| Trump reelection launch heralds political scorched earth campaign Posted: 19 Jun 2019 10:56 PM PDT  With a 2020 campaign launch painting opponents in almost apocalyptic terms, President Donald Trump showed Democrats the scorched earth treatment they can expect in his fight for reelection. "He excited the base and it sends a pretty strong message to the Democrats that this is going to be a pretty tough race," Committee to Defend the President chairman Ted Harvey said on Trump's go-to TV channel Fox News.
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| Woman whose dead babies were found in home cleared of murder Posted: 20 Jun 2019 10:32 AM PDT  A Massachusetts woman who lived in a squalid, vermin-infested home where authorities found the remains of three babies was cleared Thursday of second-degree murder, but was convicted of lesser charges. Judge Janet Kenton-Walker said prosecutors did not prove that 35-year-old Erika Murray caused the death of one of the babies whom she had been charged with killing and hiding in her home filled with rodents, dead animals, dirty diapers and trash. Kenton-Walker called the case "senseless" and "tragic," but said she had to be guided by the evidence rather than her emotions.
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| Airbus demands chance to bid for IAG's surprise Boeing 737 MAX order Posted: 20 Jun 2019 11:23 AM PDT  Airbus called on Thursday for a chance to compete for a blockbuster plane order by British Airways owner IAG, which stunned industry executives at this week's Paris Airshow by ordering 200 of Boeing's grounded 737 MAX. Airbus announced a new version of its best-selling A321 with close to 240 orders and commitments in Paris, only to see its grip on IAG's European short-haul networks damaged by the Boeing deal which analysts said shores up the embattled 737 MAX. Boeing's top-selling aircraft has been taken out of service worldwide since an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed in March, five months after a Lion Air 737 MAX plunged into the sea off Indonesia.
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| Candidates reveal their — very slightly — embarrassing moments to the Times Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:53 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidates told the New York Times stories about dropping underwear on a plane and wearing cargo shorts to the gym.
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| The Stealth Sniper: The F-22 Raptor Has a New Job Posted: 19 Jun 2019 10:45 AM PDT  The flying branch only bought 187 operational Raptors — out of an original goal of 381. The F-22 also won't fly into the 2060s without upgrades. Three years ago, four F-22 Raptors taking part in the second-wave of the U.S.-led coalition's opening airstrikes on Islamic State in Syria dropped their bombs. It was the first time the stealthy fifth-generation fighters had ever engaged in combat. The coalition's war planners also used the F-22s to leverage their low-observable profiles — and far-reaching sensors — while escorting non-stealthy fighters in case Syrian fighters or air-defense systems engaged.Fortunately, the Syrian military held its fire.Fast forward to today, and F-22 Raptors are still flying over Iraq and Syria and have shifted almost fully into that latter role, according to Air Force Magazine. "When we first got here, we were 95 percent precision strike. And now we're probably 95 percent air superiority," Lt. Col. "Shell" — a callsign — of the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron told the magazine.This first appeared in October 2017.
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| The 17 Most Beautiful Highways for Road Trips Posted: 19 Jun 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| NRA Suspends Two Leaders Amid Accusations of Coup Attempt Posted: 20 Jun 2019 12:46 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The National Rifle Association suspended its top lobbyist and one of his deputies, adding further turmoil to the gun-rights group's leadership ranks as it wages legal battles on multiple fronts and prepares for a bruising 2020 election cycle.The NRA confirmed Thursday that it had suspended Chris Cox, the lobbying chief who was viewed widely as a future leader of the group, and his deputy chief of staff, Scott Christman.The moves came after Oliver North, the former NRA board president, was ousted from the organization in April after it accused him of leading an attempted coup against Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the NRA who has long served as the organization's leader. North alleged that LaPierre used the group to enrich himself. As part of the infighting, the NRA sued Ackerman McQueen Inc., its longtime advertising firm, and in turn Ackerman cut ties with the group.On Wednesday night, the NRA filed a lawsuit against North arguing that he didn't have the right to legal fees from the NRA. The lawsuit says that Cox, described as a "likely successor" to lead the organization, participated in the failed bid to oust LaPierre.The leadership struggle came to a head on April 24, according to the lawsuit. That's when North talked to a LaPierre aide by phone and threatened to reveal unflattering details about LaPierre's travel and clothing expenses unless he resigned and supported "North's continued tenure as president," according to the complaint, which calls the exchange an extortion.North also promised to arrange an "excellent retirement" for LaPierre through Ackerman McQueen if he resigned, the NRA claims.The NRA filed its suit against Ackerman McQueen in mid-April, claiming it refused to turn over details about North's contract with the advertising firm. Last month, the NRA sued again, claiming Ackerman McQueen engineered the failed coup attempt by leaking damaging information to undermine NRA leaders.The firm fired back with a breach-of-contract countersuit, claiming that the NRA was just trying to get out of its service agreement with the firm and that it had provided all the information sought by the gun group.North was aided in his efforts against LaPierre by NRA board member Dan Boren, a former congressman who's now a top executive for Chickasaw Nation, a major Ackerman McQueen client, according to the NRA complaint filed on Wednesday. Boren "helped to choreograph the ultimatum they presented to Mr. LaPierre," it said.In emails obtained by the NRA, Boren "admitted his knowledge that Ackerman may have been invoicing the NRA for full salaries of employees who were actually working on the Chickasaw Nation account." Those emails also show that Cox was an "errant fiduciary" who "participated in the Ackerman/North/Boren conspiracy," the NRA claims.The complaint asks a judge to declare that the NRA shouldn't be required to cover North's legal fees for subpoenas arising from its litigation with Ackerman McQueen and from a Senate Finance Committee request for information. North's attorney had demanded that the NRA cover his legal fees for the congressional probe and for "any other inquiries" that he "may receive" in the future, it said.Cox's suspension was reported earlier by the New York Times. Cox's spokeswoman told the Times that he played no role in the coup attempt.The suspensions throw the group's political operation into turmoil just days after President Donald Trump announced his re-election bid. The NRA spent heavily to support Trump during the 2016 race, and Cox has met with the president multiple times during his tenure. Speaking at the NRA's annual meeting this year, Trump was introduced by Cox rather than LaPierre.A lawyer for North, Brendan Sullivan, declined to comment and said he would respond in a court filing.As the group's chief lobbyist, Cox oversaw nine different divisions, including federal, state, and local government affairs. "Cox develops and executes independent political campaigns and legislative initiatives. He also serves as the Association's principal contact with the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the White House and federal agencies," the NRA Foundation wrote on its website in a profile of Cox.To contact the reporters on this story: Polly Mosendz in New York at pmosendz@bloomberg.net;Neil Weinberg in New York at nweinberg2@bloomberg.net;David Voreacos in New York at dvoreacos@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey D Grocott at jgrocott2@bloomberg.net, David S. JoachimFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| High school graduates fall ill during trip to Dominican Republic Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:06 AM PDT  A group of high school graduates are the latest to fall ill in the Dominican Republic.
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| 9/11 responder who appeared with Jon Stewart on Capitol Hill is now in hospice care Posted: 19 Jun 2019 10:23 AM PDT  Lou Alvarez, a 53-year-old former NYPD detective who testified alongside Jon Stewart at last week's House Judiciary Committee hearing on reauthorizing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, says his cancer has worsened.
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| India warships sent to strategic Gulf waters: navy Posted: 20 Jun 2019 02:13 PM PDT  India has sent warships and stepped up aerial surveillance in strategic Gulf waters, the Press Trust of India reported on Thursday, with global tensions rising in the region. "INS Chennai and INS Sunayna have been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to undertake maritime security operations," the navy said, quoted by PTI. The aim is "to re-assure the Indian-flagged vessels operating/transiting through the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, following the maritime security incidents in the region," the navy said.
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| The Latest: Georgia high court declines to stop execution Posted: 20 Jun 2019 04:02 PM PDT  Lawyers for a Georgia death row inmate have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the state's plans to execute the inmate for a 1996 shotgun slaying. The lawyers for 42-year-old Marion Wilson Jr. asked as the scheduled 7 p.m. execution time neared that the U.S. Supreme Court block Georgia's plans to carry out the death sentence and allow a review of a lower court decision rejecting Wilson's claims. Earlier Thursday, the Georgia Supreme Court rejected two court challenges by Wilson over arguments claiming prosecutorial misconduct and Wilson's ineligibility to receive the death penalty.
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| Corona Costco shooting: LAPD releases name of off-duty officer who opened fire Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:03 PM PDT  Los Angeles police on Wednesday released the name of the off-duty LAPD officer who opened fire inside a Corona Costco Wholesale.
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| Trump says Iran has made 'big mistake' after spy drone shot down in Gulf Posted: 20 Jun 2019 11:28 AM PDT  Fears of war in the Persian Gulf surged after Iran shot down an American drone to "send a message" to the United States. Oil prices jumped by more than $3 to above $63 a barrel after Iran announced it had shot down a US drone for "violating Iranian airspace" on Thursday. The United States confirmed that an RQ-4a surveillance drone had been shot down over the Gulf of Hormuz, but said it was over international waters when it was hit. "Iranian reports that the aircraft was over Iran are false," the Pentagon said in a statement. "This was an unprovoked attack on a US surveillance asset in international airspace." President Donald Trump declined to say how the United States would respond, telling reporters in Washington: "You will find out." But he also played down Iranian government responsibility for the incident, saying he had a "big, big feeling" that the shoot down was a "mistake". Gulf of Oman, US responds Speaking outside the White House, he said: "We didn't have a man or woman in the drone. It would have made a big, big difference." He added that it was probably someone "loose and stupid who did it." Earlier General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the shoot down was intended as "a clear message" his country will defend itself. Iran will "respond to all foreign aggression and our reaction is, and will be, categorical and absolute" he told the Tasnim news agency, which is controlled by the IRGC. "We declare that we are not looking for war but we are ready to respond to any declaration of war," he added. An oil tanker is seen after it was attacked at the Gulf of Oman Credit: Reuters Last week two oil tankers were struck by mysterious explosions in the Gulf of Oman. The United States accused Iran of using limpet mines to attack the ships on June 13. Iran has denied involvement, suggesting instead that regional rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates carried out the attack to lure Donald Trump into a war with Iran. Adel al-Jubeir, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, called the accusation "absurd" and warned that America's Gulf allies were "determined to push back against Iran's aggressive behaviour." "The idea of closing the Strait of Hormuz would generate a very strong reaction," he told journalists in London. It was the second attack on tankers in the area in a month. In May four vessels suffered mysterious "sabotage" attacks that left them holed at the waterline. The United States has also blamed Iranian-backed groups for a string of mortar and rocket attacks on US assets in Iraq. Saudi Arabia said Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen had fired a missile into the Kingdom overnight but caused no damage. The United States military claims this Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy cutter was seen removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the tankers Credit: US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX Military tensions have risen amid a diplomatic stand-off over the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, the United States, and the European Union, which saw Iran curtail its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Mr Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, saying it did not adequately restrict Iran's nuclear activities and failed to address concerns about its ballistic missile program and backing of proxy militias in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon. In the year since, his administration has pursued a strategy of "maximum pressure" on the Iranian economy, including by trying to prevent third countries from buying Iranian oil. Iran has said it will violate the agreement by producing more enriched uranium than the deal allows if the European signatories do not find a way for it to access oil revenues by June 27. Iran's ambassador to London on Thursday said the Islamic Republic has so far seen "no concrete action" from European powers to meet that deadline. Hamid Baeidinejad said Iran will not accept US demands to re-write the nuclear deal does not believe an offer by Donald Trump for direct talks is "sincere." Additional reporting by Rozina Sabur in Washington
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| Could This Old School Gun Be Better than a Glock? Posted: 19 Jun 2019 06:00 PM PDT  Truth be told I tend to shy away from comparing any revolver cartridge to any semi-auto handgun cartridge. It's an apples-to-oranges type of comparison — there's no practical reason for it, so ultimately, it's pointless. And I'm also a wheelgun guy so I'm a little biased toward revolver cartridges.But having written a few handgun caliber comparison articles in the past, from time to time I would get emails from some of our readers asking me to do such a comparison. I would always tell them to just look somewhere else to satisfy their caliber-wars curiosity because I couldn't care less about these types of comparisons. I'd rather avoid opening a can of worms — these types of comparisons lead to debates that can get ugly real fast.Recently, a good friend of mine purchased a Ruger LCRx chambered for the 9mm. After trying it out in the range, he brought it to me and asked me to shoot a few rounds and tell me what I think about it.
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| Airbus Vows to Fight Boeing for a Massive Jet Order That Could Mark the 737 Max's Turnaround Posted: 20 Jun 2019 05:36 AM PDT  British Airways' owner said it would purchase 200 737 Max aircraft, which are still grounded
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| Echoing Beijing, Duterte’s Government Now Calls Boat Collision an ‘Accident’ Posted: 19 Jun 2019 12:26 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The Philippine government has fallen in with Beijing's explanation that a Chinese vessel didn't intentionally hit a Filipino boat in the South China Sea on June 9.Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday described the incident as "just an accident," adding the Chinese vessel may have left after hitting and sinking a Philippine boat with 22 fishermen out of fear of being "besieged" by other boats near Reed Bank."Maybe the other side didn't mean to brush against our boat," Lorenzana said at a televised briefing in Manila on Wednesday.The Philippines' Navy chief earlier said the Chinese vessel "rammed" the Filipino boat which was anchored when it was hit, while the spokesman of the military unit in charge of the disputed waters said the incident was "far from accidental." Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin also protested the incident, which he said he'd call a "hit and run."Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is not favoring China after the incident, said Lorenzana, who has also called for an apology and compensation from the Chinese vessel's captain for damaging the Philippine boat.China's Foreign Ministry earlier described the incident as an "accidental collision," while Beijing's embassy in Manila said the Chinese vessel's crew was "afraid" of other Philippine boats in the area, prompting the captain to leave the Filipino fishermen.The sunken Philippine boat's crew wants Duterte to ask China to hold the Chinese vessel's captain criminally liable for abandoning them at sea, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said at a separate briefing after meeting the fishermen."There is no justification to the act of the Chinese vessel to abandon the Filipino fishermen. Under international maritime laws, that is illegal. Under human laws, that is immoral," Pinol said.To contact the reporter on this story: Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecilia Yap at cyap19@bloomberg.net, Ruth PollardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Interested in TSA PreCheck? It might soon be cheaper and easier to sign up Posted: 20 Jun 2019 11:16 AM PDT ![Interested in TSA PreCheck? It might soon be cheaper and easier to sign up]( "Interested in TSA PreCheck? It might soon be cheaper and easier to sign up") TSA, trying to boost enrollment in the expedited security program, is studying options including a shorter, cheaper membership and mobile enrollment.
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| 2 killed when semitrailers explode on I-94 in Wisconsin Posted: 19 Jun 2019 10:40 AM PDT  Two semitrailers exploded into flames Wednesday on an interstate in southeastern Wisconsin, killing both drivers and setting other vehicles on fire, authorities said. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said one trailer was southbound on Interstate 94 around 11 a.m. when it hit a construction barrier, overcorrected and crashed onto a median that separated northbound traffic.
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| Pompeo ups pressure on Russia over four MH17 accused Posted: 19 Jun 2019 07:35 PM PDT  Moscow must ensure that those charged with murder over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 face justice, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, after international investigators accused three Russians and a Ukrainian over the disaster. The trial of the four men with military and intelligence links will start in the Netherlands in March next year, although they are likely to be tried in absentia as neither Russia nor Ukraine extradites their nationals. The Dutch-led inquiry team on Wednesday said international arrest warrants had been issued for Russian nationals Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, all of whom are suspected of roles in the separatist Donetsk People's Republic.
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| Man decapitates roommate’s dog because she owed him rent money, police say Posted: 19 Jun 2019 12:03 PM PDT  A man beheaded his roommate's dog as she was moving out of their shared house because of a financial dispute, officials said on Tuesday. Jose Vega Meza, a 21-year-old living in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona, has been arrested over suspicion of mutilating the animal. He told investigators he killed the dog over the weekend because his roommate owed rent money to his mother, who owns the home in the city of Buckeye, according to police. The owner of the dog told police she had lost track of her pet while moving her belongings out of the home, before spotting Mr Meza sneaking a box onto her truck. When she opened the box, she found her headless dog inside. Police did not immediately provide additional information about the dog's breed, but said it was small.The dog's owner was so distraught that she was unable to call authorities until the next day, police said. Mr Meza told investigators that he killed other animals around his neighbourhood, including a cat he said he drowned, police said in court documents.He was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty stemming from the killing of the dog on Saturday.Mr Meza was also booked for misdemeanour assault for attacking another inmate after he was booked in jail, investigators said.The Associated Press contributed to this report
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| Illegal immigrants can now get a driver's license in New York Posted: 19 Jun 2019 05:57 PM PDT  New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis speaks out against giving illegal immigrants licenses.
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| Trump supporters in Florida say the president needs a third term Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:35 AM PDT  Conservatives at the official launch of the Trump 2020 campaign in Orlando say that illegal immigrants have no place in the U.S. and that if President Trump could have a third term, they would be onboard.
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| Iran talking to Russia and China in case EU nuclear deal efforts fail: TASS Posted: 19 Jun 2019 05:55 AM PDT  Iran is in talks with Russia and China on a possible settlement mechanism in case discussions with EU over a nuclear deal fail, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security council, Ali Shamkhani, said, according to Russia's TASS news agency. Tehran said in May it would reduce compliance with the nuclear pact it agreed with China, Russia and other world powers in 2015, in protest at the United States' decision to unilaterally pull out of the agreement and reimpose sanctions last year.
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| Hypersonic Weapons Are Almost Here (And They Will Change War Forever) Posted: 20 Jun 2019 03:05 AM PDT  A new technological competition has begun, one in which America's rivals, particularly Russia and China, may be ahead. This is the race to build and put in the field super-fast or hypersonic weapons and vehicles. The military defines a hypersonic weapon as one that travels at least Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound. In comparison, commercial aircraft fly at around Mach 1 while some military jets can push themselves to around Mach 3, but only for a short time.There are two basic types of hypersonic weapons: super-fast cruise missiles, and boost-glide vehicles that are mounted on ballistic missiles. Hypersonic cruise missiles, which would most commonly be launched from aircraft, maintain powered flight from launch to impact. Boost-glide vehicles are lofted by a ballistic missile launched from an aircraft, ship, submarine or ground unit to the edge of space from which point they use their speed and aerodynamic design to skip along the top of the atmosphere for up to 10,000 miles.
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| The best selling Bluetooth earbuds on Amazon are down to $14.99, an all-time low Posted: 20 Jun 2019 04:54 AM PDT ![The best selling Bluetooth earbuds on Amazon are down to $14.99, an all-time low]( "The best selling Bluetooth earbuds on Amazon are down to $14.99, an all-time low") At this point we're starting to think that nothing will ever knock the Mpow Flame Bluetooth Headphones off the top of Amazon's best-sellers list in the Bluetooth earbuds category. They've been there for nearly 2 years already, and sales like the one happening today will go a long way to keep them there for another 2 years. Clip the 5% coupon on Amazon and use the promo code D2MP088R at checkout, and you can pick up a pair of these awesome wireless earbuds for just $14.99. That's an all-time low, but this deal won't last long so hurry!Here's more info from the product page: * HD Bass Sound: With well tuned driver, advanced CSR chip and Bluetooth 4.1 technology, Mpow flame sport earbuds produce richer bass stereo sound with reinforced clarity, as well as faster pairing and enhanced wireless connection. * Long-lasting 7-9 Hours Playtime: Powerful battery offers 7-9 Hours of superior audio performance or hands-free phone conversation after charging for just 1.5 Hours. (Note: 1. Mpow flame has 12V over-voltage hardware cut off, 1a over-current restored fuse to achieve safe charging. 2. Please use charging cable provided, or certified brand charging cable. 3. We don't recommend using fast charging.) * IPX7 Waterproof Headphones: Mpow flame wireless headphones have reliable water & sweat-proof Nano-coating for worry-free use and improved durability in intense workouts or exercises in light rain. Perfect for running, jogging, hiking, yoga, exercises, gym, fitness, traveling and etc. * Enhanced Comfort & Secure Fit: Four different sizes of eartips (XS, S, M, L), one memory foam eartip and one optional wire clip are included for different ear canals and necks. A carrying case is provided for better portability. (Note: Please choose the most suitable eartips for your ears.) * CVC 6.0 Noise Cancelling Mic: With built-in CVC 6.0 noise canceling microphone, Mpow flame bluetooth headphones offer crystal clear sound quantity for hands-free calling. 18 Month Warranty: Every Mpow product includes a 45 days money-back guarantee & 18-month warranty.
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| Starving polar bear found in Russian city after traveling hundreds of miles Posted: 20 Jun 2019 09:45 AM PDT  A starving polar bear was found this week in Norilsk, Russia, far from its usual hunting grounds.
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| Egypt: UN office tries to politicize Morsi's courtroom death Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:00 AM PDT  Egypt said Wednesday that the U.N. human rights office was trying to politicize the death of former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, who collapsed inside a Cairo courtroom during his trial this week. Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president who hailed from the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, was buried under heavy security early on Tuesday, a day after his dramatic collapse and death inside a Cairo courtroom. Rupert Colville, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, called Tuesday for a "prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation" into Morsi's death on Monday.
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| Author Ta-Nehisi Coates Criticized Mitch McConnell for Saying Slavery's Effects Were in the Past Posted: 19 Jun 2019 11:33 AM PDT  Coates passionately rebutted McConnell at a House hearing on reparations Wednesday
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| 12 Designs We Need From Wayfair’s Super Affordable New Collection Posted: 19 Jun 2019 07:13 AM PDT |
| Nxivm sex cult leader Keith Raniere found guilty on all counts Posted: 19 Jun 2019 12:11 PM PDT  A New York self-help guru who was accused of running a sex cult of starving women branded with his initials has been found guilty of all counts. A jury took less than five hours to find Keith Raniere guilty of charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and possession of child pornography, at the end of a six week trial. The 58-year-old faces up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year. Five women who were charged alongside Raniere, including Smallville actress Allison Mack, pled guilty before the trial began and will be sentenced in September. Raniere, a bespectacled and unprepossessing figure, began Nxivm(pronounced nexium) in the late 1990s, setting up in Albany, capital of New York state, what he describes as a self-help organisation. Actress Allison Mack Credit: REUTERS About 17,000 people passed through Nxivm's doors. The group was pitched as an empowerment group, touting theories about femininity, victimhood, money and ethics - much of it influenced by Ayn Rand, one of Raniere's favourite authors. All pledged loyalty to Raniere, a man who was portrayed within the group as "some kind of god" who would unlock a more fulfilling life for his followers. Raniere himself promoted the idea of his being someone special – a child prodigy, who spoke in full sentences at a year old, read by the age of two and taught himself to play concert-level piano at 12. Among the high-ranking devotees was British-American one-time professional showjumper Clare Bronfman, millionaire heiress to the Seagram liquor fortune. Bronfman, one of the five to plead guilty, has paid $14 million (£11m) in Raniere's legal costs, it emerged during the trial. Clare Bronfman is an heiress of the Seagram's liquor empire Credit: REUTERS Another Briton was the first of the six victims to testify – Sylvie, who joined the group at age 18. The group, she was told, would "help me be the person that I've always wanted to be", and would "fix" her. To join she gave in to the demand for "collateral" – material to be held in trust, and forfeited if they broke the group's vow of silence. Some handed over deeds to their homes, or wrote down stories of childhood abuse, which may or may not be true. Often, as in Sylvie's case, it was explicit photographs of herself, which she handed over to a senior DOS member. Sylvie said she was told that providing "collateral" was meant to show dedication. Raniere's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told jurors in his closing arguments on Monday that no women were ever forced to do anything against their will. As the verdict was read out Raniere remained calm, whispering to his lawyer. Several of the Nxivm defectors, however, were crying and trembling.
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| Trump to Hannity: You’re ‘Not Really’ a Patriot, You Just Want ‘Great Ratings’ Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:34 PM PDT  A night after Fox News ran President Trump's 2020 re-election "kickoff" rally uninterrupted in primetime, Fox News host Sean Hannity handed over almost the entirety of his show to a phone interview with the president. And while their friendly conversation on Wednesday night broke little news, the president did find time to boast about his rally's ratings—and to take an apparent jab at Hannity. Discussing Trump's penchant for using Twitter, Hannity noted that many people would like for Trump to "turn off the switch," prompting the president to say he uses social media to circumvent the media. Trump then quickly pivoted to his TV ratings."If I don't use social media—outside of you and a few other great people—I call them patriots," the president told Hannity. "But actually, you're not REALLY patriots as much as you want ratings.""I mean, you're getting great ratings, in all fairness Sean. It's like, last night, you got tremendous—I heard the speech. That was an easy night, you and Tucker [Carlson] and everyone else said let's do it and you did it."According to Nielsen, Hannity's program on Tuesday night—which was largely devoted to airing the rally—drew over five million total viewers to easily lead cable news for the night. In comparison, Trump's much-hyped primetime interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos drew an audience of only 3.9 million.In fact, on Monday night, Hannity sent a rather unsubtle message to the president after the disappointing ratings came in for his ABC special—stick with Fox News if you want to draw viewers.Highlighting that a March phone interview he did with Trump outdrew Stephanopoulos, Hannity said it was "humiliating" for the ABC News anchor and that he needs to "pack it up," all while celebrating the president's low ratings on another network.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| As Gulf tensions rise, Israel's Netanyahu warns 'enemies' Posted: 19 Jun 2019 09:50 AM PDT  With tensions rising between Israel's ally the US and its archfoe Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Jewish state's enemies not to test it Wednesday, his office said. "I hear our neighbours from the north, south and east threatening our destruction," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office after he observed a large-scale military excercise in the north of the country. "I say to our enemies: The Israeli army has very great destructive power.
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| The List: Top 3 .308 Semi-Automatic Rifles on the Planet Today Posted: 18 Jun 2019 08:00 PM PDT  Are you on the market for a .308 semi-automatic rifle? If so, you'll be glad to hear that there are several high quality choices for you available on the marketplace, which each offer excellent performance, accuracy, durability, and reliability.There are three models that stand out in particular: the Century Arms C308, Ruger SR-762, and the Springfield M1A.Each of these choices certainly have their pros and cons, but they also each offer unique advantages that we will dive into in-depth with this article. We'll also talk about the best benefits of owning a .308 semi-automatic rifle to begin with.THE BENEFITS OF OWNING A .308 SEMI-AUTOMATICA solid case can be made that the .308 semi-automatic rifle is the most versatile centerfire rifle that you can own today.
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| EU to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020 Posted: 20 Jun 2019 05:39 AM PDT ![EU to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020]( "EU to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020") European Union leaders will decide on Thursday to prolong until the end of January 2020 economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine and call on Moscow to help bring to justice those guilty of shooting down a passenger plane there in 2014. The EU slapped sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and went on to support rebels fighting Kiev troops in the east of the country. The downing there in July 2014 of a Malaysian passenger plane marked another turning point for the EU's response to the crisis.
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| Harvard right to dump Kyle Kashuv for racist remarks: Today's talker Posted: 19 Jun 2019 11:52 AM PDT  If this were any other youth, this wouldn't be news and we wouldn't be giving it a second thought. Kids have been denied admission for much less.
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| Boeing eyes more 737 Max sales after post-crash drought Posted: 20 Jun 2019 04:30 AM PDT  Boeing's post-crash business slump may be coming to an end. The plane maker said Thursday that it's in negotiations with several customers interested in buying the 737 Max jet, as it tries to rebuild trust in the plane and its own reputation after two Max crashes that killed 346 people. At the Paris Air Show this week, Boeing won its first endorsement of the 737 since an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March and a Lion Air crash in October in Indonesia.
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| New leak says Galaxy Note 10 camera is getting major upgrades Posted: 19 Jun 2019 09:30 AM PDT  When Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 series earlier this year, it made it clear that the more money you spend, the better the camera experience you're going to get. The biggest S10 phone, the 5G version, has four lenses on the back and two on the front, and it's the only one of the four Galaxy S10 versions to feature a Time-of-Flight (ToF) lens. But both new Note 10 models might have ToF cameras when they launch in 2 months, and the feature could be used on other Samsung phones as well, not just flagships.By measuring the time light needs to travel to the subject, ToF cameras collect much more depth data alongside images. In turn, phones with ToF cameras can offer 3D facial recognition like the iPhone X and Apple's 2018 iPhone models, and also take portrait photos with bokeh effects. Furthermore, depth data can help with AR and VR apps on mobile devices.According to ETNews, component maker MCNEX invested 13 billion won ($11 million) in a new facility in Vietnam that will be completed by the end of July. The factory will mass-produce ToF modules as soon as August, with Samsung being one of its customers. The firm already manufactures camera modules and fingerprint sensors for Samsung.Samsung is also sourcing ToF cameras from other suppliers, including Partron, which manufactures ToF sensors for the Galaxy S10 5G.These moves indicate that Samsung has big plans for ToF going forward, with the Note 10 likely just the first upcoming new device to benefit from ToF camera adoption. And if both the front and rear cameras of the Note 10 get ToF, as the report notes, then Samsung will certainly need more parts from its suppliers.Previous Galaxy Note 10 leaks said the Note 10 and Note 10 Pro will have triple- and quad-lens cameras, respectively, but both of them will pack single-lens cameras on the front. It's unclear whether ToF tech can be incorporated into the main selfie camera, or whether a smaller sensor will join the selfie cam on the front.ETNews says that Apple is also working on ToF technology for its iPhone line without revealing other details about any of the upcoming iPhones. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Pro will be unveiled in early August and hit stores a few weeks later.
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| Man charged in threat to kill gays at St. Louis Pride parade Posted: 19 Jun 2019 09:40 AM PDT  A suburban St. Louis man accused of telling organizers of the city's Pride parade that he would shoot and kill as many gays as possible at the LGBTQ celebration before turning the gun on himself has been charged with making a terrorist threat, according to court documents. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Edward Terry, 49, of Overland, was charged Tuesday. Marty Zuniga, vice president of PrideFest, said the organization works "hard to produce an event that is safe for all participants." The Pride parade in downtown St. Louis draws hundreds of thousands of people every year and is scheduled to take place June 30.
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| 'The biggest joke in politics': Trump campaign chief disses 2020 polling Posted: 19 Jun 2019 08:03 AM PDT  "The country is too complex now just to call a couple hundred people and ask them what they think," Brad Parscale said.
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| 19 of the Most Beautiful Bridges in the World Posted: 20 Jun 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Iran shoots down US drone as tensions soar Posted: 20 Jun 2019 06:19 AM PDT  Iran shot down a US spy drone Thursday near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides at odds whether it was in Iranian or international airspace, in the latest incident stoking tensions between the arch-foes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the "US-made Global Hawk surveillance drone" was hit with a missile "after violating Iranian air space" over the waters of Hormozgan province. The Pentagon confirmed a US surveillance drone was shot down by Iranian forces, but it insisted the unmanned aircraft was in international airspace.
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| It's Time for America to Break with Beijing Posted: 19 Jun 2019 05:51 AM PDT  SOME MISTAKES are repeated over the course of generations. For more than four decades, American presidents sought a closer relationship with China, working to "engage" that country so as to "enmesh" it into the international system. Richard Nixon, in his landmark Foreign Affairs article in 1967, provided the rationale for engagement, arguing the Chinese state could not be isolated. "Taking the long view," he famously wrote then, "we simply cannot afford to leave China forever outside the family of nations, there to nurture its fantasies, cherish its hates and threaten its neighbors."Since the early 1970s, American policymakers believed they could avoid such nurturing, cherishing and threatening by making the success of the Communist Party of China a goal of U.S. foreign policy. With interests defined this way, American presidents helped China's communists at crucial moments.The first of those moments came in 1972, during the latter stages of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Years of internal fighting and chaos—essentially civil war—had weakened China's ruling organization, but Nixon's visit that year signaled support for Mao's tottering regime. "We're damned," said Shanghai banker Wu Yaonan at the time, as recounted by democracy activist Chin Jin. "The United States is coming to the rescue of the Communist Party."
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| Lawsuit: NRA’s Unpaid Bills Could Shutter NRATV Posted: 20 Jun 2019 08:04 AM PDT  Bloomberg via GettyThe National Rifle Association is overdue on more than $1.6 million in unpaid bills, according to a new court filing made by its longtime advertising firm.On Wednesday, Ackerman McQueen, an ad agency that has for years worked with the National Rifle Association and runs the gun group's media arm NRATV, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against the NRA. It's the latest move in a brutal court battle between the ad agency and the powerful pro-gun organization.It could also spell the death of NRATV, a pro-Trump online TV network known for its culture-war content. In the filing, the company alleges that it will have to stop paying 40 percent of its employees in one week if the NRA doesn't pay what it owes or give the firm a $3 million letter of credit—which its contract requires if it's overdue on its bills, according to the suit. The ad firm is now taking steps to furlough employees who worked on NRA projects, according to a declaration from its chief financial officer filed in court. "AMc requests that the Court issue an injunctive order requiring the NRA to post the $3,000,000 letter of credit mandated by the parties' contract," the filing reads. "The alternative is that AMc will be compelled to discontinue all services to the NRA and lose the employees who perform those services forever, incurring costs for severance the NRA is unlikely to pay without litigation.""Worse, shut down of those services will give the NRA an opening to claim a breach by AMc—a situation orchestrated by the NRA," the court document alleges. An NRA spokesperson said the group is "skeptical" about the filing's allegations. The filing specifically cites NRATV on several pages, including a section that states, "While the NRA has made allegations in which they seek to scapegoat AMc for issues relating to NRATV and even problems related to the NRA's own self-governance, AMc has always operated at the direction of the NRA CEO."Ackerman claims over 50 percent of its employees work on "projects and services" that include "in-house media production capabilities" for the NRA. The firm also claims 25 percent are "essentially virtual employees" of the gun-rights group, and most of its Dallas office is "dedicated to support NRA projects and services.""The substantial financial damage flowing from the NRA's ongoing breaches jeopardizes AMc's continued business existence… AMc will be compelled to terminate many employees who are used on other AMc projects as well as serving the NRA," the motion reads. The suit also alleges that the NRA owes the firm more than $1.6 million, based on 11 invoices for "NRATV Programming" and "Monthly Video Support" ranging from $62,000 to $680,000. Because of that failure to pay up, the firm's "continued existence as a company is now endangered," the suit says. The firm also contradicts claims the NRA has made publicly about its former president, Oliver North. The gun group has argued in court that North and Ackerman McQueen have withheld information from them about the nature of his work for the ad firm (North and the firm agreed to produce a documentary series, per NRA filings, but have yet to fully deliver). But according to the ad firm's new filings, the NRA "directed the amounts of payment" to North. A spokesperson for the NRA pushed back on the allegations. "The NRA is skeptical of Ackerman McQueen's claims—indeed, it was the agency's repeated failure to provide backup for its invoices that spurred this lawsuit," said Andrew Arulanandam, the gun group's public affairs chief, in a statement. "Ackerman's filing, which demands millions of dollars from the NRA, suggests that the agency cannot sustain its facilities, operations, or employees without continued support from the NRA. The NRA is confident that we will prevail, and we look forward to a complete airing of all the facts relative to Ackerman's behavior and practices once and for all."The NRA is facing a storm of internal and external threats. It is fighting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in court for comments he made to insurance companies and banks about the group. The NRA argues that the governor threatened to use the state's resources to punish companies that do business with the group. Meanwhile, a recent Washington Post report detailed ballooning financial problems for the gun group, and its recently deposed ex-president, Oliver North, alleged months ago that the group faces enormous legal bills that pose an existential threat (the NRA defends its legal expenses).Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| UPDATE 2-EU agrees to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020 Posted: 20 Jun 2019 12:20 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-EU agrees to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020]( "UPDATE 2-EU agrees to extend economic sanctions on Russia until 2020") European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to prolong until the end of January 2020 economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine, a spokesman for the bloc said. The EU first slapped sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and supported rebels fighting Kiev troops in the east of the country. "Russia sanctions unanimously extended for another six months because of a lack of Minsk Agreements implementation," said the spokesman, Preben Aman, referring to a stalled peace accord for east Ukraine.
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| Polo club frequented by Prince William and Harry in row with neighbours over plans to double capacity Posted: 20 Jun 2019 06:10 AM PDT  A polo club frequented by the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex is embroiled in a planning row with neighbours over plans to double its capacity to 10,000 people. Residents believe the proposal will bring huge crowds that will cause extra noise and blight the area, and have complained to the council. The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club in Winkfield submitted the plans to the Bracknell Forest Council licensing panel. A decision is yet to be made. Yet one resident fumed: "I object to this application on the grounds that increasing the capacity of the premises is likely to have a negative impact on the prevention of public nuisance licensing objective. "Because a larger audience requires greater sound volume to penetrate both the greater area and the greater hubbub of chatter by the people attending. "We can hear the noise from their entertainments and are disturbed by it at night even though we live over half a mile away." Another said there would be a "significant increase" in traffic as well as the "major increase" in noise. In particular they said it would be a problem when loud music bands play on long summer nights after the polo. Prince Charles became a patron of the 220 acre polo club - just a stones throw from Windsor Castle - after it opened in 1985. This then led to both his sons playing regularly there. Just last July the Duke of Sussex shared a passionate kiss with his new wife, the Duchess of Sussex, after a game. He scored twice as his team won 5-4. The council panel was set to make a decision last night [Thurs]. It currently has an alcohol licence and can play music until 2am.
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| 'Once in a lifetime': Close encounter with Great White Shark shocks fishermen off Jersey Shore Posted: 19 Jun 2019 04:14 AM PDT  Fishermen off the Jersey Shore couldn't believe their luck when a giant Great White Shark swam right up to their boat.
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| Death penalty sought in hammer attack that killed 4 Posted: 20 Jun 2019 03:14 PM PDT  A Louisiana prosecutor said Thursday that he will seek the death penalty against a man accused of using a hammer to bludgeon to death a woman and three children in a New Orleans suburb. A grand jury has indicted Terrance Leonard on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said in a news release. "After consulting with my staff and receiving input from the victims' families, I have decided that my office will seek the death penalty," Connick said.
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| How the trade war with China could ruin your Fourth of July Posted: 20 Jun 2019 09:30 AM PDT  President Donald Trump's trade war with China may raise fireworks prices, hitting Fourth of July displays, jobs and businesses next Independence Day.
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| New accountability report finds NASA has been paying Boeing huge bonuses for failing Posted: 19 Jun 2019 01:43 PM PDT  Between its various ongoing Mars missions, orbiters studying asteroids and other planets, and a Moon trip on the horizon, NASA spends a lot of money. Boeing, which has contracts with NASA to build the rocket for its Space Launch System (SLS) is a big recipient of that cash, and a new government accountability report reveals that NASA has not only been paying more and more despite Boeing falling way behind on its deadlines, it's actually also been paying the company bonuses for its performance. As Ars Technica explains, the new government report is somewhat troubling, especially when you consider that the SLS program has now fallen well behind schedule. The Space Launch System has been in the works since the early 2010s and is designed to give NASA the power it needs to launch missions to the Moon and Mars. For starters, NASA just wants it to send an empty Orion spacecraft around the Moon, but those plans have had to be delayed since the rocket simply won't be ready in time. NASA has apparently been fudging the numbers a bit with regards to how much the whole program is going to cost, and while the agency already acknowledged cost overruns totaling around a billion dollars, the reality is even worse: > While NASA acknowledges about $1 billion in cost growth for the SLS program, it is understated. This is because NASA shifted some planned SLS scope to future missions but did not reduce the program's cost baseline accordingly. When GAO reduced the baseline to account for the reduced scope, the cost growth is about $1.8 billion.Oof. On top of that, the report reveals that NASA has been paying Boeing what amounts to performance bonuses for its role in the program. Audits of the company's performance on the SLS rocket have received several positive ratings from NASA assessors, leading to "award fees" of $271 million to be paid to the company. > NASA paid over $200 million in award fees from 2014-2018 related to contractor performance on the SLS stages and Orion spacecraft contracts. But the programs continue to fall behind schedule and overrun costs.Lovely.
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