| The Latest: Rouhani adviser says Trump moving toward war Posted: 14 May 2019 11:38 AM PDT  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on developments in the Persian Gulf, elsewhere in Mideast, amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):
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| Pennyslvania sues maker of OxyContin, 'jet fuel' of America's opioid crisis Posted: 14 May 2019 04:39 PM PDT  Lawsuit is the first against Purdue Pharma to allege in detail a prolific and calculated scheme of pushing drugs on prescribers The Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro, arrives at a news conference in Philadelphia, 14 May 2019. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP Dr Jeffrey Bado received his first sales visit from a Purdue Pharma representative in September 2005. In the next five years, his prescriptions of OxyContin – the "jet fuel" of America's opioid crisis, according to Pennsylvania's attorney general – increased by 600%, as Purdue reps visited two to three times a week. Now, a lawsuit in the state seeks to hold the company accountable. The lawsuit, filed 2 May by the state attorney general, Josh Shapiro, and announced on Tuesday, accuses Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based maker of OxyContin, of deceptive marketing and criminal negligence in pushing doctors to prescribe the opioid. "We've lost lives, we've lost money and we've squandered opportunity," said Shapiro in a press conference Tuesday. Meanwhile, opioids have been a "goldmine" for Purdue, which has made more than $35bn in revenue since OxyContin was released in 1996, he said. "While Purdue and its executives were profiting and lining their own pockets, they were leaving a path of loss, heartache and bills for someone else in Pennsylvania to pay," he added. Pennsylvania's suit follows a wave of legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, and in some cases, certain members of the multibillionaire Sackler family, who own the company. More than three dozen states have sued Purdue for underplaying the risks of addiction, and a consolidation of 1,500-plus lawsuits filed by US cities and counties is currently playing out in a federal courthouse in Cleveland. Pennsylvania's lawsuit, however, is the first to allege in detail a prolific and calculated scheme of pushing drugs on prescribers – a ruthlessly profitable "marketing blitzkrieg" targeting doctors such as Bado, who was convicted of fraud and drug distribution felonies in 2016. According to the complaint, Pennsylvania, one of the hardest-hit states in the opioid crisis, received half a million sales visits by Purdue reps since 2007 – the highest of any state except California. The complaint outlines a multi-pronged promotion strategy from Purdue involving unrelenting sales calls; branded and unbranded promotion; paying select "key opinion leaders" to make seemingly unbiased endorsements of Purdue products; and targeting its marketing efforts to vulnerable patient groups, such as the elderly and veterans. The complaint also alleges that Purdue knew of OxyContin's high addiction risk but continued to misrepresent or minimize it. Shapiro singled out Purdue's propagation of the term "pseudoaddiction", a condition it says the company invented to encourage more opioid prescriptions despite evidence of full-blown addiction. "The conduct is absolutely outrageous and unlawful," said Shapiro. Purdue said in a statement that it "vigorously denies the allegations filed today in Pennsylvania" and called the allegations "misleading attacks" that are "part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system. "Such allegations demand clear evidence linking the conduct alleged to the harm described, but we believe the state fails to show such causation and offers little evidence to support its sweeping legal claims," it said. Shapiro said his office's efforts were on behalf of those lost to addiction – 12 Pennsylvanians every day in 2018, according to the CDC – and the loved ones left behind. Asked in a subsequent press call if he intended to add the Sacklers in name to the suit, Shapiro declined to outline future plans. But he added: "We are not done here. This lawsuit is just the first step."
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| Two floatplanes collide in midair near Ketchikan, Alaska; at least 4 dead Posted: 14 May 2019 07:57 AM PDT  Five people died and 10 were injured after two floatplanes crashed in the water near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan.
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| AOC, at Green New Deal rally, puts Joe Biden and other Democratic climate moderates on notice Posted: 14 May 2019 07:10 AM PDT  Speaking at Howard University, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other proponents of the Green New Deal, affirmed their progressive ideals while striking out at both conservative Republicans and moderate Democrats who have, according to her and other critics, done too little about global warming for too long.
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| Alabama abortion ban 'has gone too far' with 'extreme' bill, evangelical leader Pat Robertson says Posted: 15 May 2019 03:42 PM PDT  Evangelical leader Pat Robertson has declared Alabama's new abortion ban, which prevents the procedure outright in nearly all cases, "an extreme law"."I think Alabama has gone too far, they've passed a law that would give a 99-year prison sentence to those who commit abortions," Mr Robertson said during an episode of his long-running Christian television show, The 700 Club. "There's no exception for rape or incest," he continued. "It's an extreme law and they want to challenge Roe v Wade, but my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one'll lose."Though the evangelical maintained his support for ending Roe v Wade, he still told CBS viewers that he thought Alabama's specific law was "ill-considered".Alabama's new rule, which was signed into law by governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday afternoon, is now the strictest anti-abortion law in the country. With almost no exception, the law declares abortion a Class A felony, and attempted abortion a Class C felony.It will take effect in six months, meaning that abortion remains legal in Alabama for now. Its creators have said it is a direct challenge of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that protects American abortion rights, and the ACLU of Alabama has already vowed to challenge it. It's the latest in a series of dedicated laws enacted by Republican legislatures attempting to reach the Supreme Court, including a bill in neighbouring Georgia that criminalizes abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Mr Robertson is considered a foundational member of the current Evangelical movement, which has been working against abortion rights for decades. A former Southern Baptist minister, he rose to fame after establishing the conservative Christian Broadcasting Network in the 1960s. He currently serves as chairman for CBN, and has been arguably its most famous personality since its inception.Though he finds Alabama's law extreme, Mr Robertson's commitment to the cause of stripping women of access to abortion does not appear to be waning. "God bless them," he said of the Alabama legislators, despite what he considers mistakes. "They're trying to do something."
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| A unique Porsche Type 64 going under the hammer in August Posted: 14 May 2019 01:32 AM PDT  The prestigious Sotheby's auction house is selling an exceptional Porsche Type 64 -- the forebearer of all the German brand's legendary sports cars -- in an auction in Monterey, California, August 15-17, 2019, held during Monterey Car Week, which culminates with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Created in 1938, this model is considered by many to be the first car produced by what would become the Porsche company, or, in any case, the first model to bear the automaker's name. Post-World War Two, it went on to inspire all the automaker's legendary sports car series, from the 356 to the 911.
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| Plan to arrest migrant families tabled due to a lack of resources Posted: 14 May 2019 02:28 PM PDT  White House officials considered a secret plan to arrest thousands of undocumented migrant parents and children in coordinated raids across the U.S., but the idea was tabled due to a lack of resources, reports the Washington Post and the Associated Press.
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| Maleah Davis case: Missing 4-year-old's biological father shares heart-wrenching photos Posted: 15 May 2019 09:38 AM PDT  The father of a missing Houston girl took to social media to share heart-wrenching photos of his daughter amid a nearly two-week-long search for her
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| Photos of the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Posted: 15 May 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| US, coalition allies appear divided on Iran threat Posted: 14 May 2019 03:58 PM PDT  Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria sent conflicting signals Tuesday over Iran's alleged threat, with a British general appearing to take issue with Washington's alarms over an imminent danger posed by Tehran to the US and its allies. Major General Chris Ghika, a British spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, said that they did not sense any intensified threat from Iran in the region, even though the US military was boosting its forces in the Gulf. "There has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria," Ghika told reporters via teleconference at the Pentagon.
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| Anxiety, hope as church schools wait to reopen in Sri Lanka Posted: 14 May 2019 11:33 PM PDT  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Catholic officials and parents in Sri Lanka are hopeful that church-run schools will begin to reopen soon for the first time since last month's devastating Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels.
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| President Trump dismisses trade tensions as 'a little squabble with China' Posted: 14 May 2019 12:13 PM PDT  The ramped-up trade tensions between the U.S. and China have roiled markets in recent days, but President Trump dismissed concerns and predicted victory on Tuesday when he spoke to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before embarking on a trip to Louisiana. Trump began by declaring "we're having probably the greatest economy that we've had anywhere, any time in the history of our country."
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| Ferrari 250 GTO sells for record $70 million (£52m) Posted: 15 May 2019 11:09 AM PDT  One of the best surviving GTOs has sold to American collector David MacNeil for the highest price ever paid for a classic car. A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has been sold to Ferrari collector and WeatherTech CEO David MacNeil for a rumoured $70 million – a new world record for a classic car. The Ferrari in question, serial number 4153 GT, is one of the most celebrated of the 39 250 GTOs produced, due to its competition history and its originality – unusually for a race car, it's never been crashed.
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| Russia tells Pompeo: Enough mistrust, let's reboot our ties Posted: 14 May 2019 08:11 AM PDT  Pompeo is in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks with his Russian counterpart, and later on Tuesday will also hold consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ties between the two countries have been poisoned by allegations - denied by Moscow - that Russia tried to influence the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and by differences over Venezuela, Iran, Syria and Ukraine. ...Let's try, and see what happens." Pompeo's visit represents the first high-level contact between Moscow and Washington since U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muller submitted a report examining the nature of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
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| Georgetown Student Sues School After Dad Admits to $400K Bribe in College-Admissions Scam Posted: 15 May 2019 09:16 AM PDT  REUTERSA Georgetown University undergraduate whose father admitted to paying a $400,000 bribe to secure his son a spot at the elite college as part of the nationwide admissions scandal is now suing the school.Adam Semprevivo, a 21-year-old rising senior, accused Georgetown of imposing an "arbitrary, capricious disciplinary process" that deprives him of his "due process" by refusing to let him transfer to another school with his academic credits intact. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is also seeking an injunction to stop future academic discipline against him, including "threatened expulsion." Just 10 hours after the lawsuit was filed, school officials informed Semprevivo of their intention to expel him from Georgetown and rescind his original offer of admission, his lawyer, David Kenner, told The Daily Beast. "By rescinding the original offer, Adam will lose his credits for three years at Georgetown," Kenner said, adding that the lawsuit will now be amended to prevent such action from the university. "If they do that, Adam will have to essentially start from scratch, regardless of the time and money he spent on this school."Georgetown spokesperson Meghan Dubyak confirmed the school's decision to dismiss two students on Wednesday, but added that the university "cannot comment on pending litigation." Semprevivo's lawsuit is the first to arise from the college bribery scheme authorities have called the "largest college admissions scam prosecuted by the Justice Department."'I Am Ashamed': Felicity Huffman to Plead Guilty in College Admissions Scandal"We got an email Tuesday that Adam would not be allowed to withdraw from Georgetown until the review is finished, but they did not give us any time-frame of when that would be," Semprevivo's lawyer, David Kenner, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday. "All we are asking for is to just let Adam go with his credits so he does not have to start life all over again at such a young age."Kenner added that Wednesday's letter must mean "someone had to stay up all night to conduct the entire investigation."The student's father, Los Angeles executive Stephen Semprevivo, pleaded guilty to fraud last week after being accused of paying $400,000 in 2016 to secure his son's spot at Georgetown as a tennis recruit. Semprevivo, 53, is one of dozens of parents charged in March for allegedly paying California-based admissions consultant William "Rick" Singer upwards of $25 million total to rig test scores, cheat on SAT exams, and bribe college coaches, all with the goal of getting their children into elite universities. Many of the children were in the dark about the scam.Singer, the 58-year-old mastermind of the operation, has pleaded guilty in Boston to charges including racketeering, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. To date, over half of those accused have pleaded guilty to the scheme, including actress Felicity Huffman. Mark Riddell, Who Took Tests for Wealthy High Schoolers in College Scam, Pleads GuiltyAccording to the lawsuit, Adam Semprevivo "was informed by Singer that the tennis coach at Georgetown, Gordon Ernst was a friend, and that Coach Ernst would provide a recommendation for Semprevivo during the admissions process." In reality, Ernst used "one of his assigned admissions slots as if he was recruiting Semprevivo to play tennis for Georgetown," even though the economics major had never played competitive tennis. Singer allegedly created a fake profile for Semprevivo claiming he was a nationally-ranked competitive tennis player who had previously made the Nike Federation All Academic Athletic Team. The profile even included an essay that focused on his purported tennis skills on his high-school tennis team. "When I walk into a room, people will normally look up and make a comment about my height— I'm 6'5"—and ask me if I play basketball," the essay written by Singer said, according to the March indictment. "With a smile, I nod my head, but also insist that the sport I put my most energy into is tennis."The day after Semprevivo's acceptance into Georgetown, which "was not conditioned on playing or participating on the tennis team," his father donated $400,000 to Key Worldwide Foundation—a non-profit organization run by Singer, according to the complaint. Some of those funds were allegedly used to pay Ernst for his involvement.The lawsuit accuses Georgetown of not even bothering to read his admissions application. Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin Laugh, Wave to Fans in Court Appearance for College Admissions Scandal"If you look at Adam's high school transcripts, his letters of recommendation, and his resume, it's clear that his sport choice was basketball. He was even on the basketball team," Kenner said. "So the school either didn't read his application or didn't care to read his application." It was not until February that the Georgetown student, who had paid the school more than $200,000 in tuition, became aware of his father's actions, the lawsuit says. By March, an online petition with more than 17,000 signatures surfaced calling for the school to revoke the degrees and admission of all students allegedly embroiled in the scheme, including Semprevivo. The next month, Semprevivo asked the school to let him "withdraw without prejudice, maintain his earned credits, and transfer to a new school," a request that is still under review."Georgetown has failed to conduct disciplinary proceedings in this case that comply with any notions of fundamental fairness," the lawsuit states. Semprevivo is one of at least a dozen students whom Ernst allegedly designated as tennis recruits from 2012 to 2018, in exchange for more than $2.7 million from Singer, prosecutors said in the March indictment. Ernst, who left the school in 2018, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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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| How did it happen? NTSB begins probe of midair collision of Alaska floatplanes that killed 6 people Posted: 15 May 2019 05:13 AM PDT On the same day the death toll from a floatplane collision in Alaska rose to 6, the NTSB launched what's expected to be a week-long investigation.
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| Lost US passport in Austria? Go to McDonald's for help Posted: 15 May 2019 09:28 AM PDT  McDonald's. Under a new partnership, outlets of the US fast food chain throughout Austria will help American citizens from Wednesday to get in touch with their embassy, it said on Facebook. "Staff (at any McDonald's in Austria) will assist them in making contact with the US Embassy for consular services," the embassy wrote.
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| Ford Fusion Recalled for Gear Selector Issue Posted: 15 May 2019 12:47 PM PDT  Ford is recalling 259,182 of its 2013 to 2016 Fusion sedans because a cable that links the gear selector to the transmission can fail, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear from wha...
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| Iran's So-Called 'Stealth' Fighter Is a Paper Tiger Posted: 15 May 2019 03:19 AM PDT  One should also bear in mind that back in 2003, Iran unveiled an earlier, more convincing fake subsonic stealth fighter called the Shafaq—revealed in 2014 to be a mock-up made of wood.There can be such a thing as posturing too hard.(This first appeared last year.)Iran's aviation industry has accomplishments to boast about despite operating under heavy sanctions for nearly forty years. It has managed to keep once state-of-the-art U.S.-built F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat fighters in operational condition for decades, including nine years of high-intensity aerial warfare with Iraq, despite being cut off from spare parts from the United States. It has refurbished the rusting hulks of old F-5 Freedom Fighters into twin-vertical stabilizer Saeqeh fighters, reverse-engineered their J85 turbojet engines, and created a variety of viable capable drones.
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| Every New Compact Crossover and SUV Ranked from Worst to Best Posted: 15 May 2019 06:17 AM PDT |
| Trump's bid to block disclosure of financial records leaves judge astonished Posted: 15 May 2019 04:24 AM PDT  A federal judge in Washington expressed astonishment Tuesday at arguments raised by President Donald Trump's lawyers seeking to block his accounting firm from turning over years of financial records to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight and Reform Committee and seemed to signal a swift ruling in favour of lawmakers.US District Judge Amit Mehta fired pointed questions at the president's lawyers, who argued in a 22 April lawsuit that the committee's sweeping subpoena to Mazars USA for the financial records of Mr Trump and various associated entities since 2011 was not "a valid exercise of legislative power."Lead Mr Trump attorney William Consovoy accused Democrats of "assuming the powers of the Department of Justice" on a partisan crusade, arguing that "this is about the House being dissatisfied with the president, and wanting to prove by any means possible that he has done things wrong."Douglas Letter, general counsel of the House of Representatives, replied that Mr Trump's claim of freedom from congressional oversight marked "a total, basic and fundamental misunderstanding" of the Constitution, saying he would pronounce Congress "a nuisance . . . getting in his way while he's trying to run the country."The hearing Tuesday was the first courtroom confrontation in a wave of legal battles waged by the president to shield his personal finances from investigators, including congressional Democrats, state lawmakers and regulators. Several fights are asking judges to weigh in on the constitutional separation of power between coequal executive and legislative branches.Mr Mehta, a 2014 appointee of President Barack Obama, challenged some of Mr Trump's assertions in questions to his legal team."Is it your position that whether the president has properly reported his finances (under federal disclosure laws), that's not subject to investigation by Congress?" Mr Mehta asked."Say a president was involved in some corrupt enterprise, you mean to tell me because he is the president of the United States, Congress would not have power to investigate?" Mr Mehta asked, continuing, what if "we're talking about a presidential violation of a constitutional prohibition that only Congress has authority to approve?" such as the acceptance for emoluments or gifts from a foreign government.Mr Consovoy answered yes, saying determining whether a president properly disclosed his finances was a "pure law enforcement function," not a matter for Congress, whose fundamental duty he said is in writing bills.And if Congress did seek to enact legislation, whether to tighten ethics requirements, fight public corruption or enforce a constitutional prohibition on acceptance of foreign emoluments, Mr Consovoy said, "I don't think there is any permutation of any of these proposals that could pass constitutional muster," because they would interfere with the president's execution of his duties, or add qualifications for his office."There's not a single Supreme Court or appellate case since 1880 that has found Congress overstepped its legislative authority by issuing a subpoena," Mr Mehta observed at another point.The lawsuit in Washington was brought by Mr Trump and several of his businesses against House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings and Mr Trump's accounting firm Mazars USA.Congressional Democrats accuse Mr Trump of trying to stonewall lawmakers' oversight until after the 2020 election, while the president's team counters that it will not tolerate a campaign of "congressional presidential harassment."Mr Mehta gave both sides until Saturday to file any additional submissions and promised a ruling "promptly, consistent with the gravity of the issues" involving the balancing of powers between Congress and a president.Mr Mehta did not say when he would rule, but he noted that a different House panel, the Financial Services Committee, is set to appear in federal court in Manhattan on May 22 to defend other subpoenas for Mr Trump's bank records issued to Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial. Mr Trump and his three eldest children and companies have sued to quash the subpoenas.Mr Mehta said at the end of Tuesday's 80-minute hearing that he would also make clear in his opinion whether he would stay a subpoena, if he upholds it, to give the president time to appeal.Mr Mehta also questioned aspects of the House's legal arguments, asking whether Congress was claiming blanket authority to investigate matters by claiming a duty to "inform the public.""It really does open the door to the accusation, perhaps valid or not, that this really is an effort - if not to harass the president - then to get into his private affairs for political purposes, if there is no clear line as to what this investigation is about," Mr Mehta said. "How do I draw lines to test, even if it's a soft test, the validity of what you're doing? "Letter said Congress' function to "inform the public" about the president is a valid basis for the subpoena, citing past investigations into the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the origins of the Iraq War and former President Bill Clinton's Whitewater land dealings.But he said the House also had obvious legislative purposes to oversee the function of laws governing the financial disclosure of public officials and avoidance of conflicts of interests, the handling of presidential records and the prevention of foreign governments holding hidden financial influence over American elected officials."We need to know that," Letter argued. "We need to know, is the president of the United States beholden to foreign interests, because they can hold things over his head?"Pressed by Mr Mehta to come up with some hypothetical demand by Congress that would go too far, Letter speculated. "I want to see the president's diary when he was 7 years old, or when she was 12 years old. That would probably stretch my argument to the breaking point."Cummings' panel last month subpoenaed Mazars, seeking documents to corroborate testimony by the president's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who said at a congressional hearing that Mr Trump intentionally misreported the value of his assets for personal gain.Other House panels have requested Mr Trump's banking records and tax returns, while his company also faces enquiries from New York state regulators and is defending itself in two lawsuits alleging that the company violates the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments.Mazars attorney Henry Schuelke has said the firm took no position on the case.The Washington Post
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| Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior Posted: 15 May 2019 03:40 AM PDT ![Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior]( "Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior") China will only be more open to the world, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, as he denounced as "stupid" those who believe in cultural superiority, in his first public address since trade tension with the United States spiked last week. China and the United States are locked in an escalating trade war, with both levying tariffs on each other's imports. China on Monday announced higher tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, effective on June 1, in retaliation for a U.S. decision on Friday to raise levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.
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| Clarence Thomas Just Showed How Supreme Court Would Overturn Roe v. Wade Posted: 14 May 2019 02:22 AM PDT  Jason Reed/ReutersIn 1992, the Supreme Court looked poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case protecting abortion rights. They didn't, however, and the main reason was respect for precedent—specifically, the legal doctrine known as stare decisis, or "let the decision stand." Would it do the same today, with over 250 laws meant to test the case pending in states across the country?An otherwise obscure case decided this week, Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, suggests that a majority of the court would not. Hyatt was, in large part, about stare decisis. A 1979 Supreme Court case, Nevada v. Hall, held that citizens can sue a state in another state's court. In 1998, Gilbert Hyatt did just that as part of a tax dispute, with tens of millions of dollars at stake. This week, the court overruled its 1979 decision by a vote of 5-4 and tossed out Hyatt's claim. The split was on ideological lines, with the court's five conservatives in the majority and four liberals in the minority.Of the 18 pages in the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, 17 are about the legal question in the case, which revolves around states' rights, sovereign immunity, and the Constitution. It's no surprise that Justice Thomas, in particular, wrote this opinion, as states' rights have been a focus of his for three decades.What was surprising is that stare decisis warranted only 318 words in Justice Thomas' opinion, almost like an afterthought, and that Justice Thomas summarily waved away this important judicial doctrine. If this is how the court's conservatives treat sovereign immunity, how will they treat abortion rights?That's what Justice Stephen Breyer asked in his dissent. Unlike the majority opinion, Justice Breyer's dissent devoted over a quarter of its space to stare decisis. And he concluded, "today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next."It's not hard to guess which cases Justice Breyer was wondering about. Because the same logic applied in Hyatt would overturn not only Roe v. Wade but also the court's precedent on same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges.How? Let's look at Justice Thomas' reasoning.First, Justice Thomas notes that stare decisis is "'not an inexorable command" and is "at its weakest when we interpret the Constitution because our interpretation can be altered only by constitutional amendment." Now, some would say that stare decisis is at its strongest when fundamental constitutional rights are at issue. But for Justice Thomas, in cases like Roe and Obergefell, stare decisis is at its "weakest."Thomas then goes on to apply a version of the usual stare decisis test, taking into account "the quality of the decision's reasoning; its consistency with related decisions; legal developments since the decision; and reliance on the decision."The first prong is the most important. Here, Thomas finds that the 1979 precedent "failed to account for the historical understanding of state sovereign immunity." But that's not the same as the decision's being of poor quality—it's an imposition of Justice Thomas' specific, historically oriented "originalism" philosophy. There are, after all, many ways to evaluate the quality of a decision's reading: its principled analysis of the rights in question, its integration of constitutional norms with contemporary reality, and so on.Here, however Justice Thomas glosses over that jurisprudential debate and simply concludes that a Supreme Court precedent was badly argued—according to his standards.This is the central question in cases like Roe and Obergefell. No one denies that abortion was banned for much of our country's history, and that same-sex marriage would have been anathema to the Founders of the republic. The debate is over whether history gets a vote or a veto. Heartbeat Abortion Bills Were Once a Fringe Idea. Could They Overturn Roe v. Wade?If this same standard is applied to Roe and Obergefell, they would go down in flames.The fourth prong is also critical. People depend on the law being stable. Hyatt, for example, filed his suit exactly as the law provided. Now, the rug is pulled out from under him, and all Justice Thomas says is that "we acknowledge that some plaintiffs, such as Hyatt, have relied on Hall by suing sovereign States. Because of our decision to overrule Hall, Hyatt unfortunately will suffer the loss of two decades of litigation expenses and a final judgment against the Board for its egregious conduct."Unfortunately!Now multiply Hyatt's misfortune a millionfold. As Justice Breyer wrote, overturning Supreme Court precedents except in the rarest of cases "is to cause the public to become increasingly uncertain about which cases the Court will overrule and which cases are here to stay."Arguably, many more people rely on Roe and Obergefell than on Hall, and so the reliance prong would be more important in challenges to those cases.But that cuts both ways. For every woman seeking an abortion, there is someone who believes that abortion is murder. In at least a dozen states, a majority of democratically elected legislators are trying to ban or severely limit the practice. Just last week, Georgia became the fourth state this year (joining Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio) to ban abortions after only six weeks of pregnancy, in a direct frontal challenge to Roe. And, a future conservative justice might point out, women seeking abortions could simply travel to other states if need be (if, of course, they can afford it).Because Justice Thomas so readily dismisses the reliance claim in Hyatt, it's easy to see him doing the same in Roe. Likewise in Obergefell. For 12 years, we lived in a country in which same-sex marriage was legal in some states and illegal in others; is a return to such a world truly untenable? Anyway, unless marriages like mine were retroactively invalidated, who is really relying on same-sex marriage being legal? Prospective couples could, like victims of rape or incest, simply relocate to a state more favorable to their interests.In short, Justice Thomas' theory of stare decisis is like a roadmap for how to overrule decisions one disagrees with. First, frame the disagreement as one over "quality" rather than principle. Second, trivialize the ways in which people rely on the law as it stands.And third, with the stroke of a pen, wipe out constitutional rights that people like me mistakenly think we possess.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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| Boeing 737 makes emergency landing in Tennessee following a 'potential mechanical issue' Posted: 14 May 2019 06:36 PM PDT  Delta Air Lines flight 1417 landed safely at the airport after a crew reported a nose gear issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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| Tucker: Homelessness getting worse in California Posted: 14 May 2019 06:09 PM PDT  'Tucker Carlson Tonight' investigates the nation's homeless crisis and the decay of American cities.
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| Kremlin says concerned over escalating Iran tensions despite Pompeo claims Posted: 15 May 2019 04:54 AM PDT  The Kremlin Wednesday expressed concern that tensions over Iran keep escalating despite assurances from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Russia that Washington was not seeking war. "So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, a day after Pompeo met with President Vladimir Putin.
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| Man pleads guilty in mall attack against boy, faces 19 years Posted: 14 May 2019 09:08 AM PDT  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who reportedly told investigators that he went to the Mall of America "looking for someone to kill" pleaded guilty Tuesday to throwing a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony and faces 19 years in prison.
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| Russia Might Take the Biggest Submarine Ever and Add 200 Cruise Missiles Posted: 15 May 2019 01:54 AM PDT  Thus, while the idea of Russia reviving its cold war leviathans sounds compellingly scary, there's evidence it makes little practical or financial sense given more cost-efficient and survivable means to achieve the same ends. It could also be the project is being trumpeted for the propagandistic symbolism behind deploying super-submarines that are larger and carry more missiles than their American counterparts.On April 20, 2019, Russia's TASS Agency reported that Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev announced Russia's intention to take two of its decommissioned Typhoon-class ballistic submarines and pack them full of hundreds of cruise missiles.(This first appeared last month.)"The dimensions of these submarines allow arming each of them with at least 200 cruise missiles [each]," he said.The Typhoon ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), famously featured in the film Hunt for Red October, are by far the biggest and most expensive submarines ever built. Cruise-missile-armed Typhoons would give Russia direct analogs of the United States' four Ohio-class cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), which had their launch tubes for nuclear-armed ballistic missiles replaced with vertical launch systems for 154 conventionally-armed Tomahawk cruise missiles.Burtsev made the missile-envy issue explicit:
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| Elizabeth Warren rejects town hall on 'hate-for-profit racket' Fox News Posted: 14 May 2019 12:48 PM PDT  The Massachusetts senator explained her reasons for refusing an invitation that others seeking the Democratic presidential nomination have accepted.
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| China Exporters Reel as U.S. Tariffs Imperil World’s Supply Hub Posted: 13 May 2019 06:20 PM PDT  Furniture makers like Yang's Sunrise Furniture Co., based in the industrial heartland of Dongguan in southern China, already had wafer-thin profit margins after years battling rising labor and other costs. A Bloomberg Economics analysis of almost 1,000 companies in major export sectors found "not many" can survive tariffs of 25%.
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| Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device Posted: 15 May 2019 04:40 PM PDT ![Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device]( "Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device") A severely disabled man said that U.S. airlines do not provide appropriate lifts, so he brings his own, but Southwest still wouldn't let him fly.
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| The 10 Best Buys in Motorcycles for 2019 Posted: 15 May 2019 08:00 AM PDT |
| The Latest: AP sources: Panel, Trump Jr. agree to interview Posted: 14 May 2019 02:51 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on a subpoena sent to Donald Trump Jr. (all times local):
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| Texas police raid Catholic offices in sexual abuse probe Posted: 15 May 2019 05:20 PM PDT  Texas police investigating child sexual abuse on Wednesday raided offices of the Catholic diocese in Dallas, after alleging that church officials had not been fully cooperative. Police served search warrants at the headquarters of the diocese, a storage location and offices of a local church. The raids were connected to the investigation of a fugitive priest named Edmundo Paredes and at least five new allegations of abuse against other suspects, police said.
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| 1988 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Callaway Twin-Turbo Four-Speed Is a High-Performance Love Letter from the '80s Posted: 15 May 2019 07:30 AM PDT  Revisit the high-livin' forced-induction era by bidding on this Callaway Vette, offered at no reserve on Bring a Trailer.
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| The official OnePlus 7 Pro launch video just leaked hours ahead of today’s event Posted: 14 May 2019 05:17 AM PDT  The day many OnePlus fans must have been waiting for is finally here. The OnePlus 7 series will soon be unveiled, and we'll know everything there is to know about the three handsets the Chinese smartphone maker is about to announce. Well, we've known pretty much everything about these devices for a few weeks now, thanks to a combination of leaks and official announcements from OnePlus. While you wait, we've got a few more leaks to go through before the event starts, including a full launch video of the OnePlus 7 Pro that's expected to be shown during Tuesday's press conference. It doesn't get any better than this, OnePlus fans. Here's the OnePlus 7 Pro in all its splendor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=5oK0rYZG4fE Posted on Reddit initially, the clip confirms all the leaks we've seen so far, giving us an even better look at the next OnePlus flagship. We get to see the new all-screen display and its curved edges, the pop-up selfie camera, and the triple-lens camera on the back. This is the best OnePlus 7 version you'll find in stores this year, according to previous leaks. And a 5G version of the Pro will also hit certain markets, including the UK where it'll work on EE's network. But wait, there's more! T-Mobile's presentation video has also leaked, revealing the phone's most important specs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzsDgp_mbD0 But we're not done with the last-minute OnePlus 7 leaks yet, as trusted insider Ishan Agarwal is back with pricing details for the OnePlus 7 series, this time for the UK. While he doesn't seem to have the price for the 5G version, the leaker did share the purported prices of the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro models, as well as the prices for the brand new Bullets Wireless 2 headphones: https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1128219206791548928 Yes, the OnePlus 7 Pro will be more expensive than the regular model, but that's not really a secret. The good news is that the OnePlus 7 will cost just as much as the OnePlus 6T did when it launched back in November if this leak is accurate. The OnePlus 6T had an entry price of £499 in the UK or $549 in the US. OnePlus will soon confirm these leaks and more — the company's press conference is set to kick off at 11:00 AM ET.
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| Trump's attempts to rally allies against Iran falls flat with UK official who says there's no threat Posted: 15 May 2019 03:33 AM PDT  As the Trump administration draws up war plans against Iran over what it says are threats to US troops and interests, a senior British military official told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that he saw no increased risk from Iran or allied militias in Iraq or Syria.A few hours later, the US Central Command issued an unusual rebuke. The remarks from the British official — Major General Chris Ghika, who is also the deputy commander of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State — run "counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from US and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region."The rare public dispute highlights a central problem for the Trump administration as it seeks to rally allies and global opinion against Iran.Over the past year, Washington has said Iran is threatening US interests in the Middle East, encouraging aggression by Shiite militias in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, shipping missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen and allowing its naval forces to behave belligerently in the Persian Gulf.All are concerns that have been levelled against Iranian forces for years."We are aware of their presence clearly and we monitor them along with a whole range of others because of the environment we are in," Mr Ghika said.But he said, "No, there has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq or Syria."Intelligence and military officials in Europe as well as in the United States said that over the past year, most aggressive moves have originated not in Tehran, but in Washington — where John Bolton, the national security adviser, has prodded President Donald Trump into backing Iran into a corner.One U.S. official said the new intelligence of an increased Iranian threat was "small stuff" and did not merit the military planning being driven by Mr Bolton. The official also said the ultimate goal of the yearlong economic sanctions campaign by the Trump administration was to draw Iran into an armed conflict with the United States.Since May 2018, the Trump administration has withdrawn from the major powers agreement that curbed Iran's nuclear program, reimposed punishing sanctions on Tehran, demanded that allies choose between Iranian oil and doing business in the U.S. market, and declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organisation.And on Tuesday, the State Department appeared on the verge of ordering a partial evacuation of the US Embassy in Baghdad as a heightened security measure, according to people familiar with the plans.The anti-Iran push has proved difficult even among the allies, which remember a similar campaign against Iraq that was led in part by Mr Bolton and was fuelled by false claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's efforts this week to recruit European countries to back the administration's steely posture on Iran are being received coolly.Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, called for "maximum restraint" after meeting on Monday in Brussels with Mr Pompeo, a proponent of the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.Iraqi officials said they were sceptical of the US intelligence that Mr Pompeo presented last week on a surprise trip to Baghdad. Mr Pompeo said the threat was to US "facilities" and military personnel in Iraq.In September, Trump administration officials blamed Shiite militias with ties to Iran for firing a few rockets into the area near the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US Consulate in Basra. There were no injuries, but Mr Pompeo ordered the Basra Consulate closed.Privately, several European officials described Mr Bolton and Mr Pompeo as pushing an unsusnewpecting Trump through a series of steps that could put the United States on a course to war before the president realises it. While Trump has made no secret of his reluctance to engage in another military conflict in the Middle East, and has ordered US troops home from Syria, his secretary of state and his national security adviser have pushed a maximalist hard-line approach on Iran. Mr Bolton, in particular, has repeatedly called for US military strikes against Tehran.Officials said Trump was aware that Mr Bolton's instinctual approach to Iran could lead to war; aides suggested that the president's own aversion to drawn-out overseas conflicts would be the best hope of putting the brakes on military escalation.A spokesman for Mr Bolton declined to comment.The Trump administration is looking at plans to send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East should Iran attack US forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons, The New York Times reported. On Tuesday, Trump dismissed that as "fake news." "We have not planned for that," he told reporters.But he immediately added, "If we did that, we'd send a hell of a lot more troops than that."Some of the president's critics accept that Iran continues to engage in what US officials call "malign behaviour," be it in Yemen, Syria or the Palestinian territories. But they blamed the administration for aggravating the standoff with Tehran.."This is a crisis that has entirely been manufactured by the Trump administration," said Vali Nasr, the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.He pointed to Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, coupled with the administration's failure to get any other nations to do so. "None of the other signatories to the deal were persuaded by the case the U.S. was making," Nasr said. "And that is because this administration's policy on Iran, at a fundamental level, does not have credibility."That lack of trust has proved to be a major obstacle in convincing allies that Iranian behaviour in the region warrants military action.And while acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has carefully cultivated a more acquiescent stance to Mr Bolton's demands than did his predecessor, Jim Mattis, many military officials and congressional representatives worry about the escalating tensions. Mr Mattis had balked at Mr Bolton's request for military options against Iran after the rockets landed on US. Embassy grounds in Baghdad."Mr Bolton did the same with President George W. Bush and Iraq," Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., an Iraq War veteran, said in a statement last week. "As someone sent four times to that misguided war, I have seen the costs of Mr Bolton's disastrous foreign policy in a way he never will — firsthand, and at the loss of thousands of American lives."One big worry is that the Trump administration has issued the most expansive type of warning to Iran, without drawing specific red lines. That has increased the chance of a military conflict over misinterpretations and miscalculations.In a statement this month, Mr Bolton outlined vague terms of what appeared to be conditions for military engagement, responding to what he said were "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings."He said "any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." And he warned that the Trump administration was "fully prepared to respond to any attack" by the Iranian military or a "proxy" — one of the Middle East's many Shiite militias that are supported by Iran.Those militias often do not operate under direct command-and-control from Iran, and they have varying levels of allegiance to the Iran military.In Yemen's civil war, the Houthis are Shiite rebels who oppose a government backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Sunni nations. The Houthis' ties to Iran are murky. But the Trump administration labels the rebels as Iranian proxies, and Mr Bolton's statement left open the possibility that a Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia or the UAE — both US allies — could set off a US military assault against Iran.The hard-line tactics against Iran could backfire in two ways, said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. If the sanctions crush its economy, then Iran could act with less restraint, he said. And if the sanctions do not work well, then some US officials will advocate military action, a move that Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are likely to support."There will be people in Washington who will push for limited kinetic action against the Iranian regime to cut it down to size," he said.In statements, Iranian leaders have reacted with both belligerence and diplomatic restraint to a series of US actions that they see as provocative. In a tweet Tuesday, the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, ridiculed Mr Bolton and three anti-Iran foreign leaders in the Middle East as a "B Team."> In interviews in April, I predicted "accidents"—not because I'm a genius— but because B_Team is so brazenly following @AmbJohnBolton's script (https://t.co/beCZByEaCT). > After all, half of B-Team were co-conspirators in disastrous Iraq war. > Stark reminder https://t.co/ksCi9ntp85 pic.twitter.com/hpkGaap8aC> > — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) > > May 14, 2019"In interviews in April, I predicted 'accidents' — not because I'm a genius — but because B_Team is so brazenly following @AmbJohnBolton's script," Zarif said. "After all, half of B-Team were co-conspirators in disastrous Iraq war."The New York Times
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| Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister Posted: 15 May 2019 03:57 PM PDT ![Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister]( "Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister") Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday his country would again turn to Russia for natural gas supplies if Exxon Mobil Corp has not decided by September whether to invest in a massive Black Sea offshore project. Romania's Black Sea reserves pose a potential challenge to Russian Gazprom's dominant role supplying Central and Eastern Europe, according to consultancy Deloitte. "Exxon Mobil can be the game changer in the energy supply of Europe.
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| Who gets hurt by China's new tariffs on American goods? Farmers and chemical makers Posted: 14 May 2019 10:23 AM PDT  China's announcement that it's raising a tariffs on US imports to up to 25% poses a further threat to farmers, manufacturers and other businesses
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| 10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 14 May 2019 03:07 AM PDT  Your daily look at late breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
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| Best Tech Deals in May 2019 Posted: 15 May 2019 09:39 AM PDT  Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop DealsMemorial Day is around the corner which means retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are discounting everything from smart home devices to game consoles. And with the imminent arrival of Amazon Prime Day 2019, soon we'll be gathering the best Amazon Prime Day deals. In the meantime, here are some of the best tech deals we're seeing right now. Looking for a new smartwatch to help you get in shape for the Summer? For a limited time, you can get the Garmin Forerunner 935 for $409 from Amazon. Traditionally, this smartwatch is priced at $500, so that's $91 off its regular price. It's the best price we could find for this smartwatch. By comparison, it's $16 cheaper than Best Buy's current sale price. The Garmin Forerunner 935 is a premium GPS running watch features a heart rate, barometer, and altimeter tracking sensors. Ideal for running, swimming, cycling and more, it's Android, iOS, and Windows compatible. It's the perfect wearable for anyone who wants to get instant phone notifications and comprehensive multisport app support on their wrist. Good news for Android fans hunting for the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals. Amazon currently has the factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy S10e on sale for $649.99. Normally priced at $749.99, that's $100 off and the lowest price we've seen for the Galaxy S10e. It features a 5.8-inch AMOLED Infinity display, a Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you want a larger screen, Amazon also has the 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 on sale for $799.99 ($100 off). Other noteworthy deals include: Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its proprietary devices at discounted pricing. * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) [NEW] * Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet for $149.99 ($50 off) * Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet for $89.99 ($40 off) * Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet for $59.99 ($40 off) * Fire TV Stick for $24.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only) * Fire TV Stick 4K for $34.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only) * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker for $29.99 ($20 off) * Echo Show (2nd Gen) w/ Free Smart Bulb for $229.99 ($14 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $149.98 ($50 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire 7 Kids Edition for $129.98 ($40 off) * Ring Video Doorbell 2 w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($49 off) * Ring Spotlight Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($50 off) * Ring Spotlight Wired Cam Wired w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($50 off) * Ring Stick-Up Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off) * Ring Stick-Up Wired Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off) * Ring Floodlight Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $249 ($50 off) * Ring Smart Lighting Spotlights (2-pack) for $100 ($30 off) Top Tech Deals Right Now * Amazon Echo Show 2nd Gen) w/ free Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $229.99 ($65 off) [NEW] * Microsoft Surface Pro 6 for $699 ($200 off) [NEW] * Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Laptop for $579.99 ($70 off) [NEW] * Apple AirPods 2nd Gen (Back-order) for $139.99 ($19 off) * Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones for $279.95 ($70 off) * Apple iPad 9.7-inch 128GB for $329 ($100 off) * Apple iPad Air 2019 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $479 ($20 off) * Apple 9.7-inch iPad for $249 ($81 off) * Microsoft Surface Go for $399 ($100 off) * Acer Aspire 3 Laptop for $400 ($99 off) TV Deals * Vizio 65-inch M-Series 4K HDR Smart TV for $649.99 ($350 off) * Sharp 65-inch 4K Smart TV for $449.99 ($250 off) * Sony 70-Inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $1,098 ($500 off) * JVC 65-inch 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV for $479.99 ($420 off) * TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV for $329.99 ($270 off) * Hisense 60-inch 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV for $399.99 ($100 off) * Samsung 43-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $697.99 ($102 off) * Samsung 49-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $797.99 ($202 off) * Samsung 55-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $1,097 ($100 off) Tech Under $50 * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) [NEW] * Spotify Premium Membership for $0.99 ($27 off, ends 6/30) [NEW] * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker for $29.99 ($20 off) * Logitech M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse for $24.99 ($25 off) * Redragon K552 LED Gaming Keyboard for $34.99 ($25 off) * Anker 7-in-1 USB C Hub for $40 ($30 off) * Anker 5-in-1 USB C Hub for $22 ($7 off) Smartwatch Deals * Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro w/ $125 GC for $199.99 ($125 off) [NEW] * Garmin Forerunner 935 for $409 ($91 off) * Garmin Fenix 5S Plus for $599.99 ($200 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5X Plus for $649.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5 for $349.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm) for $199 ($80 off) * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 42mm) for $229 ($80 off) also at Amazon Phones * Google Pixel 3 64GB (Clearly White) for $679.99 ($119 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB for $699 ($200 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB Unlocked (Just Black) for $720 ($179 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked for $779 ($221 off) * Apple iPhone SE Unlocked for $249 ($100 off) * Samsung Galaxy S9 Unlocked 64GB for $478.99 ($121 off) * Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Unlocked 128GB for $689 ($311 off) Cameras * Arlo Smart Wi-fi Baby Monitor Camera for $138 ($62 off) * Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Camera for $498 ($150 off) * Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera w /15-45mm Lens for $599 ($300 off) * Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm VR Lens for $396.95 ($103 off) * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $229 ($150 off) * Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Instant Film Camera for $99.99 ($80 off) Games and Consoles * MS Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle for $215 ($85 off) * Mortal Kombat 11 for Xbox One or (Switch) for $50 ($10 off) * Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 for $35 ($25 off) also at Amazon * Call of Duty: Black Ops for PS4 for $29.99 ($25 off) * WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition for $39.99 ($50 off) * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch for $50 ($10 off) * Kingdom Hearts 3 for PS4 for $29.99 ($30 off) * Kingdom Heart 3 for Xbox One for $29.99 ($30 off) * Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 for $34.99 ($25 off) * Up to $40 off Xbox One Games at Microsoft
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| Palestinians mark anniversary of mass displacement Posted: 15 May 2019 08:28 AM PDT  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians on Wednesday marked the 71st anniversary of their mass displacement during the 1948 war around Israel's creation with protests across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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| Authorities ID hiker killed in Appalachian Trail attack Posted: 14 May 2019 07:32 PM PDT  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An Oklahoma man was stabbed to death in an attack on the Appalachian Trail in southwestern Virginia, federal authorities said Tuesday.
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| NY Mom Fails Drug Test After Eating Poppyseed Bagel Before Giving Birth Posted: 15 May 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Less than a week after baby Carter Dominguez was brought into the world, baby and mom are enjoying time at their home, but the arrival wasn't easy.
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