| Full Mullen Interview: China is the Key to Solving North Korea Tensions Posted: 12 Aug 2017 11:55 PM PDT  In an exclusive interview on Meet the Press, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen (Ret.) tells Chuck Todd that military options have always been available, but it would be better to defuse North Korean tensions with China's help.
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| White House pushes back against criticism of Trump’s Charlottesville response Posted: 13 Aug 2017 12:46 PM PDT  After the president's initial remarks about Saturday's violence were criticized as too vague, the White House issued a follow-up Sunday.
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| Danish police say mystery submarine seems to have been sunk on purpose Posted: 13 Aug 2017 05:15 AM PDT ![Danish police say mystery submarine seems to have been sunk on purpose]( "Danish police say mystery submarine seems to have been sunk on purpose") By Teis Jensen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish police said on Sunday they had found nobody in the wreck of a submarine owned by an inventor charged with the manslaughter of a woman who had been on board - but added the vessel seemed to have been deliberately sunk. Police have said that Swedish journalist Kim Wall, 30, is missing after taking a ride on Peter Madsen's homemade 17-metre sub, which sank on Friday morning. Madsen was rescued by the navy.
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| US military says 2 American soldiers killed in Iraq Posted: 13 Aug 2017 08:35 AM PDT ![US military says 2 American soldiers killed in Iraq]( "US military says 2 American soldiers killed in Iraq") BAGHDAD (AP) — Two American soldiers have been killed while conducting combat operations in Iraq, the U.S. military said Sunday, adding that "initial reports indicate the incident was not due to enemy contact."
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| Buying Opioids Online: A Look Into the Thriving Industry Posted: 13 Aug 2017 10:46 AM PDT  The synthetic opioid Fentanyl is killing Americans every day as the nation's opioid epidemic reaches a national emergency. But, online, the drug is easily available to purchase and get shipped.
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| Pakistan marks 70 years of independence with fireworks, air show Posted: 14 Aug 2017 12:20 AM PDT  Pakistan Monday celebrated 70 years of independence from British India with fireworks and plans for the country's largest air display, as the military's top brass vowed to wipe out terrorists days after a deadly blast. Celebrations began at the stroke of midnight with fireworks displays in major cities. At the highly symbolic Wagah border crossing with India, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa raised a massive national flag on a 400 foot-high pole as crowds chanted patriotic slogans.
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| 17 Immigrants Were Rescued From a Truck Parked at a Texas Rest-Stop Posted: 13 Aug 2017 08:45 PM PDT  All of them made it out alive
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| NASA’s Golden Records Coming Back to Life, 40 Years Later Posted: 13 Aug 2017 10:57 AM PDT  Golden records were brought aboard the Voyager space shuttle. Each record contained greetings in 55 languages, music and images - the idea was to give extraterrestrials an idea of life on earth. They are now being recreated as a box set and a book.
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| Mother of Woman Killed at Charlottesville Rally Talks About Her 'Passion for Justice' Posted: 13 Aug 2017 08:05 AM PDT  Heather Heyer was killed at the Charlottesville, Virginia rally. One day after her death, her mother, Susan Bro, is speaking out about her daughter's passion for justice and equality.
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| FBI and DHS Warned of Growing Threat From White Supremacists Months Ago Posted: 14 Aug 2017 08:26 AM PDT  Trump doesn't want to call out white supremacists. The FBI already did.
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| Sold-out birthday bash for 90-year-old Louisiana ex-governor Posted: 12 Aug 2017 09:13 PM PDT  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A more traditional person might call it crass, an ostentatious 90th birthday bash with a $250-per-person price tag to attend. But then, no one would call Louisiana's four-term former governor, Edwin Edwards — the convicted felon with a wife five decades his junior, a 4-year-old son and a lifetime of making headlines — anything close to traditional.
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| Lebanon's Hezbollah says U.S. can't hurt it, dismisses sanctions Posted: 13 Aug 2017 11:01 AM PDT  The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah on Sunday dismissed the prospect of tougher U.S. sanctions against his group, which is backed by Iran, and said the U.S. administration had no way to harm it. "The American administration, with all available and possible means, will not be able to damage the strength of the resistance," Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address to mark the anniversary of the end of Hezbollah's 2006 war with Israel. Nasrallah said Lebanon was being subjected to intimidation and threats over Hezbollah - which is part of the Beirut government but classified as a terrorist group by Washington - and alleged that Lebanese officials had been told that Israel could launch a war.
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| Drunken American beaten up after giving Nazi salute in Germany Posted: 14 Aug 2017 01:26 AM PDT  A drunken American tourist was beaten up after giving a Nazi salute in Dresden, local police say. The 41-year-old man, who was lightly injured in the attack, was being investigated for using symbols from banned organisations after giving the salute. Public displays of Nazi symbols like the swastika or gestures like the "Heil Hitler" salute have been banned in Germany since the end of World War II. A conviction usually results in a fine but can carry a prison sentence of up to three years. The incident happened on Saturday morning as the inebriated tourist left a bar in the eastern city's Neustadt area and repeatedly gave the Hitler salute on the street. "An unknown passerby then beat up the man and slightly injured him," a police statement said. The district in which this took place is known to be a liberal part of town and is a popular meeting place for students. Police said the man who beat him up fled the scene, and that the American tourist was "severely drunk". They are still seeking the passer-by for causing personal injury. A week ago, two Chinese tourists were arrested for giving Nazi salutes outside the Reichstag. They were fined almost £500 each but were allowed to leave the country with their tour group.
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| Night riders — surfers at night Posted: 14 Aug 2017 02:00 AM PDT ![Night riders — surfers at night]( "Night riders — surfers at night") These photos from inside the breaking waves show boarders shooting through a tunnel of water, with the blue sea highlighted against a deep orange backdrop.
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| Kenya's Odinga mulls next move on disputed election Posted: 14 Aug 2017 06:03 AM PDT  Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga was weighing his next move Monday to contest an election he claims was rigged after defying pressure at home and from abroad to take his complaints to the courts. The 72-year-old insists he was the rightful winner of a "stolen" election last week and urged his supporters to stay away from work Monday to mourn the deaths of those killed in angry protests against the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta. "You know, I am very sad that Raila did not win, but what can he do now?
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| White Nationalist Rally Organizer is Chased Away by Protesters at Press Conferences Posted: 13 Aug 2017 05:28 AM PDT  Unite the Right rally organizer Jason Kessler was chased away by protesters during a press conference in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday, August 13. Police officers had to whisk him away to safety from the crowd.
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| Kindhearted Firefighter Adopts Dog He Helped Save From Fire: 'It's Great For Titus' Posted: 12 Aug 2017 12:19 PM PDT  The puppy is recovering well.
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| Charlottesville Victim's Mother: I Want Her Death to be 'a Rallying Cry for Justice' Posted: 13 Aug 2017 12:15 PM PDT  She said Heyer fought for an end to injustice
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| Confederate Monuments at Center of Nationwide Protests Posted: 13 Aug 2017 10:37 AM PDT  Organizers of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville said it was meant to save a Robert E. Lee statue that the city ordered removed in April. It is one of many contentious monuments being removed in cities across the country.
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| Lion rescued from Syria zoo gives birth in Jordan reserve Posted: 13 Aug 2017 12:10 PM PDT  SOUF, Jordan (AP) — The odds had been stacked against Hajar, a lion cub born just hours after her mother Dana, rescued from a defunct zoo in war-torn Syria, was released into a wildlife reserve in Jordan.
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| China a sweet spot for U.S. companies’ earnings in second-quarter Posted: 14 Aug 2017 03:56 AM PDT  By Adam Jourdan SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing may be running high but Corporate America is finding China to be a reliable source of profit growth this year. Whether they sell construction equipment, semiconductors or coffee, many major U.S. companies have reported stronger second-quarter earnings and revenue from their Chinese operations in recent weeks. Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious plan to build a new Silk Road that will improve links between China and dozens of countries in Asia and Europe, and includes many billions of dollars of new roads, bridges, railways and power plants – is also helping American firms to sell heavy equipment and other products.
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| Venezuela rejects 'act of madness' after Donald Trump threatens military action Posted: 12 Aug 2017 09:58 AM PDT  The Venezuelan government has warned it will defend itself against any intervention by the "extremist" United States after President Donald Trump raised the prospect of a "military option" in the chaos-ridden South American oil state. Mr Trump told reporters on Friday that the use of force "was certainly something we could pursue" in Venezuela, which he described as a "dangerous mess". "The people are suffering and they are dying. We have many options for Venezuela including a possible military option if necessary," Mr Trump said. Donald Trump threatens Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro with military action 01:01 His comments drew a furious response in Venezuela, where General Padrino Lopez, the defence minister, vowed that the army would fight against any foreign intervention. "As a soldier, along with the armed forces, we are in the first line to defend the interests and the sovereignty of our beloved Venezuela," he said, describing the threat as "an act of madness, of supreme extremism". Jorge Arreaza, the foreign minister, called on all Venezuelans to unite against the "insolent foreign aggression". "The reckless threats of President Donald Trump aim to drag Latin America and the Caribbean into a conflict which would permanently alter the stability, the peace and the security of our region," he said. The US has already imposed sanctions on senior government figures, including President Nicolas Maduro himself, in response to the controversial election of a constituent assembly (ANC) empowered to rewrite the constitution in favour of the revolutionary government. Despite widespread claims of electoral fraud, the powerful assembly has begun to rule over the heads of the opposition-controlled parliament, prompting cries from powers in the region and beyond that Venezuela has stepped into dictatorship. Amid violence that has left more than 100 dead and claims of systematic abuses by security forces, many fear the country is on the brink of a full-blown civil conflict. Anti-government activists build a barricade in Venezuela's third city, Valencia Credit: AFP Mr Trump's threat of military action, which comes after he declined to take a telephone call from Mr Maduro, would represent a serious escalation. It sent shockwaves through the region on Saturday, galvanising allies of the Chavista government and even prompting detractors who had been clamouring for change to spring to its defence. "In Latin America we don't want your war," said Vicente Fox, the former Mexican president who was last month banned from Venezuela over comments interpreted as encouraging regime change. "Only an imbecile would wage war on his neighbour's land. Violence is not the answer," he tweeted at the US president. .@realDonaldTrump in Latinamerica we don't your war, only an imbecile would wage war on his neighbor land. Violence it's not the answer.— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) August 11, 2017 The prospect was welcomed by some opponents inside Venezuela. Diego Arria, a former Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations and a prominent government critic, said that for him "all actions which help to rescue liberty" were "valid and indispensable". But many warned it played into Mr Maduro's hands, lending weight to his claim to be under attack from a powerful imperial enemy. Venezuela's President Maduro Credit: REUTERS "Now the threat of Trump activates Chavismo even more, just when we we have elections in two months," said Carola Chavez, a pro-government writer and commentator, referring to long-delayed regional polls to be held under the auspices of the new assembly. The US government seemed to be scrambling to repair the damage, with a department of defence spokesperson insisting "any insinuations by the Maduro regime that we are planning an invasion are baseless." There was mixed reaction to Mr Trump's words on the streets of Caracas. Alberto Matos, a 50-year-old school teacher, told the Telegraph he did not support the government but was concerned about the consequences of intervention. "Venezuela has many links with the Arab world and with Russia and that could turn into a major problem," he said. Mauro Cusanno, a 47-year-old waiter, rejected any prospect of military action "from either outside or inside", describing Mr Trump's threat as "serious". One 30-year-old entrepreneur, who did not wish to be identified, said: "I would not have any problem with an intervention because we need to get out of this problem. But it would depend on how it would be executed, of course."
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| Shoplifter gets job after police officer buys him interview clothes Posted: 13 Aug 2017 05:31 AM PDT  A policeman who bought a would-be shoplifter clothes for an interview has revealed he got the job. Constable Niran Jeyanesan arrived to arrest a potential thief at a Walmart in Toronto, but decided to buy the 18-year-old the clothes after hearing what he wanted them for. Mr Jeyanesan was intrigued because the man was attempting to steal a shirt, socks and tie.
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| 'Partition is not over': Pakistani Hindus find little refuge in India Posted: 12 Aug 2017 08:43 PM PDT  For decades, Jogdas dreamed of moving to India to escape the persecution he suffered as a Hindu in Muslim Pakistan. Seventy years after partition unleashed the largest mass migration in human history, Hindus are still moving from Pakistan to India, where tens of thousands languish in makeshift camps near the border with no legal right to work. It is not the welcome most of them expected in Hindu-majority India.
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| Pressure grows on Kenyan opposition to concede election defeat Posted: 13 Aug 2017 03:38 AM PDT  By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya was largely quiet on Sunday following violence in the aftermath of elections, as opposition leader Raila Odinga came under growing international pressure to concede defeat. The election commission on Friday declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta winner of the presidential poll by 1.4 million votes. International observers said Tuesday's election was largely fair but Odinga disputes the results, saying it was rigged.
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| Amazon Refunding Customers For Fake Solar Eclipse Glasses Posted: 12 Aug 2017 02:42 PM PDT  Amazon is refunding customers for fake eclipse glasses. Here's a list of reliable manufacturers.
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| Top South Korean official: U.S. government moved from 'strategic patience' to 'strategic confusion' Posted: 13 Aug 2017 09:42 AM PDT  ABC News' Martha Raddatz reports on the North Korean nuclear threat from Seoul, South Korea.
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| Virginia white supremacist rally: Two die after police helicopter monitoring violence crashes Posted: 12 Aug 2017 04:50 PM PDT  Two people have been killed after a police helicopter monitoring violent clashes between white supremacists and anti-fascists in Charlottesville, Virginia, crashed. In a message on Twitter, Donald Trump said: "Deepest condolences to the families and fellow officers of the Virginia State Police who died today. Some were dressed in paramilitary uniforms and carried assault rifles, while others were had shields, helmets and gas masks.
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| U.S. Company Offers To Help Restart the Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Posted: 13 Aug 2017 08:59 AM PDT  Seabed exploration company Ocean Infinity said Friday it had offered to take the financial risk of a renewed search for the missing Malaysian airliner.
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| How many nukes are in the world and what could they destroy? Posted: 14 Aug 2017 01:06 AM PDT  Tensions over nuclear weapons have been raised further after Donald Trump said North Korea will be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen" after US intelligence concluded the rogue state has produced a miniaturised nuclear warhead. This latest move comes amid increasing concern over North Korea's military capabilities, with the new US administration upping its rhetoric in response. While the Pyongyang regime increases the frequency with which it is conducting missile tests, Donald Trump's defence secretary Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis has previously warned North Korea of an "effective and overwhelming" response if Pyongyang used nuclear weapons. Elsewhere, rhetoric hints at a return of the expansion of nuclear arsenals across the world. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of defence chiefs that strengthening nuclear capability should be a key objective for 2017. Donald Trump then took to Twitter to respond, vowing to do the same. The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016 Such rhetoric has led to concerns about the world's nuclear capacity and the unpredictability of those in charge of the warheads. It seems the world is a long way from "coming to its senses" - with millions of kilotons already in military service around the world. Between them, the world's nuclear-armed states have around 15,000 warheads - the majority of which belong to the US and Russia. It is estimated that just under 10,000 of these are in military service, with the rest awaiting dismantlement, according to the Arms Control Association. Putin says Russia should strengthen its nuclear arsenal 00:51 Which countries have nuclear weapons? There are five nuclear-weapon states in the world: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. These are officially recognised as possessing such weapons by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This treaty acknowledges and legitimises their arsenals, but they are not supposed to build or maintain them forever. Indeed, they have committed to eliminate them. There are also four other countries that have nuclear weapons: Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea. These countries didn't sign the Treaty, and together possess an estimated 340 nuclear weapons. But it's Russia and the US that have by far the most in the world - dominating all other countries by collectively sharing 88 per cent of the world's arsenal of stockpiled nukes. This figure increases to 93 per cent when we consider retired nukes. How the world's 15,000 nukes are divided How deadly could these nuclear weapons be? The world's current collection of 14,900 nuclear weapons possesses enough power to kill millions of people and flatten dozens of cities. According to Telegraph research, it is estimated that the US and Russian arsenals combined have power equating to 6,600 megatons. This is a tenth of the total solar energy received by Earth every minute. According to the NukeMap website, the dropping of the B-83, the largest bomb in the current US arsenal, would kill 1.4m people in the first 24 hours. A further 3.7m people would be injured, as the thermal radiation radius reached 13.km. Likewise, the "Tsar Bomba" is the largest USSR bomb tested. If this bomb was dropped on New York, it is estimated that it could kill 7.6m people and injure 4.2m more. The nuclear fallout could reach an approximate area of 7,880km on a 15mph wind, impacting millions more people. Both America and Russia's arsenals are regulated by several treaties that place limits on the numbers and kinds of warheads and delivery systems they have. If either country were to expand their nuclear capacity even further, as Trump and Putin have hinted at, it could shatter these agreements and plunge the world into a new Cold War. North Korean missile ranges Our figures on nuclear weapons, based on statistics from the Arms Control Association, are mainly estimates because of the secretive nature with which most governments treat information about their arsenals.
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| Top Somalia jihadist turns himself over to government Posted: 13 Aug 2017 09:17 AM PDT  A one-time deputy leader and spokesman for Somalia's Shabaab insurgents defected to the country's government on Sunday, a local official said. Muktar Robow was the subject of a $5 million bounty from the United States for his role with the Al-Qaeda linked Islamist militants. "Muktar Robow defected from Shabaab and he is now in Hudur meeting with government officials," district commissioner Mohamed Moalim told reporters, referring to the Bakool district capital.
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| As India marks 70 years of partition, memories fresh of border bloodshed Posted: 14 Aug 2017 02:00 AM PDT  During the chaotic transition, train cars full of bodies arrived at railway stations in the twin cities of Lahore and Amritsar in the province of Punjab, which was split roughly down the middle at partition on Aug. 14, 1947. As India prepares to mark 70 years of independence on Aug. 15, families who witnessed the death and destruction during partition recalled the tales of horror. Brothers Santa and Niranjan Singh were lucky to survive the crossing from their village of Bhasin on the Pakistani side of the new border to their current home in Sarangra in India.
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| Video Captures Great White Shark Feeding On Whale Carcass Posted: 13 Aug 2017 05:16 AM PDT  A group of private whale watchers came across a rare sight of a pair of great white sharks eating a dead minke whale near the Race Point Beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
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| The Only Woman That Was Training to be a Navy SEAL Just Dropped Out Posted: 13 Aug 2017 06:27 AM PDT  No other woman has started the long process
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| The Latest: Judge won't guarantee pay for 'El Chapo' lawyers Posted: 14 Aug 2017 07:59 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on a New York court appearance for Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman (all times local):
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| Take a look at some of the most beautiful road trips on earth Posted: 14 Aug 2017 07:40 AM PDT |
| Donald Trump under fire from Republicans for response to Charlottesville violence Posted: 12 Aug 2017 08:09 PM PDT  Donald Trump's response to the violence which engulfed Charlottesville has come under fire from senior Republicans. The US president, who has been at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, gave what was seen as a muted response to the mayhem which unfolded after white supremacists descended on Virginia. One woman was killed when a car was driven into a group of counter-protestors and two Virginia State Police officers died when their helicopter crashed. Charlottesville far-right protest Mr Trump condemned the hate and bigotry "on many sides" rather than giving an unequivocal condemnation of the neo-nazis who organised the rally. Some critics of Mr Trump argue that his refusal to pin the blame on white supremacists are because he fears he could some of the voters who swept him into power. I would recommend you take a good look in the mirror & remember it was White Americans who put you in the presidency, not radical leftists. https://t.co/Rkfs7O2Ykr— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) August 12, 2017 It was a point not lost on David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, who said Mr Trump should remember it was white Americans who propelled him to power, not "radical leftists". But some of the most senior GOP members of the Senate made it clear they blamed white nationalists for the violence and terror which was inflicted on Charlottesville as they urged Mr Trump to be forthright in his condemnation. Very important for the nation to hear @potus describe events in #Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by #whitesupremacists— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) August 12, 2017 Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who fought a bruising campaign against Mr Trump for the Republican nomination, said it was important to hear the president to describe events in Charlottesville as a terror attack by supremacists. Mr. President - we must call evil by its name. These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism. https://t.co/PaPNiPPAoW— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) August 12, 2017 Cory Gardner, the Republican senator from Ohio, was equally unequivocal, urging Mr Trump to call evil by its name, describing events in Charlottesville as domestic terrorism. We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home. -OGH— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 12, 2017 Orrin Hatch, the Republican senator from Utah, said his brother did not die fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged in the United States. What " WhiteNatjonalist" are doing in Charlottesville is homegrown terrorism that can't be tolerated anymore that what Any extremist does— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 12, 2017 Iowa's senator, Chuck Grassley, said what white nationalists were doing in Charlottesville was terrorism which should not be tolerated.
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| Sainsbury's worker tracks down missing four-year-old American girl from his Surrey bedroom 5000 miles away Posted: 14 Aug 2017 01:40 AM PDT  A British supermarket worker solved a US missing person's case when he located a four-year-old girl online from his bedroom. Harry Brown was able to track down Yvette Henley to a motel in Arizona – 5,000 miles from his Surrey home – where she was being held by her estranged father. An avid gamer, the 21-year-old had been contacted by the child's grandparents, Gary and Kim Forester, after it emerged Mr Brown was a friend of Virgil Henley, the girl's father, on Facebook, according to MirrorOnline.
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| Syria investigator del Ponte says enough evidence to convict Assad of war crimes: SonntagsZeitung Posted: 13 Aug 2017 02:38 AM PDT  The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria has gathered enough evidence for President Bashar al-Assad to be convicted of war crimes, a prominent member of the commission, Carla del Ponte, said in remarks published on Sunday. Del Ponte, 70, who prosecuted war crimes in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, announced last week that she was stepping down from her role in frustration at the U.N. Security Council's failure to continue the commission's work by setting up a special tribunal for Syria that could try alleged war criminals.
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| 3 Shot Dead At Great Lakes Dragaway In Kenosha County Posted: 13 Aug 2017 10:20 PM PDT  The shooting took place around 8 p.m. EDT at the Larry's Fun Fest event. The attacker is on the run and the police are investigating the matter.
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| How to Grill Lettuce Posted: 13 Aug 2017 07:00 AM PDT  This article, How to Grill Lettuce, originally appeared on Chowhound. When I think about lettuce, I usually think of salad. And when I think of salad, I don't usually think about throwing one of those bad boys on the grill. But it turns out that grilling lettuce is more than just possible—it's delicious. The smoky aroma and lightly charred taste takes eating lettuce from chore to summertime treat.
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| 'Meet a Muslim' events hope to dispel misconceptions Posted: 13 Aug 2017 12:45 PM PDT  FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — When Moina Shaiq realized even her friends were scared to ask her about her religion for fear of offending her or sounding uneducated, she put an advertisement in a California newspaper: "Questions and answers about being Muslim."
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| American solar eclipse 2017: What is an eclipse, how can you watch it and what will the weather be? Posted: 13 Aug 2017 06:53 PM PDT  On Monday, August 21 the sun, moon and Earth will line up in an act of cosmic serendipity that will turn day into night across the 2,680-mile width of the United States. It will be the first time that has happened in nearly a century, and never will a total solar eclipse be so heavily viewed and studied. From Oregon in the west, to South Carolina in the east, there will be festivals and flamboyant eclipse viewing parties. And of course, traffic gridlock, an social media explosion, and general chaos As one astronomer put it: "This will be the most photographed, most shared, most tweeted event in human history." How unusual an event is this? Full solar eclipses, when the moon positions itself smack between the sun and the Earth, happen every few years but often in remote areas or over the ocean. This will be the first total solar eclipse in 99 years to cross the US coast-to-coast, and the first to pass through any part of the lower 48 states in 38 years. What creates a total solar eclipse Where is it happening? The path of totality - where the light of the sun is completely blocked out by the moon - is 70 miles wide and stretches from Lincoln City, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina, passing through 14 states and 21 National Parks The total eclipse will last about 90 minutes as the lunar shadow sweeps across America at more than 1,500 mph beginning about 10.15 am west coast time. On the east coast it will end at 2.49 pm east coast time. Where and when to see the eclipse Eclipse Fests, StarFests, SolarFests, SolFests, Darkening of the SunFests, MoonshadowFests, EclipseCons, Eclipse Encounters and Star Parties are planned along the path of totality. Vineyards, breweries, museums, parks, universities, stadiums, just about everybody is getting into the act. Where to see it | The Great American solar eclipse What if you're not in the US? Don't worry, Nasa will be broadcasting the whole thing on the internet and TV. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will beam back pictures, as will ships and planes and high altitude balloons. "This is a really amazing chance to just open the public's eyes to wonder," said physicist Angela Des Jardins, who is in charge of Nasa' eclipse video ballooning project. Eclipses mean chaos Will there be chaos? Undoubtedly. An estimated 200 million people live within a day's drive of the path of totality and huge crowds are expected. The lightly populated state of Oregon is expecting up to one million eclipse chasers and is treating the event as an emergency. Police everywhere are asking people to be patient. Even stuck in a traffic jam the sight should be wonderful. An eclipse in Beijing in 2010 Credit: Getty Rain means pain... We won't know weather conditions until closer to the time - but above all, eclipse viewing is dependent on clear skies, and the best advice is to find somewhere high and dry. Experienced eclipse watchers say the best bet is to avoid both coasts, where rain is more likely. States like Wyoming and Idaho could fare better. Ideally, the best option is to be somewhere remote with access to a fast car and clear roads in case a cloud settles overhead. The Astronomical League for amateur astronomers, who know a thing or two, are heading for Casper, Wyoming. Majestic solar eclipse lights up Southern Hemisphere 00:31 How long will totality last? It varies in different places, Darkness will last just under two minutes in Oregon, gradually expanding to a maximum two minutes and 44 seconds in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, and into Kentucky, then dwindling to two-and-a-half minutes in South Carolina. Will there also be a partial eclipse? The partial eclipse will extend up through Canada and down through Central America and the top of South America. Minneapolis will see 86 per cent of the sun covered, Miami 82 per cent, Montreal 66 per cent, and Mexico City sees 38 per cent. NASA satellite witnesses a rare double eclipse 00:36 Are protective eclipse glasses necessary? Absolutely. The only time you can look at the eclipse is during totality. Experts say at any point when the eclipse is partial, even if only a sliver of the sun is visible, it would burn the back of your eyes to look at it. "Unfortunately, I think it is probably true that during every solar eclipse, there's bound to be somebody who does get hurt," said Ralph Chou, an optometry professor and leading authority on eye damage from eclipse viewing. Schoolchildren wearing protective glasses Credit: Reuters How about watching from a plane South West Airlines has worked out that the eclipse will be visible from a handful of its scheduled flights, taking off from dEnver, Seattle and Portland. They'll be serving "cosmic cocktails" to the lucky passengers. Is there a Trump link to the eclipse? The Boston Globe newspaper made a valiant attempt to link the eclipse to Donald Trump, noting that 92 per cent of the 240 counties in the path of totality voted for the president in last year's election. However, the internet appeared to decide that this was a Trump link too far. Leave it to the Globe to make a solar eclipse political. (BTW Globe, the sun and moon don't care who's president!)— Gary Black (@GaryBlackal) August 4, 2017 ignoring politics for a sec and focusing only on eclipse mechanics.....isn't it trump supporters who get the shadehttps://t.co/uEbdxs1RbV— Sarah Holder (@ptsarahdactyl) August 6, 2017 What do the experts say about eclipses? Nasa guru Bill Cooke says: "It is the most weird, creepy, awe-inspiring astronomical event you will experience." Rick Fienberg, spokesman for the American Astronomical Society: "Going through life without ever experiencing totality is like going through life without ever falling in love." When's the next one in the US? April 8, 2024. It might be even better with four minutes totality.
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| The U.S. Could Almost Meet Greenhouse-Gas Goals If Americans Made One Dietary Change Posted: 13 Aug 2017 08:45 AM PDT  The switch is fairly simple, but would have huge results.
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