| Trump warns any conflict with Iran 'wouldn't last long' Posted: 26 Jun 2019 12:17 PM PDT  President Donald Trump said Wednesday he does not want a war with Iran but warned that if fighting does break out, it "wouldn't last very long," even as Iran's president tried to tamp down soaring tensions. Trump also hinted that any conflict would be waged with air strikes, saying there would be no US boots on the ground. Washington has ratcheted up crippling economic sanctions on Tehran after the Islamic republic's forces shot down an unmanned US drone in the Gulf region, following a series of attacks on tankers that Washington blamed on Iran.
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| U.S. Navy SEAL charged with war crimes had confidence of his immediate superior Posted: 26 Jun 2019 05:46 PM PDT  The immediate superior of a Navy SEAL standing trial charged with murdering a helpless Iraqi prisoner and shooting unarmed civilians testified on Wednesday he had complete confidence in the defendant's combat tactics and decision-making. Master Chief Petty Officer Brian Alazzawi, the first defense witness called to the stand in the trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, also described how one of the main accusers in the case had seemed to harbor a grudge against Gallagher. Gallagher, a decorated career combat veteran, has denied all charges and says he is wrongly accused.
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| Democratic debate: Tulsi Gabbard's sister jumps to her defense on Twitter, criticizes MSNBC Posted: 27 Jun 2019 12:12 PM PDT  Tulsi Gabbard's Twitter account defended her during the Democratic debate, saying that MSNBC favored Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Gabbard.
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| Israel and Hamas Reach Truce to Restore Quiet, Army Radio Says Posted: 28 Jun 2019 01:13 AM PDT ![Israel and Hamas Reach Truce to Restore Quiet, Army Radio Says]( "Israel and Hamas Reach Truce to Restore Quiet, Army Radio Says") (Bloomberg) -- Israel and Hamas reached a truce on Friday that would halt attacks against Israeli farmland in return for measures to ease the economic blockade on Gaza, according to a report by Israeli Army Radio.Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, would stop launching incendiary balloons that for the past year have torched thousands of acres of forest and agricultural land, and in exchange Israel would expand the enclave's fishing zone, and return 60 confiscated boats and diesel supplies for the area's main power plant, according to the radio station.Though the concessions made by Israel are small, they would provide some relief for Gaza and its roughly 2 million residents, who are cut off from other economies by their immediate neighbors, Israel and Egypt.To contact the reporter on this story: Yaacov Benmeleh in Tel Aviv at ybenmeleh@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Constantine Courcoulas, Taylan BilgicFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Supreme Court blocks plan to add citizenship question to 2020 census Posted: 27 Jun 2019 09:03 AM PDT  In a ruling with far-reaching political and economic implications, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision today that a citizenship question could not be included on the 2020 census — for now — because the Department of Justice's explanation for seeking to add one was inadequate.
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| Legend: How 1 Battle Made the F-15 Eagle a Real 'Top Gun' Posted: 26 Jun 2019 01:38 PM PDT  As told by Tech. Sgt. Daryl Knee, Air Combat Command Public Affairs, in the article Evolution of Combat: Strike Eagle hits turning point in armed overwatch mission set, one snapshot reflection focuses on the integration of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft as a valued contributor to the close-air-support mission set.The national recognition of the survivors of the Battle of Robert's Ridge in August 2018 has begun to have an effect on the way Air Force members pause to reflect on the history and heritage of the service.As told by Tech. Sgt. Daryl Knee, Air Combat Command Public Affairs, in the article Evolution of Combat: Strike Eagle hits turning point in armed overwatch mission set, one snapshot reflection focuses on the integration of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter aircraft as a valued contributor to the close-air-support mission set.Close-air support takes place when enemy forces engage in proximity to friendly ground forces. The friendly forces then identify a target and communicate with the air assets overhead to direct a coordinated attack against the enemy. Sometimes, the enemies are very close to the friendly forces, which doctrine calls danger-close.The threat to harming friendlies during a danger-close strike is high, and it requires a certain precision skillset reinforced in combat aircraft pilot training across the Air Force.A Strike Eagle team, led by then Maj. Christopher M. Short, flew overhead during the early part of the Battle Robert's Ridge.Short, who is now a brigadier general, said the lessons learned from initial operations in Afghanistan changed the fighter community culture as a whole and directly contributed to the advancement of Strike Eagle CAS training."I went from a culture where the weapons officers would say, 'We don't do close-air support in this airplane,' to the brief starting out that the reason we're going to Afghanistan is for that 18-year-old on top of the mountain with an M-16," he said.But the transition mindset wasn't easy, and it has to do with what the Strike Eagle is and how the Air Force used it.
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| Michigan AG sues to shut down oil pipeline in Great Lakes Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:25 AM PDT  Michigan's attorney general sued Thursday to shut down twin 66-year-old oil pipelines in the Great Lakes, saying they pose an "unacceptable risk" and the state cannot wait five to 10 years for Enbridge Inc. to build a tunnel to house replacement pipes running through the Straits of Mackinac. Democrat Dana Nessel's move came the same day she also sought to dismiss the Canadian company's request for a ruling on the legality of a deal it struck last year with former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to encase a new segment of its Line 5 in the proposed tunnel. "I have consistently stated that Enbridge's pipelines in the Straits need to be shut down as soon as possible because they present an unacceptable risk to the Great Lakes," Nessel said.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Chrysler Voyager Posted: 27 Jun 2019 07:19 AM PDT |
| Search underway for Virginia toddler missing for more than a day Posted: 26 Jun 2019 01:58 PM PDT  Police in Virginia are actively searching for a toddler who has been missing since early Monday morning.
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| Kamala Harris just changed the direction of the presidential race Posted: 27 Jun 2019 10:56 PM PDT  In several commanding moments, she distinguished herself from her rivals and positioned herself to lead the fight against Trump 'Kamala Harris gave what turned out to be the breakout performance of the evening.' Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesAs the second round of Democratic presidential debates approached, one of the major questions on the minds of voters and political commentators was whether the candidates would focus on trying to differentiate themselves from each other, as was done the previous night, or whether they would focus on critiquing Donald Trump.Senator Kamala Harris chose to do both, and she did so effectively, in what turned out to be the breakout performance of the evening.Very early in the debate, when asked how the candidates planned to pay for their various proposals, Harris put the question back on the moderators. "Where was that question when the Republicans and Donald Trump passed a tax bill that benefits the top 1% and the biggest corporations in this country?"At another point, as the candidates seemed to be squabbling and talking over one another, Harris brought it to an end by stating: "America does not want to witness a food fight – they want to know how we're going to put food on the table."But without a doubt, the debate's most memorable moment was an exchange between Harris and the former vice-president Joe Biden on race. First, Harris shared how "hurtful" she found Biden's warm remarks last week about working with the segregationist senator James Eastland. Then she proceeded to challenge Biden's well-documented opposition to bussing – a policy of the 1960s and 70s designed to integrate schools still segregated more than 20 years after the historic Brown v Board of Education decision."There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bussed to school every day, and that little girl was me," Harris said.The moment was powerful not only because of the imagery of the seasoned politician coming face-to-face with the adult version of a little girl directly affected by his policy positions. It was also powerful because of the brief debate which followed over the role of the federal government in intervening when states fail to protect civil rights. In that exchange, Biden demonstrated not only his age but his political inclinations by defending local authority over federal remedies such as bussing.In doing so, Biden was essentially echoing the "states' rights" arguments of the avowed segregationists whom he was accused of praising just one week earlier.Harris was not the only one to challenge Biden, which was to be expected given Biden's status as the clear frontrunner at this stage of the campaign. Representative Eric Swalwell reminded Biden of his own words from 32 years earlier as he challenged the former vice-president to "pass the torch" to younger generations. Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Biden for his 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq war, and Senator Michael Bennet undermined Biden's 2012 example of his negotiation skills by raising the point that Biden helped Republicans to extend the controversial Bush tax cuts.Biden had some self-inflicted wounds as well. On two occasions as the moderators asked direct yes or no questions to the candidates, Biden's responses were confusing. One such question was on whether the candidates would decriminalize immigrants who crossed the US border, and the moderator José Díaz-Balart was forced to ask the question not once, not twice, but three times before getting an answer from Biden.Michael Bennet, Colorado senatorBennet raised his national profile earlier this year when the senator, typically known for his congeniality, delivered a fiery speech on the Senate floor, accusing Republican senator Ted Cruz of shedding 'crocodile tears' over the government shutdown.Joe Biden, former vice presidentBiden unsuccessfully ran for the nomination in 1988 and 2008, and his campaign is likely to be dogged by controversy after allegations from several women they were left feeling uncomfortable by their physical interactions with him. If successful, Biden would become the oldest person to be elected president in US history.Bill de Blasio, New York mayorNow in his second term as mayor of New York City, De Blasio is a hometown foe of Donald Trump's running on the message that there's plenty of money in the country but it's in the wrong hands. With a progressive track record but a chorus of critics in New York, can this Democrat overcome his late start and win the chance to take on Trump?Cory Booker, New Jersey senatorBooker first made a name as the hands-on mayor of Newark. Known for his focus on criminal justice reform and impassioned speeches on immigration, he has though been criticized for ties to Wall Street.Pete Buttigieg, South Bend mayorButtigieg wants to be the first openly gay millennial president. A Harvard graduate and Rhodes scholar, he became the youngest mayor of a mid-size US city at the age of 29. As a Navy Reserve lieutenant he deployed to Afghanistan.Julián Castro, former housing and urban development secretaryCastro casts himself as an antidote to Trump and the adminstration's hardline immigration policies. The grandson of a Mexican immigrant and raised by single mother, the 44-year-old Democrat is one of the most prominent Latinos in Democratic politics.John Delaney, former Maryland congressmanHe has delivered his message of pragmatism to voters in all 99 of Iowa's counties since he officially kicked off the race in July 2017. The multimillionaire banking entrepreneur wants to build a big-tent party that appeals to independents and moderate Republicans.Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii congresswomanAn Iraq war veteran who has vowed to run a campaign focused on issues of 'war and peace'. Gabbard made history as the first Samoan American and the first Hindu elected to Congress. But progressives are wary of her past conservative views on on social issues.Kirsten Gillibrand, New York senatorYears before the MeToo movement, the New York senator was leading efforts in Congress to combat sexual assault in the military and on college campuses. The former corporate lawyer has embraced a slate of economic ideas supported by the party's progressive wing.Mike Gravel, former senator of AlaskaAt 88, Gravel will be the oldest candidate to be run for the nomination. However, according to his campaign, the staunch non-interventionist is not running to win, but to challenge Democratic orthodoxy on foreign policy. Will this little-known quixotic figure succeed?Kamala Harris, California senatorHarris is one of Trump's fiercest critics, and has built a national reputation grilling administration officials during their confirmation hearings. A former state attorney general and the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, Harris believes she has the unique profile to take on Trump.John Hickenlooper, former Governor of ColoradoBefore he served two terms as governor of Colorado, the 67-year-old Democrat worked as a geologist for a petroleum company. After a lay off, he switched careers and opened a successful brewpub in Denver that helped to revitalize the city's downtown.Jay Inslee, Governor of WashingtonInslee is running as the "only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation's number one priority". As the country experiences more powerful hurricanes, scorching wildfires and submerged coastlines, polls show public concern is growing.Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota senatorOn Election Night 2018, Klobuchar coasted to a third term as senator in a state Trump almost won. Next morning she was on every short list of potential presidential candidates. Supporters say her success with rural voters makes her a formidable candidate in the Rust Belt, while her calm demeanour provides a clear contrast with Trump.Wayne Messam, mayor of Miramar, FloridaFacing long odds, Messam, the son of Jamaican immigrants to the US and a former receiver for the Florida State Seminoles football team, is tossing his hat in the ring anyway. The 44-year-old businessman became Miramar's first black mayor when he was elected in 2015. Seth Moulton, Massachusetts congressmanThe Harvard educated Marine veteran arrived in Congress with a bang, after unseating a nine-term Democratic incumbent in a Massachusetts primary in 2014. Moulton has continued to make waves by calling for 'generational change' in Democratic leadership and supported an effort to block Nancy Pelosi from becoming House Speaker in 2018.Beto O'Rourke, former Texas congressmanA one-time guitarist for an El Paso punk band called Foss, O'Rourke had kept a relatively low profile as a three-term congressman with little name recognition. He rose to national prominence during the 2018 midterms, when his bid to unseat Senator Ted Cruz garnered unprecedented grassroots support and a historic fundraising haul.Tim Ryan, Ohio congressmanElected to Congress in 2003 at just 29, Ryan represents the blue-collar voters Democrats hope to win back in 2020. He won national attention when he challenged Nancy Pelosi for Democratic leadership in 2016. He has continued to push for a generational change in leadership. Bernie Sanders, Vermont senatorSanders turned a long-shot, anti-establishment bid for the presidency into a "political revolution" that energized the party's progressive base. His political career began nearly 40 years ago, but it wasn't until his 2016 run that Sanders became a national figure as a new generation of Democrats – and 2020 contenders – embraced his populist economic policies.Eric Swalwell, California congressmanRaised in Iowa and California, the 38-year-old Democrat would be among the youngest candidates in the race. Swalwell serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence investigating Russian collusion, a position that has earned him frequent appearances on cable news shows.Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senatorHer sharp criticism of Wall Street and big corporations has made Warren a favorite among progressive activists, and she will campaign on a message of a rigged economic system and income inequality.Marianne Williamson, authorThis is not the spiritual guru and a new age author's first foray into politics: in 2014, she mounted an unsuccessful congressional bid in California. Her entry adds some star-power to the race that may attract more celebrities.Andrew Yang, businessmanA former tech executive and entrepreneur running the longest of long shot campaigns centered on the perils of automation. His central plank is a plan to give every American adult a salary of $1,000 per month, paid for by a tax on companies that benefit the most from automation.Lauren Gambino, Sam Morris and Martin BelamHis response – that immigrants who had not committed any other crimes "should not be the focus of deportation" – never truly answered the question, as Biden left open the possibility that although such immigrants might not be the focus of deportation, they could still be thrown out of the country.Sanders, who among those on the stage Thursday night was trailing only Biden in most polling data, was well situated to take advantage of Biden's missteps. However, Sanders often seemed to give the same answer regardless of the question. From healthcare to climate change, Sanders provided his trademark responses about the need to take on Wall Street, the insurance companies and billionaires. In fact, in his closing remarks he reminded the audience that "nothing will ever change" unless we have the guts to take on big business.It is not likely that Sanders lost ground during the debate, but neither did he do much to strengthen his case. Given the recent surge of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is largely assumed to be picking off some of Sanders' support, this means that his performance was unsuccessful.Meanwhile, South Bend's mayor, Pete Buttigieg, had a steady night as he gave clear and thoughtful answers to most questions. When asked a tough question regarding the recent shooting of a black man by a member of Buttigieg's police force, Buttigieg admitted that he had failed to get the job done in his response. It could have been one of the more memorable moments from the debate, but the moment was lost when Swalwell asked the question that is on the mind of many black residents in the city of South Bend: "Why didn't you fire the police chief?"Buttigieg did not have a persuasive answer, and what had been a moment of sincerity became a painful reminder that too often those who have the power to address the ills of structural racism simply fail to use all of the tools at their disposal.It was that question to Buttigieg which led to the exchange between Harris and Biden, as Harris reminded the moderators that as the only black person on the stage she certainly had something to say. And what she went on to say could very well change the direction of the campaign. * Cliff Albright is the cofounder of the Black Voters Matter Fund
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| Supreme Court’s Conservative Justices Weigh Scrapping Another Precedent Posted: 26 Jun 2019 10:20 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority may be ready to overturn a longstanding precedent for the third time in recent weeks -- perhaps foreshadowing the vulnerability of its rulings on abortion rights.The justices will rule as early as Wednesday on a business-backed bid to overturn decades-old decisions that give federal agencies broad power to say what their regulations mean.The case is one of eight rulings due before the justices' term ends this week. The court also plans to rule on gerrymandered voting maps and the Trump administration's bid to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.Another precedent-toppling ruling would extend a pattern that already has liberal justices sounding alarms. They've hinted that the five conservative justices may be eyeing the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide."Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next," dissenting Justice Stephen Breyer wrote last month when the court overruled a 1979 precedent to say that states are immune from private suits in another state's courts."Well, that didn't take long," Justice Elena Kagan wrote 39 days later when the court overturned part of a 1985 ruling and said people could go directly to federal court to claim that a government regulation unconstitutionally took private property without compensation. "Now one may wonder yet again."Both of those were 5-4 decisions, with Chief Justice John Roberts and the other Republican appointees -- Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh -- in the majority.Ducking AbortionSo far, the court has largely sidestepped the explosive topic of abortion. In May, the court turned away Indiana's bid to bar abortions based on a fetus's race or gender or a risk of genetic disorder -- an appeal that could have raised new doubts about Roe. The justices did uphold a separate Indiana law requiring clinics to bury or cremate fetal remains.The court could provide new signals about its intentions on abortion this week. The justices are due to say whether they'll consider Alabama's effort to ban the most common method used for women in their second trimester of pregnancy.The court under Roberts has actually overturned precedents at a slower rate than previous courts, says Jonathan Adler, a constitutional law professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law. Before this term started, the Roberts court had issued only 13 rulings that overturned a precedent, according to data from the Government Printing Office, he says.But Roberts, who took his seat in 2005, has never had a conservative majority as reliable as the one he got when the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh to succeed the retired Anthony Kennedy."It is certainly possible either that the court may become more aggressive going forward or that the cases in which the court reconsiders precedents will have a greater ideological uniformity," Adler said.Adler is among those urging the court to overturn a 1997 ruling, Auer v. Robbins, that requires judges to defer to a federal agency's interpretation of its own regulations, as long as its approach is reasonable.Business groups say that ruling, along with a related 1945 decision, leads to onerous and unpredictable rules and leaves companies vulnerable to penalties when an agency shifts its thinking. Defenders of the rulings say they give agencies flexibility to account for changing circumstances.Religion and GerrymandersThe regulation, property-rights and sovereign-immunity cases are among the four appeals this term that squarely asked the justices to topple at least one precedent.The fourth one split the court in an unusual way last week. The court had been asked to overturn a rule that lets states and the federal government file separate criminal charges over the same conduct without violating the Constitution's ban on double jeopardy.The court refused on a 7-2 vote, reaffirming precedents dating to the middle of the 19th century. Alito's majority opinion said the case for keeping precedents "grows in proportion to their antiquity." An unlikely pair of justices -- Gorsuch and liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- dissented.Three other cases have raised questions about precedents, though less directly. In backing hunting rights in Wyoming for the Crow Indian Tribe, a majority that included the four liberals and Gorsuch said an 1896 ruling had previously been "repudiated."In ruling last week that a 40-foot cross could remain in a Maryland public intersection as a war memorial, a majority of justices criticized, without overruling, a 1971 decision that set up a three-part test for assessing whether government support for religion goes too far.And the gerrymandering cases could topple a 1986 ruling that said voting maps could be challenged as too partisan, though the justices in that case couldn't agree on a standard for doing so. Paul Clement, the lawyer defending a Republican-drawn North Carolina congressional map, told Roberts during arguments in March that the court might need to overturn that ruling.'Jolt to the System'At the center of it all is Roberts, who said in his 2005 Senate confirmation hearing that overruling a precedent is a "jolt to the legal system." He has tended to take a multi-step approach toward questioning a precedent, signaling concern in a preliminary case before voting to overturn it altogether."His favorite methodology seems to be to essentially chip away at cases in various steps so that the day that the case is actually overruled it's really not even news, it's been coming for a couple of years," Clement said last month at a symposium co-hosted by the conservative Heritage Foundation and Bradley Foundation.Writing the majority opinion in the property-rights case last week, Roberts said the 1985 Williamson County v. Hamilton Bank ruling relied on "exceptionally ill-founded reasoning," had been repeatedly criticized by justices over the years and had proven "unworkable in practice."It's still too early to judge how Roberts will act toward precedents now that he has a stronger conservative majority, Adler said."Like a lot of people I'm curious if the chief is going to become more aggressive, but I'm not willing to say that we can be sure of that yet," said Adler.To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Stohr in Washington at gstohr@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The Reason Russia All of a Sudden Scrambled Half Of Its Stealth Fighters Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:00 AM PDT  Rather, the unprecedented decision to utilize six of Russia's most advanced fifth-generation fighters—approximately half of the currently available roster—in a VIP escort mission is the latest step in Russia's ongoing Su-57 branding campaign.Several weeks ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin's IL-96-300PU presidential plane was flanked by no less than six Su-57 stealth fighter jets while en route to the 929th Chkalov State Flight-Test Center in southwestern Russia.Video footage of the flight shows the Su-57 fighters grouped in what better resembles a parade column than an escort formation, suggesting a soft-power intent behind Putin's trip. There are several factors at play. First and perhaps least significant, this footage of six functional Su-57's heads off any and all speculation that the 2019 Victory Day Parade airshow was called off for any reason other than the Defense Ministry's cited weather concerns.(This first appeared in May 2019.)Other coverage has focused on the political connotations, noting that the Chkalov Center trip took place shortly before Putin's Sochi meeting with Pompeo. While partially convincing, this line of reasoning cannot explain the timing. If Putin wanted to stage a diplomatic show of force, why now and not during his prior meetings with President Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton? After all, Russia's strategic approach vis-a-vis the US has remained largely consistent over the past several years.Rather, the unprecedented decision to utilize six of Russia's most advanced fifth-generation fighters—approximately half of the currently available roster—in a VIP escort mission is the latest step in Russia's ongoing Su-57 branding campaign. Unsurprisingly, Putin has repeatedly showered the Su-57 with adulation over the past several years; it was only several months ago that he referred to it as the best fighter in the world. But as high-stakes Su-57 export talks with Turkey, India, and China continue to unfold, Putin is adopting what appears to be an increasingly proactive role in advertising the Su-57 to prospective buyers.Upon his arrival at the flight test center, Putin discussed the merits of the Su-57 with several of its test pilots; one called it a "great leap into the future," while others suggested that certain technical details are still being worked out. "We need it [the Su-57] to be the best in the world," Putin told the pilots, while encouraging them to provide Su-57 engineers with all the relevant feedback that they can. "We are very much counting on you, on your professionalism."
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| Report: China fighters buzz Canada warship in East China Sea Posted: 27 Jun 2019 06:00 AM PDT ![Report: China fighters buzz Canada warship in East China Sea]( "Report: China fighters buzz Canada warship in East China Sea") A report says two Chinese fighter jets buzzed a Canadian warship operating in international waters in the East China Sea at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Ottawa. Canadian Global Affairs Institute fellow Matthew Fisher wrote that the Su-30 fighters flew within 300 meters (980 feet) of the bow of the frigate HMCS Regina. Fisher, who was aboard the ship, said the display was more aggressive than previous encounters between the Canadian navy and Chinese warplanes, but was not considered dangerous.
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| Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser Is Incredibly Active Right Now, and We Don't Know Why Posted: 27 Jun 2019 06:09 AM PDT  Yellowstone National Park's Steamboat Geyser blasted steam and water into the air at 12:52 p.m. local time on June 12. Then, three days, 3 hours and 48 minutes later -- at 4:40 p.m. on June 15 -- it blasted steam and water into the air again, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS)'s Volcano Hazards Program. That's a new record for the geyser, according to the Billings Gazette: the shortest time ever recorded between eruptions.But don't worry. Increased activity at a single geyser doesn't indicate any new threat from the Yellowstone caldera -- the "supervolcano" hiding under the park -- according to USGS."Geysers are supposed to erupt, and most are erratic, like Steamboat," the agency wrote. [Infographic: Yellowstone Geology, Geysers, and Volcano]Additionally, records of Steamboat's eruptions go back only to 1982, the Billings Gazette noted. Yellowstone's history is much older than that.The newspaper also reported that the eruptions were especially dramatic, large and loud, with one ejecting a rock that shattered a wooden post. Researchers don't have good, tested theories to explain why geysers like one this slip in and out of active periods, according to the Gazette.Mostly, the eruptions suggest that now is a particularly good time to go see Steamboat Geyser blow its lid. The geyser set a record for total number of eruptions in 2018, with 32 in the calendar year, according to USGS. Already in 2019 there have been 24 eruptions, six of them in June as of this writing. * Yellowstone and Yosemite: Two of the World's Oldest National Parks * All Yours: Top 10 Least Visited National Parks * The Grand Canyon in PicturesOriginally published on Live Science.
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| Here's the one thing Democratic candidates want you to remember about them after tonight's debate Posted: 27 Jun 2019 02:00 AM PDT  On Thursday, people will set summer relaxation aside and turn their attention to politics, since this is the debate at which most top-tier candidates will appear.
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| Woman to remain jailed in identical twin sister's slaying Posted: 28 Jun 2019 02:53 AM PDT  A New Jersey woman accused of stabbing her identical twin to death during a street fight will remain jailed until her trial on aggravated manslaughter charges.
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| Mourning dog pictured at former owner's hospital bed finds new home Posted: 27 Jun 2019 03:30 PM PDT ![Mourning dog pictured at former owner's hospital bed finds new home]( "Mourning dog pictured at former owner's hospital bed finds new home") Moose, a 3-year-old lab mix, was recently photographed waiting at his former owner's hospital bed, spurring an adoption rush for the dog.
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| House Panel Subpoenas Kellyanne Conway over ‘Egregious’ Ethics Violations Posted: 26 Jun 2019 09:43 AM PDT  A House panel voted on Wednesday to subpoena Kellyanne Conway's testimony after she failed to appear for a scheduled hearing to field questions from lawmakers about her alleged ethics violations.The House Oversight and Reform Committee called Conway to testify after the Office of Special Counsel, a federal ethics watchdog, called on President Trump to fire her earlier this month, citing "egregious, repeated, and very public violations" of the Hatch Act, which prohibits certain federal employees from engaging in political advocacy while acting in their official capacity.Conway's refusal to appear before the Committee represents an escalation in the ongoing standoff between congressional Democrats and administration officials, who have stonewalled oversight efforts, often refusing to testify or turn over documents while under subpoena.Henry J. Kerner, the special counsel, whose role is unrelated to Robert Mueller's investigation, argued in his Wednesday testimony that Conway's repeated violations of the Hatch Act — which stem from her endorsement of Republican congressional candidates during television interviews and on Twitter — created an "unprecedented challenge" to his office's ability to enforce federal law.Conway has dismissed the accusations of ethics violations as an unprecedented and politically motivated attack on the administration."If you're trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it's not going to work," Conway said when asked about her alleged violations during a May interview, adding "let me know when the jail sentence starts."Kerner, in his letter to the president and in his testimony, argued that Conway's refusal to accept responsibility created a dangerous precedent and was further reason to dismiss her.Conway's repeated violations, "combined with her unrepentant attitude, are unacceptable from any federal employee, let alone one in such a prominent position," Kerner testified.Representative Elijah Cummings (D., Md.), who chairs the Committee, said he is prepared to hold Conway in contempt if she defies the subpoena."There are rarely issues that come before our committee that are so clear cut, but this is one of them. This is about right and wrong," Cummings said. "Contrary to claims Ms. Conway and President Trump have made, this is not a conspiracy to silence her or restrict her First Amendment rights. This is an effort to enforce federal law."Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the panel's top Republican, argued that Kerner's findings were politically motivated and, as a result, any attempt to compel Conway's testimony would be unfounded."The report is outrageous, it's unprecedented, it's unfair, and it's just wrong," Jordan said, adding that the OSC "doesn't like the fact Ms. Conway is conservative.""She's being targeted because she is good at what she does, and this is why this should not stand," he said.
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| Russia Thinks America's Stealth Fighters Are "Paper Fiction" Posted: 27 Jun 2019 03:00 PM PDT  The Russians suggested that they could use alternatives to high-frequency fire control bands (C, X and Ku) to launch a missile at an F-22 or F-35.Why is the Kremlin investing billions of dollars (rubles) into the Sukhoi PAK-FA fifth-generation fighter and the PAK-DA stealth bomber if Moscow considers stealth technology to be useless?Recently, in response to a column I wrote, Russian media denounced stealth technology as useless—asserting that aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor or F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) would easily fall prey to advanced Russian-built air defenses. The column clearly struck a nerve with Russia's air defense experts. Indeed, former chief of staff of Russia's air defense forces, Col. Gen. Igor Maltsev, told Gazeta.ru that stealth technology was "paper fiction."(This first appeared in August 2016.)Nonetheless, the Russians continue to spend billions of dollars developing stealth technology for the PAK-FA, PAK-DA and the Kh-101 and Kh-102 cruise missiles—the later of which is crucial for securing Moscow's strategic nuclear deterrence. But if stealth technology were 'paper fiction'—why would Moscow pour billions down the drain for no good reason?"Low observation is far short of invisibility, but if this element of fifth-generation aircraft technology is 'paper fiction,' then why is Russia building the PAK-FA, dreaming about the PAK-DA, and the same can be said of Chinese prototypes in development," said Michael Kofman, a research scientist at CNA Corporation specializing in Russian military affairs—who alongside myself—was shall we say, vigorously analyzed by Russian media. "Surely they are not simply competing with the JSF for who can spend the most money."The Russians suggested that they could use alternatives to high-frequency fire control bands (C, X and Ku) to launch a missile at an F-22 or F-35. Those alternatives include command guidance, infrared, optical and other options. Indeed, the Russians could attempt to do so—but while command guidance is fairly common—there are no operational long-range area air defense systems that feature infrared or optical guidance.Infrared and optical guidance are only effective at relatively short-ranges. The Russians would have to use low-frequency radar to guide a missile equipped with an infrared or optical sensor into range if such a such a system were to be developed. However, analysts and defense officials said that such a system could be overcome by changing tactics.
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| Boeing aims to finish software fix to 737 Max in September Posted: 27 Jun 2019 04:40 PM PDT  Boeing says it expects to finish work on updated flight-control software for the 737 Max in September, a sign that the troubled jet likely won't be flying until late this year. A Boeing official said Thursday that the company expects to submit the software update to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval "in the September timeframe." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Boeing has not publicly discussed timing of the update. Once Boeing submits its changes, the FAA is expected to take several weeks to analyze them, and airlines would need additional time to take their grounded Max jets out of storage and prepare them to fly again.
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| Hong Kong protesters urge G20 to raise plight with China Posted: 26 Jun 2019 12:46 PM PDT  Hong Kong protesters marched to major consulates on Wednesday in a call for G20 nations to confront fellow member China over sliding freedoms in the financial hub, at a weekend summit in Japan. The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by huge demonstrations this month, with protesters demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland. The massive rallies are the latest manifestation of growing fears that China is stamping down on the city's unique freedoms and culture.
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| Istanbul’s Rebuke of Erdogan Shows That Democracy Lives Posted: 27 Jun 2019 03:26 AM PDT  The opposition's mayoral win in Istanbul, Turkey, was a rebuke for President Erdogan—and a sign that many are fed up, Ian Bremmer writes.
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| Icahn steps up fight with Occidental over deal, wants board seats Posted: 26 Jun 2019 02:55 PM PDT  In a regulatory filing, Icahn said he planned to oust and replace four Occidental directors and change the company's charter through a stockholder consent solicitation to prevent it from ever engineering a similar takeover again. Responding to the filing, Occidental said it will review the latest materials filed by Icahn, and looks forward to addressing them in ongoing conversations with shareholders. Icahn, one of industry's most powerful activist investors, cast himself as one of the deal's most fervent critics by charging that Occidental's $38 billion bid for Anadarko was too expensive and could endanger Occidental's future if oil prices sink.
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| Kevin Durant Sells Oceanfront Malibu Beach House for $12.15 Million Posted: 27 Jun 2019 01:08 PM PDT  The NBA star bought the sleek four-bedroom home just last April for $12.05 million
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| Oklahoma woman caught on own CCTV camera firebombing and shooting into neighbour’s home Posted: 27 Jun 2019 12:46 PM PDT  An Oklahoma woman was arrested after being caught on camera firing gunshots and throwing a lit towel into her next door neighbour's home. Firefighters were called to the burning property in Del City on June 10th, responding to 911 calls that reported flames coming from the garage door.Having contained the blaze, fire investigators learned there was an ongoing conflict between the owner of the burnt home and the next door neighbour, Annie Durham, 59.Shocking footage of the incident was captured on CCTV, showing Durham firing two shots into the side of the home before throwing a flaming object into the door, setting the house ablaze.The video released by the Del City Fire Department came from the accused woman's own surveillance camera.According to the fire department, Durham was initially resistant to giving up the footage, claiming the camera had not been switched on.However, it was eventually obtained with the help of the City Police Department's Computer Forensic Division.Durham was arrested on Monday June 17 and is charged with second degree arson and discharge of a firearm into a dwelling.
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| Volcano, dormant for almost 100 years, erupts in 'spectacular' fashion Posted: 28 Jun 2019 05:25 AM PDT  Smoke billowed from the volcano on Raikoke in satellite images as the uninhabited island saw its first volcanic eruption since 1924.
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| NBC hot mic mars first Democratic debate Posted: 26 Jun 2019 07:38 PM PDT  A persistent technical issue forced NBC's moderators to take an unscheduled commercial break during the first Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night.
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| More white supremacist propaganda showing up on US campuses Posted: 27 Jun 2019 04:49 PM PDT ![More white supremacist propaganda showing up on US campuses]( "More white supremacist propaganda showing up on US campuses") Colleges in the U.S. are seeing more racist rhetoric on campus, a new report finds. Instances of white supremacist propaganda showing up on college campuses trended higher in the recently completed academic year, according to the Anti-Defamation League report published Thursday. The just-completed spring semester saw more extremist propaganda on campus than any preceding semester, the ADL said, with 161 incidents on 122 different campuses across 33 states and the District of Columbia.
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| NATO agrees response to new Russia missile Posted: 26 Jun 2019 11:18 AM PDT  NATO on Wednesday agreed a package of political and military measures to boost its defences against a controversial new Russian missile system. The alliance will review its air and missile defences, along with its intelligence and surveillance programmes, unless Moscow abandons its 9M729 ground-launched cruise missiles by August 2. The US and NATO say Russia is breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with the missile and endangering peace in Europe.
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| WRAPUP 3-Boeing sees fix for latest 737 MAX software flaw in September Posted: 27 Jun 2019 09:57 AM PDT ![WRAPUP 3-Boeing sees fix for latest 737 MAX software flaw in September]( "WRAPUP 3-Boeing sees fix for latest 737 MAX software flaw in September") Boeing Co will take until at least September to fix a newly identified problem on its grounded 737 MAX, a company official told Reuters, meaning the workhorse jet's return to service will be delayed until October at the earliest, significantly longer than most airlines had expected. Boeing shares closed 3% lower on Thursday, after the Chicago-based company told air carriers that it would complete the latest software update for the 737 MAX by September after a new issue arose last week during a simulator test. Once Boeing completes the update, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration must review the fix and the results of a certification test flight that will not be scheduled until at least September, a process that will take at least two to three weeks.
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| New Mexico mother accused of boiling puppies to punishment children Posted: 26 Jun 2019 10:44 AM PDT  A mother is accused of beating and torturing her children after forcing them to watch her kill their pets as a punishment. A New Mexico couple was arrested on Tuesday after the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) launched an investigation following a report that the children were not getting adequate education. According to KOB-TV, court documents state that Martha and Timothy Couch would punish the children by killing their pets. One teen girl told police, "Martha took the puppies and put them into a giant pot and boiled them" while they watched. Another child claimed he was "beaten, shot, stabbed and run over by his parents and even had b-b's still inside his arm."The kids allegedly ate only one meal a day.The couple's oldest son, Timothy Crouch, who is 31-year-old, was also arrested for pointing a gun at three of his brothers. The couple has a total of 15 children, most of them are adults. He denies the allegations made against his parents. "My family are wonderful people. My mom and dad are some of the best people you'll meet", he told KOB.Martha Crouch has been charged with child abuse and extreme cruelty to animals. Timothy Crouch is facing an obstruction charge. They are due to appear in court on Wednesday.
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| Stunning giant squid captured on video in US waters for first time Posted: 27 Jun 2019 09:26 AM PDT  The video, which lasts less than 30 seconds and was taken about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, shows a giant squid in U.S. waters.
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| Abe Hails China Ties, Raises Tough Issues as Xi Visits Japan Posted: 27 Jun 2019 07:23 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe praised warming ties with China on Xi Jinping's first visit to the country in a decade, even as he raised a long list of complaints including unfair business practices and Chinese coast guard activity around disputed islands.Xi met Abe shortly after arriving in Osaka on Thursday, as Asia's two largest economies seek to preserve economic ties amid trade fights and renewed territorial tensions. He had last come to Japan as vice president in 2009, while the last top Chinese leader to visit was then-President Hu Jintao in 2010."I want to open up a new age of Japan-China relations hand in hand with President Xi," Abe told reporters as the leaders met in Osaka on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit. He invited Xi to visit Japan next year "when the cherry trees are in blossom, and raise Japan-China ties to the next level." Xi said it was a good idea.While Xi is set for a potentially pivotal meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, he's poised for a warm welcome from other G-20 leaders. Xi's meetings with Abe -- including dinner Thursday in Osaka -- mark the latest high point in a years-long effort to repair relations after an old dispute over East China Sea islands flared in 2012.Territorial DisputeThe visit underscores Abe's struggle to balance Japan's reliance on China as its largest export market and the U.S. as its sole treaty ally. Even as the two leaders prepared for the visit, the number of Chinese coast guard ships sailing in and around what Japan sees as its territorial waters in the East China Sea reached its highest level in three years.Abe touched on many of the most difficult issues overshadowing the bilateral relationship in their meeting, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters. He urged Xi to curb the activity of Chinese ships around disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Abe also raised international concerns about militarization in the South China Sea.The two leaders agreed to cooperate on natural resources based on a 2008 accord and to develop free and open trade, according to Nishimura, though Abe also urged Xi to take action including on market-distorting subsidies, strengthening protection for intellectual property and tackling forced technology transfers.Referring to the standoff in recent weeks in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition treaty, Abe emphasized the importance of a free and open Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" principle, Nishimura said. He also raised the issue of the human rights of the Uighur and other groups in China, Nishimura said.Improving TiesAbe raised the issues even as he seeks to maintain a friendly atmosphere by restoring a pattern of mutual visits that ceased after Japan purchased some of the disputed East China Sea islands in 2012, prompting protests in China. In October, he became the first Japanese prime minister to pay an official visit to China since 2011. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, a top Xi aide, made his first trip to Japan in that role last May.Xi was supportive of efforts to improve ties between Japan and North Korea, Nishimura told reporters. Japan, which has been a frequent target of Kim Jong Un's nuclear threats over the years, has floated the possibility of a summit between Abe and the North Korean leader, with little to show for it so far.Meanwhile, Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed at a separate meeting that the two allies had no plans to review their joint security agreement, Nishimura said Friday. The U.S. and Japan agreed to continue trade talks to reach a "win-win" agreement at an early date, Nishimura said.(Updates with Trump-Abe meeting in final paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura's title.)\--With assistance from Yuko Takeo and Shoko Oda.To contact the reporters on this story: Isabel Reynolds in Tokyo at ireynolds1@bloomberg.net;Emi Nobuhiro in Tokyo at enobuhiro@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Stuart Biggs, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Navy Seal Witness Contradicts Testimony from Snipers Who Said Eddie Gallagher Shot Civilian Posted: 27 Jun 2019 03:16 AM PDT  Special Operator 1st Class Joshua Graffam originally invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege before Navy Judge Capt. Aaron Rugh gave him immunity in order to compel his testimony.NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO — A Navy SEAL sniper on Wednesday contradicted earlier testimony of fellow SEALs who claimed he had fired warning shots to scare away civilian non-combatants before Chief Eddie Gallagher shot them during their 2017 deployment to Mosul, and said he would not want to deploy again with one of the prosecution's star witnesses.Special Operator 1st Class Joshua Graffam originally invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege before Navy Judge Capt. Aaron Rugh gave him immunity in order to compel his testimony.Graffam testified that Gallagher was essentially justified in the shooting of a man he is accused of unlawfully targeting, stating that "based off everything I had seen so far ... in my opinion, they were two sh*theads moving from one side of the road to the other."Spotting for Gallagher in the tower that day, Graffam said, he called out the target to him and he fired. He said the man was hit in the upper torso and ran away.Graffam, who joined the Navy in 2010 and has been assigned to SEAL Team 7's Alpha Platoon since September 2015, deployed alongside Gallagher to Mosul in 2017, occasionally acting as a spotter for Gallagher when the SEALs were tasked with providing sniper support for Iraqi forces from two towers east of the Tigris River.Another SEAL, Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Dalton Tolbert, had previously testified under direct examination by prosecutors that, while stationed in the south tower of a bombed-out building in June 2017, he had observed Gallagher shoot and kill an elderly civilian."He ran north to south across the road," Tolbert testified on Friday. "That's when I saw the red mark on his back and I saw him fall for the first time. Blood started to pool and I knew it was a square hit in the back." Over the radio, he said he heard Gallagher tell the other snipers, "you guys missed him but I got him." Former SO1 Dylan Dille, who was also in the south tower that day, testified last week that he watched an old man die from a sniper shot on Father's Day. He said the date stuck out in his mind because he thought the man was probably a father.
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| Venezuela gov't says it thwarted plot seeking to kill Maduro Posted: 26 Jun 2019 04:11 PM PDT  Venezuelan officials said Wednesday they foiled a plot to overthrow the government that included assassinating President Nicolás Maduro and his closest political allies. Maduro spokesman Jorge Rodríguez said on state television that a network of mostly retired police officers and soldiers planned to bomb a key government building, seize a Caracas air base and loot Venezuela's central bank.
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| Mother of Missing Virginia 2-Year-Old Previously Convicted for Child Neglect Posted: 27 Jun 2019 01:39 PM PDT  It has been four days since a Virginia toddler was last seen. Police are continuing their search for 2-year-old Noah Tomlin.
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| Health care question divides Democratic field Posted: 26 Jun 2019 07:54 PM PDT  During Wednesday evening's Democratic presidential debate, a question asking which candidates would support eliminating private health insurance marked the first apparent policy difference among the contenders.
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| Amazon launches new in-store pickup option with Rite Aid as first partner Posted: 27 Jun 2019 12:01 AM PDT ![Amazon launches new in-store pickup option with Rite Aid as first partner]( "Amazon launches new in-store pickup option with Rite Aid as first partner") On Thursday, Amazon added another alternative for U.S. customers: Walk into a nearby retailer and pick up an Amazon package over the counter. The new option, called Counter, will launch with pharmacy Rite Aid Corp offering the service in 100 stores, with an expansion to 1,500 stores by year's end, the companies said. Amazon is also looking to get other retailers, including small businesses, to join the program as it expands.
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| This Dark Ivy Green 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback Arouses Envy Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:19 AM PDT  Gives a whole new meaning to "green with envy."It's not out of the ordinary for muscle cars, especially the classics, to evoke envy out of those who lay their eyes on them. That being said, this 1970 Ford Mustang Sportsroof Fastback is no exception. What's more, it's painted in the stunning Dark Ivy Green Metallic color that accentuates all its curves and gives it that extra-special appeal. This beauty is currently up for sale through Ellingson Motorcars in Rogers, Minnesota for $59,995.This 1970 Mustang Fastback was owned by just one family since new and has a truly special story behind it. The son had done a complete restoration of this very cool muscle car, which is an admirable feat all on its own. The resto project included a rebuild of the numbers-matching 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air engine. What's more, this 'Stang includes a dyno sheet full Marti report with both factory build sheets and the original sale info.The car was custom ordered with the 428 cubic-inch Cobra Jet engine mated to a four-speed close-ratio manual transmission. It also has the Traction-Loc rear differential with both power steering and power disc brakes up front. It's also equipped with Ford's Convenience Group package, an AM/8-track stereo radio, and black hood stripes. This Fastback model sits on argent-styled steel wheels wrapped in belted tires with raised white letters. It is one of 832 models with this paint/trim code and one of just 249 built with this CJ engine/transmission.This dark green dream has low miles on the odometer, and was obviously well taken care of; this classic has its whole life ahead of it. If the stunning paint job and muscular lines didn't get you, the power of the CJ 428 engine will. Just turn the key and you will see just how amazing the Ford Mustang Fastback truly is. There's no doubt about it. Read more... 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Restoration Is A Work Of Art Is It Cheaper To Buy A 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback From Britain?
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| View Photos of the 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack and SRT Hellcat Widebody Posted: 27 Jun 2019 09:00 AM PDT |
| Shot American woman who miscarried faces homicide charge Posted: 27 Jun 2019 04:30 PM PDT  An American woman who miscarried after being shot five times has been charged by Alabama authorities in the death of her fetus, a move abortion rights groups condemned on Thursday. The arrest of Marshae Jones came amid heightened tensions around abortion after more than a dozen states in the southern and midwestern United States, including Alabama, passed restrictive abortion laws that are currently being challenged in court. "Marshae Jones was indicted for manslaughter for losing a pregnancy after being shot in the abdomen five times.
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