| Trump’s Mexico tariff plan divides Republicans Posted: 31 May 2019 03:43 PM PDT  President Trump's latest effort to crack down on migration at the southern border by imposing punitive tariffs on Mexican goods appears to be driving a wedge between the White House and some of Trump's biggest supporters in the Senate — including immigration hard-liners who ordinarily back him on border security issues. Among Senate Republicans, only Lindsey Graham of South Carolina publicly backed the tariff plan. "I support nearly every one of President Trump's immigration policies, but this is not one of them," Sen. Chuck Grassley said Thursday evening, shortly after the White House announced its new tariff tactic.
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| William Barr Laughs at Homer—but He Doesn’t Get the Joke Posted: 31 May 2019 06:47 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/GettyIt was surprising on Friday to hear Attorney General William Barr use the heroic ethos to explain his decision to spend the twilight of his career obstructing justice. Asked in a CBS interview if he minded very much that a lot of people have come to think a lot less of him, Barr noted philosophically:I am at the end of my career. Everyone dies, and I am not, you know, I don't believe in the Homeric idea that, you know, immortality comes by, you know, having odes sung about you over the centuries.William Barr Delivers Chilling Message to FBI for TrumpBarr was laughing by the time he got to the part about Homer—genuinely mirthful, unselfconscious laughter, the sort you expect other people to join in with because they're in on the joke. Up to that point, though, his demeanor had been somber if not downright grave, sitting there up in Alaska, where he was being filmed before a crackling fire in his plaid dress shirt and fleecy vest (the thinking-person's Christmas catalogue model) and speaking in hushed tones carefully laced with vocal fry. Observing that at his time of life and in this partisan climate he didn't care what people thought, he seemed almost sad, or like a man trying to appear almost sad. The subtext, anyway, was that he was taking one for the team. He said he had known all along that he would be criticized for his stance on the Mueller Report and for what he was doing now in terms of launching a series of investigations into the former investigators and their bad-faith efforts to bring this President down. It sounded, oddly, as though Barr was admitting that all along he'd been following a pre-determined script rather than responding dynamically to an evolving situation as it unfolded.It's not clear to me what Barr finds so uproarious about Homeric values. (I thought right-wingers were supposed to set a great store by "the Western canon.") But the dismissiveness and the laughter are on-brand for him. Barr gave exactly the same sort of patronizing laugh during his Senate testimony following the release of the Mueller Report, when Kamala Harris confronted him over whether or not Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein had ever actually been cleared to supervise the Mueller investigation and make charging decisions, given that he was himself a witness in the obstruction probe owing to his role in the firing of James Comey. Barr hedged and evaded and tried to filibuster, and had finally resorted to laughter, saying that that was the acting AG's job. "To be a witness and make the decision on being a prosecutor," Harris had pressed, and Barr had gone back to being flustered.You might say that dismissive mirth (whether voiced or not) is the ruling ethos of the Trump administration. It informs the logic of everything they do: lie, evade, and speechify until, realizing that you just don't care, you say what you really think in a manner that reveals at once how corrupt and dishonest you are and, at the same time, that there isn't a thing anyone can do about it. Which is the whole point: how powerful you are.But to get back to the code of the Homeric hero, Barr has it a little backward. Starting out with the notion that one does something heroic with a view to being granted everlasting fame, Barr notes that he doesn't care about that sort of fame. Ergo, he has no incentive to do the right thing. Barr's value-system though is purely transactional.It's true that the epic hero's fame, his kleos, is what will make him immortal. But that's not his motivation; that's his consolation prize. You don't do what's right or just or courageous so people will sing about you. You do it—despite the risk, although you might not win or survive, even when you know without doubt that you will fall or fail--because it's the right thing to do and because that's who you are. Because doing that thing defines everything that you or your party or the caucus or agency you represent stands for. It's something that perhaps Nancy Pelosi and Bob Mueller would do well to remember, the Speaker of the House who doesn't want to embark on an impeachment inquiry and the former Special Counsel who doesn't want to testify before Congress. You do the right thing not so that people will sing about you but so they may have something to sing about. 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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| Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury Posted: 31 May 2019 12:18 PM PDT  Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller's relationship with Stone and Stone's connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller's attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.
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| It just got harder to make the later 2020 Democratic debates Posted: 01 Jun 2019 12:32 PM PDT  For debates scheduled for September and October, candidates will have to hit 2% in four qualifying polls and count at least 130,000 individual donors.
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| DR Congo's Tshisekedi laid to rest as his son looks on Posted: 01 Jun 2019 01:23 PM PDT  Veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi was laid to rest Saturday as his son, the president, looked on, following three days of ceremonies honouring his memory. President Felix Tshisekedi was visibly moved as he watched the final ceremony for his father, who died in February 2017 in Brussels at the age of 84. The former prime minister turned opposition leader was buried in a private plot at Nsele, on the outskirts of the capital Kinshasa.
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| UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted Posted: 01 Jun 2019 07:35 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted]( "UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted") China will investigate whether FedEx Corp
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| 20+ Adorable Spring-Inspired Desserts Posted: 31 May 2019 02:32 PM PDT |
| Even People Who Were There Still Don’t Agree on How Stonewall Started. Here’s What We Do Know Posted: 31 May 2019 03:17 PM PDT  "Basically I think what you have to conclude is that it was that night strictly by accident," says Martin Duberman
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| Professor who has correctly predicted 9 presidential elections says Trump will win in 2020 unless Democrats impeach him Posted: 01 Jun 2019 05:15 AM PDT  Is this why Democrats are fired up about impeachment? American Conservative Union president Matt Schlapp reacts.
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| Why North Korea Is Raising Tensions with New Missile Tests Posted: 31 May 2019 05:00 PM PDT  After a hiatus of 521 days, North Korea has resumed its missile-testing regime. On May 9, the country launched its second flight test in less than a week of what appear to be short-range missiles. Its May 4 launch involved multiple missiles, possibly including several of the same type.The second test came on the second anniversary of South Korean President Moon Jae In's inauguration and just before a live TV interview in which Moon characterized the tests as a "pressure action" to shape further talks. He renewed his call for a fourth inter-Korean summit and emphasized planned shipments of South Korean food aid to the North. The May 9 test also coincided with the first visit to Seoul by U.S. Special Representative Stephen Biegun since the February breakdown of the Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the tests routine and defensive in nature, while state-run media criticized the recent test of the U.S.-South Korea Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.Why It Matters
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| The Latest: UK intercepts 74 migrants crossing the Channel Posted: 01 Jun 2019 12:45 PM PDT ![The Latest: UK intercepts 74 migrants crossing the Channel]( "The Latest: UK intercepts 74 migrants crossing the Channel") LONDON (AP) — The Latest on migrants crossing the Channel into Britain (all times local):
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| Trump says lawyer Emmet Flood leaving in June Posted: 01 Jun 2019 01:50 PM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a member of his legal team, Emmet Flood, will leave his post later this month after helping him handle the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. "Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th. Trump has been restructuring his legal team as he shifts from dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe to battling Democratic-led investigations in the U.S. Congress.
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| Crop tops for men? Twitter users don't know how to feel about the new trend Posted: 31 May 2019 12:14 PM PDT  Every decade there seems to be a crop top resurgence. Now you can find them on Amazon, Etsy and ASOS -- for men.
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| China fights back against the Huawei ban with a blacklist of its own Posted: 31 May 2019 05:08 PM PDT  The Trump administration delivered a massive blow to Huawei a few days ago, placing the biggest China's smartphone maker on the US Commerce Department "Entity List" that bans the sale of Huawei products in the country. The US government also banned the Chinese vendor from importing technology made in the US, which covers anything from chips and other components from companies like Intel and Qualcomm to software like Android and Windows.Other international companies have also cut ties with Huawei temporarily, including chip-maker ARM, whose silicon designs are the basis of most mobile chips used in Huawei designs. All this prompted the Chinese government to create its own blacklist, which it's currently referring to as the "Unreliable Entity List."China announced its list on Friday, saying that it will add any foreign firms and individuals who do not play nice with Chinese companies, namely Huawei."Foreign enterprises, organizations or individuals that do not comply with market rules, deviate from a contract's spirit or impose blockades or stop supplies to Chinese enterprises for non-commercial purposes, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, will be included on a list of 'unreliable entities'," Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, per HongKongFP.The official did not say what companies are on the list, adding that they will be announced at a later date."Some foreign entities have violated normal market rules and the spirit of their contracts for non-commercial purposes, blockading and cutting off supplies and taking other discriminatory actions against Chinese companies damaging their legitimate rights and interests, and endangering China's national security and national interests," Gao said, according to state-owned Global Times.China's response seems to escalate trade-war tensions, but in reality, there's probably little that China can do to whatever companies end up on its list. That's because the most important US tech companies that may qualify for that list are in a co-dependency relationship with China. Intel and Qualcomm processors are needed and used by many Chinese smartphone makers. Google, meanwhile, doesn't have a presence in China, so the risk is small. Microsoft's Windows is also a critical operating system, one that China can hardly do without. If there's one company China could punish, it's probably Apple, but Apple doesn't have a business relationship with Huawei. Not to mention that China also needs Apple's business just as much as Apple needs China.If anything, China is trying to do whatever it can to deescalate the conflict and reach some common ground, as the ban on Huawei will have a severe impact on the smartphone vendor's bottom line, and even on its ability to conduct business in other markets.
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| How Monsanto manipulates journalists and academics Posted: 01 Jun 2019 09:00 PM PDT  Monsanto's own emails and documents reveal a disinformation campaign to hide its weedkiller's possible links to cancer Monsanto's weedkiller Roundup, one of the world's most popular herbicides, may cause cancer. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters Over the past year, evidence of Monsanto's deceptive efforts to defend the safety of its top-selling Roundup herbicide have been laid bare for all to see. Through three civil trials, the public release of internal corporate communications has revealed conduct that all three juries have found so unethical as to warrant punishing punitive damage awards. Much attention has been paid to Monsanto conversations in which company scientists casually discuss ghostwriting scientific papers and suppressing science that conflicts with corporate assertions of Roundup's safety. There has also been public outrage over internal records illustrating cozy relationships with friendly regulators which border on – and possibly cross into – collusion. But these once-confidential Monsanto documents demonstrate that the deception has gone much deeper. In addition to the manipulation of science and of regulators, the company's most insidious deceit may be its strategic manipulation of the media, according to the records. We recently learned that a young woman falsely posing as a freelance BBC reporter at one of the Roundup cancer trials was in fact a "reputation management" consultant for FTI Consulting, whose clients include Monsanto. The woman spent time with journalists who were covering the Hardeman v Monsanto trial in San Francisco, pretending to do reporting while also suggesting to the real reporters certain storylines or points that favored Monsanto. Lawyer Tim Litzenburg, who represents several plaintiffs suing Monsanto over claims Roundup causes cancer, told me that he has traced what he calls a "dark money project" by Monsanto aimed at winning favorable public opinion. The project includes planting helpful news articles in traditional news outlets; discrediting and harassing journalists who refused to parrot the company's propaganda; and secretly funding front groups to amplify pro-Monsanto messaging across social media platforms. "We now know they had pet journalists who pushed Monsanto propaganda under the guise of 'objective reporting,'" Litzenburg, a partner with the firm Kincheloe, Litzenburg & Pendleton, told me. "At the same time, the chemical company sought to amass dossiers to discredit those journalists who were brave enough to speak out against them." According to the internal Monsanto documents Litzenburg has received through discovery, pro-Monsanto narratives are disseminated by individuals and groups that promote the work of journalists who follow Monsanto's desired storylines while seeking to smear and discredit journalists whose work threatens Monsanto. For me, a career journalist who spent 17 years covering Monsanto for the international news agency Reuters, the revelations are not surprising. In 2014, an organization called Academics Review published two scathing articles about my work at Reuters writing about Monsanto's genetically engineered crops and its Roundup herbicide business. Monsanto had been unhappy with some of my stories, complaining that I should not be including the views of company critics. Academics Review amplified those complaints under the guise of being an independent association. Internal Monsanto documents have revealed, however, that Academics Review was and is anything but independent. The organization was the brainchild of Monsanto, designed as a vehicle for responding to "scientific concerns and allegations" while "keeping Monsanto in the background so as not to harm the credibility of the information," as one November 2010 email from Monsanto executive Eric Sachs stated. According to a March 11, 2010 email chain, Academics Review was established with the help of a former director of corporate communications at Monsanto who set up his own public relations shop and a former vice president of a biotech industry trade association of which Monsanto was a member. Other internal documents show Monsanto's money and marching orders behind the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), an organization that purports to be independent of industry while publishing articles attacking journalists and scientists whose work contradicts Monsanto's agenda. Articles written by ACSH associates have appeared in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. ACSH has published several articles aimed at discrediting not just me but also Pulitzer-prize-winning New York Times reporter Eric Lipton, who ACSH calls a "science birther", and former New York Times reporter Stephanie Strom, who ACSH accused of "irresponsible journalism" shortly before she left the paper. Both reporters had written articles exposing concerns about Monsanto. The New York Times' Danny Hakim has also been targeted by ACSH for writing about Monsanto. "Danny Hakim Is Lying To You," reads one of several posts by ACSH about Hakim. Internal Monsanto emails show ACSH seeking and receiving financial commitments from Monsanto. One email string from 2015 between the company and ACSH details the "unrestricted" financial support ACSH desires while laying out the "impacts" across social media ACSH is achieving. "Each and every day we work hard to prove our worth to companies like Monsanto…" the ACSH email states. A separate email chain among Monsanto executives states "You WILL NOT GET A BETTER VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR than ACSH." Tom Philpott, a longtime journalist with Mother Jones magazine who has written critically about genetically modified crops for several years, has also felt the sting of industry harassment. "These are vicious and utterly unfounded attacks on a journalist's credibility, well designed to undercut him with his employer," he told me. While harassing reporters whose coverage it deems negative, Monsanto has also found ways to cultivate certain journalists to carry its messaging. Monsanto's internal documents show that when the company wanted to discredit the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) after the group classified Monsanto's glyphosate weed killer as a probable carcinogen, Monsanto turned to a London-based Reuters reporter with specific story suggestions. The emails show that a controversial story published in June 2017 by Reuters, raising questions about the integrity of the IARC's review of glyphosate, was secretly fed to the news agency by Monsanto executive Sam Murphey. Murphey gave the reporter documents that had not yet been filed publicly in court along with a desired story narrative and a slide deck of suggested points to make in the story. The story, which did not disclose Monsanto as the initial source, closely followed Monsanto's suggestions, the emails show. Another newly released email details how Monsanto's fingerprints were on at least two other Reuters stories about the IARC. A 1 March 2016 email speaks of the involvement of Monsanto's "Red Flag" campaign in a Reuters story critical of IARC and Monsanto's desire to influence a second, similar story Reuters was planning. Red Flag is a Dublin-based PR and lobbying firm. According to the email, "following engagement by Red Flag a number of months ago, the first piece was quite critical of IARC." The email goes on: "You may also be aware that Red Flag is in touch with Reuters regarding the second report in the series…" A little over a month later, Reuters published a story headlined "Special Report: How the World Health Organization's cancer agency confuses consumers." The stories in question were shared by ACSH, the American Chemistry Council, Monsanto and others In Europe, French prosecutors are now probing Monsanto's campaign to manipulate journalists and others, including secret files on influential individuals compiled by Monsanto public relations firm FleishmanHillard. Bayer AG, the German company that acquired Monsanto last June, has admitted that FleishmanHillard created lists of people in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom on behalf of Monsanto. The company has apologized for the secret files and said it is hiring an external law firm to investigate the matter. In the United States, Raymond Kerins, Bayer's head of communications, told me that the company "stands for openness and fair dealings, with all of our audiences, including the news media." The comment rings hollow as the character attack pieces on me and other journalists continue to circulate and Monsanto's history of harassment and media manipulation seems to be growing – just as the number of plaintiffs alleging Roundup causes cancer also grows. It's time for the dishonesty to end. Carey Gillam is a journalist and author, and a public interest researcher for US Right to Know, a not-for-profit food industry research group
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| This 1994 Toyota Has Been Turned Into Thunderbird 2 Posted: 01 Jun 2019 02:50 PM PDT  It's not often that Thunderbird 2 comes up for sale at £35k ($45k). Well, it's sort of Thunderbird 2...
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| We Can Tell You All of the Ways to Kill a Hypersonic Missile Posted: 01 Jun 2019 11:00 PM PDT  At a time when existing missile defenses can't guarantee success against the ballistic missiles, a whole new challenge has been posed by hypersonic vehicles. Many people believe that after a certain time period the effectiveness of ballistic missile defenses will grow. In that situation, hypersonic weapons' deployment is important. However, as of now, the Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs) and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCMs) are solutions looking for a problem.What's New in Hypersonic WeaponsSpeed, maneuverability, and low-altitude travel are major traits of hypersonic weapons which are not comparable to the existing ballistic or cruise missiles. Cruise missiles lack speed while the ballistic missiles can't maneuver. Hypersonic weapons travel normally at speeds greater than Mach 5 at lower altitudes with maneuverability making them harder to detect and kill than the legacy ballistic and cruise missiles.Major global powers are engaged in building, testing and deploying hypersonic weapons. Among them are the United States, Russia, and China. India and France are also working on hypersonic research and development. Russian's demonstration of "Avangard" in 2018 added urgency to the U.S. plans to expedite hypersonic developments. The United States is also looking at various options to defend against Russian and Chinese hypersonic threats with parallel developments of its own weapons. Russia and China would also be considering options of defensive capabilities after the United States has rushed to develop this capability.
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| The Latest: Minister demands cruise ship ban in Venice canal Posted: 02 Jun 2019 04:59 AM PDT  VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Latest on the cruise ship crashing into a dock and another river boat in a Venice canal (all times local):
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| Meet the veterans who walked out of a meeting with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Posted: 02 Jun 2019 05:47 AM PDT  Meet the veterans who walked out of a meeting with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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| Japan PM to meet Iran's Khamenei to mediate with US: report Posted: 01 Jun 2019 10:06 PM PDT  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later this month with Tokyo hoping to mediate between Washington and Tehran, a report said Sunday. As tensions intensify between Iran and Japan's key ally the United States, Abe has reportedly proposed serving as a go-between and is said to be weighing up a state visit to Iran.
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| China's defence minister says Tiananmen crackdown was 'correct' ahead of 30th anniversary Posted: 02 Jun 2019 01:56 AM PDT  Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe said Sunday that the deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square 30 years ago was "correct" and that it had ensured years of stability in the country. Mr Wei was responding to questions posed by the Telegraph at an annual security summit in Singapore. It is extremely rare for Chinese officials to acknowledge the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, which ended when soldiers opened fire on thousands. Even three decades later, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive topics in China, and is subject to extensive government efforts to erase it from history. "Everybody is concerned about Tiananmen after 30 years," Mr Wei said Sunday at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. "China under the Communist Party has experienced many changes in those 30 years – how can we say that China did not handle the Tiananmen incident well? There was a conclusion to the incident. The central government took measures to stop that political turbulence." "Due to that, China has enjoyed stability and development. If you visit China, you can better understand that part of history." In the weeks leading up to the 30th anniversary this Tuesday, Chinese authorities have launched "pre-emptive strikes" by detaining, interrogating, and placing under house arrest former protest leaders and their relatives, according to the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a coalition of human rights groups. Muslims in China have faced a long battle against discrimination Credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images Mr Wei also defended China's policies in Xinjiang as "absolutely right," where US officials estimate three million Uighur Muslims are being held in internment camps. His remarks echoed what the government has said – that the authorities are running "vocational education centres to help these people deradicalise and learn skills to better reintegrate into society." Eight former detainees interviewed by the Telegraph however have said they didn't learn "skills," and were subjected to physical and psychological torture, such as body-cavity searches, electrocution by cattle prods, and solitary confinement. In a strong, sweeping speech, a uniformed Mr Wei spoke regarding China's position, making clear Beijing stood ready to defend its interests on all fronts, from trade to territories to Taiwan. "On the trade friction started by the US: If the US wants to talk, we will have the door open; if they want to fight, we are ready," he said. Chinese Minister of Defence General Wei Fenghe salutes Credit: WALLACE WOON/EPA-EFE/REX He also stressed that Huawei didn't cooperate with the Chinese military, echoing the government's long-held position despite allegations from the US of espionage risks if nations were to continue using the Chinese telecoms firm's equipment in its mobile and data networks. Under Chinese law, even private firms like Huawei are obliged to assist the government. China will also "fight at all costs" if anyone attempted to separate Taiwan, a democratically self-ruled island that Beijing has long regarded as a runaway renegade province. He exercised the same hardline tone on issues in the South China Sea, where China has claimed disputed islands as their own, and intimidating US and UK warships when they sail through the region. Mr Wei is the first defence minister to attend the Shangri-La dialogue since 2011, and met with his counter part, US acting defence secretary Patrick Shanhan on the sidelines Friday.
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| In a time when life seems to be going off the rails, remember modern life is extraordinary Posted: 02 Jun 2019 04:45 AM PDT  In 2019, the news can be depressing, but the small and ordinary miracles of the modern world should prompt us to pause and be grateful.
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| Scouted: Take Up to 75% Off Hundreds of Kate Spade Styles and Dive Into Summer With a New Bag Posted: 01 Jun 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Bags, like shoes, are seasonal. There's no need to carry a heavy, black leather bag in the summer the same way that you wouldn't wear a pair of shearling-lined boots to the beach. Sometimes, you just need to change it up. Thankfully, Kate Spade is here to help out with a massive Summer Splash Surprise Sale. Like the previous Surprise Sales, for the next few days, you can get up to 75% off over 400 styles. But wait, there's more. Use the code EXTRAEXTRA and get an additional 10% off any order of $150 or more. That means the Sam Large Pocket Satchel and the Reiley Straw Large Dome Satchel are each down to $143. Want to try something a bit different this time around? The California Dreaming Cloud Dot Midi Dress is $129 and has an adorable collar and a breezy silhouette. Or go for the Down Breezy Floral Laptop Sleeve that will protect a 15" laptop. The Summer Splash Sample Sale from Kate Spade is your accessories oyster.Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.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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| Why Is Russia Turning Its Su-57 Stealth Fighter Into A Ship-Killer? Posted: 31 May 2019 08:30 PM PDT  Russia is designing an anti-ship missile for its Su-57 stealth fighter.But is hunting ships the best mission for such an advanced aircraft?Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko made the announcement while visiting the Detal Design Bureau, which is developing a new anti-ship missile, according to Russian news agency TASS."Today the enterprise is working on developing an active homing warhead for the promising anti-ship missile that is planned to be carried by the Su-57 fighter as well," Krivoruchko said."A working meeting was held on the premises of the Detal Design Bureau to discuss the issue of signing a contract with Tactical Missiles Corporation on acquiring the entire range of air-launched weapons for the Su-57 fighter jets," TASS said.The Su-57 is Russia's equivalent of the U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. A Mach 2 aircraft capable of air superiority and ground-strike missions, it is Russia's first stealth plane, and probably the most sophisticated aircraft in the Russian arsenal. It also has a long and troubled history stretching back more than a decade, due to technical issues and even more because of financial considerations. Estimates have ranged from $40 million to $156 million per plane—a figure that earlier made the Russian Air Force cancel mass production and buy just a handful of aircraft. Russia now has about a dozen Su-57s, which have flown a few missions over Syria.
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| Ram 1500 Classic Recalled Because a Driveshaft Can Fall Off Posted: 31 May 2019 11:51 AM PDT  Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is recalling 10,160 of its 2018 to 2019 Ram 1500 Classic pickup trucks because the rear driveshaft could detach from the truck as the result of an incomplete weld....
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| Hurricane season 2019: A sense of fear for towns already hit Posted: 31 May 2019 11:17 AM PDT  The annual start of hurricane season casts a shadow of dread over coastal sections of the United States. People fret over the next Big One, even as communities struggle to recover from the last one.
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| President Trump Played a Key Role in the Central Park Five Case. Here’s the Real History Behind When They See Us Posted: 31 May 2019 12:28 PM PDT  Like the rest of the new series, President Trump's role in 'When They See Us' is taken from the real story of the Central Park jogger case
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| $28 gets you true wireless earbuds that fix the worst thing about Apple’s $159 AirPods Posted: 01 Jun 2019 07:33 AM PDT ![$28 gets you true wireless earbuds that fix the worst thing about Apple's $159 AirPods]( "$28 gets you true wireless earbuds that fix the worst thing about Apple's $159 AirPods") It has been a while now since I stopped using my AirPods. They're so great in concept, but the execution is off. Because the tips are smooth plastic, much of the sound -- and most of the bass -- leaks out of your ears instead of being locked in. If you want a pair of cord-free earbuds that address Apple's design mistake by using silicone tips that lock in all that bass, check out the SoundPEATS TrueFree True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. They're only $28.49 on Amazon after you clip the 5% coupon, and they sound great.Here's more from the product page: * [TWS & BLUETOOTH 5.0] - Adopt global professional Realtek chipset, true wireless design with latest Bluetooth 5.0, the SoundPEATS TrueFree wireless earbuds own fast and stable transmission without tangling. * [SINGLE & COUPLE] - Support working together to enjoy stereo sound, or using one earbud only for preference or driving safety. Different from the previous version or other brand, the TrueFree wireless earbuds provide HiFi stereo sound at both music and phone calls. * [ONE-STEP PAIRING] - Born to offer you every convenience, the earbuds are built with very easy operation. Pull out the earbuds from charging case and hit on Bluetooth list. That's how easily you get the earbuds paired. * [EXTENDED PLAYTIME] - Compact and lightweight magnetic charging case for you to carry the earbuds around. 3.5 hours playtime per charge and 15 hours in total, the earbuds strive to keep you company longer. * [BIG IN SMALL] - Sound PEATS True Free wireless earbuds fulfill all your fantasy and needs about Bluetooth earphones. As long as your device is with Bluetooth version above 4.0, you can use it with the earbuds. Sound PEATS provides 12 months hassle-free warranty to ensure the enjoyment of your purchase.
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| ExxonMobil staff to return to work in Iraq: ministry Posted: 31 May 2019 05:08 PM PDT  Foreign employees of US energy major ExxonMobil will return to work near Iraq's border with Iran Sunday, the oil ministry said, two weeks after being evacuated over tensions between Washington and Tehran. "ExxonMobil accepted that the 83 employees evacuated will resume their posts from Sunday," spokesman Assem Jihad told AFP. ExxonMobil pulled out its expatriate employees from the southern oil field after the US ordered non-essential personnel to quit its diplomatic missions in the country on May 15.
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| Scouted: Cold Brew Coffee is the Best Kind of Coffee and Here’s How to Brew the Best Cup Posted: 31 May 2019 01:00 PM PDT  There are some people who can drink hot coffee year-round. I am not one of those people. If anything, I could drink cold brew well into winter time without much thought (though I would get some looks from strangers).I've talked about what I love about cold brew and why it's superior to any other method of brewing coffee. If you want to make it yourself at home, you have many options. We've rounded up some of the best-selling cold brew coffee makers on the market that deserve a place on your kitchen counter — and in your heart.Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker, $19 on AmazonTakeya Deluxe Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker, $19 on Amazon: I love this cold brew maker because it's just so easy. You just dump your favorite ground coffee into the center compartment, fill the rest with water, and let it sit. The only thing you really need for a really good cold brew from this maker besides coffee and water is patience.OXO BREW Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $50 on AmazonOXO BREW Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $50 on Amazon: What's great about this cold brew maker is that you can evenly distribute the water thanks to the "Rainmaker" top that disperses water across the grounds. It brews up top and then a quick-release button empties the coffee into a ready-to-pour carafe. Toddy Cold Brew System, $35 on AmazonToddy Cold Brew System, $35 on Amazon: This maker from Toddy comes with its own reusable filter and the ability to buy a separate paper filter for quick and easy cleanup. Steep your coffee in the top and then pull out the rubber and empty it into the carafe below. The carafe itself comes with an airtight lid so you can easily store your cold brew without worrying about any flavor changes.Country Line Kitchen Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $27 on AmazonCountry Line Kitchen Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $27 on Amazon: While this may look a little kitschy, the mason jar brewer is all business. The interior filter is made from a super strong stainless steel and the lid features a flip-top lid to keep the caffeine flowing freely (this sounds like a dream I had last night). And look, the mason jar-style container is just darn cute.Bodum Bean Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $22 on AmazonBodum Bean Cold Brew Coffee Maker, $22 on Amazon: I always forget how much I enjoy French press coffee and this maker from Bodum pairs its classic French press style with multi-hour-long steeps. Just put your grounds in, fill with cold water, and let steep. After it's done, press down like you would any other French press-style brew.Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.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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| OIC summit condemns any decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Posted: 31 May 2019 07:29 PM PDT ![OIC summit condemns any decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital]( "OIC summit condemns any decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital") A summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned any position adopted by an international body that supports prolonging occupation, including a U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, it said on Saturday. The Mecca summit also refused all illegal Israeli measures aimed at changing facts in occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem, and undermining the two-state solution, it said in a statement. The summit urged member countries to take "appropriate measures" against countries that move their embassies to Jerusalem, it added.
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| NASA spots explosion of X-rays glowing in the universe Posted: 01 Jun 2019 07:37 AM PDT  NASA peers deep into the cosmos at the bright, leftover cinders of exploded stars, called pulsars. Now, the space agency has released a map-like image showing loops and arcs of X-ray energy — invisible to the naked eye — radiating from these dense cores of once massive stars. The most radiant spots are the suspected pulsars, repeatedly blasting X-ray energy into space. These trails of energy, or electromagnetic radiation, reveal the powerful sources of these X-rays. "Even with minimal processing, this image reveals the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant about 90 light-years across and thought to be 5,000 to 8,000 years old," said NASA's Keith Gendreau, who leads the imaging mission called NICER, in a statement. "We're gradually building up a new X-ray image of the whole sky, and it's possible NICER's nighttime sweeps will uncover previously unknown sources." Locations of pulsars. Image: nasa / nicer NICER, short for Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, is a cube-shaped instrument attached to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA focuses on specific pulsar targets, so NICER repeatedly follows similar tracks through the sky, ultimately creating prominent arcs of X-ray radiation on this sky map. In total, this image is an X-ray map showing 22 months of radiation traveling through space. SEE ALSO: The secretive lab that built 'the bomb' now scours Mars for signs of life NICER will continue to scan the cosmos for blasts of X-rays so they can better understand the sources of this energy — pulsars. Astronomers suspect these stars act like lighthouse beacons in the universe, regularly emanating or "pulsing" blasts of X-ray light as they spin. Grasping how different pulsars "pulse" may serve quite useful for future deep space travel through the solar system. NASA plans for a coherent map of pulsars to essentially act like a "GPS system in space." "When mature, this technology will enable spacecraft to navigate themselves throughout the solar system — and beyond," NASA said. WATCH: Meet Katie Bouman, one of the scientists who helped capture the first black hole image
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| Mexico won't panic over Trump trade threats, president says Posted: 01 Jun 2019 03:53 AM PDT  Mexico's president has said his country will not panic over Donald Trump's threat to impose punitive tariffs in a row over migrants crossing the US border.Andrés Manuel López Obrador urged "great prudence" as he sent his top diplomat to Washington for talks to head off the 5 per cent tax on Mexican goods scheduled for 10 June."I tell all Mexicans to have faith, we will overcome this attitude of the US government, they will make rectifications because the Mexican people don't deserve to be treated in the way being attempted," he said. Mr Trump has claimed that the tariff will increase by another five per cent every month up to 25 per cent "unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory."He said that they were "about stopping drugs as well as illegals".However, Mr Lopez Obrador said Mexico was already "carryout out our responsibility in immigration policy". Last month authorities arrested hundreds of people travelling in a migrant caravan through the southern state of Chiapas."We have to help so that they don't enter the United States illegally, but we also have to do it respecting human rights," the president added. "Nothing authoritarian. They're human beings." Mr Lopez Obrador rejected suggestions Mexico should complain to an international trade body. "We want to have a good relationship with the United States government," he said. His comments ca ame after he sent a letter to Mr Trump saying he did not want a "confrontation". He said: "The peoples and nations that we represent deserve that, in the face of any conflict in our relationships, no matter how serious, we will resort to dialogue and act with prudence and responsibility."Mr Lopez Obrado said that the "America First" slogan was a "fallacy" because "until the end of time universal justice and fraternity prevail over national borders".The threat of tariffs on Mexico sparked an outcry from business groups and political figures.Republicans said it jeopardised the new North American trade agreement, which was negotiated last year but has not yet been approved by lawmakers."Let's focus on solving the crisis at the border but not hurt our economy and endanger an important POTUS goal – a better trade deal w/ Canada & Mexico," said Senator Rob Portman of Ohio.Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the president's threat was a "misuse of presidential tariff authority"."Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the US Chamber of Commercs. "These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border." "It's very hard to see the USMCA going forward after this," said Philip Levy, who was a White House economist under President George W Bush and is now a senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "The president has essentially told the Mexicans that the deal offers them no guarantees against trade protectionism. It asks them to jump through hoops with no reward." Stock markets plunged on Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average losing around 355 points, or 1.4 per cent, after the news of Mr Trump's threat broke.Economists forecast that tariffs of 25 per cent would cut US growth by at least 0.7 per cent to around 1 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile Mexico could slide into recession.If Mexico retaliates with its own tariffs they could also damage the US auto and farm industries. Last year Mexico bought $300bn of US goods and services, while the US imported $378bn from Mexico.The US is already involved in a trade war with China following the president's decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on $250bn of imports.
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| Judge Allows Missouri's Only Abortion Clinic to Continue Providing the Service Posted: 31 May 2019 02:40 PM PDT  A judge has issued an order allowing Missouri's only abortion clinic to continue providing the service.
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| Merkel vows coalition will push on despite jitters as SPD chief quits Posted: 02 Jun 2019 09:07 AM PDT  Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Sunday that Germany's government will push on with its work, even after her junior coalition partner SPD plunged into crisis following the resignation of its party chief. In a shock announcement earlier Sunday, Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Andrea Nahles said she would resign from her party's top job, raising the possibility that Germany's embattled government could collapse. With the SPD in disarray, Merkel sought to quash speculation over the survival of the uneasy partnership between her centre-right CSU-CDU alliance and the centre-left SPD.
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| Sanders and AOC Want to Cap Interest Rates on Consumer Loans At 15%. That’s a Bad Idea. Posted: 01 Jun 2019 05:00 PM PDT  Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez want to cap consumer interest rates in an effort to curb "sky high" credit card charges and other forms of predatory lending.While that sounds nice in principle, in practice their plan would hurt some of the people it's intended to help by killing off an industry that's vital to struggling households: short-term, small-dollar lending.The history of small-dollar loans and their regulation – which I explore in a recently published book – shows why Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez should rethink their proposal or risk emboldening the type of lending they hope to stamp out. In part this is because their plan relies on an oversimplified history of the rules that limit usury, or how much interest lenders can charge.A brief history of usuryLaws against usury are an ancient idea. Religious texts such as the Bible and Quran prohibited all forms of usury, while the Romans barred charging compound interest.
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| Google quietly ruined Chrome, and we almost missed it Posted: 31 May 2019 02:20 PM PDT  Google's Chrome is the most popular way to browse the web on desktop and mobile, thanks to a combination of features that make it a reliable, albeit sometimes resource-intensive, app. However, Google's recent moves are going to ruin the Chrome experience for many users, and we nearly missed them.Google a few months ago announced a proposal to change the way Chrome extensions work, which would prevent current ad blockers from working. Google received plenty of negative feedback from users, but this hasn't deterred the company from going forward with these plans.Google a few days ago responded to some of the criticism (via 9to5Google) regarding its Manifest V3 changes, explaining what will change going forward. The company confirmed that the ad blocking capabilities of Chrome would no longer be available to regular Chrome users. Chrome will still block content if you're a paid, enterprise user of Chrome.A Google's spokesperson told 9to5Google that "Chrome supports the use and development of ad blockers," adding that Google is "actively working with the developer community to get feedback and iterate on the design of a privacy-preserving content filtering system that limits the amount of sensitive browser data shared with third parties."However, as the blog points out, the Chrome changes will make it impossible for most Chrome ad blockers to work in the near future. Google's moves aren't surprising, considering that it makes money from advertising. Alphabet noted in a recent SEC Form 10-K filing that ad blocking extensions are a "risk factor" to revenue:> New and existing technologies could affect our ability to customize ads and/or could block ads online, which would harm our business.> > Technologies have been developed to make customizable ads more difficult or to block the display of ads altogether, and some providers of online services have integrated technologies that could potentially impair the core functionality of third-party digital advertising. Most of our Google revenues are derived from fees paid to us in connection with the display of ads online. As a result, such technologies and tools could adversely affect our operating results.What's also interesting is that Google made it clear during I/O 2019 that it wants to offer better privacy and security to users, something that seemed to go against its bottom line. Google tried to redefine privacy to suit it needs around that time. The fact that it's trying to protect the customizable ads that it sells to businesses is also an indication that Google won't give up collecting user data anytime soon.In Google's defense, we'll remind you the company is looking to improve the advertising experience on the web, and prevent the kind of annoying ads that you'd use ad blockers to stop from appearing in the first place.Also, in the same response, Google said that future versions of Chrome will make it easier for end-users to deal with permissions that extensions require and force developers to inform end-users of what data their extensions will access. The move is meant to protect privacy and prevent abuse, which is certainly laudable. However, that doesn't minimize the fact that Google plans to temporarily or permanently disable third-party ad blockers.
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| U.S. won't 'tiptoe' around China with Asia stability at threat: defense chief Posted: 31 May 2019 05:47 PM PDT  The United States will no longer "tiptoe" around Chinese behavior in Asia, with stability in the region threatened on issues ranging from the South China Sea to Taiwan, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday. Shanahan did not directly name China when making accusations of "actors" destabilizing the region, but went on to say the United States would not ignore Chinese behavior, the latest in the exchange of acerbic remarks between the world's two biggest economies.
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| There's a Simple Reason Why So Many People Seem to Have the Same Freckle Posted: 31 May 2019 12:46 PM PDT  Don't forget the sunscreen
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| Ramadan culture takes a fashionable turn, straining budgets Posted: 31 May 2019 12:49 PM PDT ![Ramadan culture takes a fashionable turn, straining budgets]( "Ramadan culture takes a fashionable turn, straining budgets") "We have to look our best when we are invited during Ramadan," Amina says. For many Arab families, advertising, peer pressure, a growing middle class, and Gulf-led consumerism are steering the holy month – traditionally a period of fasting, spiritual reflection, and family affairs – toward a social season of high expectations on par with Christmas in the United States. Slowly creeping into the holiday the past two decades, Ramadan consumerism is hitting new heights in the region this year.
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