Seems busier than normal. Crazy how you can see where Russia has no air defense.
Those hits on those aircraft from a few days ago were precise as hell, and probably will make Russia move some aircraft a little more to the rear.
POKROVSK: Russia once again claims complete control of the city. UKR reports ~50% still under control. Cumulative Russian losses since the main offensive toward Pokrovsk began in earnest in July–August 2024 are staggering. Western and Ukrainian estimates place total Russian casualties (killed, wounded, missing) in the Pokrovsk axis alone at approximately 110,000 men, with well over 18,000 confirmed killed in the last two months of fighting.
Hundreds of Russian tanks, armored vehicles, artillery pieces and thousands of drones have also been destroyed, making Pokrovsk the single most expensive operation for Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.
I've bitched in this very thread, and they have toned it down a bit, but they really need to move the religious stuff to optional in terms of Cub Scout advancements. In our pack and troops (and a previous pack I was involved with), we have basically made it one of those things the kids do at home. We don't keep it out of the official language we use at our meetings obviously.
Unfortunately, it would probably get shot down for now at the national level, but I have a nephew and niece that would be in scouts right now if it was there (and we tell their parents that our pack doesn't put it in your face, but the language and it being a requirement still turns them off), and I've known others who were turned off by it. I've seen several packs and troops that were majority non-Christian/Jewish, so hopefully leadership will address it at some point.
There are a lot of parents that are looking for alternatives to sports and getting the kids out of the house and away from screens.
A friend who is a higher-up at one of the Texas councils pointed to this being a sign that those types are on their way out:
Combined Troop Pilot | Scouting America
It's a third option (boys troop, girls troop, combined troop). The idea of a combined boys and girls troop is something that those types would have opposed. It doesn't touch the current single-sex troops.
On a side note, I do think a lot more LDSers stayed within scouting than people realize, but we are picking up a lot of non-Christian scouts in a lot of packs/troops as well. I can't tell you if scouting as a whole is growing, but the pack and troops I'm involved with are.
If I were starting a new troop, it's an option I would consider, especially if said new troop was partnered up with a pack (new or existing) that had both boys and girls).
It really is elevating Kelly’s profile, and Hegseth and Trump can either do the smart thing and let it die down, or play right into the trap of making Kelly look even better than he is.
“Ukraine is the only country fulfilling NATO’s destiny and we owe them everything.”
Hell yes Kasparov. Well said. And Witkoff is just making real estate deals.
I just want to talk about this Mandaly guy who is the new mayor of New York City that Trump just loved. I had never heard of him until I saw that video and photo of Trump with him. He must have a lot of good ideas for Trump to think so highly of him and to be so happy to be around him.