| Trump takes swipes at media in rally during White House correspondents dinner Posted: 28 Apr 2019 09:26 AM PDT ![Trump takes swipes at media in rally during White House correspondents dinner]( "Trump takes swipes at media in rally during White House correspondents dinner") President Donald Trump attacked the press during a rally he held in Green Bay, Wisc. Saturday that aimed to be counter-programing to the White House correspondents dinner.
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| She Went Through Hell: The Amazing Story of the Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:00 PM PDT  The USS Franklin was not a lucky ship.In March 1945, off the Japanese mainland, the Essex-class aircraft carrier was hit by two 550-pound bombs that struck her flight deck and penetrated into the hangar deck. Less than six months earlier, a kamikaze had hit her off Leyte in the Philippines, killing or wounding 120 members of her crew.The second attack ignited the fuel tanks of 31 armed and fueled aircraft awaiting launch, as well as "Tiny Tim" air-to-surface rockets and other ordnance aboard the ship. Fires raged. Rockets whistled across the deck, and machine-gun ammunition clattered. In minutes, the Franklin was dead in the water with massive casualties, a 13-degree starboard list, and without any radio communications. Many of her damage control team members were dead and some of her water lines, needed to fight the fires, were severed. Flaming and wreathed in choking smoke, she was 52 miles from the Japanese mainland and drifting closer.The Franklin Would Endure"I saw guys flying through the air [and] saw men running around on fire, just flaming torches," a seaman on a nearby destroyer reported. Like most of the men who could see the Franklin, he though she was doomed.
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| Russia's Vladimir Putin blasts U.S. sentencing of Maria Butina as a 'travesty of justice' Posted: 28 Apr 2019 10:40 AM PDT  Gun-rights activist Maria Butina was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday for her role in a Russian effort to infiltrate U.S. politics.
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| Report: Politicians hampered fight against California fire Posted: 26 Apr 2019 10:10 PM PDT  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The battle against a devastating November wildfire in Los Angeles County was hampered by politicians asking firefighters to check on certain homes.
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| New York Attorney General Launches Investigation Into the National Rifle Association Posted: 27 Apr 2019 04:16 PM PDT  Lucas Jackson/ReutersNew York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the National Rifle Association after reports surfaced of financial improprieties within the organization. "The Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation related to the National Rifle Association (NRA). As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas," a spokesperson for the attorney general's office told NPR. According to NPR, the group received a document preservation notice in connection with the AG's investigation, and The New York Times reports that several businesses connected with the gun rights group also received subpoenas.The announcement comes just hours after and the pro-gun group's president, Oliver North, announced that he has been ousted, and The Daily Beast exclusively reported that longtime NRA lawyer, Steve Hart, has been suspended. North's ouster capped off days of vicious infighting within the organization, with chief executive Wayne LaPierre claiming earlier this week that North was trying to blackmail him into leaving. North was also at the center of a lawsuit filed by NRA lawyers against the group's longtime ad agency, Ackerman McQueen, over promotional work that apparently failed to deliver. The lawsuit alleged that North double-dipped by taking a salary from both the NRA and Ackerman McQueen at the same time and failed to deliver on promised sponsorship deals, saying the group found "no evidence that any substantial sponsorships exist." After news broke Saturday of the attorney general's probe, an outside lawyer for the NRA said the group would cooperate. "The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances," outside counsel William A. Brewer III said in a statement, adding that the NRA is "prepared for this and has full confidence in its accounting practices." Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Why Rear Passengers May Be Hurt More in Crashes, and What IIHS Wants Carmakers to Do about It Posted: 28 Apr 2019 07:31 AM PDT  Rear passengers in frontal collisions can fare worse than those in the front seats, according to a new study.
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| UPDATE 1-Gunmen kidnap Canadian, Scottish oil workers from Nigerian oil rig Posted: 28 Apr 2019 01:11 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Gunmen kidnap Canadian, Scottish oil workers from Nigerian oil rig]( "UPDATE 1-Gunmen kidnap Canadian, Scottish oil workers from Nigerian oil rig") Gunman kidnapped three oil workers from Canada, Scotland and Nigeria at a rig in Nigeria's Delta region on Saturday, officials said - the second abduction in the area in less than a week. The attackers raided the rig owned by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources in Ogbele, Rivers State at around 8 a.m. (0700 GMT), the spokesman for the area's military operations, Major Ibrahim Abubakar, said. The Niger Delta produces the bulk of Nigeria's crude.
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| Spain election: Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wins as far-Right makes breakthrough Posted: 28 Apr 2019 03:52 PM PDT  Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez earned his first general election win on Sunday, despite the emergence of a hard-Right party that capitalised on many Spaniards' fury with the government's attempt to find common ground with the breakaway region of Catalonia. On high turnout of close to 76 per cent, the Socialist party (PSOE) claimed victory for the first time since 2008 with 123 seats out of 350, although a delicately hung parliament means that forming a government will involve complex negotiations with other forces from the Left and regional parties. With more than 98 per cent of the vote counted, the PSOE was declared winner by Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaá. "We have sent a clear message to Europe and the world: you can beat authoritarianism and involution from the left," Mr Sánchez said in reference to his victory over his conservative opponents including the anti-immigration, populist force Vox. Vox became the first hard-Right force to gain significant representation in Spain's parliament since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975 with 24 seats. Santiago Abascal, leader of far right party Vox, addresses supporters outside the party headquarters after the general election in Madrid Credit: AP With the vote on the Right side of the spectrum split three ways, the biggest loser of the night was the main conservative opposition Popular Party (PP), falling to 66 seats, less than half of the 137 seats it achieved when winning the previous election in 2016. The liberal Ciudadanos came close to pipping the PP to second place, with 58 seats. Vox came from a result of 0.2 per cent in 2016 to win 10 per cent, but it had the effect of cannibalising the Right-of-centre vote and helping Mr Sánchez to stretch out his lead. Together, the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox won 43 per cent, one point more than PSOE and Podemos combined. The PP, Ciudadanos were hoping to combine with Vox for a majority to eject Mr Sánchez from power in order to crack down on Catalonia's separatist leaders by suspending the region's autonomy. The three parties had accused Mr Sánchez of being a danger to Spanish unity after he used his 10-month-long spell in government before the election to seek a negotiated end to the impasse between Madrid and Catalonia's regional government. But Vox's secretary general, Javier Ortega, was exultant over the result. "This is just the beginning," he told supporters in Madrid's Margaret Thatcher square. "Every Vox member of Congress is going to be a whirlwind." The general secretary of VOX, Javier Ortega Smith, is seen during his speech at the Plaza Margaret Thatcher, where the party celebrates the electoral results Credit: Getty Pablo Iglesias, the leader the hard-Left Podemos, offered his party's 42 seats to "build a leftist government coalition". But Mr Sánchez will also have to seek support from Basque nationalists and other minority forces, possibly including Catalan pro-independence parties in order to reach a majority. Divisions over how to deal with Catalonia's bid for independence played out in an ill-tempered campaign with the trial of 10 imprisoned Catalan leaders over their role in the region's unconstitutional referendum in 2017 rumbling on in the background. Mr Sánchez was described by Vox as "an enemy of the nation" for negotiating with Catalan forces, while PP leader Pablo Casado accused the prime minister of siding with "bloodstained hands" after the government received parliamentary support from Basque party Bildu, regarded as the successor to the political wing of terrorist group Eta. The party leaders clashed in fractious televised debates. Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera described Mr Sánchez as a "disgraceful" prime minister for kneeling before Catalan separatists, while the latter took his Right-wing opponents to task over their Andalucian government's rollback of assistance for women victims of male violence.
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| Trump flips on Fox News' Napolitano after he calls president's actions 'criminal' Posted: 28 Apr 2019 10:29 AM PDT  President Trump turned on Fox News personality Judge Andrew Napolitano after the legal analyst issued a sharp rebuke of the president's actions outlined in special counsel Robert Mueller's report as "immoral, criminal, defenseless and condemnable."
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| Two Koreas mark Moon-Kim summit anniversary with different tones Posted: 26 Apr 2019 09:29 PM PDT  North and South Korea Saturday struck different notes as they marked the first anniversary of a summit between their leaders that fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearisation. Kim Jong Un and President Moon Jae-in held their first meeting on April 27 last year in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula amid a rapid diplomatic thaw, paving the way for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June.
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| New York Archdiocese releases list of 120 priests accused of child sexual abuse Posted: 28 Apr 2019 01:41 PM PDT  The list released by the New York Archdiocese includes 120 men, none of them in active ministry now.
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| North Korea vs. the F-35 Stealth Fighter (Who Wins? Who Dies?) Posted: 28 Apr 2019 01:59 AM PDT  Alternatively, the F-35A might be assigned to dangerous suppression or destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) missions. The stealth and onboard jamming capabilities of the F-35 would make it more survivable than the ROKAF's 4th generation aircraft in such a role.The ROKAF, South Korea's Air Force received their first F-35A fighter jets in April 2019. The ROKAF hopes to eventually buy forty F-35As and should have ten F-35As by the end of the year.(This first appeared several weeks ago.)But how do these aircraft fit into the ROKAF's existing fleet of aircraft? What role could they play in countering the North Korean KPAF?The ROKAF already fields a variety of advanced American fighters, including over one hundred KF-16Cs and around 60 F-15K Slam Eagles. The KF-16C is fully integrated with the American AMRAAM air-to-air missile, which the ROKAF fields in the AIM-120C-5 and AIM-120C-7 variants.The combination of the KF-16C and AMRAAM vastly outclasses the majority of fighters the KPAF can field. The bulk of the KPAF fighter fleet is built out of MiG-21 variants and the J-7 fighter, which can only mount short-range infrared air-to-air missiles. KF-16Cs could just fire AMRAAMs, turn around and bug out before the KPAF MiGs lock on, though individual conditions could dictate engagement at shorter ranges.
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| NRA power struggle: President Oliver North tells Indy convention he won't serve 2nd term Posted: 27 Apr 2019 12:23 PM PDT  Oliver North's tenure ends after a bitter power struggle with Wayne LaPierre, the chief executive and longtime public face of the gun rights group.
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| Texas man accused in fatal Colorado crash appears in court Posted: 27 Apr 2019 03:53 PM PDT  GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — A speeding semitrailer whose driver appeared to one witness to be "wide eyed" and "terrified" passed a truck ramp before plowing into other vehicles on a crowded highway near Denver, killing four people and injuring at least six others, according to court documents released Saturday.
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| China urges UK not to discriminate against Huawei in 5G development Posted: 28 Apr 2019 01:02 AM PDT  China on Sunday warned Britain not to discriminate against companies involved in developing the 5G network and to resist pressure from other countries over whether it should work with Huawei Technologies. Huawei, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, is under intense scrutiny after the United States told allies not to use the company's technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has denied this.
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| U.K. Conservatives Still Seeking Brexit Deal Before EU Election Posted: 28 Apr 2019 04:10 AM PDT ![U.K. Conservatives Still Seeking Brexit Deal Before EU Election]( "U.K. Conservatives Still Seeking Brexit Deal Before EU Election") Theresa May is still pursuing a Brexit deal that would get the U.K. out of the European Union before elections next month. With negotiations with the opposition Labour Party set to continue next week, there's still time for Parliament to settle on a deal before the May 23 vote, Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis said in an interview with the BBC on Sunday.
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| Trump administration’s former security chief to give evidence to congressional panel, White House reveals Posted: 27 Apr 2019 04:08 AM PDT  A former White House official has agreed to answer questions over allegations that the Trump administration improperly granted security clearances to some of the president's advisers.Carl Kline, the former White House Personnel Security Director, has offered to appear before the House oversight committee for an on-the-record interview, accompanied by his lawyers."We understand the scope of the interview will be limited to White House personnel security policies and practices, consistent with our prior offers for Mr. Kline's voluntary cooperation with the Committee," Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, wrote in a letter to Jim Jordan, a Republican member of the committee.He added that Mr Kline was available to appear before the House of Representatives panel on 1 May.The White House's agreement comes after a whistleblower told the committee that officials had acted questionably while granting security clearances.Tricia Newbold, a manager in the Personnel Security Office, told the oversight committee earlier this month that 25 individuals including two current senior White House officials, and contractors and employees working for Donald Trump were granted clearances after being denied them initially.She said the reasons the applications were rejected included "foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use, and criminal conduct."The committee is scrutinising the security clearances obtained by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, according to two Reuters sources.The president's daughter and son-in-law allegedly obtained high level clearances despite security officials advising against the move.Ms Newbold was suspended from her job in January after making the allegations.Her former boss, Mr Kline, agreed to appear before the oversight committee only after Mr Jordan wrote to the Trump administration and urged the White House to agree to a voluntary interview.The committee has already subpoenaed Mr Kline, compelling him to testify under oath, but on Friday the White House appeared to ignore the subpoena.In his letter, Mr Cipollone said the subpoena was "unnecessary" in light of the "additional accommodation offer made over three weeks ago" for the voluntary appearance.The White House had earlier advised Mr Kline to defy the subpoena.The oversight committee then responded by threatening to hold the former official in contempt of CongressIt is unclear if Democrats on the oversight committee, including its chair Elijah Cummings, will accept the Trump administration's new terms. Additional reporting by agencies
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| San Diego synagogue shooting: Suspect John Earnest 'praised Christchurch shooter' before deadly attack Posted: 27 Apr 2019 10:00 PM PDT  A 19-year-old man armed with an assault-style rifle opened fire inside a synagogue near San Diego on Saturday, killing one woman inside and wounding three others in a "hate crime" on the last day of Passover. The suspect John Earnest fled in a car and called 911 shortly afterward to say he was involved in the shooting at Chabad of Poway, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said. When an officer reached him on a roadway, "the suspect pulled over, jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody," Mr Nisleit said. The officer found an AR-type rifle in the front passenger seat. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus characterised the shooting as a "hate crime," saying his assessment was based on statements uttered by the gunman when he entered the synagogue. US President Donald Trump said the country stood in solidarity with the Jewish community after the attack, which came exactly six months since a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue killed 11 people in the deadliest attack on Jews in US history.. "Tonight, America's heart is with the victims of the horrific synagogue shooting in California, just happened," he told supporters at a rally in Wisconsin. Thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by the shooting at the Synagogue in Poway, California. God bless you all. Suspect apprehended. Law enforcement did outstanding job. Thank you!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2019 "Our entire nation mourns the loss of life, prays for the wounded and stands in solidarity with the Jewish community. We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate which must be defeated." Friends told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the woman killed in the shooting was Lori Kaye, 60, of Poway. Witnesses said she jumped in front of the synagogue's founding rabbi, Yisroel Goldstein, who was wounded in the index fingers on both hands, the newspaper reported. Others injured were Noya Dahan, 8, hit with shrapnel in the face and leg, and Almong Peretz, 34, who was shot in the leg as he ushered children in a playroom to safety, the Union-Tribune reported. Authorities say they were reviewing copies of the suspect's social media posts. A San Diego Police officer keeps aim on the house thought to be the home of 19 year-old John T. Earnest, who is a suspect in the shooting of several people in a Poway synagogue Credit: AP San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said Earnest had no prior arrests. However, he said authorities were establishing the legitimacy of an anti-Semitic open letter he apparently published on a far-right message board hours before the attack. "We have copies of his social media posts and his open letter and we'll be reviewing those to determine the legitimacy of it and how it plays in to the investigation," he said. The manifesto is reportedly similar to one posted on the same message board by Brenton Tarrant, a white supremacist who was behind the March 15 mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 50 people dead. The hate-filled letter lauds Tarrant's actions and that of the Pittsburgh shooter and claims responsibility for a fire at a mosque in California a week after the Christchurch shootings. There was no known threat after Earnest was detained, but authorities boosted patrols at places of worship as a precaution, Mr Nisleit said. Neighbours and media members gather outside of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue Credit: AP An off-duty Border Patrol agent inside the synagogue in the city of Poway, just over 20 miles north of San Diego, opened fire as the shooter fled but didn't hit him, Mr Gore said. Minoo Anvari told CNN that she's a member of Chabad of Poway and her husband was inside during the shooting. She said he called to tell her the shooter was shouting and cursing and she called the shooting "unbelievable" in a peaceful and tight-knit community. "We are strong, we are united, they can't break us," she said. Christopher Folts, a nearby resident, said on CNN he heard six to seven gunshots, then a man yelling, followed by six to seven more shots. A car, allegedly used by the gunman who killed one at the Congregation Chabad synagogue in Poway, is pictured, few hundred feet from the Interstate 15 off-ramp north of San Diego Credit: Reuters Cantor Caitlin Bromberg of Ner Tamid Synagogue, down the street from the shooting scene, said her congregation learned of the shooting at the end of their Passover services and that they were heading to Chabad of Poway to show support and help. "We are horrified and upset, and we want them to know we are thinking of them," Ms Bromberg told The Los Angeles Times, adding that she has not heard from Chabad of Poway leadership because they would not normally use the phone during the Sabbath. "They would only do that on emergency basis, if they do it at all," Ms Bromberg told the newspaper. Passover began on April 19 and was ending on Saturday. In Pittsburgh, a truck driver who authorities say expressed hatred of Jews has been charged in the October 27 rampage at the Tree of Life synagogue. He's pleaded not guilty. Saturday's Passover violence followed a recent spate of deadly attacks on houses of worship around the world. Suicide bombings during Easter Sunday services at several churches in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people. Weeks earlier a gunman who opened fire at two mosques in New Zealand left 49 people dead and more than 40 wounded, some as they knelt in prayer.
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| Russia won't immediately raise oil output after Iran waivers end Posted: 27 Apr 2019 02:57 AM PDT  Russia will not immediately raise oil output after the United States ends sanctions waivers for buyers of Iranian crude in May, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday. The United States announced this week that, in a bid to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, it would from May 2 end US waivers that countries such as India, China, South Korea and Turkey currently have on buying Iranian crude.
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| Global software 'glitch' leaves Air India passengers stranded Posted: 27 Apr 2019 02:06 AM PDT ![Global software 'glitch' leaves Air India passengers stranded]( "Global software 'glitch' leaves Air India passengers stranded") Thousands of Air India passengers were stranded at airports across the world Saturday, after a software "glitch" left those travelling with the state-run airline unable to check in, officials said. "Our check-in software experienced a glitch following a routine software upgrade. It was resolved after six hours," Air India spokesman Praveen Bhatnagar told AFP.
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| Southwest: Boeing didn't say it had deactivated safety alert Posted: 28 Apr 2019 02:44 PM PDT ![Southwest: Boeing didn't say it had deactivated safety alert]( "Southwest: Boeing didn't say it had deactivated safety alert") Southwest Airlines says Boeing did not disclose that it had deactivated a safety feature on its 737 Max jets until after one of the airliners crashed last year.
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| Afghan peace deal hinges on ceasefire by Taliban: U.S. peace envoy Posted: 28 Apr 2019 07:57 AM PDT  Any peace agreement with the Afghan Taliban would depend on the declaration of a permanent ceasefire and a commitment to end the country's long war, the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said on Sunday. In an interview with Afghanistan's largest private television station, Tolo News, Khalilzad said the Taliban's demands were focused on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. No agreement will be done if we don't see a permanent ceasefire and a commitment to end the war," said Khalilzad.
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| The Day the Carrier Died: How the Navy (Nearly) Lost an Aircraft Carrier in Battle Posted: 27 Apr 2019 09:00 PM PDT  "The treatment of these Franklin crewmen," concludes Springer, constituted "one of the greatest but least-known injustices involving the U.S. Navy in World War II."Seldom do I come away incensed from reading history. The saga of the World War II aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) constitutes an exception. We normally think of Franklin's history as a parable about the importance of shipboard firefighting and damage control. It's about materiel and methods, in other words. And these things are important without a doubt. Fighting ships are metal boxes packed with explosives and flammables. Suppressing fire represents a crucial function, which is why the first thing a new sailor does after reporting aboard is qualify in rudimentary damage control.(This first appeared several years ago.)But a ship is more than a hunk of steel. The hunk of steel plus the crew that lives on board it comprises the ship. Bad leadership marred Franklin's human component. In the end, then, this is a story with mixed lessons. It is not merely about the material dimension of naval warfare.
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| Would You Pay This Much For A Corvette Body? Posted: 27 Apr 2019 05:22 AM PDT  Quite a few people love the look of a classic Chevy Corvette Stingray, and why not? While that's certainly true, you might be wondering why this 1966 Chevrolet Corvette convertible body is so pricey. All you get is the body, doors, hinges, rear exhaust valance, convertible decklid, bird cage, and windshield frame, plus the glass.
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| Biden entry sparks a sharper edge to Democratic race Posted: 27 Apr 2019 03:29 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — As she campaigned through Iowa this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts didn't hesitate to jab the newest contender in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary: Joe Biden.
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| John Earnest, 19, identified as gunman who killed 1, injured 3 in Poway synagogue Posted: 28 Apr 2019 05:26 PM PDT  John Earnest may be charged with a hate crime in addition to homicide, according to San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore.
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| Synagogue Shooting Suspect Was a Piano-Playing Nursing Student From Religious Family With a Racist Secret Posted: 28 Apr 2019 02:47 PM PDT  Sandy Huffaker/AFP/GettyPOWAY, California—Nineteen-year-old nursing student John T. Earnest, who was charged with murder Sunday as the lone gunman in the deadly Poway Synagogue shooting, played piano for hours a day and earned a 4.31 grade point average. His father was a church elder whom neighbors called "the sweetest man."But somewhere on his path, Earnest took a terrible turn, claiming Adolf Hitler as an idol and writing what appears to be his own rambling manifesto that Jews "deserved nothing but hell." He wanted to be the one to, as he put it, "Send. Them. There."Police say someone purporting to be him posted the anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, white supremacist "manifesto"—which eerily mirrored the Q&A; style that Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant used in his own pre-massacre diatribe—about 20 minutes before he walked into the Poway synagogue with an AR-15 style assault rifle and started shooting—killing one woman and injuring three others—before the gun malfunctioned and he was chased out by an armed security guard.Earnest was arrested by police a few minutes after the shooting as he fled, called 911, and told them where to find him off an exit on a California highway, authorities said. As an officer approached, he exited his vehicle, raised his hands, and surrendered. A rifle was recovered from the car. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.In his online posting, Earnest championed the likes of Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh six months ago; Tarrant, who killed 50 people in a New Zealand mosque in March; and Hitler.He used mainstream social media like Twitter and the fringe message boards 8Chan in what has become a proven way for terrorist groups and lone wolves alike to ensure that propaganda is disseminated to both those looking for it and those who are not. He posted the original screed on Pastebin.com and Mediafire.com, and linked to them on 8Chan. Like Tarrant, he promised to live-stream his killing spree, which he evidently failed to pull off. Facebook immediately removed the profile link he intended to use, but had somehow not seen the warning signs when he created the page.Sheriff William Gore of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said during a press conference late Sunday that authorities were carrying out searches in the suspect's home and "looking into digital evidence and checking the authenticity of an online manifesto." If it is validated as authentic, the student, who was previously unknown to police, found footing in the usual tenets of hate and the now all-too-familiar desire for infamy. Zach Keele, pastor of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, where Earnest's father was an elder, or officer of the church, confirmed that he was part of the parish. "So John T. Earnest is a member here," he told The Daily Beast. "We completely deplore what he did. That is not part of our practices, our teachings in any way. Our hearts, our prayers, our tears go out to the victims, to all those wonderful neighbors at the synagogue."Keele said Earnest had never appeared to be the sort of person who would carry out this sort of an attack. "This is a complete surprise," he said.In a service at the church on Sunday, Keele delivered a sermon on betrayal and forgiveness, offering condolences to the victims–but also to Earnest's family. "We pray, Lord, for those who are hurting, and we pray for the victims of that synagogue," Keele told the crowd of 50 or so parishioners. "We deeply mourn that this evil came out from us. We do not understand it, oh Lord, and we pray that you would forgive us for any such shortcoming, for any good deeds we left undone. We pray, Lord, that you will be with the Earnest family."Speaking to his congregation after the service, Keele said he had spoken with Earnest's parents the night before. They had spent the night huddled in their other son's apartment close to the beach while their own house was searched by SWAT teams, he said. Earnest's father plans to release a statement Monday morning through an attorney. "It's a good statement," Keele said. "They have good family support."The minister added that Earnest must "suffer the full punishment of the law." Still, he hopes he will "recant his hatred." Keele plans to visit the young man in prison, if convicted, he said. After the service, Gerrit Groenewold, a board member at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church who happens to be the father of the girlfriend of one of Earnest's brothers, told The Daily Beast that he had noticed Earnest had seemed quiet, and often tried to reach out to the young man, but with little luck. "I have tried to talk to John several times, but he is very silent and very reclusive. I noticed that he was quiet and just wanted to have contact... The other [members of his family] are not nearly as quiet," he said. "It's not good if someone is that quiet. He needs to be part of the community, to let them know what is going on."Earnest also claimed responsibility for an attempted arson attack last month on Dar-ul-Arqam Mosque in Escondido, about nine miles from Poway, Security cameras at the mosque caught a suspect breaking a lock and pouring liquid on a side door but had failed to identify the person. Gore said investigators are now looking his "possible involvement in the arson and vandalism of mosque."In a comment that was left after the synagogue shooting, someone asks, "How does a child of such privilege to so horribly wrong? Where does this hatred come from?"Late Saturday afternoon, California State University San Marcos president Karen S. Haynes confirmed that Earnest had been enrolled at the its nursing school."We are dismayed and disheartened that the alleged shooter—now in custody—is a CSUSM student. CSUSM is working collaboratively with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department to assist and gain more information," Haynes said in a statement. "We are heartbroken by this tragedy, which was motivated by hate and anti-Semitism."A man who identified himself as Earnest's grandfather expressed shock at his grandson's role in the deadly shooting on Saturday."He did what?" the man told The Daily Beast when reached by phone. "That is out of whack. My heart is sinking into my chest. I'm going to hang up now." By Saturday evening, police had barricaded the streets leading to the cul-de-sac in Rancho Peñasquitos, a hilly, middle-class suburb of San Diego about seven miles from the synagogue where Earnest lives with his family. More than three dozen law enforcement officers, including FBI agents, ATF agents, and cops, were at the scene. Eyewitnesses told The Daily Beast that the family left their home under police escort hours earlier. Around 9 p.m. local time, law enforcement had secured a search warrant to enter Earnest's house, which may well confirm the authenticity of his hate-filled screed and could possibly uncover how far he was willing to act on his hate. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
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| Tesla CEO Musk strikes deal with market regulators over tweets Posted: 26 Apr 2019 07:02 PM PDT  Elon Musk and US stock market regulators told a US court on Friday that they have reached a deal to settle their differences over the Tesla chief executive's Twitter use. The settlement between Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission sets out clearer guidelines on topics Musk should avoid on Twitter or other social media, including statements about acquisitions, mergers, new products and production numbers. Musk would have to adhere to Tesla rules regarding potentially significant comments by executives, and have tweets or other social media posts pre-approved by "an experienced securities lawyer employed by the company," according to the proposed settlement.
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| More than 56 tons of ground beef recalled in E. coli outbreak, now spanning 10 states Posted: 28 Apr 2019 05:07 AM PDT ![More than 56 tons of ground beef recalled in E. coli outbreak, now spanning 10 states]( "More than 56 tons of ground beef recalled in E. coli outbreak, now spanning 10 states") A Georgia meat producer is recalling 113,424 pounds of ground beef, over concerns of an E. coli outbreak that officials have expanded ten states.
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| Hours after mass escape, migrants chant for food, freedom Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:28 PM PDT  TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — About 600 mostly Cuban migrants who were part of a mass escape from a southern Mexico immigration detention center a day earlier remained at large Friday evening, immigration authorities said.
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| Reuters World News Summary Posted: 28 Apr 2019 04:50 PM PDT ![Reuters World News Summary]( "Reuters World News Summary") Kuwait is looking at Iranian threats to block the Strait of Hormuz with concern, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Sunday quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah as saying. KUNA said Jarallah was commenting on tensions in the region after Iran's Revolutionary Guards made a threat to close the strategic waterway.
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| The Army's New Machine Gun Can Really Do Some Serious Damage Posted: 27 Apr 2019 07:00 PM PDT  A game changer or not? The U.S. Army has selected a new submachine gun for special security missions- and the winner of the procurement contest may surprise you.The Brügger & Thomet APC9K has been hailed the winner of the Sub Compact Weapon program, beating out well-seasoned military & police competitors such as the American Sig MPX and the Czech-made CZ Scorpion Evo.Made primarily of polymer and sporting translucent magazines, the APC9K SCW will be used for close protection duties and other situations where a 9mm submachine gun or carbine would be preferable to a 5.56 platform.According to Defence Blog, the U.S. Army Contracting command will be ordering around 350 of the SCWs, with a potential additional order of 1,000 more.The original competition, which began in May of 2018, had over ten companies providing options. One of the requirements was that the weapon had to be optimized to fire 147-grain 9mm ammunition.
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| Israel frees two prisoners to Syria after Russian mediation Posted: 28 Apr 2019 02:46 AM PDT  Israel released two prisoners on Sunday, sending them back to Syria in what Damascus described as Russian-mediated reciprocation for the repatriation of the body of a long-missing Israeli soldier. Russia, a key Damascus ally, this month handed Israel the remains and personal effects of Zachary Baumel, who was declared missing in action along with two other Israeli soldiers following a 1982 tank battle with Syrian forces in Lebanon. A Syrian government source said Damascus then pressured Moscow to secure a prisoner release by Israel.
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| Impeachment Would Be a Redundant Judgment Posted: 28 Apr 2019 02:30 AM PDT  The Mueller investigation was supposed to be a legal process concerned with crimes. Investigators identified no crimes to charge, and so it has, naturally, become something else: no longer a theory about a criminal conspiracy — only an irritable mood.An ordeal that had been conducted under the procedures of law in accordance with legal criteria is now an ordeal that is being conducted under the procedures of politics in accordance with political criteria — or, if you prefer, with moral criteria related to Donald Trump's character. For those who want to see President Trump impeached and who think of impeachment as a fundamentally political process in spite of its mock-trial aspect, that's just fine. They'll take their pound of flesh, however it is had.The problem with this point of view is that the question of Donald Trump's personal fitness for office already has been adjudicated as a political matter: That is what happened in the 2016 presidential election. Many critics, myself included, argued that Trump was unfit for the office, both morally and intellectually. We made our arguments, the voters consulted their own consciences, and, weighing these things however it is that voters weigh them, chose Trump. There wasn't some occult intermediary step in there. That's how things go in politics: The people behave just as if they had minds of their own! And, sometimes, they get to have their own way.In terms of Donald Trump's character and habits, there is practically nothing in the Mueller report — or in the public record since 2016 — that voters did not already know when they elected him. And that is really the fundamental argument against impeaching President Trump: The political judgment called for in an impeachment at this point and in this context properly ought to be understood as beside the point, if we take seriously the democratic assumption that the judgment of the people, rendered in the election, is sovereign.There isn't some shocking new thing, and, of course, some Democrats have been talking impeachment since before Trump was even sworn in. The Democrats do not propose to impeach Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors, but simply for being Donald Trump. One may sympathize with that, but Donald Trump is the man the voters chose.And that goes to the real issue here: The Democrats cannot accept that they lost an election to Donald Trump. One sympathizes with that, too, but that is what actually happened, for several reasons: Trump focused on two issues — immigration and trade — that speak to a substantial bipartisan plurality with nationalistic and protectionist impulses rarely taken seriously by mainstream figures in either party; his opponent ran an inept campaign and has been questing after power for so long that both she and the voters are exhausted by it; the "elites" and Washingtonians against whom Trump & Co. inveigh were judged, not without some reason, to merit a trip to the woodshed; the so-called war on terror and the financial crisis of 2008–09 have destabilized formerly sturdy political coalitions. And, of course, it was Republicans' turn.Which is to say: The Democrats' talk of impeachment is partly about 2020, but it's mainly about 2016, and their adolescent psychic need to believe that the presidential election that brought Donald Trump to the White House was illegitimate rather than an opportunity they simply blew. The theory that the election was thrown by Russian trolls posting dank memes on Twitter is hard to take seriously. If we had a list of every voter whose mind was changed in 2016 by an anonymous social-media account with a Cyrillic bio, then disenfranchising those voters would be a good start on improving things for 2020. Alas and alack, we don't do that sort of thing. But the argument that bot-executed shenanigans nullified democracy in 2016 amounts to the Democrats protesting: "These trolls robbed us of the support of our natural base: morons!"There's no quality control in social media — and less quality control in ordinary news media than there used to be. Lies, distortions, exaggerations, and pure inventions are going to be out there in the intellectual marketplace, whether they originate in Moscow or in Brooklyn. That's a real problem, but it doesn't invalidate the outcome of the 2016 election.There are many reasons to oppose an impeachment at this time: One is that no one has made a very persuasive case for one, all of the Democrats' arguments up to this point having been transparently pretextual. Another is that the Republican majority in the Senate all but ensures that the process would be purely symbolic, an exercise in chaos for pleasure's sake. A third is that it normalizes the invocation of a procedure that should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances in the service of ordinary short-term partisan interests. For comparison, consider that there was no serious impeachment talk when Barack Obama authorized the assassination of U.S. citizens without so much as a by-your-leave from Congress — or when he took executive actions that he himself had described as unconstitutional only months before. That suggests a pretty high standard — and if "I think that guy is a fink!" ends up being a common rationale for impeachment, then you'd better make your peace with anarchy, because Washington is going to be a ghost town.But the most important reason for forbearance here is that a political judgment already has been rendered on Donald Trump's character — and, if you don't like how that came out, there's another chance right around the corner.
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| Duke of Sussex makes surprise visit to London Marathon, suggesting Meghan is not expected to give birth today Posted: 28 Apr 2019 04:35 AM PDT  Read the latest updates from the London Marathon here Prince Harry has made a surprise visit to the London Marathon today, which suggests Meghan Markle is not yet due to give birth. The Duke of Sussex was seen laughing and joking as he presented medals to early Marathon finishers. The Prince also spent time talking to volunteers. He also presented medals to the marathon and wheelchair winners, including victors in the World Para Athletics World Championship Marathon. It is believed he always planned to go, but did not publicly commit to the event as it was so close to his wife's due date. He has previously attended the event for the mental health charity Heads Together, along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Kenya's Brigid Kosgei celebrates winning the women's elite race with the trophy as she poses with Britain's Prince Harry Credit: REUTERS/Paul Childs The royal baby is due soon, however, as earlier this year nine-month pregnant Meghan let slip that she is due at the end of April or early May during an engagement in Birkenhead. The couple is keeping plans for the birth private, and have said they will be "celebrating privately as a new family" after the birth as a first priority. While photographs of the baby will be taken in the following days, the family of three will not greet members of the public in the same way as the Cambridges and other members of the Royal Family have done. Instead, they are likely to follow in the footsteps of the Queen with hopes for a home birth, expected to be at their new home in Windsor. The palace are expected to issue a short written announcement confirming the Duchess is in labour, with a second to follow upon the safe arrival of the baby, giving details of its sex, weight and time of birth. It is understood that photographs of the baby, taken in Windsor, will be issued later, when he or she is a few days old. The couple are also likely to utilise their Sussex Royal Instagram page to share news and images of their choice.
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| US ex-cop shot dead Australian woman 'to protect partner' Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:12 PM PDT  A former US police officer on trial for fatally shooting an Australian woman told a Minneapolis court Friday that he fired to protect his partner, but never saw a gun –- only a blonde woman in a pink T-shirt with her right arm raised. At issue in the trial of Mohamed Noor, the 33-year-old officer who killed Justine Damond in the Midwestern city in July 2017, is whether the use of deadly force was justified.
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| Sri Lankan man who confronted bomber at church door remembered Posted: 27 Apr 2019 02:24 AM PDT  Ramesh Raju has become a hero to the shell-shocked congregation of the Zion evangelical church in Batticaloa after he died stopping a suicide bomber who was bent on killing hundreds of people. Nearly a week after the bombing, the road leading to Raju's house in the eastern city is flanked by posters and photographs of the 40-year-old father of two who blocked the attacker at the church door. Raju was one of 29 people, including 14 children, that media reports say died in the blast at Zion, one of three churches and three hotels targeted by Jihadist bombers.
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| The 9 best sales and deals you can get this weekend Posted: 28 Apr 2019 06:46 AM PDT ![The 9 best sales and deals you can get this weekend]( "The 9 best sales and deals you can get this weekend") Shop and save on the best products this weekend.
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| The Latest: Pence says Lugar was 'leader on the world stage' Posted: 28 Apr 2019 01:19 PM PDT  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on the death of former Sen. Richard Lugar (all times local):
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| Charge your iPhone and wirelessly charging your Apple Watch with one portable power bank Posted: 27 Apr 2019 08:33 AM PDT ![Charge your iPhone and wirelessly charging your Apple Watch with one portable power bank]( "Charge your iPhone and wirelessly charging your Apple Watch with one portable power bank") If you have an Apple Watch, you obviously also have an iPhone -- so why not charge them both on the go with this same device? The UGREEN Portable Charger for Apple Watch and iPhone has an MFi certified wireless charging disc for your Apple Watch as well as a USB port so you can connect your Lightning cable and charge your iPhone. It packs 2,200 mAh of juice, and it's discounted right now on Amazon.Here's more info from the product page: * Built-in Magnetic Charging Module Compatible for All Apple Watch: With built-in integrated magnetic charging module and USB port, it is ideal for all 44mm 40mm 42mm & 38mm Apple Watch models?Apple Watch Series 1/2, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Nike+, Apple Watch Hermes, Apple Watch Edition and iPhone, smartphones, cameras, PSP gamer etc. * Certified Quality and Safety: MFi Certified(PPID: 219693-0018) magnetic charging module offers a original charging speed-about 2.5 hours; UGREEN's multi-protect safety system ensures complete protection such as flame resistant material,over-current, over-voltage and short-circuit. * Simultaneously Charge Apple Watch and Phone: this 2200mAh power bank can simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and an iPhone 1 time; Charges an Apple Watch from 10% battery life to 100% 3-4 times. * Ideal Charging Companion for Home Office and Travel: It is with super compact design (L13.9 x W3.95 x H1.6cm), saving your space on the desk and easily being slipped into your travel bag. * What You Get: 15 months manufacturer warranty and life-time service support; Apple MFi Certified Wireless Charger Power Bank for Apple Watch and phone x1; 50cm Micro USB Charging Cable x1; (NOTE1: You should press the silver power switch before charging your cellphone NOTE 2：It should be used under 78.8℉， otherwise the power bank will charge your devices slowly to extend the service life)
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| Concha: I want to hear Biden questioned about the issues, not blind praise Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:25 PM PDT  The Hill media reporter Joe Concha reacts to Joe Biden's 2020 run and the media's reaction on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'
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| Tesla's Musk agrees to new vetting rules for tweets in SEC deal Posted: 26 Apr 2019 06:22 PM PDT  "The consequences of thumbing his nose at the SEC could have been far worse for him and the company." Tesla has struggled with logistics difficulties in delivering its Model 3 to global customers, a declining share price and lingering questions about the sustainability of demand. TWEET APPROVAL The SEC sued Musk last year after he tweeted on Aug. 7 that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 per share. In February, the SEC accused Musk of violating that settlement by sending a tweet about Tesla's production numbers that had not been vetted by the company's attorneys, and asked U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan to hold him in contempt.
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| Stephen Moore Vows to Survive ‘Smear Campaign’ in Consideration for Fed Posted: 28 Apr 2019 08:26 AM PDT  "I'm going to make it through this process," Stephen Moore, a former Trump campaign adviser and Heritage Foundation fellow, said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. Last month, Trump said he planned to nominate Moore to one of two open seats on the Federal Reserve Board.
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| How North Korea's Air Force Would Die a Fiery Death Posted: 27 Apr 2019 12:30 AM PDT  South Korea's K30 Biho Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) rose to international prominence when it beat out Russia's Pantsir system for a massive Indian contract. While this contract is being disputed with the Indian government, it is worth looking at the Biho as it was considered to be one of the best anti-air systems in the world prior to the Indian contract.The system has seen significant evolution in recent years, with most Korean K30s being upgraded to the new "Hybrid Biho" standard and the new "Biho II" being offered for export. But how do these improve on the original design? The original Biho was built in the 1990s as a simple dual-gun design, similar to the German Gepard AA gun. However, unlike the Gepard and Shilka, the K30 Biho utilizes an electro-optical sensor on the visible and infrared bands to track and engage the targets. It only uses the radar for searching for targets.
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| The Latest: Sri Lanka president bans groups linked to blasts Posted: 27 Apr 2019 05:06 PM PDT  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka (all times local):
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| FAA considered grounding some Boeing 737 Max planes last year: source Posted: 28 Apr 2019 03:10 PM PDT  US regulators considered grounding some Boeing 737 MAX planes last year after learning of a problem with a system that is now the main suspect in two deadly crashes, a source close to the matter said. Investigators in the Lion Air crash in October off the coast of Indonesia and the Ethiopia Airlines disaster in March have zeroed in on the planes' anti-stall system, called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. Last year, inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration discovered Boeing de-activated a signal designed to advise the cockpit crew of a malfunctioning of the MCAS system, the source said.
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