Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from March, 2017

An American Airlines co-pilot died during landing, and this is scary

American Airlines issued a statement yesterday explaining a tragic medical mystery that happened in the cockpit. On Wednesday, an American Airlines co-pilot died upon landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first officer was identified as William “Mike” Grubbs. According to CNN, the captain of American Airlines Flight 1353, flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to Albuquerque, declared a “medical emergency” only two miles away from their destination. Dan Jiron, a spokesperson for Albuquerque International Sunport , reported, “They landed without incident, taxied to the gate and were met by medical personnel.” CPR was performed on Grubbs for about 35 — 40 minutes before paramedics declared the first officer dead. Getty Images / RHONA WISE An American Airlines spokeswoman, Polly Tracey, released a statement stating, “American Airlines is deeply saddened by the death of first officer William “Mike” Grubbs. We’re taking care of first officer

Trump realizes he shouldn't have written Democrats off — but he's already screwed himself

Donald Trump.AP) President Donald Trump seems to be realizing, belatedly, that writing Democrats off put him at the mercy of Republicans in Congress. If he can't get nearly all Republicans to agree on something, he can't have it. Despite being an alleged dealmaking expert , he put himself in quite a weak negotiating position, which is sad! So Trump is talking up his desire to deal with Democrats on healthcare and infrastructure, giving him an additional possible counterparty if Freedom Caucus Republicans won't play ball. But I don't think Trump has realized how much he'd have to give up, policy-wise, to make Democrats willing to work with him. Democratic voters hate Trump. If Democrats are going to cut deals with him, they're going to have to be confident they can go home and show their voters they got the best of the negotiation. And he definitely hasn't realized that being a jerk makes it harder to get both Republicans and Democrats t

Mysterious X37-B ‘space plane’ stays in orbit for 677 days - and no one knows why

A mysterious robotic ‘space plane’ has now been in orbit for a record 677 days – and America is remaining silent about what it’s doing up there. The robotic Boeing X-37B craft – also known as Orbital Test Vehicle 4 – conducts long missions in orbit, carrying a classified payload. Observers have speculated that the Space Shuttle-esque vehicle might be designed to destroy satellites – or work as a ‘movable’ satellite itself. When it landed from a previous mission, it was greeted by ground crew in biohazard suits – sparking gossip that there was something radioactive on board. The aircraft has a wingspan of less than 15ft – and is taken into space on a rocket, but glides back to Earth like a space shuttle.  

2018 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: A Legend Reborn (Again)

2018 Ford Mustang To that end, we hear Ford is leaning away from EcoBoost and toward a supercharged, larger-displacement version of the Mustang GT’s Coyote. If that sounds a lot like the GT350’s 5.2-liter Voodoo V-8, well, that’s because it would be, albeit with a conventional 90-degree crankshaft in place of the Voodoo’s 180-degree piece, as well as direct fuel injection. Expect both a six-speed manual transmission and a 10-speed automatic co-developed with GM and also used in the ZL1. What Might Go Wrong: It might not be as good on a track as the ZL1, but considering how well the GT350 handles, that seems unlikely. Estimated Arrival and Price: Later this year; expect to pay at least $65,000, more if dealers decide to gouge buyers.

Protests nationwide bring thousands to Russia's streets

Russia’s opposition, often written off by critics as a small and irrelevant coterie of privileged urbanites, put on an impressive nationwide show of strength Sunday with scores of protest rallies spanning the vast country. Hundreds were arrested, including Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption campaigner who is President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic. It was the biggest show of defiance since the 2011-2012 wave of demonstrations that rattled the Kremlin and led to harsh new laws aimed at suppressing dissent. Almost all of Sunday’s rallies were unsanctioned, but thousands braved the prospect of arrests to gather in cities from the Far East port of Vladivostok to the “window on the West” of St. Petersburg. An organization that monitors Russian political repression, OVD-Info, said it counted more than 800 people arrested in the Moscow demonstrations alone. That number could not be confirmed and state news a

Three burglars entered an Oklahoma home. The owner’s son opened fire with an AR-15, deputies say.

Gunfire rang out Monday afternoon in a home in Broken Arrow, an Oklahoma city 15 miles southeast of Tulsa. Three intruders were killed after the son of the homeowner fired a semiautomatic rifle in what local law enforcement officers later described as an act of self-defense, though their investigation remains open. The intruders — a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old and a man thought to be 18 or 19 — had smashed open the back door of the house ,  the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to Facebook. Their plan was burglary, authorities said. They wore gloves, masks and all-black clothes, Wagoner County Deputy Nick Mahoney told  Tulsa World . Two of the teenagers were armed, one with a knife and the other with brass knuckles. The trio reportedly exchanged words with the 23-year-old son of the homeowner, whose name has also not been released. He fired on them with  an AR-15 , a popular semiautomatic rifle, officials told Fox 23. The shots seemed to shatter the

Leftover Rice Could Give You Food Poisoning If You Don’t Do This First

For many of us, leftover Chinese food has pretty much reached the point of becoming a household staple in our refrigerators. That once-a-week order supplies two days worth of dinner, making it one of our favorite (and most cost-effective!) meals ever. However, you can get seriously sick from eating those leftovers, but it’s not the meat or fish that's the culprit. Instead, leftover rice in any meal—yes, even ones you've cooked yourself—can pose a serious health risk if not stored properly after being cooked for the first time.  According to the NHS , it's the way you store rice after cooking it that can get people sick. Here’s why: Uncooked rice oftentimes contains spores of Bacillus cereus (a bacteria that can potentially cause food poisoning), which has the ability to survive even when the rice is cooked. Once cooked, if you leave the rice standing at room temperature for a long period of time, those spores can grow into and breed bacteria, which may

NASA just captured a photo of Jupiter that you won’t believe is real

NASA has managed to capture some pretty stunning photos of all the cool stuff they’ve spotted over the years, and rarely does it fail to amaze. There’s images of planet surfaces, the rings of Saturn, and even black holes flying through space totally unchecked . Rarely, however, does a photo look so unreal that at first glance you’d be likely to mistake it for a work of Earthling art. A new photo captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft falls into that category, and oh what a sight it is The image, originally taken by Juno’s “JunoCam” camera, was taken in early February and shows Jupiter’s ever-swirling mass of storm clouds from an altitude of roughly 9,000 miles. The storms which continually rock the planet take on a milky appearance when captured up close, and a citizen scientist named Roman Tkachenko took the liberty of enhancing the photo’s colors to bring out even more of the defining lines and edges. The Juno craft, packed with all kinds of fancy monitoring equipment, m

Israel's airstrike on Syria spooks Middle East

BEIRUT, March 27 (UPI) --  Israeli warplanes carrying out airstrikes on a shipment of Iranian arms to Lebanese  Hezbollah  guerrillas in Syria managed to evade Syrian air-defense missiles but the incident is a graphic demonstration of how the war has the potential to further inflame the region. There are likely to be further Israeli airstrikes against Hezbol­lah in Syria, reflecting deepening Israeli concerns that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and their Lebanese ally are establish­ing a new front on the divided Go­lan Heights from which to fight the Jewish state. These developments are increas­ing the chances of a miscalculation that could trigger a war that both sides insist they do not want. As tensions mount amid an unprece­dented cluster of interlocking con­flicts across the hair-trigger region, clashes like the aerial action over Palmyra could easily escalate out of control. The Israeli airstrikes climaxed after weeks of verbal threats from all sides, aggrav

Russia creates 'unstoppable' hypersonic Zircon missile with Navy destroying 4,600mph speed

Russia claims to have created a devastating hypersonic missile that travels five times faster than the speed of sound and could rip through navy warship defences because it's too fast to stop. The Kremlin's Zircon missile has been called "unstoppable", "unbeatable" and "undefendable" with a 4,600mph speed that only one defence system in the world can destroy – that system is owned by Russia. The missile employs revolutionary scramjet technology to reach its hypersonic speeds whereby propulsion is created by forcing air from the atmosphere into its combustor where it mixes with on-board fuel – rather than carry both fuel and oxidizer like traditional rockets. This makes it lighter, and therefore much faster. It uses no fans, rotating turbines or moving parts – just an inlet where air is compressed and a combustor where the air is mixed with fuel. Fewer moving parts also means less chance of mechanical failure. The Zircon has been in testi

Philippines' Communists Look Ahead to Peace Talks With Duterte

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said on Saturday that its armed units will declare a unilateral ceasefire no later than March 31, ahead of the resumption of peace talks with the government of President Rodrigo Duterte next month. The CPP, whose armed wing, the New People's Army, has fought a nearly five-decade-long insurgency, expects that the Philippine government will declare a similar unilateral ceasefire as part of an agreement reached during backchannel talks from March 10 to 11, the group said in a statement. Negotiators from both sides agreed on March 12 to resume formal peace negotiations in The Netherlands from April 2 to 6, a month after an angry Duterte canceled talks after the rebels ambushed soldiers after unilaterally ending a previous ceasefire.   Duterte, in an interview on Saturday with reporters in Bukidnon province in the southern Philippines, said he would consult wi

Nissan recalls more than 56,000 cars, cites power steering

Nissan is recalling more than 56,000 cars because of power steering hoses that may leak fluid and potentially lead to fires. Nissan North America says the recall affects the 2013-2014 Murano vehicles. It says the problem stems from the power steering hose clamp, which may not adequately secure the hose. That could allow the hose to detach and leak power steering fluid. That could lead to a fire If it leaks onto a hot engine or exhaust pipes, the company said. Nissan says dealers will install a new power steering high pressure hose kit, free of charge. Car owners can contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

Philippines rescues three Malaysians held hostage by Abu Sayyaf

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine troops have rescued three Malaysians held captive by Abu Sayyaf rebels, the military said on Monday, the second such operation in four days as security forces step up offensives against the notorious Islamist group. The three men were kidnapped from a ship eight months ago, and their rescue means no other Malaysians are currently held hostage as two others were rescued at sea last week. The military said the three Malaysians were rescued on Jolo island in the southern Philippines on Sunday but gave no details of the operation. Abu Sayyaf has its roots in separatism and but engages mostly in banditry. It has proven a formidable opponent for the Philippine military, with its small, agile and well-equipped network entrenched in the jungles of two southern islands, from which they prey on slow cargo boats. It has gained a reputation as one of the world&

Why ISIS is Failing to Build a Caliphate in Afghanistan

Of all the countries the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) has tried to conquer, Afghanistan has proved the toughest. The country’s resilience is particularly impressive given ISIS’ continued terrorist attacks, designed to instil fear across its provinces. On March 5, the group released an execution video from its stronghold in Achin, a district of Nangarhar province on the border with Pakistan. In the film, two men kneel before the militants, who accuse them of working as government spies. One is shot in the head, the other is decapitated. Three days after the video came out, a bomb went off at the rear of a military hospital in the Afghan capital of Kabul . Gunmen dressed as medics then entered the building and opened fire, leading to an hours-long battle with security forces. The final death toll was 38 people, with dozens more injured. ISIS’ Amaq news agency wasted no time in taking credit. Taken together and in isolation, these two events seem to suggest that I

The U.S. Military's Greatest Enemy Isn't Russia or China

A wise man once pointed out that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Relative to the 1970s and 1980s, the United States is almost incomparably powerful and secure, enjoying presumptive military advantage over any opponent or plausible coalition of opponents. We sometimes forget, for example, that there is some history to the idea of Russian troops freely operating in Ukraine. And the point is not that the United States deserves some kind of comeuppance for its arrogance. Geopolitics isn’t a Shakespearean drama, or a morality play. Noting that Russia, China, and others have the growing capability to act independently in their regions does not imply that they will act justly, or that they have any special right to torture their neighbors. Nor is it to suggest that the Bush and Obama administrations deserve no blame for their foreign policy choices. Allowing that they are not responsible for U.S. relative decline is different than su

20,000 evacuated after huge explosion at arms depot in Ukraine

Around 20,000 people were evacuated from the city of Balakleya in eastern Ukraine after a massive explosion at an ammunition warehouse at around 3am local time (1am GMT) on 23 March. The Ukrainian military has said unknown saboteurs blew up the military depot storing about 138,000 tonnes of ammunition, according to Reuters. alakleya is about 100km (60 miles) away from the frontline of the conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists. More than 9,700 people have died in the conflict since 2014. "According to preliminary data as a result of sabotage, last night at 2.46am (00.46 GMT), fire and explosions caused the detonation of ammunition at several sites storing rockets and artillery weapons," Ukraine's chief military prosecutor, Anatoly Mattios, wrote on Facebook. He added that a 7km security zone has been set up around the ammunition warehouse. The airspace within a 50km (31 miles) radius of the base has been

Chinese Troops Participate in Pakistan’s Republic Day Parade

ISLAMABAD —  A grand annual military parade marking Pakistan’s Republic Day has for the first time involved Chinese troops, underscoring Beijing’s increasingly strong partnership with Islamabad. The Pakistan military displayed its conventional and nuclear-capable weapons at Thursday’s parade in the capital, where security was extremely tight. Authorities blocked cellular phone networks to deter militants, who have often used mobile phone signals to trigger bombs. Pakistan Day commemorates March 23, 1940, when a resolution was passed to demand the establishment of a separate homeland to protect Muslims in the then British colony of India. Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain arrives to attend a military parade to mark Pakistan's Republic Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2017. Addressing the nationally televised event, President Mamnoon Hussain thanked China for sending a 90-member contingent of the People’s Liberation Army to the parade, saying the Chinese

Police Officer Killed in London Terror Attack Identified

Scotland Yard has identified the police officer who was killed in a terrorist attack on Wednesday in London. The officer, Keith Palmer, 48, was a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and served on the police force for 15 years before his death. He was a husband and father. “Keith Palmer was killed while bravely doing his duty protecting our city and the heart of our democracy from those who want to destroy our way of life,” London Mayor Sidiq Khan said in a statement.

Yes, They’re Dating! Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus Spotted Kissing in NYC

Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger take New York. (Photo: The Image Direct) Well, this makes it official! Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus couldn’t keep their hands off each other while taking a romantic stroll in New York City on Tuesday night. In new photographs posted on E! News , the two were all smiles as they walked hand-in-hand, even stopping for the occasional kiss. During their night out, Kruger and Reedus stopped by two local bars and were spotted kissing for nearly 30 minutes while on their walk home. Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus had one romantic night. (Photo: The Image Direct) The actress, 40, kept her look casual for the night, wearing a pair of jeans with a black jacket and matching boots. Reedus, 48, mirrored her outfit in his own pair of jeans and a black hoodie. The PDA-packed night comes just one month after the two were spotted returning from a trip together - sparking rumors that they might be more than just friends. The close duo was also seen toget

How Much Money Does the Average American Have in Their Retirement Account?

How is saving money going for you? If you’re like most Americans, you’ve hit a few bumps along the road. Emergencies pop up, your kids cost more than you ever dreamed, and your bank account never seems to be quite as large as you hope. In times like these, it helps to know whether you’re on the right track — or at least how your saving habits compare to your neighbors, co-workers, and the country at large. In some cases, you might be surprised how far along you are compared to the norm. In others, it might be a wake-up call to take another look at your financial habits. The same is true for retirement savings. We’d all like to retire someday — hopefully while we’re young enough to enjoy our free time. But to do that, we need to start saving as soon as possible. The question is how much do you have saved up already? How does that compare to other Americans? And how much will you actually need to have a comfortable retirement? While it can be difficult to get a clear pi

Infant twin girls found dead inside apartment

The 7-month old twins (here with their mother) were found dead inside an apartment Wednesday. Two infant twin girls turned “purple” and died Wednesday morning in a southern New Jersey apartment, according to a report. The mother of the 7-month-old babies frantically called 911 around 8 a.m. and told a dispatcher her baby twins couldn’t breathe, reports said. “My twins are purple. They’re not breathing!” the woman can be heard saying on the call, which was obtained by a local media outlet. The operator told her to try CPR, but her efforts were fruitless and she was unable to revive them, reports said. Tasia Mayweather, a family friend of the father, said he asked her for a ride to the Lindenwold apartment as the incident was unfolding but they arrived too late, the Courier-Post reported. Mayweather told the paper he’s “torn up” over the incident: “He was so excited to be a father, and now for this to happen … I can’t imagine,” Mayweather said. She told the paper

Russia is testing a new nuclear weapons system known as Satan. It's big enough to destroy France.

Russia has for months been testing a giant nuclear weapons delivery system that can carry 10 heavyweight warheads—enough power to wipe out Texas or France. But the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile known in Russia as "Satan 2" has been delayed yet again, suggesting Moscow is having a harder time than expected updating its nuclear arsenal. Russia began testing the Sarmat last year and had been expected to enter it into service in 2018. It was slated to be Russia's first new intercontinental ballistic missile in decades and much bigger than its U.S. counterpart, the Minuteman III, which carries three warheads.  The Russian weapon was designed to push through U.S. missile defenses. It is expected to replace the RS-36M, which was known as "Satan" by NATO in the 1970s, NBC News reported. But it's unclear now when the intercontinental nuclear missile will join Russia's fleet. New testing might not happen until later this year, the

China Overtakes Japan to Become One of South Korea's Least Liked Countries: Poll

For decades, South Korea and Japan have had a sour relationship. Ever since World War II, during a period of aggression in which Japan colonized parts of South Korea and committed wartime atrocities, South Korea has despised the island nation. However, according to an Asan Institute for Political Studies survey released on Monday, hatred of China is so great among South Koreans at the moment that China has overtaken Japan in these rankings to become the second most disliked country after North Korea.  (The most disliked country is North Korea.) Out of a possible 10 points, with 10 being the most friendly, China’s favorability has plummeted to 3.21 from 5 points in 2016. Japan’s remains unchanged at 3.33. The move in public opinion comes after a row over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) on South Korea’s border, a U.S. army anti-ballistics missile system that can shoot down short, medium, and long range missiles fired

The US Navy has a severe 'missile gap' with China and Russia — here's how it can beat them anyway

The US wields the world's biggest, most powerful Navy, but recent developments in China and Russia's missile inventory severely threaten the surface fleet with superior range and often velocity. But the US Navy and Lockheed Martin have a variety of solutions in the works to tip the scales in the US's favor by going hard on offense. For years, the Navy has focused on a concept called " distributed lethality ," which calls for arming even the Navy's smallest ships with powerful weapons that can hit targets hundreds of miles out. Yet Russian and Chinese ships and missile forces already field long-range precision missiles that can hit US ships before the forces are even close. Additionally, both Russia and China are working on hypersonic weapons that could travel more than five times as fast as the speed of sound. These weapons would fly faster than curre

US forces just went behind enemy lines in Syria to cut off ISIS’ only escape route

(US Marines fire artillery to break up ISIS fighters attacking Kurdish and Peshmerga forces.Cpl. Andre Dakis/US Marine Corps) The offensive to destroy ISIS in Syria took a big step forward recently with US military advisers, helicopters, and artillery helping position a force of about 500 soldiers near a strategic dam outside of Raqqa, ISIS's Syrian capital.  The US military, along with Kurdish forces and the multi-ethnic Syrian Democratic Forces rebel group, have moved to put a stranglehold on Raqqa with shelling, air support, and ground forces at the last route in and out of the city, according to a press release . Operation Inherent Resolve, the 68-nation mission to destroy ISIS, flew in fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed rebel group, behind enemy lines to a strategic dam. “It takes a special breed of warrior to pull of an airborne operation or air assault behind enemy lines,” Col. Joe Scrocca,  a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve t