WorldReutersChina foreign ministry: 'airship' over the U.S. a 'force majeure accident'
China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that flight of a Chinese "airship" over the United States was a force majeure accident, accusing U.S. politicians and media of taking advantage of the situation to discredit China. The United States, saying the craft was a suspected spy balloon that had committed a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty, postponed a visit to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken that had been expected to start on Friday. "China has always strictly abided by international law and respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries," the ministry said in a statement.
PoliticsThe Daily Beast‘Miserable’ Marjorie Taylor Greene Whines That Her Congressional Salary Is Too Low
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lamented this week about how little she was getting paid as a member of Congress, claiming that her low congressional salary had made her “life miserable” as she “made a lot more money” before stepping into public service. While ostensibly there to talk about her newfound alliance with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Ukraine war, and other right-wing culture war gripes, she also found time to complain about how hard it is being a congresswoman. “The nature of this job, it keeps members of Congress and senators in Washington so much of the time—too much of the time, to be honest with you—that we don't get to go home and spend more time with our families, our friends, all in our district, or maybe just be regular people,” the Georgia lawmaker grumbled.
BusinessBarrons.comThe Baby Boomer Retirement Crisis Is Here. Why the Richest Generation Is Struggling.
Elizabeth Boatwright planned to be retired by now. After all, she and her husband Frank saved diligently for decades, and seemed on track to hit their financial goals. Once the couple's nest egg shrinks to less than a year's worth of caregiving costs, Boatwright says she plans to give up her paid work and care for Frank herself.
U.S.Associated PressHunt ends for mountain lion that attacked California boy
California wildlife officials have called off the search for a mountain lion that attacked a 5-year-old boy who was on a hiking trail in rural Northern California, saying there was little chance of capturing the animal. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday that DNA testing confirmed that a mountain lion was responsible for the attack last Tuesday in San Mateo County, south of San Francisco. “This lack of access, combined with worsening weather and the nomadic nature of mountain lions has diminished the chances for a successful capture," said Capt. Patrick Foy, a department spokesman.
U.S.Fox NewsKentucky mom says Bryan Kohberger is her 'divine masculine' and claims she sent him letters and dolled up pics
A single Kentucky mother posted dozens of lengthy, diary-like posts where she professes her love for Bryan Kohberger, claims to have sent him letters and pictures of herself, and calls the quadruple murder suspect her "divine masculine." The woman, who goes by Brittney J. Hislope on Facebook and claims to have a 16-year-old son, has written about her feelings for Kohberger nearly every day, sometimes multiple times a day since early January. "I know that the last I had heard weeks ago is that Bryan is being kept isolated from other inmates, and so I know that we do both likely sleep alone as I mentioned in a past post," Hislope wrote in her most recent post, which was dated shortly after midnight Friday.
BusinessMoneyWiseThis is 'a serious problem': State Farm and Progressive are now refusing to cover certain cars made by big South Korean auto firms — here are the models and why they're too risky to insure
After a surge in theft claims, insurers State Farm and Progressive are now refusing to cover select models made by the big South Korean auto firms because they are too easy to steal. This is a] serious problem impacting our customers and the entire auto insurance industry,” State Farm said in a media statement. Don't miss Over 65% of Americans don't shop around for a better car insurance deal — and that could be costing you $500 a month '$200K is chump change': This YouTube influencer says if you don't have a Lamborghini in your 20s, you should have a 'serious' talk with yourself — 3 simple ways to boost your income UBS says 61% of millionaire collectors allocate up to 30% of their overall p...
WorldReutersBrazil sinks rusting old aircraft carrier in the Atlantic
Brazil sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off its northeast coast, the Brazilian Navy said, despite warnings from environmentalists that the rusting 1960s French-built ship would pollute the sea and the marine food chain. The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil. The carrier was scuttled in a "planned and controlled sinking" late on Friday, the Navy said in a statement, that would "avoid logistical, operational, environmental and economic losses to the Brazilian state," it said.
U.S.INSIDERFederal agents discovered a dumpster filled with almost 250 working rifles and shotguns in Oklahoma, and allege that a man was given 2 free shotguns to hang on his wall
A man said a teen employee gave him two guns from the dumpster for free, per court documents. Federal agents are trying to figure out why an Oklahoma gun store owner threw almost 250 guns in a dumpster, and why a man was allegedly allowed to keep two of them as a memento. According to court filings first reported by CourtWatch, on January 19, 2023, an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, sanitation worker stumbled upon a dumpster with 236 rifles and 12 shotguns in it.
- U.S.Reuters Videos
Video captures suspected spy balloon after it's shot down
STORY: U.S. military fighter aircraft shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floated off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, drawing to a close a dramatic saga that shone a spotlight on worsening Sino-U.S. relations. Biden said he had issued an order on Wednesday (February 1) to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water. Multiple fighter and refuelling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet -- took the shot, using a single AIM-9X missile, a senior U.S. military official said.
U.S.ReutersIn Texas, hunters shoot feral pigs from helicopters
On a bitterly cold January morning, a helicopter soars above central Texas farmland. The four passengers hanging outside the aircraft are hunting - going after feral hogs, an invasive species in the southeastern United States. In Bryan, Texas, the company Helibacon charges hunters about $3,000 to spend two hours in a helicopter, gunning down wild pigs with everything from assault rifles to fully automatic submachine guns.
WorldPopular MechanicsTurns Out Russia Is Overselling Its 'Unstoppable' Hypersonic Missile
China successfully tested a Mach 5 weapon back in 2021—with one U.S. general calling the launch a near “Sputnik” moment—and Russia has been talking about the weapons since 2018, when it produced a sizzle reel of one hypersonic missile, the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, blowing up Florida. Not to be outmatched, the U.S. has around 70 (yes, seven-zero) efforts to develop hypersonic technologies including bombers, missiles, and the engines to power them. In fact, just this week, Vladimir Putin announced imminent plans to test his frigate-launched Zircon hypersonic missile, which can supposedly reach speeds of Mach 9.
BusinessMotley FoolHere's What Happens When You Leave a Lot of Money in Your Savings Account
You'll often hear that it's important to have money set aside for emergency expenses, like home repairs, car repairs, or medical bills. And the best place to put that cash is a savings account. That way, you'll have access to it whenever you need, and you won't have to worry about your principal contribution losing value.
U.S.Associated PressMaid's son tells judge Alex Murdaugh took $4M for her death
For much of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial, witnesses have talked about a generous and loving man — but prosecutors want jurors to know that same man stole over $4 million from his housekeeper's relatives after she died at work, and killed his wife and son to cover up his crimes. Prosecutors asked a judge Friday to consider allowing the son of Murdaugh's longtime housekeeper to tell jurors about how after she died in a fall at Murdaugh's home, he promised her family to take care of them and then stole millions in settlements with his insurers. Tony Satterfield said his mom cleaned the Murdaugh home, but also babysat their two sons and did anything else they asked over 20 years.
U.S.Miami HeraldMexican actor gets five years for fatal punch during road rage confrontation in Miami
Pablo Lyle, the Mexican telenovela star who fatally punched a man during a 2019 road-rage confrontation, was sentenced to five years in state prison on Friday. Hernandez fell, cracked his head on the roadway and died at the hospital four days later. The state, at the Hernandez family's request, asked for Lyle to receive 15 years in prison — the maximum sentence permitted for the charge.
U.S.WSB Cox articlesConcerned parents want massage parlor shut down following bust that landed employee in handcuffs
A Cobb County massage parlor employee was taken away in handcuffs for providing services too risqué to say even on TV, police say. The massage parlor is inside a family-friendly shopping center with a children's salon next door and even a Chuck E. Cheese across the street. Jasmine Massage promotes a variety of services, but when an undercover agent walked through the doors recently an employee was arrested, accused of offering the agent more than what the business promotes.
U.S.Associated PressSorry, not sorry: Some 1/6 rioters change tune after apology
Appearing before a federal judge after pleading guilty to a felony charge in the deadly Capitol riot, former West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans expressed remorse for letting down his family and his community, saying he made a “crucial mistake." Less than a year later, Evans is portraying himself as a victim of a politically motivated prosecution as he runs to serve in the same building he stormed on Jan. 6, 2021. Evans is now calling the Justice Department's Jan. 6 prosecutions a “miscarriage of justice" and describes himself on twitter as a “J6 Patriot."
PoliticsGOBankingRatesHow Rich Is Congresswoman Ilhan Omar?
Rep. Ilhan Omar was recently ousted from the House Foreign Affairs Committee over past remarks construed by critics as anti-Semitic. Omar is the first Somali-American member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota and one of the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress. Rep. Ilhan Omar, 40, the U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district, has never shied away from controversy.
U.S.Kansas City StarSchool nurse raped student at motel and kissed him in her office, Missouri cops say
A high school nurse raped a 15-year-old student repeatedly and kissed him in her office, Missouri police say. The nurse, 26-year-old Candice Elizabeth Johnson, is accused of raping the student 12 times over the course of four months, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Kennett Police Department. The student told police that he and Johnson began meeting up for sex in October while also sending naked pictures to each other during those months.
U.S.Yahoo LifeAn 11-year-old student drew a pig. School officials confiscated the work for being 'inappropriate.'
On Jan. 13, Sierra Carter received a surprising phone call from her daughter's elementary school teacher. The drawing — a pink pig with a necktie in the shape of what could be interpreted as male genitalia — was brought to the teacher's attention by a classmate who'd informed them that Carter's daughter drew "boy parts on a pig." The 11-year-old, according to her mom, told her teacher that she drew a "bow tie," not "boy parts."
PoliticsThe Daily Beast‘Disrespectful and Even Abusive’: Kyrsten Sinema Hit With Ethics Complaint
A consortium of political advocacy groups are pushing for an investigation into allegations that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) has had staffers running her personal errands and performing sundry household tasks on the taxpayer dime. As first reported in December by The Daily Beast, Sinema aides are bound by a 37-page memo that lays out a very specific set of demands: the senator's groceries are to be picked up promptly, her hour-long massages are to be booked weekly, and her internet service at home in D.C. must always be in working order. Now, 13 progressive nonprofits—including, among others, the Arizona Democracy Resource Center, Sunrise Movement Tempe, Patriotic Millionaires, and Vets Forward—have filed a formal complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee over Sinema's alleged behavior.
ScienceMiami HeraldSpelunkers find 27,000-year-old claw marks in hidden cave untouched for millennia
Through a small rocky hole, archaeologists could feel the air — could tell some unknown space lay just beyond their reach. The archaeologists in Spain were exploring the underground caverns of the Cueva del Arco when a particular spot caught their attention, according to a Friday, Feb. 3, news release from the University of Murcia. The spelunkers began to excavate, slowly and painstakingly, hoping they'd find something to make the effort worthwhile.
U.S.Associated PressNOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
THE FACTS: Republicans have made no such request and have in fact been nothing but supportive, a spokesperson for Raskin told the AP. Raskin, who announced he'd been diagnosed with lymphoma last year, attended the year's first House Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday wearing a bandana. But as the new Republican House majority takes control, confusion over a joke Raskin made about House rules governing headgear fueled a false rumor on social media.
WorldNBC NewsMafia hitman found working as pizza chef after 16 years on the run
A mafia hitman who had been on the run for 16 years was arrested Thursday in France, where he had been working as a pizza chef. Edgardo Greco, 63, who authorities say has links to Italy's notorious 'ndranghetha crime group and was convicted of killing two people in the early 1990s, was arrested by French police in the city of Saint-Étienne in southeastern France. Described as a dangerous fugitive, Greco has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of brothers Stefano and Giuseppe Bartolomeo in 1991.
WorldBusiness InsiderWhen a weather balloon went rogue almost 25 years ago, fighter jets fired 1,000 rounds at it and couldn't bring it down
About 25 years ago, a rogue weather balloon wouldn't come down after over 1,000 rounds were fired at it. The balloon entered Icelandic air space and drifted north towards Norway. Almost 25 years ago, a large runaway weather balloon proved to be quite challenge a for a pair of fighter jets trying to shoot it down, staying in the air even after more than 1,000 rounds were fired at it.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Kevin McCarthy rejects Marjorie Taylor Greene's claims that Ashli Babbitt was 'murdered'
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to dismiss claims from Republican US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and other far-right officials that Ashli Babbitt was “murdered” by a US Capitol Police officer after she tried to climb into the House chambers through a broken window during a riot in the halls of Congress on 6 January, 2021. Source: C-SPAN
“Streaming is beginning to look an awful lot like the old-fashioned analogue TV it was supposed to replace.”
“Streaming isn’t going away … You’re still going to have a lot of choice for a long time.”
“In the future, [streaming] likely will cost more, have a little less library content and cancel more shows more quickly.”
“Streaming is still a game of content … It’s not a matter of who’s spending more, it’s who’s spending smartly.”
“Streamers are retreating from any sort of creative risk in favor of humdrum, lowest-common-denominator shows.”
