Latest news with #Tucson
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
How a Trump rally turned this former cop into a conservative Youtube star
Brandon Tatum's journey to become one of the most popular conservative influencers was a unique one that began at an Arizona Trump rally during the 2016 election. Known as "The Officer Tatum" on social media, Tatum has millions of followers and subscribers across all platforms where he shares his opinions and reactions to political issues, the media, and hot cultural issues. Tatum spoke with Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about how he got there. Tatum's journey began as a college football player at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. However, he wasn't selected in the NFL draft, so he set his career sights elsewhere with his college degree, and explored various career opportunities in Tucson. As Tatum was searching, he needed to find something to be able to provide for his family. He applied to join the police department and got a response. Tatum did a ride-along with Officer Sean Payne, who inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement. "He's since retired, but you know he changed my life… doing that ride along with him inspired me to be a police officer. And I always say this when I speak about it is for the first time in my life, I saw a hero in Sean Payne and I said, you know, I want to be a hero like him," Tatum said. Tatum said he wanted to serve his community and described his career as a police officer as "incredible." "I was a SWAT operator. I was a field training officer, which is, I trained new officers," he said. "I was crisis intervention trained, which means I negotiated and helped people in crisis, people who are trying to commit suicide, you name it." "I was there to help," he added. It was a full-circle moment for Tatum, who previously didn't have a good experience with the police growing up. "I didn't really like police officers from the community I grew up in," he said. "I actually got arrested when I was eight years old for smoking marijuana in a vacant house. So my first experiences with police officers were of me going to jail and not necessarily experiencing police officers that were in the community to help." And then, Tatum had a political awakening. "When I first saw those taxes come out of my paycheck, I realized that I needed to start voting and being politically active," Tatum said. He realized his views aligned more with the Republican Party. "Growing up being Black in America, by default, most of us are Democrat, so it really opened my eyes to saying, you know what, I think I align with the Republican Party more. I'm a conservative, I love God. I mean, all the things that I think most people would identify, associated with conservatism or Republicans," Tatum shared. The 2016 election changed Tatum's life in a big way. A video Tatum posted describing his experience at a Tucson Trump rally went viral overnight. He then made an appearance on "Fox & Friends" to describe posting the video and his support for the future president. "I think Donald Trump is a good candidate and I think that he has the tangibles, and he has the ability to make this country great again," Tatum told "Fox & Friends" in March 2016. Following that appearance, he realized the importance of making his voice heard. "I have a voice. I need to really speak out about these things that I see that are absolutely ridiculous," Tatum said. Since then, Tatum has been vocal online about various issues over the last decade, including Colin Kaepernick's NFL protests and the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Gen Z content creator challenges old guard with long-shot run for Congress
TUCSON — Deja Foxx propped her iPhone on a small vase on her windowsill, picked up a campaign flier and pressed record. 'I'm 25 years old, and I'm running for Congress,' she said, smiling and leaning toward the screen. A few moments later, she did another take: 'If elected, I'd be the first woman of my generation, Gen Z, in the body.' Then, another one, after adjusting the angle: 'Redo, hate that.'
Forbes
a day ago
- Science
- Forbes
Don't Miss This Weekend's Sky Show As The Moon And Mars Shine Together
In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. Skywatchers will have two opportunities this weekend to see the moon form striking alignments in the post-sunset sky. On Saturday, June 28, a trio featuring the moon, Mars and the bright star Regulus will appear in a neat arc. Then, on Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars will be in a very close conjunction — and in some parts of the world, Mars will be briefly occulted by the moon. Here's everything you need to know about what to see in the night sky this weekend. Where And When to Look Be outside looking to the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. You'll need a clear, unobstructed view since the moon and its companions will be low in the sky. The display will be short-lived, disappearing from view within about 45 minutes as twilight deepens — so good timing is imperative. Mars will appear dimmer than the moon, but it will be easy to find. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars What You'll See On Saturday, June 28, a 16%-lit crescent moon will be a spectacular sight. Slightly above and left of the moon will be Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, and farther away, the reddish dot of the planet Mars. The three objects will be spaced nearly evenly, forming a clear visual arc. That arc will crumble after sunset on Sunday, June 29, when the now 24%-lit crescent moon will appear in conjunction with Mars — just 0.2 degrees apart as seen from North America. That's less than an outstretched little finger held against the night sky. From parts of the Pacific and northern South America, the moon will occult Mars for about an hour, according to Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Observing Tips You just need naked eyes for this sky event, though a pair of binoculars will enhance the view, especially on Sunday, when the moon and Mars will be close enough to fit within the same field. However, a close-up of the moon on either night will reveal something beautiful on its night side — Earthshine, sunlight reflected from Earth's clouds, oceans and ice caps onto the lunar surface. An open view to the west is essential both nights, especially during the first hour after sunset, when the celestial trio is visible. Monday, June 30: Moon, Mars And Regulus What's Next In The Night Sky Although the arc of bright objects will be much looser, look west after sunset on Monday, June 30, and you'll see a 33%-lit crescent moon, this time on the other side of Mars and Regulus. For exact timings, use a sunrise and sunset calculator for where you are, Stellarium Web for a sky chart and Night Sky Tonight: Visible Planets at Your Location for positions and rise/set times for planets. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Motor Trend
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
The Joys and Woes of Charging Our 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS RWD
Daily driving an EV and relying exclusively on public charging is getting easier with each passing year. Not only has the number of stations continued to increase, but widespread Supercharger access is becoming a reality as automakers begin to offer North American Charging System (NACS) compatibility with their vehicles. The 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS RWD offers convenient charging via Tesla's Supercharger network, but faces challenges like awkward charge port placement and power-off alerts during charging. It's mostly stress-free, with good range and a useful app, despite needing improvements in charging speed. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next Such is the case with our yearlong review 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV, which arrived with a NACS adapter when we took delivery five months ago. Our SUV's ability to use Superchargers came in handy as early as our first road trip, when we drove from Los Angeles to East Tucson and back. Now that we've spent more time commuting, shopping, and transporting friends in the Blazer EV, we're happy to report that solely utilizing public charging has been a happy affair. Until it wasn't. The Pros One of the biggest advantages to driving the Blazer EV daily is that it can fast-charge with a Tesla Supercharger whenever we need to quickly juice up the battery. Hooked up to a Tesla V3 Supercharger, which dispenses a maximum of 250 kW, we come close to the Blazer EV's peak charge rate of 190 kW—that's better than vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which plateaued at 126 kW using the latest 325-kW Tesla V4 Supercharger cabinet in our testing. During our most recent Supercharging session at Tesla's Culver City, California, location, the Blazer EV capped out at 181 kW before dropping off. Perhaps more impressively, we averaged over 100 kW of charging power from the Supercharger between the start at 21 percent until the battery hit the 65 percent mark. To our surprise, the Blazer was still accepting 88 kW when the battery was at an 80 percent state of charge. In total, charging from 21 to 91 percent took 47 minutes, longer than getting gas but swifter than using a lower-output Level 3 charger. What's more, there wasn't a line when we arrived at the Supercharger station in the middle of the day. We'll have to do a complete charging test for an apples-to-apples comparison with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but our initial impressions have been positive. Level 3 fast charging isn't always the best way to put more electrons into our Blazer EV's battery, though. We've come to rely on Level 2 charging from the ChargePoint stations at MotorTrend 's office in El Segundo. When we pop into the building for a day of productivity, the Blazer EV sips electricity from a J-1772 plug. A typical eight-hour charge provides as much as 41.82 kW, which translates to 136 miles of range, just over 40 percent of its battery capacity. The charge would be even quicker with upgraded hardware; the Blazer EV is plumbed to accept up to 11.5 kW from a Level 2 charger, and our office Level 2s max out at just 6.1 kW. Going to the office once or twice a week gives me more than enough range to keep the Blazer EV on the road. Our car's EPA-rated range of 334 miles and real-world road trip range of 275 miles gives us the flexibility to add only as much charge as needed to get around. Beyond as-needed road trip charging at Level 3 stations and regularly scheduled stops at ChargePoint's Level 2 stalls, we've enjoyed using streetside charging whenever convenient. Flo, a charging network with curbside EV chargers, has continued to install units throughout the greater Los Angeles area. My gym, for example, has a Flo right around the corner. Whenever it's available, I hook up the Blazer EV and get some extra range while I work out. It's cheap, too, costing just $3.31 for my most recent session of an hour and 39 minutes. A short stint like that gets 11.6 kW of electricity and 33 miles of range, much more than I used getting to the gym. All the while, the myChevrolet app has been a useful tool for keeping track of the Blazer EV while it charges. The interface gives a readout of the vehicle's current state of charge and range in addition to providing an estimate of when the charge will complete. You can see your vehicle's location on the map, too, in case you left your car charging on the street and can't remember how to get back to it. We've finally had a chance to initiate charges on Tesla Supercharges with Chevy's app, as well. It essentially loads up a browser version of Tesla's own app within the myChevrolet interface, serving as convenient shortcut if you only want to use one app. Although having Tesla Supercharger access is an overall convenience, especially since they tend to have fewer lines than Electrify America fast chargers, Tesla's existing V3 cabinets have their disadvantages. These prior-generation Superchargers are the most common variant we've encountered with the Blazer EV throughout California and Arizona. Stations with V3s were designed exclusively with Tesla cars in mind, from the positioning of the cabinets, to the short length of the charging cables. Usually, they're placed side by side in banks of parking spots that run perpendicular to the curb so Teslas can back in to recharge. Unless I can find an end spot or get lucky with Superchargers that have been placed with a parking space in between cabinets, the Blazer EV almost always takes up two spots due to the positioning of the charging port between the front wheel and the driver's door. Newer V3 Superchargers are occasionally positioned beside a parallel parking spot, which I always choose over a perpendicular space, but these have been rare in my experience. Tesla owners must be used to seeing cars from other automakers parked haphazardly at Supercharger stations because no one has asked me to stop blocking a charging stall since the trip to Arizona four months ago. Still, the anxiety of being in that position is something I deal with every time I use one of Tesla's chargers. From an objective perspective, the Blazer EV has a slower average charge rate than rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Our 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS averaged 111 kW as it charged from 5 to 80 percent on a 350-kW Electrify America Level 3 charger. That pales in comparison to the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5, which maintains an incredible average of 186 kW from 5 to 80 percent. Using a Tesla Supercharger, the Ioniq 5 still sustains 125 kW from 5 to 80 percent. In subsequent iterations of the Blazer EV, average charging speed is one of the most crucial areas Chevrolet can improve. Our final complaint is a bit more trivial. The Blazer EV threatens to power off unless you intervene when it's hooked up to a fast charger. During our most recent session at the Culver City Tesla Supercharger, the Blazer EV alerted us twice over 47 minutes that it would power off and disable the air conditioning unless we hit a button or the brake pedal to keep it running. I was using that time on the charger to get some work done on my laptop using the rather excellent Wi-Fi hot spot, so it was frustrating being interrupted when I wasn't planning to leave the car during the duration of the charge. Great to Charge With a Few Exceptions The 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS RWD has turned out to be one of the more stress-free EVs to charge in our long-term fleet, with Tesla's Supercharger network playing no small role in its ease of use. Our SUV's charging performance is serviceable, its driving range is excellent, and Chevy's supporting mobile app has proven to be very useful. Still, a few cumbersome design elements oversights—like the awkward charge port placement and the need to keep the car awake during longer sessions—remind us that EV refinement is still a moving target. Fortunately, the Blazer gets most of the fundamentals right. More on Our Long-Term 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS RWD: 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV Yearlong Review Arrival: Stress-Testing a MotorTrend SUV of the Year The Tesla Supercharging Network Isn't Ready for Our 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV The Adrenaline Red Interior of the Chevy Blazer EV RS Gets Our Hearts Pumping
Forbes
2 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
When To See Mars As A ‘Cherry' On The Moon This Weekend In Rare Event
Skywatchers across the globe are in for a treat this weekend as the moon and Mars meet in a stunning close conjunction — what some astronomers call a celestial 'kiss.' The rare pairing, best viewed just after sunset on Sunday, June 29, will offer one of the most striking naked-eye sights of the summer. In an alignment of celestial bodies, Mars was captured here rising out of a lunar occultation on 13 ... More January 2025 using the new Visitor Center 0.6-meter Shreve Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab, near Tucson, Arizona. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Winsky On Sunday, June 29, the moon and Mars reach conjunction, appearing less than 0.2 degrees apart. For most viewers, Mars will seem like a reddish 'cherry' perched above a spectacular 24%-lit waxing crescent moon. The duo will be above the western horizon shortly after sunset and remain easily visible, if skies are clear, for about an hour. A conjunction is an astronomical term for when two or more objects shine close together in the night sky, as seen from Earth. They are line-of-sight illusions. From the Pacific Ocean close to northern South America, the moon will briefly occult Mars, something that was seen from North America on Jan. 13. Sunday, June 29: Moon And Mars In Conjunction Stellarium In a warm-up to the main event, on Saturday, June 28, the 16%-lit waxing crescent moon will appear — also above the western horizon around 45 minutes after sunset —below and to the right of Mars. In between the two will be the blue star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, 'The Lion.' The striking trio will appear almost evenly spaced in the sky, creating a near-perfect line. Saturday, June 28: Moon, Regulus And Mars Stellarium Following the close conjunction, the crescent moon will continue climbing higher in the sky over the next few nights, pulling away from Mars and Regulus. By Monday, June 30, the moon will be 33%-illuminated and will still form a beautiful visual line-up with Mars and Regulus. Planetary Conjunctions Coming Soon The next major planetary conjunctions will see Venus and Jupiter appear to be just 2.4 degrees apart before sunrise on Aug. 12 and a crescent moon and Venus just 0.8 degrees apart before sunrise on Sept. 19. Forbes In Photos: Sharpest-Ever Views Of The Sun's Surface Reveal 'Stripes' By Jamie Carter Forbes When To See June's 'Strawberry Moon,' The Lowest Full Moon Since 2006 By Jamie Carter Forbes 'Biggest Booms Since The Big Bang' Found As Black Holes Shred Stars By Jamie Carter
