2017年8月24日星期四

Yahoo! News: Terrorism

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Terrorism


Don Lemon unloads after Trump speech: 'Total eclipse of the facts'

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 07:04 AM PDT

Don Lemon unloads after Trump speech: 'Total eclipse of the facts'Trump's Phoenix rally leaves CNN panel questioning his fitness for office. Former intelligence chief James Clapper called his remarks "scary and disturbing."


Florida to execute white man for racially motivated murder

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:15 AM PDT

Florida to execute white man for racially motivated murderGAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — For the first time in state history, Florida is expecting to execute a white man Thursday for killing a black person — and it plans to do so with the help of a drug that has never been used before in any U.S. execution.


U.S. Navy relieves Seventh Fleet commander in wake of collisions in Asia

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 02:57 AM PDT

U.S. Navy relieves Seventh Fleet commander in wake of collisions in AsiaWASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Wednesday said it had removed Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin after a series of collisions involving its warships in Asia as the search goes on for 10 sailors missing since the latest mishap. Aucoin's removal comes after a pre-dawn collision between a guided-missile destroyer and a merchant vessel east of Singapore and Malaysia on Monday, the fourth major incident in the U.S. Pacific Fleet this year. "Admiral Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, today relieved the commander of Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," the U.S. Navy said in a press release.


The Top 5 Design Travel Destinations This October

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:07 PM PDT

The Top 5 Design Travel Destinations This October


College Student Dies After Suffering Altitude Sickness While Hiking Colorado Mountains

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 01:10 PM PDT

College Student Dies After Suffering Altitude Sickness While Hiking Colorado MountainsSusanna DeForest, 20, of Pennsylvania, was hiking with friends on the Conundrum Creek Trail when she fell ill Thursday, authorities said.


What We Know About the U.S.'s New Nuclear Missile

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 06:16 AM PDT

What We Know About the U.S.'s New Nuclear MissileThe Ground Based Strategic Deterrent will replace the venerable Minuteman III ICBM, but does the Air Force even need it?


Mystery deaths of HL Hunley submarine crew solved - they accidentally killed themselves

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:00 AM PDT

Mystery deaths of HL Hunley submarine crew solved - they accidentally killed themselvesThe mystery of how the crew of one of the world's first submarines died has finally been solved - they accidentally killed themselves. The HL Hunley sank on February 17 1864 after torpedoing the USS Housatonic outside Charleston Harbour, South Carolina, during American Civil War. She was one of the first submarines ever to be used in conflict, and the first to sink a battleship. It was assumed the blast had ruptured the sub, drowning its occupants, but when the Hunley was raised in 2000, salvage experts were amazed to find the eight-man crew poised as if they had been caught completely unawares by the tragedy. All were still sitting in their posts and there was no evidence that they had attempted to flee the foundering vessel. The submarine being raised in 2000 Credit: US Navy Now researchers at Duke University believe they have the answer. Three years of experiments on a mini-test sub have shown that the torpedo blast would have created a shockwave great enough to instantly rupture the blood vessels in the lungs and brains of the submariners. "This is the characteristic trauma of blast victims, they call it 'blast lung,'" Dr Rachel Lance. "You have an instant fatality that leaves no marks on the skeletal remains. Unfortunately, the soft tissues that would show us what happened have decomposed in the past hundred years." The Hunley's torpedo was not a self-propelled bomb, but a copper keg of 135 pounds of gunpowder held ahead and slightly below the Hunley's bow on a 16-foot pole called a spar The sub rammed this spar into the enemy ship's hull and the bomb exploded. The furthest any of the crew was from the blast was about 42 feet. The shockwave of the blast travelled about 1500 meters per second in water, and 340 m/sec in air, the researchers calculate. The bodies of the crew were found sitting in their positions around the central crankshaft which made the submarine move  Credit: Reuters While a normal blast shockwave travelling in air should last less than 10 milliseconds, Lance calculated that the Hunley crew's lungs were subjected to 60 milliseconds or more of trauma. "That creates kind of a worst case scenario for the lungs," added Dr Lance. "Shear forces would tear apart the delicate structures where the blood supply meets the air supply, filling the lungs with blood and killing the crew instantly. "It's likely they also suffered traumatic brain injuries from being so close to such a large blast. "All the physical evidence points to the crew taking absolutely no action in response to a flood or loss of air. If anyone had survived, they may have tried to release the keel ballast weights, set the bilge pumps to pump water, or tried to get out the hatches, but none of these actions were taken." A painting of the HL Hunley  Credit: Conrad Wise Chapman The fate of the crew of the 40-foot Hunley remained a mystery until 1995, when the submarine was discovered about 300 meters away from the Housatonic's resting place. Raised in 2000, the submarine is currently undergoing study and conservation in Charleston by a team of Clemson University scientists. Initially, the discovery of the submarine only seemed to deepen the mystery. The crewmen's skeletons were found still at their stations along a hand-crank that drove the cigar-shaped craft. They suffered no broken bones, the bilge pumps had not been used and the air hatches were closed. Except for a hole in one conning tower and a small window that may have been broken, the sub was remarkably intact. Speculation about their deaths has included suffocation and drowning. The new study involved repeatedly setting blasts near a scale model, shooting authentic weapons at historically accurate iron plate and calculating human respiration and the transmission of blast energy. The research was published in PLOS ONE. 


‘Back up, you creep!’: Clinton muses about tense Trump debate moment

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 05:01 AM PDT

'Back up, you creep!': Clinton muses about tense Trump debate momentIn an excerpt from the audiobook of her upcoming tome, "What Happened," Clinton describes Trump "literally breathing down my neck," adding, "My skin crawled."


Murder charge sought for Danish inventor over mutilated journalist

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 09:13 AM PDT

Murder charge sought for Danish inventor over mutilated journalistDanish prosecutors said Thursday they would seek a murder charge against the maverick inventor who was the last person seen with Swedish journalist Kim Wall before her headless torso was discovered. Peter Madsen, an engineer who won notoriety for building his own submarine, was the subject of a feature article by Wall. In a chilling case, the reporter's decapitated body was found in waters off Copenhagen.


U.S. Navy suspends sea search efforts for missing USS McCain sailors

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 12:57 PM PDT

U.S. Navy suspends sea search efforts for missing USS McCain sailorsBy Aradhana Aravindan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Thursday suspended wider search and rescue operations for sailors missing after the warship USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel in waters near Singapore and Malaysia earlier this week. A statement on the U.S. Seventh Fleet's website confirmed the identities of one sailor killed and of nine sailors still missing following the collision. U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers will continue search-and-recovery efforts inside flooded sections of the warship, the statement said.


Florida Executes White Man For Killing Black Victim For First Time Ever

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:52 PM PDT

Florida Executes White Man For Killing Black Victim For First Time EverThe state of Florida is about to do something it hasn't done since reinstating the death penalty in 1976: Execute a white man for killing a black man.


Massive Washington Salmon Escape Blamed On Solar Eclipse

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 12:07 PM PDT

Massive Washington Salmon Escape Blamed On Solar EclipseEclipse and the tide, salmon farming company says high tide and fast current caused failure of net pens.


Mom Who Criticized Louise Linton: She Doesn't Know 'What Everyday Americans Deal With'

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 05:19 PM PDT

Mom Who Criticized Louise Linton: She Doesn't Know 'What Everyday Americans Deal With'"I don't think she has any idea what everyday Americans deal with"


US to limit visas from 4 nations that won't take deportees

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 10:25 AM PDT

US to limit visas from 4 nations that won't take deporteesWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is poised to impose visa restrictions on four Asian and African nations refusing to take back their citizens who've been deported from the United States, officials said Thursday.


Police officer pictured comforting refugee during eviction protests in Rome 

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 08:16 AM PDT

Police officer pictured comforting refugee during eviction protests in Rome A rare moment of tenderness is exchanged between an Italian policeman and a refugee woman as police fired water cannons at migrants protesting their eviction from a building in Rome. The officer intervened to comfort the crying woman as some refugees threw bottles, stones and even gas canisters at police, who responded with jets of water. The clashes broke out in the capital's Piazza Indipendenza, where refugees, many of them Eritreans who have fled one of Africa's most brutal regimes, have been camped out for days. Italian police use water cannons to disperse migrants in Rome Credit: Ansa The confrontation left the piazza strewn with blankets, mattresses and overturned rubbish bins, while small fires burned on the pavements. Around 400 refugees were evicted at the weekend from a building that they have occupied for the last four years; many had been sleeping rough since. Rome city council said they had been offered alternative accommodation but many of the refugees wanted to remain in the area. Police used water cannons during the protest Credit: Ansa City authorities accused radical Left-wing activists of "infiltrating" the refugees and persuading them to turn down offers of accommodation. Two refugees were arrested – one of them as he was giving an interview to an Italian television station. A Catholic charity, the Missionaries of San Carlo Borromeo, said the refugees were "victims twice over" – once for having fled their homeland in the Horn of Africa and again for the eviction. The refugees, many of them Eritrean, were evicted at the weekend and have been sleeping rough since Credit: Ansa Medecins Sans Frontieres accused the police of using disproportionate force, but the police said they had to deploy water cannons because of the danger of gas canisters exploding. Many Italians are losing patience with the huge number of migrants and refugees their country has taken in over the last few years. So far this year nearly 100,000 have arrived, while last year the figure was 181,000. Around 200,000 migrants are living in state-run reception centres around the country. With neighbouring countries such as France and Austria tightening border controls, the migrants are trapped and Italy feels abandoned by the rest of Europe.


Robert E Lee's descendant tells Trump to stop defending Confederate statues: 'How dare you'

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 09:38 AM PDT

Robert E Lee's descendant tells Trump to stop defending Confederate statues: 'How dare you'A descendant of Confederate general Robert E Lee has called for all statues of him to be pulled down and claimed Donald Trump has "no idea" what he is talking about when he defends them. In the aftermath of neo-Nazi-led violence in Charlottesville that left one woman dead, Mr Trump was slow to blame the white supremacists who triggered the clashes and said there was blame on "many sides". Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments.


France's Charlie Hebdo publishes provocative Islam cartoon

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 07:44 AM PDT

France's Charlie Hebdo publishes provocative Islam cartoonFrench satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo published a provocative front-page cartoon about Islam and the recent terror attacks in Spain on Wednesday, sparking fears that it could encourage Islamophobia. Critics of Charlie Hebdo saw its front-page cartoon as tarring an entire religion, practised by around 1.5 billion people worldwide, by implying it is inherently violent. As the cartoon became one of the top trending topics on Twitter in France -- with more than 15,000 tweets praising or criticising it -- prominent Socialist MP and former minister Stephane Le Foll called it "extremely dangerous".


Gunman shot at Charleston, S.C., restaurant; hostage rescued

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:13 PM PDT

Gunman shot at Charleston, S.C., restaurant; hostage rescuedBy Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A disgruntled employee who fatally shot one person and held another hostage on Thursday at a restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, was shot by police, the city's mayor said. Witnesses said the gunman brandished a pistol and said "There's a new boss in town" as he entered Virginia's On King in the heart of the city's commercial district, while about 15 to 20 people were having lunch. The gunman was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and the hostage was rescued, said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg.


Exxon Mobil 'Misled' Public On Climate Change For 40 Years, Harvard Study Finds

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:36 AM PDT

Exxon Mobil 'Misled' Public On Climate Change For 40 Years, Harvard Study FindsYes, #ExxonKnew — and the oil giant deliberately deceived the public about the dangers of climate change for four decades.


Remains Found in Aruba Found to Be Woman of Eastern European Descent, Just Like Natalee Holloway

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 01:18 PM PDT

Remains Found in Aruba Found to Be Woman of Eastern European Descent, Just Like Natalee HollowayAruban authorities claim the remains are not human at all.


Me, My Liberal Wife and What Happened When We Went to a Gun Range

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:57 AM PDT

Me, My Liberal Wife and What Happened When We Went to a Gun Range'She wanted to protect herself from the people who had guns to protect themselves'


Parks Service issues permit for San Francisco rally

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 02:26 PM PDT

Parks Service issues permit for San Francisco rallySAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal authorities on Wednesday issued a permit to a politically conservative group for a Saturday afternoon rally in San Francisco that local officials fear could turn violent.


Harley-Davidson Rolls Out 17 Stunning New Models

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 12:19 PM PDT

Harley-Davidson Rolls Out 17 Stunning New ModelsHarley-Davidson Rolls Out 17 Stunning New Models Softails get complete overhaul, Touring Bikes get new CVO options, Dynas get the axe. Remember back in February when Harley CEO Matt Levatich told the motorcycling press that the Motor Company planned to


Calif. Dad Who Murdered Son After Disneyland Trip Is Confronted at Sentencing by Boy’s Mom

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:07 PM PDT

Calif. Dad Who Murdered Son After Disneyland Trip Is Confronted at Sentencing by Boy's MomA California man who recently pleaded guilty to murdering his 5-year-old son three months ago following a trip to Disneyland has been sentenced to 25 years to life, PEOPLE confirms.


Barack Obama's speeches watched by millions more than Donald Trump's, viewing figures reveal

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 08:21 AM PDT

Barack Obama's speeches watched by millions more than Donald Trump's, viewing figures revealFormer US President Barack Obama's speeches were watched by millions more than Donald Trump's, viewing figures have revealed. Roughly 30.6 million people tuned in to watch the former real estate mogul as he was inaugurated as the 45th US president. Nearly 28 million Americans watched Mr Trump's Afghanistan speech on Monday, 32 per cent fewer viewers than Mr Obama's in 2009.


Nandan Nilekani back at India's Infosys

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 10:29 AM PDT

Nandan Nilekani back at India's InfosysInfosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani will take over immediately as the company's nonexecutive chairman, the Indian software giant said Thursday, a move to calm investor unrest and steady the share price. Nilekani, one of the cofounders of the company, ran the business from 2002 to 2007 and remains highly respected in the technology world. "Nandan is the ideal leader for Infosys at this stage in the company's development.


Pakistan rejects role of 'scapegoat for U.S. failures' in Afghanistan

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 07:23 AM PDT

Pakistan rejects role of 'scapegoat for U.S. failures' in AfghanistanBy Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan has rejected U.S. criticism of its efforts to fight terrorism, saying it should not be made a scapegoat for the failure of the U.S. military to win the war in Afghanistan. U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his policy for Afghanistan on Monday, stepping up the military campaign against Taliban insurgents and singling out Pakistan for harboring them. U.S. officials later warned that aid to Pakistan might be cut and Washington might downgrade nuclear-armed Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally, in order to pressure it to do more to help bring about an end to America's longest-running war.


White Man Sentenced to Prison For Hatchet Attack on Black Man

Posted: 22 Aug 2017 05:40 PM PDT

White Man Sentenced to Prison For Hatchet Attack on Black ManDaniel Volker, 51, was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police, authorities said.


The Most Adorable Cheese Shops in the World

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 06:01 AM PDT

The Most Adorable Cheese Shops in the World


California woman feared husband who killed her, took son

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 08:54 PM PDT

California woman feared husband who killed her, took sonSANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — A California man who killed his ex-wife and fled with his 9-year-old son had battled with her over money and their former home, according to court documents.


Qatar defies Saudi Arabia by restoring diplomatic ties with Iran

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 12:32 PM PDT

Qatar defies Saudi Arabia by restoring diplomatic ties with IranQatar has defied Saudi Arabia by strengthening its diplomatic ties with Iran - rather than cutting them back as Saudi Arabia and its allies have demanded. Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states have been blockading Qatar since early June and have demanded that Qatar curb its ties with Iran, as well as shut down its al-Jazeera television network and expel extremists from its territory.  Rather than give in to the blockading countries' demands, Qatar announced on Thursday that it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Iran and sending its ambassador back to Tehran for the first time since 2016.  "The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields," The Qatari foreign ministry said. There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia or its allies in Bahrain, UAE and Egypt to the diplomatic move.  Qatar has been under blockade for nearly three months Credit:  REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo The act of defiance came amid suspicions among Qatar's leaders that Saudi Arabia might be trying to engineer a palace coup against its emir,  Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Their fears were raised after Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, met with an obscure Qatari royal for in Jeddah last week.  The royal, Abdullah al-Thani, has no role in the Qatari government and is from a branch of the royal family that was pushed out of power during a 1972 coup.  Abdullah had previously lived in Saudi Arabia and at the meeting spoke warmly of "brotherly relations rooted in history" between the two countries.  Prince Mohammed responded by opening the Saudi land border to Muslim pilgrims from Qatar who wanted to make the Hajj journey to Mecca, and offering to fly other pilgrims directly to Saudi  Arabia.  Saudi Arabia's powerful Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) met with a relatively unknown Qatari royal, Abdullah bin Ali bin Jassim al-Thani Credit: HANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images The unusual meeting between the powerful Saudi and the little-known Qatari quickly prompted suspicions in Doha that Prince Mohammed might be hoping to install Abdullah or someone else from his family as Qatar's new leader.  Gerd Nonneman, a professor of International Relations and Gulf Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, said the meeting was more likely intended as a "propaganda ploy" by Saudi Arabia intended to "needle the Qatari leadership".   While Saudi Arabia and Iran are archrivals - and are opposing sides in conflicts across the Middle East - there are some indications of a slight thaw. The two countries foreign ministers met recently and the two sides are planning mutual diplomatic visits next month for the first time since January 2016.  Diplomatic relations collapsed after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in protest at Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shia cleric.  Both sides withdrew their diplomats during the crisis and Qatar pulled out its own ambassador in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. A group of Saudi diplomats will visit Tehran to inspect the country's embassy there while a group of Iranians will do the same in Riyadh. 


The 11 Best Travel Apps Worth Downloading

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 08:20 AM PDT

The 11 Best Travel Apps Worth Downloading


The Obamas moved Malia into her Harvard dorm during the eclipse, those smart, sneaky parents

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:12 AM PDT

The Obamas moved Malia into her Harvard dorm during the eclipse, those smart, sneaky parentsAt this point, pretty much only the sun can outshine the Obamas, and they've figured out a brilliant way to use that to their advantage. The former POTUS and FLOTUS moved their eldest daughter Malia into her Harvard University dorm while the sun and the moon were doing their very special dance on Monday.   Malia, who took a gap year last year and worked for The Weinstein Company, is an incoming freshman at the university. She got some help from her famous parents moving into her new digs.  They've done their best to protect their girls' privacy over the years, so we can only assume they hoped all eyes would be in the sky instead of on them. But despite the distraction of the eclipse, people still gawked as the family was out and about in Cambridge, Massachusetts, being, well, a family.  SEE ALSO: Incoming Harvard freshmen class is the school's most diverse in 380 years "Saw Obama in Harvard during peak solar eclipse, I'm in a weird dream right now," Facebook user Jason Corey wrote, along with footage of the super casual former president greeting folks with a wave.  My cousin goes to Harvard & he saw @BarackObama & @MichelleObama on move-in day! #Ilovethem pic.twitter.com/QoLFzcArZW — Farheen (@_farheeezy) August 22, 2017 Despite the fact that she most likely wants to be treated as a totally normal freshman who just happens to have lived in the White House, people's chill levels were (understandably) out of wack upon spotting Malia on campus,  MALIA OBAMA IS MOVING INTO HER DORM LIKE 30 YARDS FROM MINE AS IM TYPING THIS AKBEJXJEJE — Lactaid (@KyleD477) August 21, 2017 malia obama just moved into her harvard dorm so that means my goal for this year is to become best friends with her right — caroline (@cxrolinerose) August 23, 2017 y'all i'm like 20 ft away from malia obama in the dining hall wowwwwww i'm shook — crooked daniel (@primadonnagvrl) August 22, 2017 No word yet on whether or not other Harvard freshman and black-ish star Yara Shahidi (whose college recommendation letter came from Michelle Obama herself and Malia have drafted a plan to conquer the world, but we'll keep you posted.  WATCH: The 2017 solar eclipse is finally here


Canada to hold emergency hearings on N. Korea missile threat

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 01:29 PM PDT

Canada to hold emergency hearings on N. Korea missile threatA Canadian parliamentary committee will hold emergency hearings on the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, an official said Wednesday. A date for the hearing has not yet been set, but is expected by mid-September, Liberal committee member Mark Gerretsen's office said. It will hear from government officials and experts on Canada's ability to defend itself against an attack by North Korea, and whether Canada should join the US ballistic missile defense system.


Islamic State asks Hezbollah, Syrian Army for withdrawal from Syria-Lebanon border: source

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 04:03 AM PDT

Islamic State asks Hezbollah, Syrian Army for withdrawal from Syria-Lebanon border: sourceIslamic State has asked the Syrian Army and its ally Hezbollah to let it withdraw from Syria's border with Lebanon to the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, an official in the pro-Assad military alliance said on Thursday. Syrian government forces and their Lebanese ally, Iranian-backed Hezbollah, are trying to oust Islamic State militants from the western Qalamoun region of Syria on Lebanon's border.


Video Shows Denver School’s Cheerleaders Forced Into Extended Split Position

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 02:05 AM PDT

Video Shows Denver School's Cheerleaders Forced Into Extended Split PositionPolice have launched an investigation after videos of eight cheerleaders in a Denver school being forced into splits by their teammates and coach surfaced.


As anger simmers over killings, Philippine police do house-to-house drug tests

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 05:52 AM PDT

As anger simmers over killings, Philippine police do house-to-house drug testsBy Dondi Tawatao and Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine police were knocking on doors in one of Manila's poorest neighborhoods on Wednesday to encourage people to take on-the-spot drug tests, a campaign condemned by rights groups as harassment that could endanger lives. Carrying drug testing kits, police officers accompanied by community officials were seen by Reuters going to houses asking residents if they were willing to submit urine samples. Payatas, one of the most populated sub-districts, or barangays, in the capital's Quezon City neighborhood, has been identified as a crime-prone area with a serious drug problem.


German Supermarket Strips All Its Shelves Of Foreign Foods

Posted: 24 Aug 2017 03:34 AM PDT

German Supermarket Strips All Its Shelves Of Foreign FoodsA German supermarket chain removed every single foreign item from one of its stores over the weekend to make a serious point about diversity.


What is the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution and can it be used to remove Donald Trump from office?

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 06:21 PM PDT

What is the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution and can it be used to remove Donald Trump from office?Donald Trump's freewheeling speech in Phoenix – during which he rounded on the media, attacked critics on his own side and threatened to shut down the government – provoked alarm among viewers of all political hues. James Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, told CNN: "I really question his ability to be — his fitness to be — in this office. "I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for it — maybe he is looking for a way out." Not for the first time in this presidency, Americans are questioning whether Mr Trump is mentally competent to hold office. Trump's remarkable Arizona speech 02:29 During the speech, internet searches for the 25th Amendment spiked as part of a fresh debate about whether it could be used to remove Mr Trump from office. What is the 25th Amendment? Coincidence, I'm sure. #25thAmendmentpic.twitter.com/7n0BG2rcW7— Josh Dorner (@JoshDorner) August 23, 2017 It was instituted after the death of John F Kennedy, providing a formal mechanism by which the Vice-President could take power if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office. It also allows for the Vice-President to take over temporarily if the president cannot fulfill his or her duties, such as when President George W Bush went under general anaesthetic for two colonoscopies. Dick Cheney took over on each of those occasions. How can a president be removed from office? Mike Pence holds the key to triggering the 25th Amendment Credit: Reuters This comes in section four, which states: "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President." In practice what that means is Mike Pence plus 13 of Mr Trump's 24 cabinet members would have to agree. On what grounds might a president be removed? The amendment is vague about the specifics. However, John D Feerick, former dean of Fordham Law School who served as one of its architects, said Senators who signed the amendment into law were clear it must be based on "reliable facts regarding the president's physical or mental faculties," not personal prejudice. "If you read the debates, it's also clear that policy and political differences are not included, unpopularity is not included, poor judgment, incompetence, laziness, or impeachable conduct — none of that, you'll find in the debates in the congressional record, is intended to be covered by Section IV," he told Business Insider. What if the president refuses? The mechanism was designed for a president who was incapacitated, not for one willing to fight back. He or she is protected by a safeguard. Within 21 days of being triggered, the amendment requires two-thirds of both houses to uphold the decision. If they don't then power reverts to the president. How likely is it that the 25th amendment could be used to remove Mr Trump? Very unlikely. It requires both Mr Pence and a majority of the cabinet to agree to oust the president. If he were not physically or mentally incapacitated – through ill health, a stroke or some such - it would effectively amount to a palace coup. In other words, Mr Trump's very closest allies are the ones to make the decision. Any number of Democrats, TV pundits and armchair psychiatrists can label Mr Trump as unfit for office but it makes not one scrap of difference. Just like impeachment, the tables are tilted to make it very difficult to remove a sitting president from power.


Parents Charged in Death of 2-Year-Old Son's Suffocation Death

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 11:18 AM PDT

Parents Charged in Death of 2-Year-Old Son's Suffocation DeathJustin Dwyer, 29, and Courtney Stash, 28, were charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in the April death of their son.


You won't believe how snazzy SpaceX's spacesuit looks

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 05:50 AM PDT

You won't believe how snazzy SpaceX's spacesuit looksElon Musk's space transport company SpaceX will one day start carrying humans into space, and now we know what their spacesuits will look like.  Musk shared a photo of the spacesuit on his Instagram feed Wednesday, noting that it's a photo of the actual suit and not a mockup.  SEE ALSO: Elon Musk reveals SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch animation, and it's amazing "Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately," Musk said in the photo's description.  First picture of SpaceX spacesuit. More in days to follow. Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup). Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately. A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Aug 23, 2017 at 12:59am PDT The suit is definitely more elegant than NASA's classic designs, and (judging solely by looks) handily beats Boeing's spacesuit designs, which the company showed in January. Musk noted we'll see more of the suit "in days to follow." Musk's words echo the comments he made during a Reddit AMA interview back in January 2015. He then wrote the spacesuit "needs to both look like a 21st century spacesuit and work well," noting that it's "really difficult to achieve both." As for when they may be put to use, there's no exact date yet, but we know that SpaceX plans to send humans to orbit in its Dragon spacecraft, which was first tested in May 2017. In 2018, the company aims to send two humans around the moon, and they would presumably use this spacesuit.  Together with Boeing, the company has been awarded a government contract to fly astronauts to the International Space Station starting this year, but it may not happen until 2019. Those astronauts, however, are likely to wear NASA-constructed suits.  WATCH: We won't always have total solar eclipses in the future. Here's why


Casey Anthony Apparently Abandons Caylee’s Gravesite

Posted: 23 Aug 2017 09:16 AM PDT

Casey Anthony Apparently Abandons Caylee's GravesiteThe memorial is covered in dirt and overgrown.


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