| Moscow warns against 'baseless accusations' over tanker attacks Posted: 16 Jun 2019 10:04 AM PDT  "We always urge a sober appraisal of the situation and to wait for more or less convincing evidence to appear," Peskov said on Russian television, extracts of which were published by the RIA Novosti news agency. A Japanese and a Norwegian oil tanker were targeted in attacks on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman.
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| Biden Leads Pack of Democratic Hopefuls on Beat-Trump Factor Posted: 16 Jun 2019 06:02 AM PDT ![Biden Leads Pack of Democratic Hopefuls on Beat-Trump Factor]( "Biden Leads Pack of Democratic Hopefuls on Beat-Trump Factor") Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg are among the candidates that likely Democratic voters are at least considering in 18 states that will shape the initial 2020 fight, the poll shows. The CBS News/YouGov poll shows Biden had support of 31% of Democratic primary voters with three U.S. senators next: Warren of Massachusetts at 17%, Sanders of Vermont at 16%, and Harris of California at 10%.
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| Young bear was fed by humans and had many 'fans.' Officials say they had to kill it Posted: 16 Jun 2019 02:13 PM PDT  A young black bear was shot and killed by Oregon officials after becoming so habituated to humans that people reportedly took selfies with it.
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| Planned Parenthood builds Ala. clinic despite abortion law Posted: 15 Jun 2019 06:24 AM PDT  Planned Parenthood is building the stage for another possible fight over abortion in Alabama: a large women's clinic that's under construction despite the state's passage of a near-total ban on abortions. Located beside an interstate highway in downtown Birmingham, the 10,000-square-foot structure is now nothing but a steel frame and roof. Abortion critics vow to oppose the opening, but a spokeswoman for the women's health organization said neither the new law nor opponents were a factor in the project.
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| Israel PM's wife asks court to approve plea bargain over 'fund misuse' Posted: 16 Jun 2019 01:36 AM PDT  The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a Jerusalem court Sunday to approve a plea bargain convicting her of fraudulently using state funds for meals, an AFP reporter said. Under the charges in an amended indictment, Sara Netanyahu would plead guilty to exploiting the mistake of another person and pay a fine along with compensation, but graft charges against her would be dropped. In a small room at the Jerusalem magistrates' court, packed with journalists, Netanyahu told the judge she was aware of the charges.
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| Trump keeps returning to Mueller report during Stephanopoulos interview Posted: 16 Jun 2019 12:21 PM PDT  President Trump appeared to be focused on Robert Mueller's report during his wide-ranging interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, insisting that he read the special counsel's report while repeatedly claiming it says there was "no collusion" despite Mueller stating specifically that no determination was reached on the concept of collusion.
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| View Photos of the 2020 BMW X3 M Posted: 16 Jun 2019 03:01 PM PDT |
| Hong Kong leader delays unpopular extradition bill; activists want more Posted: 15 Jun 2019 04:20 AM PDT  Moving to restore calm, apparently with Beijing's backing, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Saturday she was putting on hold an extradition bill that sparked the city's biggest public protests in years.
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| Taking aim at Johnson, British PM hopefuls make their Brexit case Posted: 16 Jun 2019 04:48 AM PDT  Several hopefuls vying to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May turned their fire on favorite Boris Johnson on Sunday, questioning his pledge to leave the European Union by the end of October no matter what. With former London mayor and foreign minister Johnson keeping a low profile, the other candidates have targeted the air waves to present their cases to lead the governing Conservative Party.
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| Jon Stewart Shames Mitch McConnell for Failing 9/11 First Responders on ‘Fox News Sunday’ Posted: 16 Jun 2019 10:50 AM PDT  "We don't want to be here," Jon Stewart told the handful of lawmakers who showed up to watch him plea for an extension of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund last week. The former host of The Daily Show likely didn't want to be on Fox News Sunday this Father's Day either, but there he was making his case to Chris Wallace.Given the subject matter, it was an understandably serious interview. However, there was one fleeting moment of levity when Wallace noted that even if the Democratic-led House passes the full bill extending health care funding through the lives of the 9/11 first responders, then it will have to go to the Senate. Making a fearful expression, Stewart exclaimed, "The Senate!" Samantha Bee Reveals She Was 'Never in Contention' to Replace Jon Stewart on 'The Daily Show': 'It Was Awful'The comedian smiled as Wallace deduced that the "certain someone" Stewart criticized in his congressional testimony was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Have you had problems with Senator McConnell?" the Fox host asked. "Yes," Stewart replied. "I mean, not me personally, but in terms of getting the 9/11 bills passed, Mitch McConnell has been the white whale of this since 2010." He said it's the "cynicism displayed by Washington" that causes him to get so "emotional" about this particular issue. "They asked Mitch McConnell about the testimony after it was done," Stewart continued, "and he said, 'Gosh'—I think he used the word 'gosh'—'Gosh, we haven't looked at that in a while but we will look at it and I'm sure we'll deal with it as compassionately as we have in the past.'" "But I want to make it clear that this has never been dealt with compassionately by Senator McConnell," he said. "He has always held out until the very last minute and only then, under intense lobbying and public shaming has he even deigned to move on it." Noting that the 9/11 first responder funding is "not a Republican-Democrat issue," Stewart added later, "Not all Republicans oppose this, but everyone who has opposed it is a Republican. And it's unacceptable." He ultimately resisted the urge to do his impression of McConnell as a turtle. Jon Stewart Rips Congress During House Hearing on 9/11 Victims Fund, Gets Standing OvationRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| For Salvini, U.S. Trip Is a Dream Come True... If Trump Sees Him Posted: 14 Jun 2019 09:00 PM PDT  The deputy premier, the dominant force in his country's quarrelsome ruling coalition, will sit down Monday in Washington with both Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. Salvini's official schedule does not include a meeting with President Trump.
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| Indiana man arrested for hitting Delta flight attendant on Paris flight, causing diversion Posted: 14 Jun 2019 06:33 PM PDT ![Indiana man arrested for hitting Delta flight attendant on Paris flight, causing diversion]( "Indiana man arrested for hitting Delta flight attendant on Paris flight, causing diversion") A federal complaint says a man struck a flight attendant in the throat during a flight from Indianapolis International Airport to Paris.
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| Ex-Tehran mayor to face trial over wife's killing Posted: 16 Jun 2019 10:55 AM PDT  Former Tehran mayor and prominent reformist Mohammad Ali Najafi will stand trial next month on charges of murdering his wife, the government-run Iran newspaper said Sunday. Najafi, 67, turned himself in and confessed to shooting his second wife Mitra Ostad on May 28 at their home in northern Tehran, according to Iranian media. "On July 1, the first trial session of Mohammad Ali Najafi, former Tehran mayor, will be held at Tehran's Criminal Court," the Iran daily reported.
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| Israeli PM's wife sentenced for misusing state funds Posted: 16 Jun 2019 05:32 AM PDT  A Jerusalem magistrate court on Sunday sentenced Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to pay a fine of more than $15,000 for misusing state funds. The sentencing comes after she agreed to a plea bargain that ended the years-long saga of just one of the high-profile corruption cases involving the prime minister's family. The court ruling settled allegations that Sara Netanyahu had misused some $100,000 in state money on lavish meals.
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| Father's Day 2019: Paganism, roses and how the campaign to celebrate dads was won Posted: 16 Jun 2019 05:56 AM PDT  Father's Day, the official calendar date to honour our wonderful dads and celebrate fatherhood, is here. Recognised each June, the day sees children around the world present their dads with cards and gifts as a thank you for all they do. But when did the first observance of Father's Day take place and who helped establish the annual celebration of paternal figures? From the history behind the celebration, to the more recent commercialisation, here is everything you need to know about Father's Day. When is Father's Day 2019? Father's Day is held every year on the third Sunday of June; this year Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 16 in the UK. Typically, fathers are showered with cards and presents on Father's Day, with some families celebrating together by going on days out. Younger children also tend to make handmade gifts for their fathers at school and extracurricular clubs, including drawings, paintings or cards. As society and family structures have changed, some people now celebrate their stepfathers on Father's Day. In recent years there have been calls for a Stepfather's Day, however no such day has been officially discussed or introduced. Father's Day falls on June 16 this year Credit: E+ The history of Father's Day The first events in recognition of fatherhood took place in the US and followed Anna Jarvis' first celebration of Mother's Day in 1908, as well as the earlier observations of Mothering Sunday in the UK. Grace Golden Clayton, from Fairmont, West Virginia, was the woman behind the first event to celebrate fathers in 1908. Just over a year prior to this event, the Monongah Mining Disaster took place in December 1907, with the explosion killing 361 men. Of these fatalities, 250 were fathers. In honour of the one thousand children who lost their fathers, Clayton encouraged her pastor, Rev. Robert Thomas Webb, to hold a service at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South. Clayton missed her own father terribly, after he passed away in 1896, so she chose to honour the lives lost on July 5, 1908, the closest date to his birthday. While Clayton was responsible for the first recognition of fatherhood and the paternal bond, her work didn't directly encourage the creation of Father's Day. The memorial service was never promoted outside the town of Fairmont and the service was overshadowed by the significant Independence Day celebrations held a day beforehand. Yet the idea was also picked up on in the following year, when Sonora Smart Dodd started her quest to honour fathers in the same way as mothers. Dodd, born in Arkansas in 1882, was one of six children and at the age of seven, she moved to Washington with her family. When she was 16 years old, her mother, Ellen Victoria Cheek Smart, died after giving birth to her sixth child, leaving her father, William Jackson Smart, a farmer and Civil War veteran, as a single parent. After listening to a Mother's Day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909, Dodd felt that fathers deserved equal recognition. With the local YMCA and the Ministerial Association of Spokane, Dodd began a campaign to have the day officially recognised. The first such 'Father's Day' was held at the YMCA in Spokane on June 19, 1910, with a number of towns and cities across America later following suit. Support for Father's Day quickly increased throughout the US and in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge pressured state governments to mark the celebration. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers in 1966, making the third Sunday in June Father's Day. Six years later President Richard Nixon signed it into law, establishing the day as a national holiday – though in the UK it does not enjoy this status. The move came after a campaign by a number of public figures, including Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who in 1957 wrote to Congress: "Either we honour both our parents, mother and father, or let us desist from honouring either one. "But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable." Dodd's message later spread to other countries across the globe and it is thought that Britain began celebrating Father's Day after World War II. Today, the celebration of fathers has become an important commercial event for high street shops and online retailers, with promotions for the best gifts and cards appearing in the build up to the day each year. Father's Day around the world While in the UK fathers can expect, at best, breakfast in bed and handmade card and, at worst, the day to be completely ignored, elsewhere the festival is done a little differently. In Germany, Father's Day is called Vatertag with it also being referred to as Männertag, which means men's day. The celebration falls on the Thursday 40 days after Easter. In certain regions it is traditional for groups of men to go into the woods with a wagon of beer, wines and meats. Heavy drinking is common and, according to official statistics, traffic-related accidents spike on this day. In Australia, Father's Day falls on the first Sunday of September, which is their first Sunday of Spring, while in Croatia, they observe Roman Catholic tradition and celebrate fathers on March 19, Saint Joseph's Day. In China, Father's Day used to be celebrated on August 8 as the Chinese for eight is "ba", while a colloquial word for father is "ba-ba" – so the eighth day of the eighth month sounds similar to "daddy". The day has since been moved to the third Sunday of June, in line with the UK and US. In France, the day was introduced in 1949 for commercial reasons by lighter manufacturer Flaminaire. Inspired by the US' day of celebration, they created a new advert with the slogan 'Nos papas nous l'ont dit, pour la fête des pères, ils désirent tous un Flaminaire' ('Our fathers told us, for father's day, they all want a Flaminaire'). Three years later an official decree was made to recognise the day. Most countries celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday in June including the UK, USA, Mexico, Ireland, France, Greece, China and Japan. However not all countries celebrate it then. In Brazil, Father's Day falls on the second Sunday of August and this day was chosen in honour of Saint Joachim, the patron saint of fathers. According to Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions, Joachim was the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The ultimate films on fatherhood Father's Day tales and traditions Some pagans suggest that Father's Day is closely linked to the Pagan Sun worship, because the sun is thought to be the father of the universe and the celebration of dads falls closely to the summer solstice. Roses are the official flower of Father's Day, with people previously wearing them to church on this date. While this tradition is rarely seen today, sons and daughters used to wear either a red rose in admiration of a living father or a white rose in memory of a deceased father. Sonora Smart Dodd, the founder of Father's Day, selected this flower and it is said that during the early celebrations, she handed out roses to home-bound fathers, while on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city. Father's Day gifts and presents From cutesy cards, socks and ties to luxurious watches and fantastic car experiences, Britons present their paternal figures with an array of unique gifts on Father's Day. But, demand for the perfect Father's Day present has led to the increasing commercialisation of the day, with retailers competing to offer the best gifts and consumers heading to their high street shops and online retailers. According to MuchNeeded, Father's Day is a popular shopping day in both the UK and US, with 75 per cent of men expected to celebrate the occasion this year. While Britons and Americans spend a significant amount on Father's Day each year, on average it only accounts for half the spending around Mother's Day. Is it Father's Day, Fathers' Day or Fathers Day? Ah, the age old question. The answer? Many say Father's Day is the correct version. Mother's Day (which has the apostrophe before the 's') set the precedent while Father's Day was still gaining popularity. Anna Jarvis trademarked the term 'Mother's Day' – with the apostrophe before the 's' – in 1912, saying the word should 'be a singular possessive, for each family to honour its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world'. President Woodrow Wilson used this spelling when he formalised Mother's Day in 1914; this means the correct version of the word is spelled with the apostrophe before the 's'. Father's Day has followed suit, with cards on both sides of the pond including the apostrophe in the same place.
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| Field fires in Syria's Hasakeh kill 10: monitor Posted: 16 Jun 2019 04:57 AM PDT  Fires engulfing vital wheat fields across Syria's northeast have killed at least 10 people, a war monitor said Sunday, as Kurdish authorities claim the blazes were set deliberately. Kurdish authorities and the Damascus regime are competing to buy up this year's harvest as fires -- some claimed by the Islamic State group -- continue to scorch crops in the country's breadbasket. The victims included civilians and members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces who died while trying to extinguish the blazes since Saturday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
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| China's FedEx probe should not be seen as retaliation - Xinhua Posted: 16 Jun 2019 02:58 AM PDT ![China's FedEx probe should not be seen as retaliation - Xinhua]( "China's FedEx probe should not be seen as retaliation - Xinhua") China's investigation into FedEx Corp over misdirected mail should not be regarded as retaliation against the U.S. company, state news agency Xinhua said on Sunday, amid worsening relations between China and the United States. The inquiry was aimed at sending a message that any economic entity in China should abide by the country's laws and regulations, it said in a commentary. "China is willing to share the opportunities in its courier market with foreign investors.
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| Trapped teenager rescued from mountainside after mother used Find My Friends app to locate her Posted: 15 Jun 2019 09:57 AM PDT  A teenager left trapped underneath her car for seven hours after crashing down a mountainside was rescued after her mother used the Find My Friends app to find her. Catrina Cramer Alexander said she used the feature on her mobile phone when her 17-year-old daughter, Macy Smith, uncharacteristically missed a curfew and didn't respond to texts or calls. "The lack of response was out of character for her," Ms Alexander told North Carolina's TV channel WFMY. When she looked on the app it showed her daughter had been in the same location for "far too long", she said. "I can't explain watching the GPS on my phone with my dot for my phone getting close to hers and then suddenly seeing the tire tracks," Ms Alexander said. She found Macy pinned underneath her car down a 25-foot embankment in Pilot Mountain."I will never forget the sound of my family calling out my name when they found me," Macy said in a Facebook post. "I hydroplaned at 4.00pm and ran in between two trees down an embankment, flipped my car three times, and landed in my back seat with my arm pinned in between the car and the ground."I searched for my phone to call for help but the only thing in sight was my bible. I held on to my bible and prayed harder than I had ever prayed before."Paramedics arrived to rush Macy to hospital. The 17-year-old said she fractured her neck and suffered severe nerve damage in her left arm. "We are celebrating every minute and every milestone," Macy said.
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| Democrats Struggling With Black Voters Target South Carolina Posted: 16 Jun 2019 01:00 AM PDT  Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke and Cory Booker each appeared at the event hosted by the Black Economic Alliance in downtown Charleston. All four highlighted issues such as bridging the racial wealth gap, creating opportunity and emphasizing the legacy of slavery that are important to black voters in South Carolina and nationally.
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| 58-Year-Old Man Arrested in 1987 Cold Case Murder of Colorado Soldier Posted: 14 Jun 2019 08:25 PM PDT  Authorities have made an arrest in the 1987 slaying of 20-year-old Darlene Krashoc, a soldier stationed at Fort Carson outside Colorado Springs.
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| Report: Marine and Navy F-35 Pilots Need to Ration Afterburners at High Altitudes Posted: 15 Jun 2019 01:47 AM PDT  After eighteen years of troubled and controversial development, the Lockheed F-35 Lightning stealth fighter may soon enter mass production, many of its bugs having been expensively squashed after delivery of an initial four-hundred "low-rate-of-initial-production" aircraft.However, a June 2019 scoop by Defense News journalists Valerie Insinna, David Larter and Aaron Mehta has revealed thirteen serious Category-1 flaws remain.As reported by Insinna and Larter, on two occasions late in 2011 an F-35B and F-35C flying near their maximum service ceiling of 50,000 feet damaged themselves using their afterburners to attain speeds of Mach 1.3 and 1.4.Remarkably, these eight-year-old incidents had not been previously reported to the public, despite numerous critical reports by the Government Accountability Office and Department of Testing & Evaluation.
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| Tanker hit in Gulf attacks heads to port Posted: 15 Jun 2019 01:39 AM PDT  A Japanese tanker, one of two vessels attacked in sensitive Gulf waters this week, was heading to port on Saturday, its owners said. The Kokuka Courageous was rocked by explosions as it passed through the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, threatening its highly flammable cargo of methanol. US President Donald Trump said the twin attack, which also targeted a tanker owned by Oslo-listed company Frontline, had Iran "written all over it".
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| Southwest passenger 'bombarded by inappropriate photos' from stranger on her flight Posted: 15 Jun 2019 07:18 AM PDT  Here's a good reason for iPhone users to disable AirDrop while on planes: A Texas woman forgot and another passenger sent her unsolicited nude photos.
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| For U.S.-bound Central American migrants, better to stay in Mexico than be sent home Posted: 15 Jun 2019 06:19 AM PDT ![For U.S.-bound Central American migrants, better to stay in Mexico than be sent home]( "For U.S.-bound Central American migrants, better to stay in Mexico than be sent home") Many of the Central Americans who lined up for papers at an asylum office in southern Mexico said they could abandon plans to reach the United States and remain in Mexico if U.S. President Donald Trump clamps down further on migration. Mexico is ramping up security on its southern border with Guatemala as part of an agreement with Washington after Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican goods if the government did not stem the flow of migrants reaching the United States. Under pressure from Washington, Mexico also agreed to expand a program started in January that forces migrants to wait in Mexico for the outcome of their U.S. asylum claims.
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| The Hyundai Sonata's Complete History Visualized, from 1986 to Today Posted: 14 Jun 2019 07:01 PM PDT |
| Pope Francis’ Arch Nemesis Comes Out of Hiding to Slam Him on Predator Priests Posted: 15 Jun 2019 07:37 PM PDT  Franco Origlia/GettyROME—There are few scandals in the sordid history of the American Catholic church more painful than the saga of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a high-ranking prince of the church who fell from grace amid a slew of lies and cover-ups. McCarrick was forced to resign and later defrocked after credible allegations that he sexually abused a boy from the age of 11 until the young man was 29, starting long before the Boston Spotlight probe and Pennsylvania Grand Jury report came to define priests behaving badly.It was well known in certain Catholic circles that the cardinal liked to entertain six or more seminarians in his five-bedroom New Jersey beach house with the assumption that the odd man out would share his bed. Unlike in Boston and Pennsylvania, where the local dioceses were easy to blame for bad management, McCarrick was a man of the popes, which makes him an easy target for those who oppose the direction of the church. Both John Paul II and Francis relied on him as a chief fundraiser and were, it seems, willing to look beyond the rumors. McCarrick's fall from grace shook the very foundations of the Roman Curia. While McCarrick's sins and crimes are by now established, there is still mystery surrounding what his bosses—both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis– knew and, perhaps more importantly, when they knew it. But there is even more mystery why those who are so ardently against Francis see him as their poster priest of bad behavior.Enter Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a traditional conservative Italian cleric supported by American Cardinal Raymond Burke and Francis-foe Steve Bannon—both of whom have been vocal critics of Francis' policies on everything from immigration to gay Catholics and who have embraced the McCarrick fiasco as a way to pin all the church's problems on this pope.Bannon, whose own dreams to open an alt-right Catholic institution run by the Burke-sponsored Dignitatis Humanae Institute in Italy recently were thwarted, told The Daily Beast that Viganò was heroic and that Francis was the enemy. "Francis is a big problem for the church and his liberals will ultimately destroy it," Bannon said. "His open border policy on immigration won't help, either."It is little wonder that Matteo Salvini, the hard-line far-right Bannon protégé is also a Pope Francis hater, even bragging last week that he has never asked for an audience with the pontiff. Viganò was the apostolic nuncio, or ambassador, to the United States from 2011 to 2016. He was a harsh foe of Francis long before he was elected as pope in 2013 and one of the first to speak out when he was coronated. He was the one who set up the ill-conceived handshake with same-sex marriage opponent Kim Davis on Francis's first visit to America. He was also the one who penned a lengthy testimonial last July in which he claimed that Francis knew all about McCarrick's illegal behavior but covered it up. And for that, suggested Viganò, the pope ought to do the church a favor and resign. A month later, Viganò had gone into self-imposed exile.The Plot to Bring Down Pope FrancisThis week, he surfaced again, this time on the pages of The Washington Post whose reporters interviewed him from his still-undisclosed location through a series of emails. The fruit of that labor is an 8,000-word tome that doubles down on the allegations against the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. "The signs I see are truly ominous," Viganò wrote. "Not only is Pope Francis doing close to nothing to punish those who have committed abuse, he is doing absolutely nothing to expose and bring to justice those who have, for decades, facilitated and covered up the abusers."Viganò calls the pope's February summit on abuse a farce, blaming the Vatican's gay mafia for the real crimes of clerical sex abuse. "An especially serious problem is that the summit focused exclusively on the abuse of minors," he wrote, acknowledging that yes, those crimes are truly horrific. "Indeed, if the problem of homosexuality in the priesthood were honestly acknowledged and properly addressed, the problem of sexual abuse would be far less severe."McCarrick, he has long asserted, should have been made an example of years ago as an abuser who indiscriminately abused both young boys and adults. Viganò believes that Francis knew that and chose to elevate the American cardinal, who was a skilled diplomat who helped him broker a deal with China over its underground church. "McCarrick's degradation from office was, as far as it goes, a just punishment, but there is no legitimate reason why it was not exacted more than five years earlier, and after a proper trial with a judicial procedure," Viganò wrote in the Post. "Those with authority to act [i.e. Pope Francis] knew everything they needed to know by June of 2013." Viganò's return comes at a time when battle lines have never been so clear between the more liberal faction of the church that supports Francis and the traditional conservatives who support the likes of Burke and Viganò. Even the timing of the release of a harsh Vatican document against what it calls gender theory—"nothing more than a confused concept of freedom in the realm of feelings and wants"—is curious. A Vatican insider confided to The Daily Beast that the timing, during the height of Pride month, was meant to push the pope into a corner, either in defending the document or defending transgender people. In the end, he did neither. That Viganò finally gave permission to The Washington Post to publish its scoop after weeks of negotiations (Vigano's letters are dated May 2), is another example of the systematic criticism meant to embarrass the pontiff. "We are in a truly dark moment for the universal Church: The Supreme Pontiff is now blatantly lying to the whole world to cover up his wicked deeds!" Viganò claims. "But the truth will eventually come out, about McCarrick and all the other coverups, as it already has in the case of Cardinal [Donald] Wuerl, who also "knew nothing" and had "a lapse of memory."Wuerl, another American cardinal from Francis' inner circle who, like McCarrick, brought millions in donations from wealthy American Catholics to Rome, is the disgraced head of the powerful Washington, D.C., diocese. Francis was forced under pressure to accept his resignation last October after Viganò claimed he knew and covered up for McCarrick with the help of both Francis and John Paul II of McCarrick's crimes proved too credible to ignore. To those against the pope, Wuerl and McCarrick are emblematic in what is fast becoming a troubling legacy for the popular pope many thought could do no wrong after he was elected. For those who support this pope, they are just ammunition used against the most liberal pope in modern history. Either Vigano is the pawn or the errant clerics are in what is fast becoming a schism that may soon be hard to close."Pope Francis needs to reconcile himself with God, and the entire Church, since he covered up for McCarrick, refuses to admit it, and is now covering up for several other people," charges Viganò. "I pray for his conversion every day. Nothing would make me happier than for Pope Francis to acknowledge and end the cover-ups, and to confirm his brothers in the faith."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| New York-area airport briefly closed after plane lands on flat tires Posted: 15 Jun 2019 12:55 PM PDT  The busy Newark airport serving the New York area was briefly closed Saturday after a United Airlines flight experienced multiple flat tires upon landing and skidded partly off the runway, the airline and Federal Aviation Administration said. No major injuries were reported in the incident at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from New York. The FAA said United Airlines flight 627, arriving from Denver, landed at 1 pm (1700 GMT) before skidding off the left side of a runway, with its main landing gear getting stuck in a grassy area.
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| Hong Kong's Lam Under Pressure as Protesters Call New March Posted: 14 Jun 2019 08:11 PM PDT  Lam planned to call a press conference as soon as Saturday afternoon to announce the government will "pause" consideration of the bill, the South China Morning Post and several other media outlets reported, citing unidentified sources. The Civil Human Rights Front, which organized a mass demonstration that drew hundreds of thousands of people into the streets last weekend, said it had applied for police permission to stage a similar event. The government is considering options including a pause, rather than withdrawing the bill, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified sources.
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| U.S. Navy official sees more orders for Boeing P-8A in coming months Posted: 16 Jun 2019 02:56 AM PDT ![U.S. Navy official sees more orders for Boeing P-8A in coming months]( "U.S. Navy official sees more orders for Boeing P-8A in coming months") The U.S. Navy expects additional U.S. and international orders for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in coming months, which should extend production by two years to late 2025, a senior U.S. Navy official told Reuters. The P-8, based on Boeing's 737-800 airframe, conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and shipping interdiction, and also carries electronic support measures, torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons. It is already operated by the U.S. Navy, Australia and India, and has been ordered by Britain, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea.
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| Iran threatens to scale back commitment to Nuclear Deal Posted: 16 Jun 2019 08:34 AM PDT  Iran has vowed to scale back its nuclear commitments as regional tensions flared over last week's tanker attack, with both the US and UK pointing the finger at Tehran. The semi-official Tasneem news agency said Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation would on Monday announce the measures Tehran has taken to dial back its international obligations under the terms of the now-crumbling 2015 nuclear deal. Those measures include moves to increase both stocks of enriched uranium and the production of heavy water at the Arak nuclear complex, a site Iran has barred international watchdogs from visiting since 2008. Both measures would nullify some of the key tenets of the nuclear accord, which offered economic incentives in exchange for the cessation of activities that might lead Tehran to build a nuclear weapons capability. The announcement was foreshadowed last month when Iran threatened to walk back its nuclear commitments if the international community failed to contain the impact of US sanctions applied by Washington after it pulled out of the deal. But the accelerated timing appears to be a consequence of last Thursday's tanker attack and its fallout. Tehran denies any role in the explosions that ripped through two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous and the Norwegian-operated Front Altair. The US military on Friday released video footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from the Kokuka Courageous, which was carrying highly flammable methanol when it was hit by two blasts. According to the ship's owner, crew on board noticed a "flying object" before the second blast. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, blamed Iran, citing "intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication." US President Donald Trump said the attack had "Iran written all over it". Iran nuclear deal | Key details The speaker of Iran's parliament hit back on Sunday, saying that Washington could be to blame for the "suspicious" attacks. Meanwhile the US's top Middle East ally Saudi Arabia used an op-ed column to call on the international community to take a "decisive stance" against what Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman termed "expansionism" by his regional arch-rival. "We will not hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty and our vital interests," the crown prince and kingdom's day-to-day leader wrote. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was in Iran meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when the tankers were attacked, is understood to want more evidence. Mr Abe was in Tehran on an unprecedented goodwill mission, aimed at defusing tensions between Washington and the Islamic Republic. At a glance | US sanctions against Iran An official with Japan's Foreign Ministry said the prime minister disputed Mr Pompeo's assessment that only Iran could have carried out the attack, noting that the US and Israel also possessed the required capabilities. "Japan adamantly condemns the act that threatened a Japanese ship, no matter who attacked," Mr Abe said, reiterating that Japan urged "all related countries" to avoid an accidental confrontation in the region. But yesterday's announcement from Iran's nuclear agency has raised both the tensions and the stakes of regional confrontation. Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, warned there was a "great risk" of escalation in the region. "Both sides in this dispute think that the other side wouldn't want a war," he said.
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| A nationwide Target register outage is now over and closed stores have reopened Posted: 15 Jun 2019 03:06 PM PDT  Target registers are now working after a nationwide outage Saturday caused long checkout lines and closed some stores.
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| Donald Trump says he will not fire Kellyanne Conway over ‘repeated violations’ of ethics laws Posted: 15 Jun 2019 04:12 AM PDT  Donald Trump has said he will not fire White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway, despite a US government oversight agency saying she should be dismissed for engaging in banned political activity while in office.Ms Conway has violated the Hatch Act "on numerous occasions", according to the independent Office of Special Counsel (OSC).The act bans federal employees from engaging in political activity in the course of their work. The OSC said failure to punish her violations will send a message to other federal employees they need not abide by the act's rules and restrictions.The repeated violations cited by the OSC relate to several comments made by Ms Conway during the 2017 Alabama special Senate election. The US Office of Special Counsel said Ms Conway had violated the act by "disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media."In the election, Democratic candidate Doug Jones defeated Republican candidate Roy Moore by a 21,924 votes – a 1.7 per cent margin. Mr Jones is the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Alabama since 1992.Speaking to Fox News on Friday about the OSC's recommendation Ms Conway should be fired, Mr Trump said: "Well I got briefed on it yesterday, and it looks to me like they're trying to take away her right of free speech, and that's just not fair."He added: "No, I'm not going to fire her," Ms Conway was "a terrific person" and "tremendous spokeswoman," he said. "She's been loyal, she's just a great person."Mr Trump said Ms Conway's remarks had merely been the result of her being asked questions by interviewers during the election."You ask a person a question, and every time you're supposed to say, 'I can't answer, I can't answer?" Mr Trump said. "She's got to have the right of responding to questions."In the OSC's statement about its judgement of Ms Conway's behaviour, it said: "Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system – the rule of law."The agency also detailed an episode in which Ms Conway appeared to knowingly choose to disregard the restrictions of the Hatch Act.According to the OSC, she said: "If you're trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it's not going to work," and "let me know when the jail sentence starts".The president is the only figure with the power to heed the official advice and fire the White House counsellor.
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| Erdogan says drilling off Cyprus to continue despite warning Posted: 16 Jun 2019 08:22 AM PDT  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey would not back down from gas exploration in Cyprus after southern European leaders urged Ankara to stop. "We continue and will continue to search in those areas that are ours," Erdogan said during a televised speech in Istanbul. You will come off badly if you do so," Erdogan warned, after Cyprus reportedly issued arrests warrants for crew members of Turkey's drilling ship, Fatih, last week.
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| Mariners lose to A's 11-2; Encarnación traded to Yankees Posted: 15 Jun 2019 10:24 PM PDT  Seattle manager Scott Servais was just about ready to head out to the field Saturday when he received news he had been anticipating for a while. AL home run leader Edwin Encarnación was traded to the Yankees, putting the last-place Mariners in full rebuild mode. "I knew there was something in the works here the last 24 hours, but you never know," Servais said after an 11-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
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| Saudi Arabia committed to Aramco IPO: crown prince Posted: 16 Jun 2019 12:53 AM PDT  Saudi Arabia remains committed to selling shares in national oil conglomerate Aramco through an initial public offering but only at the right time, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said. "We are committed to the IPO of Saudi Aramco based on appropriate conditions and at the right time," Prince Mohammed told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Sunday. Saudi Arabia plans to sell up to five percent of the world's largest energy firm and hopes to raise up to $100 billion.
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| Off-duty LAPD officer opened fire in deadly Corona Costco shooting, police say Posted: 15 Jun 2019 12:58 PM PDT  An off-duty Los Angeles police officer fired his gun during a deadly shooting at a Costco Wholesale store in Corona Friday night, police said Saturday.
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| Nissan considers giving Renault some seats on oversight committees - source Posted: 14 Jun 2019 07:12 PM PDT  Nissan Motor Co is considering giving its alliance partner Renault SA some seats on planned oversight committees after the French automaker expressed discontent with the envisioned governance reform, a source said. The two-decade-old partnership of Nissan and Renault was plunged into a crisis earlier this week, as the French automaker's demand for a greater say in Nissan's new governance system drew rare public censure by the Japanese firm. Renault, which owns 43.4% of the Japanese firm, signaled it would block Nissan from formally adopting an overhauled governance structure at a June 25 shareholder meeting - unless Renault received representation on new Nissan committees.
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| Glock Guns Made in the USA? Yes, This Is Happening. Posted: 14 Jun 2019 08:30 PM PDT  This year Sig Sauer, Inc. appears to be on track to supersede its German counterpart, Sig Sauer GmbH. Pistols that were previously only made in Germany are now being made in the United States. Some may wonder, will Glock head in the same direction in the future? Some Glock models are now being produced in the United States, although the majority of Glocks are still made in Austria.Like Sig Sauer, Inc., Glock, Inc. started as the distributor of Glock pistols in the United States. However, in the 2010s, Glock wanted to break into the market for .380 Auto compact pistols. Glock had made .380 pistols for the European market before, but due to the BATFE's "point system" that determines which pistols can be imported, the earlier .380 Glocks could not be imported into the United States.However, pistols made in the United States are not subject to the same restrictions, so Glock began setting up to build pistols in the United States. In 2014 their efforts reached fruition, and the Glock 42, a .380, 6-round subcompact Glock, was released onto the U.S. market.As of 2019, the facility expanded from producing the Glock 42. It currently produces models in the most common calibers for the U.S. market, though models in rarer calibers are still primarily made in Austria.So what is the difference between the pistols?
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| As Battle for Tripoli Rages, Libyan Premier Demands New Dialogue Posted: 16 Jun 2019 11:11 AM PDT ![As Battle for Tripoli Rages, Libyan Premier Demands New Dialogue]( "As Battle for Tripoli Rages, Libyan Premier Demands New Dialogue") Fayez Al-Sarraj, in a press briefing Sunday in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, proposed the conference be held with the help of the United Nations and that it decide on a road map for elections to take place in 2019. Sarraj's overture came after the UN's Libya envoy, Ghassan Salame, said Security Council members that include the U.S., Russia and France now agree that the violence that's killed more than 600 people and displaced tens of thousands since April must stop. Haftar's Libyan National Army launched its offensive after securing the country's east and south.
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| QUIZ: Could You Still Pass a Basic Driver's-Ed Test? Posted: 16 Jun 2019 09:01 AM PDT  Some people could use a little refresher. Share it with someone you love.
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| Trump campaign zeroes in on a new threat: Elizabeth Warren Posted: 15 Jun 2019 03:35 AM PDT  The president's political advisers are preparing to ambush a candidate Trump had left for dead.
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| New Zealand cancels tsunami alert after powerful quake Posted: 15 Jun 2019 10:50 PM PDT  After initially forecasting "a threat to beach, harbour, estuary and small boat activities", New Zealand's Civil Defence organisation gave the all-clear eight minutes later. The earthquake was give a preliminary magnitude of 7.4, but later downgraded to 7.2 by the US Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also lifted its tsunami warning for parts of the South Pacific but said "minor sea level fluctuations may occur in some coastal areas near the earthquake".
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| 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: $15 Wi-Fi extender, $13 LED smart bulbs, $79 soundbar, more Posted: 15 Jun 2019 04:36 AM PDT ![10 deals you don't want to miss on Saturday: $15 Wi-Fi extender, $13 LED smart bulbs, $79 soundbar, more]( "10 deals you don't want to miss on Saturday: $15 Wi-Fi extender, $13 LED smart bulbs, $79 soundbar, more") It might be the weekend, but killer daily deals never take a break. Highlights from Saturday's roundup include TP-Link's best-selling Wi-Fi range extender for just $14.99, an Anker 10W fast wireless charging pad for $9.99, multicolor LED smart bulbs for $13 that are just as good as $50 Philips Hue bulbs, a water-resistant Bluetooth speaker with 24,000 5-star ratings for just $22, an excellent compact Vizio sound bar for $78.99, PlayStation Plus 12-month digital codes for $39.99 instead of $60, a 4K TV with built-in Fire TV software for $199.99, $50 off the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, $50 off the best wireless noise-cancelling headphones on the planet, a killer deal on Dewalt power tools, and more. Check out all of today's best bargains below.
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| Deutsche Bank to set up 50 billion euro bad bank: FT Posted: 16 Jun 2019 01:15 PM PDT  With the creation of the bad bank, Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing is shifting the German lender away from investment banking and focusing on transaction banking and private wealth management, the newspaper said. The bank is planning cuts at its U.S. equities business, including prime brokerage and equity derivatives, to win over shareholders unhappy about its performance, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in May. "As we said at the AGM on May 23, Deutsche Bank is working on measures to accelerate its transformation so as to improve its sustainable profitability.
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| Turkey's Erdogan says S-400s delivery for early July Posted: 16 Jun 2019 02:43 AM PDT  Turkey expects the delivery of the controversial Russian S-400 missile defence system to begin in July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying in Turkish media on Sunday. Colleagues in charge of the schedule are following the issue," Erdogan said according to CNN Turk broadcaster. Ankara's deal with Moscow has been a major source of tension between Turkey and the United States, with Washington threatening consequences including sanctions against its fellow NATO member.
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| Here's the secret for living longer and loving retirement Posted: 16 Jun 2019 08:35 AM PDT  The key for living longer is to retire from joyless work and work at something that brings joy.
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| Intel launches project to help Israeli tech start-ups Posted: 16 Jun 2019 08:29 AM PDT  Intel Corp launched a project on Sunday to help start-ups in Israel develop technologies in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems, and said it planned to bring the scheme to other countries as well. The 20-week program, called Ignite, will offer business and technical support to up to 15 start-ups, the California-based company said, adding it would not take equity stakes in the start-ups now, but might do so eventually. Intel is one of the biggest employers and exporters in Israel, where many of its new technologies are developed, and this year said it was investing 40 billion shekels ($11 billion) to expand its manufacturing operations there.
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| The Latest: Yemen's Houthi rebels launch Saudi drone attack Posted: 15 Jun 2019 08:07 PM PDT  Yemen's Houthi rebels say they've launched a new drone attack against Saudi Arabia. The Houthi's Al-Masirah satellite news channel announced the attack late Saturday night. Yahia al-Sarie, a Houthi spokesman, said their drones targeted airports in Jizan and Abha in Saudi Arabia.
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