Freight railroads have been around since the 19th century, but you can’t run a 21st century economy without them.

The looming possibility of a strike by unions representing more than 90,000 workers at the nation’s freight railroads has businesses nationwide worried.

The unions are poised to go on strike on September 16, a move that could bring nearly 30% of the nation’s freight to a grinding halt.

It’s about the last thing the US economy needs as it struggles to get over several years of supply chain issues.

A prolonged strike could mean empty shelves in stores and temporary closures at factories. (CNN)

Freight trains rumble a short distance behind our house every night.

We’ll miss falling to sleep to that familiar sound.

Warren Buffett owns the Burlington Northern Santa Fe which represents 15% of the train industry.

Hopefully, the dispute can be resolved ahead of the strike deadline!

Parts of Southern California that have been severely drought-stricken for months.

Residents are bracing for a storm that could drop a year’s worth of rain — and cause dangerous flash floods.

The extreme weather is forecast as Tropical Storm Kay moves northward after making landfall in Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane Thursday afternoon.

Kay weakened to a tropical storm Thursday evening, but was still packing winds of 50 mph with even stronger wind gusts Friday morning.

A hurricane that just made landfall in Mexico is triggering flood concerns in parts of southern California

The storm is expected to bring damaging winds to Southern California, similar to a Santa Ana wind event, where gusts could reach 80 mph at the mountain crests.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, arrived for their first day at a new school on Wednesday.

They were accompanied by their parents for a “settling in afternoon” at Lambrook School, a prestigious fee-paying school near Windsor, according to a statement from Kensington Palace.

The annual event is held to welcome new pupils and their families to the school before the first day of term, the statement added.

The Cambridge children officially started school on Thursday. (CNN)

When Brad Pitt arrived at the premiere for new movie “Bullet Train” last month, his laidback linen outfit made headlines everywhere — or part of it did, at least.

The actor, who is known for hyper masculine roles in films such as “Fight Club” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” completed his blush pink-and-brown ensemble with an eye-catching twist: a skirt.

“I don’t know!” Pitt later told Variety magazine of the inspiration behind his wardrobe choice.

“We’re all going to die, so let’s mess it up.”

Pitt joined a growing roster of stars recently pictured wearing gender-neutral skirts, from Oscar Isaac’s below-the-knee pleated number at the “Moon Knight” premiere to Lil Nas X’s metallic pink miniskirt.

Actor Billy Porter, “Schitt’s Creek” star Dan Levy, basketball player Russell Westbrook and rapper A$AP Rocky have also embraced the trend. (CNN)

What’s next?

Love is taking a backseat too often.

Police officers all around this country are being called to the scenes of violence.

Our streets are being taking over by people in fast, noisy cars who aren’t interested in the peace nor safety of others.

Domestic violence has increased.

Our political leaders abandoning their oath of patriotism while subverting our fragile democracy.

Racial discrimination continues unabated.

Millions of our citizens who deliberately purchase high powered, lethal killing machines.

Separating our country into RED and BLUE states instead of the UNITED STATES.

Well, the only solution for our troubled society is LOVE.

Jesus asked us to do one thing; “Love one another as I have loved you!”

It’s a simple enough request.

It is the only path to peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters.

Peace be unto you!

Liz Truss has won the Conservative Party leadership contest, but she’ll have to wait until Tuesday to formally become prime minister.

Truss and outgoing leader Boris Johnson will travel to Balmoral in Scotland tomorrow in order to meet with Queen Elizabeth II, as per Britain’s unwritten constitution.

The Queen must formally approve the formation of a new government led by Truss.

Normally, these meetings would take place quickly at Buckingham Palace, which is a short distance from 10 Downing Street, but the 96-year-old monarch will stay at her Scottish residence this time.

Once those formalities are finished, Truss will head back to London and arrive in Downing Street.

She will announce her new Cabinet, which is likely to include many of her supporters during the contest.

Then, on Wednesday, Truss will face the Prime Minister’s Questions for the first time. (CNN)

I hope she is as tough as Margaret Thatcher was before her!

I wish good fortune to her and Great Britain!

“Street takeovers,” as they are known, are happening all over the country.

In just the last week, an entire block in Des Moines was damaged by out-of-control cars.

Police in Salt Lake City arrested six people for illegal drag racing.

In Chandler, Arizona, police say an illegal drag race left one driver dead.

Near Chicago, a pedestrian was struck and killed in a crosswalk during what police believe was a street race.

Another led to the destruction of police vehicles.

A USC student was struck and killed by a suspected street racer, police say

Chicago alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez said higher fines and impounding vehicles is having little impact on deterring street racing.

“These incidents are not stopping.

They haven’t stopped.

If anything, they’ve gotten worse and worse.” (CNN)

Disregard for the safety of others is another sign of a society in decline!

New York: Forget breakfast, lunch and dinner. People can’t get enough of the in-between.

Big companies report that snack sales are soaring. Net sales of Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles, PopCorners, Smartfood and SunChips grew by double digits in the second quarter.

That’s partially because people are getting back to their lives outside the home and want food they can eat on the go.

But it’s not just that.

Eating habits have changed, and people are increasingly snacking instead of eating traditional meals.

About 64% of consumers across the world said that they prefer to eat several small meals throughout the day, rather than a few large ones, according to a 2021 snacking survey by Mondelez (MDLZ). That’s up from 59% in 2019. About 62% reported replacing at least one meal a day with snacks. (CNN BUSINESS)

Snacks are not healthy food, but we have built a habit that is hard to break!

New Delhi: India joined an elite league of the world’s naval powers on Friday, when it commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant.

With the $3 billion Vikrant, India will join only a small number of nations with more than one aircraft carrier or helicopter carrier in service.

And it will become only the third country, after the UK and China, to have commissioned a domestically built aircraft carrier in the past three years.

The carrier has filled the nation with “new confidence,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a ceremony marked by fanfare at the Cochin Shipyard in India’s southern Kerala state.

“The goal may be difficult. The challenges may be big. But when India makes up its mind, no goal is impossible,” Modi said, before boarding the carrier and unfurling the country’s new naval flag. (CNN)

Grief is a time that every person experiences sometime in their lives.

It may be the loss of a spouse, a child, a friend, even a pet.

Some people are quite verbal about their sorrow.

Others keep their feelings to themselves.

Whatever your approach may be, the grieving period is very important and necessary.

There are evidently five stages in the grieving process:

REFUSAL TO BELIEVE

ANGER

BARGAINING

DEPRESSION

ACCEPTANCE

The death of a loved one brings back all the memories, good and bad.

I believe it’s important to practice the good attributes of the deceased.

In this manner the deceased continues to live through you.

We all grieve in different ways.

I think it’s important to allow people to grieve in their own way.

We are all different and that difference must be respected!

If not today, when?