| Biden responds to attack on his age: 'I'm still holding on to that torch' Posted: 27 Jun 2019 07:13 PM PDT  Rep. Eric Swalwell went after former Vice President Joe Biden in the second Democratic presidential primary debate. Swalwell said Biden, who is 76 years old, should "pass the torch." Biden rejected the California lawmaker's critique.
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| Marine testifies Navy SEAL did not stab Iraq captive Posted: 27 Jun 2019 10:53 PM PDT  A Marine who worked jointly in Iraq with a decorated Navy SEAL accused of murder testified Thursday that the platoon chief did not stab a wounded teenage Islamic State prisoner as alleged by other platoon members. Marine Staff Sgt. Giorgio Kirylo said he watched as Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher tried to save the 17-year-old captive and never saw him use his hunting knife on him. Gallagher is accused of fatally stabbing the adolescent captive while he was under his care in Iraq in 2017 and to shooting civilians.
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| Stealth vs. Russia: U.S. F-22s and F-35s vs. Russia's S-300 and S-400 (Who Wins?) Posted: 27 Jun 2019 08:00 PM PDT  Physics dictate that a tactical fighter-sized stealth aircraft must be optimized to defeat higher-frequency bands such the C, X and Ku bands, which are used by fire control radars to produce a high-resolution track. Industry, Air Force and Navy officials all agree that there is a "step change" in an LO aircraft's signature once the frequency wavelength exceeds a certain threshold and causes a resonant effect—which generally occurs at the top part of the S-band.Russian air defenses may appear formidable as part of Moscow's increasingly sophisticated anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capability, but areas protected by these systems are far from impenetrable bubbles or 'Iron Domes' as some analysts have called them.While it is true that a layered and integrated air defense may effectively render large swaths of airspace too costly—in terms of men and materiel—to attack using conventional fourth generation warplanes such as the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, these systems have an Achilles' Heel. Russian air defenses will still struggle to effectively engage fifth-generation stealth aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor or F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.(This first appeared in August 2016.)
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| Uruguay withdraws from OAS meeting over Venezuela opposition delegation Posted: 27 Jun 2019 04:13 PM PDT  Uruguay on Thursday withdrew from a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) being held in Medellin, Colombia, in protest of the presence of what it said was an illegitimate delegation from Venezuela. The incident, on the first of two days of meetings, laid bare a lack of consensus in the organization over whether to increase pressure on embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is backed by some member states but called a dictator by others. The country's opposition, lead by National Assembly head Juan Guaido, appointed Gustavo Tarre as its representative to the body.
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| Republicans start donating to Marianne Williamson to keep her in future Democratic debates Posted: 29 Jun 2019 07:06 AM PDT  Marianne Williamson's off-beat approach has some Republicans giving to her campaign as a way to keep her in future debates to make them less serious.
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| It took two minutes for Taco Bell to sell out its new hotel, because people are weird Posted: 27 Jun 2019 07:05 PM PDT  Taco Bell fans are apparently so addicted to the brand of the Mexican fast food chain, that not only do they patronize its locations on the regular for artery-clogging tacos and nachos. The company also felt that the brand has enough of a following that it decided to open a Taco Bell Hotel this August in Palm Spring, Calif. It will be a very real hotel and resort that's infused with the brand via everything from a gift shop that sells Taco Bell-themed clothes to Taco Bell-inspired rooms and even a salon that offers Taco Bell-inspired art.Most improbable of all, reservations for the new hotel opened today. And sold out in just two minutes.If you head to the new hotel's website, you'll be greeted with the following message: "You just missed it! All of our rooms are SOLD OUT. But you can still be a part of the experience from home." And fans are then encouraged to sign up to stay on top of hotel-related updates, exclusive merchandise and more from The Bell Hotel.Again, all that for a Taco Bell-themed hotel. What is the world coming to?There was, in fact, so much demand when reservations opened on Thursday that problems started showing up less than a minute into the process. Per CNBC, the hotel's website quickly got overwhelmed by the demand, with some users being greeted by a message apologizing for "higher than normal traffic" and telling them to "keep your crossed fingers on that refresh button."Making this even more extraordinary, Taco Bell's hotel will have a very short existence. It's really just taking over the V Palm Springs hotel and will only be open from August 8 through August 12. The nightly price of its rooms starts at $169.In a statement about the overwhelming fan reaction to the idea of a Taco Bell hotel, the chain's chief global brand officer Marisa Thalberg had this to say: "Taco Bell fans are truly one of a kind and today was one of the best expressions of that fandom yet."
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| The Last Front-Engined Chevrolet C7 Corvette Just Sold for $2,700,000 Posted: 28 Jun 2019 02:51 PM PDT  All proceeds from the sale of the final C7 Corvette will go to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
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| Could the 2020 census be delayed over citizenship question? Posted: 27 Jun 2019 01:18 PM PDT  Supreme Court blocks citizenship on 2020 census; reaction from Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano.
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| Massive 13-foot shark spotted alarmingly close to Florida beach Posted: 28 Jun 2019 09:17 AM PDT  We're gonna need a bigger boat
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| Trump jokingly warns Putin not to ‘meddle’ in 2020 election Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:56 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump has jokingly told Russian President Vladimir Putin not to "meddle" in the 2020 presidential election.The two presidents came face to face for the very first time after Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation found evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election.The two traded brief remarks about issues they planned to discuss when a reporter asked: "Mr President, will you tell Russia not to meddle in the 2020 election?""Yes, of course I will," Mr Trump replied gravely.Then he turned to Mr Putin and said: "Don't meddle in the election, please." He pointed his finger at Mr Putin, smiled, and repeated: "Don't meddle in the election," as Mr Putin appeared amused. The two leaders met during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.Mr Trump had said in advance of his meeting with Putin that he expected a "very good conversation" with the Russian leader but told reporters that "what I say to him is none of your business."The Mueller investigation uncovered extensive evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election that propelled Mr Trump to the White House.It also found evidence of obstruction of justice and of collusion, but it did not establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump associates and the Kremlin to sway the outcome of the election.Mr Trump has frequently dismissed the report's findings by saying it found "no collusion!"Ahead of the summit, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer had pressed the president to directly challenge the Russian leader on election interference and send a signal "not merely to Putin but to all of our adversaries that interfering with our election is unacceptable, and that they will pay a price – a strong price – for trying."Mr Putin has denied that Russia meddled in the American election to help Trump win.The meeting marked the first time Trump and Putin sat together publicly since their summit in Helsinki nearly a year ago.At the news conference that followed the summit, Trump responded to a reporter's question by declining to denounce Russia's election interference or side with his own intelligence agencies over Putin.Additional reporting by Associated Press.
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| Women who fought off gang rape 'shamed' by having heads shaved in Indian village square Posted: 28 Jun 2019 04:50 AM PDT  Two women who fought off a gang of sexual assailants were publicly "shamed" by having their heads shaved and being paraded in a village square, Indian police said. A 48-year-old woman and her newly married 19-year-old daughter were allegedly "punished" in the village of Vaishali, in the eastern state of Bihar, for fighting off a local ward councillor. Police said Mohammad Khurshid and his accomplices entered the women's home, assaulted them and when they were beaten back decided to mete out the public insult as revenge. The ward councillor, a barber and three others were arrested by police on Thursday, after a video of the incident went viral on social media. Station House Officer Sanjay Kumar of Bhagwanpur police station confirmed the incident and said that the matter is under investigation. He said that half a dozen people barged into the victims' house and attempted to rape the daughter. After the mother tried to rescue her daughter, the accused physically assaulted the two women. One of the accused beat them with wooden sticks, dragged them outside their house and held a "panchayat" - a village council meeting, more often akin to a kangaroo court. Mr Khurshid called a barber and ordered him to shave the women's heads, and paraded them across the village, said SHO Kumar. "Around 6.30 pm, half a dozen armed men forcibly entered my house and attempted to rape me", the daughter told the police, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI). "When my mother tried to save me, they started beating us", she added. According to PTI, witnesses said that Mr Khurshid had claimed the women were involved in a prostitution racket. Shaving someone's head is a method of insulting and shaming them, as well as a mark of grieving for dead relatives, especially among Hindus and Buddhists. Indian media referred to the women being "tonsured" - which is when monks or nuns have their locks shorn before entering religious orders. Even in a country with a notoriously high level of sexual crime against women the case has sparked outrage for the assumed impunity with which the suspects acted.
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| Russia vs. America: Su-35s Attack F-15s and F-16s (Who Wins?) Posted: 28 Jun 2019 09:30 PM PDT  While many were indeed designed and planned for ahead of the imposition of sanctions, Russia is clearly making a big effort to modernize its armed forces, especially its air force, and moving past older Soviet platforms. The Su-35 is a good example of such efforts.The U.S. Air Force does not use the F-16 primarily as an air superiority fighter—the air-to-air mission is secondary—the AESA is needed to keep the venerable jet relevant. With an AESA, the F-16 could probably hold its own against the Su-35 at longer ranges—but it would still be a challenge.Russia's Su-35 fighter certainly has western defense outlets buzzing--and for good reason.Moscow, despite heavy sanctions and an economy that has certainly seen better days, keeps pumping out new combat systems one after another--items like new tanks, submarines, nuclear weapons platforms and more.(This first appeared several years ago.)While many were indeed designed and planned for ahead of the imposition of sanctions, Russia is clearly making a big effort to modernize its armed forces, especially its air force, and moving past older Soviet platforms. The Su-35 is a good example of such efforts.So how would the Su-35 do against America's best planes? How would it fare against an American air force that is clearly the best in the world. How would, for example, the Su-35 do in a combat situation against Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter? How would Russia's new plane do against older aircraft like the F-15 or say F-16?Such scenarios matter--and not just in the context of a possible NATO/Russia or Middle East situation, but now that Russia is set to deliver the Su-35 to China, such comparisons matter even more. There are many places where all of these lethal aircraft will overlap, making such comparisons even more timely.
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| Iran judges 'progress' made at nuclear meeting but 'still not enough' Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:04 AM PDT  Iran said progress was made Friday at a Vienna meeting on its nuclear accord with world powers but "still not enough" as the landmark 2015 accord teetered on the brink amid tension in the Gulf. Speaking after talks with European, Russian and Chinese officials in the Austrian capital, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said what had been agreed was "one step forward" but "still not meeting Iran's expectations". Iran is on the verge of exceeding a limit on stockpiles of nuclear material foreseen under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
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| Democrats unite at debate in endorsing health care to undocumented immigrants Posted: 27 Jun 2019 07:08 PM PDT  All 10 candidates on Thursday night's Democratic debate stage said their health care plans would provide coverage for people in the country illegally, a show of unity on what had been a contentious night between the candidates.
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| UPDATE 3-Apple moves Mac Pro production to China from U.S. - WSJ Posted: 28 Jun 2019 07:03 AM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Apple moves Mac Pro production to China from U.S. - WSJ]( "UPDATE 3-Apple moves Mac Pro production to China from U.S. - WSJ") Apple Inc is shifting manufacturing of its new Mac Pro desktop computer to China from the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The move comes at a time when the Trump administration has threatened to impose new levies to cover nearly all imports from China and pressured Apple and other manufacturers to make their products in the United States if they want to avoid tariffs. Last week, Apple asked its major suppliers to assess the cost implications of moving 15% to 30% of their production capacity from China to Southeast Asia, according to a Nikkei report.
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| Trio of sharks kills California college student snorkeling in the Bahamas Posted: 28 Jun 2019 03:55 PM PDT  The victim's parents and family members saw the sharks and tried to yell, but she didn't hear their warnings in time.
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| The Latest: Trump tweets that census should be delayed Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:05 AM PDT  President Donald Trump is suggesting the census be delayed indefinitely as he blasts a Supreme Court decision putting a hold on his administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The Census Bureau's own experts predict that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen.
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| Massachusetts police officer charged with repeatedly raping 16-year-old homeless girl while on duty Posted: 28 Jun 2019 08:28 AM PDT  A 49-year-old Massachusetts police officer was arraigned Thursday on twocharges of rape after he allegedly sexually assaulted an underage homelessgirl multiple times while on duty
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| The Battleship USS Maryland Had One Mission: Kill Other Battleships Posted: 28 Jun 2019 06:53 AM PDT  Not every battleship attacked at Pearl Harbor was badly damaged. USS Maryland escaped virtually unscathed and served with the Pacific Fleet as the tide of war turned against the Japanese. Built to destroy enemy battleships, Maryland supported U.S. Navy operations with escort missions and shore bombardment through the end of the war, eventually finding the opportunity to engage Japanese warships in surface combat. Type Laid down in 1916, USS Maryland represented the zenith of "standard type" U.S. battleship development. These ships had compatible speeds, turning circles, and armaments, allowing them to form a squadron that could operate as a cohesive unit. Maryland was one of the "Big Five" of the last five standard type battleships completed by the United States. These ships displaced some 33,000 tons and could make twenty-one knots. Maryland and her two sisters (USS Colorado and USS West Virginia) differed from the first two ships (USS Tennessee and USS California) in that they carried eight 16" guns in four twin turrets rather than twelve 14" in triple turrets.
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| US deploys F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar amid Iran tensions Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:54 PM PDT  The US has deployed F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar for the first time, its military said Friday, adding to a buildup of US forces in the Gulf amid tensions with Iran. The Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been deployed "to defend American forces and interests," the US Air Forces Central Military Command said in a statement that did not specify how many of the hi-tech planes had been sent. A photo handout showed five of the jets flying above the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
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| Controversial 'Straight Pride' parade gets approval from Boston to be held in August Posted: 27 Jun 2019 12:02 PM PDT  The city approved the event application for the group Super Happy Fun America to host the parade Aug. 31.
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| Mysterious 'Fast Radio Burst' Traced Back to Its Home Galaxy for First Time Ever Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:03 AM PDT  Three and a half billion years ago, a mysterious object on the edge of a distant galaxy spewed forth an intensely bright, vanishingly brief burst of radio energy that shot across the universe.That pulse of energy -- known to its fans in the astronomy community as a fast radio burst (FRB) -- passed through a wilderness of gas, dust and empty space on its multi-billion-year journey, slowly stretching and changing color as it moved. Then, for less than a millisecond in 2018, that burst zapped past a special telescope in Earth's Australian outback, giving scientists a rare opportunity to shake hands with one of the most mysterious forms of energy in the universe.It's the first time that astronomers have successfully tracked a one-off FRB back to its origins across space and time, according to the authors of a study published today (June 27) in the journal Science. Understanding where FRBs come from allows scientists to probe the vast tracts of matter between their host galaxies and Earth, and maybe even locate undiscovered pockets of protons and neutrons thought to be lurking between galaxies.[The 12 Strangest Objects in the Universe]"These bursts are altered by the matter they encounter in space," study co-author Jean-Pierre Macquart, a researcher at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) said in a statement. "Now we can pinpoint where they come from, we can use them to measure the amount of matter in intergalactic space." Antennas of CSIRO's Australian SKA Pathfinder with the Milky Way overhead. Alex Cherney/CSIRO Bursting onto the sceneSince the phenomenon was discovered in 2007, astronomers have observed about 85 FRBs and pinpointed the origins of only one other -- a repeating flash that pulsed 9 times from a tiny, star-forming galaxy over about six months in 2016. Pinpointing the source of a one-off FRB, which can last for a fraction of a millisecond, has proved exceedingly difficult, until now.In their new study, the researchers detected the lone FRB using an array of 36 satellites called the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope. When an FRB passes the array, each satellite picks up the burst's signal a fraction of a millisecond apart. Using these subtle time differences, the researchers were able to figure out which direction the burst came from, and approximately how far it traveled.The ASKAP observations pointed to a Milky-Way-size galaxy about 3.6 billion light-years away from Earth. With some help from several other large telescopes around the world, the researchers zoomed in on this galaxy to learn that it was relatively old and not forming many new stars.According Adam Deller, an astrophysicist at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia and co-author of the new study, the properties of this distant galaxy sit in stark contrast to the galaxy that created a repeating fast-radio burst that was detected in 2016."The burst we localized and its host galaxy look nothing like the 'repeater' and its host," Deller said in the statement. "It comes from a massive galaxy that is forming relatively few stars. This suggests that fast radio bursts can be produced in a variety of environments."While the repeating FRB detected a few years ago was likely created by a neutron star or supernova explosion (common engines of star formation in active galaxies), this individual burst could have been caused by something else entirely, the researchers wrote.What else, exactly? Nobody knows yet -- but radioactive belches from supermassive black holes or the engines of alien spacecraft have not been ruled out. Only by pinpointing more FRBs will researchers be able to unravel this cosmic mystery. Fortunately, the authors of the new study wrote, now that they've got one under their belt, finding the next one should be a little easier. * 15 Amazing Images of Stars * 9 Strange, Scientific Excuses for Why Humans Haven't Found Aliens ... * The Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in PhysicsOriginally published on Live Science.
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| Sparks fly as Kamala Harris challenges Joe Biden's record on race Posted: 27 Jun 2019 08:03 PM PDT  The California senator sharply criticized the former vice president for his fond recollection of serving with two segregationist senators, and for opposing integration through busing in the 1970s.
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| Jony Ive to leave Apple and form his own design company Posted: 27 Jun 2019 02:05 PM PDT  In something of a bombshell revelation, Apple today disclosed via a press release that legendary designer Jony Ive is planning to leave the company later on in the year. Following that, Ive will open an independent design studio that will have Apple as one of its clients."While he pursues personal projects," the press release reads in part. "Ive in his new company will continue to work closely and on a range of projects with Apple."Ive of course played an instrumental role in resurrecting Apple from the brink of bankruptcy back in the late 90s, thanks to a number of iconic product designs like the Bondi Blue iMac, the iPod, and of course, the iPhone.With Ive set to leave, designers Evans Hankey and Alan Dye will assume control of Apple's vaunted design group where they will report directly to Jeff Williams."Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple's revival cannot be overstated, from 1998's groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care," Tim Cook said."Apple will continue to benefit from Jony's talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of the brilliant and passionate design team he has built," Cook added. "After so many years working closely together, I'm happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future."Commenting on the departure himself, Ive said that he's proud of his contributions to Apple and that the design team will "certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators."In a separate interview with the Financial Times, Ive said: "While I will not be an [Apple] employee, I will still be very involved -- I hope for many, many years to come. This just seems like a natural and gentle time to make this change."
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| 10 Must-Read Car Books for Your Summer Vacation Posted: 29 Jun 2019 09:00 AM PDT |
| Tillerson says Kushner conducted foreign policy without him Posted: 28 Jun 2019 04:43 AM PDT  Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson cited an awkward encounter with President Donald Trump's son-in-law in a restaurant as an example of diplomacy being conducted behind his back when he was in the administration, according to a newly released transcript of a congressional hearing. Tillerson, who was fired by Trump in March 2018 , mentioned the story during a day of closed-door testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about his rocky, 13-month tenure as secretary of state. The former top U.S. diplomat and CEO of ExxonMobil said he "could see the color go out" of the Mexican official's face when Tillerson greeted them at their table with a smile.
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| Conservative U.S. Justice Gorsuch again sides with liberals in criminal case Posted: 27 Jun 2019 03:04 PM PDT  The court ruled that the right of Andre Haymond to face a jury trial under the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment was violated when a judge unilaterally imposed an additional prison sentence after Haymond violated the terms of his supervised release. Haymond originally was sentenced to just over three years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after being convicted by a jury in 2010 of possessing pornographic images involving children. After completing his sentence, Haymond was found in 2015 in possession of 59 additional images.
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| Boeing shares hit as FAA finds new 737 MAX issue Posted: 27 Jun 2019 01:55 PM PDT  Shares of Boeing tumbled Thursday, a day after US regulators identified a new issue in the Boeing 737 MAX that will likely slow the plane's return to service following two deadly crashes. The issue -- described by one aviation expert as "another black eye" for the 737 MAX -- came as a major US airline again pushed back the timeframe for returning the planes to service and as Boeing faced fresh questions over its compliance with a 2015 US regulatory settlement intended to improve plane airworthiness. Boeing dropped 2.9 percent to $364.02, pushing the Dow into negative territory.
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| Mika Brzezinski on the success of ‘Morning Joe’: ‘I’m the reason it’s still going’ Posted: 28 Jun 2019 02:30 AM PDT  MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski says "Morning Joe" was her husband's idea, but she's "the reason it's still going." Brzezinski explains that when the show first started, she was booking the guests and managing the show. "I did everything from the get-go, tried to make a space for [Joe Scarborough]'s incredible voice."
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| Kamala Harris Stakes Claim as Top 2020 Contender in Clash With Biden Posted: 28 Jun 2019 05:18 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Kamala Harris staked her claim to top-tier status in the Democratic primary with a searing indictment of Joe Biden on race, putting the front-runner on defense and puncturing the aura of inevitability that he had carefully sought to cultivate.The deeply personal confrontation at a Democratic debate on Thursday pitted the 54-year-old daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants against a 76-year-old white man for fondly recalling his civil relationships with segregationist senators in the 1970s and 1980s. Both are aggressively courting the black community, a vital constituency that has decided the last five Democratic presidential nominees in every contested primary since 1992.For Harris, the exchange was her boldest gambit yet in making her personal identity and experiences a calling card — not Democratic socialism like Bernie Sanders, not policy papers like Elizabeth Warren, not optimism like Beto O'Rourke or Pete Buttigieg. Harris has struggled to catch fire, most notably with black voters, in part due to a lack of a clearly defined message as she sought to straddle the progressive and establishment wings of the Democratic Party. She attempted to change all that with the exchange with Biden.It is not yet clear if Harris can capitalize on this moment, or if she might succeed in dislodging Biden from his front-runner's perch, only to see another candidate -- such as Warren -- slide into that position.Until now, Biden has dominated the crowded field with African American voters in early polls, boosted by universal name recognition, strong relationships with black leaders and eight years as Barack Obama's vice president. That support has arguably been Biden's biggest asset in the race, and Harris challenged it in the strongest terms of any Democrat so far in the contest, and on the largest stage."I do not believe you are a racist," she told him. "It's personal, and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two U.S. senators who built their reputations and career on segregation of race in this country. And it was not only that but you also worked with them to oppose busing."Biden said Harris' remark was a "mischaracterization" of his position, and that he "did not praise racists." And in defending his past positions on busing, Biden went after Harris' background as a prosecutor, something she has been criticized for in recent months."I was a public defender," Biden said. "I didn't become a prosecutor. I came out and I left a good law firm to become a public defender when in fact my city was in flames because of the assassination of Dr. King."The split-screen image of a black woman and an old-school Democrat was a reminder of how much the party has changed since Biden became a senator in 1973. A party once powered by white working-class Americans is increasingly made up of black and Latino voters, as well as young people and women. Biden may have an early lead, but the exchange with Harris revealed his growing demographic distance from the party.The generational divide was also raised by another one of the younger candidates, California Representative Eric Swalwell, 38, who used Biden's own words to suggest that it was time for the vice president to step aside."Joe Biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans 32 years ago. He is still right today," Swalwell said.Biden brushed it off. "I'm still holding on to that torch," he said.Overall, the night did more to scramble than clarify the presidential race. Far from narrowing it to a two- or three-person contest, the two debates on Wednesday and Thursday revealed that five candidates still have a legitimate claim to being in the top tier — Biden, Harris, Sanders, Buttigieg as well as Warren, the only one of the five who debated on the first night. And even some of the lower-polling contenders like Swalwell and Michael Bennet showed a fighting spirit by taking shots at front-runners, an indication that they're not ready to go quietly.Adrienne Elrod, an aide to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, said that the former vice president's ties to the black community will not fade easily, despite Harris's attack."His support runs deep," Elrod said.Biden's pitch has included nostalgia for a time when Washington was less polarized between the two major parties, and on Thursday he pledged to "restore the backbone of America."Louisiana Representative Cedric Richmond, a Biden supporter who is former chairman of the black caucus, said the former vice president "listened to Kamala Harris's pain" in what he called an important exchange.He said the Biden's record from the 1970s didn't deter Obama from selecting him. "All of this was out there when the first African American president decided to pick Joe Biden as his running mate. And he had the vice president's back every day of the week," Richmond said.Harris, interviewed on Friday morning on MSNBC, was asked if she believed Biden was racially insensitive in a way that makes him unfit to be president."I wouldn't say that," she said. "I just think he and I have a difference of opinion and also a difference of opinion on state's rights."Harris said in that interview she believes that the federal government sometimes needs to act when states don't ensure civil rights protections, as in the case of busing or voting rights. "We have certain values that are national standards and we're not going to let states compromise that," she said.Sanders, who is runner-up in most polls but has slipped since his announcement, was the target of attacks from centrist contenders like John Hickenlooper and Bennet for his "Medicare for all" plan, which would largely end private insurance. The self-described democratic socialist held firm to his message of making health care a human right and expanding the safety net, but he repeatedly found himself on the defensive for the disruptive nature of his plans.The topic of race and policing began with a question for Buttigieg, who took time off the campaign trail after a white police officer killed a black man in South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg admitted he had failed to diversify the police force, which is overwhelmingly white.Buttigieg drew praise from some Democratic operatives for admitting his failure in the aftermath of the shooting, but also for talking about issues in a way that weaved his personal background with policy proposals.But it was Harris who had the defining moment.Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative who endorsed Harris for president, said the California senator's face-off with Biden was the "moment the campaign needed and wanted.""One thing you can tell from that moment is she's running to be president not anyone's vice president," he said. "At the end of the day, this is going to be a race. This is not a coronation of Joe Biden period. You can cancel the decorations for now. We've still got a primary to run."(Updates with Harris interview from 19th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Jennifer Epstein.To contact the reporters on this story: Sahil Kapur in Miami at skapur39@bloomberg.net;Tyler Pager in Miami at tpager1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Max BerleyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| GOP whip Scalise cites Trump accuser’s ‘bizarre’ CNN interview in doubting her account Posted: 28 Jun 2019 08:59 AM PDT  Congressman Steve Scalise and Yahoo News' own national security and investigations reporter, Jenna McLaughlin, join co-hosts Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman. They challenge Scalise on hot topics like immigration and impeachment while McLaughlin fills us in on her scoop about the U.S. Cyber Command launching a strike against an Iranian spy group. The announcement that Mueller will testify, the citizenship census question, and Trump's most recent sexual assault accuser — E. Jean Carroll — are all discussed as well.
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| Bank of America to Cut Ties with Companies That Run Migrant-Detention Facilities Posted: 27 Jun 2019 11:59 AM PDT  Bank of America will no longer do business with private-prison companies and companies that are contracted by the government to detain migrants near the southern border."We have decided to exit the relationship'' Bank of America vice chairman Anne Finucane told Bloomberg on Wednesday. "We've done our due diligence that we said we would do at the annual meeting, and this is the decision we've made.''The announcement comes after the Miami Herald revealed in May that Bank of America is the chief financier of Caliburn, a company contracted by the government to operate the Homestead Detention Facility. Bank of America had provided Caliburn a $380 million loan and a $75 million line of credit, according to the Herald.Bank of America joins other major banks such as Chase and Wells Fargo in shunning the private-prison industry in response to activist pressure.The move comes amid increased public scrutiny of the inhumane conditions that migrant children are being exposed to due to lack of resources at federal detention facilities.Critics of the administration's immigration-enforcement policy have highlighted the subpar conditions at the Homestead facility, which is the largest such child-detention facility and houses 2,300 13- to 17-year-olds who were transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services after being apprehended at the border.Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota visited Homestead separately on Wednesday but were denied entry because they did not schedule their visits."There weren't children playing. There weren't children laughing the way children usually do when they're moving from one place to another," Warren told a crowd gathered outside the facility. "These were children who were being marched like little soldiers ― like little prisoners ― from one place to another. This is not what we should be doing as a country."
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| Trump, Xi hit reset button on trade but long slog awaits Posted: 29 Jun 2019 09:17 AM PDT  Once again, Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have hit the reset button in trade talks between the world's two biggest economies, at least delaying an escalation in tension between the U.S. and China that had financial markets on edge and cast a cloud over the global economy. At the Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, Trump and Xi agreed to a cease-fire in the trade conflict . Trump said Saturday he would hold off for the "time being" on plans to impose tariffs on $300 billion more in Chinese imports — on top of the $250 billion he's already targeted.
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| Hedge-Fund Heir Found Guilty of Murdering Father After Allowance Was Cut Posted: 28 Jun 2019 01:51 PM PDT  Thomas Gilbert Jr., the adult son of a successful New York City hedge-fund manager, has been found guilty of the 2015 murder of his father after an alleged dispute over his weekly allowance.The New York jury reportedly found him guilty of three out of four charges, including "second-degree murder and weapon possession charges." Gilbert's five-week trial had been delayed in the years since the murder in order to determine whether or not he was mentally fit to stand trial.After undergoing four mental evaluations, one of which came back inconclusive, Gilbert, now 34, was eventually deemed fit to stand trial. He declined to appear in person for much of the trial, but was present for closing arguments on Wednesday.According to the New York Post, he faces up to life in prison and is set to be sentenced on Aug. 9.Is This Hedge-Fund Heir Insane or a Stone-Cold Killer?On January 4, 2015, Thomas Gilbert Jr. unexpectedly arrived at his parents' posh apartment in Manhattan's Turtle Bay neighborhood, just hours after his father had told him that he was slashing his weekly allowance to $300. He told his mother, Shelley Gilbert, that he needed "to talk business" with his dad, Thomas Gilbert Sr., a founding managing partner at Wainscott Capital, a lucrative New York hedge fund. He then sent his mother out of the apartment to fetch him a sandwich and a Coke. Gilbert allegedly knew his mom didn't keep the soda in the apartment, so she would have to go out to get it—leaving him alone with his dad. When his mother returned, she found the elder Gilbert shot in the head with a gun on his chest. His left hand was on the handle, "as if someone wanted it to appear it was suicide," Craig Ortner, an assistant district attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, said during the trial. Surveillance video shows the younger Gilbert, wearing a hoodie and carrying a gym bag, enter and leave his parent's apartment building within a 15-minute span.After Shelley Gilbert discovered her husband shot in their apartment, and her son nowhere to be found, she called 911."My husband is, I think, dead," she told the operator, audibly distraught. When the operator asked her who had shot her husband, Gilbert responded: "My son—who is nuts. But I didn't know he was this nuts," she said. "I had no idea he was this nuts."Gilbert Jr.'s former therapist, Susan Evans, who saw him for several years before the shooting, testified during the trial that he suffered from paranoid thoughts that were "interfering" with his ability to function. In the months before the incident, Evans recommended that he be screened for paranoid schizophrenia. Other former doctors testified that they prescribed him antipsychotic medication, but Evans said that Tommy did not take the medications regularly.Prosecutors argued that while he may have had issues, none of the doctors who had treated Tommy over the years had ever recommended anything in addition to therapy and medication.The jury was tasked with deciding whether Gilbert was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time he shot and killed his father, a fact that was not disputed by the defense. Clothes, Sponges Stained With Missing Mom Jennifer Dulos' Blood Found in Trash Cans: PoliceBefore his father's murder, Gilbert Jr. lived a comfortable life by any measure. He attended prep school in Manhattan, boarding school in Massachusetts, and graduated as a legacy from Princeton University. His psychological problems allegedly began after he graduated from college. According to Ortner, Gilbert spent most of his post-grad life in the Hamptons, "surfing, playing tennis, working out, and partying." His parents paid the rent at his apartment in Manhattan's expensive Chelsea neighborhood, took care of his car payments, auto insurance, and "even paid his parking tickets for him." All on top of a whopping $1,000 per week allowance.In an attempt to make his son financially independent, the elder Gilbert began reducing his son's weekly allowance in 2014. Around that same time, according to prosecutors, Gilbert Jr.'s computer history shows he began searching online for a hit man.The deposits first shrunk from $1,000 to $800, then to $600. Hours before he was killed, Gilbert Sr. cut his son's allowance down to $300.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Huckberry’s Summer Sale Has the Outdoor Gear You Need This Season Posted: 28 Jun 2019 06:46 AM PDT |
| Real, Unrestored, And Rare 1967 Ford Mustang GTA Posted: 27 Jun 2019 02:06 PM PDT  It's a one-of-one optioned vehicle to boot. You read that right. This is a one-of-one 1967 Ford Mustang GTA convertible with the Marti report to back it up. It's a super rare find and is currently for sale through Shelton Classics in North Carolina for $34,995. Although most of the first-gen Mustangs featured most of the same design elements, each year received some slight upgrades. The 1967 model is undoubtedly the first year that these changes really became apparent and made the muscle car look even meaner. This rare 1967 Mustang convertible is a factory GTA Fastback with a one-of-one options list. To put it simply, there is no other Mustang GTA 'vert produced with the same colors or options as this car. It also doesn't hurt that this beauty has a stunning Candy Apple Red exterior paint job.It's quite shocking to say that this Mustang has never been restored. It has, however, received a shiny repainting and new convertible top thanks to the natural aging process. Though, other than that, this GTA is larely in original condition. There's just a completely different feeling behind the wheel of an original, untouched car than that of a resto one. Sometimes it's better to be maintained than battered and brought to life.The exterior of this '67 Mustang is clean and straight, with no obvious damage or questionable repairs. All of the sheet metal appears to be original as well, which eliminates the uncertainty of any poorly performed bodywork. It's quite difficult to find a Ford Mustang that is this solid with all the original metal in place, especially a convertible that still has its original floorpans.You're going to want to take the top off this beauty and show off that stunning red vinyl cabin. The cockpit appears to be all original, apart from the replacement carpet. The bucket seats, along with the rest of the interior, are in excellent condition – especially for an unrestored model.This 1967 Mustang GTA still contains what is believed to be all of its original drivetrain, including Ford's high-performance 289 cubic-inch V8 engine mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission. For those who were wondering, that's where the "A" in GTA comes from. The car runs just as it should without any smoke, hesitation, or unwelcoming noises.If you take into account its overall originality in conjunction with the impressive Marti report, this Mustang GTA is a valuable collector's item. Turn the key and you'll see just how incredible this unmodified Stang really is. Add it to your garage today! Read more... 1967 Ford Mustang GTA Fastback Restomod 1967 Mustang 'Barn Find' Needs A Visionary
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| Ford Adds 12,000 Job Cuts in Europe to Its Global Restructuring Plans Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:57 AM PDT  Plant closings and production cuts in Europe will also happen by the end of 2020 while "Smart Redesign" continues at the automaker, even as demand for its SUVs and pickups continues to rage in the U.S.
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| Newark Airport reopens after being shut down due to 'airport emergency' Posted: 29 Jun 2019 07:04 AM PDT  Newark Airport has reopened after it was shut down Saturday morning due to an "airport emergency."
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| U.S. Supreme Court declines Alabama bid to revive abortion restriction Posted: 28 Jun 2019 08:45 AM PDT  The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sidestepped a major new challenge to abortion rights by declining to hear Alabama's bid to revive a Republican-backed state law that would have effectively banned the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that struck down the 2016 law, which would have criminalized a method called dilation and evacuation that is the most common type of abortion performed during the second trimester of a pregnancy. The law in question is different than an even more strict Alabama measure signed by Republican Governor Kay Ivey in May. The new law, also facing a legal challenge, would ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest.
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| Trump official blames migrant father for drowning with daughter Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:11 AM PDT  Ken Cuccinelli, acting USCIS head, said he wasn't concerned photos would be emblematic of hardline immigration policyKen Cuccinelli in Roanoke, Virginia, in June 2014. Photograph: Steve Helber/APA Trump administration immigration official has blamed a migrant father for his own drowning death and that of his young daughter, which was captured in widely circulated images that highlight the peril and desperation faced by migrant families blocked from entering the US at the border with Mexico.Ken Cuccinelli was named earlier this month as acting head of US Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS), the agency that handles immigration administration. He told CNN he was not concerned the photo would become emblematic of the Trump administration's hardline immigration policy."The reason we have tragedies like that on the border is because that father didn't wait to go through the asylum process in the legal fashion and decided to cross the river and not only died but his daughter died tragically as well," Cuccinelli said on Thursday night.The photographs, taken on Monday, show Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez, 26, and his 23-month-old daughter Valeria lying face down in shallow water after dying in the Rio Grande, the river that divides Mexico from Texas. The image has been compared to the 2015 image of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi, who drowned off the Greek island of Kos after being en route there with other refugees fleeing conflict.The bodies of the young father and daughter have been repatriated to their native El Salvador, accompanied by Martínez's wife, Vanessa Ávalos, 21, who was standing on the riverbank when her husband and daughter were swept away by the current.As part of a broader crackdown on migration, the Trump administration has further restricted asylum and the backlog of legal cases. Migrants are routinely forced to wait for months south of the US border in order to start the asylum process, which has in turn driven people to make more dangerous border crossings such as trying to wade or swim across the treacherous Rio Grande.Cuccinelli is the latest immigration hardliner the Trump administration has appointed to a senior government role, despite warnings from his own Republican party in the US Senate that Cuccinelli was unlikely to be confirmed to the permanent role.In the past decade, Cuccinelli has said homosexual acts are "intrinsically wrong," been tied to anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ campaigners and was criticized for a comment that seemed to compare immigrants to rats.In 2018, he advocated for using "war powers" against migrants in an interview with the conservative website Breitbart News. He also said the US was not required to "keep" migrants, including asylum-seekers. "You just point them back across the river and let them swim for it," Cuccinelli said.Cuccinelli is also facing opposition from Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and the union that represents about 13,000 USCIS workers. The union's president, Danielle Spooner, said the appointment of Cuccinelli "spells the end of legal immigration as we know it".In June, House committee leaders said they had "deep concern" about Cuccinelli's appointment because it circumvents rules about federal vacancies in a letter to the acting homeland security secretary.
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| 4 weighted blankets on sale this weekend Posted: 29 Jun 2019 02:00 AM PDT  The Gravity Blanket wasn't some newfangled invention when it debuted on Kickstarter two years ago; weighted blankets, also known as anxiety blankets, have been used as a form of therapy for people with autism and other mental health conditions since the late '90s. But when Gravity's campaign on the fundraising site took off -- as in, "surpassed its original goal by more than $4.7 million" -- it catapulted weighted blankets into mainstream popularity as a self-care and sleep aid.And that, kids, is the reason why everyone and their dog has a weighted blanket on their bed these days. SEE ALSO: Yes, you really do need a weighted blanket -- and these ones are the bestIf you haven't jumped on the weighted blanket bandwagon yet, you really should: They mimic the comforting feeling of a warm embrace to relieve insomnia and anxiety -- or so many manufacturers claim. Just find one that's about 10% of your total body weight and cover yourself with it while you rest to reap the (purported) benefits. Here's the thing about weighted blankets, though: They're gosh darn expensive for something that's basically just a pellet-filled comforter. That's not to say some aren't worth the money: The Gravity Blanket is one of our favorite picks, and it costs a whopping $249. But for all you bargain hunters out there, you can get the following weighted blankets on sale right now: Hush Classic Weighted Blanket Hush's luxe weighted blanket is filled with glass microbeads and comes with a dark gray duvet cover made with super-soft "Minky" microfiber threading. Choose between two sizes -- twin or queen -- and three different weights: 15, 20, or 25 pounds.You'd normally pay $229 for a twin-sized Huxe Classic blanket and $269 for a queen, but both sizes are on sale now for just $199 and $219, respectively. Hush Classic Weighted Blanket with Duvet Cover -- $199 See Details Serenity Weighted BlanketBilled as the world's first plant-based weighted blanket, the Serenity features a white duvet cover made from 100 percent organic cotton and a hand-filled baffle box construction that evenly distributes the recycled down alternative fill and plant-based resin beads with which it's filled. Choose from three different weights: 15, 20, or 25 pounds.Score a Serenity weighted blanket starting at just $199 (a $209 value). Serenity Weighted Blanket -- $199 See Details Puro Down Weighted BlanketPuro Down's 100 percent cotton weighted blanket is dotted with tiny compartments filled with glass beads that, when worn, stimulate the stress-relieving effects of deep pressure touch therapy.The Puro comes in light gray and dark gray, and both varieties are on sale now starting at just $68.99 apiece. Depending on the weight of your blanket -- choose from 7, 10, 12, 15, or 20 pounds -- you'll save anywhere from 19% to 28%. (The heavier the blanket, the bigger the discount.) Puro Down Light Gray Weighted Blanket -- $68.99 See Details Bibb Home Weighted BlanketSuitable for all types of weather, the Bibb Home weighted blanket features a 2-in-1 design with a 100 percent micro mink cover that can be removed for cooler sleeping. It comes in two sizes -- small (48 inches by 72 inches) and large (60 inches by 80 inches) -- and three weights. Choose from 10, 15, and 17 pounds.Get a Bibb Home weighted blanket on sale starting at just $95 and save up to 31%. Bibb Home 10 Lb Weighted Blanket and Mink Cover -- $95 See Details
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| The Latest: Topping cap won't end Iran pact, official says Posted: 27 Jun 2019 01:55 PM PDT  An Iranian official says Iran's growing stocks of enriched uranium don't violate the international accord aimed at curbing its nuclear development. Amid growing tensions with the U.S., Iran is poised to push its low-enriched uranium stocks beyond a 300-kilogram limit that is part of the 2015 deal with world powers.
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| Man found with dismembered wife gets 9-year prison sentence Posted: 28 Jun 2019 11:45 AM PDT ![Man found with dismembered wife gets 9-year prison sentence]( "Man found with dismembered wife gets 9-year prison sentence") A man who was found at a Kansas storage unit with his dismembered wife's remains and two of their children was sentenced Friday to nearly nine years in prison for charges not related to his wife's death. Justin Rey, 26, was sentenced on three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child, as well as misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and contributing to a child's misconduct. The exploitation charges do not involve Rey's children and instead stem from photos of teenagers found on Rey's phone after he asked law enforcement to look at it for evidence he thought would help him at trial.
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| All of the Reasons Why the Glock 46 Gun Dominates Posted: 28 Jun 2019 01:12 PM PDT  The striker is also significantly redesigned, with a new backplate on the rear of the slide.Glock GmbH is criticized by some for being one of the least innovative companies in the gun industry. The basic design of a Glock pistol has changed very little from the original Generation 1 Glock: the majority of changes through the generations are slight changes to the trigger layout and the addition of rails and other ergonomic features. This has led some to say that Glock cannot innovate.However, the Glock 46 stands as a stark counterpoint to those who say so. Utilizing a rotating barrel system and a redesigned striker system, the Glock 46 is a total rethinking of the Glock design, different in almost every way.(This first appeared earlier in June 2019.)The rotating barrel likely makes the Glock 46 softer shooting than its tilting barrel counterparts. Other pistols with rotating barrels, such as Beretta's Px4, Grand Power's K100, and Archon/Arsenal's Stryk B all are known for their pleasant recoil. It also provides some accuracy benefits. Glock's approach to the rotating barrel appears to address some concerns leveled at other pistols with rotating barrels, which can be difficult to field strip. Glock's barrel appears to put two camming pins on the barrel itself, as opposed to the Px4 which places a camming surface on the barrel itself. The change in the placement of the rotating parts could make the Glock 46's field strip simpler than some of its rotating barrel competition.
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| VIDEO: Teen catches toddler falling from 2nd-floor apartment in Turkey Posted: 27 Jun 2019 12:00 PM PDT  Dramatic video shows the moment a teenager saved a toddler who fell from a second-story apartment window in Turkey.
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