7606
Good Sunday morning July 26,2026 .We are overcast and Muggy this morning but are clearing up and heating up to 91 by 3 and staying into the 80s until 7 or so and dropping to 77 by 8.
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Regards,
skip
This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director’s corner for all 100 H-Grams
July 26
1812 USS Essex captures the British brig, HMS Leander, off Newfoundland. Engaging British vessels the following week, USS Essex burns the brig, HMS Hero, and captures the ship, Nancy, also off Newfoundland on August 2.
1852 John P. Kennedy takes office as the 21st Secretary of the Navy, serving until 7 March 1853.
1912 The first tests of an airborne wireless are conducted near Annapolis, Md. using the Wright (B 1) piloted by Lt. John Rodgers. On one flight, Ensign Charles H. Maddox, who is giving technical assistance to the aviators, sends messages to USS Stringham (TB 19) at a distance of about one and a half miles.
1946 Joy Bright Hancock is promoted to Captain and is appointed Director of the WAVES, or Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. She guides WAVES in the later 1940s the early 1950s, a period that also witnesses the Navy's women achieve status as part of the Regular Navy. Capt. Hancock retires from active duty in June 1953 and dies on Aug. 20, 1986.
1948 President Harry S. Truman signs Executive Order 9981, desegregating the Armed Services.
1954 Two AD Skyraiders of Air Group 5 from USS Philippine Sea (CVA 47) are attacked by two Chinese (LA 7) aircraft while the Skyraiders are searching for survivors of Cathay Pacific airline, which was shot down three days prior off Hainan Island. Returning fire, the Skyraiders splash both attackers.
2003 USS Mustin (DDG 89) is commissioned at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is the second to be named Mustin, but the first to be named for the distinguished family of that name: Capt. Henry D. Mustin (1874-1923; Vice Adm. Lloyd M. Mustin (1911-1999), Vietnam War veteran Vice Adm. Henry C. Mustin II and Lt. Cmdr. Thomas M. Mustin. The first USS Mustin, DD-413 of World War II era, was named for the family patriarch: Capt. Henry D. Mustin (1874-1923), who piloted the first aircraft ever catapulted from a ship, and flew the first combat missions of American aircraft from Mississippi during the Mexican campaign in 1914.
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Today in World History July 26
657 Mu'awiya defeats Caliph Ali in the Battle of Siffin in Mesopotamia.
1526 Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon and colonists leave Santo Domingo for Florida.
1529 Francisco Pizarro receives a royal warrant to "discover and conquer" Peru.
1758 British forces capture France's Fortress of Louisbourg after a seven-week siege.
1759 The French relinquish Fort Ticonderoga in New York to the British under General Jeffrey Amherst.
1775 The Continental Congress establishes a postal system for the colonies with Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general.
1790 An attempt at a counter-revolution in France is put down by the National Guard at Lyons.
1794 The French defeat an Austrian army at the Battle of Fleurus, France.
1830 King Charles X of France issues five ordinances limiting the political and civil rights of citizens.
1847 Liberia becomes the first African colony to become an independent state.
1848 The French army suppresses the Paris uprising.
1886 William Gladstone is replaced by Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister of England.
1918 Britain's top war ace, Edward Mannock, is shot down by ground fire on the Western Front.
1920 The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified.
1948 In an Executive Order, President Harry Truman calls for the end of discrimination and segregation in the U.S. armed forces.
2005 The shuttle Discovery launches on mission STS-114, marking a return to space after the shuttle Columbia crash of 2003.
Some other notables
26 July 1944 ME-262 Scores first operational victory
1945 Potsdam Declaration is issued to the Japanese instructing them to surrender unconditionally or face total destruction
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
July 26
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
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Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
For Friday July 25 and 26.
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. Thanks to Interesting Facts
What animals bop their heads to music?
Rats bop their heads in time to music.
Most rats live their lives entirely unseen by humans. As kings of the background, they often scurry through human environments just out of sight or after dark, looking for leftover morsels. But researchers believe rats might be picking up more than just our food crumbs — they could also be picking up on the beats in our music. A study published in 2022 suggests rats may have a humanlike sense of rhythm, which they express by bopping their heads to the beat. Scientists once believed that few animals were beat-sensitive (aside from some birds), but rats exposed to music made microscopic head movements that were picked up by tiny, wireless motion detectors. The researchers hypothesized that rats would prefer faster jams thanks in part to their rapid heartbeats, though surprisingly, lab rats synced up best with music in the 120 to 140 beats-per-minute range — just like humans.
Humans have long wondered if animals respond to music the way we do. Charles Darwin’s studies examined the relationship between animals and music, believing rhythm could be found throughout nature and may have been the precursor to music. Today, some experts believe only certain species have the ability to really respond to changing beats — notably bats, birds, dolphins, and elephants, which all have the complex ability to learn and repeat new sounds. However, some studies show other animals interact with music, too; one experiment found that pigs exposed to certain music became playful and wagged their tails. Additionally, many farmers report their cows are calmer when the radio is on, with a supporting study reporting that dairy cows produce 3% more milk while listening to slow tunes (fast music had no effect). And when it comes to our best pet companions, music is known to soothe anxious dogs in shelters and adoption centers, though felines — known for being a bit finicky — couldn’t care less about human music. However, they do respond positively to tailored tunes that use beats and frequencies similar to their own meows.
Numbers Don’t Lie
Average number of baby rats born per litter, with up to 12 litters per year
8-9
Length (in feet) of the slender-tailed cloud rat Phloeomys cumingi, the largest rat species
3
Average lifespan (in years) of a domesticated pet rat
2-4
Number of American households reporting unwanted rodents in 2020
14.8 million
Rats are picky eaters.
If you’ve ever been hesitant about trying a new food, you have something in common with rats. That’s because rats are known for being picky eaters. These discerning rodents are cautious for good reason — they’re unable to vomit, so avoiding potential poisoning is top of mind with every new food they find, since they can’t purge toxins the way humans do. Wild rats are known to test out new foods in small amounts, taking a few nibbles and waiting hours to see if they have any unfortunate side effects before diving into their scavenged meals. And just like humans, rats appear to gain more sophisticated palates as they age; younger rats seem to prefer sugary treats, though they eventually learn to enjoy more bitter flavors as they get older.
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Thanks to Mike
Last night I was coming home from the bar, and I got pulled over by a police officer.
The officer said, "Good evening sir. Do you know why I pulled you over?"
I said, "I guess you're probably checking to see if I'm drunk."
The officer informed me that I was correct. He said, "Tell you what, my shift is ending soon so if you can say the alphabet backwards I'll let you go."
In a clear and calm voice I said,
"ZYXWVUTSRQPON MLKIHGFEDCBA"
The officer seemed impressed, and said, "Wow, I couldn't do that sober."
I said, "Me neither! "
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Thanks to Shadow
When I read this I realized that I had seen it before and it was on 16 July and in the List. It turns out that Shadow was the original author. I just got off the phone with him and here is his lead in to the story
Years ago, I was asked to make some comments about the F-4 for Flight Journal for a special on the F-4. I tried to give it my honest appraisal. First. I mentioned that the Phantom was not what I would call a beautiful airplane… in fact when viewed from different angles, it could look downright ugly. Seen from up above it looked squat and broad, like a down lineman in football. When I think of beautiful airplanes, the F-86, A-4 and Vigilante always came to mind… as I segued into how it performed… I said that coming from the A-4 to the F-4… I found the controls were heavy and not nearly as responsive as the Skyhawk. That was somewhat disappointing. But the two areas it really excelled in was acceleration/speed and the most rock solid tactical jet I ever flew in the landing configuration. Piece of cake at the boat. I finally summed it up with she was the jack of all trades and the master of none. (Actually that was what I’d said to Burt Rutan decades ago when he asked me what I thought of the Phantom. Burt laughed and said… “Finally, an honest Phantom pilot”!).
As I finished the article… I was tasked to come up with a title for my short write up, with a suggestion to make it “catchy”. Now that set my mind to wandering… catchy… what the hell does a Marine know about catchy? In my life I’ve always loved music and it was just natural that I’d think about a song that could indicate how I felt about the F-4. In a moment of serendipity… I happened think about a little song from the sixties by Jimmy Soul. Had kinda of a calypso beat… “If you want to be happy for the rest of your life… Never make a pretty woman your wife”. Think most of you would remember it. There was one verse in the song that inspired me… at one point a friend of Jimmy’s sang out… “Hey man, I saw your wife the other day… and she’s uggly….”! Jimmy responds… “Yeah man, she’s ugly but she sure can cook”!
And that’s my friends… sums up my feeling about the Phantom. She was ugly… but she sure could haul ass (cook)! With the bonus of being the best plane ever, coming aboard the boat.
Now comes the funny part… unbeknownst to me… Flight Journal had a female editor… and she... went absolutely apoplectic at my suggested title for the article! No way Jose… no way in hell! That’s demeaning to women she said… I won’t allow it! I finally surrendered and suggested she just say… “It sure could cook”, as a compromise. She even rejected that. So I don’t think there ever was a title for the article.
In conclusion… like any other guy who flew it, she gave me thrills… and at times some chills… some of which I could have done without like a total gyro failure on a night cat shot… and a few others. But all in all, I enjoyed it.
Shadow
P.S.
Someone asked… what about an afterburner on an A-4? Well, I got the answer from the Horses’s mouth. I knew Ed Heinemann through Harry Gann. One day in his office at Long Beach, Ed looked at me and asked what I thought of the A-4 and what changes I would have made to make it better if I could. I’m no original thinker, but I responded with what a thousand other A-4 Drivers had dreamed of… an afterburner and a flying tail. Ed smiled, got up and took down a model of an airplane and said… “Here it is… we submitted it to NAVAIR and they rejected it. Said every Attack Pilot in the fleet would be out kicking F-4’s asses (He actually said doing ACM) instead of dropping bombs… we like it just the way it is”. True story...
PHANTOM REMINISCENCE
There’s no use in stonewalling this any longer. It’s way past time to bid farewell to a once mighty, but bygone, warhorse. A farewell written as if a eulogy, because even the solicitation mailers for those large coffee-table books, whose words and pictures chronicled our stallions’ service, have stopped arriving. In truth, those coffee-table book solicitations stopped arriving decades ago. A tacit proof that our formerly famous fighter is now nearly forgotten. Or if not quite forgotten, our metal-steed is, at best, relegated to our memories of the 20th Century.
Young once, we aged together. So, even these many years removed, I feel it is appropriate to voice an overdue homage, and to acknowledge belatedly that one of the most capable Navy fighter aircraft to dominate contested skies flies no more.
The F-4 Phantom.
Big.
Ugly.
Beautiful.
Beast.
Our Navy’s Phantoms enjoyed a thirty-six-year operational run, bookended by combat in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. Few airplanes in the history of aviation have adapted so well to warfare’s changing tactical landscape.
The Phantom’s departure ordained our loss of variable jet-intakes, of sawtooth-wing leading edges, of positive-dihedral wingtips, of negative-dihedral slatted-stabilators, and a high of 2.2 Mach topping a fighter cockpit Mach-number gauge. Departing F-4’s also carried away a large chunk of what made my life fulfilling.
In retrospective, the plane was designed in the 1950’s by the McDonnell Aircraft Company as a fighter-interceptor. A successor to the Navy’s underpowered F-3 Demon, the new F-4 needed to be a more robust aerial platform, thrust by strong engines to power aloft an advanced, air-to-air, radar missile system. Bottom line, the Phantom was originally designed to engage high-and-fast inbound Bandits.
Which meant that initially the F-4 launched from Navy flight decks as a long-range air-superiority fighter designed to extend the horizons of fleet defense. The earliest Phantom missions were flown chiefly as fighter-interceptors flying Combat Air Patrol for the Carrier Task Group (CTG), and launching also to fly shotgun on the long-range Soviet “Bear” and “Badger” bombers seeking out the CTG. Then the Vietnam War exploded, and the F-4’s missions expanded. Phantoms now carried bombs under their wings and proved they were capable of beating up the dirt as effectively as their A-4 and A-7 attack-aircraft brethren. Flying sorties into North Vietnam, the Phantoms were often tasked to speed ahead, and to strike the lethal SAM sites and anti-aircraft batteries before our slower attack-aircraft arrived over the target. Thus, for many years the Phantom, sporting a two-man crew and a sophisticated radar-system wedded to its high-speed strike-fighter capabilities, became the air-superiority platform of choice for any high-threat environment.
Time never sleeps, and the Phantom's decades-long superiority eventually ended.
My emotions still churn in the face of this reality, because we served and matured together. Thousands of hours of my adult life were spent strapped into the cockpit of that brutish fighter. It was there that combat was flown, life-long friendships were forged, and America's will, enforced. Airborne, from that lofty perch, I had gazed up star-struck at the heavens and had also looked down warily on hostile lands. I didn't always realize it then (youth, of course, being wasted on the young), but each F-4 sortie flown was a gift. Likewise, the time spent in the company of so many exceptional squadron-mates.
Phantom Phlyers.
Phantom Pherrets.
Phantom Phixers.
I remember the tie-down-chain laden Plane Captains and the hard-working Maintenance Technicians who respected the airplanes as much as we aircrews did. I recall the maintenance Chief Petty Officers who taught young nuggets like me not only how the Phantom’s innards worked, but how to better acquit myself as an officer and a leader. Paid neither enough nor near their worth, our Phantom Phixers demanded little in return except for the opportunities to earn our flight-crews’ respect for their professional contributions, and to serve our squadron well. Etched in the tired creases of their faces at the close of each demanding day, though, I read the depth of my commissioned leadership responsibilities.
As I flip through the yellowed pages of my tattered flight-logbooks and see the officers’ names recorded there, I recall the requisite aircrew skills shared between the Phantom’s two cockpits ― Pilot and Radar Officer, Stick and Scope, Phantom Phlyer and Phantom Pherret. The complementary teamwork between our front and rear cockpits was one of the unique qualities that made flying the F-4 so rewarding. Phantom Stick-Scope collaboration and operating from carrier flight decks were two of the most dynamic and defining characteristics of my aviation life. I know few things as surely as I know that U.S. Navy carrier-based aviators are the best in the world. It feels good to reassert that fact, even decades removed from the rigors of the experience, because it is not braggadocio if performance exceeds swagger.
And what about the down times between our carrier sorties? I remember living shipboard with fellow junior officers in our six- or eight-man bunkrooms, where all manner of JO issues (be it work or play) were discussed and resolved. That tight comradeship reinforced mutual trust; it also taught me the worth of true friendship. My squadron-mates partnered with me in the long deployments at sea and in the dangers of combat. Moreover, in that shared performance crucible, I learned that I would weather well the unknown future ordeals of my life, because anything that I might do after my Navy flight career would, in comparison, be so much easier.
If via fond memories I hustle top-side from my below-decks JO bunk room to those yesteryear carrier flight decks, I can close my eyes and almost hear the clack-clack-clack of the catapult’s shuttle as it moves aft to a ready-position for the next aircraft’s launch. Then thundering jet engine roar soon eclipses all other sound.
My recall now freshly triggered, vivid recollections of Phantom flight-deck prelaunch dynamics gush forth. The Air Boss in Pri-Fly orders, “Start engines!” Jet exhaust stings our nostrils until we lower our canopies, shutting out the burnt JP-5 fumes. In a planned starting sequence, a “huffer” lights our Phantom to life. Our engines spool up and start. Our aircraft systems power on. Preflight checks are performed with our brown-shirted Plane Captain and our white-shirted Troubleshooters. Then comes a release of our aircraft tie-down chains. Pull our chocks. Taxi the deck. Soon we're spotted just behind the catapult, awaiting our turn for launch. We signal the green-shirted Weight-Board Bearer: thumbs-up on our bird’s 56,000 pounds of launch-weight. 56,000 pounds. 28 tons of deadly fighter. Grasp that, if you can.
The plane in front of us launches, leaving wisps of steam whistling aft from the catapult track. The jet-blast deflector comes down, and, splitting the slotted cat track with our two nose-strut tires, we taxi over the shuttle and onto the catapult. We spread our folded wingtips. Then, despite years of this same prelaunch routine, our anticipation starts to spike as we whisk through the regimen unique to the Phantom’s launch. The nose strut extends, granting our fighter the nose-high attitude of a predator preparing to leap into the air. The shuttle’s launch-bridle is attached to our fuselage’s twin belly-hooks located at the forward wing-roots. The shuttle slides forward, taking up the bridle-cable slack and tensioning our bridled bird against the holdback-fitting. Our hands are then held high, held visibly away from any cockpit switches as our squadron’s red-shirted Ordnance-men scramble beneath the F-4 to pull our missiles’ safety-pins and arm our weapons.
Our ordnance now fully armed and our flaps lowered, the yellow-shirted Catapult Officer signals us for engine run up. The bird’s throttles are pushed forward to military power and controls cycled: stick forward, then aft, then left and right. Rudder, deflected left and right.
"You ready, Scope?”
“Right behind you, Stick."
The yellow-jersey clad Catapult Officer signals for full afterburner.
The throttles are pushed all the way forward into their AB detent. Gauges checked a final time. We’re good to go.
We position our heads supportively back against the top of our ejection seats because it’s going to be one helluva terrific kick in the ass when the holdback breaks and the steam catapult hurls us off the flight deck.
The Catapult Officer returns the F-4 pilot’s salute. Then he points forward, reaches down and touches the deck to signal, “Shoot ‘em.” to the green-jersey-clad Catapult Crew stationed in the flight deck’s catwalk.
One potato, two potato, and we’re roaring down the cat.
Sweet shot. 1.2 seconds later (and in less than 300 feet of travel) 56,000 pounds of Phantom and two stoked flyers are airborne. Rotate the nose up a few degrees. Raise the landing gear and flaps. Come out of ‘burner. Climb. Sweet bird.
And for the next couple of hours we stand ready to use this glorious Phantom, this mighty machine of American know-how, for whatever our aerial mission demands. Or perhaps today is not our day to save the world, so we barrier-patrol for our Carrier Task Group while running air-intercepts against our wingman. Later, our mission flown and fuel permitting, as we vector back for home-plate, we might honor one of the CTG picket-ships’ request for a high-speed low-level fly-by. Or vaporize some hoarded fuel in a few minutes of post-patrol turn-and-burn dogfight head-to-head against our wingman. Or fly tail-chase together among the clouds. Or fly through a low-altitude rain squall a couple of times just to fresh-water wash our birds. Or push up the throttles and punch through the sound barrier for the same reason that a dog licks his balls … just because he can.
We are flying the Phantom. The finest aerial champion of its era.
Alas, these are recollections of days long past. Because all that remains of this once great fighter, a plane that gave my professional life its purpose, is now generally found as an empty-shell static-display bird in either aviation museums, or mounted outside in front of air-station main gates across America. In a thirty-six-year blink of an eye the Phantom became obsolete. Me too. Because I have become that balding, wrinkly-faced gent, who you might see wearing a weathered squadron ball cap and an ill-fitting old flight jacket. That garrulous elderly warrior who bores anyone within earshot with his tales of last-century fighter derring-do.
1960 through 1996 marked the halcyon years of the Navy’s Phantom fighter squadrons ― the Chargers, Pacemakers, Silver Kings, Vigilantes, Fighting Falcons, Jolly Rogers, Pukin' Dogs, Grim Reapers, Top Hatters, Red Rippers, Sundowners, Freelancers, Tomcatters, Screaming Eagles, Aardvarks and Black Knights to name but a few of the many. Moreover, the Phantom thrilled airshow audiences worldwide during its five-year tenure as the thundering glossy bird of the Navy’s Blue Angels.
Nowadays I hear assurances of a bright future for the Navy’s newest strike-fighter, the F-35 Lightning, but my time in the arena was spent with the Phantom. And when an airplane possesses that much character and longevity, it ceases to be inanimate for those who strapped into it on a regular basis. We who knew it well miss its strength and raw power. In its day, it bowed to no other fighter.
PS: For all of us who revered the Phantom, war-correspondent Ernest Hemingway’s poetic words ― quoted from a 1944 Collier’s Magazine article that he wrote while posting stories from London during WWII ― might best describe our sentiments.
“You love a lot of things if you live around them,
but there isn’t any woman and there isn’t any horse,
not any before, nor any after,
that is as lovely as a great airplane.
And men who love them are faithful to them
even though they leave them for others.
A man has only one virginity to lose in fighters,
and if it is a lovely plane he loses it to,
there his heart will ever be.”
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Thanks to Johnny
It is a problem with some of the old links that work on my computer and do not survive the forward.
Hopefully these will work
. Thanks to you and Tres for posting that link about Joe….unfortunately it seems to be a bad link.
This one works https://wildfiretoday.com/joe-hoser-satrapa-rip/
This one also has some Hoser stuff.
And this one
Legendary Air Combat Pioneer, Vietnam F-8E Fighter Jock and F-14 Pilot Joe “Hoser” Satrapa Has Died
theaviationist.com
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Thanks to John
Remote pilots operating drones in warfare would be eligible for combat-related benefits under new legislation | Stars and Stripes
. YGBSM!
Yes! Purple heart if they fall out of their chair…
Hemorrhoids…. I just won’t go there.
Can you imagine the fear that comes with the constant anxiety from the possibility that your screen will go blank if the drone is shot down?
Tsk, Tsk. Such fearsome times for such warriors…
S/F,
John
Remote pilots operating drones in warfare would be eligible for combat-related benefits under new legislation
Linda F. Hersey
Members of the 926th Wing try the MQ-9 Reaper flight simulator at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., in February 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo)
WASHINGTON — Remote pilots and crews operating drones in warfare would become eligible for combat-related services through the Department of Veterans Affairs under a measure in the Senate version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
The legislation will provide crews of remotely piloted aircraft documentation to prove they have conducted combat operations, so mental health care and other services are prioritized for them after military service, according to lawmakers.
The 2026 NDAA, an annual must-pass bill authorizing priorities and programs for the Defense Department, was adopted Wednesday by the Senate Armed Services Committee on a vote of 26-1. The bill sets spending at $878.7 billion for the Defense Department for fiscal 2026, which begins Oct. 1.
The NDAA emphasizes technology in fiscal 2026 with investments in unmanned technology, artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons, lawmakers said.
The legislation for drone pilots establishes what is known as a “combat identifier,” formal recognition of the crew members who remotely operate unmanned aircraft in combat missions, according to Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The bill directs the Defense Department to establish the official identification for drone pilots engaging in combat operations.
“Without this important distinction, remotely piloted aircraft crew members who are transitioning to other military careers or leaving the service may face barriers to timely, high-quality mental health care services,” according to a statement from the lawmakers.
Rosen and Cramer had earlier introduced the Combat Action Recognition and Evaluation for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Crews Act. The bill was added to the Senate version of the NDAA.
Rosen said the combat identification will “improve the recognition [remote operators] have earned and ensure their future care.”
While many veterans benefits are available to those who have served in the military, eligibility is often tied to specific service requirements and discharge conditions, according to the VA.
Creech Air Force Base in Nevada is a hub for remotely piloted aircraft that include the MQ-9 Reaper, a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft.
“Remotely piloted aircraft crew like those at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada perform combat operations but have no status identifier in their records for having done so, making it challenging to receive the support and care they deserve once they transition,” Rosen said.
While drones can be programmed to fly without direct human control, many are remotely piloted with an operator controlling the aircraft from a remote location.
“Remotely piloted aircraft crews often play an integral role in achieving high-stakes, mission-critical objectives,” Cramer said.
In North Dakota, the 119th Air Wing of the North Dakota Air National Guard operates MQ-9 Reapers. The 319th Reconnaissance Wing fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, high-altitude remotely piloted aircraft.
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Some bits from the California podcast
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2026
Good Morning! On this day in 1941, singer Darlene Love was born in Los Angeles. She sang lead on the 1962 hit He's a Rebel, and her recording of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) remains a holiday radio staple every December.
In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla tackled the weather pattern that could rewrite the entire winter. Forecasters now put the odds at 81% that El Niño reaches "very strong" status by winter, potentially one of the largest on record, and every corner of the country will be affected. When a pattern this powerful takes over, it doesn't just tweak the forecast, it decides which states get soaked and which dry out. Ayla broke down the five ways forecasters say this El Niño will shape the months ahead.
Today's sponsor, BluSky AI, is sharing how it aims to address the growing demand for AI infrastructure by developing data centers designed to come online faster and support the computing power behind modern AI applications.
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Man Convicted of Starting Park Fire
A Butte County judge found Ronnie Dean Stout II guilty of malicious arson for starting the 2024 Park Fire near Chico’s Upper Bidwell Park.
Prosecutors said Stout pushed a burning vehicle down an embankment, igniting the blaze that scorched 429,603 acres and destroyed 713 structures across two counties.
The fourth-largest wildfire in California history also damaged 57 structures and forced widespread evacuations. Stout faces 25 years to life at sentencing on Oct. 9.
California Rejects Nearly 150,000 Primary Ballots
California election officials rejected 148,241 mail ballots from the June primary, representing 1.7% of those cast and the state’s highest rejection rate since 2014.
More than 93,000 ballots arrived too late or carried an ineligible postmark, while 52,290 were rejected for missing or mismatched signatures. Voters can correct signature problems after Election Day.
Officials and advocates pointed to recent Postal Service changes and voters waiting longer to decide. California allocated $10 million to encourage earlier voting before future elections.
California Family Reports Maui Resort Attack
A California family’s Maui vacation turned violent when a group allegedly followed relatives to the Kaanapali Alii resort and attacked them near its pool and barbecue area.
Seven family members, ages 17 to 62, reported being assaulted, and several required medical care. One man received 13 staples after allegedly being struck in the head with a chair.
The family believes the attack was racially motivated and wants it investigated as a hate crime. Maui police arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of assault and later released him as the investigation continued. Authorities are seeking witnesses and video.
Flying together with our sponsor
The $7.6 Trillion Flowing Into AI Is Not What You Think
Goldman Sachs is projecting $7.6 trillion in AI investment by 2031.
The common assumption is that all of the AI money flows to names like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. But that is not where the infrastructure dollars are going.
Every AI model, chatbot, and recommendation engine needs compute power to run. And compute power needs physical infrastructure. Data centers. Lots of them.
The problem: AI demand has increased 1 million times in the last two years, stated Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s CEO. Meanwhile, traditional data centers take 3 to 7 years to build. The infrastructure cannot keep up.
BluSky AI has developed a premanufactured solution ready in months, not years. They have a robust portfolio of sites with negotiated power ready for deployment. BluSky AI utilizes less power, smaller footprints, little to no water, and minimizes the impact on communities.
For the first time, everyday investors can back BluSky AI as they build the backbone of AI.
➤ Sacramento: Five men were stabbed near Front and K streets early Saturday; all were stable, three people of interest were detained, and police are investigating.
➤ San Francisco: An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found Waymo vehicles had a 35% lower crash rate than human-driven cars, though one expert questioned the study’s scope.
➤ San Jose: City officials plan to remove as many as 300 unpermitted donation bins, warning many are run by companies that resell donated goods.
➤ Big Sur: Authorities ruled a hiker’s April death natural, citing complications from alcohol withdrawal, and found no evidence she was the victim of a crime.
➤ Bakersfield: The city received more than $14 million to convert a vacant Union Avenue motel into 30 long-term housing units with support services for people experiencing homelessness, including 15 units for veterans.
➤ Ridgecrest: The city petitioned to join state proceedings on a proposed Inyokern data center, citing concerns about water, power infrastructure, emissions, and regional impacts.
➤ Eagle Rock: A suspected grenade found in a backyard prompted a three-hour neighborhood evacuation while the LAPD bomb squad disposed of the military-style device. No one was injured.
➤ Pasadena: Antisemitic graffiti defaced a synagogue mural created after an earlier attack, prompting a law enforcement investigation and plans to restore the artwork.
➤ La Jolla: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating viral video that appears to show a man harassing and kicking a protected sea lion at La Jolla Cove.
➤ The San Francisco 49ers said Saturday that head coach Kyle Shanahan will participate on a limited basis when training camp opens as he recovers from non-life-threatening injuries suffered in a car accident last week.
➤ Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is expected to remain in Los Angeles after his father signed a two-year deal with the 76ers on Friday. Agent Rich Paul said the two "are not a package deal."
➤ Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t expect Shohei Ohtani to return to the rotation next week as the two-way star continues recovering from left knee irritation. "It's not about July, it's about October," Roberts said.
➤ Postgame fireworks malfunctioned this week at a Richmond Flying Squirrels game, sending several fireballs toward the bleachers and fans scrambling for the concourse. The Flying Squirrels are the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
➤ Thai celebrity chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn opened Saam in San Francisco’s SoMa district, bringing rare regional recipes to his first U.S. restaurant.
➤ San Diego divers are searching for a Navy jet lost off Point Loma in 1978, hoping to give the missing pilot’s family long-awaited closure.
➤ Disneyland’s holiday season will begin Nov. 13, five days earlier than announced, with fireworks, seasonal ride overlays, decorations, and holiday food.
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Thanks to Nice News
Dun-dun. Dun-dun. … Shark Week begins tonight! Hosted by Discovery Channel, the famed television event kicks off at 8 p.m. ET with the documentary K-Pop Shark Heroes. A play on KPop Demon Hunters, the doc sees two of the Netflix film’s stars — Rei Ami and comedian Ken Jeong — set out to rebrand the ocean’s “misunderstood bad boys.” Because, while we may not want to encounter a great white in the wild, sharks pose far less of a threat to humans than Jaws would have us believe. See the full Shark Week schedule.
— the Nice News team
Featured Story
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15 of the Most Popular USPS Stamps From the Past 15 Years
Juanmonino/iStock
What do Elvis, cherry blossom trees, and German shepherds have in common? They’re all subjects of some of the most popular U.S. Postal Service stamps from the past 15 years.
As any philatelist (aka stamp collector) will know, the service debuts new designs every year, each one serving as an “entryway into a larger story that connects people, places, and moments in history,” Lisa Bobb-Semple, the agency’s stamp services director, said in a statement last October. Since the country’s first official postage stamps were issued in 1847, hundreds of billions have been printed — but some have made a larger impression in the zeitgeist than others.
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High Schooler Invents Crosswalk System Inspired by His Grandparents
Courtesy of Jay Jung
They say necessity is the mother of invention, but sometimes it takes a thoughtful observer to notice and address a particular need. For rising high school senior Jay Jung, a lightbulb went off while he was crossing the street.
Jung is the creator of SmartBlink, an adaptive traffic light system that adjusts its signal changes based on pedestrian speed, rather than prioritizing vehicular traffic patterns. The idea stemmed not from his own ability to walk across before the lights change but the trouble his grandparents often have in doing so.
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A Dog’s Love for Their Favorite Toy Can Be Addiction-Like, Study Finds
Alberto Menendez Cervero—Moment/Getty Images
Think your pup is addicted to Lamb Chop (or whatever toy seems to be calling their name lately)? That may not be an exaggeration. A recent study found some dogs are so attached to their favorite toy that it borders on an addiction-like level.
Building upon a previous study on the topic, researchers surveyed the owners of 1,692 dogs across 33 countries who scored their pets based on statements such as “When my dog plays with a ball/toy, it is difficult to stop him/her.” Turns out, some dogs can’t get enough of their favorite toys to the extent that they prioritize playtime over food, rest, and even their owner’s attention — and can display temporary withdrawal symptoms that are not unlike those of humans.
As for which breeds were most likely to show addiction-like behaviors toward their favorite toys, that would be shepherds, terriers, and retrievers, notably all working dogs. The researchers noted that while dogs exhibit similar addictive-like patterns to humans, this doesn’t mean they experience addiction in the same way. Nevertheless, don’t underestimate the bond between a dog and their favorite toy!
Culture
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Calling All Architecture Fans: The RIBA Stirling Prize Shortlist Is Out
Philip Vile
Six architectural marvels have been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2026. The U.K.’s most prestigious award for architecture — which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — recognizes buildings “considered to have made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture and the built environment in the United Kingdom,” per ArchDaily.
This year’s half dozen contenders include an addition to a college campus in Cambridge (pictured above), a design project at a bustling London transit hub, the adaptive reuse of a 1970s theater, and a renovation of a family home on the edge of a forest.
The winner will be announced Oct. 15, but in the meantime, you can scroll through the shortlist (and maybe file some ideas away for your dream home reno).
Deep Dives
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1. Comedian Cat Cohen suffered a stroke at age 31 — now she’s performing a one-woman show about it
2. Western Australia’s “ghost reef” disappears for hours a day, but the myths that surround it are ever-present
3. Too hot to spend time outside during the day? Consider planting a moon garden
Our Knives Will Save Us: Dispatches From a White Mountain Apache Chef
Standing in front of a judge on a felony charge at age 18, Nephi Craig was ordered to attend school or get a job to avoid prison time. He chose the former. The Apache teen had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years, but enrolling in a culinary arts program put him on the path to recovery. Cooking in high-end kitchens, Craig began to understand how many European recipes relied on ingredients native to the Americas. In his new memoir, he shares how healing this realization was, driving him to help establish Indigenous food sovereignty at home in Arizona and around the world.
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Matthew Murphy
Hadestown: The Musical
One week after The Odyssey’s record-breaking opening, some more Greek mythology has made its way to the big screen. The Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown retells two stories, the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice and the tale of Hades and Persephone, transposing them onto a post-apocalyptic, Great Depression-inspired underworld. For being set in hell, though, the show is filled with life — its score infused with New Orleans-style jazz and American folk influences. This live capture features the original Broadway cast and hit movie theaters Friday for a five-night run.
This Week in History
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NASA Spacecraft Captures First Close-Up Photos of Moon’s Surface
July 31, 1964
NASA
In the final 17 minutes of flight before intentionally crashing on the moon, NASA’s Ranger 7 spacecraft took and transmitted to Earth the first hi-res close-up photos of the lunar surface. The vehicle had been launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, four days earlier to provide an unprecedented view of the moon’s terrain.
Following the success of the 1964 endeavor, scientists named the impact site “Mare Cognitum,” Latin for “The Known Sea,” to celebrate the first part of the celestial body captured close-up. Five years later, of course, we’d get an even more fascinating look when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong touched down during the Apollo 11 mission.
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This Day in U S Military History…….July 26
1942 – About 400 miles southeast of Fiji, the American aircraft carriers Wasp, Enterprise and Saratoga rendezvous with the invasion force for Guadalcanal. It is the most powerful force the US Navy has yet assembled in the Pacific.
1942 – Actor Gene Autry is sworn into the Army Air Corps on the air, during his regular radio show, Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch. He served as an officer until 1945, when he resumed his show. Autry was born in Tioga, Texas, in 1907, the son of a livestock and horse trader who was also a Baptist minister. The family later moved to Oklahoma. In high school, Autry worked as a railway telegrapher at the local railroad depot, where he spent slow moments strumming his $8 guitar and singing. Passing through the depot one day, a stranger-who turned out to be Will Rogers-suggested that Autry try singing on the radio. Inspired, Autry traveled to New York City to look for a singing job but had no luck. Back home, he began working for a local radio station and found success as “Oklahoma’s Yodeling Cowboy.” Eventually, Autry and railroad dispatcher Jim Long wrote several country songs, including the world’s first gold record, “That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine.” Autry became a regular on National Barn Dance, the forerunner of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1934, producer Nat Levine was looking for an actor who could sing and ride a horse. Autry wasn’t an actor but had already established a loyal radio audience, so Levine put him in numerous B-grade westerns. Playing the lead role in a long-running series of Saturday matinee films, Autry became America’s favorite singing cowboy. In 1940, his musical-variety radio show, Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch, debuted; it ran until 1956. He became America’s favorite TV cowboy in 1950 when he debuted The Gene Autry Show, which ran through 1956. In each episode, he and his sidekick, Pat Buttram, rode from town to town, maintaining law and order. From “Back in the Saddle Again” to yuletide mainstays such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman,” Autry’s music became part of American life. He was also an entrepreneur, owning hotels, gas stations, and the California Angels baseball team, among other ventures. He also owned a television production company and was proud of discovering “Annie Oakley” star Gail Davis, whom he featured in dozens of his movies and television program episodes and who had performed in his traveling rodeo. Her appearances spun off into her own series, which Autry’s company produced. Autry was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969. Autry died in 1998.
1972 – Although South Vietnamese paratroopers hoist their flag over Quang Tri Citadel, they prove unable to hold the Citadel for long or to secure Quang Tri City. Fighting outside the city remained intense. Farther to the south, South Vietnamese troops under heavy shelling were forced to abandon Fire Base Bastogne, which protected the southwest approach to Hue. North Vietnamese troops had captured Quang Tri City on May 1 as part of their Nguyen Hue Offensive (later called the “Easter Offensive”), a massive invasion by North Vietnamese forces that had been launched on March 31. The attacking force included 14 infantry divisions and 26 separate regiments, with more than 120,000 troops and approximately 1,200 tanks and other armored vehicles. The main North Vietnamese objectives, in addition to Quang Tri in the north, were Kontum in the Central Highlands, and An Loc farther to the south. Initially, the South Vietnamese defenders were almost overwhelmed, particularly in the northernmost provinces, where they abandoned their positions in Quang Tri. At Kontum and An Loc, the South Vietnamese were more successful in defending against the attacks, but only after weeks of bitter fighting. Although the defenders suffered heavy casualties, they managed to hold their own with the aid of U.S. advisors and American airpower. Fighting continued all over South Vietnam into the summer months. The heavy fighting would continue in the area of Quang Tri and Hue until September, when the South Vietnamese forces finally succeeded in recapturing Quang Tri. With the communist invasion blunted, President Nixon declared that the South Vietnamese victory proved the viability of his “Vietnamization” program, which he had instituted in 1969 to increase the combat capability of the South Vietnamese armed forces so U.S. troops could be withdrawn.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
COREY, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1853, New York, N.Y. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 215, 9 August 1876. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Plymouth, Navy Yard, New York, 26 July 1876. Showing heroic conduct, Corey endeavored to save the life of one of the crew of that ship who had fallen overboard from aloft.
GIDDING, CHARLES
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1853, Bangor, Maine. Accredited to: Maine. G.O. No.: 215, 9 August 1876. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Plymouth, Gidding showed heroic conduct in trying to save the life of one of the crew of that ship, who had fallen overboard from aloft at the Navy Yard, New York, 26 July 1876.
KERSEY, THOMAS
Rank and organization: Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1847, St. Johns, Newfoundland. Accredited to: Massachusetts. G.O. No.: 215, 9 August 1876. Citation: Serving on board the U.S.S. Plymouth at the Navy Yard, New York, 26 July 1876, Kersey displayed bravery and presence of mind in rescuing from drowning one of the crew of that vessel.
BATSON, MATTHEW A.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Calamba, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 26 July 1899. Entered service at: Carbondale, Ill. Birth: Anna, Ill. Date of issue: 8 March 1902. Citation: Swam the San Juan River in the face of the enemy’s fire and drove him from his entrenchments.
McGRATH, HUGH J.
Rank and organization: Captain, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Calamba, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 26 July 1899. Entered service at: Eau Claire, Wis. Birth: Fond du Lac, Wis. Date of issue: 29 April 1902. Citation: Swam the San Juan River in the face of the enemy’s fire and drove him from his entrenchments.
WILSON, LOUIS HUGH, JR.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Commanding Rifle Company, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Fonte Hill, Guam, 25-26 July 1944. Entered service at: Mississippi. Born: 11 February 1920, Brandon, Miss. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of a rifle company attached to the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Fonte Hill, Guam, 25-26 July 1944. Ordered to take that portion of the hill within his zone of action, Capt. Wilson initiated his attack in mid-afternoon, pushed up the rugged, open terrain against terrific machinegun and rifle fire for 300 yards and successfully captured the objective. Promptly assuming command of other disorganized units and motorized equipment in addition to his own company and 1 reinforcing platoon, he organized his night defenses in the face of continuous hostile fire and, although wounded 3 times during this 5-hour period, completed his disposition of men and guns before retiring to the company command post for medical attention. Shortly thereafter, when the enemy launched the first of a series of savage counterattacks lasting all night, he voluntarily rejoined his besieged units and repeatedly exposed himself to the merciless hail of shrapnel and bullets, dashing 50 yards into the open on 1 occasion to rescue a wounded marine Iying helpless beyond the frontlines. Fighting fiercely in hand-to-hand encounters, he led his men in furiously waged battle for approximately 10 hours, tenaciously holding his line and repelling the fanatically renewed counterthrusts until he succeeded in crushing the last efforts of the hard-pressed Japanese early the following morning. Then organizing a 17-man patrol, he immediately advanced upon a strategic slope essential to the security of his position and, boldly defying intense mortar, machinegun, and rifle fire which struck down 13 of his men, drove relentlessly forward with the remnants of his patrol to seize the vital ground. By his indomitable leadership, daring combat tactics, and valor in the face of overwhelming odds, Capt. Wilson succeeded in capturing and holding the strategic high ground in his regimental sector, thereby contributing essentially to the success of his regimental mission and to the annihilation of 350 Japanese troops. His inspiring conduct throughout the critical periods of this decisive action sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for July 26, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD “PHIL” MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
26 July
1915: Through 29 July, Capt Benjamin D. Foulois and his 1st Aero Squadron with 8 JN-2 airplanes traveled from San Diego by train to Fort Sill, Okla. There they participated in observation and fire control experiments with the Field Artillery School. (24)
1937: Jacqueline Cochran, flying a Beechcraft, set the women's US record of 203.895 MPH for 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). (24)
1939: A B-17 Flying Fortress, carrying a 1,123-pound load, set a 204-MPH average speed record over a closed triangular course of 1,000 kilometers. 1943: A flight of 10 P-47s destined for various units in the United Kingdom, supported by two B-24s and one C-87, flew from Presque Isle, Me., to Prestwick, Scotland, with stops at Goose Bay, Labrador, Bluie West One, Greenland, and Reykjavik, Iceland. The formation lost one P-47 in a landing accident at Greenland, while a second P-47 developed a mechanical problem on the last leg to Prestwick and had to return to Iceland. When the eight P-47s landed at Prestwick on 11 August, the pilots achieved the first, last, and only flight of single-engine fighters (reciprocating engines) across the Atlantic in World War II. The P-47 with mechanical problems made the flight to Prestwick on 12 August. The P-47 pilots from the 2d Ferrying Group at Newcastle Army AB in Wilmington, Del., included Capt Barry Goldwater, who ran as the Republican nominee for President in 1964.
1949: The National Military Establishment announced production of the Sikorsky H-5H, the first amphibian helicopter.
1951: The US services created Project LINCOLN, an Armed Forces-supported and MIT-managed study of the air defense program. (24)
1958: Explorer IV, a US Army satellite, placed in orbit. (16) (24) Capt Iven C. Kincheloe, a Korean War ace who set a 126,200-foot altitude record in 1956, died in a F-104 crash at Edwards AFB. In September 1959, the Air Force renamed Kinross AFB, Mich., as Kincheloe AFB. (24)
1960: The Pershing I missile first launched from a mobile tactical launcher. (16) (24)
1963: The launch of Syncon 2 placed the first satellite in a geosynchronous orbit. The satellite’s speed matched the earth’s rotation, which allowed it to remain over the same geographic area. (21)
1970: In a Schleicher ASW-12 sailplane, Ben Green and Wallace A. Scott and set a new glider record of 717 miles for straight-line distance between Odessa, Tx., and Columbus, N. Mex.
1971: APOLLO XV. The Apollo XV Endeavor capsule carried David R. Scott, Alfred M. Worden, Jr., and James B. Irwin, on the fourth moon mission from Kennedy Space Center. The lunar module Falcon separated from the Endeavor and landed in the Moon’s Hadley-Apennine region near Salyut Crater on 30 July. It left on 2 August and landed in the Pacific on 7 August. Apollo XV had two firsts: use of a lunar rover and first deep space walk. The mission also set three FAI records: greatest mass lifted from the earth to lunar orbit, 76,278 pounds; time outside a spacecraft on the moon, Scott with 18 hours 18 minutes; and distance traveled on the moon, 16,470 feet in the Lunar Rover. (9)
1972: North American Rockwell selected to develop a $2.6 billion space shuttle and space transportation system. (12)
2005: The Space Shuttle Discovery made the first “Return to Flight” flight into space (STS-114) after the 1 February 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. On 9 August, the Discovery returned from its successful trip to resupply the International Space Station. Prolonged bad weather in Florida caused Mission Commander Eileen Collins to land at Edwards AFB. The external tank debris problem that destroyed Columbia unexpectedly recurred during Discovery’s launch. As a result, on July 27 NASA postponed future flights to make additional modifications to the flight hardware. On 4 July 2006, NASA resumed shuttle flights with STS-121. (3)
2006: A C-17 from the 62 AW at McChord AFB airdropped a 72,000 pound mockup of a 65-foot long rocket booster over Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB. The airdrop was the third in a series of airdrop tests flown to verify the C-17’s ability to safely release at launch altitude the AirLaunch Company’s QuickReach rockets, which carried small satellites into low-earth orbit under the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program. This was the heaviest weight ever dropped by a C-17 and a new record for the heaviest single item ever dropped from an aircraft. (3)
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