New Albany

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

'Explosive' situation on migrant rescue boat in limbo off Italy

The captain of a Spanish charity ship carrying 134 rescued migrants warned Friday of an "explosive" situation on board the vessel anchored within swimming distance of Italy's Lampedusa island but forbidden to approach. Italy has evacuated a handful of people from the Open Arms ship for medical treatment but far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refuses to allow the vessel to dock despite other European countries agreeing to take in the people on board. The captain of the ship operated by Proactiva Open Arms, Marc Reig, said the migrants, rescued after leaving chaos-stricken Libya, were "broken psychologically".

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".

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.

2020 Vision: Trump gets surprise Log Cabin Republicans endorsement

During the 2016 election the conservative LGBT organization declined to endorse him for president.

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.

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.

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

'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.

Police break up fight between passengers on Delta flight after 6-hour delay at JFK Airport

A fight broke out during that time, prompting one crew member to come over the intercom to announce the situation was not safe for passengers or the crew.

Everything you need to know about Scott Borgerson, the tech CEO who has been tied to Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell

Here's everything you should know about Scott Borgerson, his company CargoMetrics, and the CEO's alleged connection to Ghislaine Maxwell.

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.

Trump to drop out of 2020 race within months, former aide Scaramucci claims

Donald Trump will quit the 2020 race and not seek re-election, according to a former top aide.Anthony Scaramucci, the short-lived White House communications director, said the president will likelu quit the race in March to avoid the humiliation of defeat.“He’s gonna drop out of the race because it’s gonna become very clear. Okay, it’ll be March of 2020. He’ll likely drop out by March of 2020. It’s gonna become very clear that it’s impossible for him to win,” he said in an interview with Vanity Fair.“He’s got the self-worth in terms of his self-esteem of a small pigeon. It’s a very small pigeon. And so you think this guy’s gonna look at those poll numbers and say — he’s not gonna be able to handle that humiliation.”He also encouraged a primary challenger to take on Mr Trump, using a Game of Thrones analogy to make his case. “You know, this is like ‘Game of Thrones.’ We need an Arya Stark, okay? We gotta take this guy out because this is like the Night King.“The minute the Night King is vaporised, all the zombies are gonna fall by the wayside, right? We had the Wicked Witch of the West, but he is the Wicked Witch of the West Wing. We gotta get some water thrown on him. He’ll start melting.”In recent weeks, Scaramucci has escalated the feud with his old boss, saying Mr Trump would eventually “turn” on the “entire country”, and likening him to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.He also claimed this week that Twitter temporarily locked him out of his account after he called Mr Trump “the fattest president” after the president fat-shamed a protester.Mr Trump has previously hit back at Scaramucci, saying he was “incapable” of handling his White House role - which lasted just a few days - and would “do anything to come back in”.

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.

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.

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."

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.

Appeals court sides with Trump administration on asylum rules

Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan weighs in on a federal appeals court's decision to limit the number of people who can cross the border and claim asylum.

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.

Shell workers in Pennsylvania say they were told to either attend a recent Trump event, or not get paid

Workers at a new Shell plant in Pennsylvania were told they had to attend a speech by President Donald Trump in order to get paid.

Kidnapping Victim Elizabeth Smart's Father Comes Out as Gay

The father of the Utah kidnapping survivor says his decision brings challenges but also "huge relief."

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.

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.

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.

'A new Hawaiian Renaissance': how a telescope protest became a movement

Demonstrators opposed to the building of a telescope on Mauna Kea, the state’s highest peak, have forged a communityThe actor Jason Momoa exchanges a traditional greeting with an elder while visiting protesters last month. Photograph: Hollyn Johnson/APOn Hawaii’s Big Island, a protest against a $1.4bn observatory on Mauna Kea, a mountain considered sacred by many Native Hawaiians, is entering a second month. In that time, the protest site has swelled from a few hundred to several thousands, attracted celebrity visitors, and built a community of Native Hawaiians who see it as a pivotal moment.The protest site sits at an elevation of 6,632ft, where the cold wind whips across hardened lava fields. But amid this inhospitable environment, weeks of demonstration have given rise to a sense of permanence.The site stretches across a two-lane highway, where trucks flying a Native Hawaiian flag and the upside-down state flag line both sides of the road. A “Kūpuna tent”, where the elders of the community gather, is strategically placed to block an access road up the mountain in order to stop construction vehicles from reaching the summit.New arrivals are encouraged to sign in at an orientation station. There is a tented cafeteria providing free meals, and a community-run medic station, daycare and school. Along the barren roadside, tropical flowers have been casually stuck in traffic cones. People pound taro, a Hawaiian crop, in the traditional way on wooden boards to make poi, a local dish.The protest stems from controversy over the fate of Mauna Kea, the tallest peak in Hawaii and the proposed site of an enormous observatory known as the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The summit, 13,796ft above sea level, is said to be an ideal location to look into deep space. TMT is expected to capture images ‘that look back to the beginning of the universe. Protesters, who call themselves kia‘i, or “protectors”, argue the construction will further desecrate Mauna Kea, which is already home to about a dozen telescopes.The sun sets behind telescopes at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Photograph: Caleb Jones/APKealoha Pisciotta, one of the protest leaders and a spokesperson for Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, a Native Hawaiian group, says the movement is “pushing back on corporate culture” through Hawaiian concepts of “Kapu Aloha”, which emphasizes compassionate responses, especially towards opponents, and “Aloha ʻĀina”, a saying that translates to “love of the land”.“We are just joining the world’s indigenous movements,” Pisciotta says. “We need Kapu Aloha ... to bring back the balance from the insanity and destruction of our earth.”Pisciotta said that the protesters were showing the world a way “to really live differently” while protecting the land.“For Native Hawaiians, there is a question of our right to self-determination as defined by international law, but I think it’s so much bigger than that,” said Pisciotta. “It’s about us learning to live and be interdependent.” Why are the protests happening?Protesters continue their vigil, on 19 July. Photograph: Bruce Asato/APHawaiians consider Mauna Kea sacred for numerous reasons. The mountain is known as the home to Wākea, the sky god, who partnered with Papahānaumoku, the earth goddess. Protesters hope to protect and help restore the native ecosystem on Mauna Kea.But the protests are also part of a legacy for Native Hawaiians that goes back to 1893, when the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown. Hawaiians lost their land as well as their culture, as the latter was suppressed through law and religion. It wasn’t until the 1970s, during a period of cultural flourishing known as the Hawaiian Renaissance, that the Hawaiian language was allowed to be spoken in school and that the hula was revived.The period was defined by its own resistance movement, as activists focused on stopping the US military from using Kahoʻolawe, one of the eight main Hawaiian Islands, as a target for bombing practice. After more than a decade of peaceful protests and occupations of the island, the US government ended the live-fire training in the 1990s.Some see the latest protest action as a new Hawaiian Renaissance. Days are punctuated by the blowing of the conch shell to announce ceremonies that include chanting, hula, and hoʻokupu (offerings). Several celebrities with Hawaii ties have travelled here to participate, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Momoa, and Jack Johnson.Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, right, watches a performance during a visit to the ninth day of protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope, on 23 July. Photograph: Jamm Aquino/AP“The atmosphere here is incredible. We’re all here protecting our ʻāina [land]”, said Kamuela Park, a protester at the site. He added that it had been “awesome to see people from all spectrums coming here in support”.Peaceful demonstrators have faced one major confrontation with police. Three days into the protest, 38 kūpuna (revered elders) were arrested for blocking the road that leads to the construction site. That same day, Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, signed an emergency proclamation giving law enforcement more control over the area and allowed them to bring in National Guard troops. Images of the elderly being arrested quickly spread, garnering sympathy for the movement and attracting more people to the site. What comes next?Demonstrators block a road at the base of Hawaii’s tallest mountain, on 15 July. Photograph: Caleb Jones/APNegotiations between government officials and protesters have slowed since the arrests. On 30 July, the governor rescinded his emergency proclamation. He also extended the window during which construction could begin from 60 days to two years, meaning the protesters would theoretically need to block the road until September 2021.“I want to assure everyone that we are committed. Our law enforcement officers will remain at the site to ensure the safety of all of those involved,” said Ige at a press conference. “We continue to seek and find a peaceful solution to move this project forward.”While tensions may have eased, protesters have said they will stay until they stop TMT from being built. Demonstrators proved their endurance in early August as many of them stayed at the protest site while two consecutive storms passed by the islands.Pisciotta, who used to work at the Mauna Kea observatories as a telescope systems specialist, says the movement has been especially “huge” for young people.“Some of the elders, they lived through the time it was prohibited to speak the language,” she says. Now younger Hawaiians grow up speaking it in school and with strong cultural affiliations. Hawaiian youth who are camping out are helping to organize donations, teaching some of the courses at the community-led school, and spreading the word on social media.“In our philosophy, the land and the people are one,” said Pisciotta, about Aloha ʻĀina. “So it was a rallying point for the renaissance and now this is a kind of new renaissance.”

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.

Fugitive lived in isolated bunker for 3 years to evade arrest in Wisconsin

Jeremiah Button was sleeping in a homemade bunker in the woods on the morning of Aug. 9 when his three-year run from the law came to an end.

Trump says people have 'no choice' but to vote for him to save stock market

Donald Trump said even Americans who hate him “have no choice” but to vote for him in the next US election because otherwise the stock market will collapse.He doubled down on his economic argument for re-election on Thursday night amid increasing concerns about a recession. Markets are already wobbling over the escalating trade and currency war with China. Mr Trump flew to a battleground state to defend policies that are rattling businesses and investors and to insist he will continue the country’s decade-long economic expansion into a second term.“You have the best unemployment, you have the most successful state in the history of your state and the history of our country,” the US president told a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. “And then you’re going to vote for somebody else? Oh great. ‘Let’s vote for Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren. We have the best numbers we’ve ever had — let’s vote for somebody else.’ ”Even as he derided Democratic presidential candidate Ms Warren with a racial slur, Mr Trump acknowledged the deep antipathy many voters have for him and argued they should put this aside for their own economic well-being.“You have no choice but to vote for me because your 401(k), everything is going to be down the tubes,” he told the crowd. “Whether you love me or hate me, you’ve got to vote for me.”In resting his case for a second term on the health of the economy, Mr Trump underscored the political consequences of the economic turmoil that has played out in recent days.In private, he has expressed his own anxiety about the economy taking a dive, knowing that his electoral fortunes are likely tied to it, even as he vents frustration that his opponents are exaggerating the troubles. American stock markets fell about 3 per cent on Wednesday amid indications that the global economy could slow before shares rebounded slightly on Thursday.Mr Trump lashed out at those questioning his confrontation with China, including the conservative editorial page of The Wall Street Journal.The WSJ‘s editorials “demonstrate that they understand nothing about trade or business,” he said. “Nothing. They advocate only economic surrender. They actually say go to China, take off the tariffs, make a deal. I lose all the cards, we take off the tariffs. We don’t have any cards.”Polls show economic stewardship is perhaps Mr Trump’s biggest political asset.He boasted: “Hey, you got low interest rates, the lowest ever.”He made no mention of his regular attacks on the Federal Reserve for keeping interest rates too high.New Hampshire, which Mr Trump narrowly lost in 2016, is a state where the economic argument may not resonate as strongly as in other places.Its unemployment rate had already fallen to 2.8 per cent under Barack Obama and has since ticked down to 2.5 per cent.Mr Trump’s speech was marked by repeated inconsistencies. The same president who last year said trade wars were “easy to win” told his supporters that “I never said China was going to be easy”.The same president who compared America’s intelligence agencies to “Nazi Germany” when he took office complained that Democrats “use the term Nazi” to attack their opponents.At one point, when a protester disrupted the speech and was escorted out of the arena, Mr Trump belittled the man’s physical appearance. “That guy has a serious weight problem,” he said. “Go home, start exercising!”The New York Times

Mormon church warning: Beware of those fancy coffee drinks

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a warning to members that coffee is prohibited no matter how fancy the name, that vaping is banned despite the alluring flavors and that marijuana is outlawed unless prescribed by "competent" doctors. The article says it aims to clear up issues that could be confusing for young people within the religion's "Word of Wisdom," a set of rules about what foods and drinks are good for members and what substances they should avoid. The rules prohibit alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and coffee and tea.

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

DOJ argued that Title VII does not protect transgender people

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.

The New York Times reports Barack Obama tried to talk Joe Biden out of a White House run

After staying on the sidelines, former President Barack Obama appears to be wading into 2020 politics.

Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing weighs in on crisis with poetic adverts

Hong Kong's wealthiest man Li Ka-shing took out a series of enigmatic newspaper adverts on Friday calling for an end to the political violence plaguing the financial hub. The 91-year-old billionaire's adverts -- published in seven newspapers including two staunchly pro-Beijing publications -- used poetry and layered language to deliver a nuanced message promoting peace.

Child found dead inside vehicle parked at New Jersey train station lot

PATCO police are investigating the death of a child found inside a vehicle at a Hi-Speedline train station in Lindenwold, New Jersey.

The White House quietly appointed a new China director who could rattle Beijing and make a US-China trade deal even less likely

The National Security Council has hired Elnigar Iltebir, a Uighur-American, to direct its China policy. Uighurs face severe oppression in China.

Warren, Sanders get personal with young, black Christians

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren framed their Democratic presidential bids in personal, faith-based terms Saturday before black millennial Christians who could help determine which candidate becomes the leading progressive alternative to former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders, the Vermont senator whose struggles with black voters helped cost him the 2016 nomination, told the Young Leaders Conference that his family history shapes his approach to President Donald Trump's rhetoric and the rise of white nationalism in the United States. My father's whole family was wiped out by Hitler and his white nationalism," Sanders said at the forum led by the Black Church PAC, a political action committee formed by prominent black pastors.

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.