| Man has life support accidentally cut off by wrong family after being mistaken for someone else Posted: 04 Jul 2019 09:40 AM PDT  A man died without his relatives knowing after a mix up led to another family turning off his life support.Relatives say Elisha Brittman, 69, was misidentified as Alfonso Bennett after he was found naked and unresponsive with serious facial injuries beneath a car in Chicago in April.He was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he was listed as John Doe while his family continued their desperate search for him, according to the CBS 2 news channel.Mr Bennett's family later received a phone call from the hospital, which said he had been identified through mugshots and that he was in intensive care.When he showed no signs of improvement, the Bennett family agreed to have his ventilator removed and he died days later.The family were in the middle of arranging the funeral when the real Alfonso Bennett turned up at a barbecue.Mr Brittman's relatives, who still believed he was missing at the time, learned of his death after he was eventually identified through fingerprints at the morgue.Both families have now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Chicago and Mercy Hospital, accusing them of negligence.They say the mix up, which has been devastating for everyone involved, may never have happened if Mr Brittman had been fingerprinted in the first place.Mr Bennett's sister Rosie Brooks, who received the phone call saying her brother was in hospital, told a press conference on Wednesday: "I said 'how did you all verify this was Alfonso Bennett' –they said 'through the Chicago Police Department'."In my heart I could not recognise him."She added: "If this [the fingerprinting] had been done when they first picked that body up we wouldn't even be here today."State senator Patricia Van Pelt said she would look into introducing legislation which would require an unconscious person to be identified through fingerprints.Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for Chicago Police, said in a tweet last month: "To say that we currently have questions is an understatement."We have detectives looking into every aspect of this incident – from the incident response to the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation and the notification of family members."A spokesperson for Mercy Hospital said it would not be providing a statement at this time.The Independent has contacted Chicago Police Department for comment.
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| What Was That Secret Russian Sub Doing Before It Caught Fire? Posted: 04 Jul 2019 02:45 AM PDT  APA fire broke out on a secretive Russian research submarine on Monday, killing 14 people and potentially slowing Russia's efforts to develop new undersea weaponry.Flames roared through the nuclear-powered Project 1083 Losharik submarine apparently while the vessel was near its home port of Severomorsk on Russia's Arctic coast. Among the crew who died in the accident are at least seven senior officers, two of whom had received the Hero of Russia award, the equivalent of the United States' Medal of Honor. Russian President Vladimir Putin described Losharik's burning as a "big loss." "This is not a regular vessel, you and I know this," Putin told reporters. Fishermen told SeverPost, a Murmansk news agency, they observed Losharik surfacing near Kildin Island in the Barents Sea around 9:30 p.m. local time on Monday. "It came out of the water, all of it," one fisherman said. "I'd never seen anything like that before," the fisherman added. "There were people running, rushing on the deck." "Fire is the biggest nightmare for sailors serving on submarines," Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst, told The Daily Beast. "Anything could cause a fire. A short circuit, somebody's negligence—anything."The Losharik fire is Russia's worst submarine disaster since 2008, when a fire-suppression system malfunctioned on the Russian navy attack submarine Nerpa, asphyxiating 20 people as the vessel underwent trials in the Sea of Japan. Eight years earlier in 2000, the missile submarine Kursk suffered an explosion and sank in the Barents Sea, killing 118 people. The Kursk's sinking and Putin's slowness to respond were major scandals in Russia.Nerpa and Kursk were fleet submarines with front-line military missions. Losharik by contrast is a deep-diving research vessel that belongs to the Kremlin's Directorate of Deepwater Research. Losharik's roughly 200-foot-long hull consists of seven titanium compartments that protect the vessel from the high pressure of extreme depths. Norman Polmar, a submarine expert and naval adviser to top U.S. government officials, estimated Losharik can dive as deep as 20,000 feet. Fleet submarines, including the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class vessels, typically dive no deeper than 600 or 700 feet.Since launching in 2003, Losharik has undertaken some dangerous missions of national importance. In 2012 the submarine and an accompanying vessel drilled to a depth of almost two miles on the Arctic seabed in order to retrieve soil samples and identify the outer limits of Russia's continental shelf.Many of the vessel's other duties are shrouded in mystery, but could involve trials of new sensors and weaponry. "It's a very useful submarine," Polmar said. Research submarines such as Losharik arguably are more important than ever for Russia's strategic plans. The Russian navy for years clung to its position as one of the world's most powerful fleets largely by refurbishing Cold War-vintage surface warships. But those ships and their support infrastructure are becoming harder to maintain. In October 2018 a fire broke out aboard PD-50, a 38-year-old floating drydock that at the time was cradling Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's sole aircraft carrier. PD-50 sank, damaging the carrier and killing two workers.Russia's Biggest Warship Steams to SyriaWith no cheap or easy way to replace PD-50, the Kremlin is considering decommissioning the aging, unreliable Admiral Kuznetsov as part of a wider cull of Cold War-vintage vessels. To replace the old surface ships, Moscow has leaned on its historical strength as a builder of submarines. Putin's government in recent years has accelerated production of new subs while also developing high-tech new weapons to arm the vessels. Russia plans to maintain a fleet of around 50 modern submarines, roughly matching the U.S. Navy's own undersea strength. Russia's submarine build-up includes the 574-foot-long Moscow, which is part-science vessel, part-spy ship, part-commando transport, and part-"mothership" for mini-subs and drones. Russia also is developing "Status-6," an undersea drone that packs a radiological warhead that could contaminate vast stretches of enemy coast.It's unclear what Losharik was doing when the fire broke out. The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to questions The Daily Beast sent via email. Michael Kofman, a Russia expert with the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., said the fire was probably the result of "a demonstration gone awry, perhaps of some new technology.""You will note the casualty list includes seven captains first rank, on a submarine that would at most have one such officer serving," Kofman noted. "This was an extraordinary crew of top elite captains," Golts told The Daily Beast. "Whoever put them together on that vessel gave these captains a complicated task, which required their expertise and experience in oceanographic research."Submariners are folk heroes in Russia. It's not for nothing that the Russian public "is locked on the accident," according to Pavel Podvig, an independent expert on the Russian military. Orthodox churches in the Russian port cities of Murmansk and Severomorsk on Wednesday held memorial services for the victims of the fire.Perhaps fearing another scandal like the Kursk sinking, Putin swiftly responded to the Losharik incident. On Tuesday he canceled a planned event and summoned Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss the fire.The damage and loss of life could have been much worse, Shoigu claimed. The defense minister told reporters the crew heroically saved the life of a civilian aboard Losharik and closed hatches to prevent the flames from spreading. It's unclear how much damage Losharik sustained and whether, or how quickly, the Kremlin could restore the vessel. The fire at least has stymied Russia's undersea ambitions, according to Pavel Luzin, a professor of political science at Perm University in Russia. "Definitely, Russia temporarily lost one of its most advanced naval capabilities that is aimed at maintaining Russia's strategic operations."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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| Iran Under Pressure: Why America's Sanctions Strategy Will Work Posted: 03 Jul 2019 03:43 AM PDT  Iran announced on July 1 that it had crossed the threshold of a three-hundred-kilogram stockpile of low enriched uranium that it is allowed under the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed later in the afternoon that this was indeed the situation.While the reason that Iran is lashing out has to do with the fact that it is suffering the effects of the sanctions that the United States has put in place as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, Iran's message in the nuclear realm is directed primarily to the Europeans. In line with its long-time tactic of "divide and conquer" with regard to the Americans and Europeans, Iran wants to get the Europeans to blame the United States for Iran's provocations (accepting that Iran "had no choice but to lash out"). It wants to finally secure a financial mechanism that will circumvent U.S. sanctions, and allow economic deals to flourish between Iran and European companies.
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| Jury to decide SEAL's punishment for posing with corpse Posted: 02 Jul 2019 10:05 PM PDT  The same military jurors who acquitted a decorated Navy SEAL of murder in the killing of a wounded Islamic State captive under his care in Iraq in 2017 will return to court Wednesday to decide whether he should serve any jail time for the single charge he was convicted of: posing with the 17-year-old militant's corpse. The final step comes after the verdict Tuesday was met with an outpouring of emotion as the jury also cleared Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of attempted murder in the shootings of two civilians and all other charges. Gallagher could face up to four months imprisonment for the single conviction along with a reduction in rank, forfeiture of two-thirds of his pay and a reprimand.
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| Suicides rock Hong Kong protest movement as despair grows over city's independence Posted: 04 Jul 2019 04:52 AM PDT  A lone man in a yellow raincoat stood on top of the scaffolding at a mall in central Hong Kong. Nearby was his banner: "Make love no shoot! No extradition to China!" For hours, police tried to talk Leung down but at around 9pm the 35-year-old jumped to his death, missing the inflatable mattress the officers had prepared to catch him. In the fortnight since two more protesters have also killed themselves. At the site of Mr Leung's death, white flowers and encouraging notes form an impromptu memorial to the deceased. One reads "Believe in our youth! Believe in our people!" But the deaths are a disturbing consequence of anti-government protests that continue to rock the former British colony – after the marches, the peaceful demonstrations and the ransacking of parliament, a handful of citizens are committing suicide in the ultimate statement of desperation. A woman cleans up a makeshift memorial near government headquarters in Hong Kong, Tuesday, July 2, 2019 Credit: AP "People are losing their hope, thinking there's not much we can do to change," said Alvin Yeung, a lawmaker who has engaged in suicide prevention efforts this week. "It's the political environment over the past few years that drove them to this point." As more people call suicide hotlines, message their MP or post online of their despair, the city is on high alert. Volunteers have been dispatched to hunt for people at risk. On Wednesday, at least two who had contemplated suicide were found before they could act. On the surface the city's normal pace has resumed, with workers sent to fix the parliament building seized on Monday night, but a spate of arrests in connection to the protests has fuelled a widespread sense of anguish. Some citizens have begun hunger strikes. Others offer free hugs to boost spirits. Meanwhile the protesters' demands have grown, articulated in signs that continue to pop up despite the city's efforts to clear them. A 91-word message scrawled in red on the wall by a woman surnamed Lo, 21, who fell to her death last Saturday, called for the complete withdrawal of the extradition proposal that ignited the protests; demonstrations not to be labelled as riots – a charge that carries a 10-year prison sentence; the release of arrested student demonstrators; the resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, and for the police to be punished for excessive force. Protesters hold up a yellow raincoat to pay tribute to a citizen who killed himself during the anti extradition bill demonstrations Credit: AFP "I hope to exchange my life for the fulfilment of two million people's wishes," she wrote, referring to the number of people protest organisers estimate have taken to the streets in recent weeks. "Please continue to persevere, you all." Less than 24 hours later, a woman surnamed Wu, 29, jumped from an overpass after leaving a message on social media. "Hong Kong, add oil. I wish I could see you all achieve victory in the end. I am sorry I can't attend the march tomorrow on 1 July because I have given up completely. I feel that there is no tomorrow, I am tired. I don't want to fight for tomorrow anymore," she wrote. "I think I would be marginalised by society." "There is a frustration and anger among our young people," said Paul Yip Siu-fai, director of the centre for suicide research and prevention at the University of Hong Kong. They feel "nothing has changed, so some of them, they do resort to these extreme measures." Hong Kong protests: riot police baton charge and fire tear gas to clear demonstrations at parliament, in pictures "At the same time we have to understand them, their concerns, why they are doing this," he said, in efforts to prevent more deaths. Hong Kong has long enjoyed greater freedoms than the mainland, as guaranteed in the 1997 agreement by which Britain handed over the territory to Beijing. But residents worry about the loss of their liberties as the ruling Communist Party exerts greater influence. Whether the largely organic protests – pulled together by many different groups – will remain cohesive through the summer months remains to be seen. But the calls for the government to respond have only become louder in the wake of the suicides. Such deaths are "unprecedented," said Mr Yeung. "She has every capacity to fix the problem, but Carrie Lam [Hong Kong's chief executive] stays silent and is nowhere to be seen…. Nobody dares to step up and calm people down." And unless Beijing undertakes serious reform the concern is that the unrest is here to stay. Indeed, Hong Kong has been continually disrupted by protests every few years, each movement bigger and more violent than the last. "Beijing has to understand that Hong Kong is a very unique place. It is a free society," said Mr Yeung. "There are seeds of democracy planted in the minds of everyone – especially young ones." Additional reporting by Yiyin Zhong
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| Woman who 'died' for 27 minutes writes chilling note after she's resuscitated Posted: 03 Jul 2019 09:10 AM PDT  An Arizona woman who "died" for a total of 27 minutes asked for a notepadafter she was resuscitated to share an urgent message about the afterlife, herfamily claims
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| US auto industry legend Lee Iacocca dies age 94 Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:21 AM PDT  Automobile industry legend Lee Iaococca, who is credited with creating the iconic Ford Mustang and saving Chrysler from bankruptcy, died Tuesday at the age of 94, US media reported. Iacocca died at his home in Bel-Air, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, from complications of Parkinson's disease, his family told local media. Chrysler said in a statement that the company "is saddened" by news of Iacocca's death.
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| Kamala Harris is surging. Here's what that means for her campaign Posted: 04 Jul 2019 07:47 AM PDT  Harris' top contender status almost surely means more scrutiny and more attention including from President Donald Trump.
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| Florida residents urged to kill iguanas 'whenever possible' amid overpopulation fears Posted: 03 Jul 2019 12:10 PM PDT  The advice to residents of Florida about the rapidly multiplying green iguanas could not have been clearer – kill them, "whenever possible".Naturalists say the lizards, which are an invasive species to the state, are reproducing more quickly than usual because of an extended warm spell. They can cause damage to infrastructure by burrowing, and foul swimming pools and lakes. Given the creatures can lay up to 75 eggs a year and reach up to 5 feet in length, officials have urged residents to help."Green iguanas are not native to Florida and are considered to be an invasive species due to the damage they can cause to seawalls, sidewalks, and landscape plants. This species is not protected in Florida expect by anti-cruelty law," said a notice posted by the state's fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC).It added: "Homeowners do not need a permit to kill iguanas on their own property, and the FWC encourages homeowners to kill green iguanas on their own property whenever possible."The creatures, originally from South America, have long been a menace in Florida, and there have been various attempts to try and deal with them.Authorities say iguanas brought to Florida as pets or hitchhiking on ships have flourished in the conditions found there.Another invasive species, the Burmese python, is wreaking havoc in the Everglades because the big snakes eat almost anything and have no natural predators, the Associated Press reported.Joseph Wasilewski, a scientist from the University of Florida who studies wildlife in Florida and the Caribbean, told ABC News the iguanas were a "serious problem from many standpoints". "They will destroy agriculture, undermine roads, cause electrical transformers to fail, they can transmit salmonella," he said. Yet, he said he was not delighted the authorities had decided to kill the lizards. "It saddens me that all of these magnificent animals, along with multitudes of other invasive reptile species have to be put down," he said. "There is no alternative for the problems."
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| Australian student released from North Korea says he's 'very good' Posted: 03 Jul 2019 09:33 PM PDT  SYDNEY/TOKYO (Reuters) - An Australian student who was detained in North Korea was freed and safely left the country on Thursday, arriving in Tokyo via Beijing later the same day after Swedish officials helped broker his release. Alek Sigley, 29, who was studying in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, had been missing since June 25.
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| Video Alert: Watch an Iranian F-14A Launch a Fakour-90 Air-To-Air Missile Posted: 03 Jul 2019 02:48 AM PDT  The following interesting video is the first known footage that shows an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) F-14A Tomcat firing a Fakour-90 air-to-air missile.The missile is a copy of the Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix missile that was sold together with the F-14 to Iran in the late 1970s.The missile was developed by the Iranian Army, Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, and IRIAF. In Oct. 2011, it was announced that the missile had reached the stage of mass production.The U.S. Navy retired the iconic Tomcat on Sep. 22, 2006 and today the F-14 remains in in service with IRIAF.In Jan. 2007, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced that sales of spare F-14 parts would be suspended over concerns of the parts ending up in Iran and in Jul. 2007 the remaining U.S. F-14s were shredded to ensure that any parts could not be acquired.However in Oct. 2010 IRIAF commander stated that his country was overhauling its F-14s and mentioned that Iran-made radar system had been installed on the fighter.
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| Timeline: 'Sewing Circle' to murder case against Navy SEAL Posted: 02 Jul 2019 10:13 PM PDT  The case against Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a sniper and medic accused of stabbing to death a wounded Islamic State fighter, caused fissures in the normally cohesive and secretive community of Navy SEALS, some of the world's best trained troops who often are called on for the most difficult assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. Other SEALS were responsible for providing incriminating information that led to a formal investigation that produced murder and other charges against Gallagher. Just before the trial began, President Donald Trump considered a pardon for Gallagher but demurred as critics said it would undermine the military justice system.
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| Trump team weighs giving China a get-out-of-jail free card on Iran Posted: 03 Jul 2019 02:02 AM PDT  The move would breach a vow to bring Iran's oil exports to zero.
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| Brother and sister dead in murder-suicide at housewarming near Cinco Ranch Posted: 04 Jul 2019 06:04 AM PDT  Three family friends were also shot at the housewarming get together and two teens were unharmed.
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| View Photos of our Long-Term 2019 Hyundai Veloster N Posted: 03 Jul 2019 09:08 AM PDT |
| AOC Releases Plan to Address Immigration Crisis Posted: 03 Jul 2019 03:17 PM PDT  Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday released a plan to address the increasing numbers of migrants crossing the southern border, calling among other things for decriminalizing illegal border crossings.In her four-point plan, the New York Democrat calls on the Trump administration to "reinstate US humanitarian aid in the Northern Triangle, where people are fleeing" as well as "start acting like a real partner in Latin America, & increase visas where we intervene."Secondly, the progressive congresswoman tied in her signature issue, climate change, saying that the refugee crisis is partly due to natural disasters."There is broad consensus from military to activists that resource strains (droughts, famine, etc) & nat disasters are drivers of refugees," she wrote on Twitter. "People are fleeing places that were once livable & are no longer. It will get worse the longer we do nothing."Third, Ocasio-Cortez called for repealing the laws criminalizing crossing into the U.S. without proper documentation, saying the Trump administration is using the statutes to "mindlessly throw people in cages.""We have to take these proceedings out of criminal code & into civil code," she said. "Torture accomplishes nothing."Finally, the congresswoman proposed "large-scale public investment to spur job creation for citizens & immigrants alike." She mentioned climate change again, expressing her hope that the "investment transitions us to a sustainable economy (climate & income-wise)."Ocasio-Cortez's plan rollout comes days after she visited Customs and Border Protection detention facilities, where she said she witnessed migrants being held in disturbing and unsanitary conditions and experienced CBP agents behaving in a "physically & sexually threatening" manner towards her.CBP has also faced outrage and is under scrutiny this week after the discovery of a secret border patrol workers' Facebook group containing offensive content about migrants.
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| Eight arrested over cyberattacks against Hong Kong police Posted: 03 Jul 2019 04:01 AM PDT  Hong Kong police said Wednesday they have arrested eight people for stealing and disclosing personal information of officers online, as the city grapples with the aftermath of unprecedented anti-government protests that saw its parliament ransacked. The semi-autonomous city has been plunged into crisis by massive demonstrations since last month against its Beijing-backed government, sparked by a law that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland. The anger spilled over on Monday as groups of mostly young, hardline protesters stormed Hong Kong's Legislative Council, spraying graffiti on the walls of its main chamber and defacing the city's seal before police regained control of the building.
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| Biden leading in new poll after underwhelming debate performance as Harris surges Posted: 03 Jul 2019 10:01 AM PDT  The ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Biden is still a favorite in the general election, while Harris got a boost after a strong performance at the first Democratic debate.
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| Proud to be an American? Gallup poll hits historic low of 45% ahead of Fourth of July holiday Posted: 03 Jul 2019 05:37 AM PDT ![Proud to be an American? Gallup poll hits historic low of 45% ahead of Fourth of July holiday]( "Proud to be an American? Gallup poll hits historic low of 45% ahead of Fourth of July holiday") The highest readings on record, of 69% and 79%, occurred between 2002 and 2004, according to Gallup.
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| Iran could consider talks with U.S. only if sanctions lifted, Khamenei permits: minister Posted: 04 Jul 2019 01:25 AM PDT  Iran's intelligence minister has said Tehran and Washington could hold talks only if the United States ended its sanctions and Iran's top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gave his approval, state news agency IRNA reported on Thursday. "Holding talks with America can be reviewed by Iran only If (U.S. President Donald) Trump lifts the sanctions and our supreme leader gives permission to hold such talks," Mahmoud Alavi said late on Wednesday.
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| Fourth of July 2019: What is the history behind America’s biggest national holiday? Posted: 03 Jul 2019 10:00 PM PDT  Americans celebrate the Fourth of July every year, with 2019 marking the 243rd anniversary of the founding of the United States.An occasion for parties, barbecues, fireworks and, under Donald Trump, tank displays and Air Force flyovers, this is the most significant national holiday in the American calendar, an unabashed expression of patriotic pride.For the unitiated, here's everything you need to know. What is it?The occasion honours the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers on 4 July 1776.In putting quill to parchment, these 56 statesmen – Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin among them – renounced the British Empire and pronounced the North American colonies free states.A modern superpower was born. What's the story behind it?The British Empire had built a commanding presence in the New World since Sir Walter Raleigh led the first attempts to establish settlements on the east coast in the late Elizabethan era.By the 18th century, North America was governed from London and comprised of the Thirteen Colonies, consisting of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations.Primarily agricultural lands, the Thirteen Colonies were exploited by their imperial rulers for their resources, particularly the territories' lucrative tobacco crops. While relations between settlers and the Crown were initially amicable, tensions began to escalate under King George III over opposition to the imposition of British laws and taxes, notably the Stamp Act. A growing spirit of nationalism swelled among the native-born. By 1765, Americans began to demand an end to "taxation without representation", calling for their voices to be heard in the Houses of Parliament.Acts of dissent followed, notably the Boston Tea Party in 1773. A protest against the Tea Act, which gave the East India Company a monopoly, the incident saw a group known as the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans dump an entire shipment of imported British tea leaves into the city's harbour.The demonstration was both a gleeful satire of the ruling power's obsession with its national beverage and a call to arms against the decadence and entitlement of empire.Further ill-feeling was fostered by the Coercive Acts, known as the "Intolerable Acts" among American Patriots, which retracted Massachusetts' semi-independence as punishment for the Tea Party humiliation.Two Continental Congresses were staged bringing together delegates from the Thirteen Colonies to coordinate the resistance. At the second meeting in Philadelphia in 1775, the Declaration of Independence was signed and the American War of Independence declared, with open combat erupting in Concord, Massachusetts, that April. The conflict would rage for eight years, until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.The declaration was drafted by the Committee of Five – Jefferson, Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston – and established citizens' "unalienable" rights, observing that "all men are created equal" and enshrining the individual's entitlement to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".The draft was submitted to Congress on 28 June 1776, voted into law on 2 July and formally ratified on 4 July, a date that has been celebrated by patriotic Americans ever since. It was first published in The Pennsylvania Evening Post two days later. How has it been celebrated through history? The first readings of the Declaration were made in Philadelphia squares and met with bonfires and the ringing of bells.In Bristol, Rhode Island, a salute of 13 gunshots in the morning and evening marked the day in 1777, the country's first formal 4 July celebration and a point of pride in the town to this day, which has held an annual parade since 1785. In 1778, George Washington, then a general in the revolutionary army, issued his troops with a double rum ration to cheer the day. The first recorded music commemorating independence was the "Psalm of Joy", written by Johann Friedrich Peter in Salem, North Carolina, in 1783. Congress made the day an unpaid national holiday for federal workers in 1870 but it has been a paid vacation since 1938. How do people celebrate it today?All major cities hail 4 July with spectacular fireworks displays, the White House giving its own.The occasion is otherwise marked in towns across America with picnics, baseball games, marches, brass brands playing John Philip Sousa and performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner".As a national holiday, it also serves as an occasion for family reunions and vacations.
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| The 25 Best-Selling Cars, Trucks, and SUVs of 2019 (So Far) Posted: 03 Jul 2019 07:30 AM PDT |
| Southern California struck by 6.4 magnitude earthquake Posted: 04 Jul 2019 01:02 PM PDT  A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck Southern California near the city of Ridgecrest, about 113 miles northeast of Los Angeles, on Thursday. The Kern County Fire Department said it was working on "nearly two dozen incidents ranging from medical assistance to structure fires in and around the city of Ridgecrest." Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breedon said the city was dealing with fires and broken gas lines, as well as falling objects that hit people, as the city endured many aftershocks. "We are used to earthquakes but we're not used to this significance," she told MSNBC. The quake is the largest in Southern California since the 1994 magnitude 6.6 Northridge earthquake, which was centered in a heavily populated area of Los Angeles and caused billions of dollars of damage, US Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist Paul Caruso said. My dads liquor store in Ridgecrest (11 miles from the earthquake) �� pic.twitter.com/4RC0mY3eha— Zomo (@zomo_abd) July 4, 2019 Ms Breedon said she had never felt a quake "like this long rolling" temblor, adding she was driving in her car when it happened and immediately pulled up her emergency brake. She said the city of Ridgecrest had asked residents to look after others, especially the elderly, which form a large part of the city's population. The USGS said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.6, was very shallow - only 5.4 miles - which would have amplified its effect. The temblor, which struck at around 1:30pm EDT in an area on the edge of Death Valley National Park, was felt throughout Los Angeles, as far north as Fresno, and as far east as Las Vegas, Nevada. It was even felt south of the border in Mexico, where buildings were evacuated in the towns of Tijuana and Mexicali, according to Baja State officials. This is my friends chandelier after the earthquake �� earthquakeridgecrestearthquakepic.twitter.com/UqjHupfvLA— Yunuen Valencia (@_yv0214) July 4, 2019 According to European quake agency EMSC, the quake was felt in an area inhabited by some 20 million people. "We were just panicked trying to get out of the house because everything was just falling out of the cabinets, off the shelves, off the walls, pictures ... They were flying like missiles off the shelves," resident April Rodriguez in Trona, California, south of Ridgecrest, said on CNN. The epicenter was very close to Ridgecrest, a town with a population of more than 27,600 in the high desert. The area is associated with the Eastern California Shear Zone and has suffered earthquake swarms in the past, including a series of some 2,500 tremors over the course of five weeks in the summer of 1995. According to poweroutage.us, there were some 5,851 customers without power in Kern County. Temperatures in the area were expected to climb to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8°C) on Thursday, with extremely low humidity, the Weather Channel said. USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said on CNN the area would be hit by many more aftershocks in the coming days, and could even be hit by a larger quake. A magnitude 6.4 quake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage. US President Donald Trump said that the situation appeared to be under control amid reports of scattered damage. "Been fully briefed on earthquake in Southern California. All seems to be very much under control!" Mr Trump tweeted. The quake struck near the city of Ridgecrest and the US Navy's China Lake weapons testing range. A hospital damaged by the quake in Ridgecrest was being evacuated, and an official at China Lake said there was "substantial damage" to their facilities, including fires, water leaks and spills of hazardous materials.
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| Hong Kong police vow action over parliament storming Posted: 03 Jul 2019 10:55 AM PDT  Hong Kong authorities vowed Wednesday to hunt down the protesters who stormed parliament in an unprecedented challenge to the Beijing-backed government. The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by massive anti-government demonstrations since last month, sparked by a proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. China has appeared irked by former colonial power Britain's public rebukes over the protests, and on Wednesday London summoned the Chinese ambassador.
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| China's Navy is Going Blue Water (Starting With 6 Aircraft Carriers) Posted: 03 Jul 2019 08:00 PM PDT  China's rush to rival the United States as an aircraft carrier superpower reflects Beijing's conviction, inculcated after the perceived humiliation of the Third Taiwan Crisis, that China can neither defend its eleven-thousand-mile-long coastline nor project seapower throughout the East Asia region without fielding a modernized carrier fleet; specifically, six of them by 2035.China is forging ahead with the construction of its third aircraft carrier in under a decade, highlighting the scale of Beijing's maritime ambitions.A series of satellite images from the Jiangnan shipyard, recently published by a China-focused think tank, shed light on the ongoing construction of China's Type 002 carrier. The images reveal a typical military vessel construction site, replete with a floodable basin and multiple sluice gates. While the haziness of the photos makes it difficult to discern the carrier's dimensions, the hull appears to measure forty meters in width by forty-eight meters in length. If prior reports are accurate, Type 002 will be larger and much heavier than its predecessors at a displacement of up to eighty-five thousand tons versus the sixty thousand to seventy thousand tons. The carrier is widely expected to feature a conventional propulsion system, though other technical details remain scant.
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| Social Media Influencers Have to Pay Double at This Soft Serve Truck Because the Ice Cream Man Has Reached His Melting Point Posted: 03 Jul 2019 08:13 AM PDT  Joe Nicchi is going viral for taking a stand against influencers asking for freebies.
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| After deadly NH biker crash, thousands of out-of-state traffic notices found untouched by Massachusetts RMV Posted: 03 Jul 2019 08:44 AM PDT  Tens of thousands of notifications detailing traffic incidents involving Massachusetts drivers in other states sat untouched.
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| Joe Biden raises $21.5 million in second quarter, keeps pace with Buttigieg Posted: 03 Jul 2019 09:28 AM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden took in $21.5 million in the second fundraising quarter of the year, his campaign said on Wednesday, placing him behind only Pete Buttigieg among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who have reported campaign donations for the period. In an email to supporters, the Biden campaign pointed out that Biden entered the race in late April three weeks after the quarter began, making his per-day donation rate the highest of any candidate so far. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders raised $18 million in the second quarter, his campaign reported on Tuesday.
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| US pride hits record low, poll shows Posted: 04 Jul 2019 10:00 AM PDT  As the US celebrates Independence Day, a new poll suggests less Americans feel pride in their country than at any other time since 2001. While 70 per cent of US adults claim to be proud to be Americans, only 45 per cent identified as "extremely proud" in the survey, marking the second consecutive year that this falls below the majority level. The highest reported levels of pride in the US government and being an American came in 2002 and 2004, after the 9/11 attacks. During those years, 70 per cent of people identified as "extremely proud" to be American. While Democrats have historically reported lower levels of extreme patriotism among their ranks, the polling, carried out by Gallup, found this year their "extreme pride" has hit an all-time low. At this point, only 22 per cent of Democrats identify as "extremely proud". Before Donald Trump was elected, it was nearly twice that. Democrat-voting women, liberals, and younger people all experience lower levels of pride than the rest of the US population.Independents echo similar sentiments, with a record low of 41 per cent reporting extreme pride. Republicans, on the other hand, have reported that 76 per cent of them remain in the "extremely proud" group, a ten per cent decrease from the highest recording in 2003.In a new question introduced this year, Gallup found that Americans largest sources of pride were in science (91 per cent), arts (85 per cent), and the US military (89 per cent). On the contrary, US citizens were least proud of the political system (32 per cent) and the health and welfare system (37 per cent).Gallup attributed the new record low in part to a divisive political climate, noting similar figures have been also been reported once before during the time Mr Trump has been in office.
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| Acting Homeland Security boss decries 'vile' Facebook posts Posted: 03 Jul 2019 02:14 PM PDT  Before the rise of social media, Border Patrol agents gathered in parking lots at the end of their shifts for what was known as "choir practice" — a chance to share what they saw that day and anything else on their minds. T.J. Bonner, who led the National Border Patrol Council during much of his 32-year career as an agent, recalled the defunct tradition while trying to explain a secret Facebook group for agents that included sexually explicit posts about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and questioned the authenticity of a recent photo of a father and daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande. "That outlet faded away and was replaced by social media, where people thought they had a safe place they could vent and process," said Bonner, whose career ended in 2010 and who does not belong to the group.
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| Captivating 1969 Chevrolet Camaro In Copperhead Metallic Posted: 03 Jul 2019 06:55 AM PDT  And it's looking for a new (forever) home.If you're a car enthusiast with a soft spot for the classic muscle cars, then keep on reading. The beauty you see above is up for sale through Legendary Motors in Beverly, Massachusetts. For those who may not be able to tell at a glance, it's none other than a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. The current asking price as of this writing is $40,900. When you factor in its long list of goodies and the fact that it's only got one mile on the odometer since the build, it's not extreme at all! This model is powered by Chevy's 496 V8 engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. However, it's got a lot more under the hood than just that. The 1969 Camaro is, without a doubt, one of the most popular pony cars out there. It was the final year of the first-generation Camaro and the first year that the car saw some significant changes. It received all-new sheet metal, except for the hood and trunk. The front grille featured a more angled "V" design that allowed the headlights to be more deeply inset. Meanwhile, the rear taillights were extended to a triple-lens setup. Louvers were also added on the rear quarter panels. The updated body panels make for a flatter and wider looking stance that emits a more expressive and muscular appearance. The mechanical underpinnings of the '69 Chevy Camaro remained the same, however. The interior gauges from the '67 and '68 models were replaced by square ones and actually inspired the gauges found in the fifth-gen Camaro as well.This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro coupe sports a custom PPG Copperhead Metallic Paint with PPG Snow White Pearl Stripes. It is a Pro Street build with a long list of added equipment and a ton of power to boot. The car delivers incredible sound and stance as it rumbles down the street or strip. No matter where you take it, this model is sure to impress. The interior was also customized with racing seats, a racing harness, roll cage, Grant GT steering wheel, B&M Pro Stick automatic shifter, and more! You won't believe your eyes at all the work and love that was put into this bad boy. We won't spoil the entire list for you here, so take a look at the ad for yourself!General Motors sold 37,773 units of the 1969 Camaro RS, 34,394 of the SS, and 20,302 of the Z/28. One thing is for sure, though. No matter which Camaro you have, it's a valuable collectible that will forever be admired and remind us of its history, legendary prowess, and overall journey to the present-day models. Don't miss the opportunity to get your hands on this iconic 1969 Camaro. Call today! Read more... First Battle Of The Builders Champ 1969 Camaro This 1968 Camaro RS Is Both The Beauty And The Beast
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| Update: City officials fill giant Edison Park pothole after residents raise concerns Posted: 03 Jul 2019 12:01 PM PDT  City officials have filled a giant pothole on Touhy Avenue after residents complained pothole caused homes to shake.
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| Embattled Boeing to give $100 mn to 737 MAX crash victims' families Posted: 03 Jul 2019 12:05 PM PDT  Boeing, under scrutiny after two crashes that claimed 346 lives, announced Wednesday it would give $100 million to communities and families affected by the 737 MAX disasters. Describing the sum as an "initial investment" over multiple years, the company said it would work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide "hardship and living expenses" and boost economic development in regions affected by crashes of planes operated by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air. Boeing faces numerous lawsuits filed by the victims' families, some of whom have appeared at news conferences or during congressional hearings probing the disasters.
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| 2020 Democrats Caught Between Corn and Ethanol Foes in Iowa Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Environmentalists are taking their case that corn-based ethanol is bad for the planet to the state that makes more of it than any other: Iowa.They are bird-dogging presidential candidates such as Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker at rallies and town halls, trying to dissuade them from making politically convenient pro-ethanol pledges to get votes in corn country. Their message: biofuels are driving environmental harms, from disappearing wetlands to algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico.As Democratic 2020 candidates flock to Iowa this July 4 -- Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and Joe Biden will be there -- biofuel foes are challenging conventional wisdom that ethanol support is untouchable in Iowa.So far, their efforts aren't working.At least nine presidential candidates made pilgrimages to ethanol factories in Iowa so far this year -- including President Donald Trump, who visited the Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy facility in Council Bluffs on June 11.Former Democratic congressman Beto O'Rourke toured the Big River Renewables LLC ethanol plant in West Burlington two days after announcing his bid. New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio praised biofuels as good for the planet at a POET Biorefining plant in Gowrie in May. On Tuesday, Representative Tim Ryan stopped by the Golden Grain Energy LLC ethanol facility in Mason City.Showing love for ethanol is part of the political script in Iowa. "You've got to get a picture in a corn field, if you can find one, and you have to have the picture with an ethanol plant and then you've got to have the picture with the corn dog," said Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University in Ames.For years, biofuel advocates have promoted the idea that backing ethanol is a litmus test for winning Iowa, site of the nation's first presidential caucuses. That persists despite the 2016 Republican caucus victory of Ted Cruz, who criticized the U.S. biofuel mandate. Many former critics have reversed course after campaigning in Iowa, from John McCain and Marco Rubio to Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.Iowa produced 2.5 billion bushels of corn last year -- with 62% of that going to make ethanol. And the state leads the nation in producing biodiesel, a renewable fuel typically made from soybeans. A biofuel trade group estimates the industry pumps some $5 billion into Iowa's economy, or about 3% of the state's GDP.Biofuel foes view Iowa as the front lines of their fight. Campaign promises made there have a direct link to pro-biofuel policies in Washington, said Glenn Hurowitz, chief executive officer of Mighty Earth, a not-for-profit group that stationed activists in the state."Corn ethanol and soy biodiesel are even dirtier than dirty oil -- and the path to building support for reform goes through Iowa," Hurowitz said.Biofuel critics saw an opening this year. The Democratic field is crowded with coastal lawmakers who don't have entrenched positions supporting renewable fuel. And many of the Democratic contenders are competing to outline bold plans for combating climate change -- some with visions of phasing out all liquid transportation fuels, whether made of corn or crude.The National Wildlife Federation has armed presidential candidates with talking points crafted to help them prove they support rural America and corn farmers without endorsing ethanol at the same time. Activists also conducted door-to-door petition drives, panel workshops and volunteer training to emphasize the issue."A lot of the candidates come in here assuming they have to talk about how great ethanol is because they think that's what Iowans want to hear," said Anya Fetcher, an activist who led Mighty Earth's campaign in Iowa City. "It's our chance to shape the narrative and let them know early on that it is important to talk about real climate solutions."Mighty EarthFetcher used that strategy with 2020 hopeful Tulsi Gabbard after a "meet and greet" event in an Iowa City brewery in February.Fetcher wound around tables and through a throng of voters to reach Gabbard, and told the Hawaii Democrat that, contrary to popular belief, Iowans prefer to fight climate change with wind power, solar energy and land conservation rather than corn-based ethanol."I am in complete alignment with what you are talking about," Gabbard responded, her voice rising over the din in the crowded bar as she stressed it's important to ensure farmers aren't hurt.Mighty Earth had other, early successes, recording Warren saying she wants "better biofuels" and using video of Booker saying he supports ethanol to spur a follow-up conversation with his staff.The chairman of Washington-based Mighty Earth is former California Representative Henry Waxman. The group's Iowa biofuel initiative was partially underwritten by Jerry Jung, a former chief executive of heavy equipment dealer Michigan CAT who blames the U.S. biofuel mandate for declines in the Monarch butterfly population.Opponents, including oil companies and wildlife advocates, say the 14-year-old Renewable Fuel Standard that requires biofuel in gasoline and diesel drives farmers to plow prairie grasses and shrubs to grow corn and soybeans. And they argue that greenhouse gas emissions associated with corn-based ethanol are higher than anticipated when land conversions are factored in.Federal and state agencies generally treat ethanol as a climate-friendly alternative to petroleum-based gasoline. California, for instance, approves ethanol under its aggressive low-carbon fuel standard requirements. And a U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in April credits corn-based ethanol with producing at least 39% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline over its entire life cycle, from the initial production of raw materials to its processing and eventual combustion in vehicles.Crowded FieldBiofuel advocates dispute claims of rampant land changes they say are based on flawed research. In the middle of an agricultural crisis, "farmers are trying to hold on to the land they have," said Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council. "They're not clearing more land. They're trying to survive."Embracing ethanol has enduring political appeal as a way for candidates to show empathy for rural America -- a powerful tool for urban Democrats trying to court Midwest voters. And some Democrats, such as Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, see the issue giving them an opening against Trump, who promised to "protect" ethanol on the campaign trail but has been more equivocal in the White House.The Trump administration gave the industry a major win by lifting restrictions restricting higher-ethanol E15 gasoline sales but also has been criticized for exempting dozens of oil refineries from biofuel quotas.Polling shows that supporting ethanol still helps in Iowa. In a March survey conducted for Focus on Rural America, 84% of likely Iowa caucus goers said they would be more inclined to back a candidate "who supports expanding production of renewable biofuels like ethanol and growing related jobs in rural communities."But ethanol isn't a priority issue for most voters -- it's consistently outranked by other concerns such as health care, immigration and education. Biofuel didn't even place in a list of nearly two dozen issues raised by likely Iowa voters as their most pressing concerns in an April Monmouth University poll.Still, biofuel boosters are making appeals to Democratic candidates -- and countering Mighty Earth's campaign with one of their own. They are inviting candidates to tour manufacturing facilities and circulating briefing memos refuting Mighty Earth's arguments. One of the biggest U.S. ethanol producers, Green Plains Inc., plans to "engage with candidates on pro-ethanol policy," Chief Executive Todd Becker told analysts on an earnings call.And ethanol producers have established a new group -- called Biofuels Vision 2020 -- to help candidates appreciate "the benefits of renewable fuels for the environment, energy security and Iowa's rural economies.""It's everything Democrats want to talk about in terms of engaging rural America. It's climate, it's jobs, it's environment and it's rural income," said Monte Shaw, head of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. "If they're willing to learn and have a science discussion, then we're going to be fine. The facts are on our side."\--With assistance from Mario Parker and Tyler Pager.To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer A. Dlouhy in Washington at jdlouhy1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth WassermanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| A Teen From a 'Good Family' Allegedly Bragged About Raping a 16-Year-Old. Now a Judge Is Under Fire for His Leniency Posted: 03 Jul 2019 11:41 AM PDT  The judge denied a request to try the boy as an adult. An appeals court reversed his decision
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| Look Closely: Is This Picture the Future of the U.S. Navy? Posted: 04 Jul 2019 01:36 AM PDT  Boeing is also looking to convince the Navy that the CMV-22 could fulfill all sorts of secondary roles that S-3 Vikings or helicopters used to fulfill, such as anti-submarine patrols, search-and-rescue of downed airmen, special ops insertion, and electronic warfare.Only time will tell whether the pricy CMV-22B brings about the revolution in logistics the Navy is hoping for.For over fifty years, the Navy has operated C-2A Greyhound cargo haulers with twin turboprop engines to ferry personnel, supplies, mail and spare parts to its massive aircraft carriers at sea—a mission known as Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD). The Greyhound, which is derived from the Navy's E-2 Hawkeye radar planes, can haul up to five tons of cargo or 26 passengers while still managing to land and takeoff from the three-hundred-meter-long carrier flight deck—and then fold its wings to fit in the hangar deck below.(This first appeared last year.)In the late 2000s, however, the Navy began looking to replace the aging Greyhound. Candidates to take up the COD mission included modernized C-2s and the Navy's recently retired S-3 Viking anti-submarine jets. In the end, though, the Navy gave in to urging from the Marines and decided to pursue the most expensive option—the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.
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| A Funky Pool Float Is the Perfect Summer Accessory Posted: 04 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Iran to speed up enrichment of uranium amid faltering nuclear deal Posted: 03 Jul 2019 09:41 AM PDT  Iran will speed up enrichment of uranium and pull further out of the nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian officials said.
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| China says existing U.S. tariffs must be removed for a trade deal Posted: 04 Jul 2019 12:21 AM PDT ![China says existing U.S. tariffs must be removed for a trade deal]( "China says existing U.S. tariffs must be removed for a trade deal") Existing U.S. tariffs will have to be removed if there is to be a trade deal between Beijing and Washington, China's commerce ministry said on Thursday. The leaders of the two countries agreed last weekend to relaunch trade talks that had stalled in May after U.S. officials accused China of pulling back from commitments made in the text of a pact negotiators had said was nearly finished. Trade teams from both countries are in contact, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng told a regular media briefing.
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| Airstrike kills 44 migrants in Libyan detention center Posted: 03 Jul 2019 05:36 PM PDT  An airstrike hit a detention center for migrants near the Libyan capital of Tripoli early Wednesday, killing at least 44 people and wounding dozens of others in an attack that the U.N. human rights chief said could amount to a war crime. The Tripoli-based government blamed the attack on forces associated with Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose Libyan National Army has been waging an offensive against rival militias in the capital of the war-torn North African country since April. It refocused attention and raised questions about the European Union's policy of cooperating with the militias that hold migrants in crowded and squalid detention centers to prevent them from crossing the Mediterranean to seek better lives in Europe.
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| Volkswagen Type 20 EV Microbus Concept Is the Hippie Classic, Reimagined as an Electric Vehicle Posted: 03 Jul 2019 11:15 AM PDT  For VW Bus lovers everywhere, this concept was built to celebrate 20 years of VW's presence and technology in Silicon Valley.
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| Japan whale restaurants cheer hunt resumption Posted: 02 Jul 2019 11:11 PM PDT  "Two sashimis, three steaks," cries the waitress at one of Tokyo's most famous whale restaurants during a frantic lunchtime service where Japan's resumption of commercial whaling has cooked up new hope. Mitsuo Tani has spent 46 of his 64 years preparing and cooking whale meat and hosts a mixed clientele at his restaurant: salarymen in white shirts gulping down a quick lunch before heading back to the office, single women, retired couples. Japan's resumption of commercial whaling has prompted fury from other countries and campaigners, with activists saying that one of the three species targeted is threatened with extinction and sub-populations of the other two are depleted.
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| California mom charged in son's death left parole in 2014 Posted: 02 Jul 2019 05:33 PM PDT  A woman accused of drowning her 12-year-old son in a California irrigation ditch was released from probation in 2014 after her parole officer in Montana said she didn't pose any risk to the boy she had tried to drown as a baby in a Montana river. Sherri Telnas' Montana parole officer recommended in July 2014 conditional release from her supervision, saying Telnas' discharge from supervision "is in the best interests of the offender and society and will not present unreasonable risk of danger to the victim(s) of this offense," court documents show. Telnas, 45, was charged Tuesday with the killing of her oldest son, Jackson, and the attempted killing of her 7-year-old son, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward said.
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| Bad news for Bernie has his backers getting antsy Posted: 04 Jul 2019 05:02 AM PDT ![Bad news for Bernie has his backers getting antsy]( "Bad news for Bernie has his backers getting antsy") His campaign says his organization will win out and that predictions of his demise are way premature.
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