| US orders embassy staff from Iraq over 'imminent' Iran threat Posted: 15 May 2019 02:00 PM PDT  The US government ordered evacuation of non-emergency staff from its Baghdad embassy Wednesday due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias, but President Donald Trump predicted that Iran would "soon" want to start talks. The evacuation order, also covering the US consulate in Arbil, came 10 days after the Pentagon deployed an aircraft carrier task force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to fend off an unspecified plot by Tehran to attack US forces or allies. Washington and Tehran have said they have no intention of going to war, but tensions have soared in recent weeks and Trump's critics say he is rushing into a conflict.
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| Man pleads guilty in mall attack against boy, faces 19 years Posted: 14 May 2019 09:08 AM PDT  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who reportedly told investigators that he went to the Mall of America "looking for someone to kill" pleaded guilty Tuesday to throwing a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony and faces 19 years in prison.
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| Pennyslvania sues maker of OxyContin, 'jet fuel' of America's opioid crisis Posted: 14 May 2019 04:39 PM PDT  Lawsuit is the first against Purdue Pharma to allege in detail a prolific and calculated scheme of pushing drugs on prescribers The Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro, arrives at a news conference in Philadelphia, 14 May 2019. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP Dr Jeffrey Bado received his first sales visit from a Purdue Pharma representative in September 2005. In the next five years, his prescriptions of OxyContin – the "jet fuel" of America's opioid crisis, according to Pennsylvania's attorney general – increased by 600%, as Purdue reps visited two to three times a week. Now, a lawsuit in the state seeks to hold the company accountable. The lawsuit, filed 2 May by the state attorney general, Josh Shapiro, and announced on Tuesday, accuses Purdue Pharma, the Connecticut-based maker of OxyContin, of deceptive marketing and criminal negligence in pushing doctors to prescribe the opioid. "We've lost lives, we've lost money and we've squandered opportunity," said Shapiro in a press conference Tuesday. Meanwhile, opioids have been a "goldmine" for Purdue, which has made more than $35bn in revenue since OxyContin was released in 1996, he said. "While Purdue and its executives were profiting and lining their own pockets, they were leaving a path of loss, heartache and bills for someone else in Pennsylvania to pay," he added. Pennsylvania's suit follows a wave of legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, and in some cases, certain members of the multibillionaire Sackler family, who own the company. More than three dozen states have sued Purdue for underplaying the risks of addiction, and a consolidation of 1,500-plus lawsuits filed by US cities and counties is currently playing out in a federal courthouse in Cleveland. Pennsylvania's lawsuit, however, is the first to allege in detail a prolific and calculated scheme of pushing drugs on prescribers – a ruthlessly profitable "marketing blitzkrieg" targeting doctors such as Bado, who was convicted of fraud and drug distribution felonies in 2016. According to the complaint, Pennsylvania, one of the hardest-hit states in the opioid crisis, received half a million sales visits by Purdue reps since 2007 – the highest of any state except California. The complaint outlines a multi-pronged promotion strategy from Purdue involving unrelenting sales calls; branded and unbranded promotion; paying select "key opinion leaders" to make seemingly unbiased endorsements of Purdue products; and targeting its marketing efforts to vulnerable patient groups, such as the elderly and veterans. The complaint also alleges that Purdue knew of OxyContin's high addiction risk but continued to misrepresent or minimize it. Shapiro singled out Purdue's propagation of the term "pseudoaddiction", a condition it says the company invented to encourage more opioid prescriptions despite evidence of full-blown addiction. "The conduct is absolutely outrageous and unlawful," said Shapiro. Purdue said in a statement that it "vigorously denies the allegations filed today in Pennsylvania" and called the allegations "misleading attacks" that are "part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system. "Such allegations demand clear evidence linking the conduct alleged to the harm described, but we believe the state fails to show such causation and offers little evidence to support its sweeping legal claims," it said. Shapiro said his office's efforts were on behalf of those lost to addiction – 12 Pennsylvanians every day in 2018, according to the CDC – and the loved ones left behind. Asked in a subsequent press call if he intended to add the Sacklers in name to the suit, Shapiro declined to outline future plans. But he added: "We are not done here. This lawsuit is just the first step."
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| Alabama Senate bans nearly all abortions, including rape cases Posted: 14 May 2019 07:21 PM PDT  The country's strictest abortion bill was previously approved by the Alabama House of Representatives and will now go to Republican Governor Kay Ivey, who has withheld comment on whether she would sign but is generally a strong opponent of abortion. The law, which passed 25-6, would take effect six months after being signed by the governor, but is certain to face legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups which have vowed to sue. Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.
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| A unique Porsche Type 64 going under the hammer in August Posted: 14 May 2019 01:32 AM PDT  The prestigious Sotheby's auction house is selling an exceptional Porsche Type 64 -- the forebearer of all the German brand's legendary sports cars -- in an auction in Monterey, California, August 15-17, 2019, held during Monterey Car Week, which culminates with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Created in 1938, this model is considered by many to be the first car produced by what would become the Porsche company, or, in any case, the first model to bear the automaker's name. Post-World War Two, it went on to inspire all the automaker's legendary sports car series, from the 356 to the 911.
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| Ferrari 250 GTO sells for record $70 million (£52m) Posted: 15 May 2019 11:09 AM PDT  One of the best surviving GTOs has sold to American collector David MacNeil for the highest price ever paid for a classic car. A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has been sold to Ferrari collector and WeatherTech CEO David MacNeil for a rumoured $70 million – a new world record for a classic car. The Ferrari in question, serial number 4153 GT, is one of the most celebrated of the 39 250 GTOs produced, due to its competition history and its originality – unusually for a race car, it's never been crashed.
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| How did it happen? NTSB begins probe of midair collision of Alaska floatplanes that killed 6 people Posted: 15 May 2019 05:13 AM PDT  On the same day the death toll from a floatplane collision in Alaska rose to 6, the NTSB launched what's expected to be a week-long investigation.
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| Clarence Thomas Just Showed How Supreme Court Would Overturn Roe v. Wade Posted: 14 May 2019 02:22 AM PDT  Jason Reed/ReutersIn 1992, the Supreme Court looked poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case protecting abortion rights. They didn't, however, and the main reason was respect for precedent—specifically, the legal doctrine known as stare decisis, or "let the decision stand." Would it do the same today, with over 250 laws meant to test the case pending in states across the country?An otherwise obscure case decided this week, Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt, suggests that a majority of the court would not. Hyatt was, in large part, about stare decisis. A 1979 Supreme Court case, Nevada v. Hall, held that citizens can sue a state in another state's court. In 1998, Gilbert Hyatt did just that as part of a tax dispute, with tens of millions of dollars at stake. This week, the court overruled its 1979 decision by a vote of 5-4 and tossed out Hyatt's claim. The split was on ideological lines, with the court's five conservatives in the majority and four liberals in the minority.Of the 18 pages in the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, 17 are about the legal question in the case, which revolves around states' rights, sovereign immunity, and the Constitution. It's no surprise that Justice Thomas, in particular, wrote this opinion, as states' rights have been a focus of his for three decades.What was surprising is that stare decisis warranted only 318 words in Justice Thomas' opinion, almost like an afterthought, and that Justice Thomas summarily waved away this important judicial doctrine. If this is how the court's conservatives treat sovereign immunity, how will they treat abortion rights?That's what Justice Stephen Breyer asked in his dissent. Unlike the majority opinion, Justice Breyer's dissent devoted over a quarter of its space to stare decisis. And he concluded, "today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next."It's not hard to guess which cases Justice Breyer was wondering about. Because the same logic applied in Hyatt would overturn not only Roe v. Wade but also the court's precedent on same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges.How? Let's look at Justice Thomas' reasoning.First, Justice Thomas notes that stare decisis is "'not an inexorable command" and is "at its weakest when we interpret the Constitution because our interpretation can be altered only by constitutional amendment." Now, some would say that stare decisis is at its strongest when fundamental constitutional rights are at issue. But for Justice Thomas, in cases like Roe and Obergefell, stare decisis is at its "weakest."Thomas then goes on to apply a version of the usual stare decisis test, taking into account "the quality of the decision's reasoning; its consistency with related decisions; legal developments since the decision; and reliance on the decision."The first prong is the most important. Here, Thomas finds that the 1979 precedent "failed to account for the historical understanding of state sovereign immunity." But that's not the same as the decision's being of poor quality—it's an imposition of Justice Thomas' specific, historically oriented "originalism" philosophy. There are, after all, many ways to evaluate the quality of a decision's reading: its principled analysis of the rights in question, its integration of constitutional norms with contemporary reality, and so on.Here, however Justice Thomas glosses over that jurisprudential debate and simply concludes that a Supreme Court precedent was badly argued—according to his standards.This is the central question in cases like Roe and Obergefell. No one denies that abortion was banned for much of our country's history, and that same-sex marriage would have been anathema to the Founders of the republic. The debate is over whether history gets a vote or a veto. Heartbeat Abortion Bills Were Once a Fringe Idea. Could They Overturn Roe v. Wade?If this same standard is applied to Roe and Obergefell, they would go down in flames.The fourth prong is also critical. People depend on the law being stable. Hyatt, for example, filed his suit exactly as the law provided. Now, the rug is pulled out from under him, and all Justice Thomas says is that "we acknowledge that some plaintiffs, such as Hyatt, have relied on Hall by suing sovereign States. Because of our decision to overrule Hall, Hyatt unfortunately will suffer the loss of two decades of litigation expenses and a final judgment against the Board for its egregious conduct."Unfortunately!Now multiply Hyatt's misfortune a millionfold. As Justice Breyer wrote, overturning Supreme Court precedents except in the rarest of cases "is to cause the public to become increasingly uncertain about which cases the Court will overrule and which cases are here to stay."Arguably, many more people rely on Roe and Obergefell than on Hall, and so the reliance prong would be more important in challenges to those cases.But that cuts both ways. For every woman seeking an abortion, there is someone who believes that abortion is murder. In at least a dozen states, a majority of democratically elected legislators are trying to ban or severely limit the practice. Just last week, Georgia became the fourth state this year (joining Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio) to ban abortions after only six weeks of pregnancy, in a direct frontal challenge to Roe. And, a future conservative justice might point out, women seeking abortions could simply travel to other states if need be (if, of course, they can afford it).Because Justice Thomas so readily dismisses the reliance claim in Hyatt, it's easy to see him doing the same in Roe. Likewise in Obergefell. For 12 years, we lived in a country in which same-sex marriage was legal in some states and illegal in others; is a return to such a world truly untenable? Anyway, unless marriages like mine were retroactively invalidated, who is really relying on same-sex marriage being legal? Prospective couples could, like victims of rape or incest, simply relocate to a state more favorable to their interests.In short, Justice Thomas' theory of stare decisis is like a roadmap for how to overrule decisions one disagrees with. First, frame the disagreement as one over "quality" rather than principle. Second, trivialize the ways in which people rely on the law as it stands.And third, with the stroke of a pen, wipe out constitutional rights that people like me mistakenly think we possess.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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| Trump Jr. agrees to testify in Senate in Russia probe: US media Posted: 14 May 2019 03:20 PM PDT  President Donald Trump's son Donald Jr has agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian election meddling, US media reported Tuesday. The agreement resolved a looming fight between the Congress and the White House after Donald Jr. was subpoenaed by the Republican-led committee last week.
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| Maleah Davis case: Missing 4-year-old's biological father shares heart-wrenching photos Posted: 15 May 2019 09:38 AM PDT  The father of a missing Houston girl took to social media to share heart-wrenching photos of his daughter amid a nearly two-week-long search for her
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| Anxiety, hope as church schools wait to reopen in Sri Lanka Posted: 14 May 2019 11:33 PM PDT  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Catholic officials and parents in Sri Lanka are hopeful that church-run schools will begin to reopen soon for the first time since last month's devastating Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels.
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| What we know about 'sabotage' of oil tankers Posted: 14 May 2019 04:09 AM PDT  Four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged in as yet unexplained "sabotage attacks" at a time of Gulf tensions triggered by a bitter US-Iran standoff. A United Arab Emirates government official said the Saudi oil tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad were attacked off the emirate of Fujairah along with the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory and a UAE ship, the A. Michel. The Andrea Victory's managers, Thome Group, said the tanker had a hole in the hull area "after being struck by an unknown object on the waterline".
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| Iran's So-Called 'Stealth' Fighter Is a Paper Tiger Posted: 15 May 2019 03:19 AM PDT  One should also bear in mind that back in 2003, Iran unveiled an earlier, more convincing fake subsonic stealth fighter called the Shafaq—revealed in 2014 to be a mock-up made of wood.There can be such a thing as posturing too hard.(This first appeared last year.)Iran's aviation industry has accomplishments to boast about despite operating under heavy sanctions for nearly forty years. It has managed to keep once state-of-the-art U.S.-built F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat fighters in operational condition for decades, including nine years of high-intensity aerial warfare with Iraq, despite being cut off from spare parts from the United States. It has refurbished the rusting hulks of old F-5 Freedom Fighters into twin-vertical stabilizer Saeqeh fighters, reverse-engineered their J85 turbojet engines, and created a variety of viable capable drones.
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| Ocasio-Cortez: No 'middle ground' on fighting climate change Posted: 13 May 2019 08:10 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders rallied support for the Green New Deal on Monday night, with the New York congresswoman saying there should be "no middle ground" when it comes to climate change and the Vermont senator calling for a political revolution.
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| Tucker: Homelessness getting worse in California Posted: 14 May 2019 06:09 PM PDT  'Tucker Carlson Tonight' investigates the nation's homeless crisis and the decay of American cities.
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| Photos of the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Posted: 15 May 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Trump's bid to block disclosure of financial records leaves judge astonished Posted: 15 May 2019 04:24 AM PDT  A federal judge in Washington expressed astonishment Tuesday at arguments raised by President Donald Trump's lawyers seeking to block his accounting firm from turning over years of financial records to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight and Reform Committee and seemed to signal a swift ruling in favour of lawmakers.US District Judge Amit Mehta fired pointed questions at the president's lawyers, who argued in a 22 April lawsuit that the committee's sweeping subpoena to Mazars USA for the financial records of Mr Trump and various associated entities since 2011 was not "a valid exercise of legislative power."Lead Mr Trump attorney William Consovoy accused Democrats of "assuming the powers of the Department of Justice" on a partisan crusade, arguing that "this is about the House being dissatisfied with the president, and wanting to prove by any means possible that he has done things wrong."Douglas Letter, general counsel of the House of Representatives, replied that Mr Trump's claim of freedom from congressional oversight marked "a total, basic and fundamental misunderstanding" of the Constitution, saying he would pronounce Congress "a nuisance . . . getting in his way while he's trying to run the country."The hearing Tuesday was the first courtroom confrontation in a wave of legal battles waged by the president to shield his personal finances from investigators, including congressional Democrats, state lawmakers and regulators. Several fights are asking judges to weigh in on the constitutional separation of power between coequal executive and legislative branches.Mr Mehta, a 2014 appointee of President Barack Obama, challenged some of Mr Trump's assertions in questions to his legal team."Is it your position that whether the president has properly reported his finances (under federal disclosure laws), that's not subject to investigation by Congress?" Mr Mehta asked."Say a president was involved in some corrupt enterprise, you mean to tell me because he is the president of the United States, Congress would not have power to investigate?" Mr Mehta asked, continuing, what if "we're talking about a presidential violation of a constitutional prohibition that only Congress has authority to approve?" such as the acceptance for emoluments or gifts from a foreign government.Mr Consovoy answered yes, saying determining whether a president properly disclosed his finances was a "pure law enforcement function," not a matter for Congress, whose fundamental duty he said is in writing bills.And if Congress did seek to enact legislation, whether to tighten ethics requirements, fight public corruption or enforce a constitutional prohibition on acceptance of foreign emoluments, Mr Consovoy said, "I don't think there is any permutation of any of these proposals that could pass constitutional muster," because they would interfere with the president's execution of his duties, or add qualifications for his office."There's not a single Supreme Court or appellate case since 1880 that has found Congress overstepped its legislative authority by issuing a subpoena," Mr Mehta observed at another point.The lawsuit in Washington was brought by Mr Trump and several of his businesses against House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings and Mr Trump's accounting firm Mazars USA.Congressional Democrats accuse Mr Trump of trying to stonewall lawmakers' oversight until after the 2020 election, while the president's team counters that it will not tolerate a campaign of "congressional presidential harassment."Mr Mehta gave both sides until Saturday to file any additional submissions and promised a ruling "promptly, consistent with the gravity of the issues" involving the balancing of powers between Congress and a president.Mr Mehta did not say when he would rule, but he noted that a different House panel, the Financial Services Committee, is set to appear in federal court in Manhattan on May 22 to defend other subpoenas for Mr Trump's bank records issued to Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial. Mr Trump and his three eldest children and companies have sued to quash the subpoenas.Mr Mehta said at the end of Tuesday's 80-minute hearing that he would also make clear in his opinion whether he would stay a subpoena, if he upholds it, to give the president time to appeal.Mr Mehta also questioned aspects of the House's legal arguments, asking whether Congress was claiming blanket authority to investigate matters by claiming a duty to "inform the public.""It really does open the door to the accusation, perhaps valid or not, that this really is an effort - if not to harass the president - then to get into his private affairs for political purposes, if there is no clear line as to what this investigation is about," Mr Mehta said. "How do I draw lines to test, even if it's a soft test, the validity of what you're doing? "Letter said Congress' function to "inform the public" about the president is a valid basis for the subpoena, citing past investigations into the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the origins of the Iraq War and former President Bill Clinton's Whitewater land dealings.But he said the House also had obvious legislative purposes to oversee the function of laws governing the financial disclosure of public officials and avoidance of conflicts of interests, the handling of presidential records and the prevention of foreign governments holding hidden financial influence over American elected officials."We need to know that," Letter argued. "We need to know, is the president of the United States beholden to foreign interests, because they can hold things over his head?"Pressed by Mr Mehta to come up with some hypothetical demand by Congress that would go too far, Letter speculated. "I want to see the president's diary when he was 7 years old, or when she was 12 years old. That would probably stretch my argument to the breaking point."Cummings' panel last month subpoenaed Mazars, seeking documents to corroborate testimony by the president's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who said at a congressional hearing that Mr Trump intentionally misreported the value of his assets for personal gain.Other House panels have requested Mr Trump's banking records and tax returns, while his company also faces enquiries from New York state regulators and is defending itself in two lawsuits alleging that the company violates the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments.Mazars attorney Henry Schuelke has said the firm took no position on the case.The Washington Post
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| A machete attack on the Appalachian Trail left one hiker dead Posted: 15 May 2019 08:14 AM PDT  James Jordan, a suspect in a machete attack against two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia this weekend has been arrested, police said.
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| Lost US passport in Austria? Go to McDonald's for help Posted: 15 May 2019 09:28 AM PDT  McDonald's. Under a new partnership, outlets of the US fast food chain throughout Austria will help American citizens from Wednesday to get in touch with their embassy, it said on Facebook. "Staff (at any McDonald's in Austria) will assist them in making contact with the US Embassy for consular services," the embassy wrote.
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| The 10 Best Buys in Motorcycles for 2019 Posted: 15 May 2019 08:00 AM PDT |
| UPDATE 1-Ford recalling 273,000 vehicles in North America that could roll away Posted: 15 May 2019 09:59 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Ford recalling 273,000 vehicles in North America that could roll away]( "UPDATE 1-Ford recalling 273,000 vehicles in North America that could roll away") Ford Motor Co is recalling nearly 273,000 Ford Fusion and Ranger pickup trucks in North America that could roll away if the gear is not in "park" mode, the second largest U.S. automaker said on Wednesday. The recall covers 270,000 Fusion cars from model years 2013 through 2016 which have a shifter cable that may detach from the transmission, allowing a driver to remove the ignition key when the vehicle is not in "park." Nearly 2,800 2019 model year Ford Ranger trucks in North America have a similar problem. Ford said it is aware of three reports of property damage and one injury report potentially related to the issue in the Fusions.
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| Plan to arrest migrant families tabled due to a lack of resources Posted: 14 May 2019 02:28 PM PDT  White House officials considered a secret plan to arrest thousands of undocumented migrant parents and children in coordinated raids across the U.S., but the idea was tabled due to a lack of resources, reports the Washington Post and the Associated Press.
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| Palestinians mark anniversary of mass displacement Posted: 15 May 2019 08:28 AM PDT  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians on Wednesday marked the 71st anniversary of their mass displacement during the 1948 war around Israel's creation with protests across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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| Kremlin says concerned over escalating Iran tensions despite Pompeo claims Posted: 15 May 2019 04:54 AM PDT  The Kremlin Wednesday expressed concern that tensions over Iran keep escalating despite assurances from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a visit to Russia that Washington was not seeking war. "So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, a day after Pompeo met with President Vladimir Putin.
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| Russia Might Take the Biggest Submarine Ever and Add 200 Cruise Missiles Posted: 15 May 2019 01:54 AM PDT  Thus, while the idea of Russia reviving its cold war leviathans sounds compellingly scary, there's evidence it makes little practical or financial sense given more cost-efficient and survivable means to achieve the same ends. It could also be the project is being trumpeted for the propagandistic symbolism behind deploying super-submarines that are larger and carry more missiles than their American counterparts.On April 20, 2019, Russia's TASS Agency reported that Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev announced Russia's intention to take two of its decommissioned Typhoon-class ballistic submarines and pack them full of hundreds of cruise missiles.(This first appeared last month.)"The dimensions of these submarines allow arming each of them with at least 200 cruise missiles [each]," he said.The Typhoon ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), famously featured in the film Hunt for Red October, are by far the biggest and most expensive submarines ever built. Cruise-missile-armed Typhoons would give Russia direct analogs of the United States' four Ohio-class cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), which had their launch tubes for nuclear-armed ballistic missiles replaced with vertical launch systems for 154 conventionally-armed Tomahawk cruise missiles.Burtsev made the missile-envy issue explicit:
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| Elizabeth Warren rejects town hall on 'hate-for-profit racket' Fox News Posted: 14 May 2019 12:48 PM PDT  The Massachusetts senator explained her reasons for refusing an invitation that others seeking the Democratic presidential nomination have accepted.
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| Georgetown to expel two students over U.S. college admissions bribery scandal Posted: 15 May 2019 12:32 PM PDT  The expulsions were announced several hours after one of the students, Adam Semprevivo, sued Georgetown over his treatment, including its refusal to let him transfer to another school and keep his academic credits. Georgetown did not identify the expelled students or accuse them of wrongdoing. A lawyer for Semprevivo confirmed in an interview that the 21-year-old psychology major, who just completed his junior year, was one of them.
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| Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device Posted: 15 May 2019 04:40 PM PDT ![Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device]( "Disabled man rebukes Southwest Airlines for failing to accommodate his medical device") A severely disabled man said that U.S. airlines do not provide appropriate lifts, so he brings his own, but Southwest still wouldn't let him fly.
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| The official OnePlus 7 Pro launch video just leaked hours ahead of today’s event Posted: 14 May 2019 05:17 AM PDT  The day many OnePlus fans must have been waiting for is finally here. The OnePlus 7 series will soon be unveiled, and we'll know everything there is to know about the three handsets the Chinese smartphone maker is about to announce. Well, we've known pretty much everything about these devices for a few weeks now, thanks to a combination of leaks and official announcements from OnePlus. While you wait, we've got a few more leaks to go through before the event starts, including a full launch video of the OnePlus 7 Pro that's expected to be shown during Tuesday's press conference. It doesn't get any better than this, OnePlus fans. Here's the OnePlus 7 Pro in all its splendor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=5oK0rYZG4fE Posted on Reddit initially, the clip confirms all the leaks we've seen so far, giving us an even better look at the next OnePlus flagship. We get to see the new all-screen display and its curved edges, the pop-up selfie camera, and the triple-lens camera on the back. This is the best OnePlus 7 version you'll find in stores this year, according to previous leaks. And a 5G version of the Pro will also hit certain markets, including the UK where it'll work on EE's network. But wait, there's more! T-Mobile's presentation video has also leaked, revealing the phone's most important specs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzsDgp_mbD0 But we're not done with the last-minute OnePlus 7 leaks yet, as trusted insider Ishan Agarwal is back with pricing details for the OnePlus 7 series, this time for the UK. While he doesn't seem to have the price for the 5G version, the leaker did share the purported prices of the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro models, as well as the prices for the brand new Bullets Wireless 2 headphones: https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1128219206791548928 Yes, the OnePlus 7 Pro will be more expensive than the regular model, but that's not really a secret. The good news is that the OnePlus 7 will cost just as much as the OnePlus 6T did when it launched back in November if this leak is accurate. The OnePlus 6T had an entry price of £499 in the UK or $549 in the US. OnePlus will soon confirm these leaks and more — the company's press conference is set to kick off at 11:00 AM ET.
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| 1988 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Callaway Twin-Turbo Four-Speed Is a High-Performance Love Letter from the '80s Posted: 15 May 2019 07:30 AM PDT  Revisit the high-livin' forced-induction era by bidding on this Callaway Vette, offered at no reserve on Bring a Trailer.
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| Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister Posted: 15 May 2019 03:57 PM PDT ![Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister]( "Hungary will have to buy Russian natural gas if Exxon waits on offshore project -minister") Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday his country would again turn to Russia for natural gas supplies if Exxon Mobil Corp has not decided by September whether to invest in a massive Black Sea offshore project. Romania's Black Sea reserves pose a potential challenge to Russian Gazprom's dominant role supplying Central and Eastern Europe, according to consultancy Deloitte. "Exxon Mobil can be the game changer in the energy supply of Europe.
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| Louisiana 'heartbeat' abortion ban nearing final passage Posted: 15 May 2019 03:46 PM PDT  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A proposal to ban abortions in Louisiana as early as the sixth week of pregnancy continued to speed through the state legislature Wednesday, the same day Alabama's governor signed the nation's most restrictive law against the procedure.
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| Pilots pushed Boeing to act after Lion Air crash: reports Posted: 14 May 2019 08:40 PM PDT  After a deadly crash in Indonesia, American Airlines pilots called a meeting to press Boeing executives for safety changes to the 737 MAX aircraft, US media reported Tuesday. The call for changes, which could have required the best-selling aircraft model to be temporarily grounded, were reported by The New York Times and CBS News after they obtained an audio recording of the November 27 meeting between the American Airlines pilots union and officials from the aircraft manufacturer. The 737 MAX 8 is currently grounded worldwide after the March crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that killed all 157 people onboard and drew scrutiny to the new Boeing model's anti-stall system, which investigators believe may have brought the jet down.
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| Ex-Congressman Weiner leaves halfway house Posted: 14 May 2019 01:03 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Former Rep. Anthony Weiner left a New York City halfway house on Tuesday after completing his prison sentence for illicit online contact with a 15-year-old girl.
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| Trump considering plan to send 120,000 troops to Middle East as Iran tensions heighten, report suggests Posted: 14 May 2019 02:55 AM PDT  The Trump administration is reportedly considering a plan to send up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks US forces or accelerates its work on nuclear weapons.Citing unnamed administration officials, The New York Times reported that acting defence secretary Patrick Shanahan presented the plan at a meeting last week of Donald Trump's top security aides. The request for military options from the Pentagon was ordered by White House hardliners led by the president's national security adviser John Bolton, the newspaper claimed. The plan does not call for a military invasion of the Islamic Republic, a move which would need far more troops, officials reportedly said. The White House has been contacted for comment.Tensions between Iran and the US have intensified since Mr Trump imposed increasingly strict sanctions on Tehran after pulling out of a landmark 2015 deal designed to curb Iran's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.Mr Trump wants to force Tehran to agree to a broader arms control accord and has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in a show of force against what US officials have said are threats to American troops in the region.Iran has accused the US of engaging in "psychological warfare" and called America's military presence "a target" rather than a threat. It has also said it will not allow its oil exports to be halted.Among those who reportedly attended the meeting last week were CIA director Gina Haspel, director of national intelligence Dan Coats and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Joseph Dunford.Several plans were detailed, The New York Times said, and "the uppermost option called for deploying 120,000 troops, which would take weeks or months to complete". Additional reporting by Reuters
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| 5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations Posted: 15 May 2019 05:33 AM PDT ![5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations]( "5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations") These affordable summer vacation spots around the world offer everything you'd want from a fancy trip.
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| Bayer nears 7-year low after $2 billion award in Roundup trial Posted: 14 May 2019 09:03 AM PDT  The stock closed at its lowest level in almost seven years, even though the punitive damages award is likely to be reduced due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings that limit the ratio of punitive to compensatory damages to 9:1. The jury set the total punitive damages at $2 billion and added $55 million in compensatory pay, concluding that Roundup - based on herbicide glyphosate - had been defectively designed, and that the company failed to warn of the herbicide's alleged cancer risk. It was the third consecutive U.S. jury verdict against the company in litigation over the chemical, which Bayer acquired as part of its $63 billion purchase of Monsanto last year.
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| Best Tech Deals in May 2019 Posted: 15 May 2019 09:39 AM PDT  Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop DealsMemorial Day is around the corner which means retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are discounting everything from smart home devices to game consoles. And with the imminent arrival of Amazon Prime Day 2019, soon we'll be gathering the best Amazon Prime Day deals. In the meantime, here are some of the best tech deals we're seeing right now. Looking for a new smartwatch to help you get in shape for the Summer? For a limited time, you can get the Garmin Forerunner 935 for $409 from Amazon. Traditionally, this smartwatch is priced at $500, so that's $91 off its regular price. It's the best price we could find for this smartwatch. By comparison, it's $16 cheaper than Best Buy's current sale price. The Garmin Forerunner 935 is a premium GPS running watch features a heart rate, barometer, and altimeter tracking sensors. Ideal for running, swimming, cycling and more, it's Android, iOS, and Windows compatible. It's the perfect wearable for anyone who wants to get instant phone notifications and comprehensive multisport app support on their wrist. Good news for Android fans hunting for the best Samsung Galaxy S10 deals. Amazon currently has the factory unlocked Samsung Galaxy S10e on sale for $649.99. Normally priced at $749.99, that's $100 off and the lowest price we've seen for the Galaxy S10e. It features a 5.8-inch AMOLED Infinity display, a Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you want a larger screen, Amazon also has the 6.1-inch Galaxy S10 on sale for $799.99 ($100 off). Other noteworthy deals include: Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its proprietary devices at discounted pricing. * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) [NEW] * Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet for $149.99 ($50 off) * Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet for $89.99 ($40 off) * Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet for $59.99 ($40 off) * Fire TV Stick for $24.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only) * Fire TV Stick 4K for $34.99 ($15 off, Prime Members Only) * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker for $29.99 ($20 off) * Echo Show (2nd Gen) w/ Free Smart Bulb for $229.99 ($14 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $149.98 ($50 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire 7 Kids Edition for $129.98 ($40 off) * Ring Video Doorbell 2 w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($49 off) * Ring Spotlight Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($50 off) * Ring Spotlight Wired Cam Wired w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $199 ($50 off) * Ring Stick-Up Wireless Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off) * Ring Stick-Up Wired Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $179.99 ($50 off) * Ring Floodlight Cam w/ Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $249 ($50 off) * Ring Smart Lighting Spotlights (2-pack) for $100 ($30 off) Top Tech Deals Right Now * Amazon Echo Show 2nd Gen) w/ free Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $229.99 ($65 off) [NEW] * Microsoft Surface Pro 6 for $699 ($200 off) [NEW] * Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Laptop for $579.99 ($70 off) [NEW] * Apple AirPods 2nd Gen (Back-order) for $139.99 ($19 off) * Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones for $279.95 ($70 off) * Apple iPad 9.7-inch 128GB for $329 ($100 off) * Apple iPad Air 2019 (Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $479 ($20 off) * Apple 9.7-inch iPad for $249 ($81 off) * Microsoft Surface Go for $399 ($100 off) * Acer Aspire 3 Laptop for $400 ($99 off) TV Deals * Vizio 65-inch M-Series 4K HDR Smart TV for $649.99 ($350 off) * Sharp 65-inch 4K Smart TV for $449.99 ($250 off) * Sony 70-Inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $1,098 ($500 off) * JVC 65-inch 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart TV for $479.99 ($420 off) * TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV for $329.99 ($270 off) * Hisense 60-inch 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV for $399.99 ($100 off) * Samsung 43-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $697.99 ($102 off) * Samsung 49-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $797.99 ($202 off) * Samsung 55-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $1,097 ($100 off) Tech Under $50 * Echo Connect for $24.49 ($11 off) [NEW] * Spotify Premium Membership for $0.99 ($27 off, ends 6/30) [NEW] * Echo Input for $19.99 ($15 off) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker for $29.99 ($20 off) * Logitech M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse for $24.99 ($25 off) * Redragon K552 LED Gaming Keyboard for $34.99 ($25 off) * Anker 7-in-1 USB C Hub for $40 ($30 off) * Anker 5-in-1 USB C Hub for $22 ($7 off) Smartwatch Deals * Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro w/ $125 GC for $199.99 ($125 off) [NEW] * Garmin Forerunner 935 for $409 ($91 off) * Garmin Fenix 5S Plus for $599.99 ($200 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5X Plus for $649.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5 for $349.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm) for $199 ($80 off) * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 42mm) for $229 ($80 off) also at Amazon Phones * Google Pixel 3 64GB (Clearly White) for $679.99 ($119 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB for $699 ($200 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 64GB Unlocked (Just Black) for $720 ($179 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked for $779 ($221 off) * Apple iPhone SE Unlocked for $249 ($100 off) * Samsung Galaxy S9 Unlocked 64GB for $478.99 ($121 off) * Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Unlocked 128GB for $689 ($311 off) Cameras * Arlo Smart Wi-fi Baby Monitor Camera for $138 ($62 off) * Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Camera for $498 ($150 off) * Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera w /15-45mm Lens for $599 ($300 off) * Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm VR Lens for $396.95 ($103 off) * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $229 ($150 off) * Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Instant Film Camera for $99.99 ($80 off) Games and Consoles * MS Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle for $215 ($85 off) * Mortal Kombat 11 for Xbox One or (Switch) for $50 ($10 off) * Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 for $35 ($25 off) also at Amazon * Call of Duty: Black Ops for PS4 for $29.99 ($25 off) * WWE 2K19 Deluxe Edition for $39.99 ($50 off) * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch for $50 ($10 off) * Kingdom Hearts 3 for PS4 for $29.99 ($30 off) * Kingdom Heart 3 for Xbox One for $29.99 ($30 off) * Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 for $34.99 ($25 off) * Up to $40 off Xbox One Games at Microsoft
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| Apple supplier Japan Display cannot promise return to profit, bailout worries stay Posted: 15 May 2019 03:56 AM PDT ![Apple supplier Japan Display cannot promise return to profit, bailout worries stay]( "Apple supplier Japan Display cannot promise return to profit, bailout worries stay") The supplier for Apple Inc also said it would slash about 1,000 jobs, or a tenth of its workforce, as it continues to bear the brunt of its late shift to organic light-emitting diode screens and disappointing sales of the iPhone XR, the only model with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. Japan Display's < net loss for the three months ended March was 98.6 billion yen, versus a 147 billion yen loss a year earlier, its ninth consecutive quarterly loss. Japan Display's results will be closely watched by its Chinese-Taiwanese suitors, who delayed an up to 80 billion yen investment this week to reassess the company's prospects.
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| Polish Cabinet Fights Back as Church Abuse Film Dominates Campaign Posted: 14 May 2019 05:28 AM PDT  Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki vowed Tuesday to raise prison terms for pedophilia to 30 years. Meanwhile, prosecutors announced they want an 18-month jail term for a senior adviser to Donald Tusk -- their biggest political foe -- for his role in handling of the 2010 government flight that crashed in Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board.
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| Every New Compact Crossover and SUV Ranked from Worst to Best Posted: 15 May 2019 06:17 AM PDT |
| Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran Posted: 15 May 2019 03:22 PM PDT  Donald Trump has been accused of "playing a very dangerous game" with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have "devastating" consequences.The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.A commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is "on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy".Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.The move – thought to be aimed at China's Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is"part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation."In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday."TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact," TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
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| Medical examiner: Police shooting of Texas woman a homicide Posted: 15 May 2019 04:13 PM PDT  BAYTOWN, Texas (AP) — A medical examiner has ruled the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old Houston-area woman by a police officer a homicide.
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| NY Mom Fails Drug Test After Eating Poppyseed Bagel Before Giving Birth Posted: 15 May 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Less than a week after baby Carter Dominguez was brought into the world, baby and mom are enjoying time at their home, but the arrival wasn't easy.
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| Canine brucellosis: What you need to know about the dog disease that can spread to humans Posted: 14 May 2019 02:06 AM PDT  After state officials confirmed cases of the disease at a breeding facility in Marion County, here's what you should know about Brucella canis.
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| Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior Posted: 15 May 2019 03:40 AM PDT ![Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior]( "Amid trade war, China's Xi preaches openness, says no civilisation superior") China will only be more open to the world, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, as he denounced as "stupid" those who believe in cultural superiority, in his first public address since trade tension with the United States spiked last week. China and the United States are locked in an escalating trade war, with both levying tariffs on each other's imports. China on Monday announced higher tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, effective on June 1, in retaliation for a U.S. decision on Friday to raise levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports.
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