| UPDATE 7-Iran says it will confront any U.S. threat, Trump eyes new sanctions Posted: 21 Jun 2019 11:57 PM PDT ![UPDATE 7-Iran says it will confront any U.S. threat, Trump eyes new sanctions]( "UPDATE 7-Iran says it will confront any U.S. threat, Trump eyes new sanctions") Iran said on Saturday it would respond firmly to any U.S. threat, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, amid escalating tension between Tehran and Washington over the shooting down of an unmanned U.S. drone by the Islamic Republic. On Thursday, an Iranian missile destroyed a U.S. Global Hawk surveillance drone. Tehran repeated on Saturday that the drone was shot down over its territory.
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| Georgia death row inmate becomes 1,500th person to be executed since US brought back death penalty Posted: 21 Jun 2019 01:08 PM PDT  The United States has executed the 1,500th person since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, according to a database keeping track of executions.Marion Wilson Jr was killed by lethal injection at 9.52pm on Thursday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia after the US Supreme Court denied a stay of execution.The state's Department of Corrections confirmed his death. According to their press release, he was the 73rd person executed in Georgia since 1976, and the 51st put to death by lethal injection.Nationally, lethal injection counts for 1,323 of the 1,500 deaths, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.In 1997, WIlson was convicted along Robert Earl Butts Jr in the March 1996 slaying of 24-year-old Donovan Corey Parks.Prosecutors said Parks, a stranger to the two men, was killed after agreeing to give the two men a ride outside a Walmart in rural Georgia.Butts was sentenced to death as well; his death by lethal injection was fulfilled last year.The state's Department of Corrections says Wilson was given a final statement and a prayer before the state administered deadly injection of pentobarbital."I ain't never took a life in my life," Wilson said.To his friends and family he added: "I love y'all forever. Death can't stop it. Can't nothing stop it."Outside the prison where Wilson's death was administered, protestors of the death penalty held signs that read "1,500 executions and counting. Abolish the death penalty."Around 2,500 prisoners currently face the death penalty in America. The largest numbers are in California (740), Florida (354), and Texas (228).
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| Protestors ask Pete Buttigieg about black lives matter movement during heated confrontation Posted: 22 Jun 2019 11:28 AM PDT  Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg cancelled several 2020 campaign events this week following a police-involved shooting that left a black man dead.
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| NRA sues ex-president Oliver North, saying he harmed the NRA Posted: 21 Jun 2019 05:19 AM PDT  The National Rifle Association has sued its former president, Oliver North, for what it called "conduct harmful to the NRA" as turmoil that was exposed publicly when North resigned two months ago continued Thursday when the organization also turned against its longtime chief lobbyist. The lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York sought a judge's declaration that the NRA isn't required to pay North's legal bills. North stepped down from the post in April after serving for a year.
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| 9/11 first responder pleads for victims fund from his hospice bed Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:19 AM PDT  Luis Alvarez, who testified with Jon Stewart, asked Congress to 'do the right thing' in what he expects to be his last interviewAn emergency first responder who was diagnosed with cancer following his work at Ground Zero in New York has spoken from his hospice bed just days after he testified alongside Jon Stewart about funding for those who fell ill from their work after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.Retired New York police department detective Luis Alvarez used what he expects to be his final interview to make a final impassioned plea to Congress to renew the 9/11 victims fund and deal with an "epidemic" of Ground Zero-related illnesses.Alvarez said on Thursday that after nearly 70 rounds of chemotherapy, doctors had told him there was nothing more they could do. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016 that has spread to his liver."It's an epidemic. There's going to be more and more first responders getting sick. And our government has to take care of them. It's just a matter of decency, a matter of doing the right thing. We did the right thing when we went down there. Now it's the government's turn to do the right thing by us," Alvarez, 53, told Fox News.> UPDATE: 9/11 first responder Luis Alvarez does an interview with @FoxNews as his liver is failing after breathing in toxic dust after the Twin Towers fell https://t.co/cIUomvx6OJ> > — Nikki Schwab (@NikkiSchwab) June 20, 2019Alvarez said going through cancer has been stressful for his whole family. "We need to ease the stress on the first responders," he added. "And let them know that they're not alone. That the government is here to back them up, to give them the support they need, the financial support that they're going to need when they get sick. It's just a matter of time. You know, most of us that were down there – it's just a matter of time before we get sick."It came just nine days after he received a standing ovation in Washington DC, where Stewart and other first responders addressed the House judiciary committee, to speak out against plans to cut 9/11 compensation by up to 70%."You made me come down here the day before my 69th round of chemo, and I'm going to make sure that you never forget to take care of the 9/11 responders," he said at the hearing. But the following day his health took a downturn and doctors concluded that his liver had shut down.Speaking with his son David by his side from a hospice in Long Island, near New York City, Alavarez said to Fox News host Shepard Smith on Thursday: "We need this bill passed, Shep. It's got to be passed quickly and efficiently so we never have to come down to Washington again and lobby."He said he was comfortable and "at peace" surrounded by his family and that he had "no regrets whatsoever".He insisted that he was just doing what any fire, police or emergency worker would have done when he spent three months at the site of the 9/11 attacks, searching for remains and clearing up in a smoldering, toxic pile after terrorists flew hijacked passenger jets into the World Trade Center. He added: "I'm nobody special. I did what all the other guys did. And now we're paying the price for it."He said he is leaving his sons David, 29, Tyler, 19, and Ben, 14, "without a father".While he said he was "lucky" to have had the heathcare that he has, there are people in his position who do not.He said it was time for the government to act: "We just want the money to be there for our families so that God forbid they do get sick, they're covered."He said they were told the air was safe – which it was not – but even if they had known it was unsafe they would have gone in regardless, "because that's what we do".He said the problem is a US-wide issue among first responders who travelled to New York after the 9/11 attacks to help and warned others to be vigilant."I just want them to know, hey if you were down at Ground Zero … get yourself checked out. Because you could be sick from ground zero," he added.
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| Oh My God, the Marines Have a Laser Now Posted: 21 Jun 2019 06:00 PM PDT  Wow Brace yourselves: Marine grunts now have their hands on a drone-killing laser cannon.Marines are currently evaluating a Compact Laser Weapons System (CLaWS) as "the first ground-based laser approved by the Department of Defense for use by warfighters on the ground," Marine Corps Systems Command announced on Wednesday.Unlike the Army's vehicle-mounted directed energy system, the CLaWS is "not intended to be a standalone system," according to MARCORSYSCOM, but the prototype will "serve as a component to an overall system" designed for counter-drone operations downrange."This was all in response to a need for counter unmanned aerial systems to take down drones," Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) program manager Don Kelley said in the MARCORSYSCOM release. "We're providing CLaWS to Marines as a rapid prototype for evaluation ... Depending on the results, CLaWS could become part of a larger capability set."
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| Donald Trump 'approved strikes on Iran over downing of drone before aborting plan' Posted: 20 Jun 2019 09:42 PM PDT  Donald Trump reportedly approved but then aborted strikes against Iranian targets on Thursday, after Iran shot down a US drone in what the president labelled a "big mistake." The US was planning to hit "a handful of Iranian targets, like radar and missile batteries" on Thursday evening, the New York Times said, citing senior administration officials, but the plan was suddenly called off in its early stages. White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment, the newspaper said, and it was unclear whether there were plans for such strikes to go forward in the future. The report will fuel fears of a looming conflict in the region, where US airlines have been banned from flying through parts of Tehran-controlled airspace. 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." Mr Trump earlier 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." With tensions rising, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order prohibiting US operators from flying in an overwater area of Tehran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman. In a separate advisory to operators, FAA said according to flight tracking applications, the nearest civil aircraft was operating within around 45 nautical miles of the drone when it was shot down. "There were numerous civil aviation aircraft operating in the area at the time of the intercept," FAA said. Iran claims to have shot down a RQ-4 Global Hawk Credit: EPA The agency said it remained concerned about the escalation of tension and military activity within close proximity to high volume civil aircraft routes as well as Iran's willingness to use long-range missiles in international airspace with little or no warning. United Airlines had already decided to suspend flights between New Jersey's Newark airport and the Indian financial capital of Mumbai following a safety review. 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."
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| Woman falls asleep on flight and wakes up in pitch dark on locked and empty plane Posted: 22 Jun 2019 08:09 AM PDT  A woman has claimed she was left alone in a dark and locked plane after falling asleep on a flight.Tiffani Adams took a 90-minute Air Canada flight from Quebec to Toronto on 9 June.Ms Adams fell asleep during the journey but woke up to find the aircraft empty, cleared and parked in Toronto.She had somehow been left inside the dark plane, which appeared to have been locked for the night."I fell asleep probably less than halfway through my short 1.5 hour flight," she said, in a message posted on Air Canada's Facebook page."I wake up around midnight (few hours after flight landed) freezing cold still strapped in my seat in complete darkness (I'm talking pitch black)."Ms Adams described her ordeal as "terrifying" and said she thought she was having a bad dream.The stranded passenger called a friend but her phone died around a minute into the call. Ms Adams then attempted to charge the phone but found that the plane's power had been switched off."I can't charge my phone to call for help I'm full on panicking [because] I want off this nightmare asap," she said."As someone with an anxiety disorder as is I can tell you how terrifying this was," she wrote"I think I'm having a bad dream bc like seriously how is this happening!!?"Ms Adams said she found a torch in the plane's cockpit and eventually made her way to the aircraft's main door.She eventually opened the door, only to find herself around 50 ft above ground and unable to negotiate the drop beneath her.The passenger said she sat with her legs dangling out of the aircraft while sending out distress signals with her torch.Ms Adams said she was unable to tell how much time had passed before she saw a man driving a luggage cart, who passed the plane.She said she flagged the startled airport employee down, saying he was "in shock" to see her. "He [asked] how the heck they left me on the plane," Ms Adams said, describing her rescue."I'm wondering the same."The man then accompanied Ms Adams to the airport building, where she was met by Air Canada representatives.Ms Adams said being forgotten on the plane had left her with recurring "night terrors".She said she struggled to sleep and would wake "anxious and afraid [she was] locked up someplace dark".An airline spokesperson confirmed the account and told The Independent that Air Canada was reviewing the incident and remained in contact with the passenger.
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| Citing bias, US Supreme Court tosses murder conviction of black man Posted: 21 Jun 2019 08:16 AM PDT  The US Supreme Court on Friday threw out the conviction of an African-American man who was tried six times for a quadruple murder, saying the exclusion of black jurors was unconstitutional. Curtis Flowers, 49, was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to death for the July 1996 murders of four people in a furniture store in Winona, Mississippi, where he had briefly worked until being fired. The nation's highest court did not examine the guilt or innocence of Flowers but whether the district attorney deliberately sought to keep black people off the jury in his most recent trial.
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| Texas sends an additional 1,000 troops to the US-Mexico border Posted: 22 Jun 2019 06:20 AM PDT  Governor Greg Abbott says the surge of illegal immigration can't go unchecked.
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| Despite gaffes, Biden holds strong support among blacks in South Carolina Posted: 21 Jun 2019 02:41 PM PDT  As nearly two dozen Democratic presidential candidates here for a ritual fish fry event that marks the symbolic kickoff of the South Carolina campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden appears to be enjoying considerable early support, especially from the capital's tight-knit black community. South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn's "World Famous Fish Fry" gathers African-American party leaders, deep-pocketed Democratic donors, presidential candidates and reporters in a backyard-style cookout full of free food and hokey line dances during the state's customary Democratic weekend. While the state's black Democrats are hardly monolithic, interviews with prominent Democratic operatives and Columbia locals reflect what the polls already appear to indicate: Biden, in spite of his recent gaffes, appears to have a clear leg up with black voters here.
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| These Brunch Cocktails Are What Your Mom Really Wants For Mother's Day Posted: 21 Jun 2019 01:11 PM PDT |
| Trevor Noah Schools Audience Member Who Wants Reparations for White People Posted: 20 Jun 2019 07:27 PM PDT  Comedy CentralAmerica's great reparations debate made its way to The Daily Show on Thursday night. But it wasn't on the air. In his latest "Between the Scenes" segment, host Trevor Noah fielded a question from a member of his audience who wanted to know if he thought reparations should "just go to one group" or perhaps to members of the "same socioeconomic group." In case the question wasn't clear enough, he added, "There are white people that have been disenfranchised recently." "'Recently' is the key," Noah replied. "I think you have to understand what the word 'reparations' means first." As the host put it, reparations are about "repairing" something "that you have broken" or "paying for something that you were supposed to pay for." "I'm not saying that there aren't people living in America today who are suffering and who are going through pain and strife because of what's happening when it comes to, you know, machines taking jobs, factories becoming industrialized, etcetera," he continued. "But reparations is a specific conversation about a specific time in America, and that is black people were slaves, you know what I mean?" In response to those who would argue that Irish indentured servants also deserve reparations, Noah said that if you were a slave, "you could not work toward your freedom" and "you lived and died as a slave." "And so that's what reparations is about," he told the audience member. "And so I hear what you're saying, but I think that's a completely separate conversation." If you're "not careful," he said you could "combine everybody's suffering in the same bowl and make it seem like all injustices have the same weighting. And they don't." Laura Ingraham Dismisses Reparations: 'No Do-Overs...We Won, You Lost, That's That'It's Juneteenth, and a White Nationalist Is PresidentNoah went on to express sympathy for any white person who is "suffering" and can't see their own "white privilege" because they are poor. "It is hard to accept that you have benefits because of the color of your skin if you cannot see the benefits that you have," he said, going on to use the analogy of a golf handicap to explain why black people deserve a leg-up in America. When you look at everything from slavery to Jim Crow laws to continued institutional racism, Noah said, "I think it's safe to say that black Americans have a conversation that they need to be having with the United States." "It doesn't involve me, it doesn't involve white people," he concluded. "It's like, 'Yo, American government, meet the black people.' That's it. Have that conversation." 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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| The Latest: Refinery fire controlled but still burning Posted: 21 Jun 2019 02:09 PM PDT  A fire at a refinery complex in Philadelphia is controlled and contained but still burning more than 12 hours after it started. Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy says the blaze at Philadelphia Energy Solutions started in a tank that holds a mix of propane and butane. Murphy says five employees had minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
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| Wisconsin governor vetoes 'born alive' legislation and other abortion measures Posted: 21 Jun 2019 04:25 PM PDT  Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed four abortion bills Friday, a day after GOP lawmakers made a show in the Capitol of formally sending them to him.
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| How the B-2 Bomber Could Destroy Iran In a War Posted: 21 Jun 2019 01:59 AM PDT  The need to penetrate advanced air-defense networks in the post–Cold War era led to B-2s acquiring a conventional strike capability. The bomber can carry up to sixteen Joint Directed Attack Munition (JDAM) satellite-guided 2,000 pound bombs. In the past it has also carried CBU-87 Combined Effects Munitions and CBU-90 Gator mine dispensers, but submunition-dispensing munitions are being phased out in U.S. inventories. The bomber also carries the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon, a glide bomb with a range of up to fifty miles and a GPS-based guidance system. For standoff attacks, the Spirit can carry the AGM-158 Joint Air Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the new, longer-range JASSM-ER (extended range). Finally, the B-2 can carry two 30,000 pound twenty foot long Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs for attacking hardened targets, one per weapons bay.The B-2 Spirit is one of three strategic heavy bombers in U.S. Air Force service. Originally conceived to infiltrate the Soviet air-defense network and attack targets with nuclear weapons, over the decades its mission has grown to include conventional precision attack. The B-2 is the most advanced bomber in U.S. service, and the only one of three types that still carries nuclear gravity bombs.(This first appeared in 2017.)
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| Russians hit out at Kremlin ban on flights to Georgia Posted: 22 Jun 2019 03:50 AM PDT  Russia's travel industryhit out Saturday at a decision by the Kremlin to suspend flights to Georgia as a politically motivated move that has little to do with safety concerns. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning Russian airlines from flying to Georgia from July 8 late Friday in response to anti-government rallies in the ex-Soviet neighbour. The outbreak of protests was sparked by a parliamentary address in Tbilisi by a Moscow lawmaker earlier this week.
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| School will no longer be recognised as Catholic after refusing to fire gay teacher, church officials say Posted: 22 Jun 2019 11:50 AM PDT  A school that refused to fire a gay teacher as ordered by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis says it has been told by church officials that it will no longer be recognised as Catholic. But school leaders pledged to keep the institution's religious identification.The archdiocese announced in a statement that it would no longer recognise Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, an independently operated school, because it was not insisting that all employees "be supportive of all teachings of the Catholic Church," the Catholic News Agency reported. The church is against homosexual activity.A statement by the Reverend Brian G Paulson, who heads the Midwest Province of Jesuits, said the archdiocese told Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School two years ago not to renew the contract of a teacher whose "marital status does not conform to church doctrine." He also said the decision, to be formalised in a church decree, would be appealed through a church process and would go as high as the Vatican "if necessary."Leaders of Brebeuf Jesuit posted an open letter to their community on the Indianapolis school's website saying the archdiocese had directly inserted itself into a school governance matter in an "unprecedented" way and that it would not do what Archbishop Charles Thompson had demanded.The letter said in part: "Specifically, Brebeuf Jesuit has respectfully declined the Archdiocese's insistence and directive that we dismiss a highly capable and qualified teacher due to the teacher being a spouse within a civilly-recognised same-sex marriage."The unidentified teacher was said by Mr Paulson to be "a valued employee" who does not teach religion. He wrote that Brebeuf Jesuit became aware through social media "that one of its teachers entered into a civil marriage with a person of the same sex."According to the Associated Press, a school operated by the archdiocese, Indianapolis Roncalli High School, has fired or suspended two guidance counsellors in the past year because they are in same-sex marriages.Brebeuf Jesuit's leaders who signed the open letter are the Reverend William Verbryke, the school president; W Patrick Bruen, chair of the school's Board of Trustees; and Daniel M Lechleiter, chair-elect of the trustees board. They promised in the letter that the school's mission would not change as a result of this conflict with the archdiocese."We understand that this news will likely spur a host of emotions, questions and even confusion in the days ahead. Please be assured, the Archdiocese's decision will not change the mission or operations of Brebeuf Jesuit."On Friday, the school's name was not on the archdiocese's list of Catholic schools in its region.The church says there are 68 Catholic schools - 57 elementary schools and 11 high schools - in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, according to its website. Collectively, they enrolled some 23,200 students during the 2018-2019 school year.Most of those schools are operated by a school division within the archdiocese, which is headed by Superintendent Gina Kuntz Fleming, who did not return phone calls about Brebeuf Jesuit. While Brebeuf Jesuit is a Catholic school within the archdiocese, it is independently operated. The school has nearly 800 students in grades nine through 12.The school leaders' letter said that, while the archdiocese "may choose to no longer attend or participate in the school's Masses and formal functions, Brebeuf Jesuit is, and will always be, a Catholic Jesuit school."It also said church leaders assured them that "Jesuit priests may continue to serve at Brebeuf Jesuit and will retain their ability to celebrate the sacraments of the Catholic Church."The Washington Post
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| Cocaine haul from ship grows, arrests now stand at 6 Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:23 AM PDT  Federal authorities say they've seized more than 35,000 pounds, or 15,876 kilograms, of cocaine from a ship at a Philadelphia port.
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| Pete Buttigieg will miss South Democratic dinner and fish fry after South Bend shooting Posted: 21 Jun 2019 12:39 PM PDT  The South Bend, Indiana, mayor will instead take part in a march in his city that comes after a white police officer fatally shot a black man Sunday.
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| Photos of the 2020 Peugeot 2008 SUV Posted: 21 Jun 2019 08:46 AM PDT |
| UPDATE 1-Iran tells US it will be responsible for consequences of any attack - Fars Posted: 21 Jun 2019 02:41 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Iran tells US it will be responsible for consequences of any attack - Fars]( "UPDATE 1-Iran tells US it will be responsible for consequences of any attack - Fars") Iran has told the United States via the Swiss ambassador that Washington will be responsible for the consequences of any military action against Iran, the Fars news agency said on Friday. Because Washington and Tehran have no formal diplomatic ties, the Swiss ambassador in Tehran represents American interests in the Islamic Republic.
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| Colorado shooter says he targeted kids over gender taunts Posted: 20 Jun 2019 10:09 PM PDT  A high school student charged in a classmate's death during a Colorado school shooting told police that he planned the attack for weeks and intended to target classmates who repeatedly mocked his gender identity. Written summaries of police interviews with the two suspected shooters portray 16-year-old Alec McKinney as the leader of the attack, enlisting 18-year-old Devon Erickson in the plan to kill the students who bullied McKinney, who identifies as male. Both teenagers told police that they broke into a gun safe at one of the teenager's homes before walking into the STEM School Highlands Ranch on the afternoon of May 7 with a guitar case and a backpack concealing four guns.
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| Trump courts the Hispanic vote: 'I love immigrants' Posted: 20 Jun 2019 07:21 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump, who officially launched his campaign for re-election this week, pitched himself to Hispanic voters Thursday during an interview with the US Spanish-language network Telemundo. "I love immigrants," Trump said, when presenter Jose Diaz-Balart asked the president about his administration's policies on child separation, on the DACA program protecting people brought to the US illegally as children -- which the president ended -- and on his "zero-tolerance" border plans. "You mean illegal immigrants," Trump said.
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| Why India’s Hypersonic Missile Could Trigger A Nuclear War Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:00 AM PDT  India's test of a hypersonic missile signifies more than the advance of Indian weapons technology.It also is one step closer to triggering a nuclear war with Pakistan.Ironically, the first launch of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, or HSTDV, was a failure. The HSTDV, which is shaped almost like a sailing ship, is supposed to be a testbed for developing future hypersonic weapons such as cruise missiles. It is launched atop an Agni 1, an Indian ballistic missile."The vehicle was test launched using the Agni 1 missile platform that was to take it up to a predetermined altitude where scramjet technology—the ability to fly at speeds in excess of Mach 6 while using atmospheric oxygen as oxidizer—had to be validated with separation of the platform and a short flight at high altitude," according to India's Economic Times."Sources said that while the missile on which the platform was mounted successfully took off from the range, the test could not be completed to demonstrate the vehicle at hypersonic speed as the Agni 1 did not reach the desired altitude for the test. Scientists are looking at the technical reasons behind this and are studying all available data."
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| E. Coli scare leads to multi-state recall of brownie mix Posted: 21 Jun 2019 06:09 PM PDT  With the weekend upon us it might seem like a lovely time to make yourself a tasty treat. If you've got a box of brownie mix in your pantry -- and you happen to live in Alabama, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, New York, or South Carolina -- you might want to think again.The FDA just posted a new product recall bulletin for cookie and brownie mixes sold in those states, and the risks of accidentally consuming the tainted product could be high. The flour used in the various mixes may be contaminated with E. Coli.According to the recall notice, the flour used in mixes carrying the brand names Brand Castle, Sister's Gourmet, and In The Mix comes from supplier ADM Million Co., and that's where the trouble originated.> The product is being recalled because an ingredient supplier, ADM Milling Co., has issued a recall for the flour used in these products due to E. coli contamination found in a single lot code of H&R Flour at their Buffalo production plant.The full list of UPCs and lot numbers are available in the FDA's bulletin, so if you think you might have a jar of this mix sitting in a cupboard it would be wise to check.E. Coli is a group of bacteria that can cause some pretty serious issues if ingested. Strains of the bacteria can produce a variety of symptoms including cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea.The company says that it hasn't received any complaints of illness over the consumption of its products, but it's issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution. The company is offering refunds to anyone who purchased the recalled mix, and a phone number and email address are provided on the recall notice.
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| Samsung's Galaxy Fold is reportedly ‘ready to launch' Posted: 21 Jun 2019 03:23 AM PDT  On Wednesday, the Korea Herald reported that Samsung's Display VP declared earlier this week that the Galaxy Fold, the brand's foldable smartphone, is ready to hit the market -- with the launch likely taking place in July. Originally, the device was supposed to be released in April for the US market and in May for the Korean market.
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| Take A Cruise In This Olive Green 1977 Toyota FJ40 Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:16 AM PDT  Take the top off, while you're at it. This 1977 Toyota FJ40 runs and drives like new, despite having 100,044 original miles on the dash. For sale by Vintage Cruisers, this 'Jeep' is the perfect vehicle to go anywhere and do anything regardless of the season. It's a 4x4 dream and dates all the way back to 1960, when it was first introduced.This Toyota utility vehicle was in production from 1960 to 1983, and all the way up to 2001 in Brazil! Importation to the United States started in 1963 and, within just two years, the FJ40 Land Cruiser became the best-selling Toyota in America. Cosmetically, the FJ ultimately remained the same until it ceased production in 1983. However, it did see a gradual progression of trim tweaks and functional improvements throughout the years. It went from a bare-bones rock climber to a relatively modern SUV that was 30 years ahead of its time.This 1977 Toyota FJ40 is a beautifully restored two-door hardtop convertible body in a unique Olive Green exterior paint. That's right, this bad boy is ready for its next owner and for some new summertime adventures. From Arizona, this Land Cruiser contains a rust-free steel body with a fresh paint job and new interior Marine-grade upholstery. The undercarriage has been completely stripped and PPG undercoated for a rust-proof finish. The cabin also features upgraded waterproof floors, full factory bucket seats with headrests, a padded dashboard, and new A/C and heater unit.It's powered by a big 4.2-liter 2F motor mated to a four-speed manual transmission with three-speed transfer case gears. This FJ40 includes updated turn signals, power disc brakes, and a roll bar. It also has HD suspension, shackles, and urethane bushings. The front bumper sports a custom rectangular front bezel that certainly sets it apart. It matches the new factory white wagon wheels wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich tires.The disc brakes, 2F motor, and drive trans have been recently serviced. This Toyota FJ40 contains all new belts, hoses, and fluids. It's ready for daily use and then some. Read more.. Take The Whole Family Off-Road In This Custom Toyota FJ45 Troopy Restomod FJ45 Pickup Is The Model That Made Toyota
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| Jussie Smollett incident isn't over: Chicago judge appoints special prosecutor to investigate Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:51 AM PDT  A Cook County judge appointed a special prosecutor to probe the decision to drop charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett.
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| How to Mow Your Lawn in Hot Weather and Keep It Green Posted: 21 Jun 2019 01:05 PM PDT  With the dog days of summer finally here, it's time to re-evaluate how you mow your lawn. While a low-cut, manicured lawn might seem ideal, turf grass actually does better in the summer heat when...
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| Conservative U.S. justices draw criticism by overruling precedent again Posted: 21 Jun 2019 09:38 AM PDT  For the second time in six weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority on Friday overruled a decades-old legal precedent set by the court, this time involving property rights, raising alarm bells among its liberal members. The ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, overruled a 1985 Supreme Court decision that had forced property owners facing a government-led takeover of land for public purposes to seek compensation under state law before bringing a claim in federal court. The ruling comes amid rising concern among abortion rights advocates and Democratic politicians over whether the court may overrule Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
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| Hotel owner sues insurance company after Vegas mass shooting Posted: 22 Jun 2019 02:01 PM PDT  More than 4,000 people are seeking damages from MGM Resorts International related to the Las Vegas Strip mass shooting that left 58 people dead, the casino giant said in a lawsuit alleging its insurance company has failed to pay promised legal costs. Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts alleges breach-of-contract and accuses Illinois-based Zurich American Insurance Co. of failing to pay defense costs for damage claims stemming from the 2017 shooting. MGM Resorts owns the Mandalay Bay hotel, where the shooter opened fire from a 32nd-floor window, and the Route 91 Harvest festival venue where country music concert-goers died and more than 850 people were injured.
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| Trump-Iran news: President claims he called off airstrikes on Tehran after general told him '150 people would die' Posted: 21 Jun 2019 06:30 AM PDT  Donald Trump approved military strikes against Iran before abruptly pulling back at the last minute, sparking controversy and outcry."On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone," the president explained in a series of tweets.Having responded to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' decision to shoot down the costly US Navy surveillance drone with a surface-to-air missile, the president said Tehran had made "a very big mistake" but ultimately refrained from going through with an operation that would have targetted radars and missile batteries in the Gulf.The president said on Friday the US was "cocked and loaded" to retaliate against Iran for downing the unmanned American surveillance drone but he cancelled the strikes minutes before they were to be launched after being told 150 people could die.Mr Trump's tweeted statement raised important questions, including why he learned about possible deaths only at the last minute.His stance was the latest example of the president showing some reluctance to escalate tensions with Iran into open military conflict. He did not rule out a future strike but said in a TV interview that the likelihood of casualties from the Thursday night plan to attack three sites in Iran did not seem like the correct response to shooting down an unmanned drone earlier in the day in the Strait of Hormuz."I didn't think it was proportionate," he said in an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press.The aborted attack was the closest the US has come to a direct military strike on Iran in the year since the administration pulled out of the 2015 international agreement intended to curb the Iranian nuclear program and launched a campaign of increasing economic pressure against the Islamic Republic.Mr Trump told NBC News that he never gave a final order to launch the strikes — planes were not yet in the air but would have been "pretty soon."Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
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| Gold glistens as US-Iran tensions fuel flight to safety Posted: 21 Jun 2019 06:03 PM PDT  Gold prices struck near six-year highs on Friday as a weaker dollar and escalating US-Iran tensions fueled a flight to safer investments, while oil futures built on strong gains.
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| America's 6th Generation Fighter Could Be Everything: 4 Things It Must Have Posted: 21 Jun 2019 09:00 PM PDT  While the United States moves towards full-scale of the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning stealth fighters, countries like France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom are looking to skip ahead to an even more advanced sixth-generation.It's too soon to identify for sure what the sixth-generation jets will look like, as none exist yet, and they are only planned to enter service starting in the late 2030s and 2040s. However, there are many technologies likely to feature in the sixth generation of aircraft.Of course, it is the nature of arms races and military industrial complexes to already looking ahead to the next game in town. Thus the Navy and Air Force are already courting concepts from the defense industry on separate sixth-generation successors to the F-35, called the FA-XX and Penetrating Counter Air respectively.After the frustrations experienced in reconciling the Air Force's and Navy's differing demands for the F-35—and the mere 20 percent parts commonality that resulted between the two—the two services have little desire to jointly develop the Lightning's successors. The PCA is intended to be a long-range escort fighter that can accompany forthcoming B-21 Raider stealth bombers into enemy airspace and protect them from enemy fighters. The FA-XX will likely be an interceptor that can better protect Navy carriers from enemy bombers and missiles.
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| Dad of Maleah Davis, slain 4-year-old, shares photos of her 'My Little Pony'-themed casket Posted: 21 Jun 2019 05:13 AM PDT  The father of Maleah Davis, the 4-year-old whose remains were found in Arkansas earlier this month, posted photos of 'My Little Pony'-themed casket.
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| As Johnson Prepares for Power, Tories Plot Against No-Deal Brexit Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:56 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- In the coffee shops and bars of Britain's Parliament, the political conversation has already turned to the question that will define the country's immediate future: Can Boris Johnson be stopped from pursuing a no-deal Brexit?The options under discussion for Conservative politicians who want to avoid a no-deal split from the European Union are dramatic. They include quitting the party and mounting a rebellion to bring down the government.The contest to succeed Theresa May as prime minister has seen a hardening of rhetoric around leaving the European Union. Johnson and his rival to be prime minister, Jeremy Hunt, argue that only by threatening to leave the EU without an agreement can Britain get a good deal.Johnson remains the front-runner to be the next prime minister, though he has raised new questions about his temperament. London police were called to his home early Friday morning after an argument with his partner Carrie Symonds became so heated that neighbors called authorities. Police said in a statement that they determined that everyone at the residence was safe and "there was no cause for police action."The fear among some members of Parliament is that Johnson, in particular, will find himself boxed into a corner where he has to carry out his threat. That's why politicians who oppose a no-deal Brexit, from the cabinet down, are bracing themselves for battle.Read more: Wit Made Boris Johnson -- And His Team Know It Could Undo HimThere has been talk of a vote of no-confidence in the government, with the idea floated even of doing it as soon as Johnson takes office in late July. This is a "nuclear option" that could destroy Johnson's administration as soon as it is formed, leading to a general election.Plotters' OptionsAny Conservative MP supporting a no-confidence vote would be expelled from the party and forbidden from standing as a Tory candidate, effectively ending their careers. Yet one veteran Conservative observed privately that he was ready to do it if necessary to avoid the economic disaster of a no-deal Brexit.Most no-deal opponents argue that such a radical move would not be necessary. Instead, they plan to seize control of the Parliamentary agenda, putting them in charge of the draft laws and motions that are debated and voted on -- matters that the government of the day usually decides.There's no formal mechanism for this to happen, but officials point to the Standing Order 24 in the parliamentary rule book, which lets the opposition force an emergency debate.Parliamentary officials expect Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow to allow this rule to be used in an unprecedented way to set aside a whole day for debate. That day would give Johnson's opponents a chance to pass a law blocking a no-deal Brexit.Willing to RebelSupporters of this plan are confident it would work. Rory Stewart, who ran for the party leadership but was knocked out, told journalists that "nearly 100 of my colleagues" would vote to prevent a move to leave the EU without a deal.That's a big increase on the nine Conservatives who voted to block a no-deal Brexit in March. But even if it's an exaggeration, there are good reasons to think that more Tories will be willing to rebel against the government to stop a no-deal exit under Johnson.He is such a divisive figure that some MPs could leave the party if Johnson wins and sit as independent MPs. Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve has said he will. In the final stages of voting for leadership candidates, two Tories spoiled their ballots, suggesting they found all the remaining options unacceptable.Fractures, SchismsWhoever is the next prime minister will find he makes enemies as quickly as he makes friends. The suggestion that some Johnson supporters voted for Hunt in order to put his long-term rival Michael Gove out of the race has created resentment in parts of the Tory party. And there are likely to be MPs supporting Johnson in hope of getting government jobs who find themselves disappointed.The biggest group in the way of Johnson's plan to leave the EU without a deal are the ministers he fires when he takes power.They would feel liberated to vote as they liked. Along with Stewart, other ministers who vocally oppose no-deal are May's de facto deputy, David Lidington, Philip Hammond, the finance minister, and Justice Secretary David Gauke.If Johnson is defeated on a vote about no-deal, he will face another choice: Back down and see his credibility further eroded, or call an election -- and risk being thrown out of office only weeks after taking the job.(Updates with police visiting Boris's home in fourth paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Death of Egypt's Morsi comes amid Brotherhood struggles Posted: 21 Jun 2019 05:47 AM PDT  The sudden collapse and death of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in a Cairo courtroom this week was a brief rallying point for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement that has seen its influence steadily wane across the Mideast since Egypt's military ousted Morsi in 2013. Seven years ago, in the still hopeful aftermath of the Arab Spring, Morsi took the podium in front of hundreds of thousands in Cairo in 2012 as the first freely elected president of Egypt, and opened his jacket to show he wore no bulletproof vest. At that moment, the Brotherhood leader embodied the rise of the Islamists in the Middle East.
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| Former top U.S. diplomat deplores policy toward Iran 'untethered to any coherent strategy' Posted: 21 Jun 2019 10:05 AM PDT  President Trump seriously miscalculated when he scrapped the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal, embarking on a policy "untethered to any coherent strategy," according to a scathing assessment by William Burns, the former U.S. diplomat who negotiated the nuclear agreement. Burns said the move was certain to embolden hard-liners in Tehran and contribute to military tensions in a way that will backfire against the U.S. — which was already happening this week, as news broke that Iran had shot down an American military drone.
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