| US to move Patriot missile defence system to Middle East to counter ‘escalating’ threat from Iran Posted: 11 May 2019 03:32 AM PDT  The US is to install an air defence missile system in the Middle East to counter the "escalating" threat posed by Iran, the Pentagon has said.The Department of Defence confirmed it was sending the Patriot surface-to-air missile system to the region in response to "indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces".An official said the decision was made after intelligence showed Iran had loaded military equipment and missiles onto small boats controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).It comes amid rising tensions between the two countries after the US deployed an aircraft carrier to the Middle East this week in response to concerns Iran was planning an attack on American forces or interests in the region.Tehran responded by announcing it would partially pull out from its commitments to the 2015 international nuclear deal and increase uranium enrichment unless a new agreement is reached in 60 days.On Wednesday, Donald Trump ordered new sanctions on Iran targeting the country's steel, aluminium, copper and iron sectors, and warned of "further actions unless it [Iran] fundamentally alters its conduct".A Defence Department official told Associated Press moving the missile system was discussed earlier in the week but it took a few days to get final approval to move the Patriot, a long-range air defence system used to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.The USS Arlington, an amphibious transport ship, will also move to the Middle East earlier than expected, according to the Pentagon.The US removed Patriot systems from Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan late last year.Iran and the US have each said they are not seeking conflict but both countries have adopted confrontational stances in recent weeks.In the Pentagon statement, the Defence Department said it was "postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region."Earlier this week, Yadollah Javani, deputy head of political affairs in the IRGC, said no negotiations would be held with the US and warned "Americans will not dare take military action against us," according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency.When announcing the initial move on Sunday, John Bolton, the national security adviser, cited "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran but did not explain what they were.On Friday, a defence official said threats could include attacks by Iranian proxies, such as Shia militias in Iraq.US officials told Reuters intelligence indicated Iran had moved missiles onto boats along its shore and an American official suggested missiles were capable of being launched from a small ship.However, several officials said they have not yet seen any tangible move by Iran in reaction to the US military shifts in the area. They also noted there have been no attacks.Agencies contributed to this report
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| UPDATE 2-U.S. expands Venezuela sanctions in Maduro pressure campaign Posted: 10 May 2019 09:46 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-U.S. expands Venezuela sanctions in Maduro pressure campaign]( "UPDATE 2-U.S. expands Venezuela sanctions in Maduro pressure campaign") The Trump administration on Friday expanded the scope of its Venezuela sanctions to the defense and security services sectors to try to crank up economic pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The White House is keen to show that momentum in its four-month-old campaign against Maduro has not waned, particularly after a failed uprising last week led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is backed by the United States and most Western nations. Guaido - who Maduro has called a puppet of Washington - invoked Venezuela's constitution in January to assume an interim presidency, arguing Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
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| 'He doesn't even know how many lives he saved': Should private guards be used more in schools? Posted: 10 May 2019 07:59 AM PDT  A security guard was credited with capturing one of the suspects in Colorado shooting. "It's not as simple as you think," a former officer says.
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| Palestinian killed by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes: ministry Posted: 10 May 2019 10:19 AM PDT  A Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire during new clashes on the Gaza border Friday, the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled enclave said. Abdullah Abd al-Aal, 24, was shot in the stomach on the border east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a ministry spokesman said, in the first protests there since a deadly flare-up last weekend. The regular and often violent weekly protests, which began more than a year ago, were quieter than on normal Fridays, said an AFP correspondent on the scene.
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| Why I left the Colorado school shooting vigil: Students want change but first let us mourn Posted: 11 May 2019 07:22 AM PDT  Watching politicians and activists use our classmate's death and our pain to promote their agendas was disrespectful and inappropriate.
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| Venezuela's Juan Guaidó rallies his supporters as President Maduro clamps down Posted: 11 May 2019 12:36 PM PDT  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó on Saturday urged his supporters once again to protest nationwide against President Nicolás Maduro, who has slowly ratcheted up the pressure on the lawmaker since a failed military uprising.
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| The 10 Best Travel Apps for Exploring the World Posted: 11 May 2019 06:00 AM PDT |
| Giuliani Scores a New Client: an Authoritarian, Middle Eastern Regime Posted: 10 May 2019 10:53 AM PDT  Charles Krupa/AP/ShutterstockAs Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election was concluding, Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney for the probe and other legal woes, landed a new client: the Kingdom of Bahrain.On Thursday, the former New York City mayor confirmed to The Daily Beast that his security and consulting firm, Giuliani Security and Safety, had officially secured a contract with the Gulf nation's Ministry of Interior to help train their police force. "They are contracting with my company to do security consulting for them, with specific emphasis on things that appear to be perpetrated by terrorists…specifically in regard to [alleged] terrorist acts perpetrated in large part by Iran or Iranian proxies," Giuliani said in an interview.Talks between Giuliani's "global security services" company and the government in Bahrain began in August or September 2018, he said. They took place even as Giuliani was representing President Trump as the Mueller investigation was ongoing, and while he was serving as one of President Trump's more regular advisers and confidants. Giuliani is still working as the president's lawyer, even though the redacted Mueller report has been delivered to the Department of Justice and made public.While the Bahraini government was enlisting Giuliani for help with its police force, it was also attempting to influence Trump administration policy. Bahrain officially employs half a dozen lobbying and public-relations firms in the United States, according to the Justice Department's database of registered foreign agents. They work on issues ranging from counterterrorism efforts to trade and foreign investment promotion to more vaguely defined advocacy and public affairs initiatives. Specific goals in Washington, D.C., include stepping up military cooperation and an effort to win an exemption to Trump administration steel and aluminum tariffs.Bahrain's Ministry of Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Giuliani was spotted in Bahrain last December at a royal palace in Manama, meeting with the king of the critical U.S. ally in the Middle East. At the time, the Bahrain News Agency, a government-run news service, reported that Giuliani and King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa talked about "Bahraini-U.S. relations," and characterized Trump's personal lawyer as the leader of a "high-level US delegation." The New York Times reported on that visit in December, and indicated that Giuliani was seeking business with the Bahraini government. But the official establishment of that business relationship has not been previously reported.Asked by The Daily Beast if he and the king discussed Trump during their December photo op, Giuliani said, "I can't recall," and insisted that the discussion was "pretty strictly for us [to] train the police." Giuliani said that his firm's official work with Bahrain "doesn't involve any lobbying," and doesn't involve "giving policy advice" or legal work. "I never discussed Bahrain with anybody in the [Trump] administration including the president," he said. "[Our] contract has clauses in it that say no lobbying, no foreign representation… I provide you a service. I don't get involved in trying to solve your problems with the U.S. government."Giuliani did not provide The Daily Beast with a copy of the contract as of press time. In his role as a member of President Trump's outside legal team, Giuliani isn't a government employee and thus not bound by laws that bar U.S. government officials (including White House attorneys) from simultaneously working for a foreign government. Still, the distinction hasn't stopped government ethicists and watchdogs from calling into question the virtue of Giuliani's foreign work, and pursuit of work in several countries, as he holds such a close working and personal relationship with President Trump. "Giuliani getting paid by a repressive foreign government while he acts as the president's personal attorney and advisor looks really bad," said Brendan Fischer, the director of federal reforms at the Campaign Legal Center. "Even if Giuliani's contract with Bahrain doesn't include lobbying, it is easy to imagine that the Bahraini government anticipates that giving money to the president's close advisor is going to help Bahrain promote its interests inside the White House."Giuliani's work for could raise additional eyebrows owing to the country's highly-criticized human rights record, which has included brutally suppressing protesters and political opposition, allegations of torture committed by the police, and stripping activists of their citizenship. Asked about this track record, Giuliani said he views Bahrain as "one of the more progressive Muslim countries," and that "I actually think they're one of the better Gulf countries on human rights," citing the number of women elected to parliament, for instance.Giuliani's work abroad has been a common—and routinely controversial—feature of his time within Trump's inner sanctum. In addition to scoring a contract with Bahrain, the president's lawyer has plans to travel to Ukraine on Sunday morning to help encourage investigators in the country to look into both the origins of the Mueller probe and dealings involving Joe Biden.As The New York Times reported, Giuliani has been actively seeking information on the involvement of Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son, in an energy company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch. In the Obama era, the former vice president had pushed for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor whose office controlled the investigations of the company, on which Hunter Biden sat on the board.Giuliani, the president, and various sectors of conservative and pro-Trump media have framed this as the next big Democratic scandal to emerge in a presidential race, on par with Hillary Clinton's emails. However, a Bloomberg story published this week said that a former Ukrainian official and official documents had presented a timeline that undercut the notion that Biden had intervened on his son's behalf."I'm doing this as part of my role as the president's lawyer to follow up on [leads]," Giuliani told The Daily Beast. "This is what a defense lawyer does…I'm going after it like a hound dog." Trump's attorney also noted that he's been briefing the president on his progress, and that they've had multiple conversations on the topic, though he wouldn't go into further detail.Giuliani did say that, based on their private chats, he believed he had the full blessing of President Trump to pursue this private investigation—one now explicitly designed to yield potentially damaging information on one of the president's a top 2020 challengers. "The president has expressed the same level of interest in this that he's expressed in the Steele affidavit," he said. "I'm just trying to investigate this and trying to figure this all out. I don't have electronic surveillance, or a grand jury." "I'm having too much fun," Giuliani added, letting out a couple of chuckles. "One day, I'm gonna have to go back to boring lawyer work."Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Behold this ancient crowd of galaxies in deep, deep space Posted: 11 May 2019 09:32 AM PDT  The aging Hubble Space Telescope looks back into deep time, billions of years ago, before our sun was even born. At the very limits of Hubble's viewing abilities lies a cluster of spiraling, disk-shaped galaxies, collectively called SPT0615. NASA posted an image of these ancient structures, one of which was born over 13 billion years ago, relatively soon after the Big Bang likely created the universe. Light left these faraway galaxies long ago, but Hubble can sleuth out this ancient luminosity. "The light from distant objects travels to us from so far away that it takes an immensely long time to reach us, meaning that it carries information from the past — information about the time at which it was emitted," NASA wrote. Galaxy cluster SPT0615. Image: ESA / Hubble NASA / I. Karachentsev et al., F. High et al. Viewing these galaxy clusters is an eerie look at events that transpired long ago. But it's something the space agency's astronomers do every day. SEE ALSO: What's actually going on in that cryptic black hole photo? "Just as ancient paintings can tell us about the period of history in which they were painted, so too can ancient galaxies tell us about the era of the universe in which they existed," NASA wrote. A closer look at galaxy SPT0615-JD, one of the most distant galaxies ever imaged. Image: NASA / ESA / B. Salmon (STScI) WATCH: Meet Katie Bouman, one of the scientists who helped capture the first black hole image
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| Kim Jong Un’s ‘Son of Scud’ Poses New Threat to U.S. Troops Posted: 10 May 2019 03:04 AM PDT  Military exercises conducted by North Korea on Thursday and the previous Saturday featured the launch of solid-fuel, short-range ballistic missiles that look like a local variation on Russia's Iskander. While international attention has focused on Kim Jong Un's quest to acquire intercontinental ballistic missiles that could strike the U.S., the short-range weapons pose a more immediate threat to South Korea and the some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed there. The launches -- Kim's most significant military test since November 2017 -- have cast new doubt on U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to secure a disarmament deal with North Korea.
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| Manning ordered to appear before new U.S. grand jury as she is freed from jail Posted: 09 May 2019 06:36 PM PDT  Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who was being detained for refusing to testify before a grand jury, was released on Thursday and immediately summoned to appear before a new grand jury next week, her lawyers said. Manning was released after the term expired for the previous grand jury in Virginia that was seeking her testimony in connection with what is believed to be the government's long-running investigation into WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. Manning had appeared before the grand jury in early March but declined to answer questions.
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| A 12-year-old grabbed a bat and 'was gonna go down fighting' in Colorado school shooting Posted: 10 May 2019 03:53 AM PDT  Nate Holley, a 12-year-old sixth grader, told CNN that he grabbed a bat during the Colorado school shooting so he could fight back if necessary.
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| Polish far-right protests US law on Jewish restitution Posted: 11 May 2019 12:43 PM PDT  Several thousand nationalists rallied in Warsaw on Saturday against a US law on the restitution of Jewish properties seized during the Holocaust, an issue which has surfaced ahead of parliamentary elections later this year. The latter refers to the US Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act which requires the US State Department to report to Congress on the progress of countries including Poland on the restitution of Jewish assets seized during World War Two and its aftermath. Pre-war Poland was a Jewish heartland, with a centuries-old community numbering some 3.2 million, or around 10 percent of the country's population at the time.
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| Principal of Parkland, Florida school where 17 were slain announces he will resign Posted: 11 May 2019 07:21 AM PDT  The principal of a Florida school where 17 people were fatally shot last year is resigning.
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| The Latest: Diplomat warns European signatories of nuke deal Posted: 10 May 2019 09:01 AM PDT  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Latest on the crisis over the embattled nuclear deal between Iran and world powers (all times local):
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| Mitch McConnell’s Senate Makes Judges, Not Laws Posted: 10 May 2019 07:30 AM PDT ![Mitch McConnell's Senate Makes Judges, Not Laws]( "Mitch McConnell's Senate Makes Judges, Not Laws") On Thursday, the Senate took one vote: to confirm a judge. In fact, since April 2, the Senate has taken 50 votes, and all but one of them — the failed veto override on the Yemen resolution — were on nominations or the nomination process. To be fair, a handful of measures have passed without a recorded vote over that period.
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| Women are now in charge of NASA's science missions Posted: 11 May 2019 12:01 PM PDT  When the next car-sized rover lands on Mars in 2020, the ultimate head of this extraterrestrial endeavor will be physicist Lori Glaze. She's leads NASA's Planetary Science Division. And she's not alone. For the first time in history, three of NASA's four science divisions are now run by women, a milestone announced by NASA on Friday. "I am proud to say that for the 1st time in #NASA's history, women are in charge of 3 out of 4 #NASAScience divisions. They are inspiring the next generation of women to become leaders in space exploration as we move forward to put the 1st woman on the Moon," NASA's associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen tweeted Friday. If NASA is able to fulfill President Trump's ambitious (and still not funded) directive that the U.S. return to the moon by 2024, NASA has committed that the first women will land on the moon. In every instance, we hire based on excellence and merit, nothing else. These leaders are incredibly qualified in their fields. — Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) May 10, 2019 What's more, of the latest class of 12 astronauts, almost half, five, are women. Still, a woman has never led the entire space agency, as NASA's administrator. This is not surprising. Women still have a stark minority representation in the most powerful positions of U.S. government. Of the 21 members of President Trump's cabinet, four are women. Though females make up nearly 51% of the U.S. population, just 24 percent of Congress is represented by women. NASA, though, is a clear leader in recognizing the leadership abilities and scientific savvy of the agency's female researchers. What are these three women in charge of? 1. Nicola Fox, director of NASA's Heliophysics division Nicola Fox Image: nasa Fox leads NASA's efforts to understand the sun, a science known as heliophysics. It's a weighty task. NASA is in the midst of a mission that sent a heavily-armored solar probe into the sun's outer atmosphere to gain a markedly improved idea of how our star behaves. This is critical to understanding how solar radiation — and solar storms — will impact our lives, communications, electrical grids, satellites, and astronauts in space. "Ever since people first looked up, they've been looking at the bright light in the sky," Fox said in a statement. "We are really the oldest science branch." 2. Sandra Cauffman, acting director of NASA's Earth Science Division Sandra Cauffman Image: nasa Cauffman heads what many believe to be NASA's most critical mission: understanding our home planet. "What we do in observing Earth as a system gives us the additional benefit of helping humans here on Earth survive hurricanes, tornadoes, pollution, fires, and help public health," Cauffman said. "Understanding the oceans, the algae blooms — all of those things help humans right here on Earth." The work of the Earth Science Division grows increasingly relevant as the planet experiences changes — stoked by human carbon emissions — that are unprecedented in both human and geologic history. 3. Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science division. Lori Glaze Image: nasa Glaze heads the NASA division that explores other worlds — like Mars, Jupiter, and beyond. This is the NASA department that seeks one of humanity's most pressing questions: Is there life in the solar system outside of our planet? As of now, there's zero evidence that life exists elsewhere. But Glaze — and the team she oversees — are looking. WATCH: Meet Katie Bouman, one of the scientists who helped capture the first black hole image
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| US sends assault ship, missiles to Mideast amid Iran 'threat' Posted: 10 May 2019 03:08 PM PDT  The Pentagon announced Friday that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports marines, amphibious vehicles, conventional landing craft and rotary aircraft, and the Patriot air defense system will join the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a B-52 bomber task force headed toward the Gulf after intelligence reports suggested Iran was planning some sort of attack in the region.
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| The Mercedes-Maybach GLS Will Be the Most Expensive Car Built in America Posted: 10 May 2019 11:10 AM PDT  Mercedes has confirmed plans for an ultra-luxurious Maybach version of the third-gen GLS.
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| 35 Pasta Salads That Will Crush At Your Next Cookout Posted: 10 May 2019 02:48 PM PDT |
| EXCLUSIVE-India orders anti-trust probe of Google for alleged Android abuse-sources Posted: 10 May 2019 05:14 AM PDT ![EXCLUSIVE-India orders anti-trust probe of Google for alleged Android abuse-sources]( "EXCLUSIVE-India orders anti-trust probe of Google for alleged Android abuse-sources") India's antitrust watchdog has ordered an investigation into Alphabet Inc's unit Google for allegedly abusing the dominant position of its popular Android mobile operating system to block rivals, two sources aware of the matter told Reuters. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) last year started looking into the complaint, which is similar to one Google faced in Europe that resulted in a 4.34 billion euro ($5 billion) fine on the company, Reuters reported in February.
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| U.S.-China trade talks end with no deal Posted: 10 May 2019 04:30 PM PDT  U.S.-China trade talks end with no deal
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| Facebook sues South Korea data analytics firm Posted: 10 May 2019 09:22 PM PDT  Facebook is suing South Korean data analytics firm Rankwave to make sure it isn't breaking the leading social network's rules, the US company said Friday. A lawsuit was filed against Rankwave in a California State court in Silicon Valley to enforce terms the company agreed to in order to operate apps on the social network, according to director of platform and litigation, Jessica Romero. Facebook was investigating Rankwave data practices relating to advertising and marketing and the South Korean company didn't co-operate with efforts to confirm it was complying with policies for all developers synching to the platform, Romero said in an online post.
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| Comey reflects on Clinton investigation: 'I think I'd likely do it the same way' Posted: 10 May 2019 11:04 AM PDT  Comey said that he wouldn't have changed the way he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's usage of a private email server
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| 4 assailants, 1 guard killed in hotel attack in SW Pakistan Posted: 11 May 2019 10:09 AM PDT ![4 assailants, 1 guard killed in hotel attack in SW Pakistan]( "4 assailants, 1 guard killed in hotel attack in SW Pakistan") QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Four insurgents armed with rifles and grenades attacked a luxury hotel in the southwestern coastal town of Gwadar on Saturday, triggering an intense, hours-long shootout in which one hotel guard and all the attackers were killed, officials said.
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| Hurry: AirPods 2 are on sale for less than the first-gen model Posted: 10 May 2019 07:01 AM PDT ![Hurry: AirPods 2 are on sale for less than the first-gen model]( "Hurry: AirPods 2 are on sale for less than the first-gen model") Apple's first-generation AirPods were so popular that they rarely went on sale at a discount. And every when they did, it was usually only a few bucks. Now, the new AirPods 2 true wireless earbuds have only been available for a few weeks and we've already got a sale that slashes the price to less than you'll pay for any lingering first-generation models out there. Hurry up and you can get a pair of second-generation AirPods on Amazon for just $139.99. They're marked as temporarily out of stock, but some of our readers who bought them out of stock a few weeks ago have already received their orders so it shouldn't be too long!Here's what you need to know from the product page: * Automatically on, automatically connected * Easy setup for all your Apple devices * Quick access to Siri by saying "Hey Siri" * Double-tap to play or skip forward * New Apple H1 headphone chip delivers faster wireless connection to your devices * Charges quickly in the case * Case can be charged using the Lightning connector * Rich, high-quality audio and voice * Seamless switching between devices * Listen and talk all day with multiple charges from the Charging Case
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| Stand Out Form The Crowd With This Restomod Chevrolet Aerosedan Posted: 10 May 2019 12:08 PM PDT  Classic cars are intriguing things to look at, but often at big shows you'll find several versions of the same model — not ideal if your aim is to stand out from the crowd. Restomod cars are more popular than ever, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to own something totally bespoke. Currently for sale with Lost and Found Classic Car Co, the resto-mod machine in question is based on Chevy's Fleetline Aerosadan.
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| What Makes a Driving Shoe a Driving Shoe? Posted: 10 May 2019 01:20 PM PDT  And why you should get a pair.
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| South Korea orders arrest of two Samsung Electronics officials over affiliate's accounting scandal Posted: 10 May 2019 11:37 AM PDT ![South Korea orders arrest of two Samsung Electronics officials over affiliate's accounting scandal]( "South Korea orders arrest of two Samsung Electronics officials over affiliate's accounting scandal") A South Korean court said on Saturday it had approved warrants to arrest two senior officials at Samsung Electronics in relation to an alleged accounting fraud at the tech giant's biopharma affiliate. The Seoul Central District Court said in a statement it had granted warrants to arrest the officials suspected of destroying evidence in the case. Prosecutors accused the two Samsung Electronics officials of ordering employees at biopharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics to destroy internal documents, as authorities looked into an alleged violation of accounting rules at the BioLogics, according to local media reports.
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| 15-year-old boy accused of shooting and killing girlfriend, injuring her mother Posted: 10 May 2019 07:46 AM PDT  A 15-year-old boy is in police custody accused of shooting and killing his 16-year-old girlfriend in Wisconsin. Police say the teen also shot and injured the girl's mother.
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| UPDATE 4-'We are the rightful owners' of Anadarko, Occidental CEO tells shareholders Posted: 10 May 2019 09:00 AM PDT ![UPDATE 4-'We are the rightful owners' of Anadarko, Occidental CEO tells shareholders]( "UPDATE 4-'We are the rightful owners' of Anadarko, Occidental CEO tells shareholders") Occidental Petroleum Chief Executive Vicki Hollub on Friday touted her $38 billion deal for Anadarko Petroleum Corp and defended the pricey terms she negotiated in a 90-minute session with billionaire investor Warren Buffett to secure the deal without seeking shareholder approval. Hollub, 59, beat out larger rival Chevron Corp with a long-shot bid that some Occidental investors called risky because it saddles Occidental with $46 billion in new debt. By deftly lining up allies and cash, she put together a strategy that on Thursday prompted Chevron to withdraw.
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| China outlines three disagreements in US trade talks Posted: 10 May 2019 09:43 PM PDT  China's top trade negotiator said more talks will be held with the United States as he revealed what Beijing considers the three main differences keeping the two sides from reaching a deal. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Friday, Vice Premier Liu He for the first time gave details on where the negotiations stood following two days of talks with US counterparts, with tariffs and how much China should import from America among the disagreements. Since last year the United States and China have exchanged tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, gutting US agricultural exports to China and weighing on both countries' manufacturing sectors.
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| US seizes North Korean ship amid tense moment in relations Posted: 09 May 2019 11:10 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. said Thursday that it has seized a North Korean cargo ship that was used to violate international sanctions, a first-of-its kind enforcement action that comes amid a tense moment in relations between the two countries.
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| After Southwest Airlines family boarding policy change, here are policies on other airlines Posted: 10 May 2019 11:57 AM PDT ![After Southwest Airlines family boarding policy change, here are policies on other airlines]( "After Southwest Airlines family boarding policy change, here are policies on other airlines") Southwest updated its family boarding policy after a same-sex couple said they faced discrimination by a boarding agent two years ago.
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| SpaceX’s recent parachute tests came up short of expectations Posted: 10 May 2019 05:08 PM PDT  NASA is desperate for its own transportation solution to send astronauts to and from the International Space Station. It's paid both SpaceX and Boeing huge sums of money to figure it out, and while both companies have consistently missed their projected milestones with regards to manned spaceflight, SpaceX has successfully completed a (unmanned) trip to the ISS with its Crew Dragon.SpaceX would seem to be in the lead, which is something that surprised many observers. Boeing, with seemingly endless resources at its disposal, has yet to actually launch its Starliner spacecraft, but a recent hearing of a House subcommittee revealed that a SpaceX misstep may have opened the door for Boeing to step in and win the race to crewed missions into space.As CNET reports, NASA's William Gerstenmaier spoke during the hearing and revealed that a test of a SpaceX parachute system came up well short of expectations."It failed," Gerstenmaier said of the parachute system. "The parachutes did not work as designed."That's not great news for SpaceX or NASA, and an investigation into why the chutes failed the test is still ongoing, but it's important to understand what kind of a test this was.Under normal operation conditions, a series of four parachutes would deploy simultaneously, easing the descent and bringing the capsule (or in this case a large metal "sled" used for testing) to a comfortable touchdown. However, NASA has to be prepared for any and all circumstances that might arise during real-world usage, so the parachute system was tested with just three of its four parachutes deployed, simulating a failure of a single parachute.Unfortunately, the three chutes didn't work as intended and failed to reduce the test vehicle's speed enough so that the landing could be considered safe. The vehicle analog was damaged in the testing and the results were unacceptable for NASA.Hilariously, Boeing seems to have used this revelation as an opportunity to gain a bit of public goodwill, tweeting out that their own Starliner has completed "four out of five" major parachute tests. That's a lovely talking point, but until Starliner actually travels into space it's essentially meaningless in the SpaceX/Boeing race.
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| U.S. Intelligence: China Is Building Up Its Capability to Invade Taiwan Posted: 11 May 2019 05:00 AM PDT  China has improved its capabilities to invade Taiwan, according to U.S. intelligence.And while Taiwan is also boosting its military capacity, it's not enough to compensate for growing Chinese strength, according to the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) 2019 report to Congress on Chinese military power."The PLA continues to prepare for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait to deter, and if necessary, compel Taiwan to abandon moves toward independence," DIA warned. "The PLA also is likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the mainland by force, while simultaneously deterring, delaying, or denying any third-party intervention on Taiwan's behalf."The Chinese army is reorganizing into more powerful and flexible combined arms brigades, as well as creating air assault brigades and expanded helicopter forces. The Chinese air force's airborne troops have practiced long-range assaults and raids.The Chinese navy's marine corps has expanded from two to six brigades. And the Chinese fleet, which would be vital for a successful amphibious invasion, has boosted its abilities to blockade or strike Taiwan, and to battle any U.S. military intervention in support of Taipei.
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| With the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition, MCU Means Marvel Car Universe Posted: 10 May 2019 01:22 PM PDT  It's so detailed, even Tony Stark's signature is engraved on the center console, and we love it three thousand.
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| Scouted: Brooklinen Sheets, Weighted Sleep Masks, and More of What Scouted Readers Are Buying Posted: 11 May 2019 03:00 AM PDT  At Scouted, we're Internet shopping with a pulse, and part of that pulse is you, the collection of readers that continue to buy the things we recommend. We've decided to take a look at some of the top-selling products that Scouted readers are picking up and if other Scouted readers are snatching up these hot-ticket items, maybe it's time to invest in something, too. Here's a look at some of the recent best-sellers that Scouted readers really loved (and bought a lot of). Waterproof Kindle Paperwhite, $90 on AmazonWaterproof Kindle Paperwhite, $90 on Amazon: I have a Kindle that I love. Scouted editor Gideon Gideon has a Kindle that he loves. And many, many Scouted readers now have Kindles, as well. They're on sale right now for $90 and will give you a whole new way to experience literature. Don't forget about accessories like a case or a charging cord (which you can get in a bundle!) and upgrade to Kindle Unlimited so you never run out of new reading material.nodpod: Weighted Sleep Mask, $30 on Amazonnodpod: Weighted Sleep Mask, $30 on Amazon: We featured the nodpod after Scouted writer Rachel Krantz penned a love note to the weighted sleep mask. It can help block out light and ease you into sleep, while also helping you stay asleep. It can also be put in the fridge to help with headaches or just to give you a nice cooldown.Luxe Hardcore Sheet Bundle, $219 from BrooklinenLuxe Hardcore Sheet Bundle, $219 from Brooklinen: Brooklinen recently celebrated their 5th birthday and did so with a sitewide discount. Scouted readers took advantage of this and outfitted their bedrooms with luxurious sheets in all kinds of patterns. Side note: the best sheets I own are from Brooklinen and I am considering getting an additional set so I don't wistfully think of them while laying on my other non-Brooklinen sheets.Desktop Glass Dry-Erase Board, $29 from QuartetDesktop Glass Dry-Erase Board, $29 from Quartet: It's kind of crazy how much Scouted readers loved the Quartet desktop whiteboard, but then again, I love mine so much (and so does half my office). In the same vein as kicking your single-use plastic habit, help ween yourself off of jotting down notes that will only be thrown away in due time by using a reusable, erasable whiteboard that fits perfectly on any desk.Commuter Dress Shirt, $118 from RhoneCommuter Dress Shirt, $118 from Rhone: Rhone makes some incredibly durable, technical clothing that can be worn every day, and when they came out with their newest Commuter Shirt, Scouted readers gobbled them up. It has four-way stretch, moisture-wicking properties, and a natural wrinkle release so it'll be an everyday dress shirt that you'll actually enjoy wearing.EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, $33 on AmazonEltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, $33 on Amazon: We took some time to give you a top-level look at what exactly to pay attention to when it comes to sunscreen (hint: look for "broad-spectrum" on the label). Scouted readers took this to heart and added a bunch of the Amazon best-selling Elta MD facial sunscreen to their routine. It's got broad-spectrum SPF 46, plus some skin care ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid.Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| States call pornography a public health crisis; porn industry decries 'fear mongering' Posted: 09 May 2019 06:58 PM PDT ![States call pornography a public health crisis; porn industry decries 'fear mongering']( "States call pornography a public health crisis; porn industry decries 'fear mongering'") From Idaho to Pennsylvania, lawmakers in more than a dozen states have adopted resolutions declaring pornography a public health crisis.
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| See Photos of the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man Edition Posted: 10 May 2019 02:44 PM PDT |
| GRAPHIC-Trade-sensitive stocks on ropes as uncertainty weighs Posted: 10 May 2019 02:44 PM PDT ![GRAPHIC-Trade-sensitive stocks on ropes as uncertainty weighs]( "GRAPHIC-Trade-sensitive stocks on ropes as uncertainty weighs") A week of worsening fears on Wall Street leading up to Washington's increase on tariffs on Chinese goods has taken a toll on stocks that rely heavily on global trade. With U.S. President Trump saying he is in no hurry to sign a deal with China, the United States raised its tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25% from 10% on Friday, rattling financial markets already worried the 10-month trade war between the world's two largest economies could spiral out of control. China's Commerce Ministry has said it would take countermeasures against the increase in U.S. tariffs.
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| The Latest: China trade envoy hoping for rational talks Posted: 09 May 2019 08:39 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on trade talks between China and the United States (all times local):
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| South Africa's ruling ANC in 10 dates Posted: 10 May 2019 09:50 AM PDT  The African National Congress (ANC) led the struggle that toppled apartheid in 1994 and has ruled South Africa ever since, remaining the most popular party despite a series of scandals. The South African Native National Congress was founded in 1912 in response to discrimination against blacks in the then-Union of South Africa, established two years earlier through the merger of white-run colonies and territories. The movement changed its name to ANC in 1923.
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| Famed Apple designer says the iPhone UI is a design fail – here’s why he’s wrong Posted: 10 May 2019 02:06 PM PDT  In a famous 2003 interview with The New York Times, Steve Jobs laid out his -- and by extension, Apple's -- design philosophy."Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like," Jobs said. "People think it's this veneer -- that the designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."True to form, Apple's attention to detail is arguably unrivaled across the industry. While Apple's elegant design is readily apparent when one compares iOS to some of the wonky UIs we see from Android, Apple's obsession with design extends far beyond software and encompasses the materials used in its products and even the way its products are packaged.Having said that, there are some who take the position that Apple has lost its way with respect to design. To this end, former Apple designer Don Norman -- who quite literally wrote the book on intuitive and user-friendly software design -- recently penned an interesting piece for FastCompany arguing that many of the designs we see in everyday objects are simply not designed with the elderly in mind. The issue is only compounded by the fact that humans today are living longer than ever before.As a representative example, Norman notes that some products contain "critical instructions in tiny fonts with very low contrast."So what does this have to do with Apple?Well, Norman specifically takes umbrage with the iPhone's display:> Take the screen design for Apple's phones. The designers at Apple apparently believe that text is ugly, so it should either be eliminated entirely or made as invisible as possible. Bruce Tognazzini and I, both former employees of Apple, wrote a long article on Apple's usability sins ,which has been read by hundreds of thousands of people. Once Apple products could be used without ever reading a manual. Today, Apple's products violate all the fundamental rules of design for understanding and usability, many of which Tognazzini and I had helped develop. As a result, even a manual is not enough: all the arbitrary gestures that control tablets, phones, and computers have to be memorized. Everything has to be memorized.It's an interesting point but I ultimately find Norman's critique unpersuasive. The gestures Apple implemented on the iPhone X, for example, aren't all arbitrary and lend themselves to an improved user experience. And sure, some gestures have to be memorized, but it's not anything that most people, or even children, can't acclimate themselves to within an hour of regular use. Additionally, as devices become more advanced, the way users interact with said devices inevitably becomes a bit more complex. This isn't a sign of things regress but rather progress.Norman's overall point is well taken insofar that design should account for individuals who perhaps lack the vision and dexterity of the average person. That said, the iPhone -- which has any number of accessibility features built right into iOS -- doesn't seem to be a device worthy of criticism in this regard.
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