| Trump says it would be big mistake for Iran to try anything against U.S Posted: 13 May 2019 02:24 PM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday Iran would "suffer greatly" if it targeted U.S. interests after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and more jet fighters at a time of rising tensions with Tehran. "We'll see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake," Trump told reporters at the White House.
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| Judge orders psych evaluation for Appalachian Trail suspect Posted: 13 May 2019 01:32 PM PDT  For the past couple of weeks, hikers along the Appalachian Trial had been warning each other about a hiker who was threatening other hikers with a large knife.
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| New study suggests the Moon may be shrinking Posted: 13 May 2019 04:37 PM PDT  Earth isn't the only place that "quakes." Rocky planets and moons regularly experience similar movements, and faults can form between massive chunks of crust on other worlds the same as they can here on Earth. The Moon is one place we know that experiences those kinds of shifts, and new research suggests that it might actually be making the Moon smaller over time.The study, which was published in Nature Geoscience, explains how the cliffs observed on the Moon's surface hint at a cooling spell that occurred after the Moon formed. As it cooled, it "shriveled like a raisin," and large cliffs formed on the surface when the Moon's crust was compressed. These regions, known as thrust faults, may still be growing today, and the overall size of the Moon may be shrinking as a result.The researchers combined observations from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter with new analysis of seismic readings gathered during the Apollo moon missions. This revisiting of the data revealed the approximate source of dozens of lunar quakes detected by the instruments."We found that a number of the quakes recorded in the Apollo data happened very close to the faults seen in the LRO imagery," Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland, co-author of the study, said in a statement. "It's quite likely that the faults are still active today. You don't often get to see active tectonics anywhere but Earth, so it's very exciting to think these faults may still be producing moonquakes."As on Earth, pressure along fault lines builds up to a point where the force of friction can no longer prevent the large rocky plates from moving. When that movement occurs, a quake is felt, and in the case of the Moon the continued movement of the plates may indicate that it's not done shrinking.The researchers suggest that this is just another of many reasons why mankind should prioritize a revisit of the Moon. Learning more about how the Moon works and the mechanics at play on the surface could teach us a great deal about other planets as well, and help prepare organizations like NASA for trips deeper into space.
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| Legendary Porsche-Designed Type 64 Up For Auction Posted: 13 May 2019 02:52 AM PDT  The Type 64 was designed by Professor Ferdinand Porsche to compete in the 1939 Berlin-Rome race. Porsche can trace back its origin to the very first 356 ever built over seven decades ago, but some argue that the Porsche timeline actually stretches back further. Commissioned to design and build a car for the 932-mile Berlin-Rome race of September 1939, Professor Ferdinand Porsche created a car known only as the Type 64.
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| AOC, at Green New Deal rally, puts Joe Biden and other Democratic climate moderates on notice Posted: 14 May 2019 07:10 AM PDT  Speaking at Howard University, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other proponents of the Green New Deal, affirmed their progressive ideals while striking out at both conservative Republicans and moderate Democrats who have, according to her and other critics, done too little about global warming for too long.
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| World equities sink as US and China exchange trade war salvos Posted: 13 May 2019 02:39 PM PDT  China's move to retaliate against the latest US tariffs pummeled global stocks on Monday, with Wall Street suffering an especially bruising blow amid fears the year-long conflict could deteriorate further.
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| Who gets hurt by China's new tariffs on American goods? Farmers and chemical makers Posted: 14 May 2019 10:23 AM PDT  China's announcement that it's raising a tariffs on US imports to up to 25% poses a further threat to farmers, manufacturers and other businesses
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| US Supreme Court decides to let consumers sue Apple over App Store rules Posted: 13 May 2019 11:55 AM PDT  The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled against Apple in a case that could have broad implications for the e-commerce industry and which also means the door is now open for consumers to sue the iPhone maker over its App Store rules and practices.In a 5-4 ruling, with Donald Trump appointee Brett Kavanaugh siding with the court's four liberal justices, the decision essentially clears the way for a class action lawsuit against Apple to proceed. That suit will focus on Apple's rules that developers must sell their apps through its app marketplace, in addition to paying a 30 percent commission to Apple.For a bit of background here, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in January 2017 that Apple sells its apps directly to consumers and that they can move forward with an antitrust suit on these grounds. That's even though Apple -- which the Trump administration sided with -- tried to claim it doesn't actually sell apps directly to consumers. That what it does, instead, is offer the equivalent of digital shelf space and that developers are the ones selling apps to consumers, subject to rules and terms set by Apple.Indeed, another Trump appointee -- Justice Neil Gorsuch -- wrote in the dissenting opinion about this ruling that app developers have more legitimate standing to contend with Apple, not consumers."If, as plaintiffs contend, Apple's 30% commission is a monopolistic overcharge, then the app developers have a claim against Apple to recover whatever portion of the commission they did not pass on to consumers," he wrote.This is an antitrust case, in the sense that the plaintiffs want the chance to prove in court that Apple's App Store is effectively a monopoly. That the company is "monopolizing" the sale of apps and games in its store and that the store's rules are artificially inflating prices for those apps.During oral arguments in this case in the fall, Justice Elena Kagan said it seemed clear that consumers have a direct relationship with Apple here -- and thus, as such, should be able to sue the company."It just seems to me that when you're looking at the relationship between the consumer and Apple, that there is only one step," Kagan said, seemingly referring to the simple tap being all that's required to buy apps.
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| Pompeo shares details on 'escalating' Iran threats in Brussels: U.S. State Department Posted: 13 May 2019 11:53 AM PDT  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared information on "escalating" threats from Iran with European allies and NATO officials during meetings in Brussels on Monday, the U.S. special representative for Iran said. "Iran is an escalating threat and this seemed like a timely visit on his way to Sochi," Brian Hook told reporters, referring to Pompeo's planned visit to Russia on Tuesday for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
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| The Latest: Man pleads guilty in mall attack against child Posted: 14 May 2019 08:50 AM PDT  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on a hearing for the man accused of throwing a 5-year-old boy from a balcony at the Mall of America (all times local):
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| The Best SUVs and Crossovers 2019-2020 Posted: 13 May 2019 12:17 PM PDT |
| Immigration Offenses Topped List of Federal Crimes in FY 2018 Posted: 13 May 2019 09:34 AM PDT  Immigration offenses became the biggest category of federal crime in fiscal year 2018, surpassing the number of drug offenses.Crimes relating to immigration comprised 34.4 percent of all federal sentencing cases, an increase from last year's 30 percent, according to the United States Sentencing Commission's annual report. While the vast majority of crimes in the U.S., including most violent crimes, are dealt with at the state level, immigration offenses stand out as as category under the purview of federal authorities.96.3 percent of the 23,883 immigration cases recorded in the report involved Hispanics, 92.7 percent of them male. Approximately 94.7 percent of the cases led to prison sentences, and 13,500 led to supervised release. Only 866 cases involved a defendant under 21 years old."In fiscal year 2018, 54.3 percent of all offenders were Hispanic, 21.2 percent were white, 20.6 percent were black, and 3.8 percent were of another race. Non-U.S. citizens accounted for 42.7 percent of all federal offenders," the report stated.Drug offenses were the second most common type of federal crime in fiscal year 2018, at 28.1 percent of all cases. Firearms offenses placed third at 10.8 percent and fraud-related crimes came fourth at 9.5 percent.The new numbers coincide with an increasing flood of migrants at the southern border, including a record number of families in March, a crisis the Trump administration has attempted to address with its "no tolerance" policy for those who cross the border between ports of entry.Earlier this month, the White House asked Congress for $4.5 billion in emergency funds to deal with the crisis, including $3.3 billion for humanitarian assistance and $1.1 billion for law-enforcement operations. Democrats have objected to the request, but the White House Budget Office has warned that the Office of Refugee Resettlement and other programs are at risk of running out of funding by the beginning of the summer.
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| Sacramento homeless campers putting homeowners at risk by digging into levees Posted: 14 May 2019 07:35 AM PDT  Raw video: Homeless campers in Sacramento, California are putting homeowners at risk. General manager of the American River Flood Control District explains that digging into levees causes flooding issues when water levels rise during the winter.
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| Deported Honduran migrant gives up on American dream Posted: 13 May 2019 06:45 PM PDT  Honduran Ruth Elizabeth Gomez gave up on her American dream after US immigration authorities locked her in a cold cell and then deported her back home. After reaching Mexico by foot, the 25-year-old had paid a "coyote" to smuggle her across the US border by boat, only to be arrested after arriving in Texas. After leaving her five and eight-year-old children with her mother, Gomez and her brother Jose Tulio joined the first Central American caravan that set off from San Pedro Sula in Honduras on October 13.
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| Five U.S. abuse victims sue Vatican to release names of predator priests Posted: 14 May 2019 12:57 PM PDT ![Five U.S. abuse victims sue Vatican to release names of predator priests]( "Five U.S. abuse victims sue Vatican to release names of predator priests") Three brothers and two other men claimed in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in St. Paul that the Church has kept secret the identities and records of more than 3,400 clergy accused of sexual abuse, including some top church officials. The men are asking the court to require the Vatican to make the information public and report all alleged crimes to law enforcement worldwide.
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| As Trump escalates pressure, experts fear Iran will strike back Posted: 13 May 2019 06:33 AM PDT  The Trump administration's strategy of ratcheting up diplomatic, financial and military pressure on Iran is increasing the likelihood that Tehran will use its proxy forces to strike U.S. targets abroad, according to several former intelligence officials.
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| Correction: Houston-Missing Girl story Posted: 13 May 2019 10:25 AM PDT  HOUSTON (AP) — In a story May 9 about a missing Houston girl, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the police, misspelled the name of the man who told investigators that the girl had been abducted. His name is Derion Vence, not Darion Vence. The AP also reported that police referred to Vence as the girl's stepfather. A spokesman for the girl's mother says she and Vence lived together and were engaged, but that she recently broke off the engagement.
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| Clarence Thomas Just Showed How Supreme Court Would Overturn Roe v. Wade Posted: 14 May 2019 02:22 AM PDT  Jason Reed/ReutersIn 1992, the Supreme Court looked poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case protecting abortion rights. They didn't, however, and the main reason was respect for precedent—specifically, the legal doctrine known as stare decisis, or "let the decision stand." Would it do the same today, with over 250 laws meant to test the case pending in states across the country?An otherwise obscure case decided this week, Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, suggests that a majority of the court would not. Hyatt was, in large part, about stare decisis. A 1979 Supreme Court case, Nevada v. Hall, held that citizens can sue a state in another state's court. In 1998, Gilbert Hyatt did just that as part of a tax dispute, with tens of millions of dollars at stake. This week, the court overruled its 1979 decision by a vote of 5-4 and tossed out Hyatt's claim. The split was on ideological lines, with the court's five conservatives in the majority and four liberals in the minority.Of the 18 pages in the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, 17 are about the legal question in the case, which revolves around states' rights, sovereign immunity, and the Constitution. It's no surprise that Justice Thomas, in particular, wrote this opinion, as states' rights have been a focus of his for three decades.What was surprising is that stare decisis warranted only 318 words in Justice Thomas' opinion, almost like an afterthought, and that Justice Thomas summarily waved away this important judicial doctrine. If this is how the court's conservatives treat sovereign immunity, how will they treat abortion rights?That's what Justice Stephen Breyer asked in his dissent. Unlike the majority opinion, Justice Breyer's dissent devoted over a quarter of its space to stare decisis. And he concluded, "today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next."It's not hard to guess which cases Justice Breyer was wondering about. Because the same logic applied in Hyatt would overturn not only Roe v. Wade but also the court's precedent on same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges.How? Let's look at Justice Thomas' reasoning.First, Justice Thomas notes that stare decisis is "'not an inexorable command" and is "at its weakest when we interpret the Constitution because our interpretation can be altered only by constitutional amendment." Now, some would say that stare decisis is at its strongest when fundamental constitutional rights are at issue. But for Justice Thomas, in cases like Roe and Obergefell, stare decisis is at its "weakest."Thomas then goes on to apply a version of the usual stare decisis test, taking into account "the quality of the decision's reasoning; its consistency with related decisions; legal developments since the decision; and reliance on the decision."The first prong is the most important. Here, Thomas finds that the 1979 precedent "failed to account for the historical understanding of state sovereign immunity." But that's not the same as the decision's being of poor quality—it's an imposition of Justice Thomas' specific, historically oriented "originalism" philosophy. There are, after all, many ways to evaluate the quality of a decision's reading: its principled analysis of the rights in question, its integration of constitutional norms with contemporary reality, and so on.Here, however Justice Thomas glosses over that jurisprudential debate and simply concludes that a Supreme Court precedent was badly argued—according to his standards.This is the central question in cases like Roe and Obergefell. No one denies that abortion was banned for much of our country's history, and that same-sex marriage would have been anathema to the Founders of the republic. The debate is over whether history gets a vote or a veto. Heartbeat Abortion Bills Were Once a Fringe Idea. Could They Overturn Roe v. Wade?If this same standard is applied to Roe and Obergefell, they would go down in flames.The fourth prong is also critical. People depend on the law being stable. Hyatt, for example, filed his suit exactly as the law provided. Now, the rug is pulled out from under him, and all Justice Thomas says is that "we acknowledge that some plaintiffs, such as Hyatt, have relied on Hall by suing sovereign States. Because of our decision to overrule Hall, Hyatt unfortunately will suffer the loss of two decades of litigation expenses and a final judgment against the Board for its egregious conduct."Unfortunately!Now multiply Hyatt's misfortune a millionfold. As Justice Breyer wrote, overturning Supreme Court precedents except in the rarest of cases "is to cause the public to become increasingly uncertain about which cases the Court will overrule and which cases are here to stay."Arguably, many more people rely on Roe and Obergefell than on Hall, and so the reliance prong would be more important in challenges to those cases.But that cuts both ways. For every woman seeking an abortion, there is someone who believes that abortion is murder. In at least a dozen states, a majority of democratically elected legislators are trying to ban or severely limit the practice. Just last week, Georgia became the fourth state this year (joining Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio) to ban abortions after only six weeks of pregnancy, in a direct frontal challenge to Roe. And, a future conservative justice might point out, women seeking abortions could simply travel to other states if need be (if, of course, they can afford it).Because Justice Thomas so readily dismisses the reliance claim in Hyatt, it's easy to see him doing the same in Roe. Likewise in Obergefell. For 12 years, we lived in a country in which same-sex marriage was legal in some states and illegal in others; is a return to such a world truly untenable? Anyway, unless marriages like mine were retroactively invalidated, who is really relying on same-sex marriage being legal? Prospective couples could, like victims of rape or incest, simply relocate to a state more favorable to their interests.In short, Justice Thomas' theory of stare decisis is like a roadmap for how to overrule decisions one disagrees with. First, frame the disagreement as one over "quality" rather than principle. Second, trivialize the ways in which people rely on the law as it stands.And third, with the stroke of a pen, wipe out constitutional rights that people like me mistakenly think we possess.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| May Aims to Reopen EU Brexit Talks to Win Corbyn's Support Posted: 13 May 2019 12:40 AM PDT  Theresa May is promising to reopen Brexit talks with the European Union to try to breathe life back into negotiations with the opposition Labour Party and take the U.K. out of the bloc by the summer. The prime minister's office said Sunday the government will explore with the EU this week how to rewrite the outline political agreement on future customs ties, even as a senior Labour official warned that the party's members of Parliament wouldn't back a deal without a second referendum. The EU has said it's willing to make changes to the political declaration, the non-binding part of the Brexit deal that focuses on future ties.
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| UPDATE 2-Boeing deliveries hammered by 737 MAX groundings Posted: 14 May 2019 08:28 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Boeing deliveries hammered by 737 MAX groundings]( "UPDATE 2-Boeing deliveries hammered by 737 MAX groundings") Boeing Co handed over 24 percent fewer jet airplanes in the first four months of 2019 compared with the same period a year earlier as the grounding of its top-selling 737 MAX aircraft halted deliveries for a second month. Deliveries of the aircraft were stopped in early March, a few days after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing all 157 people on board, in the second fatal accident involving the 737 MAX in just five months. Last month Boeing abandoned its 2019 financial outlook, halted share buybacks and said lowered production of the fastest-selling 737 MAX jets in the wake of the groundings had cost it at least $1 billion.
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| US farmers who sell to China feel pain of Beijing's tariffs Posted: 13 May 2019 04:09 PM PDT  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — China's announcement Monday of higher tariffs on $60 billion of American exports — retaliation for President Donald Trump's latest penalties on Chinese goods — hit particularly hard in the farm belt. China's vast consumer market has been a vital source of revenue for American farmers.
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| Monsanto ordered to pay $2 bn in latest Roundup blow Posted: 14 May 2019 01:51 AM PDT  In a third major legal blow to Bayer-owned Monsanto and its weedkiller Roundup, a jury in California has ordered the chemicals giant to pay more than $2 billion in damages to a couple that sued on grounds the product caused their cancer, lawyers said. The ruling on Monday was the latest in a series of court defeats for Monsanto over the glyphosate-based product, but the company insists the weedkiller is not linked to cancer. The couple's legal team described the damages award as "historic," saying it totalled $2.055 billion (1.8 billion euros) after adding in slightly more than $55 million in compensatory damages.
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| Nadler: Mueller will not testify before Congress next week Posted: 13 May 2019 02:00 PM PDT  Nadler said he will subpoena Mueller if necessary.
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| Iran foreign minister visits India amid falling oil revenue Posted: 14 May 2019 05:27 AM PDT  NEW DELHI (AP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi, days after India decided to follow U.S. restrictions on buying Iranian oil.
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| UPDATE 5-WhatsApp security breach may have targeted human rights groups Posted: 14 May 2019 02:24 AM PDT ![UPDATE 5-WhatsApp security breach may have targeted human rights groups]( "UPDATE 5-WhatsApp security breach may have targeted human rights groups") WhatsApp said on Tuesday that a security breach on its messaging app had signs of coming from a government using surveillance technology developed by a private company, and it may have targeted human rights groups. WhatsApp, a unit of Facebook, said it had notified the U.S. Department of Justice to help with an investigation, and it encouraged all WhatsApp users to update to the latest version of the app, where the breach had been fixed.
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| Consumer Insolvencies in Canada Climb to Highest in 8 Years Posted: 13 May 2019 07:34 AM PDT  The Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcies reported consumer insolvencies rose 5.7% to 11,963 in March, compared with 11,315 in the same month a year earlier. After declining for years, insolvencies are beginning to tick up again, stoking concern the country's record level household debt -- C$2.17 trillion at the end of the first quarter -- is unsustainable. In volume terms, however, insolvencies are still well below the peak of more than 15,000 reached in September 2009, in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
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| Dead whale washes ashore in Pacifica Posted: 14 May 2019 11:46 AM PDT  The 10th whale in the past few months has washed ashore in the Bay Area. The unusually large death toll is reportedly happening because there is too little food to support the giant mammals.
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| One-Time #Resistance Hero Rod Rosenstein Was Trump’s Leak-Hunter-in-Chief Posted: 13 May 2019 02:07 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/Photos GettyRod Rosenstein was a Resistance hero—and one of Donald Trump's favorite whipping boys—for overseeing the Russia investigation. But Rosenstein's legacy at the Justice Department shows he was more than happy to oblige the White House on one of its top priorities: spearheading the president's war on leakers and whistleblowers. Cases involving the leak of classified information are high-profile prosecutions that would be part of the purview of any deputy attorney general. But former Justice Department officials tell The Daily Beast that Rosenstein was deeply involved in bringing the cases as a result of both pressure from the White House and a personal view of the importance of prosecuting unauthorized disclosures."There was no mistaking the fact that the White House was pressing the department to crack down harder on leaks and as a result we found ourselves meeting regularly with Rod to discuss our leaks docket: where we were in the given case, what the challenges were, what our next steps were," David Laufman, a partner at Wiggin & Dana who served as head of the DOJ's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, told The Daily Beast. "Suffice it to say they were more frequent than once a month, maybe not as frequent as once a week."The Justice Department's record of prosecutions under Rosenstein in just two years shows how aggressively he pursued cases. In his final week in office, the Justice Department charged former intelligence analyst Daniel Everette Hale under the Espionage Act with leaking classified information to the press. That case brought the tally of those prosecuted for leak-related offenses to seven, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which tracks prosecutions on behalf of First Amendment advocacy groups. Rod Rosenstein Quits, Thanking the President Who Trolled HimIn just two years, the Trump administration has come close to prosecuting the same number of cases as Team Obama, which prosecuted 10 government employees and contractors with similar offenses over the course of two terms. If the current pace of prosecutions holds, this administration is on track to surpass Obama's tally by the end of a single term. It's a data point that may surprise Trump's Resistance critics. Rosenstein became a folk hero to that crowd during the Mueller probe for vocally defending the integrity of the Justice Department and sparring with congressional Republicans looking to seize sensitive material related to Robert Mueller's work. Rosenstein even got a standing ovation at the Aspen National Security Forum last July, where national-security elites leapt to their feet to cheer his perceived willingness to take on Trump. The truth is that, quietly, he took on Trump's foes. Under the Trump administration, agencies' referrals of alleged leaks of classified information for consideration by the Justice Department have skyrocketed. The Justice Department fielded an annual average of 104 referrals in the first two years of Trump's presidency, compared to an annual average of 39 under Obama. That pace may be driven at least in part by a perceived increase in high-profile leaks. Russian meddling in the 2016 election and suspicions about the Trump campaign's relationship with Moscow prompted a number of intelligence leaks since the new administration came into office, including the revelation early in Trump's tenure that the intelligence community had secretly intercepted Michael Flynn's conversations with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.Trump also responded to those leaks by turning on America's permanent national-security establishment—which he dubbed the "deep state." He accused the intelligence agencies of trying to foment a coup against him by releasing embarrassing information about communications between his team and Russian nationals. Ironically, Rosenstein flirted with something like a coup attempt: The New York Times broke the news that he discussed using the 25th Amendment, a little-known constitutional provision, to oust the president shortly after Trump fired then-FBI Director Jim Comey. Rosenstein's allies anonymously maintain he was joking, but others—including then-top FBI lawyer Lisa Page—took him seriously. Regardless, Rosenstein ultimately encouraged the prosecutions that resulted in the incarceration of multiple members of the "deep state."Trump Justice Department Charges Another Leaker for Allegedly Spilling Drone War Secrets to PressAt the same time, Trump's attacks on the media hit a fever pitch. On the campaign trail, he regularly lambasted the traveling press corps. And NBC News correspondent Katy Tur wrote in a memoir that she had to have security escort to her car after Trump rallies because of menacing Trump fans. Into the presidency, Trump's tune persisted. He regularly calls the media "the enemy of the people," has called for making it easier to sue reporters, and even has gone after critical reporters and commentators at Fox News—a network he watches tirelessly. So it's little surprise that deliberate strategy and resourcing decisions by senior officials in the Trump administration have played a role in the leak crackdown. Attorney General Jeff Sessions used an August 2017 press conference to decry the "staggering number of leaks" in government. He announced that under his leadership the Justice Department had tripled the number of active leak investigations carried out during the Obama administration. The department, he pledged, would dedicate more resources to such cases, and Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray would "actively monitor the progress of each and every case."Rosenstein took that to heart, according to Laufman, whose role included overseeing leak cases. "We're going to devote more resources, reevaluate procedures, and make sure we investigate every one of those leaks," Rosenstein told Fox News Sunday after his appearance and pledged to devote "whatever resources are necessary to get [leaks] under control.""It was enhanced pressure from the new administration as transmitted to us by department leadership," Laufman said. "In essence, the department was being held more acutely and urgently accountable for undertaking and pursuing these investigations."A few months after the Sessions press conference, documents obtained by The Young Turks show that the FBI's counterintelligence division sought resources to establish a new unit to deal with the "complicated nature of—and rapid growth in—unauthorized disclosure and media leak threats.""We did have to obtain some additional resources to augment our staffing but at no time did it feel like our ability to focus on other important problems was compromised by the enhanced focus on leak investigations," according to Laufman, who said the heightened priority didn't strain resources from other national-security priorities in the Justice Department.Rosenstein's willingness to take on leak cases isn't a recent phenomenon. In 2012, Obama Attorney General Eric Holder appointed him to oversee the prosecution of former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. James Cartwright, for telling The New York Times about the National Security Agency's development of the Stuxnet malware, which disrupted operations in Iran's nuclear program. Cartwright pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his interactions with the Times and another reporter in October 2016. Rosenstein recommended Cartwright serve two years in prison, but President Obama pardoned him in his final days in office. "He feels strongly, as most prosecutors do, that when there's highly sensitive classified information that's leaked, if it's possible to prosecute, it should be investigated with an eye toward doing so," said Mary McCord, a Georgetown law professor who spent years in the Justice Department and ended her time there as head of its National Security Division.News organizations, civil libertarians, and First Amendment advocates blasted Holder in 2013 when the Justice Department revealed that it had obtained phone records of reporters from the AP and Fox News while investigating the leak of information about an al Qaeda bomb plot in Yemen and a North Korean nuclear test. The pushback led Holder to revise the guidelines for grabbing reporters' call records and he listed the James Rosen subpoena as one of the biggest regrets of his tenure. Rosenstein does not appear to feel as conflicted about the practice. After the August 2017 press conference, he told Fox News that the department would review Holder's revisions to the guidelines. "It's possible he got it exactly right, but maybe he didn't," Rosenstein said. "I think it's important for us to take a fresh look at it and evaluate whether or not there are any improvements that should be made."In January, The Hill reported that Rosenstein had supervised an effort to loosen the Justice Department guidelines. Among the "improvements" the department reportedly pushed for was to make it easier to subpoena records from reporters and allow prosecutors not to notify publishers when they've gotten their hands on reporters' data. Laufman said that while Rosenstein believed in the importance of going after leakers, the drumbeat of White House insistence also played a role in his zeal. "It's not that we suddenly became more 'serious' about it. We were never unserious about it. We had a steady stream of cases we were examining in the last two years of the Obama administration," he told The Daily Beast. "The only thing that changed was kind of express, ratcheting-up of pressure on us to do more and to do it faster from the administration, punctuated by some new leak cases that required the allocation of resources and which fed the fervor at the White House to crack down even harder on leaks."Some of the most prominent leaks over the past two years haven't involved the disclosure of classified information, but still embarrassed Trump. Federal prosecutors in New York and San Francisco charged Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, a Treasury Department employee, and John Fry, an IRS analyst, with leaking suspicious activity reports about the bank account Michael Cohen used to pay hush money to Trump's alleged mistresses. Suspicious activity reports aren't classified, but the Bank Secrecy Act bars their disclosure. Treasury Department Employee Arrested for Allegedly Leaking Information on Robert Mueller's Top TargetsThe path from the publication of classified information to an investigation and prosecution is a complicated one, former law-enforcement officials say, and most cases where the government thinks a leak may have happened don't end in an investigation.Agencies in the national-security bureaucracy that are the original classification authority—those who originally deemed the information classified—make referrals to the Justice Department when they believe a leak has taken place. As part of that process, agencies answer 11 questions designed to help investigators and prosecutors decide whether a case is possible or appropriate. Questions include the classification level of information disclosed, whether the information constituted National Defense Information—a key threshold for prosecution under the Espionage Act—and how broadly the information was distributed within government.That last question, former officials, say is particularly important in determining whether to proceed with an investigation. Many cases run aground against the broad availability of published information within government, making investigations difficult. At times, the sensitivity of classified information disclosed can make agencies gun-shy about pursuing a case. In some situations, McCord told The Daily Beast, agencies will tell the Justice Department "No, we just can't have you prosecute that because to prosecute would mean we would have to actually confirm that indeed the leaked information was true." That raises the risk of confirming intelligence the government would rather remain at least somewhat uncertain.But the Trump administration's aggressive pursuit of critics, combined with its crackdown on leakers, has made even some in law enforcement if not change their minds about leaks, at least appreciate those on the receiving end of them a little more."I want to be clear that I am expressing disapproval of leaks of classified information. Not only are they unlawful but they can do considerable harm," Laufman clarified. "But given what we have observed to be how this particular administration exercises its power and from time to time abuses its discretion to exercise power as a general proposition, we as a country should be grateful and do everything necessary to support a press corps that is doing its hardest to hold government officials accountable."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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| 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman celebrates Mother's Day with 10 of her children: Photo Posted: 13 May 2019 11:48 AM PDT  A full house!Nadya "Octomom" Suleman was surrounded by love on Mother's Day this year, andthe mother of 14 took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of her growingchildren on the joyous holiday
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| Photos of the Aston Martin DB5 Continuation's James Bond Gadgets Posted: 13 May 2019 09:28 AM PDT |
| JetBlue operations delayed as 'global' computer outage briefly cripples airline, again Posted: 14 May 2019 05:59 AM PDT ![JetBlue operations delayed as 'global' computer outage briefly cripples airline, again]( "JetBlue operations delayed as 'global' computer outage briefly cripples airline, again") JetBlue reported Tuesday morning that operations had been slowed by what it called a "global Sabre outage impacting multiple airlines."
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| Mother of missing Texas girl heckled after canceled hearing outside courtroom Posted: 13 May 2019 01:37 PM PDT  The mother of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl was heckled outside a courtroom on Monday by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance.
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| Oil tankers 'sabotaged' as Gulf tensions soar Posted: 13 May 2019 08:36 PM PDT  Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in mysterious "sabotage attacks" that have inflamed Gulf tensions amid a standoff between the United States and Iran. In the face of growing international concern, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow and headed to Brussels instead for talks Monday with European officials, as Britain warned of the danger of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. Turning up the pressure on Tehran after the United States deployed B-52 bombers and an assault ship to bolster an aircraft carrier in the region, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" were it to "do anything" to threaten US interests.
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| A top-rated wireless charging pad is only $7.99 right now on Amazon, and it might be a mistake Posted: 13 May 2019 04:54 AM PDT ![A top-rated wireless charging pad is only $7.99 right now on Amazon, and it might be a mistake]( "A top-rated wireless charging pad is only $7.99 right now on Amazon, and it might be a mistake") UPDATE: You guys must have loved this deal because it sold out in just a few hours! Here's a good alternative, and it's only $10.EARLIER: If you have a phone that supports wireless charging, your day is about to get a whole lot brighter. Amazon is running a sale right now on a top-rated wireless charger that slashes the price all the way down to just $7.99. Is it a mistake? It could be. In fact, it probably is, considering the main photo on the product page for the Tiamat Wireless Charging Pad shows a pair of mini speakers. The rest of the images show the correct product though, and Amazon always honors pricing snafus like this one. So if you want a wireless charging pad for an insanely low price, hurry up and snag one before they sell out... and before Amazon realizes the price might be wrong!Here are the key details from the product page: * 【Fast Wireless Charge】Output up to 10W Qi-enabled and support Quick Charge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S9+ / S9 / S8 / S8+ / S7 / S7 edge / S6 edge+ / Note8; Or charges Qi-enabled, non-Quick Charge devices (Compatible with iPhone X / 8 / 8 Plus and etc.) at a standard 5W. * 【Premium Design】0.3in Ultra Slim body with skin fabric coat giving the wireless charging station a modern, premium appearance. The unique coating can also prevent your phone from slipping and keeps dirt away. * 【Safe Charging】Specially designed vents on the bottom cool down the charging pad while charging; Integrated smart chip inside the wireless charging pad helps protect it from overheating, overvoltage short circuit and other similar problems. ❤30-day money back and 12-month free warranty❤ comes with this product. * 【Informative LED Indicator】Low-key, yet fully visible LED light informs you about charging status. * 【Extra Anti-slip Pad】A free silicon anti-slip pad in the box improves the safety of your phone. Enjoy the fun when you DIY your own wireless charger!
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| Trump administration staff to abandon protection of president under threat of fines, congressman suggests: 'It could be a game changer' Posted: 14 May 2019 01:08 AM PDT  Trump administration staff who are protecting the president by refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas could abandon him under threat of huge fines, senior Democrats have suggested.Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, has proposed holding those who do not comply with Congress with inherent contempt, a rarely used procedure which can result in fines up to $25,000 (£19,330) daily or even imprisonment.The proposal comes amid an unprecedented effort by the White House to resist efforts by House Democrats to get access to Donald Trump's tax returns, the unredacted Mueller report, and documents from former White House lawyer Don McGahn. "I don't know how many are going to want to take that risk for Donald Trump. But we're going to have to use that device if necessary," Mr Schiff told ABC News."We're going to have to use the power of the purse if necessary. We're going to have to enforce our ability to do oversight." Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, asked about Mr Schiff's comments, told NBC News on Monday that he believed "fines would be appropriate".Noting the threat of contempt ultimately pressured the Nixon administration into complying with Congress during the Watergate scandal, Mr Khanna said: "I do think it could be a game changer. Not everyone is going to want to incur a fine to protect this president, not everyone is going to want to be held in contempt of congress to protect this president." Mr Khanna, who is co-chair of Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, added he hoped the issue could be resolved in the courts, amid what he described as a "constitutional stalemate". House Democrats last week escalated their feud with the White House by moving towards holding attorney general William Barr in contempt over his refusal to give up the unredacted Mueller report, which details Russia's attempts to help Mr Trump win the 2020 election, as well as the president's attempts to impede the subsequent investigation. Finding Mr Barr in contempt would make him only the second sitting attorney general to be hit with the charge.The White House has been contacted for comment.
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| UN envoy to Mideast warns of war between Israel, Hamas Posted: 13 May 2019 07:07 AM PDT  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The U.N. envoy to the Mideast said Monday that the recent ceasefire between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel was the "last chance" to prevent an all-out conflict. A Qatari envoy arrived the same day in the Palestinian enclave with cash to help cement the truce, which halted the worst round of fighting between the two sides in years.
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| Tesla Discontinues the "$35,000" Tesla Model 3 by Raising the Price Posted: 14 May 2019 03:45 PM PDT  Tesla says that the Standard Range car, now a software-restricted version of the Standard Range Plus car, will no longer cost $35,000 before required fees.
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| Author accused of shaming black Metro employee for eating on train; book deal halted Posted: 13 May 2019 05:12 AM PDT ![Author accused of shaming black Metro employee for eating on train; book deal halted]( "Author accused of shaming black Metro employee for eating on train; book deal halted") Author Natasha Tynes has been accused of shaming a black woman who works on the Washington. D.C., Metro for eating on a train.
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| Saudi oil tankers hit by 'sabotage attacks' as Gulf tensions soar Posted: 13 May 2019 12:23 AM PDT  Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were damaged in "sabotage attacks" in the Gulf as tensions soared in a region already shaken by a standoff between the United States and Iran. It came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrapped a planned visit to Moscow to head to Brussels instead for talks with European officials on Iran. The United States has already strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged Iranian threats.
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| Poland backs paedophilia law after Church documentary rattles ruling party Posted: 14 May 2019 04:35 AM PDT  Poland announced plans on Tuesday to tighten sentences for child sex abuse, just days after the country's politics were upended by a documentary on paedophilia in the Catholic Church, closely allied to the nationalist ruling Law and Justice party. The documentary has led to a swift public outcry, with lawyers and journalists calling for the police to launch criminal investigations. Law and Justice (PiS) portrays the Catholic faith as a key element of national identity.
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