A well-known leader in aviation died in a plane crash on Oct. 1 near the Lake Placid Airport in New York: Richard McSpadden, 63, was senior Vice President for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and was a highly regarded air safety expert.
Reports say that he was in the right seat of a Cessna 177RG Cardinal. In the left seat was former New England Patriots tight end Russ Francis, also a pilot. The plane had lifted off when an emergency caused the men to turn it around and return to the airport. But the plane crashed into some trees on the way back. Both men survived the crash initially but died shortly afterwards, according to reports from those on the ground.
McSpadden was no stranger to Alaska and the flying community of the Last Frontier. He visited the state frequently and was a panelist for the 2019 NTSB summit on safety in Alaska. This year, he gave a presentation at the the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s 2023 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in the Mat-Su Valley, during which he talked about how the mind works under duress.
According to his biography on AOPA’s website, he was a native of Panama City, Florida, and started flying as a teenager, eventually logging over 5,000 hours flying a variety of civilian and military aircraft. McSpadden was a commercial pilot, CFII, MEI with SES, MES ratings and a 525S (Citation Jet Single Pilot) type rating. He taught his son to fly, instructed his daughter to solo in their Piper Super Cub, previously owned a 1950 Navion that was in his family for almost 40 years, and recently owned a 1993 Piper Super Cub.
McSpadden earned a degree in economics from the University of Georgia, and a master of public administration from Troy University. He was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College.
Prior to joining AOPA, McSpadden had a successful career in the information technology industry, leading large, geographically dispersed operations providing business-critical IT services. McSpadden also served in the Air Force for 20 years, including the prestigious role of commander and flight leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team where he led over 100 flight demonstrations, flying the lead aircraft, AOPA wrote.
Israeli citizens will have an easier time carrying firearms after the terror attack by Hamas and Iran, which has turned into a war between Hamas and Israel this weekend.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday ordered the agency that issues gun permits to loosen its requirements.
“Today I directed the Firearms Licensing Division to go on an emergency operation in order to allow as many citizens as possible to arm themselves,” he postedon X/Twitter. “The plan will take effect within 24 hours.”
According to an interpretation of Israeli law by the U.S. Department of Justice, the gun laws of the nation been fairly restrictive: “There is no clear right to carry a gun in Israel. Nothing similar to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution exists. In theory, the policy is very strict. No one may own or carry a gun without showing a reason to do so. A special permit by the Interior Ministry is then required. The permit must have the approval of the police and includes information about the owner and the gun type.”
In Israel guns are strictly regulated yet widely available to law-abiding citizens who hold gun permits; gun control and tough punishment have made it difficult for criminals to acquire guns, the Justice Department says.
“Any citizen who meets the detailed tests for carrying a private firearm due to self-defense and serving the security forces and is without a criminal or medical record will be required to undergo a telephone interview instead of a physical interview and will be able to receive permission to carry a firearm within a week,” Ben-Gvir said. “(Self-defense tests: residence in an eligible settlement, rifle veterans 07 and above, officers in the rank of lieutenant and above and combatants in the rank of major and above in the IDF and the security forces, service in special units, firefighters, policemen, and workers and volunteers in the rescue forces).”
“I thank the members of the Firearms Licensing Division, the Civil Response Department of the Israel Police, and the employees of the Ministry of Health for the very important commitment that will allow as many citizens as possible to arm themselves and protect themselves and their environment when necessary,” Ben-Gvir said.
Following a terrorist attack in January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would loosen restrictions on private gun ownership in Israel and expand the licensing of weapons for thousands of civilians. It appears to have been a policy that never materialized, however.
Meanwhile, in America, the National Firearms association said, “The last three days Kamala Harris has tweeted about banning so-called ‘assault weapons,’ meanwhile in major cities across the US, Hamas terrorist supporters are rallying. It’s just a matter of time, folks. We will NEVER give up our guns!”
Monday, Oct. 9 is a federal holiday: Columbus Day. The federal government workers will have the day off.
Post offices are closed and no mail will be delivered in honor of the Italian explorer from the Republican of Genoa who came to the New World on voyages across the Atlantic Ocean on behalf of Spanish monarchy.
FedEx will have partial services available, and people can ship packages as usual. UPS will have delivery and pickup services available, and UPS store locations will open as usual.
Banks are closed on Monday, but the stock market will open, except for the U.S. bond market, which will close.
In Anchorage, the day was remade into Indigenous People’s Day and city workers have the day off, except for fire, police, and a few other essential services.
Across the nation, leftists are working to remove statues and commemorations of Christopher Columbus and replace his place in history with indigenous recognitions. Statues of Columbus have been vandalized in recent years in many locations.
The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that will exempt city employees from certain penalties for cannabis use.
“With the changing legal landscape surrounding marijuana in Alaska and the evolving understanding of individual liberty and privacy interests, it is time to reevaluate our drug testing policy. This proposal aims to remove marijuana testing for most municipal employees,” the explanation says on the proposed ordinance. The Assembly wants a “more empathetic and constructive approach that emphasizes healthcare and support over punitive measures.”
Instead of termination, employees who test positive for marijuana will be offered counseling and addiction treatment.
“Historically, our organization has adhered to a strict policy that mandated the termination of employees who tested positive for drugs during workplace screenings. While this approach aimed to maintain a drug-free workplace, it often overlooked the underlying issues contributing to substance use disorders and failed to offer any support or resources to affected individuals,” the proposal reads, as proposed by Assembly Chairman Chris Constant and Assemblyman George Martinez.
The full explanation of the ordinance is at this link. A public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for the Tuesday, Oct. 10 regular meeting of the Anchorage Assembly, which begins at 5 pm at the Loussac Library’s ground floor meeting room.
The Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas killed hundreds of Israelis and injured hundreds more in a barrage of surprise attacks early Saturday morning, just weeks after the Biden administration authorized $6 billion to the group’s biggest backer: Iran.
The Hamas attack included a combination of thousands of missiles fired into Israel as well as Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel, killing and capturing civilians, according to reports from multiple news outlets and relevant governments.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani praised Hamas after the attack.
Immediately after the attacks, President Joe Biden took fire for releasing billions of dollars to Iran, a known backer of Hamas that funnels money to the terrorist group.
“Just weeks ago, the Biden administration handed over $6 billion to Iran, and today, innocent Israelis were murdered by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said in a statement after the attacks. “We must continue to support our strongest ally in the Middle East and their right to defend themselves against these unprovoked, horrific attacks. I stand with Israel and join many around the world in praying for the safety and security of its people.”
The Biden administration told Congress last month it released the billions of dollars that had been held up by U.S. sanctions as well as releasing five Iranian nationals detained in the U.S. in exchange for the release of five Americans detained in Iran.
“Biden’s decision to release $6 billion in frozen assets to Iran serves as a stark reminder of the consequences that took place following the Iran Nuclear Agreement under the Obama/Biden administration,” Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This pattern is clear: each time funds are released to Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, proxy militias in the region persistently launch attacks, aiming to destabilize and target Western allies and Americans.
“Examining the precision and coordination of the recent attack, it’s highly plausible that the recent $6 billion, in addition to the many more billions made available to Iran after Biden lifted sanctions, provided the necessary funding to execute this assault,” Mills added.
U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said on X that the funds that were part of the September deal had not yet been spent and were reserved for humanitarian purposes only. Critics quickly pointed out that the money is fungible, and Iran’s knowledge of the coming money could have impacted how it spent other funds not under the U.S.’ watch.
“All of the money held in restricted accounts in Doha as part of the arrangement to secure the release of 5 Americans in September remains in Doha,” he said. “Not a penny has been spent.”
President Joe Biden addressed the attacks before reporters on Saturday.
“You know, when I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning, I told him the United States stands with the people of Israel in the face of this terrorist assaults,” Biden said. “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people. Full stop. There is never justification for terrorist acts. And my administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”
Regulations go into effect Oct. 8 allowing licensed marijuana dealers in Alaska to provide free samples of their products.
The regulation, signed by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom last month, revokes a prior prohibition on free samples.
Licensed dealers may be able to use this regulation to provide “first one’s free” promotions, as is done in some other states and Canada. Online providers such as West Coast Supply have robust free sample programs that introduce users to other products, and incentivize them to purchase items through a get-one-free, and a 25% off coupon.
Personal non-medical marijuana use and possession became legal in Alaska on February 24, 2015, after voters in 2014 passed Ballot Measure 2, on a vote of 149,021 to 130,924. It made Alaska the third state to legalize the sale of marijuana, preceded by Washington and Colorado.
The first Alaska state-licensed pot shop opened Oct. 29, 2016. By the end of 2022, Alaska had 459 active cannabis licenses for dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers, and testing facilities.
“They lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying,
but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them”
– Alexander Solzhenitsyn
There have been many adverse side-effects from the Covid-19 jabs. We heard what our government said about masking preventing virus transmission, jabs preventing illness, and lockdowns preventing transmission. All have proven to be untruths.
People can make mistakes. The government is not perfect.
My military training taught me that when things do not go as planned, you take a step back, examine the facts, and regroup.
We must look at who knew the truth and when did they know it. When were those truths shared with all of us so we could course correct for the future and create new plans to prevent those mistakes from happening again.
Remember, “We need two weeks to flatten the curve”?
Remember, all this was being done to protect grandma?
Remember that vaccinated people don’t transmit the virus?
Remember, the unvaxxed were killing us all?
Remember, that the lab leak theory just wasn’t true?
Remember, only the unvaxxed get deathly ill?
All nontruths. All propaganda forced on the public playing on its sense of fear and fear of the unknown.
And I almost forgot the other ones — get to herd immunity through the jabs and don’t use ivermectin, as it is only horse paste.
It’s almost laughable that after three years of flip-flopping on what we need to do and who will be most vulnerable, public officials are at a loss for how to regain our trust.
Let’s not forget President Joe Biden stated in June of 2021 that social media platforms like Facebook were “killing people” for allowing opinions that differed from the government line.
And despite the government’s efforts, less than 20% of Americans got that booster jab, down sharply from the79% who got vaxxed at the start of this pandemic.
It is sad to think that if they don’t have a clue on why this is happening it’s no wonder, they don’t have a different plan to counteract their lies.
Maybe the government could start by telling the truth, by looking at other mechanisms to fight the ever-mutating virus, and by taking accountability and admitting it was wrong.
But to continue with the same playbook and blame those of us who don’t agree with their approach will not be the way to make that happen.
So, when did they know the truth, who knew it, and when did they tell us?
The government knew at least by July 2021 that jabs and masks mandates weren’t working. The government knew it could not achieve “herd immunity” and was forced to admit that the jab couldn’t prevent infection, replication, transmission, hospitalization, or death.
Yet government officials continued to mandate what they knew didn’t work. This showed none of this was about reasonable public health measures, nor did it pass the sniff test of demonstrating transparency and following informed consent norms.
It appears the focus was on control. Using fear to force jabs on adults and children that were unable to deliver what the government promised. There was one solution and one solution only. All others were labeled as misinformation.
What about the lab leak? When did the government know that was the truth, not the bat/pangolin scenario pushed by Fauci?
The FBI stated in February of 2023 that the origin of the pandemic was “most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan”. The Energy Department said with ‘low confidence” that the virus originated in the Wuhan lab. The long-awaited report from the government that was due to Congress and just recently released said the Office of Director of National Intelligence stated:
“We continue to have no indication that the WIV’s pre-pandemic research holdings included SARSCoV-2 or a close progenitor, nor any direct evidence that a specific research-related incident occurred involving WIV personnel before the pandemic that could have caused the COVID pandemic”.
Jenna McCarthy sums this all up well. She said: “Here’s the thing: Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice, shame on me. Trick me 487 times over a miserable three-year period without so much as an acknowledgment, no less an apology, and you can stick your trust bus where the sun doesn’t shine”.
Tired of all the lies? Come hear the truth at the Alaska Covid Alliance Conference on Oct. 13-14 at Mountain City Church in Anchorage.
Spend $100 of your PFD on a conference that will inform you and provide you with the necessary tools to protect yourself and educate others.
We should control our individual freedoms—not the government. It’s time for us to take these freedoms back.
Attributed to Winston Churchill, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on.” We’re helping truth get its pants on at the Alaska Covid Alliance Conference on Oct. 13-14.
Linda Boyle, RN, MSN, DM, was formerly the chief nurse for the 3rd Medical Group, JBER, and was the interim director of the Alaska VA. Most recently, she served as Director for Central Alabama VA Healthcare System. She is the director of the Alaska Covid Alliance.
Bristol Bay’s red king crab season will open as planned on Oct. 15. The Bering Sea snow crab fishery, however, will stay closed for the 2023-2024 season, a decision that was made after the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s recent meetings, prompting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to enact the closure due to sustainability concerns.
Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Bristol Bay red king crabs will be 2.1 million pounds.
Crab are jointly managed in Alaska by the Department of Fish and Game and the federal government. Fish and Game issued the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) on Thursday.
Last year marked a historical turning point as the snow crab fishery was shuttered for the first time ever, due to concerns over longevity of crab stocks. In 2023, both the snow crab and Bristol Bay’s red king crab fishery was put on ice.
Snow crab has all but disappeared in the eastern Bering Sea. Bristol Bay Red King Crab, which would open October 15, is at historic lows. Tanner crab is at the lower end of its historic abundance, according to the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, a trade group.
“These crab fisheries have been under the most sophisticated management system in the world — what the North Pacific Fishery Management Council calls a ‘rationalized’ fishery — where effort (the number of vessels) is consolidated and harvesters are issued catch shares based on their past history. Rationalization is designed to protect the resource and ensure sustainable harvests,” the group said.
The news is significant for the red king crab, whose stock numbers have rebounded to 2.15 million pounds, slightly below the 2.6 million pounds recorded in 2020.
The annual meeting of Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab industry with Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff is planned for Oct. 12. The hybrid meeting is open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m.AKDT. Topics to review include 2023/24 total allowable catch calculations for Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea Tanner crab and discussion on the Bering Sea snow crab closure.
SEN. DAN SULLIVAN SAYS ISRAEL HAS RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF
The Islamist militant organization Hamas initiated a major surprise attack on Israel, with the launch of approximately 5,000 rockets at dawn on Saturday, followed by reports of gunmen attacks and hostage-taking incidents, according to the Associated Press.
The assault commenced with a relentless and unprecedented barrage of rockets that were fired from the Gaza Strip toward various locations across Israel.
As sirens blared across southern and central Israel, including the historic city of Jerusalem, the Israeli military swiftly declared a state of war, prompting a nationwide response to the crisis, according to AP and CNN.
Reports suggest that at least 70 people have been killed in the attacks, with 900 known to be wounded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of top security officials to address the crisis and the Israeli armed forces is mobilized to counter the attack.
The surprise attack on Israel marks an escalation in the ongoing and historic tensions between the Israeli government and the Palestinian territories, which stretch back to the 1967 war. Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel and several other countries, has been involved in multiple conflicts with Israel over the years.
Hamas is an offshoot of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which became prominent in the 1980s. Hamas took over the Gaza Strip after defeating Fatah, its rival political party, Fatah, in elections in 2006. It is known for its suicide bombings and occasional rocket attacks against Israel, which it is determined to destroy.
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement urging Israel to not defend itself: “We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”
The Israeli government appears to not be listening to the U.S. Embassy. According to the New York Times, “Nearly 12 hours after the Palestinian militant assault began, firefights between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants are still raging in Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, Hagari said. He said there are two main battles taking place in Ofakim and Beeri, where Palestinian militants have taken Israelis hostage.”
President Biden took a different approach than the U.S. Embassy, offering support to Israel. On Twitter, his staff wrote for him: “Today, I spoke with @IsraeliPM about the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. @FLOTUS and I express our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”
Biden has no announced public schedule today and his staff has not said where he is, or if he off for the weekend to his beach house.
On Sept. 11, Biden agreed to pay a type of ransom to Iran, which is the most prominent supporter of Hamas. The deal gave Tehran access to $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue that had been frozenby U.S. sanctions, according toa State Department document sent to Congress. The money was part of a prisoner swap.
Now, Hamas has new prisoners, holding dozens of Israelis hostage in a kibbutz and others in Gaza.
Sen. Dan Sullivan said Israel has a right to defend itself.
“America stands with the people of @Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, as they repel a widespread assault launched by Hamas terrorists today at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot,” Sullivan noted on X/Twitter.
“Israel has a right to defend itself and its existence against any terrorist group or its backers, including the largest state sponsor of terrorism—Iran. We must support this right of our close ally during this horrendous attack on innocent Israelis,” Sullivan said. “The terrorist regime in Iran must know that the United States is watching its actions very closely.”
(This is a developing story and accounts are likely to differ.)
