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Trump Must Not Break His Promises to Gun-Rights Supporters

Following the model of George H. W. Bush, Donald Trump is taking a major step toward becoming a one-term president. Bush thought he could become more popular by betraying his promises to defend the Second Amendment. Trump now feels the same; according to the New York Times, he has ordered his staff to work with Senate Republicans to pass a major gun-control package that would set the stage for gun confiscation. Bush’s Good Talk and Hostile Action Let’s remember how gun control worked out for George H. W. Bush. Like Trump, Bush had a long record of supporting some gun control; that record was part of the reason he lost the Texas Senate race in 1970 and the presidential primaries in 1980. Also as with Trump, the campaign that won Bush the presidency was strongly pro–Second Amendment: Shortly before running for president in 1988, Bush joined the NRA. His acceptance speech at the Republican Convention touted his devotion to gun rights. In a September 1988 public letter to the NRA, he promised to oppose gun bans and other forms of gun control.Bush won the general election in a landslide against the inept Democratic nominee, Michael Dukakis, who as governor of Massachusetts had declared that only the police and military should have guns. Bush’s victory margin was so large that the pro–Second Amendment vote was not essential. Gun voters did, however, amplify Bush’s win by carrying him to victory in states such as Pennsylvania, Montana, and Maryland.Bush’s campaign promises apparently meant little to him. A few weeks into the Bush presidency, the administration was set back on its heels by the Senate’s rejection of Secretary of Defense John Tower. Some conservative activists had raised concerns that Tower had a drinking problem, and that was the end of the nomination. So the White House cast about for what they thought would be a popular issue, and they chose gun control.In Stockton, Calif., a seriously mentally ill career criminal had murdered elementary-school children in a schoolyard. If California had had a functional criminal-justice system, the criminal would have been behind bars and receiving mental-health treatment.Bush denounced what he called "automated attack weapons” — that is, guns with a military appearance. Although the guns looked like machine guns, they functioned differently, with a much slower rate of fire — the same rate as common handguns. But Bush couldn’t be bothered to know the difference between reality and appearance, and neither could many other politicians and the media. The same is true today.Using administrative authority, Bush banned the import of so-called “assault weapons” — almost all of which actually had well-established use in hunting and target shooting. In the courts, the Bush administration’s lawyers insisted that individuals had no Second Amendment rights. Bush’s Department of Housing and Urban Development urged local public-housing authorities to prohibit tenants from owning firearms in their homes. Bush promoted an early version of what would later become the 1994 Clinton-Biden crime bill, including a ban on many ordinary firearms. The leading Republican supporter was South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond, the longtime segregationist and opponent of civil liberties.In 1991, Bush soared to 89 percent popularity after winning the First Gulf War against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein. (At the time, few people realized that Bush’s decision to let the tyrant stay in power would set the stage for more terrorism and another war.) Yet Bush had few accomplishments on the domestic side. He had already violated his “read my lips: no new taxes” pledge — and was perhaps surprised to find that the people who hated him before he broke his promise hated him just as much afterwards.In search of a domestic accomplishment, Bush again proposed a grand bargain: He would sign a crime bill with gun control if the bill would also eliminate the exclusionary rule for firearms seized as evidence. That rule, created by Supreme Court decisions starting in 1914, prevents the courtroom use of evidence that is obtained through illegal police conduct. The Bush proposal would have allowed government agents to break into someone’s home with no warrant, no probable cause, and no exigent circumstances, ransack the home to look for a gun, and then use evidence of the seizure in court against the individual. Too bad for the Fourth Amendment.Perhaps Bush’s opposition to judicial controls on law-enforcement misconduct was not surprising. Under his administration, federal law-enforcement agencies — including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms -- had become notorious for legally unjustifiable and excessive violence, often with deadly consequences for the victims. Then as now, most federal agents were decent people, but the Bush administration from the top down encouraged the recklessly violent ones.In September 1992, the National Rifle Association declined to endorse Bush for reelection. Instead, the association concentrated its resources on candidates in other races who had kept their promises. Bush lost handily to Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, in part because Bush’s conservative base had realized that while Bush talked like a Texan, he governed like a northeastern aristocrat.The Clinton administration did everything it could to promote gun control, including winning enactment of a gun ban as part of its 1994 crime bill. (The one that most Democratic presidential candidates today accurately denounce as a disaster for civil rights.)Clinton’s overreach on guns played a major role in flipping control of the House and Senate in the 1994 elections, electing the most pro-gun Congress since the early 1920s. As this experience showed, it’s better to be under frontal attack from an overt enemy than to be stabbed in the back by a purported ally. Trump’s Good Talk and Planned Actions Trump’s embrace of the Bush model is reported to include support of the Toomey-Manchin bill from 2013. The bill would forbid individuals to sell firearms to each other if the sales took place at a gun show or were advertised publicly; instead, the sellers would have to use gun stores as middlemen. As federally licensed retailers, gun stores must keep records on firearms transactions, and they contact the FBI or its state counterpart for a background check on buyers. All this has nothing to do with reducing mass shootings. From the Aurora theater to Newtown to Las Vegas, the guns used by mass shooters are overwhelmingly acquired by persons who passed background checks, or who could have passed any proposed system of checks. In a few cases, such as the shooting at Sutherland Springs, Texas, the criminal should have been stopped by the existing background-check system but wasn’t, because the relevant conviction had not been reported to the FBI’s National Instant Check System. Since 2008, Congress has enacted a variety of laws to address the problem of incomplete data.Like Bush and Clinton, Trump is determined to “do something” — even if that something is useless when it comes to preventing mass shootings. A RAND Corporation study evaluated different gun-control laws. According to RAND, which can hardly be accused of being “pro-gun,” the social-science evidence does not provide even “limited” support for background checks, “assault weapon” bans, or other gun control having any effect on mass shootings.The Toomey-Manchin bill was promoted with the sweetener that it would toughen the existing ban on a federal gun registry and would improve the laws protecting the interstate transportation of firearms. In fact, close reading of the bill showed that it expressly authorized a vast amount of new gun registration and gutted the existing protections for interstate transport for persons who travel to the most restrictive states, such as New York, New Jersey, and Massaschusetts. It would have vastly increased data collection and retention on law-abiding gun owners.As the Obama administration’s Department of Justice admitted in a 2013 memo, “universal background check” laws are unenforceable without gun registration. Retail gun sales are already registered via record-keeping by the retailer. When a dealer retires, all of his registration records must be delivered to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, where they are digitized. (ATF is currently not supposed to make its database searchable by the purchaser’s name.) The purpose of the background-check laws being pushed in Congress and the states is to expand registration by requiring the use of gun stores as intermediaries for transfers between private individuals — even loaning your shotgun to your cousin for a week.Centralizing registration will be a future demand of the gun-prohibition lobby after Trump surrenders to the current demands. That is what has been enacted in California, where the government now has a comprehensive list of almost all gun owners and their particular firearms — thanks to records created for “universal background checks.”Once there is registration, the next step is confiscation. Since 1967, all firearms in New York City have been centrally registered. Starting with mayor David Dinkins in the 1980s and continuing ever since, including under the regime of Michael Bloomberg, the registration lists have been used for confiscation, as more and more once-legal guns have been outlawed by the city council or the legislature.The New York City Administrative Code explains the process in section 10-303.1. When the city council decides that something is an “assault weapon” (a definition that has repeatedly expanded), the police are supposed to mail a notice to the licensed owner of the registered gun. The owner has two choices: 1. “peaceably surrender his or her assault weapon” to the police commissioner, who may destroy it or keep it for police-department use; 2. “lawfully remove such assault weapon from the city of New York.”After the confiscation process for “assault weapons” was established, a slow-motion confiscation was introduced for more firearms. According to section 10-306, it is illegal in New York to acquire a rifle of shotgun with an ammunition capacity of more than five. Existing registered owners may keep theirs, but may not pass them on to heirs. The only dispositions allowed are surrender to the police, removal from the city, or sale to a licensed firearms dealer.Central registration lists have likewise been used for confiscation in Australia and the United Kingdom, both touted as models by American gun-control advocates. Laws to Reduce Mass Shootings Red-flag laws could stop mass shootings at least occasionally, which is why I testified in favor of such laws before the Senate Judiciary Committee last March. But unless the laws have very strong due-process protections (which the bills being pushed by the gun-control lobbies do not), these laws are easy to abuse. Trump himself demonstrated the problem by claiming that CNN host Christopher Cuomo should be prohibited from owning guns because Cuomo lost his temper and yelled at a lout who was harassing him and his family at a restaurant.Donald Trump did once propose something that would greatly reduce mass shootings. “I will get rid of gun-free zones,” he promised over and over when addressing the NRA annual meeting in 2016. During the campaign he also promised, “I will get rid of gun-free zones in schools, and — you have to — and on military bases. My first day, it gets signed, okay? My first day. There’s no more gun-free zones.”Actually, he did nothing on the first day, and very little since then — not even on federal property, where many of the gun-free zones could be ended by executive-branch regulatory changes.The Army Corps of Engineers owns millions of acres of recreational land, and the corps’ regulations ban Americans from possessing defensive arms while visiting or camping on that land. Just before the Ninth Circuit was slated to hear oral arguments in a constitutional challenge to that ban, the Trump administration told the court that the administration was considering changing the regulation. But the regulation was never changed. Instead, the Trump administration issued guidance to citizens to request written individual permission from a district commander to possess a defensive arm.The gap between Trump’s promises and actions is unfortunate, because the vast majority of mass shootings take place in so-called gun-free zones. As studies of active-shooter incidents show beyond doubt, killing sprees almost always end when the people starting shooting back at the criminal. If law enforcement or security guards are already there, that’s good. But the police cannot be everywhere at once, and the minutes that it takes for the police to arrive are the criminals’ window of time for murder.Unlike Trump, President Obama actually did get rid of some gun-free zones. In 2009, Obama signed legislation to allow persons to carry arms on the lands (though not buildings) of national parks, national monuments, and national wildlife refuges when in compliance with the host state’s laws for lawful carry. The carry reform was attached to a bill on credit-card reform that Obama favored. Additionally, Obama signed defense-appropriations bills that ended gun registration for military personnel in off-base housing and that allowed licensed handgun carry on-base by some personnel.Ever since 2015, Trump has always talked big about this support for gun rights. He has one major accomplishment: unsigning the U.N. gun-control treaty that Obama had signed in 2013. He also signed a bill in early 2017 that blocked proposed Obama gun-control regulations.Gun-rights activists might tolerate Trump's very high ratio of talk to action. But they won’t tolerate him switching sides. Arrogance and Ignorance Donald Trump has flirted with the Bush model before, endorsing gun control in a February 2018 meeting with Senators Feinstein and Schumer. But Trump quickly pulled back. Now he seems more determined, apparently believing that the NRA, which is embroiled in internal conflicts and lawsuits over management issues, is too weak to stop him. Like many New Yorkers, Trump does not realize that the NRA itself is a consequence of American gun culture. If the NRA disappeared tomorrow, American gun owners would spontaneously self-organize in defense of their rights. The same is true for the pro-life movement, the environmental movement, and many others. Strike down their national organizations, and thousands of grassroots organizations will arise to take their place.The same is not true for the anti-gun movement. There has always been a hard core of anti-gun extremists, exemplified by the 20 percent of persons in opinion polls who want to ban all handguns. But the anti-gun grassroots never did spontaneously self-organize to any significant degree. Today, that doesn’t matter, since anti-gunners are now organized by the best professional organizers that money can buy, thanks to Michael Bloomberg and other malefactors of great wealth. This creates the impression among some politicians that the anti-gun movement is larger than ever before, in terms of voting support. This is not true, but the anti-gunners are now much more visible.Trump imagines that he will win reelection because the other party’s nominee will be so extreme. He should ask Jimmy Carter about that one. In 1980, Ronald Reagan’s ideas were indeed far from the center of gravity of American politics. But the American people were tired of Carter’s weakness, indecisiveness, and incompetence, and by a landslide they decided to give the opposing candidate a chance.Trump’s personal flaws are different from Carter’s, but more visible. In childish and unpresidential public behavior he far exceeds the previous record-holder, Bill Clinton.For over three decades I have been in close contact with grassroots gun-rights activists. In 2016 there were a few such activists who genuinely liked Trump; the vast majority viewed him with disgust, based on his character. Yet these same activists worked relentlessly to get gun owners to the polls and thereby carried Trump to narrow victories in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. If Trump follows through on his plans to betray them, they won’t forgive and they won’t forget.

Thailand's lost baby dugong dies from shock, eating plastic

An 8-month-old dugong nurtured by marine experts after it was found lost near a beach in southern Thailand has died of what biologists believe was a combination of shock and ingesting plastic waste, officials said Saturday. The female dugong — a large ocean mammal — was named "Marium" and became a hit in Thailand after images of biologists embracing and feeding her with milk and seagrass spread across social media. Veterinarians and volunteers had set out in canoes to feed Marium up to 15 times a day while also giving her health checks.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Permit Employment Discrimination Against Transgender Workers

DOJ argued that Title VII does not protect transgender people

Store clerk found guilty of murder for chasing, fatally shooting teen who stole $2 drink

The former convenience store employee was accused of gunning down a teenager that stole a beer from a Tennessee convenience store.

Woman survives plunging a mile after parachute fails to open

A woman cheated death when she fell nearly a mile to the ground after her parachute and emergency back-up apparently both failed to open.Witnesses who saw her plunge nearly 5000ft to the ground said it was a miracle she wasn’t killed.She hit a clump of trees, breaking her fall, and escaped with only fractured bones, including broken vertebrae.Police Quebec in Canada are investigating whether there was any criminal negligence.After jumping from the plane at a skydiving centre in Trois-Rivieres, the woman escaped with her life by hitting a wooded area.Denis Demers, who saw her fall, told Radio-Canada: "It’s a miracle. I don’t know how a person can survive a fall from an airplane like that."He said it appeared that neither the main parachute nor the emergency back-up had opened.Police told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the 30-year-old parachutist, who has not yet been identified, was an experienced skydiver.She was admitted to hospital but her life was not in danger, they said.Another witness, Oceane Duplessis, said she was getting ready to get on another plane when she saw the woman."We watched all the way to the end. We kept hoping something would happen," she said. "We were very worried. Very."According to Scienceabc.com, a person without a parachute will fall at a typical speed of 120mph – or 60 metres (196ft) a second.The skydive company, which is reported to be investigating, has been contacted for comment.

HK activists, Beijing supporters demonstrate in London

Demonstrators backing the democracy activists in Hong Kong marched in London on Saturday, as counter-protesters staged a rival rally. Protesters supporting the activists paraded banners reading "Will Britain hold China to its promise on Hong Kong's freedom?", "Power to the people: stand with Hong Kong" and "Will Boris surrender to China?", referring to new Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Others said "The only place I want pepper is in my noodle soup", "SOS: please save Hong Kong" and "No China extradition".

A couple in Australia and their pet dog were attacked by a giant carnivorous lizard

A 72-year-old man was seriously injured after attempting to break up a fight between his pet dog and a giant Goanna lizard.

Google employees call for tech giant to not work with ICE, Customs and Border Protection

Reaction from National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd and former acting ICE director Tom Homan.

1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Pro Touring Boasts Show Quality

It’s custom-built with low mileage and ready to win some trophies. Volo Auto Museum is excited to announce this incredibly stunning 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Pro Touring for your consideration. With only 270 miles clocked since its custom pro-touring build and $95,000 invested, this is a great value. The car is currently up for sale at a price of $42,995, and you can make an offer right here. An extensive amount of work, heart, and soul was put into this car with precise attention to detail. Every single part of the Z28 was removed from the vehicle during the pro-touring build. Even at first glance, you know that this is a show car. But it doesn’t just boast a mean face, this car handles great and is satisfyingly fast.The exterior has custom body features that will really help it stand out among the sea of muscle cars at any car show. It has a reverse scoop molded into the hood and fender vents, as well as a dovetail out back molted onto the quarters and trunk. Other minor touches include filled-in marker lights, a custom gas filler door, filled seams, and custom door handles. The Carbon Flash Black metallic paint (a Corvette color) is lustrous and goes well with the wide non-metallic black stripe on the center of the hood and trunk. This beauty sits on 18-inch Rev wheels wrapped in Michelin Super Sport performance tires, with wider rubber at the rear.The interior on this ’81 Camaro Z28 has been completely restored from the carpet to the headliner. The instrument panel looks like carbon fiber with great-looking digital gauges. It also has a leather-wrapped steering wheel on a tilt column. Additional cabin features include new Vintage Air Heat electric controls, a new modern stereo with molded-in kick panel speakers and 6x9s in the back, and a digital screen for the fuel injection.This 1981 Camaro Z28 Pro Touring is powered by a desirable, all-aluminum, performance-built LS 5.3-liter V8 engine that puts out 420 horsepower. It also has a NOS system for another instant 150 horsepower! What’s more, this Z28 is equipped with a High Ram polished aluminum Holley intake, Holley EFI electronic fuel injection, Accel coils, stainless headers, and custom polished aluminum air induction tubes. It has 65-pound injectors and a 43-pound fuel pump. A Griffin radiator with dual electric fans and a custom shroud keep this bad boy cool. Pop the hood at a car show and wait for all the oohs and ahhs you’ll get. The engine bay is pristine and is sure to outshine its competition. Read More: * Freshly Restored 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Pro Touring * Burn Rubber For Days In This 1965 Ford Mustang Pro Touring

Trump, Netanyahu relationship erodes core values of U.S.-Israeli bond: Today's talker

Netanyahu barred Reps. Omar and Talib from entering Israel after Trump urged him. This was a mistake for Israel.

Italy's Salvini agrees to let 27 minors off migrant ship

Italy's hard-line interior minister buckled under pressure Saturday and agreed to let 27 unaccompanied minors leave a migrant rescue ship after two weeks at sea, temporarily easing a political standoff that has threatened the viability of the populist government. In recent days, Premier Giuseppe Conte had written to Interior Minister Matteo Salvini demanding that minors be allowed off the boat. After initially refusing, Salvini wrote back Saturday with a three-page missive of his own saying he would do so but made clear it was Conte's choice and that it didn't set a precedent.

Mom aims head-on at a tanker to kill herself, sons. When truck dodges, she doubles back

Police say a Gainesville, Florida, mom of two young boys told a friend she was going to kill herself and her sons by crashing her car with everyone inside.

Jeffrey Epstein investigators remain puzzled by his apparent suicide days later

Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide in a New York City jail cell has left federal investigators with more questions than answers about how the accused child sex trafficker managed to seemingly escape facing justice one final time. The federal Bureau of Prisons has attempted to understand in recent days how Epstein managed to take his own life at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre, despite guards being assigned to check his cell every 30 minutes. Officials are also working to learn why Epstein’s cellmate was moved out of their cell the day before the disgraced financier was found unresponsive on Saturday morning and later pronounced dead. Attorney General William Barr has described “serious irregularities” at the prison where Epstein was held and reports have suggested the guards watching over him fell asleep for about three hours at the time of his death. But the Justice Department has not released additional details about the missteps that led to his death before he was set to stand trial over new trafficking and conspiracy charges. The department’s Inspector General has launched an investigation into the death, along with the FBI. The lack of details has led to an emergence of unfounded conspiracy theories alleging Epstein was killed by the “deep state,” or that the multi-millionaire fled to a secretive island and was replaced by a body-double. Those claims were given a megaphone by the White House when Donald Trump retweeted posts on Twitter suggesting there was a link between Epstein’s death and Bill Clinton. Still, investigators remained focused on discovering the most rudimentary facts surrounding his apparent suicide, CNN reported on Friday.That includes a question of whether a prison staff member first found Epstein unresponsive while delivering breakfast to the prisoners, or if someone was already providing aid when he was discovered. The Bureau also wants to know whether the guards documented their checks during the time of Epstein’s death, the outlet reported, and whether there is surveillance footage from inside the jail that matches those logs.There are other confounding factors to Epstein’s death that may add fuel to the fire of conspiracy theories that has already been stoked by the president, including that his cellmate was moved out of their shared space a day before his death. He had also reportedly been found unresponsive weeks earlier after an apparent suicide attempt and was placed on suicide watch. The New York Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released its comprehensive autopsy results, and did not return requests for comment.However, Epstein was no longer on suicide watch at the time of his death, according to officials. The Bureau reportedly believed he had faked the initial suicide attempt.Members of Congress have requested details into the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein’s death and provided the department with a deadline of next week.

Jihadi Jack: Isis fighter stripped of British citizenship by Home Office

The Isis fighter known as Jihadi Jack has been stripped of his British citizenship, prompting a diplomatic row between the UK and Canada, it has been reported.  Muslim convert Jack Letts, 24, who had held dual UK and Canadian citizenship, declared he was an "enemy of Britain" after travelling from Oxfordshire to Syria at the age of 18 to join the terror group. He has begged to be allowed to return to the UK, insisting he had "no intention" of killing Britons, after he was captured by Kurdish forces in 2017.  The Home Office has now stripped Letts of British citizenship, meaning he is the responsibility of the Canadian government, The Mail on Sunday said. It was reportedly one of the last actions of Theresa May’s administration. Isil Rise and fall of a caliphate The decision is understood to have angered officials in Ottawa, prompting fears of a row between Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Boris Johnson when they meet at the G7 summit in France next weekend. Letts, who travelled to the Middle East in 2014, is now among more than 120 dual nationals who have been stripped of their British citizenship since 2016, including Isis bride Shamima Begum. Ms Begum was one of three girls from Bethnal Green, east London, who left the UK aged just 15 in February 2015 and travelled to Syria to join Islamic State. It was thought Ms Begum may have a claim in Bangladesh because of her family background, something Bangladeshi officials denied. The move can only be made against people with two passports, because international law prevents the Government from making anyone "stateless".  John Letts and Sally Lane, the parents of a Muslim convert dubbed Jihadi Jack Credit: PA It will come as a blow to Lett's parents, Sally Lane and John Letts, who were found guilty at the Old Bailey in June of funding terrorism and given 12-month sentences suspended for 15 months. In an interview after their conviction, they said: "Jack is still a British citizen and we have pleaded with the Government to help us to bring him to safety, even if that meant that he might be prosecuted in the UK." A Home Office spokesman said: "This power is one way we can counter the terrorist threat posed by some of the most dangerous individuals and keep our country safe." In an interview with ITV earlier this year, Letts said he felt British and that he wanted to return to the UK, but admitted he did not think that would be likely. "I'm not going to say I'm innocent. I'm not innocent. I deserve what comes to me. But I just want it to be... appropriate... not just haphazard, freestyle punishment in Syria," he told the broadcaster. Struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette's when he was at school, Jack converted to Islam at the age of 16. He used to attend the Bengali mosque in Cowley Road, Oxford, before he came into contact with men with a more radical ideology. Jack has previously admitted he was at one time prepared to carry out a suicide attack, telling the BBC: "I used to want to at one point, believe it or not. Not a vest. I wanted to do it in a car. I said if there's a chance, I will do it." He also said in the interview, which took place in October last year but was not broadcast until after his parents' trial had ended, that he realised he had been "an enemy of Britain" but added that he had made "a big mistake".

'Nightmare' as Egypt aided China to detain Uighurs

Abdulmalik Abdulaziz, an Uighur student, was arrested and handcuffed by Egyptian police and when they removed his blindfold he was surprised to see Chinese officials questioning him in custody. "They never said their names or mentioned who they were exactly," said Abdulaziz, 27, who spoke to AFP helping to uncover new details of the 2017 arrests of over 90 Uighurs from the mostly Muslim Turkic minority. Abdulaziz, like most swept up in the three-day crackdown in the first week of July 2017, was an Islamic theology student at Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world's most prestigious educational institution.

1967 Ferves Ranger Auction Far Exceeds Expectations

While small in size, this off-roader fetched a huge amount. Monterey Car Week always has some surprises. While there are the planned “surprise” reveals of concept cars by automakers, what’s far more shocking is when a vehicle that seems fairly interesting sparks a bidding war. That’s exactly what happened with this 1967 Ferves Ranger when it crossed the block as the first lot on August 16, fetching $175,000.While that’s a considerable amount for a little off-roader, consider this: official estimates were that it would sell at $30,000 to $40,000. It more than quadrupled those expectations. Not bad for a vehicle that borrowed heavily from the Fiat 500 and 600.The Italian micro off-roader is full of personality. When it was revealed in 1966 at the Turin Motor Show, the little thing caused quite the stir. Designed by Carlo Ferrari, its name is actually an abbreviation of Ferrari Special Vehicles, something you might not imagine as a connection. There’s little doubt that pedigree played into the inflated bidding war on Friday.A rear-mounted engine in the Fevres Ranger produces 18-horsepower, which was sourced from the Fiat 500. This example was a two-wheel-drive model, which is a popular option. Today, it’s believed only about 50 Fevres Rangers have survived.Another big winner on Friday was a McLaren F1 with LM factory modifications, such as an unrestricted V12 engine and aero body kit. It sold for a spectacular $18 million. It was a record amount for a McLaren at auction, which was impressive, despite the supercar not hitting the estimated range of $21-$23 million.The sale of the 1965 Ford GT Competition Prototype Roadster for $7.65 million caused quite the stir.It just goes to show that with auctions pretty much anything can happen, especially with cars that are offered with no reserve. Surely more surprises are coming this weekend, and we’ll keep you posted with highlights.Image credit: RM Sotheby’s Read More * Check Out The Sights At Monterey Car Week * Monterey Car Week Auctions Live Stream

LGBT Republican group that declined to back Trump in 2016 endorses him for 2020

The Log Cabin Republicans declined to endorse Donald Trump in 2016 but said he had taken "bold actions that benefit the LGBTQ community" as president.

X-Ray Scans Uncover da Vinci's Hidden Painting in All Its Glory

The breakthrough confirm's Leonardo's legacy: "Always adjusting, always seeking more."

Putin gives pilot who landed in cornfield Russia's top medal

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday awarded the nation's highest medal, the Hero of Russia, to the pilot who managed to smoothly land his disabled passenger plane in a cornfield after a flock of birds hit both engines and knocked them out. The experienced captain, 41-year-old Damir Yusupov, said Friday that a quick landing was his only chance and he was not afraid of handling it. Putin also awarded the Hero of Russia to the plane's second pilot, 23-year-old Georgy Murzin and bestowed other top awards on the plane's cabin crew.

GPS monitoring violates some sex offenders’ rights, NC Supreme Court rules

Sex offenders have rights, too, and in some cases the state has been violating those rights, the NC Supreme Court ruled on Friday.

She was raped 36 years ago. Blood on her clothes finally led police to a suspect.

More than three decades ago, a man broke into a Coral Springs woman’s home and raped her. Police weren’t able to figure out who did it for 36 years.

Tears and shouting as Australia dilutes Pacific climate warning

A Pacific summit has descended into tears, recriminations and shouting between pro-coal Australia and low-lying island nations facing an existential threat from climate change. The annual Pacific Island Forum wrapped up in Tuvalu late Thursday with Australia and the group's 17 other members sharply at odds, potentially undermining Canberra's efforts to curb China's growing influence in the region. "There were serious arguments and even shouting, crying, people, leaders were shedding tears," Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga told Australia's national broadcaster ABC after the summit broke up with a communique with "watered down" language on global warming.

U.S. issues warrant to seize Iran oil tanker 'Grace 1' after Gibraltar judge orders its release

The U.S. Justice Department issued a warrant to seize an Iran oil tanker detained in Gibraltar, a day after a judge ordered the release of 'Grace 1.'

Unprecedented heatwave 'kills thousands of fish' in Alaska

Climate change and warming rivers may have caused the mass death of salmon in parts of Alaska, scientists say.Large numbers of salmon died prematurely in some Alaskan rivers in July according to local reports, and scientists believe the cause could be the unprecedented heatwave that gripped the state last month.“Climate change is here in Alaska. We are seeing it. We are feeling it. And our salmon are dying because of it,” said Stephanie Quinn-Davidson, a biologist specialising in salmon and the director of the Yukon Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, in a Facebook post.> 200 miles of river. Dead chum consistently along entire stretch. None had spawned. 850 counted, many more missed. Likely ruled out mining, disease/parasites. All signs point to heat stress. Sad to see. Hoping this is not the new normal. climatechange salmon yukonriver alaska pic.twitter.com/zAHWSgy3pg> > — Steph Quinn-Davidson (@SalmonStephAK) > > July 29, 2019

Yemen rebel drone attack targets remote Saudi oil field

Drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked a massive oil and gas field deep inside Saudi Arabia's sprawling desert on Saturday, causing what the kingdom described as a "limited fire" in the second such recent attack on its crucial energy industry. The attack on the Shaybah oil field, which produces some 1 million barrels of crude oil a day near the kingdom's border with the United Arab Emirates, again shows the reach of the Houthis' drone program. Shaybah sits some 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from Houthi-controlled territory, underscoring the rebels' ability to now strike at both nations, which are mired in Yemen's yearslong war.

Smiling cops take selfie near where dead baby was just found. Missouri city apologizes

“The photos were by no means meant to take away from the extremely serious nature of the incident,” city officials say.

How Kamala Harris was shaped by 'the People's Republic of Berkeley'

Kamala Harris grew up in the radical environs of Berkeley and spent her childhood at marches and protests with her parents. But she went to law school and became a prosecutor, an unexpected career choice that she has to explain — and defend — to Democratic voters as she seeks the presidency.

Florida Keys man accused of sexually assaulting friend

Florida Keys detectives arrested a Key Largo man on a warrant Thursday following accusations he sexually assaulted his friend while the man was sleeping last week.

Mayor of Canadian capital city Ottawa comes out as gay

Montreal (AFP) - The mayor of Ottawa revealed Saturday that he is gay, an announcement that comes on the eve of gay pride week in the Canadian capital city.

Cal Fire said Tubbs Fire wasn’t caused by PG&E. Victims win the right to sue utility anyway

Victims of the deadly Tubbs Fire in 2017 won the right to pursue lawsuits against PG&E; Corp. on Friday in spite of state investigators’ declaration that the utility wasn’t to blame for the fire.

Dueling rallies in Portland end with no major violence

A far-right rally and leftist counter-demonstration in the city of Portland, Oregon wrapped up Saturday amid a heavy police presence with no major incidents, following fears that violent clashes would break out. President Donald Trump had tweeted that the city was "being watched very carefully. Police were out in force, keeping the opposing camps apart as demonstrators converged on a waterfront park.

Frustrated Philadelphia mayor calls for gun control. Here's why it hasn't happened in his city.

Following a standoff between police and an armed gunman, Philadelphia's mayor calls on legislators to let the city pass its own gun laws.

Claims: Migrant children molested in U.S.-funded foster care

This story is part of an ongoing joint investigation between The Associated Press and the PBS series FRONTLINE on the treatment of migrant children, which includes an upcoming film. Dozens of families separated at the border as part of the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy are preparing to sue the federal government, including several who say their young children were sexually, physically or emotionally abused in federally funded foster care. A review of 38 legal claims obtained by The Associated Press — some of which have never been made public — shows taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $200 million in damages.

‘We’ve been bullied out of the water by the sharks’: Rise in great white numbers triggers panic on US beaches

A rise in great white shark sightings is causing panic on beaches on the US east coast, according to reports.Authorities in Cape Cod have put up warning signs and shut down beaches dozens of times in response to an increasing number of sightings.Between July and the first week of August, there have been at least 59 beach closures due to shark sightings on Cape Cod and Islands, in southeastern Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe, with some 42 beach closures occurring in the first week of August alone.One resident, AJ Salerno, told the Wall Street Journal, said he had considered moving after feeling compelled to ban his teenage son from surfing. “We’ve been bullied out of the water by the sharks,” he said.Some authorities have put up warning signs on beaches, reading: “People have been seriously injured and killed by white sharks along this coastline,” while a Massachusetts state researcher who tags great whites said he had his busiest July.Footage circulated online this week showing a 17ft great white shark swimming around a family’s boat just off Cape Cod Bay. One day later, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), a non-profit that raises awareness of great white sharks and runs a project to count the existing population in around Cape Cod, posted a video online showing sea water turning red after a shark attacked a seal.Great white shark numbers are decreasing, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which lists the species as “vulnerable”.But they have flocked to Cape Cod in growing numbers and, according to AWSC, the cape is now the only known place in the northwest Atlantic where white sharks aggregate.Researchers believe the rise in shark sightings might be drive by the US 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, which banned catching marine mammals including seals, whales and dolphins and made seal populations thrive just off Cape Cod.With seals being one of the great white sharks’ favoured prey, their abundance attracted the ocean predators.In September last year, a man who died after being bitten by a shark in Cape Cod became Massachusetts’ first shark attack fatality since 1936.Arthur Medici, 26, was boogie-boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach when the attack took place.Joe Booth, a local fisherman and surfer, said he saw the victim kick something behind him and the flicker of a tail in the water.“I was that guy on the beach screaming, ‘Shark, shark!’” said Mr Booth.“It was like right out of that movie Jaws. This has turned into Amity Island real quick out here.”Shark activity in Cape Cod peaks in the period between August and October. AWSC says that shark attacks on people are rare.

Suicide-bomb at Kabul wedding leaves 63 dead and 182 wounded

A suicide-bomb blast ripped through a wedding party on a busy Saturday night in Afghanistan’s capital, leaving at least 63 dead and almost 200 injured. The Taliban denied responsibility for the blast at a west Kabul wedding hall, in a minority Shi'ite neighbourhood, packed with more than 1,000 people celebrating a marriage. Interior Ministry spokesman Nusrat Rahimi said the attacker set off explosives among the wedding participants. He later said 63 people had died and 182 wounded in the attack. "Among the wounded are women and children," he added. Both the Taliban and a local affiliate of the Islamic State group carry out bloody attacks in the capital. The blast occurred near the stage where musicians were and "all the youths, children and all the people who were there were killed," witness Gul Mohammad said. One of the wounded, Mohammad Toofan, said that "a lot of guests were martyred." "There are so many dead and wounded," said Ahmad Omid, a survivor who said about 1,200 guests had been invited to the wedding for his father’s cousin. "I was with the groom in the other room when we heard the blast and then I couldn’t find anyone. Everyone was lying all around the hall." An Afghan man mourns near the body of his brother after he was killed in an explosion at wedding hall in Kabul Credit: AP Outside a local hospital, families wailed. Others were covered in blood. The blast at the Dubai City wedding hall in western Kabul, a part of the city that many in the minority Shiite Hazara community call home, shattered a period of relative calm. On August 7, a Taliban car bomb aimed at Afghan security forces detonated on the same road, killing 14 people and wounding 145 - most of them women, children and other civilians. Kabul’s huge, brightly lit wedding halls are centres of community life in a city weary of decades of war, with thousands of dollars spent on a single evening. "Devastated by the news of a suicide attack inside a wedding hall in Kabul. A heinous crime against our people; how is it possible to train a human and ask him to go and blow himself (up) inside a wedding?!!" Sediq Seddiqi, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, said in a Twitter post. The wedding halls also serve as meeting places, and in November at least 55 people were killed when a suicide bomber sneaked into a Kabul wedding hall where hundreds of Muslim religious scholars and clerics had gathered to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. The Taliban denied involvement in an attack that bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State affiliate. A wounded man receives treatment at a hospital after an explosion at wedding hall in Kabul Credit: AP Saturday night’s explosion came a few days after the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, with Kabul residents visiting family and friends, and just before Afghanistan marks its 100th independence day on Monday under heavier security in a city long familiar with checkpoints and razor wire. The blast comes at a greatly uncertain time in Afghanistan as the United States and the Taliban near a deal to end a nearly 18-year war, America’s longest conflict. The Afghan government has been sidelined from those discussions, and presidential spokesman Seddiqi said earlier on Saturday that his government was waiting to hear results of President Donald Trump’s meeting on Friday with his national security team about the negotiations. Top issues include a US troop withdrawal and Taliban guarantees not to let Afghanistan become a launching pad for global terror attacks. While the Taliban earlier this year pledged to do more to protect civilians, it continues to stage deadly attacks against Afghan security forces and others in what is seen by many as an attempt to strengthen its position at the negotiating table. The conflict continues to take a horrific toll on civilians. Last year more than 3,800, including more than 900 children, were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, US and allied forces, the Islamic State affiliate and other actors, the United Nations said.

Mom knew dad was abusing their kids and said nothing, cops say. They are both in jail

A Bradenton couple is behind bars after Manatee County sheriff’s deputies say the father sexually assaulted his two adopted daughters for years and the mother knew about it and said nothing.

A Wisconsin college student was arrested after tearing up a classmate's swastika sign

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee junior Grae Hosmanek was participating in an event organized by Students Supporting Israel when she was arrested.

Florida man uses front-end loader to dump dirt on car his girlfriend drove, cops say

Beware boyfriends in front-end loaders.

Mexico does not want El Paso shooter executed

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday that Mexico does not want the El Paso shooter who killed 22 people, including eight Mexicans, to be executed, and may seek to extradite him from the United States. The confessed shooter in the mass killing in the Texas border city, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, potentially faces the death penalty in the US. Lopez Obrador, an anti-establishment leftist, said that while Mexico condemns Crusius's "reprehensible, abominable" crimes, it does not want to see him put to death.

Client says Arizona massage therapist's 'cuddling' session turned sexual

A Phoenix woman's complaint says a "cuddling" session with a massage therapist turned sexual.

Family seeks more answers to London teen's death in Malaysia

The family of a 15-year-old London teen who was found dead nine days after she disappeared from a Malaysian forest resort claimed her body on Saturday and hope to find answers to their many questions about her death. Police have ruled out foul play, saying the autopsy showed that Nóra Anne Quoirin died of intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress. On Saturday, the family claimed her body and was preparing to fly back to London.

Bill Maher once again calls for a recession

The late-night host says a recession would be worth it to get rid of President Trump.