| Would U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Lose a War to Iran? Posted: 25 Jun 2019 04:50 AM PDT  The recent oil tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman reinforce the need to reestablish a highly visible U.S. naval deterrent in the Middle East. For eight months last year, no aircraft carrier strike group plied the region, the longest such interruption this millennium. With the United States needing a more robust posture against Iran and confronting renewed challenges in Asia and Europe, several immediate measures and concerted longer-term efforts are critical to ensure America has the carriers it needs.The requirement to maintain carrier presence in the Middle East is a critical part of a broader national security strategy, in which U.S. global security interests necessitate a worldwide force presence. Indeed, the Navy's mission demands remain as high as those of the Cold War, calling on ships to be everywhere seemingly at once, but today's fleet is less than half the size it was 30 years ago.During the Obama administration, a "rebalance" supposedly allowed the Pentagon to focus on Asia and Europe while washing its hands of the Middle East. In reality, we never effectively rebalanced forces in the Indo-Pacific, and the situation on the ground forced us to remain deeply involved in the Middle East. Now with a growing Iranian threat, it would be imprudent to suddenly abandon the region, even as we face renewed challenges in the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean.Indeed, Iran's threat to the region continues growing as its recent attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman demonstrate. Its reliance on violent sectarianism helps fuel Sunni extremist groups like ISIS. This also places Tehran's proxies on the borders of key U.S. allies. Beginning next year, Tehran can start upgrading its conventional and missile arsenals as U.N. arms embargoes expire. It is also threatening to resume progress toward nuclear weapons.The Trump Administration is pursuing robust sanctions, but these alone are likely insufficient to prevent Tehran's aggression and reassure our regional allies.Credible forward deployed military capability – like a carrier strike group – provides real options for American policymakers. Last month's intelligence suggesting Iran was ready to move against U.S. interests in the Middle East demonstrates how the absence of such forces could embolden Iran. Responding to this intelligence, the prompt movement of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group into the region has dramatically increased the U.S. force posture. Effective deterrence of Iran will require persistent, visible, and credible military capability.A combination of far-reaching and short-term policy changes can address this challenge.
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| Miss Hooters Tennessee finalist arrested, accused of trashing boyfriend's house after breakup Posted: 25 Jun 2019 09:25 AM PDT  Madison Rogers, Miss Hooters Tennessee contestant, faces burglary and vandalism charges after police said she destroyed part of ex-boyfriend's house.
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| UK foreign minister Hunt says cannot envisage joining U.S.-led war with Iran Posted: 25 Jun 2019 04:13 AM PDT ![UK foreign minister Hunt says cannot envisage joining U.S.-led war with Iran]( "UK foreign minister Hunt says cannot envisage joining U.S.-led war with Iran") Britain does not expect the United States to request that the United Kingdom joins a war with Iran and London would be unlikely to agree to join such a conflict, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Tuesday. "The U.S. is our closest ally, we talk to them the whole time, we consider any requests that they say carefully, but I cannot envisage any situation where they request or we agree to any moves to go to war," Hunt told parliament.
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| Student debt a 'life sentence' for millions of Americans Posted: 24 Jun 2019 01:51 PM PDT  Haley Walters is five years away from earning her law degree. If everything goes according to plan, she will be under a mountain of $100,000 in student debt by the time she enters the work force. Like millions of Americans, Walters is paying a steep price for an education that will likely weigh her down financially for much of her adult life.
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| Biden: Congress should immediately make 'Dreamers' citizens Posted: 24 Jun 2019 05:48 PM PDT  Ahead of the first Democratic debates, Joe Biden is proposing that Congress grant immediate citizenship to more than 800,000 U.S. residents who were brought to the country illegally as children. The former vice president and Democratic polling leader introduced some of his immigration priorities Monday in a newspaper op-ed that blisters President Donald Trump for an "assault on the dignity" of the Latino community through policies and rhetoric designed to "scare voters" in 2020. Biden, who launched his 2020 campaign in April, calls for streamlining the asylum system for migrants and spending more on electronic security at borders instead of building Trump's proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.
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| 2021 Ford Bronco to Get 2.3-Liter EcoBoost Engine, according to an Online Parts Configurator Posted: 25 Jun 2019 09:30 AM PDT  Multi-line retailer Canadian Tire inadvertently revealed the future Bronco's engine on its website.
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| NATO calls on Russia to destroy new missile, warns of response Posted: 25 Jun 2019 06:46 AM PDT  On Tuesday, NATO urged Russia to destroy a new missile to save a treaty that keeps land-based nuclear warheads out of Europe or face a more determined alliance response in the region.
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| Taking a Closer Look at Japan's Futuristic Attack Submarine Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:40 AM PDT  The sleek underwater warship will ensure the country is defended by the best non-nuclear submarines around.
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| Iran drone downing highlights limitations of US unmanned aircraft Posted: 25 Jun 2019 07:04 AM PDT  US drones have been a key tool in conflicts against insurgent organizations such as the Taliban and the Islamic State group, but Iran's downing of one of the aircraft highlights their limitations against more sophisticated adversaries. While drones offer the significant attraction of not putting American lives at risk and can stay aloft for more than a day, allowing for extended surveillance missions, they can be vulnerable to air defenses, are often expensive, and their loss can lead to sensitive hardware falling into the wrong hands. "I believe sophisticated air defenses will continue to have good chances to shoot down an aircraft like an RQ-4 whenever it is in position to do meaningful surveillance of their territories or other assets," he said, referring to the type of drone brought down by Iran last week near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
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| Kellyanne Conway scoffs at ethics watchdog: 'They want to put a big roll of masking tape over my mouth' Posted: 24 Jun 2019 08:30 AM PDT  President Trump's counselor said Monday that the White House isn't sure that the Hatch Act — which prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in political activities — applies to her.
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| Stunning giant squid captured on video in US waters for first time Posted: 24 Jun 2019 06:58 AM PDT  The video, which lasts less than 30 seconds and was taken about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, shows a giant squid in U.S. waters.
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| Safety agency calls for tighter skydiving flight rules Posted: 24 Jun 2019 07:47 PM PDT  The National Transportation Safety Board on Monday called on the Federal Aviation Administration to tighten its regulations governing parachute operations as Hawaii officials released the names of seven of the 11 victims killed when their skydiving plane crashed last week. The NTSB recommended to the FAA more than a decade ago that it strengthen its rules on pilot training, aircraft maintenance and inspection, and FAA oversight, board member Jennifer Homendy told a news conference in Honolulu. "We identified several safety concerns in 2008 with respect to parachute jump operations.
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| Q&A: what you need to know about America's student debt crisis Posted: 24 Jun 2019 10:00 PM PDT  Bernie Sanders has a radical plan to wipe out undergraduate and graduate debt for all Americans. Here is what's at stakeThe Democratic lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders and Pramila Jayapal listen as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joins them in a call for legislation to cancel all student debt. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP What is student debt?Going to university in the US is expensive – costing an average of over $34,000 a year in tuition and fees at private universities – which means for most Americans, the only way of viably pursuing higher education is to take out a student loan.The figures are staggering. An estimated 45 million Americans have student loans, contributing to an overall national student debt of $1.6tn. What student loans are available?The two main options for prospective students are a government-funded federal loan or a private loan from a provider such as a bank, university or state agency. Both are paid back with interest (interest on federal loans is fixed and normally lower than on private loans, which can be expensive and risky and comprise just 14% of student loans).Federal loans come in various forms – including direct subsidized, direct unsubsidized and direct plus for graduates and professionals. There's also Direct Plus for parents, where, as the name suggests, the student's guardians take the full burden.Depending on year and dependency status, undergrads can borrow between $5,500 and $12,500 a year in federal loans; professionals and graduate students have access to up to $20,500 a year. Federal loan repayments are monthly and start six months after graduation – usually continuing for 10-25 years. How much is the average student debt in the US?The class of 2017 left college with an average of $28,650 each in debt, according to a report by the Institute for College Access and Success (Ticas). This is a huge rise compared with the equivalent figure for just two decades ago. In 1996, the average debt of four-year students was less than half of that, at $12,750, the not-for-profit higher education organization found. How does US student debt compare to other countries?At an average of $37,000, student debt in America is high, but it is higher in the UK where the average is $55,o00, according to analysis by YaleGlobal.In stark contrast, students in Germany can expect to pay $2,200 for an undergraduate degree and come away with an average of $2,400 in debt.Surprisingly, despite free tuition, graduates in Sweden leave university with an average of about $20,000 in debt. Who is most affected by student debt?Around two thirds of graduates from both public and private not-for-profit colleges have student loans. But at $31,450, the average for private not-for-profit college is higher than that of a public college, whose average is $26,900, Ticas found. Meanwhile, 83% of graduates of for-profit institutions have loans (average value: $39,900).Debt varies between states. Connecticut has the highest average student debt at $38,510 for the class of 2017, according to Ticas, and Utah had the lowest with $18,838.Race is a huge factor. Black students owe an average of $7,400 more than white students when they graduate, the Brookings Institution found. After graduation, the debt gap continues to widen. Four years after graduation, black graduates owe an average of nearly $53,000 – nearly double that of white graduates. What are the Democratic 2020 candidates proposing?Student debt looks set to be one of the defining issues of the 2020 election among Democrats.So far, Bernie Sanders has announced the most radical plan, with a promise to wipe out the undergraduate and graduate debt of all Americans. He plans to pay the $1.6tn cost with a new tax on Wall Street.Elizabeth Warren has pledged to cancel the student debt of over 95% of Americans, which she plans to finance with a tax on the wealthiest 0.1%.Joe Biden has previously shown support for free higher education, but so far the only specific detail his 2020 campaign has offered on the issue has been to talk about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which he wants to see "fixed" to help teachers.Pete Buttigieg, who himself has $130,0oo in student debt, has pledged to make public college "debt-free" for lower income families and "zero tuition" for middle income families.Kamala Harris has said she would make college debt-free for future students and provide relief for those who already have student loans. What is the Trump administration proposing?In March, Donald Trump vowed to "fix" student loan debt when he signed an executive order to publish graduate income and debt of individual colleges according to subject and to create policy proposals that would make colleges accountable for student results.The White House has also said it wants to cap student loan borrowing.
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| FedEx sues US government over shipment restrictions Posted: 25 Jun 2019 01:09 AM PDT  American logistics giant FedEx sued the US government on Monday, saying Washington's restrictions on exports and imports due to growing trade disputes and sanctions created an "impossible burden" for delivery firms. The announcement of the lawsuit comes as Beijing and Washington face off in a trade war that has seen both sides exchange steep tariffs on hundreds of billions in exports. A statement by the delivery firm said the restrictions placed "an unreasonable burden on FedEx to police the millions of shipments that transit our network every day" or face heavy fines.
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| 9 Oil Stocks to Buy When Oil Prices Are Low Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:41 AM PDT ![9 Oil Stocks to Buy When Oil Prices Are Low]( "9 Oil Stocks to Buy When Oil Prices Are Low") Bank of America analyst Doug Leggate recently lowered his oil price forecast for the second half of 2019 from $68 per barrel to $63, but Leggate says there are still plenty of value opportunities among oil stocks today. Here are nine oil stocks Leggate recommends. Leggate says Exxon has the strongest project pipeline of any oil major, including developments in Guyana and the U.S. Permian Basin.
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| Weird: India Sent a Really Old MiG-21 to Battle an U.S. Made F-16. Why? Posted: 24 Jun 2019 03:57 AM PDT  On Feb. 26, 2019 Indian planes crossed the line of control at India's border with Pakistan and bombed what New Dehli described as a terrorist training camp near Balakot.The Indian air force defended its decision to send old MiG-21 fighters up against much more modern Pakistani F-16s during recent aerial skirmishes.(This first appeared in March 2019.)Several days of aerial fighting followed the bombing raid. On Feb. 27, 2019, Pakistani F-16s and other planes crossed the line of control to attack Indian forces, New Delhi claimed.Indian MiG-21s and other fighters intercepted the Pakistanis and shot down one F-16, killing its pilot, according to the Indian government. Islamabad claimed its forces shot down two MiG-21s, but New Delhi copped to losing just one jet.Pakistani forces captured the MiG-21 pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, and held him for two days before handing him over to Indian officials.India's MiG-21s, while featuring some key upgrades, still are more than 30 years old. The Pakistani F-16 that the Indians shot down reportedly was a Block 52D model that Islamabad in 2005 ordered from the United States."The MiG-21 is in our inventory, why will we not use it?" Indian Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa rhetorically asked reporters when questioned about the aerial disparity.To be fair, India in the 1990s upgraded its MiG-21s to the "Bison" standard with Western-style avionics, a new radar and radar warning receiver and compatibility with modern weapons. "[It] has got better weapons system, better air-to-air missiles," Dhanoa pointed out.But the main reason India sent the MiG-21 into battle is that the type is still one of the most numerous in Indian air force service. "We fight with all the aircraft in our inventory," Dhanoa said.Indeed, the aerial battle in which the MiG-21 and F-16 were shot down involved, on both sides, mixed formations of old and new fighters."The MiG-21 that was shot down on Feb. 27, 2019, was part of a formation of eight Indian fighters which included four Sukhoi 30s, two upgraded Mirage 2000s and two MiG-21 Bisons that were dispatched to engage a package of 24 [Pakistani air force] jets that included eight F-16s, four Mirage III aircraft, four JF-17 Thunders," David Cenciotti reported at The Aviationist.India for years has been struggling to replace a large fleet of old, Russian-made warplanes. In 2018 the Indian air force operated 244 1960s-vintage MiG-21s and 84 MiG-27s that are only slightly younger.The MiG-21s, in particular, are accident-prone. Since the first of 874 MiG-21s entered Indian service in 1963, around 490 have crashed, killing around 200 pilots.
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| UPDATE 1-Russia warns of repeat of 1962 Cuban missile crisis Posted: 24 Jun 2019 05:40 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Russia warns of repeat of 1962 Cuban missile crisis]( "UPDATE 1-Russia warns of repeat of 1962 Cuban missile crisis") The U.S. deployment of land-based missile systems near Russia's borders could lead to a stand-off comparable to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Monday. Russia has been fiercely critical of U.S. plans to deploy missile systems in eastern Europe, and of Washington's withdrawal from the INF arms control treaty. The Cuban missile crisis erupted in 1962 when the Soviet Union responded to a U.S. missile deployment in Turkey by sending ballistic missiles to Cuba, sparking a standoff that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
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| Trump struggles to explain why Obama’s jobs numbers were better than his Posted: 24 Jun 2019 07:05 AM PDT  Donald Trump has repeatedly struggled to explain why the number of jobs created during his presidency compared unfavourably with the new employment figures under Barack Obama.Presented with a chart which depicted the unemployment rate from the peak of the recession, the president was asked to account for slower rate of job creation since he entered the White House.In the interview on NBC's Meet the Press – after Mr Trump had claimed his economy was "great" – Chuck Todd said: "Your economy is great. I'm not saying it's not great."But this recovery started and in the 28 months that you've been president and the last 28 months of Obama's presidency, he averaged more new jobs than your first 28."Mr Trump initially responded by claiming that Mr Obama started with a "bad base". He was then asked if his jobs numbers were merely a continuation of those under his predecessor.Mr Trump said: "Yeah, but Chuck, you have to understand, nobody was working. The whole place was a disaster. And I don't – I'd never take that away."Mr Trump continued to attempt to explain, he said "But it's very easy -- because when that turned around they pumped a tremendous amount of money into the economy."He also had a Federal Reserve person who kept the interest rates low. I don't. I don't have that privilege." Mr Todd retorted: "Sounds like you do now. Do you feel like you have sent the threat, your threat to demote him, do you think that's had an impact?" The president dismissed suggestions he had threatened to demote Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, which Mr Todd questioned, saying: "There's been some talk that you might demote him to the number two slot."Mr Trump responded: "Well, I'd be able to do that if I wanted but I haven't suggested that."No, no, I have the right to do that. But I haven't said that. What he's done is $50 billion a month in quantitative tightening. That's ridiculous. What he's done is he raised interest rates too fast."Mr Todd then asked the president if he was concerned that the raised interest rates would harm his chances at re-election."I think the economy's so strong we're going to pull through it," Mr Trump said."But I'm not happy with his actions. No, I don't think he's done a good job. I think this, if he didn't raise rates Obama had very low rates. So Obama was playing with funny money. I wasn't. I'm playing with the real stuff."Obama had somebody that kept the rates very low. I had somebody that raised the rates very rapidly. Too much. He made a mistake."That's been proven. And yet my economy is phenomenal. We have now the best economy, maybe in the history of our country. One -- just to finish off, when I took over, this country, the economy was ready to collapse. You take a look at the numbers. It was ready to collapse."Mr Todd suggested the numbers indicated the economy was stronger than the president implied, saying: "I just showed you the numbers. It was not ready to collapse."Mr Trump disagreed: "You showed me unemployment numbers. Excuse me. Take a look at your GDP, take a look at your jobs, take a look at your optimism."Take a look at all of the charts. When I took over from election day on, I mean, you show me one chart which, where I did. Take a look at some of the optimism charts and everything else. It went from 57 to 92. Nobody's ever seen anything that right after I won."Mr Todd conceded that job optimism was at a higher rate after Mr Trump was elected, but still maintained that his jobs numbers were lower than those of his predecessors. Mr Trump replied: "Well, optimism is a big part of success in business."
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| Florida woman charged after giving husband's guns to police Posted: 24 Jun 2019 11:02 AM PDT  A Florida woman's effort to protect herself from domestic violence has become a center point in the debate over gun rights and victims' safety.
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| Fatal Hawaii skydiving plane crash renews NTSB's call for stricter rules: 'Accidents continue to happen' Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:41 AM PDT  An NTSB official put the FAA on notice Monday, calling for regulations on parachute operations after a skydiving plane crash in Hawaii killed 11.
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| Pompeo says US hoping for Afghan peace pact before Sept 1 Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:06 AM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that Washington is hopeful a peace agreement to bring an end to the 17-year war in Afghanistan can be reached before Sept. 1. Pompeo, in a brief visit to Afghanistan, spoke just days before the start of a fresh round of talks between Washington's peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar, where the religious militia maintains a political office. "I hope we have a peace deal before Sept. 1, that's certainly our mission set," Pompeo told reporters in Kabul.
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| Pete Buttigieg: I’m Proud to Be Standing on the Shoulders of Giants in a Tradition That Goes Back to Stonewall Posted: 25 Jun 2019 01:39 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast/Photos GettyIn this special series, LGBT celebrities and public figures talk to Tim Teeman about the Stonewall Riots and their legacy—see more here.Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is running to be the Democratic Party's candidate in the 2020 presidential election. If successful, he would be the first openly gay president of the United States.Buttigieg did not respond to these four questions sent to him by The Daily Beast: When and how did you first hear about the Stonewall Riots and what did you make of them? What is their significance for you? How far have LGBT people come since 1969? What would you like to see, LGBT-wise, in the next 50 years?Bill T. Jones: We Must Work Harder to Connect Stonewall to the World's Other Liberation StrugglesInstead, Buttigieg sent this statement:"In the 50 years since Stonewall, it's been extraordinary to see the awakening of the LGBTQ+ community. As the first out elected official running for president, it's hard to believe how quickly these changes have come to our society, but also hard to live with just how much work remains ahead of us. "And in those 50 years we've seen a remarkable transformation: the awakening of an identity that learned how to exert political force and issue a moral call for our nation to do better when it comes to equality. I'm proud to be a part of that, standing on the shoulders of giants in a tradition that goes back to Stonewall and before, and I'm eager for the gains to be made on the road ahead."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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| Taj Ma Garaj Collection Being Sold Without Reserve Posted: 25 Jun 2019 01:10 PM PDT  The single day sale through RM Sotheby's is set for September 28th in Ohio. Well-know late car collector, John Dixon's, collection of more than 30 highly sought after Porsches and Volkswagens is soon going under the hammer with no reserve set in the Taj Ma Garaj Collection. The auction is happening in Dayton, OH, and will feature over 350 lots of automobila and collectibles. John Dixon's obsession with the Porsche models started when he was passed by a 911 in his muscle car in high school - from there, he was blown away by the car. He bought his own Porsche a year later, and really got serious about his car collection in the 90s. The Taj Ma Garaj collection is now considered to be one of the most eclectic Porsche and Volkswagen collections, along with Porsche unobtainium, rare literature, collectibles, engines, and an assortment of arcade ephemera. The collection was opened by John to thousands of visitors and enthusiasts over the years."RM Sotheby's is honored to present the Taj Ma Garaj Collection on behalf of John's beloved wife Vickie and the Dixon family," says Senior Car Specialist Donnie Gould, RM Sotheby's. "The Taj Ma Garaj building is truly a Porsche enthusiast's heaven. John Dixon was as knowledgeable about his cars as he was passionate, and what he has assembled represents sought-after high watermarks in Porsche production, alongside cars like a wrought-iron Beetle that are just plain fun. We look forward to presenting the Collection this fall and welcoming fellow Porsche collectors from far and wide."Offered in the lots are:A 1952 Porsche 356 Cabriolet by Gläser, chassis no. 12355 (Est. $375,000 - $425,000) A 1957 Porsche 356 A Carrera GT Speedster Coachwork by Reutter, chassis no. 83622, (Est. $1,500,000 - $2,000,000) A 1967 Porsche 911 S Coupe, chassis no. 305860 S, (Est. $350,000 - $450,000) An exceedingly rare 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Clubsport, chassis no. WP0ZZZ93ZBS710038, (Est. $250,000 - $350,000) A 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo, chassis no. WP0AC2996VS375198, (Est. $225,000 - $275,000) A 1953 Porsche 356 Limousine Custom, chassis no. 50146, (Est. $150,000 - $250,000) The Taj Ma Garaj collection is a Porsche lover's dream, and it's being offered up on behalf of John's beloved wife Vickie and the Dixon family. It is sure to grab the attention of enthusiasts all over the world this September in Ohio. Source: RM Sotheby's Read More... Porsche Featured At 64th Annual Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance Rothmans Replica: 1983 Porsche 911 SC Safari
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| 50+ Father's Day Dinners That Will Show Dad How Much You Care Posted: 24 Jun 2019 03:02 PM PDT |
| Eldorado Resorts takes on bigger rivals with $8.5 billion Caesars buy Posted: 24 Jun 2019 03:30 AM PDT  The deal comes more than three months after Caesars agreed to give billionaire investor Carl Icahn three board seats to his representatives and a say on the selection of its next chief executive officer. Shares of Caesars, up 47% this year, rose 11.4% to $14.51 at mid-afternoon, while Eldorado's stock, which has increased 41.4% year to date, fell 13.2% to $44.45. Eldorado has made a series of acquisitions over the past few years including a $1.85 billion deal for Icahn-backed Tropicana Entertainment in 2018 and a $1.7 billion deal for Isle of Capri Casinos in 2017, strengthening its free cash flow and earnings per share.
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| US border chief quits amid outcry over child detainees Posted: 25 Jun 2019 02:04 PM PDT  The acting head of the US Customs and Border Protection agency announced his resignation on Tuesday amid a public outcry over alarming detention conditions of migrant children in Texas. John Sanders, appointed to the post just two months ago, said in a letter obtained by several US media outlets that he planned to step down as acting CBP commissioner on July 5. Sanders' departure coincides with the revelation of unsanitary detention conditions for children at an overcrowded Border Patrol facility in Clint, Texas, a sign of the increasing strain on resources due to soaring numbers of arrests at the US-Mexico border.
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| Ex-priest dies months into imprisonment for raping boys Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:42 AM PDT  A former Catholic priest who pleaded guilty last year to raping two boys decades earlier has died just several months into a 20-year prison sentence in South Carolina. Wayland Yoder Brown, 75, died at a hospital June 8 from what appear to be natural causes, South Carolina Corrections Department spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said Tuesday. The ex-priest had been imprisoned since his guilty plea last October.
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| O'Rourke brings back a key aide, hoping to recapture magic with black voters Posted: 24 Jun 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has brought onboard one of the architects of his Senate race to his campaign team in efforts to reach black voters.
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| Hackers linked to China stole private data from wireless telcos around the world Posted: 25 Jun 2019 08:44 AM PDT  For a few years now, high-ranking US intelligence officials warned that Huawei is a security threat for America and its allies. Its networking equipment can allegedly be used for spying operations against the West, and Huawei has been contesting these reports for as many years. However, these security concerns are the basis of the recent bans against the Chinese conglomerate. The company can't do business with US companies, and it can't provide telecom equipment in the US. Add to that the complex US-China trade war, and it's easy to see why Huawei has been in the spotlight lately.But just as Huawei is trying to fix these issues and improve its image in dealings with other countries, a scathing report from a cybersecurity company tells us that a group of hackers tied to the Chinese government has been hacking more than a dozen global telecommunication companies for years, and stealing large amounts of personal and corporate data. The report doesn't implicate Huawei in any way but makes it clear that a nation-state is responsible for the cyber heist, with China being the likeliest candidate.Cybereason says the attackers compromised companies in more than 30 countries over the past few years with sophisticated attacks that were aimed at obtaining permanent access to data, copying personal data, and avoiding detection, Reuters reports. These attacks occurred in stages, with the hackers changing strategies for different missions and adapting to avoid being discovered by cybersecurity teams."For this level of sophistication, it's not a criminal group. It is a government that has capabilities that can do this kind of attack," Cybereason CEO Lior Div said. "They built a perfect espionage environment," the exec added. "They could grab information as they please on the targets that they are interested in."The security company did not name the carriers that were affected or the countries they operate in, but Reuters says people familiar with Chinese hacking operations claim Beijing was increasingly targeting telcos in Western Europe.The object of the "Operation Soft Cell" hacks was to steal data related to the calls that certain targets may have made. The data includes device details, physical locations, device vendors and versions, as well as the sources, destinations, and durations of calls, as Cybereason explains in a blog post.The fact the hackers weren't looking to steal money is an indication that it's the kind of cyber attack a nation-state would pull off. And the hackers were able to extract quite a lot of data. In some cases, they compromised the target's entire active directory, which means "compromising every single username and password in the organization, along with other personally identifiable information, billing data, call detail records, credentials, email servers, geo-location of users, and more."Cybereason says hacking group APT10, associated with the Chinese government, is the likely culprit behind the hack. Meanwhile, China has denied everything. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said that he was not aware of the report, adding that "we would never allow anyone to engage in such activities on Chinese soil or using Chinese infrastructure."
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| BMW vows to rev up electric car rollout Posted: 25 Jun 2019 01:42 AM PDT  German high-end carmaker BMW said Tuesday it would accelerate its plans to build new electric models, as the whole industry comes under pressure to meet strict emissions regulations. The Munich-based manufacturer will offer 25 electrified vehicles in 2023, "two years earlier than originally planned," chief executive Harald Krueger said in a statement. Of those, more than half will be all-electric while the remainder will be hybrids, BMW said.
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| Rothmans Replica: 1983 Porsche 911 SC Safari Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:58 AM PDT  While it may be a replica of the real deal, this 911 SC is ready for rallying.One of the coolest things about the 1980s was production-based racecars, which were born in order to satisfy motorsport homologation requirements. Nowadays, these vehicles are extremely valuable, due to the fact that many of them were purposefully used and driven hard.Porsche's iconic 911 is one of these vehicles where ownership is expensive, with many examples being restoration items that are usually reserved for collectors. However, this 1983 Porsche 911 SC is both restored and ready for hard driving, as it is a replica of the Rothman East African Safari 911SCRS racecar.Trissl Sports Cars in Florence, Alabama offers this unique Porsche for sale. When the car arrived with them, it needed a full restoration after sitting in a field for 20 years. At that point, they decided to pay tribute to one of their favorite racecars of all time.Martin's Classic Cars in Huntsville, AL rebuilt the 3.0-liter engine, and it features upgrades such as ported and polished heads from Ollie's Engineering, an improved carburetor, Dougherty Camshafts, and race cams. Additionally, the transmission received a reseal and it utilizes a lightweight clutch kit. Trissl believes that there are around 100 miles on the engine build, but they do not have sufficient documentation to prove this, so the vehicle is sold with the true miles unknown.Vintage Auto Craft in Nashville, TN handled the paint on this Porsche, using pictures and measurements from the original Rothmans car to perfect its look. They also custom fabricated the TRE Motorsports front oil cooler to work with the factory front bumper, and sourced a rear lightweight Porsche wing and molded it to the factory trunk lid. TRE Motorsports also created a custom Hella light pod for the front of the vehicle, while Freddie Louis Auto Accessories from Huntsville, AL tackled the exterior graphics.Last but not least, this 911 rides on the factory Fuchs wheels and also features tires tread set up for usage in snow and ice. The brake system consists of Bremtek Racing parts, while TRE Motorsports cooked up a set of custom-made Bilstein coilovers.The asking price for this rally-ready 911 is $123,942, which certainly makes it harder to justify putting this Porsche through its paces. What would you do with this beautiful Porsche? Read More... Could The Singer DLS Be The Greatest Porsche 911 Ever Made? 1983 Porsche 911 SC Formerly Owned By Alton Brown Is For Sale
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| Should student loan debt be canceled? Posted: 24 Jun 2019 01:07 PM PDT  The rising cost of education and the increasing necessity of a college degree in many professions have led to an explosion in student loan debt in the U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has proposed the most radical measure: an aggressive proposal to tackle the problem by canceling $1.25 trillion in student loan debt.
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| Houston infant dies with 90-plus fractures; parents charged Posted: 25 Jun 2019 11:34 AM PDT  The parents of a Houston newborn who suffered a cracked skull and more than 90 fractures just days after being brought home from the hospital were arrested in their daughter's death, according to police and Harris County prosecutors. Jazmine Robin, who was born prematurely, was 10 weeks old when she died July 15, 12 days after leaving the hospital, prosecutors said Monday. "The evidence shows that Baby Jazmine fell victim to the very people who were supposed to protect her the most in this world," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
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| These are the best places to visit in the world, ranked by U.S. News Posted: 25 Jun 2019 06:33 AM PDT ![These are the best places to visit in the world, ranked by U.S. News]( "These are the best places to visit in the world, ranked by U.S. News") Paris reigns as the greatest vacation destination for the second year in a row in U.S. News & World Report's list of the world's best places to visit.
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| 'Imagine your own children there': Grim reports mount from border detention camps Posted: 24 Jun 2019 09:55 AM PDT  As more reports surfaced of inhumane conditions at the government's migrant detention facilities, the movement to label them "concentration camps" picked up steam with backing from a major newspaper.
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| NASA’s Curiosity rover saw something flash on Mars, and people are freaking out Posted: 24 Jun 2019 08:53 AM PDT  Mars is almost certainly the next place in our solar system where humans will travel. We're still many years from actually seeing mankind roaming the Red Planet, but with a number of high-powered instruments already hanging out around Mars and on its surface, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect once we get there... or do we?A new image captured by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover shows something that, at the moment, remains unexplained: a bright flash popping up, seemingly out of nowhere, and with no indication of what may have caused it. The image, which was snapped on June 16th, has quickly taken the internet by storm, but NASA scientists aren't particularly concerned with what it might mean.The flash is only present in one of many consecutive images Curiosity captured that day. Images from just seconds later show absolutely nothing but the baren Martian landscape, so what caused the flash?NASA can't say for certain, but the most likely explanation is rather mundane. When we see something we can't immediately identify, especially when it's happening on another planet, it's easy to jump to some seriously wild conclusions. Perhaps it's an alien ship zooming through, or an alien surveying the planet with a flashbulb, right? Unfortunately, no.Scientists have seen these kinds of flashes in images of Mars before, and generally speaking they never really amount to much. NASA has chalked it up to reflections from distant rocks or glare caused by the Sun. The fact that NASA published a total of 21 images shot over a four-minute span and only one of those pictures includes the bright flash suggests it wasn't anything particularly meaningful.In any case, it's yet another interesting mystery for scientists to unravel between now and whenever in the near future we finally send human travelers to the Red Planet.
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| UPDATE 1-Europeans warn Iran against reducing nuclear deal commitments Posted: 24 Jun 2019 08:42 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Europeans warn Iran against reducing nuclear deal commitments]( "UPDATE 1-Europeans warn Iran against reducing nuclear deal commitments") PARIS/BRUSSELS, June 24 (Reuters) - France, Britain and Germany have sent an official diplomatic warning to Iran about the serious consequences Tehran faces if it scales back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, two European diplomats said on Monday. Three diplomats said the European signatories to the deal lodged the diplomatic demarche, the term for a formal note, on June 22, with two saying the communication aimed to warn Iran specifically against scaling back its commitments to the accord. It was not immediately clear what consequences Iran might face for non-compliance.
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| Best Tech Deals in June 2019 Posted: 25 Jun 2019 10:58 AM PDT  Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop Deals On a budget but want to upgrade your arsenal of gadgets this summer? Luckily, retailers are currently offering some the best deals we've seen on a variety of tech products. So if you can't afford to wait for Amazon Prime Day which runs from July 15-16 this year to bargain shop , you've come to the right place. We're rounding up the best tech deals on every thing from smart home devices to game consoles. Amazon continues to discount its best Kindle ever. For a limited time, the Kindle Oasis eReader is on sale for $199.99 ($50 off). Best Buy also offers this same Kindle Oasis deal. It features a 7-inch high-res anti-glare display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and Audible built-in. With 8GB of onboard storage, you'll have ample room for magazines, comics, newspapers, and audiobooks. It's also waterproof so you can read at the beach, by the pool or in the bathtub. Need more storage? Amazon also offers the 32GB model Kindle Oasis for $229.99 ($50 off). With Amazon's big shopping holiday just a few weeks away, soon we'll be gathering the best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals. For the time being, here are some of the best tech deals we're seeing right now. Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its proprietary devices at discounted pricing. * Amazon Echo Alexa Voice Remote for $19.99 ($10 off) * Kindle Oasis 8GB eReader for $199.99 ($50 off) * Kindle Oasis 32GB eReader for $229.99 ($50 off) * Echo (2nd Gen) 2-Pack for $119.98 ($80 off) * Echo Auto for $24.99 ($25 off) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker (2-Pack) for $59.98 ($40 off) * Echo Plus (2nd Gen) with Philips Hue Bulb for $149.99 ($15 off) * All-New Echo Dot Kids Edition (2-Pack) for $109.98 ($30 off) * Fire HD 8 Tablet (3-Pack) for $179.97 ($60 off) * Fire HD 10 Tablet (3-Pack) for $329.97 ($120 off) * Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet (2-Pack) for $299.98 ($100 off) * Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clock (2-Pack) for $219.98 ($40 off) * Ring Smart Lighting Spotlights (2-pack) for $99.99 ($30 off) Top Tech Deals Right Now * Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Laptop for $2,219.93 ($179 off) [NEW] * Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Headphones for $227 ($123 off) PRICE DROP] * Jabra Elite 65T Wireless Earbuds for $149.99 ($20 off via coupon, "JUNESAVE19") * Dell Vostro 14 3000 Laptop for $299 ($481 off via coupon, "SMLBIZ299") * Beats EP On-Ear Headphones for $74 ($56 off) * Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop for $749.99 ($249 off) * Apple 9.7-inch iPad for $249 ($80 off) * Shop ThinkGeek's Entire Sale TV Deals * Toshiba 43-inch 1080p Full HD Smart LED TV for $179.99 ($120 off, Prime early access) [NEW] * RCA 43-inch 4K UHD LED TV for $159.99 ($240 off) * Sharp 40-inch FHD LED TV for $129.99 ($50 off) * Samsung 49-inch Q60 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $797.99 ($202 off) * Vizio 50-inch 4K HDR Smart TV for $259.99 ($140 off) * Hisense 65-inch 4K Roku Smart TV for $498 ($150 off) * TCL 75-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV for $1,399.99 ($200 off) * Samsung 65-inch Q60 QLED 4K Smart TV for $1,397.99 ($400 off) Tech Under $50 * RAVPower 26800mAh Power Bank for $49.99 ($24 off) [NEW] * Plantronics BackBeat FIT 500 Headphones for $46 ($32 off) [NEW] * Soundcore Liberty Neo Wireless Earbuds for $39.99 ($20 off) [PRICE DROP] * SanDisk 200GB Ultra microSD Card for $23 ($10 off) * Choetech Gravity Charging Car Phone Mount for $16.99 via coupon, "HRLT7DRT") * Echo Auto for $24.99 ($25 off) Smartwatch Deals * Fitbit Alta HR for $75 ($115 off) * Garmin Vívoactive 3 (GPS) Smartwatch for $209 ($71 off) * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) 38mm for $199 ($80 off) * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS/LTE) 42mm for $329 ($80 off) * Fossil Gen 3 Explorist Smartwatch for $179 ($76 off) Unlocked Phones * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked (Not Pink) for $749 ($251 off) * Samsung Galaxy Note 9 128GB Unlocked for $699 ($301 off) * Samsung Galaxy S10 128GB Unlocked for $699.99 via on-page coupon ($200 off) * Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus 128GB Unlocked for $799.99 via on-page coupon ($200 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked for $779.99 ($220 off) * Apple iPhone SE 32GB Unlocked for $249 ($100 off) Cameras * Nikon Coolpix B500 Compact Camera for $224 ($76 off) * Nikon D3500 DSLR 2 Lens Camera Bundle for $446.95 ($400 off) also at Focus Camera * Canon EOS M100 Mirrorless Camera w/ 15-45mm Lens for $399 ($200 off) also at Amazon * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $229 ($150 off) Games and Consoles * New Nintendo 2DS XL Console for $129.99 ($20 off) [NEW] * Cyberpunk 2077 Preorder for PS4 or Xbox One for $50 ($10 off) * MS Xbox One S 1TB Console for $199.99 ($100 off) at Newegg via eBay * MS Xbox One X 1TB Division 2 Bundle for $375 ($124 off) [PRICE DROP] * Sony PS4 1TB Slim Days of Play Console (Steel Black) for $299.99 (Limited Edition) * Sony PS4 Slim 1TB Marvel's Spider-Man Bundle for $331 ($29 off) at Walmart * Madden NFL 19 Hall of Fame Edition for PS4 for $27 ($53 off)
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| Three months on, landless IS still a threat in Syria Posted: 24 Jun 2019 03:58 AM PDT  The Islamic State group may have lost its "caliphate", but three months later, experts have warned the jihadists are still attacking fighters and fields in Syria to show they remain relevant. The Syrian Democratic Forces announced they had expelled the extremists from their last patch of land in eastern Syria on March 23, after a months-long campaign backed by air strikes of a US-led coalition. The Kurdish-Arab alliance taking control of the riverside village of Baghouz spelt the end of the jihadist proto-state declared in 2014 in large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
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| The Ford Puma, a Fiesta-Based Crossover, Is about to Make Its Debut Posted: 25 Jun 2019 05:59 AM PDT  For now, the Puma is for Europe only, but we suspect that will change.
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