| AOC explains why she won't go on Fox News: 'Unmitigated racism' Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:38 PM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., lashed out at Fox News hours after host Tucker Carlson and a guest had criticized her climate policy proposals, while suggesting her district is "dirty" due to its immigrant population.
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| Yes, China's New Submarine-Launched Nuclear Missiles Could Destroy America Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST  But that's why we have M.A.D.
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| Trump hosts pastor who says ‘Jews are going to hell’ at White House Hanukkah party Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:15 AM PST  US President Donald Trump hosted an evangelical pastor who once said Jewish people were going to hell at the White House Hanukkah reception on Wednesday.Robert Jeffress is a prominent Christian leader from Dallas and has spoken at several religious events, including the opening ceremony of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem in 2018.
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| U.S. reaches deal in principle on trade with China: source Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:44 AM PST  The United States has reached a "phase-one" trade deal in principle with China, a source briefed on talks between the two nations said on Thursday, saying a statement from the White House was expected soon. Ahead of the meeting, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told senators that announcements were possibly "imminent" on U.S. tariffs, senior Republican Senator John Cornyn told reporters. U.S. negotiators have offered to reduce tariffs on about $375 billion in Chinese goods by 50% across the board, two people familiar with the negotiations said, and suspend tariffs on $160 billion in goods scheduled to go into effect on Sunday.
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| Beshear becomes target of lawsuit claiming abuse of power Posted: 11 Dec 2019 05:29 AM PST  For nearly four years as Kentucky attorney general, Andy Beshear filed a series of lawsuits accusing then-Gov. Matt Bevin of abusing his executive powers. Now Beshear is being sued by the people he ousted from the state school board on his first day as governor. The new Democratic governor wielded his executive authority Tuesday to reorganize the Kentucky Board of Education with 11 new members, fulfilling a campaign promise he made to teachers.
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| How an Obscure Part of the Paris Climate Agreement Could Cut Twice as Many Carbon Emissions — Or Become a 'Massive Loophole' for Polluters Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:43 AM PST  An obscure part of the Paris Climate Agreement could cut more carbon emissions — or make them worse. Here's what you need to know about controversial carbon markets.
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| Saudi Family of Pensacola Gunman: 'Even We Don't Know the Truth' of Motive Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:10 PM PST  AL AHSA, Saudi Arabia -- Not long before a 21-year-old Saudi Royal Air Force trainee shot and killed three American sailors Friday at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida, he called his mother and his brother back home.The trainee, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was wearing his uniform, they could see on the video call -- the uniform he had always wanted to wear as a child, when he dreamed of becoming a pilot.With his elder brother, Abdullah, he joked around on the call: "You're the eldest," Alshamrani teased, "but I'm going to get married first." Talking to his mother, he promised he would be home as soon as he finished his training. "Just a few more months," he said.What was missing was any hint of what was to come: opening fire in a classroom building at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, shooting three fatally and wounding eight more before being killed by a sheriff's deputy.Alshamrani seemed utterly normal in that last conversation, his family insisted in interviews this week in Saudi Arabia. Four days later, they are still baffled."He never had a secret, he was never hiding anything," Saeed Abdullah Alshamrani, 55, the lieutenant's father, said at the family's home in eastern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening. "It's such a mystery. Even we don't know the truth.""Are you sure he's dead?" his father asked during the interview, surrounded by several relatives, acquaintances and others whose relationship to the family was not clear. "We haven't even been given any proof of whether he's dead or alive."No motive for the shooting has been determined, although the FBI is treating it as a presumed terrorist attack. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it was suspending operational training for all of the nearly 900 Saudi military students in the United States.Among the few clues to emerge was a tweet from an account that may be connected to Alshamrani, which condemned United States foreign policy decisions in the Middle East, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online. There was also a complaint the lieutenant filed earlier this year against one of his instructors for mocking his mustache in class.But in Saudi Arabia, the American focus on possible radicalization has left family and acquaintances bewildered, forced to answer for their son and friend to other Saudis.Sensitive to Western stereotypes that often reflexively brand Muslims as terrorists, and aware that the kingdom cannot afford to lose Washington's support, many Saudis have been eager to portray the lieutenant as a monstrous outlier. A hashtag declaring that he "does not represent" Saudis has dominated Twitter in the kingdom, and the media has echoed the point."This work can only be done by a cowardly villain," Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a political scientist, wrote in the Arab News, a Saudi newspaper. "He has betrayed his country, which trusted him and spent millions on his education. Instead, he stabbed her in the back."The Saudi government is also extremely sensitive about the case, fearing it could jeopardize a relationship already frayed by criticism in Washington over the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other top officials have all condemned the shooting. Alshamrani's family has said they were questioned by government officials.In interviews, his father, brother, cousins and a family friend said that Alshamrani had always seemed content to be in the United States, working toward his longtime goal, never mentioning difficulties."Since he was a kid, he'd dreamed of being a pilot, and he worked so hard for it," said his brother, Abdullah Alshamrani. Once he arrived in the United States, "he loved it so much, really," his brother said. "He was amazed by America's military force, just really impressed by the military."The third child in a family from Tabalah, a farming town in southern Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Alshamrani grew up in Al Ahsa, not far from the Saudi Aramco compound in eastern Saudi Arabia. His father had moved there to work in the local airport, eventually rising to be a security official.The family spent summers with extended family back in Tabalah, with its date farms nestled amid the undulating desert and stark mountains. They built another house there and frequently came back for weddings and other family events. On summer evenings, with other entertainment scarce, young men like Alshamrani and his brothers and cousins would gather at rented guesthouses in the desert to play cards and watch soccer on TV late into the night.Alshamrani always seemed more serious and less boisterous than the other young men, recalled Galat bin Mitshoosh, a retired longtime detective with the local prosecutor's office in Tabalah who knows the family."I never heard anything political from Mohammed," he said. "He was quiet, just a normal guy. He might talk about sports sometimes."The Alshamranis were observant Muslims who prayed, he said, but their practice of Islam was not considered especially strict.A person familiar with the investigation in the United States has said that friends and classmates told investigators that Alshamrani seemed to have become more religious when he returned from his last visit home in February.During that visit, relatives said, he took his mother to the holy city of Mecca to perform the umrah, a type of pilgrimage that many Muslims routinely undertake. In his relatives' eyes, however, they said there was nothing to indicate his Islamic beliefs had changed or hardened. He did not seem different, they said, except that he had shaven his chin clean.Always a good student, Alshamrani cemented his place as the pride of his family when he became one of the two students picked from his air force academy class of several hundred to enter the training program in the United States on a scholarship. Saudi Arabia has sent hundreds of thousands of young students overseas to study in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States in recent years, but it was so rare for someone from rural Tabalah to study in the United States that the last young man from the town to do so before Alshamrani is locally famous."I was so proud of him. He's the role model of the family," his brother Abdullah said. "I'm the eldest son, but Mohammed is a big deal."Starting in August 2017, the Saudi government paid for him to spend a year learning English at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio before he moved to Pensacola for military training. He had already received weapons training at his academy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the family said. But he did not appear to acquire a gun in the United States until July, when he legally purchased a Glock 45 9-millimeter handgun in late July, shortly after obtaining a state hunting license, the FBI said Tuesday.Over his years in the United States, he shared with his family pictures of himself smiling in Times Square and in uniform with one of his American trainers.A video he took in Florida showed friends splashing around in kayaks, as he laughed behind the camera. When he called home -- almost every day, his father and brother said -- he talked about traveling around the United States, hanging out with his Saudi roommate and coming home after graduation. He was counting down the months.So was his family. His father had told neighbors and friends in Tabalah that he would throw a huge graduation party for his son when the family visited next summer, according to bin Mitshoosh, the retired detective. All the men from all six of the town's tribes would be invited.When he called his family Friday, Alshamrani offered to send his brother some extra money. He promised to be home soon."I'll call you later," he told Abdullah.Only hours later, that night, would they learn the news.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Myanmar's suppression of the Rohingya, explained in 30 seconds Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  Myanmar's leader is appearing before the UN International Court of Justice this week to address an accusation of genocide against the Rohingya.
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| Grandfather charged in girl's cruise ship death speaks out Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:00 PM PST  Salvatore "Sam" Anello said he blamed Royal Caribbean for the death of his granddaughter in an exclusive interview with CBS News.
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| Republican women launch 'Conservative Squad' to take on AOC, progressives in D.C. Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:15 PM PST  Four Republican women running for Congress have launched the Conservative Squad, aimed at taking on progressives in D.C.
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| Meet the Navy's Small Warships That Help to Deter Iran Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:45 AM PST  Spunky and important little boats.
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| DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz: My Report Doesn’t ‘Vindicate Anybody’ Posted: 11 Dec 2019 11:42 AM PST  During Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Justice Department inspector general's report on possible FISA abuses in the Russia probe, top inspector Michael Horowitz pushed back against former FBI Director James Comey's suggestion that the findings vindicated bureau actions.While Horowitz's recently released report finds that there was no political bias by FBI leadership and that there was sufficient evidence to launch a counterintelligence probe of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, it also chided the FBI for "fundamental errors" in its investigation of former Trump campaign official Carter Page.Noting that Comey figuratively spiked the football over Horowitz's report in a Washington Post op-ed, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked the inspector general, "Former FBI Director James Comey said this week that your report vindicates him. Is that a fair assessment of your report?"Horowitz rejected the notion that anyone linked to the investigation should feel exonerated. "You know, I think the activities we found here don't vindicate anybody who touched this," he said.Graham went on to bring up comments Comey made last year that "the notion that FISA was abused" in the investigation was "nonsense," asking Horowitz if he took issue with that."Certainly our findings were that there were significant problems," Horowitz replied.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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| Texas inmate executed for killing prison supervisor in 2003 Posted: 10 Dec 2019 09:03 PM PST  A Texas inmate was executed by lethal injection Wednesday evening for killing a supervisor at a state prison shoe factory in Amarillo nearly 17 years ago. Travis Runnels, 46, was convicted of slashing the throat of 38-year-old Stanley Wiley on Jan. 29, 2003. Runnels was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
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| Rep. Adam Schiff turns over Pence aide's classified letter to Judiciary Committee Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:54 PM PST  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has submitted to the Judiciary Committee a classified letter from an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
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| 'Go on a holiday and not return': Cruise passengers shaken by New Zealand tragedy Posted: 11 Dec 2019 11:54 PM PST !['Go on a holiday and not return': Cruise passengers shaken by New Zealand tragedy]( "'Go on a holiday and not return': Cruise passengers shaken by New Zealand tragedy") Tourists from the cruise ship that was near the volcanic island in New Zealand when it erupted arrived in Wellington on Thursday, many traumatised by the deaths of co-passengers and others recalling their brush with tragedy. Royal Caribbean's 16-deck cruise liner, Ovation of the Seas, was docked at Tauranga port on the Bay of Plenty, about 100 km (60 miles) from the volcanic White Island when it erupted suddenly on Monday. It was not clear how many of them were from Ovation of the Seas.
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| Russia Retaliates by Expelling Two German Diplomats Over Berlin Murder Probe Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:00 AM PST  The Russian Foreign Ministry said that it was making the move "due to the reciprocity principle"
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| How 16-year-old Greta Thunberg — Time's 2019 person of the year — became the face of climate activism in just one year Posted: 11 Dec 2019 09:31 AM PST  Greta Thunberg has met with world leaders, led climate strikes, sailed across the Atlantic, and been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
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| America Cannot Stop North Korea's Ballistic Missiles Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:45 AM PST  It's difficult enough to locate them on the ground, let alone destroy them in the air.
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| After GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz brings up Hunter Biden's substance abuse, he's reminded of his own DUI Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:14 PM PST ![After GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz brings up Hunter Biden's substance abuse, he's reminded of his own DUI]( "After GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz brings up Hunter Biden's substance abuse, he's reminded of his own DUI") During the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearing on Thursday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tried to shift the focus away from President Trump to former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.Gaetz introduced an amendment to the articles of impeachment that would refer to the "corrupt" hiring of Hunter Biden by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Hunter Biden has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, which Gaetz gleefully mentioned. "It's a little hard to believe that Burisma hired Hunter Biden to resolve their international disputes when he could not resolve his own dispute with Hertz rental car over leaving cocaine and a crack pipe in the car," he said.Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) was next to speak, and without uttering any names, he reminded the entire room that Gaetz himself was arrested for driving under the influence (the case was later dropped). "I would say the pot calling the kettle black is not something that we should do," Johnson said. "I don't know what members, if any, have had any problems with substance abuse, been busted in a DUI, I don't know, but if I did, I wouldn't raise it against anyone on this committee. I don't think it's proper." As Johnson spoke, CSPAN's cameras zoomed in on Gaetz, who looked pained. Watch the video below. > !!! After @mattgaetz brings up Hunter Biden's drug problems, @RepHankJohnson alludes to Gaetz's DUI and says, "the pot calling the kettle black is not something we should do. I don't know which members, if any ... have been busted in DUI. But if I did, I wouldn't raise it." pic.twitter.com/fHgxNUQ0Tg> > -- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2019More stories from theweek.com Trump's pathological obsession with being laughed at The most important day of the impeachment inquiry Jerry Falwell Jr.'s false gospel of memes
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| Scandinavian woman 'forced to withdraw rape claim' in case similar to British teen's Cyprus ordeal Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST  A Scandinavian woman says she was forced by Cypriot police to withdraw a rape claim or face arrest, in a striking parallel to the case of a British teenager who was allegedly gang raped on the Mediterranean island. The Scandinavian woman said police officers questioned her aggressively for several hours after she was raped by two men outside a nightclub. The officers accused her of lying and said that if she did not withdraw the rape claim they would arrest her and send her to prison. Her account bears striking similarities to the alleged treatment of a British teenager who is on trial in Cyprus, accused of concocting a claim of gang rape by Israeli tourists in the resort town of Ayia Napa. She made the initial complaint in July but 10 days later, after being questioned without a lawyer for eight hours in a police station, signed a retraction statement. The alleged gang rape of the British teenager happened in the resort of Ayia Napa Credit: AFP On trial for public mischief, she faces up to a year in prison and a fine of €1,700 if found guilty. She has pleaded not guilty. The judge in the case is expected to hand down his verdict on December 30. The 19-year-old British woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told the trial that officers threatened to arrest her and her friends unless she retracted the claims of being gang raped by a group of young Israeli men. After reading about the Ayia Napa case, the Scandinavian woman decided to come forward with her account of similar treatment at the hands of the Cypriot police 20 years ago. It is the first time she has spoken publicly of the assault and has previously only discussed it with her doctor and her husband. Now aged 43, she was 21 when she met the men in a nightclub in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, in January 1998. They offered to give her a lift to her hotel. Instead, they raped her in a car park. "I fought for my life and thought I was going to die," she told The Telegraph. She went to the nearest police station to report the rape and was taken to a hospital for an examination. She was then taken to a police station for questioning. "The main investigator was extremely brutal and aggressive. I was in big shock so I had some difficulties remembering details. "This made him very angry. He then started accusing me of making the whole story up to receive money from my insurance company." The same allegation was made by in court by Cypriot police against the British woman. Both alleged victims said they were mystified by the accusation because they did not think that holiday insurance covered rape and had no intention of claiming any financial compensation. "I was very afraid and felt trapped in the room with them. They treated me as a big criminal. They kept me in the police station for many hours. They told me that if I didn't withdraw the rape allegation they would arrest me and send me to prison. So I did and they let me go," said the Scandinavian woman, who asked to remain anonymous. She said she was still deeply affected by the ordeal and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – just like the British teenager who is on trial. "The treatment I received from police was terrible," she said. Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the teenager in the trial Credit: AFP Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the British woman, told The Telegraph: "This case bears remarkable similarities to the teenager's case. It raises serious questions about the investigation of rape in Cyprus and the treatment of rape complainants there." In a report in 1998, a Norwegian newspaper claimed that police on the island routinely dismissed rape claims, treating the victims as liars. The report quoted a Norwegian tour operator who said that "police never take rape claims seriously. All such claims are treated as false." "Police have a theory that tourists make such allegations so they can claim expenses for their holiday," the report said. A senior Cyprus police officer was quoted as saying: "Why rape when it's so easy to find somebody to have sex with?" At a hearing on Thursday, a Cypriot defence lawyer denied that the teenager had made up the rape complaint. Ritsa Pekri criticised police for failing to download all the social media messages sent by the Israeli men on their mobile phones and said officers failed to secure the crime scene properly. The prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there had been no rape, Ms Pekri said, calling on the court to acquit the woman. But Adamos Demosthenous, the prosecutor, insisted the British girl had accused the Israelis of raping her because she felt humiliated and ashamed after learning that she had been filmed while having sex with one of them. He called on the judge to convict her.
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| We Tasted 10 Sour Beers That Quenched Our Thirst and Made Us Pucker Up Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:56 PM PST |
| Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:46 PM PST ![Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines]( "Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines") If successful, Washington would become the seventh U.S. state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines. "We should be making it harder for those who want to inflict mass violence and destruction upon innocent people," Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the gun-control push.
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| Republican congressman publicly identifies purported whistleblower Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:52 PM PST  On Wednesday, Rep. Louie Gohmert publicly named a person some Republicans and allies of President Trump claim is the alleged whistleblower who first brought the Trump-Ukraine scandal to light.
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| The campaign to stop Brexit is over and Britain is heading for another decade of Conservative dominance Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:25 PM PST  If borne out in the results, the official exit poll suggests the UK is heading for Brexit and at least ten more years of Conservative government
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| US calls on China not to interfere in Taiwan election Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:08 PM PST  The United States on Thursday urged China not to interfere in elections next month in Taiwan, where President Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, is seeking a new term. David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for Asia, said that tensions between Beijing and Taipei have historically risen whenever Taiwan goes to the polls.
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| F-35: Would You Spend $1,500,000,000,000 On a Plane That Can't Fly? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:26 AM PST  That's what the U.S. government did on the F-35.
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| Airstrikes called in as Taliban attempt to breach Bagram Air Base Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:59 PM PST  U.S. and Afghan forces were pulled into a nearly nine to 10 hour firefight after a suicide bombing targeted a medical facility that was under construction near the base, a source on the ground detailed to Military Times.
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| Charges dropped, brothers in hemp-pot mixup look to sue NYC Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:45 PM PST  The bust was a bust, and it could end up costing New York City some serious green. A day after prosecutors dropped criminal charges in a case spotlighting confusion over hemp, marijuana and conflicting laws, the Brooklyn brothers caught in the chaos took the first step toward suing the city and the police department. Oren and Ronen Levy filed notices of claim Wednesday, saying the "nightmare" ordeal that began with Ronen's Nov. 2 arrest and the seizure of 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of hemp plants tarnished their reputations and threatened their livelihoods selling CBD, the extract showing up lately in everything candy to coffee.
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| Bulletproof vest did not fail in fatal shooting of Houston police officer, chief says Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:16 PM PST  Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says body armor didn't fail Sgt. Christopher Brewster, who was killed while responding to a domestic violence call
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| 'Hangover days' for employees criticised by alcohol harm campaigners amid fears it could encourage binge drinking Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:07 PM PST  A business offering its staff "hangover days" for when they are feeling worse for wear has been criticised by alcohol harm charities who have raised concern that the practice could encourage binge drinking. Digital Marketing firm The Audit Lab lets employees take "hangover days" to try and create a flexible, honest workplace. Company director and co-founder Lee Frame said he would "rather our employees be honest with us and tell the truth than pretend they're ill." Workers merely have to ring up their boss and say that they are simply not up to work, instead putting in a shift from either the comforts of their bed or a sofa. Lee hopes this unorthodox approach will be more attractive to the younger generation, referring to this unusual policy as a "sexed-up work from home day" designed to appeal to workers without children. Ellie Entwistle, 19, who works as a PR manager at Bolton-based The Audit Lab thoroughly enjoys the benefits of having a "hangover day". "I love the perk because it proves that my employer had trust in me, which makes me appreciate them more and means I work hard." She feels that it gives her greater control and creates a flexible work environment that considers what different age groups want in terms of flexibility. However, the "hangover days" concept has been criticised by alcohol harm charities which said the policy could lead to workers "getting trolleyed" unnecessarily. Andrew Misell, Director of Alcohol Change UK in Wales, stated "There's nothing wrong with having a drink, but knowing in advance that you're going to drink to the point where you can't get into the office the next day is a different story." These fears are also echoed by Dr Jill Miller, diversity and inclusion adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), who feels that branding "these 'hangover days' might not be helpful if it's encouraging excessive alcohol consumption." She argues that employers have a duty of care which could be compromised by any promotion of binge drinking. Elaine Hindal, chief executive officer of the charity Drinkaware said: "There should be no place for encouraging risky drinking behaviours in the workplace." Elaine also fears that this policy could alienate workers who do not drink, leading to a less inclusive workplace. "More than half of people in work say they feel there's too much pressure to drink when socialising with colleagues". Employers should be working to create a more diverse workplace rather than rewarding excessive drinking behaviours which are not only divisive but also damaging to health.
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| Malaysia seizes Vietnamese oil tanker that was tracked in North Korea Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:43 AM PST  KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Vietnamese oil tanker which Reuters reported visited North Korea in February has been seized by Malaysia after it was found adrift off the Malaysian coast, maritime agency officials said. Refinitiv shipping data quoted by Reuters showed the Viet Tin 01 arrived just outside the harbor of Nampo on North Korea's western coast on Feb. 25 carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, shortly before talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. It was not clear whether the tanker unloaded cargo at Nampo.
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| Eagle v octopus: Canadians rescue bird locked in battle with giant mollusc Posted: 12 Dec 2019 08:58 AM PST  Employees at a fish farm in Vancouver intervened when an eagle tried to eat a large octopus, resulting in a battleA bald eagle on Canada's west coast has learned that its eyes may be bigger than its stomach after it was nearly drowned by an octopus it tried to eat.After hearing shrieks coming from the water on the north-western tip of Vancouver Island, employees at a fish farm investigating the noises happened upon a bird and cephalopod locked in battle.The octopus, which had turned a deep crimson, had wound its tentacles tightly around the eagle, which was floating helplessly at the surface."At first we just watched and we didn't know if we should interfere because, you know, it's Mother Nature," said John Ilett, an employee at Mowi West Canada, told CTV News.But realizing the eagle was likely to drown, the crew ultimately decided to intervene.Ilett maneuvered a pike pole in the water to pull the octopus over to the boat. The crew managed to haul both aboard, disentangling the bird from the strong tentacles, before tossing the octopus back into the water."That was amazing. Look at the size of this [expletive]," said one worker as the octopus hovered briefly at the surface."Holy [expletive]," another worker adds as the crew laughs in disbelief.Workers said the octopus was the largest theyhad ever encountered, and probably measured more than four and a half feet across.But much larger individuals lurk in the deeps: octopuses in the region – including the giant Pacific octopus – can grow to more than 25ft in diameter.After the eagle was pried from its grasp, the octopus dove back into the depths, its colours subtly shifting from reddish to brown.The shaken eagle perched warily on a nearby log before flying off."It was a very cool situation," said Ilett. "I've been out here 20 years and that's one of the coolest things I've ever seen."
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| Mammoth field fires up Norway's oil industry Posted: 11 Dec 2019 10:16 PM PST  ON THE JOHAN SVERDRUP OIL PLATFORM IN THE NORTH SEA (Norvège) (AFP) - Under yellow metal legs stretching beneath the sea, billions of dollars lie buried. As the world tries hard to halt global warming, a huge oil field breathes new life into Norway's oil sector. "Massive!", exclaims a delighted Arne Sigve Nylund, the head of energy giant Equinor's Norway operations.
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| The Air Force Wants To Reinvent The Storied SR-71 As A Hypersonic Bomber Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:30 PM PST  And it might be unmanned.
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| Pentagon Watchdog to Review Border-Wall Contract Awarded to Company Repeatedly Praised by Trump Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:06 AM PST  Following a request from Democratic lawmakers, the Pentagon's watchdog will audit a recent Army Corps of Engineers decision to award a $400 million border-wall contract to a North Dakota company that was repeatedly praised by President Trump.According to NBC News, which reviewed a copy of the letter sent from the Department of Defense (DoD) inspector general to the House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.), the audit has been initiated and will be formally announced soon.Thompson sent a letter to the DoD on December 4 requesting an audit over "concerns about the possibility of inappropriate influence." On December 2, the DoD announced that North-Dakota-based firm Fisher Sand and Gravel won the $400 million contract to build a 31-mile wall in Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge over the next year.In a statement to National Review following the decision, the company said it looked forward "to the opportunity to work with the Army Corps of Engineers on this important project.""We are excited to show our high quality work . . . while helping to secure our southern border," Fisher Industries' statement read.Company chief executive Tommy Fisher is a GOP donor and has claimed during appearances on Fox News that the company can build the border wall faster than the Army Corps of Engineers.Trump has reportedly pushed since May for the Defense Department to accept Fisher's bid, and allegedly brought up the company in several conversations with Department of Homeland Security officials as well as Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers.Thompson said Thursday he was pleased with the decision to audit the contract."Given the president's multiple endorsements of this company and the amount of taxpayer money at stake, I remain concerned about the possibility of inappropriate influence," he said.
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| Mom wanted for crashing car into son's barber turns self in Posted: 12 Dec 2019 07:36 AM PST  A San Francisco Bay Area mother suspected of ramming her car into her son's barber following a haircut surrendered to authorities, police said. Ruby Delgadillo, 28, brought an attorney with her when she turned herself in Wednesday and refused to give a statement to detectives, the Antioch Police Department said. Police said Delgadillo last week rammed into Brian Martin, 63, with her car, smashing him into a glass storefront and breaking his leg because she was upset with her son's haircut.
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| Tessa Majors: 18-year-old college freshman found stabbed to death in New York City park Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:30 AM PST  An 18-year-old college student has been found stabbed to death in a park just a block away from the New York City Columbia University campus.Tessa Majors was a student at Barnard College, a private liberal arts college in Manhattan that is affiliated with the prestigious university near where she was found with multiple stab wounds.
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| Newly discovered Indonesian cave painting could be the world's oldest figurative artwork Posted: 12 Dec 2019 06:37 AM PST  An Indonesian cave painting that depicts a prehistoric hunting scene could be the world's oldest figurative artwork, dating back nearly 44,000 years, a discovery that points to an advanced artistic culture, according to new research. Spotted two years ago on the island of Sulawesi, the 13-foot-wide painting features wild animals being chased by half-human hunters wielding what appear to be spears and ropes, said the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
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| EXPLAINER-What does passage of India's controversial citizenship bill mean? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:49 AM PST ![EXPLAINER-What does passage of India's controversial citizenship bill mean?]( "EXPLAINER-What does passage of India's controversial citizenship bill mean?") India's parliament on Wednesday passed a contentious bill that will allow citizenship for persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before 2015. Clearance of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill triggered widespread protests as it excludes Muslims living in the remote northeast, a move critics say undermines the secular constitution. Passage of the bill was a key election promise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, re-energising his nationalist, Hindu support base.
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| Saudi Arabia is quietly spending millions on a fresh lobbying effort in the US, hoping to finally put to bed Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:21 AM PST  Saudi Arabia contracted three US lobby firms in November, its first move since it was abandoned by five firms over the Khashoggi affair in late 2018.
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| Pakistan charges 250 lawyers for treason in hospital assault Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:50 AM PST  Pakistan on Thursday leveled "treason" charges against 250 lawyers who were part of a mob that stormed a hospital in the eastern city of Lahore the previous day, kicking and punching doctors and staff and trashing equipment and property, police said. Three patients at the hospital died when physicians and medical staff left them unattended for several hours, to flee and escape the mob, officials said. The mob of about 500 lawyers — apparently angered over alleged misbehavior by some of the hospital doctors toward one of their colleagues the month before — stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology on Wednesday, punching and beating doctors and other staff.
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| Flashback: Trump subpoena stonewall is most dangerous outrage. Why even have a Congress? Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:22 AM PST  The Founders anticipated our historical moment. They created the House, with 'the people' on its side, to guard against a president like Donald Trump.
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| The EU Hopes Boris Johnson Wins Big to Get Brexit Over With Posted: 10 Dec 2019 08:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Here's something European officials are loath to admit in public: They would quite like Boris Johnson to triumph in U.K. elections.Despite personal and political differences, and a lingering lack of trust, those close to EU chiefs privately acknowledge that a strong Johnson victory on Dec. 12 will mean the U.K.'s long-drawn-out departure from the European Union will finally happen, according to more than half a dozen EU officials speaking on condition of anonymity because the issue is delicate."Get Brexit Done" is the Conservative leader's campaign slogan and after almost four years of agonizing negotiations, there is also a collective desire across the Channel to turn the page.When Johnson took over as prime minister, Europeans were wary of the man they knew by reputation as a Brussels-bashing journalist, the face of the Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum and then for his gaffe-prone stint as foreign secretary. But his stock has risen in EU circles since then.France's Emmanuel Macron, in particular, has warmed to Johnson and the pair have personal chemistry, according to officials. That was most evident at the Group of Seven meeting in August, when Johnson was still attempting to strike a revised deal with the EU (which he did a few weeks later)."Those who didn't take him seriously were wrong," Macron said when leaders gathered again for an October summit.All of this will be on the minds of the 27 EU leaders, as they sit down for dinner on Thursday night. It won't be until polls close at 10 p.m. local time that they will get an indication if Johnson will have the authority to take Britain out of the EU on Jan. 31 and start negotiating a post-Brexit relationship.Aides to other European governments say improving relations go beyond Macron, and that Johnson impressed at a summit of NATO leaders he hosted near London last week. Officials said the discussion caught on camera -- where Johnson appeared to be joking with Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Canada's Justin Trudeau at Donald Trump's expense -- was typical of the easy-going talks the U.K. leader has had with many counterparts in private.Behind the scenes, the EU fear a "hung parliament" -- where no party has an overall majority and depends on rivals for support -- as that could lead to more paralysis. A weak, indecisive negotiating partner would hamper talks on a future trade arrangement that's expected to start as soon the U.K. leaves.The outcome matters to EU leaders because their economies will suffer if -- as Germany's Angela Merkel has warned -- the U.K. strikes out alone and decides to undercut them with looser regulation and lower taxes.EU leaders say they're prepared for any outcome, with a reshaped negotiating team ready to tackle the next phase of talks.They're planning for the possibility of Johnson winning or failing to get a majority, as well as for Labour attaining power and seeking to rework the deal to keep the U.K. in a customs union before holding another referendum. While the idea of a re-do remains appealing to some in the EU, it's a far less common attitude than it once was.Donald Tusk, who last week called Britain's departure "one of the most spectacular mistakes" in history, has left his position as European Council president to be replaced by former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, someone who officials say will take a far more pragmatic view.Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen's ascent to the head of the EU's executive arm, in lieu of Jean-Claude Juncker, is seen by advisers as an opportunity for the EU to draw a line under Brexit and move on.Question of TrustDespite obvious advantages to the EU of a strong Conservative majority, a senior official confided that European governments are reluctant to trust Johnson. They don't know how close he wants to be to the U.S. after Brexit, or even what kind of deal he really wants -- he's indicated he'd like to keep trade free of tariffs or quotas and for the U.K. to diverge from many of the EU's standards and regulations.And they fear his promise to get a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020 won't be deliverable unless he goes back on some of his red lines.But, in a sign of Johnson's growing clout, they're willing to give it a go. Officials say a bare-bones agreement in the most critical areas, without the need for long drawn-out ratification procedures in every national parliament, isn't out of the question.By dawn on Friday morning, the results of the U.K. election will be in -- just in time for leaders to get stuck into Brexit. According to a draft communique, they'll pledge to reach a future deal with the U.K. "swiftly."But much will depend on the number of seats Johnson wins.To contact the reporter on this story: Ian Wishart in Brussels at iwishart@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Caroline AlexanderFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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