Spring

Trump: I bluffed Comey on ‘tapes’ to keep him honest

President Trump’s warning last month that his conversations with former FBI Director James Comey might have been taped was an attempt to affect Comey’s public statements and his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, the president admitted in an interview Friday morning. After refusing to comment for nearly six weeks, Trump finally acknowledged Thursday that he has no such tapes. “When he found out that I, you know, that there might be tapes out there, whether it’s governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows, I think his story may have changed,” Trump said of Comey in a “Fox & Friends” interview.

FCC Regulators Are Now Imposing Record Fines for Robocalls

A Miami man is facing a record $120 million fine for what the FCC calls a massive spoofing operation. He allegedly made 96 million robocalls over a three month period.

Alexandria shooter carried list of 6 members of Congress, FBI confirms

On James T. Hodgkinson, investigators found a piece of paper with the names of six members of Congress. The FBI did not disclose the names of those lawmakers.

Anti-Trump Resistance Falling Flat? Some Democrats Deflated After Georgia Loss

“Democrats would do much better” if they would work more with Republicans, Pres. Trump tweeted after Republican Karen Handel’s win in the high-profile Georgia congressional special election.

Milwaukee mayor urges peaceful protest after ex-cop cleared

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee jury on Wednesday acquitted a former police officer in the on-duty shooting of a black man last year that ignited riots on the city's north side.

How Could the Fitzgerald Collision Happen?

This isn't like a car crash—it's a whole different game at sea.

"Textalyzer" Device Allows Police to Determine if Drivers Were Texting and Driving

The “Textalyzer” device allows police to plug in and determine if a driver was using a cell phone to text while driving. Jeff Rossen shows how it works.

2 Elephants Spring Into Action to Save Calf From Drowning in Zoo's Pool

Two elephants worked together to save a baby calf who fell into a pool at the Seoul Grand Park Zoo in South Korea.

More than half of Americans want stricter gun laws, Pew study finds

Among gun owners, the survey found clear differences in firearm usage based on partisan affiliation. More than half of Americans want stricter gun laws, while still preserving the rights of most people in most places to carry most types of guns, a Pew Research Center survey has found. While half of Americans see gun violence as a very big problem in their country, fewer than 10% of American adults said that “almost no one” should be able to legally own a gun, and only 10% said that “almost no types” of guns should be legally available to buy.

White House concedes Russia meddled in campaign, but denies it changed the result

The White House Thursday addressed the joint intelligence report that found Russia had attempted to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, more than five months after the report’s conclusions were made public. First, on Twitter, President Trump dismissed the concerns about Russia as a “big Dem HOAX” and suggested that his predecessor, President Barack Obama, did little to confront the problem. White House aides then clarified Trump’s remarks and said he believes there was Russian meddling but is certain it did not affect the outcome of the race.

British Schoolboys Wear Skirts During Heatwave in Uniform Protest

A group of teenage boys in England wore skirts to school during sweltering heat in defiance of their school's shorts ban.

Senate’s unhealthy start on health care

Senate Republicans are ready to share their health care draft, while some House Democrats call for Nancy Pelosi to step down as minority leader.

Tim Kaine: U.S. strikes on Syrian forces ‘completely illegal’

Sen. Tim Kaine sharply condemned U.S. strikes on Syrian regime forces as “completely illegal.” He says President Trump needs a new AUMF.

'Pizzagate' gunman in DC sentenced to 4 years in prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — An online conspiracy theory dubbed "pizzagate" ended Thursday with real-world consequences when a North Carolina man was sentenced to prison for arming himself with an assault rifle, traveling to the nation's capital and firing his weapon inside a neighborhood pizza restaurant.

Pentagon chief blasts N.Korea over US student who died

North Korea's treatment of an American student who died after being released from detention in a coma was inhuman and US patience with Pyongyang is running out, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Wednesday. Otto Warmbier, 22, suffered severe brain damage in North Korea and died on Monday following 18 months of captivity in North Korea after he was sentenced to hard labor for stealing a political poster from a hotel. "To see a young man go over there healthy and, (after) a minor act of mischief, come home dead basically... this goes beyond any kind of understanding of law and order, of humanity, of responsibility towards any human being," Mattis said.

Wall Street Journal fires correspondent over ethics conflict

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday fired its highly regarded chief foreign affairs correspondent after evidence emerged of his involvement in prospective commercial deals — including one involving arms sales to foreign governments — with an international businessman who was one of his key sources.

Man Arrested in $400G Day Care Drug Sweep Where Cocaine Was Found Next to Kid's Bed: Cops

The LA City Attorney called it "an incredibly toxic combination of illegal drugs and day care."

Bitter Ga. loss provides backdrop for Democrats to reflect on party’s future

In the wake of Jon Ossoff’s stinging defeat in the House race in Atlanta’s suburbs last night, the question now is: How do Democrats pick up the pieces? Under this scenario, Democrats would embrace candidates who excoriate the wealthiest “1 percent” and promise to curb income inequality, zero out public college and university tuition and enact single-payer universal health care. There are also Democratic warnings that Ossoff’s tepid handling of President Trump misfired.

U.S. Attorney General Sessions hires private attorney

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has become the latest senior Trump administration official to hire a private attorney, a Justice Department spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

T-Mobile is having network problems across the country, reports show

T-Mobile users across the country have woken up to widespread network outages. According to reports on the Down Detector and Twitter, thousands of users are having problems getting any data connectivity, even if a cell signal is still showing. The Down Detector map shows reports across the country, with a concentration on the East Coast. It could be a problem with a regional data center, or a nationwide problem that isn't being reported yet on the West Coast, thanks to the time difference. T-Mobile has not publicly issued a statement yet, but is responding to individual users on the official @TMobile Twitter page, saying that they're looking into the issue. Some users say that turning LTE off can get data service working on 3G, but that's a temporary fix at best. For the time being, staying on Wi-Fi and turning your device on and off every hour or two is likely the best solution. Assuming that the outage is related to a software issue in T-Mobile's network, you can assume that a fix is being worked on at speed. Turning your device on and off forces it to re-register on the local cell tower, which means you'll get connectivity back as soon as the problem is resolved on T-Mobile's end.

New York governor pardons 9/11 Ground Zero worker facing deportation under Trump administration

The governor of New York State has pardoned an undocumented immigrant who worked on to help clean up ground zero following the September 11 terrorist attacks in order to help him fight deportation proceedings. Andrew Cuomo’s pardon regards a 1990 conviction for attempting to sell a controlled substance. After the 1990 conviction, Carlos Cardona helped with recovery work after two planes flew into the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan in what was the deadliest terror attack on US soil.

McDonald's Changed The Meat In Its Burgers And People Are Pissed

Welp, this sucks.

Israeli court stands up for woman in airline gender seat swap case

A court has told the Israeli airline El Al that it can no longer ask women passengers to switch seats if ultra-Orthodox Jewish men object to sitting next to them, an Israeli advocacy group said on Thursday. A case for damages from the carrier was brought by 83-year-old Renee Rabinowitz, who was asked by a flight attendant, after boarding a flight from Newark to Tel Aviv in 2015, if she would agree to move. The airline has said it tries to accommodate ultra-Orthodox men, who cite religious beliefs in seeking to avoid close proximity to women other than their wives, but never pressures female passengers to accede to a seat swap request.

Father of missing Chinese scholar: 'Give my daughter back'

URBANA, Ill. (AP) — The father of a visiting Chinese scholar missing from the University of Illinois made an emotional appeal on Thursday for his 26-year-old child's safe return, saying in an interview: "Give my daughter back."

Mattis, Tillerson Slam North Korea After Warmbier Death

Senior U.S. officials are still trying to get China to help rein in the Hermit Kingdom.

US officials to lift Yellowstone grizzly bear protections

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Protections that have been in place for more than 40 years for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park area will be lifted this summer after U.S. government officials ruled Thursday that the population is no longer threatened.

Democratic congressman: Our ‘toxic’ brand under Pelosi makes it hard to win

Rep. Tim Ryan says the party’s “toxic” brand under House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is making it difficult for Dems to connect with voters.

Sears Canada files for creditor protection

Sears Canada filed for court protection from creditors Thursday as the onetime retail giant seeks to adapt to a changed business landscape and tougher online competition. The company also announced it was shutting 59 stores and laying off 2,900 staff at corporate headquarters in Toronto and across its retail network. The company's roots in the American mail order business Simpsons-Sears sprouted a chain of department stores across Canada that anchored hundreds of malls.

Gigantic Stash of Nazi Memorabilia Found in Argentina

It didn't just get there by itself.

Conrad Roy III's Mother Sympathizes With Michelle Carter's Family

Roy's girlfriend Michelle Carter was convicted Friday after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2014 suicide of her boyfriend.

Man invents tsunami sensor, internet obsesses over his dog

This pensive dog upstaged his owner and wasn't even aware of it. SEE ALSO: Friendly island doggo followed a street view mapper and photobombed all his shots Inventor Jerry Paros posed for a photograph for an article in the publication Nature about his invention — an ultra precise quartz sensor that could contribute to an early-warning system designed to detect shifts in the sea floor that cause tsunamis. Tsunamis are caused primarily by earthquakes that occur in the seafloor, since rapid shifts in elevation can generate waves that cross oceans in a matter of several hours. In 2011, a massive tsunami hit northern Japan following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast, resulting in the meltdown of nuclear reactors at the Fukashima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The article and the photograph were shared on Nature's Twitter page.  Meet the man hoping to transform the way we gather data from the seafloor to detect the next big earthquake: https://t.co/GmICfBMSDR pic.twitter.com/zvRlwpyADX — Nature News&Comment (@NatureNews) June 21, 2017 While many found the article interesting, most people were busy obsessing over Paros' photobombing canine companion. Yeah that's interesting and all but can we talk about the DOG ON THE DESK! — Weird Science News (@GCweirdscience) June 22, 2017 the dog looks philosophical. the dog must think about how to save this world from natural disasters. great dog. — SaveSouthKorea (@SaveSouthKorea) June 21, 2017 PLEASE PROVIDE DOG NAME. And, is he a good boy? — Bepps, The (@l_____88_____l) June 21, 2017 Wow look at the picture on the desk! pic.twitter.com/GS8cIHYvRx — Sojiro (@The_clark_Side) June 21, 2017 pic.twitter.com/f37p3lsdUt — Jon (@jonheheman) June 21, 2017 No doubt @Paroscientific #earthquake research important. But am mostly obsessed by doggo looking out the window in the pic #dogsoftwitter https://t.co/i3DJAU6D5F — Amanda Cronkhite (@abcronkhite) June 21, 2017 Please can we talk about this man's dog — Stefan (@StefanRautnbach) June 21, 2017 Ok but interview that dog. — Ashley (@ashcech) June 21, 2017 Not one word in this article about the man's dog.  — ♥️ (@LoveRunandPray) June 21, 2017 Dog is studying squirrels behavior and how subtle changes in behavior predict seismic activity. — Luminous Numinous (@LuminousNumino1) June 22, 2017 Twitter has spoken. We need to know more about that doggo. (H/T Twitter Moments) WATCH: This drone will play with your dog

Anti-abortion activists lose bid to dismiss California privacy case

Two anti-abortion activists charged with felony eavesdropping for secretly filming abortion providers in California lost their bid for dismissal of the case on Wednesday, but the judge ordered prosecutors to amend a criminal complaint he deemed too vague. San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite gave the state attorney general's office until mid-July to file a revised complaint that describes the accusations in greater detail, including specific dates, alleged victims and circumstances. Hite ruled the identities of alleged victims would remain under court seal and admonished lawyers to keep that information confidential, after the defense team for one defendant, David Daleiden, was found to have posted videos and other identifying material online.

Russia fires missiles from Mediterranean at IS in Syria

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has fired cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea on positions of the Islamic State group in Syria, the Defense Ministry said on Friday, Moscow's latest show of strength in the conflict wracking the Mideast country.

James Blake agrees not to sue NYC in exchange for fellowship

NEW YORK (AP) — Tennis star James Blake has agreed to drop his right to sue New York after he was mistakenly arrested and tackled by police. In exchange, a legal fellowship will be created in his name that will bolster the work of the city's police watchdog agency.

Trump fumes on Twitter after ex-Homeland Security chief testifies about Russian cyberattacks

Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson testifies about Russian meddling in the 2016 election before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill June 21, 2017. President Trump fired off a barrage of tweets Thursday morning, hammering away at the “big Dem scam” and “big Dem HOAX!” in the aftermath of former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s testimony the day before about Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. In particular, Trump seized upon Johnson’s comment that the Democratic National Committee was among those who rebuffed his department’s offer for assistance during the Russian attack.

The Death of the Boeing's 747 Is on the Horizon

A Boeing forecast of the airline industry leaves the large four-engine planes like the 747 without a seat at the table.

McDonald's Stock Hits Record As Chain Upgrades Technology, Replaces Cashiers

At fast food chains like McDonald's, automation through tools like self-serve kiosks are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Exploding whipped cream dispenser kills fitness blogger

An Instagram star and well-known fitness blogger has died in a freak accident after a pressurised cannister used for dispensing whipped cream exploded, hitting her in the chest, her family has said. Rebecca Burger, who had a large following on the social media site, where she posted regular pictures of herself promoting fitness products, was killed in eastern France in what the family said was a domestic incident. "It is with great sadness we announce the death of Rebecca who died the June 18th, 2017 in an accident in the home," read a statement on Burger's Instagram account, signed "The grieving family".

U.S. will take weapons from Kurds after Islamic State defeat: Turkey

The United States has told Turkey it will take back weapons supplied to the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria after the defeat of Islamic State, Ankara said on Thursday, seeking to address Turkish concerns about arming Kurds on its border. Turkish defense ministry sources said U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also promised his Turkish counterpart to provide a monthly list of weapons handed to the YPG, saying the first inventory had already been sent to Ankara.

Latest: Milwaukee chief: Jury agreed with me on shooting

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Latest in the trial of a former Milwaukee police officer charged in a fatal shooting (all times local):

The Camaro ZL1 1LE is officially the fastest ever

Often when a car company takes an already fast car and re-tunes it for even better, usually track-focused performance, it's hard to really notice a difference. Until now, the fastest Camaro was the stock ZL1, which set a very impressive seven-minute-and-29.6-second lap time last year. "To make up more than a second per mile on the Nordschleife compared to the ZL1 automatic is a dramatic improvement and speaks to the 1LE's enhanced track features," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer.

Queen's Speech: Pomp, ritual in delivering UK gov't program

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II delivered a speech to Parliament on Wednesday outlining the British government's legislative agenda. It's an event normally marked by pomp and tradition.

Kia, Genesis, Porsche dominate J.D. Power's 2017 Initial Quality Study. (Fiat, not so much.)

Kia has done it again: for a second year in a row, the South Korean brand has come out on top of J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study. The Initial Quality Study is a great one for new-car buyers to watch. Unlike Power's equally well-known Dependability Study, which evaluates new cars based on the number of problems they have over several years, the Initial Quality Study rates vehicles according to the number of issues they experience during the first 90 days of ownership. This year's study was based on survey responses from nearly 80,000 folks who'd purchased or bought 2017 model-year vehicles. It asked them a total of 233 questions, divided into eight categories of potential problems: Exterior Seats Driving Experience Engine/Transmission Features/Controls/Displays Interior Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning  Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation The survey tracks the number of problems owners had in each of those areas, then averages them to determine the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100 for short). That gives J.D. Power a good idea of how well cars are built when they roll off the assembly line. The winners Last year, Kia owners reported 83 PP100, but this year, the brand did even better. Among 2017 model-year vehicles, Kia owners reported just 72 PP100. That's pretty remarkable.  Even more remarkable is the fact that Kia is a mass-market brand. Since J.D. Power began fielding the Initial Quality Survey in 1987, luxury marques have dominated the #1 rung, with mass-market brands like Kia coming out on top just three times: 2006, 2016, and this year, 2017. As you can see from the graphic above, Kia's sibling, the recently spun-off Genesis, came in second, with 77 PP100. German luxury brand Porsche was close on Genesis' heels, with 78 PP100. Special mention goes to MINI, which was the most improved brand overall. Owners of 2017 MINI vehicles reported 33 fewer PP100 than they did in 2016. Ram also made significant gains, tying for fourth place with Ford after shaving off 28 PP100. Other big movers included Acura (losing 19 PP100), Volvo (losing 18 PP100) and Ford itself (losing 16 PP100). The losers Fiat Chrysler brands haven't fared well on the Initial Quality Study in recent years, and their fate didn't change much in 2017. Apart from Ram, all FCA brands fell below the industry average of 97 PP100. At the very bottom of this year's rankings we find Fiat itself, far and away the worst performer with 163 PP100--more than twice the number of problems reported by Kia owners. Luxury brands rounded out the bottom three. Jaguar took the penultimate spot on the study, though its score of 148 PP100 was significantly better than Fiat's. Volvo was the third-worst performer, with 134 PP100. Good news, bad news On the whole, Power says that initial quality is improving, with this year's study boasting some of the best numbers on record. Detroit fans will be happy to know that quality scores among domestic marques bested those of foreign brands for a second year in a row: 93 PP100 versus 99 PP100, respectively. However, there could be serious trouble ahead for many automakers, especially those who aren't investing the proper time and energy to improving infotainment and self-driving software. Power notes that the biggest problem area for new-car buyers continues to be Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation. While scores are improving in that area, infotainment in general remains a very weak spot. Also alarming is the fact that despite huge quality improvements in most areas, scores fell for Features/Controls/Displays (the only area to see a year-over-year decline). This category includes features like collision avoidance, lane departure warning, and other elements of self-driving technology. As Power says, "Consumers will need to be convinced that these systems are foolproof before they will give up driving control to autonomous vehicles."

Russia debacle destroys the last rationale for Trump, the myth of the genius CEO

There’s nothing wrong with the notion of a CEO president. But what the revelations around Russia prove is that Trump doesn’t actually run things well.

What You Learn After Driving the R8 Spyder

Sometimes, top down is better

India drops sedition charges against villagers over Pakistan win

Indian police said Thursday that 15 Muslims arrested for celebrating a recent Pakistani cricket victory over India would not be charged with sedition, but could still face prison for cheering the rival side. The villagers from central Madhya Pradesh state were arrested Monday after letting off fireworks and cheering for Pakistan as the underdogs beat India in the final of the Champions Trophy in England. A Hindu neighbour in Burhanpur district complained to police and the men were detained for sedition -- which can carry a life sentence -- among other offences, drawing criticism from rights groups.