- PoliticsBloomberg
The World Agrees With Trump on One Thing When It Comes to Iran
Governments worldwide are alarmed at the tension between Washington and Tehran, concerned about the risk of escalation or military miscalculation and frustrated at a lack of communication about U.S. goals. What keeps the anxiety in check from Berlin to Moscow to Ankara is President Donald Trump’s oft-stated aversion to starting fresh wars.
WorldReutersSwedish prosecutor requests Assange's detention over rape allegation
Sweden reopened the rape investigation last week. It was begun in 2010 but dropped in 2017 after Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. "I request the District Court to detain Assange in his absence, on probable cause suspected for rape," Deputy Chief Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson said in a statement on Monday.
PoliticsAssociated PressGov: Abortion ban shows Alabama values 'sanctity of life'
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's governor said Monday the new abortion ban she recently signed into law reflects the high value residents place on the "sanctity of life," adding she doesn't expect any fallout from the controversial measure on tourism or business recruitment.
- PoliticsMashable
Elizabeth Warren has a plan to fix everything, even our sad love lives
Elizabeth Warren is all about making plans, and she's bringing her expert policy-making skills to social media.The 2020 presidential candidate has plans to forgive student debt, rebuild the middle class, and even end the opioid crisis. But she's also open to helping people navigate their tricky love lives.On Saturday, comedian Ashley Nicole Black asked her 88,000 followers if they thought Warren had a plan to fix her love life. On Sunday, Warren, queen of policies, unexpectedly replied to the tweet directly."DM me and let's figure this out," Warren tweeted. Simply iconic. DM me and let's figure this out. -- Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 19, 2019SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Warren takes a 'hard pass' on Fox News town hallBlack was absolutely shook upon receiving Warren's response, and she tweeted a screenshot of the exchange, along with the words, "I am deceased. And ready to welcome new love in my life. And then get our new pres elected. ~~~~ shehasaplan" We stan a Queen. Nay, a PRESIDENT. https://t.co/WIPCbUzWNJ -- Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) May 19, 2019Other Twitter users were equally impressed by Warren's hilarious tweet, and digitally bowed down to the Democratic candidate by showering her with praise. Welp, she did it. Elizabeth Warren just won the presidency. Give her the White House, the Iron Throne, a Nobel prize, a pony, whatever she wants. pic.twitter.com/AlKOC9oFDy -- Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) May 19, 2019 This is the most magical thing I've ever seen happen on this website or anywhere -- Katie MacBride (@msmacb) May 19, 2019 How effin' awesome is this?! A POTUS with a heart, a mind, a sense of humor and two X chromosomes. Yes! We are so ready for this! ElizabethWarren Warren2020 -- Annie Fox (@Annie_Fox) May 19, 2019 All hail.... pic.twitter.com/RCNOy0SzMp -- Isaac Butler (@parabasis) May 19, 2019 This is the kind of leadership I want for this nation pic.twitter.com/3aVFYd88ki -- Karen Kilgariff (@KarenKilgariff) May 19, 2019 First, this is hilarious. Second, if you give folks student loan debt relief, some help with higher wages and access to affordable housing and daycare, all those things give space to actually wanna go on dates and make it possible to build a family. So she kinda does have a plan! https://t.co/Nrs0w74xiJ -- Brittney Cooper (@ProfessorCrunk) May 19, 2019 She has a plan for EVERYTHING! https://t.co/0fsaqJAuQD -- Jenny Han (@jennyhan) May 19, 2019 Whoever says women candidates aren't relatable or likeable or funny is nuts. I adore this woman. https://t.co/AJtlEhbRiR -- Belle Resists (@BelleResist) May 19, 2019Many were well aware Warren has established herself as the 2020 election's Sam from Holes by saying "I can fix that" in the face of any challenge. But to see her keeping things light, acknowledging, and extending her own strong policy plans to social media was a delight.Warren, the American people stan you giving relationship advice, but can you please make it public next time so we can all benefit? Thanks. WATCH: Beto O'Rourke announces $5 trillion climate crisis plan
U.S.Yahoo News VideoColumbine school shooting survivor found dead in home
A Colorado man who survived the 1999 Columbine school shooting and later became an advocate for fighting addiction has died.
WorldAFPBlast hits Egypt tourist bus, 17 injured: security, medical sources
An explosion struck a tourist bus on Sunday near Egypt's famed pyramids, injuring 17 people including foreigners, security and medical sources said. South Africans and Egyptians were among those injured when an explosive device went off, hitting the bus in Giza, according to the sources. Sunday's incident comes after three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide were killed when a roadside bomb hit their bus as it travelled near the pyramids outside Cairo in December.
- WorldThe National Interest
This Missile Might be the U.S. Navy's Most Important Weapon in Decades
The Tomahawk and its controversies might make headlines, but as the U.S. Navy re-arms for high-tech warfare, the SM-6 is the missile to watch.The U.S. Navy in late January 2019 confirmed the designation of its newest cruise missile, in the process clarifying its long-term plan for arming its growing fleet of warships.The plan heavily leans on one missile, in particular. It's the SM-6, an anti-aircraft weapon that quickly is evolving to perform almost every role the Navy assigns to a missile.(This first appeared earlier in the year.)The Navy dubbed the newest version of the venerable Tomahawk cruise missile the "Block V" model, Jane's reported. There are two separate variants of the Block V missile, one with an anti-ship warhead and another with a warhead the Navy optimized for striking targets on land.Raytheon's Tomahawk has been the subject of controversy in Washington, D.C. In order to save money the Obama administration wanted to pause production of the long-range missile, which since the 1980s has been the Navy's main weapon for striking land targets from the sea.Congress overruled the Obama administration and continued buying Tomahawks for roughly $1 million apiece, adding potentially hundreds of the missiles to the thousands the fleet already possesses.
- NewsUSA TODAY
Missing girl Salem Sabatka found safe after 'heroes' lead Texas police to her kidnapper
Salem Sabatka, 8, was found safe and the 51-year-old man accused of abducting her was taken into custody, according to Texas police.
- BusinessBGR News
Anker’s true wireless earbuds fix everything wrong with the other brands’, and they’re down to $45 today
The Soundcore Liberty Neo Truly-Wireless Earbuds by Anker are a tremendous value at their full retail price of $65, especially when you consider the fact that they improve upon Apple's $159 AirPods in every conceivable way. The graphene drivers produce better sound and deeper bass, the silicone tips fit better in your ears, and the IPX5 rating provides better water-resistance. They're among the best cord-free earbuds we've ever tested in this price range, and they just dropped to an all-time low of $44.99! Definitely pick up a pair before this excellent deal is done.Here are the bullet points from the product page: * Breathtaking Sound: Exceptional clarity delivered via Graphene drivers with deep, resonant bass. * Smaller & Lighter: Each bud weighs only 0.2 oz for incredible comfort and seamless sound that sits effortlessly in your ears. * 12-Hour Playtime: Get 3.5 hours' playtime from a single charge and 9 extra hours in the compact charging case. * Ultra-Fast Pairing: Push and Go Technology simplifies the setup: process so the last-paired device automatically connects on startup. * IPX5 Protection: Resists liquids for workouts in the sun or songs in the rain. * Hand-Free Calls: A built-in microphone ensures easy on-the-go phone calls.
- PoliticsThe Guardian
Trump tweets threat: 'If Iran wants to fight, that will be the end of Iran'
Incendiary message follows disavowals of intent from both sidesOpinion: Trump supporters don’t want war with Iran In a picture released on Friday, the USS Abraham Lincoln sails in the Arabian Sea near the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge. Photograph: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian M Wilbur/AP Donald Trump has issued one of his most direct threats yet to Tehran, warning that “if Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran”. The US president emerged from his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, on Sunday to tweet belligerently at around 4.30pm, thereby risking a quickening of tension that is already rising. “Never threaten the United States again!” he wrote. The tweet will do little to assuage jitters in the Middle East and in Washington about aggressive language coming out of the White House. Concern is already running high that Trump’s hawkish national security adviser, John Bolton, who played a key role in instigating the invasion of Iraq under George Bush, might be nudging the administration towards military action. In 2015, Bolton wrote a New York Times op-ed entitled “To stop Iran’s bomb, bomb Iran”. Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal last year. On the other hand, Trump has a way of blowing hot one minute and cold the next. As with so many of his social media missives, the precise import of his Sunday tweet was hard to read. It directly conflicted with reports of just three days ago that the president had been telling the Pentagon he did not want to go to war and wanted to find a way to wind down tensions. Those reports were also subject to qualification. In response to reports about a draft plan for the deployment of 120,000 troops, Trump said that though he did not want war, if it came to it he would send “a hell of a lot” more soldiers than that. Earlier on Sunday, the Utah senator and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had joined the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in dismissing the threat of war. “Going to war with Iran?” Romney asked on CNN’s State of the Union. “Not going to happen.” According to the Fars news agency, Maj General Hossein Salami followed foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif by saying Iran was not pursuing war either. But both men offered caveats. Romney, a member of the Senate foreign relations committee, said the threat to US interests was “real” and added: “We’re going to make sure they understand that if they take action against our people, against our allies and against our friends, there will be consequence and it will be far more severe than the initial action taken by Iran.” Salami said Iran was ready to fight, as the difference “between us and them is that they are afraid of war and don’t have the will for it”. The White House has not said what is behind its claim of an increased threat. Romney said the “intelligence community says there’s a great deal of risk” but did not elaborate. It has been reported that US intelligence believes Iranian commercial vessels have carried missiles and ammunition, which some analysts say indicates preparations to defend against a US attack. Saudi Arabia is the major US ally in the region. Four oil tankers, two of them Saudi, were attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Iran-allied rebels in Yemen claimed a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline. Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, told reporters on Sunday his country also “does not want war … but at the same time, if the other side chooses war, the kingdom will fight this with all force and determination”. The US has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and cautionary moves include an evacuation of personnel by the oil firm ExxonMobil and a warning from the US to commercial air traffic of increased risk in the region. The Associated Press reported on Sunday that Democrats in Congress will be briefed by former CIA director John Brennan, a stringent Trump critic, and Wendy Sherman, a former state department official who helped negotiate the Iran deal. Among Democratic presidential hopefuls on Sunday, the presumption was that Trump either wanted war or was behaving irresponsibly. The Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a military veteran, told ABC’s This Week Trump was “leading us down this dangerous path towards a war in Iran”. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, another veteran, said war with Iran would be “exactly what John Bolton wants”. But David Petraeus, a retired general who led US troops in Iraq in 2003 and later led the CIA, told ABC it was “pretty clear” Trump “doesn’t want to go to war with Iran. He’s not after regime change”. Romney agreed. “I don’t believe for a minute,” he said, “that either the president or John Bolton or anyone else in a serious senior position of leadership in the White House has any interest in going to the Middle East and going to war. That’s just not going to happen … barring some kind of attack from Iran or something of that nature which I don’t think anyone anticipates. “Look, the president made it very clear that he thinks the greatest foreign policy mistake probably in the modern age was the decision by President Bush to go into Iraq. The idea that he would follow that by going after Iran, a more difficult enemy if you will, that’s just not going to happen.” Famously, Trump said at the time that he supported George W Bush’s invasion of Iraq. He has since vehemently denied that he did so.
- WorldReuters
UPDATE 5-Rocket fired in Iraqi capital, no casualties
A rocket was fired in Iraqi capital Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies, but caused no casualties, the Iraqi military said on Sunday. A blast was heard in central Baghdad on Sunday night, Reuters witnesses said and two Baghdad-based diplomatic sources also said they heard the blast. "A Katyusha rocket fell in the middle of the Green Zone without causing any losses, details to come later," the military said in a brief statement.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY Opinion
Roe v. Wade gave women a right to choose abortion. But doctors like me have a choice, too.
As a doctor, I'm not there to carry out the will of either the state or the individual, but to do what I see as in keeping with my medical role.
WorldAFPAl Jazeera suspends two journalists over Holocaust report
Qatari state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera suspended two journalists on Sunday over a video they produced claiming the extent of the Holocaust was being misrepresented by Jews. The clip, posted by Al Jazeera's online AJ+ Arabic service, claimed "the narrative" that the Nazis killed six million Jews was "adopted by the Zionist movement". The video said that "along with others, the Jews faced a policy of systematic persecution which culminated in the Final Solution".
- NewsNational Review
Fifth Migrant Child Since December Dies in Border Patrol Custody
A 16-year-old boy from Guatemala passed away Monday after being apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, the fifth migrant child to die in Border Patrol custody since December, according to CBP.“The men and women of CBP are saddened by the tragic loss of this young man and our condolences are with his family,” read a statement from acting CBP commissioner John Sanders. “CBP is committed to the health, safety and humane treatment of those in our custody.”Customs and Border Protection said that the boy crossed the southern border illegally, and was arrested on May 13 near Hidalgo, Texas and placed in Border Patrol's Weslaco Station in the Rio Grande Valley Sector."Yet another child has died in US government custody," said Ashley Houghton, tactical-campaigns manager at Amnesty International USA. "This death, which comes days after the administration released a proposal to make it even more difficult for people to seek safety in this country, leads us to wonder how many deaths it will take for the administration to ensure the safety and security of children."Amnesty International, which advocates for undocumented immigrants, called for an independent investigation into the child's death and demanded the Trump administration end the detention of minors, saying, "it is dangerous and cruel to detain people, particularly children, in crowded and unsanitary conditions for seeking protection."After border authorities faced severe backlash when a seven-year-old girl from Guatemala died in their custody in December, the Department of Homeland Security said it was "begging" parents not to bring their children across the border illegally.Apprehensions at the southern border have spiked this year. 8,975 unaccompanied children and a record 53,077 family units crossed the border without authorization in March.
WorldAssociated PressKashmir group seeks UN probe into torture by India troops
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A prominent rights group in Indian-controlled Kashmir is advocating for the United Nations to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate what it calls the endemic use of torture by government forces amid a decades-long anti-India uprising in the disputed region.
- NewsThe National Interest
Sig Sauer vs. Glock vs. Every Other Gun: Who Really Makes the Best Guns?
The company’s Model 1 handgun was purchased privately by soldiers on both sides of the U.S. Civil War, while the heavier Schofield revolver was carried by postwar U.S. cavalrymen. America’s prolific firearms industry means that choosing the top five manufacturers is no easy task. While boutique handgun builders may produce some very fine pieces, quantity has a quality all its own, and several companies ship hundreds of thousands of handguns a year. Like the auto industry, some of the best handguns come from foreign manufacturers. Here are the five best handgun manufacturers.(This article first appeared in 2017 and is being republished due to reader interest).GlockGaston Glock’s initial attempt to build a handgun for the Austrian military has exploded into an international empire, all the more amazing considering that it was built solely on handguns. From the original Glock 17, the company now offers twenty-six handguns on the U.S. market in calibers from .380 Auto to .45 G.A.P. The company’s simple emphasis on lightweight, slim-profile, “pointable” pistols was a recipe for success, impressing first-time shooters with their ease of use and longtime shooters with their reliability and accuracy. For all of the variety, Glock’s handguns are strikingly similar to one another, demonstrating that Glock won’t fix what isn’t broken.
- WorldYahoo News Photo Staff
PHOTOS: Gun attack at bar in Brazil
A gang of gunmen reportedly attacked a bar in the capital of Brazil's northern Pará state Sunday afternoon, and authorities said 11 people were killed.The state security agency confirmed late Sunday only that six women and five men died in the incident in the Guamá neighborhood of the Pará state capital, Belém.The G1 news website said police reported that seven gunmen were involved in the attack, which also wounded one person. The news outlet said the attackers arrived at the bar on one motorcycle and in three cars.In late March, the federal government sent National Guard troops to Belém to reinforce security in the city for 90 days.Brazil hit a record high of 64,000 homicides in 2017, 70% of which were due to firearms, according to official statistics.Much of Brazil's violence is gang related. In January, gangs attacked across Fortaleza, bringing that city to a standstill with as commerce, buses and taxis shut down. (AP)See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.
- NewsUSA TODAY
F-16 fighter jet crashes into warehouse near March Air Reserve Base in California
The crash happened as the pilot was landing following a routine training mission, March Air Reserve Base Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Holliday said.
- NewsThe Independent
Trump considering pardons for US military members convicted or accused of war crimes, officials say
Donald Trump has indicated he is considering pardons for several US military members accused or convicted of war crimes, including high-profile cases of murder, attempted murder and desecration of a corpse, according to two US officials.The officials said the Trump administration had made expedited requests this week for paperwork needed to pardon the troops on or around Memorial Day.One request is for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of the Navy SEALs, who is scheduled to stand trial in the coming weeks on charges of shooting unarmed civilians and killing an enemy captive with a knife while deployed in Iraq.The others are believed to include the case of a former Blackwater security contractor recently found guilty in the deadly 2007 shooting of dozens of unarmed Iraqis; the case of Major Mathew Golsteyn, the Army Green Beret accused of killing an unarmed Afghan in 2010; and the case of a group of Marine Corps snipers charged with urinating on the corpses of dead Taliban fighters.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said they had not seen a complete list and did not know if other service members were included in the request for pardon paperwork.The White House sent requests on Friday to the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, which alerted the military branches, according to one senior military official. Pardon files include background information and details on criminal charges, and in many cases include letters describing how the person in question has made amends.The official said while assembling pardon files typically takes months, the Justice Department stressed that all files would have to be complete before Memorial Day weekend, because Mr Trump planned to pardon the men then. A second US official confirmed the request concerning Mr Gallagher.The military branches referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment on the matter.Mr Trump has often bypassed traditional channels in granting pardons and wielded his power freely, sometimes in politically-charged cases that resonate with him personally, such as the conviction of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona.Earlier this month, the president pardoned former Army 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna, who had been convicted of killing an Iraqi during an interrogation in 2008.While the requests for pardon files are a strong sign of the president’s plans, Mr Trump has been known to change his mind, and it is not clear what the impetus was for the requests. But most of the troops who are positioned for a pardon have been championed by conservative lawmakers and media organisations, such as Fox News, which have portrayed them as being unfairly punished for trying to do their job. Many have pushed for the president to intervene. The White House declined to comment.Pardoning several accused and convicted war criminals at once, including some who have not yet gone to trial, has not been done in recent history, legal experts said. Some worried that it could erode the legitimacy of military law and undercut good order and discipline in the ranks.“These are all extremely complicated cases that have gone through a careful system of consideration. A freewheeling pardon undermines that whole system,” said Gary Solis, a retired military judge and armour officer who served in Vietnam.“It raises the prospect in the minds of the troops that says, ‘Whatever we do, if we can get the folks back home behind us, maybe we can get let off.’”Mr Gallagher’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, was surprised by the news that the president could be considering a pardon, and said ideally the chief would be acquitted at trial.“We want the opportunity to exonerate my client,” Mr Parlatore said in an interview. “At the same time, there is always a risk in going to trial. My primary objective is to get Chief Gallagher home to his family. To that end, Chief Gallagher would welcome any involvement by the president.”The fact that the requests were sent from the White House to the Justice Department, instead of the other way around, is a reversal of long-established practices, said Margaret Love, who served as the US pardon attorney during the first Bush administration and part of the Clinton administration.Process aside, Ms Love said that pardoning the men would be an abrupt departure from the past.“Presidents use pardons to send messages. They recognise when a process wasn’t just or when punishments were too extreme, like for some nonviolent drug cases,” she said.“If this president is planning to pardon a bunch of people charged with war crimes, he will use the pardon power to send a far darker message.”The New York Times
- BusinessReuters
UPDATE 2-Chairman of U.S. telecoms regulator backs T-Mobile, Sprint merger
Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc has won the support of the chairman of the U.S. telecommunications regulator but will require a series of changes to their proposed $26 billion merger, including selling Sprint's Boost Mobile cell service. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai said on Monday he will recommend that the other four commissioners vote to approve the merger. A second member of the five-person FCC, Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, also said he will vote to approve the deal.
- BusinessPopular Mechanics
9 Cool Things We Learned Driving the Spectre Land Rover Defender
Created by the custom shop Himalaya, this Defender is a Land Rover like you've never seen before-complete with a Chevy V8 and a Jeep steering box.From Popular Mechanics
BusinessAFPFord to cut 7,000 jobs, 10% of global staff
Ford plans to cut 7,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its global workforce, as part of a reorganization as it revamps its vehicle offerings, the company said Monday. The reorganization will involve some layoffs and reassignments and should be complete by the end of August, a Ford spokeswoman said. Ford has been phasing out most sedan models in the United States as more consumers have opted for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.
- BusinessBGR News
Elon Musk: Tesla needs to cut costs or it will run out of money in 10 months
Defying skeptics, Tesla during the September quarter of 2018 actually managed to turn a profit of $312 million thanks to strong demand for the mass market Model 3. Tesla's profits for the quarter were far from staggering, but it nonetheless instilled faith that the electric automaker was on a path towards financial viability.Just a few months later, the narrative surrounding Tesla has drastically shifted. When the company last month released its earnings report for the March quarter, it posted a quarterly loss of $702 million. That said, it's worth noting that production, deliveries, and demand for Tesla vehicles have all grown at an impressive clip over the past many months. As an illustrative example, Tesla during Q1 of 2019 manufactured 77,100 vehicles, a figure which well more than double the amount it manufactured during the same quarter in 2018.Nonetheless, Tesla continues to burn through money at an alarming rate. So much so, in fact, that Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently sent an email (obtained via Electrek) wherein the Tesla CEO explained that the company -- which has approximately $2.2 billion in cash on hand -- may not have enough cash to last beyond a period of 10 months."This is a lot of money," Musk said, "but actually only gives us about 10 months at the Q1 burn rate to achieve breakeven!"Consequently, Musk explained that the company will be taking a much closer look at employee expenses as it pertains to "parts, salary, travel expenses, and rent."Musk conceded that the soon to be implemented cost-cutting measures are "hardcore," adding that it's the "only way for Tesla to become financially sustainable and succeed in our goal of helping make the world environmentally sustainable."This isn't the first time Musk has rung the alarm bells about drastically cutting costs, but it remains to be seen what the company can do within a 10-month timeframe.
NewsReutersU.S. Supreme Court takes no action in Indiana abortion cases
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took no action on appeals seeking to revive two restrictive Republican-backed abortion laws from Indiana, even as debate rages over a new measure in Alabama that would prohibit the procedure almost entirely. Neither Indiana case was on the list of appeals on which the court acted on Monday morning. If the nine-justice court takes up either case, it would give the conservative majority an opportunity to chip away at the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide and recognized a right under the U.S. Constitution for women to terminate pregnancies.
WorldAssociated PressRussia says Syrian government forces halt fire in Idlib
MOSCOW (AP) — Syrian government forces have unilaterally ceased fire in the northern Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold, Russia said Sunday, while opposition activists reported continued shelling and airstrikes.
