βWhen Mundy first arrived in Georgia, she was kept apart from the other elephants by a fence. Carol Buckley, who cares for the animals here, says she wasn't sure how the others would react. But one of them, called Tara, took an interest right away. I'm kind of in shock. She picked up her food and brought it right over to the fence line here so she could be eating with Mundy.β
βThe dominant political story of the year has been the 270-day-long speakership of Representative Kevin McCarthy, whose slim majority in the House of Representatives has enabled a far-right rebellion to exert more weight over the lower chamber. The battle between the rebellious Freedom Caucus and McCarthy has been at the heart of an averted debt ceiling crisis and the annual budget debate.β
AI growth triggered massive Hollywood labor strikes
βThe rise of artificial intelligence and large language models dominated not only the economy but has also been at the root of a Hollywood double strike conducted by Writers Guild of America and a SAG APTRA strike. These were part of a larger phenomenon of labor strikes across the country, in which such large diverse groups, such as Teamsters and Auto Workers, won new contracts.β
βARDC has awarded a second grant to the Internet Archives Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications. The grant will allow Dlarc to continue curating and preserving historical content related to Ham Radio for an additional two years. The library includes a plethora of content from club newsletters to software to old printed call books that date back to the early 1900s. Dlarc has a want list. If you own copies of any of the publications sought by Dlarc, please consider donating them for preservation.β
Elephants exhibit complex social and emotional intelligence
βElephants are intelligent and social. They especially respond to reunions, the birth of a new calf, or the death of a loved one. They're capable of complex emotions, and Buckley says they're sensitive to what's happening around them. They feel all the vibration and energy that comes into their area, which is one of the reasons we're not open to the public.β
βThe FCC plans to tighten its requirements for testing of electronic devices made in countries such as China before they can be sold to US consumers. The Commission will review an order this month that bans device testing conducted by labs that are owned or controlled directly by entities that pose national security risks. According to a statement by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, he identified China as one example of such a country. He said it was important that US-based laboratories begin to take on the responsibility to certify such equipment.β
βThere's a lot to do and see, so we want to help you use the ARRL Events App to make sure you don't miss a beat and you can plan out your visit ahead of time. It includes Hamvention's full program. You can browse and schedule the forums, preview the extensive list of exhibitors and find all the events that are happening. During the event, you can use the app features to follow along the hourly prize drawings populated by the Dayton Hamvention Prize Committee and browse building and site maps.β
Regional bank failures sparked global financial crisis
β2023 also saw the roots of a global banking crisis arise out of four American regional banks, the two largest being Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank. 2021's inflation surge moderated in 2023, while the Federal Reserve continued to raise its interest rates in the first half of the year as the roots of a global banking crisis emerged.β
βARDC has awarded a second grant to the Internet Archives Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications. The grant will allow DLARC to continue curating and preserving historical content related to Ham Radio for an additional two years. The library includes a plethora of content from club newsletters to software to old printed call books that date back to the early 1900s.β
βThe Brazilian regulator will no longer require Morse code for amateur licenses under the changes that have been under consideration since 2020. The regulator will update content in its exams for its three license classes. This is one of several changes contained in a resolution released on April 28th by ANATEL.β
βBrazil's telecommunications regulator, ANATEL, has two big changes planned for the nation's hams. The Brazilian regulator will no longer require Morse code for amateur licenses under the changes that have been under consideration since 2020. The regulator will update content in its exams for its three license classes. This is one of several changes contained in a resolution released on April 28th by ANATEL. The resolution also grants hams the ability to operate on citizens' band 11 meter frequencies.β
Amazon launches first Kuiper satellite constellation
βAmazon kicks off its satellite constellation with a launch of its first group of satellites for the Kuiper network. Changes are announced in the ARRL Atlantic Division. The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame announces its latest inductees. Spacex is thinking about entering a spectrum battle with another satellite operator. We will have this month's report from the Volunteer Monitoring System, and one part of the Australian coast is facing a waste problem from a unique source.β
βAs you know, Hamvention is the world's largest gathering of radio amateurs. It's held this year, May 16th through 18th in Zinnia, Ohio. There's a lot to do and see, so we want to help you use the ARRL Events App to make sure you don't miss a beat and you can plan out your visit ahead of time.β
βAmazon kicks off its satellite constellation with a launch of its first group of satellites for the Kuiper network. Changes are announced in the ARRL Atlantic Division. The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame announces its latest inductees. Spacex is thinking about entering a spectrum battle with another satellite operator.β
βThe FCC plans to tighten its requirements for testing of electronic devices made in countries such as China before they can be sold to US consumers. The Commission will review an order this month that bans device testing conducted by labs that are owned or controlled directly by entities that pose national security risks. According to a statement by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, he identified China as one example of such a country.β