and contained 31 rooms, a concert hall, and a museum. The elephant's head housed an observatory, and its eyes served as telescopes. The real kicker was that the hotel was built several years before the Statue of Liberty was completed, so the giant elephant was often the first thing immigrants saw when they reached New York. At some point, the hotel was seen as gimmicky and lost most of its clientele. Soon, sex workers began moving in. In 1896, Elephantine Colossus burned down and was never rebuilt.
8. During Ronald Reagan's 1966 California gubernatorial campaign, he began eating jelly beans in an attempt to curb his pipe-smoking habit. His jelly beans of choice were the Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans from the Herman Goelitz Candy Co. Once the company caught wind of Reagan's love for the treat, they began to send the politician a monthly shipment of candy and even gifted the governor with a custom jelly bean jar. After Reagan's two terms as governor ended, the company continued to send him jelly beans. In 1976, Goelitz debuted their latest creation: the Jelly Belly. Within two years, Reagan's entire jelly bean shipment shifted to include only Jelly Belly jelly beans.
9. There are two main groups of whales: baleen whales, which include species like the blue whale and the humpback whale; and toothed whales, consisting of orcas, belugas, and sperm whales. While you probably guessed that toothed whales are named as such because they have teeth, baleen whales have baleen plates in their mouths, which help them filter out krill and other food. Toothed whales also have a "melon" in their foreheads. The melon is a mass of tissue that helps with communication and is crucial for echolocation, which they use to find food and to navigate underwater.
10. In 1997, construction on Disneyland's California Adventure Park was halted after Princess Diana was killed in a limo accident in a Paris tunnel on Aug. 31. California Adventure was supposed to include a ride called Superstar Limo, which involved guests boarding a limo and embarking on a high-speed chase through some of Los Angeles's biggest landmarks in order to get to the Disney offices in time to sign a huge movie contract. Riders also had to evade the paparazzi. Once the ride ended, passengers were encouraged to buy mock tabloids featuring the pictures the "paparazzi" had taken of them. Following Diana's death, Disney knew they could no longer debut the ride. Soon, they began to brainstorm alternative ideas to replace the limo theme.
11. Donald Gorske, who is known as the ultimate Big Mac fan, has reportedly eaten at least one McDonald's Big Mac every day for the past 50 years. As of May 2022, Gorske believes he has consumed about 32,340 Big Macs. He told Guinness World Records that he typically eats two Big Macs a day, although he revealed that at one point, his daily diet included nine burgers! "May 17, 1972, was the day I got my first car," Gorske said. "I drove to McDonald’s, ordered my first three Big Macs, went in the car, and ate them. And I said right there that I’m gonna probably eat these the rest of my life, and I threw the cartons in the backseat and started counting them from day one." Despite his Big Mac diet, Gorske and his wife say that doctors have given him a clean bill of health.
12. Although you probably picture Queen Elizabeth II wearing one of her signature colorful skirt suits, her fashion history is actually quite fascinating! Elizabeth was photographed wearing pants only once during her entire reign. In 1970, she was reportedly interested in updating her look, and asked her tailor for a custom pantsuit to wear during her royal tour in Australia. It's safe to assume that Elizabeth wasn't too fond of the outfit, as she was never again seen wearing pants in public. In order to maintain professionalism and avoid any type of fashion mishap, her dress hems were always cut below the knee.
13. In 1986, Clint Eastwood ran for mayor of Carmel, California, in part because he wanted to overturn the town's strict law regarding ice cream sales. Eastwood announced his intention to run for office in 1985 after he reportedly found the City Council very difficult to work with when he wanted to turn property he owned into office space. He also cited a 1929 law in Carmel that banned the sale of ice cream cones as another reason for his campaign. In April 1986, he defeated incumbent Charlotte Townsend. His first order of business? He removed from office all of the people who supported the ice cream ban, thus allowing the sale of ice cream cones in Carmel for the first time in decades.
14. Chances are, you read George Orwell's Animal Farm in school. In the novel, a group of animals team up to rebel against the farmer who owns them, only to end up living in a communist dictatorship led by pigs. Although Orwell said that the book was the first time he had successfully been able to blend politics and art, he had a hard time finding a publisher. Several publishing houses turned down the book because they felt uneasy about its political stance. Secker & Warburg ultimately agreed to publish Animal Farm, and the book became a hit and was even used by the CIA as a propaganda tool during the Cold War.
15. In 1928, Huey Long was elected governor of Louisiana on a promise of helping people who had been neglected by the federal government. He soon had his sights set on Washington and won a Senate seat. But before leaving for DC in 1932, he had the lieutenant governor replaced by two successors who promised to follow Long's commands. In the Senate, he created the “Share Our Wealth” program, which many thought was part of his bid for the presidency. In 1935, Long was assassinated by a political rival. Despite his death, his impact in the state lived on. In 1940, a study showed that rural schoolchildren not only had no idea that Long had been killed but also believed he was president.
16. The Real Housewives franchise put Bravo on the map for its depiction of the wild and wacky antics of wealthy women around the country, but it originally looked like a much different show! Scott Dunlop, the original producer of the Real Housewives of Orange County, got the idea for the show in 1986 when he moved from Los Angeles to Coto de Caza, one of the world's largest gated communities, located in Orange County, California. Dunlop began to notice that many of his female neighbors spent their days shopping and playing golf while their husbands went to work.
17. The first meal eaten on the moon included bacon bits, peaches, sugar cookie cubes, and a pineapple-grapefruit beverage. Bacon reportedly had a long history when it came to space travel. It was a staple during the Gemini missions and became a favorite among many astronauts. Despite all of the bacon love, it's since disappeared from space menus. Now the closest thing to bacon is a sausage patty that has to be rehydrated with warm water before being eaten.
18. Oscar Gamble, a baseball player who spent over 20 years in the major leagues, was known not only for his on-field play but also for his Afro, which sparked quite the controversy. In 1973, Gamble arrived at the Cleveland Indians training camp sporting an Afro. Although many Black basketball players had Afros, the hairstyle wasn't too popular among baseball players. Baseball was often seen as more conservative, and during the 1970s, the Afro was associated with the Black Power movement. Gamble's hair quickly became controversial. "People took one look at that hair and thought I was a bad guy," Gamble said in 1979. "There were some sportswriters who wouldn’t talk to me. They thought I was some kind of militant, with my beard and my hair."
19. In December 1990, Iben Browning, who claimed that he was a climatologist, predicted that a major earthquake was going to hit the St. Louis area on Dec. 3. In New Madrid, a Missouri town located on a fault line, people began stockpiling supplies, while others left town completely. Browning reportedly used weather patterns to make his predictions, although his exact methods were never publicized. Although scientists didn't vocally deny Browning's claims, it was believed that they didn't support his prediction, since it's impossible to predict an earthquake. The earthquake never happened. In fact, the area has not faced an earthquake at the magnitude Browning predicted in the three decades since.
20. While kangaroos are known for their hopping abilities (they can jump about 25 feet in one go!), they are unable to go backward because their big feet and long tails prohibit any backward movement. This anatomical hindrance has since been used by their native Australia as a symbol. The kangaroo was reportedly included on the Australian coat of arms to represent the idea that Australia is a nation that is always moving forward.
21. And finally, Elouise Cobell, who was also known as Yellow Bird Woman, fought for Native Americans to have control over their land and finances. Cobell was born on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, where her family did not have running water or electricity. Her great-great-grandfather notably stood up to the US government in the 19th century. When Cobell was 4 years old, her father built a one-room schoolhouse that she attended until she was in high school. Cobell reportedly took notice of her family's complaints about the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency that many suspected mismanaged the profits from land and trusts owned by Native Americans.

Link to article

Has anyone expedited their N-400 through National Guard service? It's very confusing online as to whether a certain national guard unit has been "federally activated" as seems to be the requirement under law.
Has anyone experience with it?

Hi, everyone! Long post, my apologies. Please note that I'm keeping some details vague because I don't want to be identified.
I've got a bit of a dilemma on my hands and would love some perspective from people in the field. I studied for three years at a private university with two majors in international studies and a specific language, and a minor in linguistics. During my third year I took a bunch of incompletes because I got seriously ill. I took a medical withdrawal with the intent to come back after I'd seen a doctor (insurance stuff meant I could only see a doctor in my home state). It's been a year and a half, my health is much better, and I'd like to go back to school. During my time off I realized how much I'm dreading finishing my incompletes and going back. My language department was small and felt disorganized, and I've had some issues with one of the two professors in the department. Regardless of that, I realize I don't have any career goals or aspirations for my current majors. I struggle with depression and anxiety and the thought of going back to a department I don't like without any goal terrifies me.
Because of that I've been looking to find a passion. I've always been passionate about anthropology, but I strayed away from formally studying it because I'd heard some bad things about the field (no jobs, bad income, lack of fulfillment in the job, not what people expected, etc.). I've read that there aren't as few job prospect for anthropologists as people say, and I'm not worried about income too much because I'm married and my partner's income is enough to support us. I've been reading books, watching things, and educating myself on the field of anthropology so I'm confident that I will love it. I've worked in archives before and done some volunteer field work, and loved both things. Which brings me to education. I'm specifically looking at archaeological anthropology but I may like linguistic or cultural anthropology better after I've taken some classes and gotten some experience.
Should I finish my completes and then finish my last year at the private school, dropping one of the majors in lieu of squeezing in an anthropology minor, or start over at a new school with a major in anthropology? If I pursue the first option I would pursue an archaeological technician certification from a non profit in my state, try going to some field sites, and volunteer for some museums or the national park service to gain some hands on experience. For the second option, the new school would provide me with a major and a much better program for anthropology; it would also grant me better opportunities like internships, study abroad (which I wasn't able to do at my other school because of covid), research opportunities, and access to their own personal field school. Both options cost the same because the latter is a public state school. My goal after graduation is graduate schooling. For the first option, is it even possible to get into a graduate school with just an anthropology minor, field school, and some volunteer experience? Or do I need the major?
I'm out of my depth, and any advice would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

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They're not on Hulu, either! But prices for this streaming service currently start at $6.99 per month, or $69.99 for the whole year. For the ad-fre eversion, it's $12.99 per month, $64.99 per month for Hulu + Live TV, or $70.99 for the ad-free Hulu + Live TV.
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Satellites are an essential component of modern life, providing a wide range of benefits and services that we often take for granted. From communication to navigation, weather forecasting, and scientific research, satellites have revolutionized our world and enabled us to accomplish feats that were once thought impossible. However, despite overwhelming evidence of their existence and utility, some flat-earthers deny their existence without any credible evidence to support their claims.
The benefits of satellites are many and varied. For example, communication satellites enable us to make phone calls, send text messages, and access the internet from virtually anywhere on the planet. These satellites also facilitate global positioning systems (GPS), which have revolutionized navigation, making it possible for us to find our way around with unprecedented accuracy.
Weather satellites provide us with up-to-date information on weather patterns and help meteorologists make more accurate forecasts, giving us ample time to prepare for severe weather events. Satellites also support scientific research, allowing us to study the Earth's climate, weather patterns, and other phenomena from space.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of their benefits and the countless technological advancements they have enabled, flat-earthers deny the existence of satellites without any credible evidence to support their claims. Instead, they often rely on conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific claims to discredit the scientific consensus on the Earth's shape and the existence of satellites.
However, the evidence supporting the existence of satellites is vast and irrefutable. We can see the images of the Earth taken by satellites from space, and we can communicate and navigate using technology that relies on their existence. The denial of their existence is a testament to the dangers of rejecting empirical evidence and scientific inquiry in favor of unsupported beliefs and conspiracy theories.
In conclusion, satellites have improved our lives in countless ways, enabling technological advancements that were once thought impossible. However, despite their overwhelming benefits and the evidence supporting their existence, some flat-earthers continue to deny their existence without credible evidence to support their claims. It is crucial to rely on empirical evidence and scientific inquiry to understand the world around us and make informed decisions that benefit us all.

I (28M) have received a visa for another country and at the time of the application, I did not list any dependents as I did not want to complicate things. I got the visa and this will allow me to go to that country to work and eventually settle and obtain citizenship.
My girlfriend (27F) is my common law partner and we have been together for 7 years and living together for 5. She is eligible to get a visa as well as a dependent but not elligible for the primary applicant visa I have. The dependent visa could also let her settle as long as I go there as well.
Here is where I might be the AH. She really wants to come as well and live with me, but I feel like then she would be getting an opportunity solely because of me, and she would be able to stay there if we broke up after moving there. I am not yet sure if I want to marry her so I was thinking of not letting her get a visa, having a long distance relationship and only allowing her to come if we decide to get married. I suggested this to her and she got really upset and does not seem to understand my point of view. I have not taken a final decision yet however and I do really like her. I would not mind, if she got a visa on her own merit and came to live with me though.
Also in case it is relevant, our home country is not a bad place to live, it might not be first world, but it is safe, has good services and infrastructure just that the salaries are lower. The other country would be a highly developed nation.

Hi everyone,
I've been dealing with this one for a while, I live in IL.
In January 2022 I fractured my femur skiing in Colorado. Naturally I had an ambulance ride from the resort to the local hospital for surgery.
A month later I receive a bill from the ambulance service. I submitted my insurers information (United Healthcare) for it to be processed.
After processing the EOB stated these line items were paid:

• A0427 ALS EMERGENCY BASE 80% covered 20% OON coinsurance
• A0425 MILEAGE 80% covered 20% OON coinsurance

Then a bunch of other line items

• A0394 NORMAL SALINE
• A0398 EKG/CARDIAC MON IN
• A0398 IV/IO THERAPY
• A0382 PULSE OX
• A0394 CARDIAC MONITOR
• A0398 (drug I received)
• A0398 (another drug I received)

All of these are listed on the EOB with a code 3C-

BENEFITS FOR THIS SERVICE ARE DENIED. THIS BILLING DOES NOT COMPLY WITH NATIONAL/INDUSTRY CODING AND PAYMENT STANDARDS. WE'VE SENT YOU A LETTER WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PROVIDER: THIS DECISION WAS MADE BY MEDICAL AUDIT & REVIEW SOLUTIONS (MARS) ON BEHALF OF UNITEDHEALTHCARE. DO NOT BILL THE PATIENT FOR THIS SERVICE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DENIAL GO TO PROVIDER.MARSAUDITOR.COM OR CALL 800-239-6217. IF APPROPRIATE, YOU MAY SUBMIT A CORRECTED CLAIM FOR THE PATIENT. MEMBER: IF YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CLAIM, PLEASE CALL THE MEMBER NUMBER ON YOUR HEALTH PLAN CARD.

I've been receiving bills from the ambulance company for the balance (just the coinsurance and the ancillary items above) every month for the last year. Everytime I call UHC and tell them I'm receiving balance bills and they tell be I shouldn't be. They say they'll look into it. Every now and then the claim will be reprocessed with the same result. Eventually I got put through to a claims specialist who essentially said...

Billed separately for supplies. Determined that these charges should not have been charged. Apparently it was determined that it needed to be appealed. I'll investigate and call within a week.

She called me today and said that the claims department has determined there is nothing they can do and told me that I can appeal.
But no one is really telling me what the hell is actually wrong and how I can fix it. I reckon if I submit an appeal the same result will occur with the same denials.
So really my questions is: What could have happened here? How can I fix it? Who do I contact for the next move? The provider for incorrect billing? The insurance company for incorrect processing?
Or should I just pay the bill and send it to my travel insurance company who has already covered the rest of my OOP costs from this incident.
Cheers

Did you ever get a fake invoice in the mail for web hosting services? Well this was probably the guy who sent it.

Florida Man Indicted for Far-Reaching Mail Fraud Scheme

CONTACT: Michael Martel TITLE: National Public Information Officer EMAIL: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
New York, NY – On March 8, 2023, Robert W. Lederhilger, III, was arrested and arraigned in the Middle District of Florida following a Federal Grand Jury Mail Fraud indictment handed down just days earlier in the Southern District of New York. Lederhilger, a Florida resident, was charged in connection with orchestrating a sweeping, almost eight-year scheme that defrauded tens of thousands of U.S. businesses in almost every state in the country.
The indictment charges that, since about March 2015, Mr. Lederhilger carried out mass mailings of deceptive invoices to small business website owners.
Using several business names, such as “Web Host Agents,” “Certified Web Services,” and “FreeBird Host,” Lederhilger claimed the targeted businesses owed up to $192 for a “yearly webhosting fee.” In truth, the business websites were usually already hosted on other webhosting platforms, and Lederhilger never provided nor intended to provide such services.
To affect this scheme, Lederhilger used a mailbox service in Manhattan, New York, to receive the victim business checks and deposit them into his company bank accounts. Lederhilger also orchestrated a “Reseller Program,” where he recruited others to form LLCs and “sell” his purported webhosting services on his behalf. These “resellers,” considered victims in the scheme, were unaware Lederhilger was not providing webhosting services.
The resellers were required to pay Lederhilger approximately 44% of collected webhosting fees, cover the cost of printing deceptive mailings, pay for centralized mailbox services to receive victim business checks, pay wages of back-office support staff, and pay Lederhilger for a monthly leads list. As a result, over 3 million deceptive mailings were mailed to businesses across the United States, resulting in approximately 38,000 victim-business payments to the Lederhilger and reseller companies, totaling approximately $7 million paid for services not rendered.
“The U.S. Mail has been a cornerstone of American commerce since the nation’s founding,” said Inspector in Charge Daniel Brubaker with the Postal Inspection Service’s New York Division. “Postal Inspectors are committed to uncovering and investigating schemes, like this one, that use the mail to target U.S. businesses and customers.”
Mr. Lederhilger was released on bail following his arrest and is scheduled to appear in New York later this week to face charges. As of this release, a trial date for Mr. Lederhilger has not been set.
If found guilty, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
It is important to note that an indictment contains charges that are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED: 12:53 PM MAR. 21, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE The National Weather Service in The San Francisco Bay Area has issued a

• Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Santa Cruz County in northern California...
  
• Until 130 PM PDT.
  
• At 1248 PM PDT, a severe wind storm was located over the ocean is providing strong southerly wind gusts over Santa Cruz County.
  

THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR Santa Cruz County.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 80 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated and observations in Santa Cruz of 59 mph. These winds are expected to intensify down to the surface over the next hour
IMPACT...Expect considerable damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles. Extensive tree damage and power outages are likely.

• Locations impacted include... Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Live Oak, Aptos, Twin Lakes, Opal Cliffs, Ben Lomond, Eureka Canyon Road, Felton, Soquel, Rio Del Mar and Day Valley.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. This storm is producing widespread wind damage across Santa Cruz County. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows!
&&
THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...DESTRUCTIVE; HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED; MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN; WIND THREAT...OBSERVED; MAX WIND GUST...80 MPH
Source: https://www.wunderground.com/severe/us/ca/santa-cruz