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FBI arrests leader of armed group stopping migrants in New Mexico

The FBI on Saturday said it had arrested Larry Hopkins, the leader of an armed group that is stopping undocumented migrants after they cross the U.S.-Mexico border into New Mexico. The arrest came two days after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) accused the group of illegally detaining migrants and New Mexico's Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered an investigation. Hopkins, 69, also known as Johnny Horton, was arrested in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on a federal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

110 Kosovars, mostly children and women, returned from Syria

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo authorities announced Saturday they have brought back from Syria 110 Kosovar citizens, mostly women and children, with the assistance of the United States.

Casualties after several explosions hit churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday

Several blasts hit churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday, injuring at least 80 people as worshipers attended Easter services, police and health officials said. "Eighty people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in," an official at the Colombo National Hospital told AFP on condition of anonymity. Police said the blasts hit churches in the north of the capital and in the town of Negombo, just outside Colombo. The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear. Sources from two leading tourist hotels in Colombo also confirmed the explosions but did not give any details. "A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there," read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo. Only around six percent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups. More to follow...

What the Mueller Probe Really Means

The Mueller Report, despite the best efforts of the chief author and his partisan investigative staff, is a bone-crushing defeat for the president’s enemies. There is not a whit of evidence that any American collaborated with any Russian to alter the results of the 2016 presidential election, and there is extensive evidence that the Trump campaign was the subject of enticements to collaborate and rebuffed all of them at all levels. The laborious bulk of Mueller’s minute description of completely inconsequential twists and turns in his investigation leaves the reader in no doubt of his thoroughness, and in no doubt of the complete absence of any case that could be made for collusion, let alone cooperation in an actual crime of attempting to influence the election illegally. As there is clearly no excuse for the special counsel to have been established, Mueller devotes the second half of his report to an effort to scratch together a virtual justification for it, by leading the reader through another maze to imply that there might be a conceivable case against the president for obstruction of justice. He acknowledges that he does not have a clear idea of the president’s motives, and so cannot judge if there was a corrupt motive, but cannot exonerate him either.

South Carolina 5th-grader in school fight died of natural causes; no charges will be filed

Officials said the 10-year-old died from a preexisting condition called arteriovenous malformation, and there was no evidence trauma led to her death.

PHOTOS: Bonnets, costumes on display in New York City's Easter Parade

The fancy hats and finery were out and on display for New York City's annual Easter extravaganza. Participants in the annual Easter Parade made their way along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on Sunday in a procession of the wild and whimsical. The annual event is a New York City tradition that goes back well over a century, when the wealthy would get dressed in their best and go out for a stroll after Easter church services.

FAA sets multi-nation review of Boeing's troubled Max planes

The US Federal Aviation Administration is planning what it calls a comprehensive multi-nation review of the control systems of the Boeing 737 Max airliner to include experts from nine civil aviation authorities. The review will "evaluate aspects of the 737 Max automated flight-control system, including its design and pilots' interaction with the system, to determine its compliance with all applicable regulations and to identify future enhancements that might be needed," the agency said. Boeing Max planes -- the aerospace firm's all-time best-seller -- have been grounded worldwide since then, while engineers and investigators seek the exact causes of the crashes.

SpaceX test accident in Florida sends a massive plume of smoke into the sky

A SpaceX Crew Dragon experienced an "anomaly" during ground tests that manifested as a column of smoke rising from the spacecraft's thrusters. The Crew Dragons were expected to fly with astronauts aboard later in the year, and it is currently unclear whether recent tests could delay that.> Smoke seen for miles as SpaceX Crew Dragon suffers anomaly at Cape Canaveral https://t.co/W4Cj2bcN6y via @Florida_Today> > -- Code Tripping (@Code_Tripping) April 21, 2019Though few details are available, SpaceX did release a statement to SpaceNews confirming the incident."Earlier today, SpaceX conducted a series of engine tests on a Crew Dragon test vehicle on our test stand at Landing Zone 1 in Cape Canaveral, Florida," a spokesperson told SpaceNews. "The initial tests completed successfully but the final test resulted in an anomaly on the test stand."Images from Cape Canaveral show a column of smoke visible from local beaches. The ground test anomaly came from an engine test, specifically the SuperDraco engines which provide power for astronauts to get to safety during an aborted launch. Beyond fire and smoke, the anomaly even showed up on radar:> Dragon's static fire anomaly was big enough to show up on radar! ☁️SpaceX CrewDragon FLwx LowCC (Non-meteorological radar signature) pic.twitter.com/WpebHEo6Az> > -- Jabes (@GISRockstar) April 20, 2019NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine also shared a statement to Twitter:> NASA has been notified about the results of the @SpaceX Static Fire Test and the anomaly that occurred during the final test. We will work closely to ensure we safely move forward with our Commercial Crew Program. pic.twitter.com/yE2J5yGzA7> > -- Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) April 21, 2019 WATCH: NASA's Administrator Jim Bridenstine warns India's anti-satellite test could be dangerous for the ISS

Northern Irish Police: Journalist’s Murder Sign of a ‘New Brand of Terrorism’

Northern Irish police said a “new brand of terrorism” was responsible for the death of a well-respected journalist who was killed last week as they announced the arrest of two teenagers in connection with the killing.Twenty-nine-year-old journalist and LGBT activist Lyra McKee was fatally shot on Thursday while covering a clash between police and nationalist rioters in Londonerry. She was standing near police officers when rioters fired gunshots and threw petrol bombs at police. During a press conference on Saturday, police in Northern Ireland announced that they had arrested two men, 18 and 19 years old, under the country’s terrorism act in connection with McKee’s murder. They have been taken the two to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.On Friday, police blamed McKee’s murder on gunshot wounds fired indiscriminately, and released footage of a masked gunman firing during the riots. “What we are seeing is a new breed of terrorist coming through the ranks and that for me is a very worrying situation,” Police Service of Northern Ireland Superintendent Jason Murphy said.Violence has flared in Northern Ireland over the past several months as the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has once again raised questions about the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s borders. Law enforcement on Friday blamed the killing on members of the New Irish Republican Army. The small group rejects the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, which put an end to the unrest of the period dubbed the Troubles and years of sectarian civil war between Irish nationalists and UK loyalists. According to the Associated Press, the group has also been blamed for a car bombing in Londonderry earlier this year, as well as several killings over the past several years. The group also claimed it sent mail bombs across the UK.McKee, an independent journalist whose work covering the conflict in Northern Ireland once earned her a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, was just weeks away from publishing her first book about young people who disappeared during the Troubles.Her death sparked an outpouring of grief from journalists and many local and international political figures. “This cannot stand,” her partner Sara Canning said during a vigil on Friday. “Lyra’s death must not be in vain because her life was a shining light in everyone else’s life, and her legacy will live on in the light that she’s left behind.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

Ukraine quiet ahead of presidential election

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A comedian who plays the role of Ukraine's president on television is set to take on the job for real, pushing out the man who currently holds the office, according to public opinion surveys ahead of Sunday's election.

FBI Arrests New Mexico Border Militia Leader Larry Mitchell Hopkins

PAUL RATJE/GettyThe FBI arrested a 69-year-old New Mexico man who allegedly illegally detained immigrants crossing the border under the guise of working for the United States Border Patrol.Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who runs The United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), an armed border militia group that spreads far-right conspiracies and rounds up asylum seekers on the border, was arrested by FBI in New Mexico Saturday on charges of possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Recent video footage released by UCP shows two members holding what appear to be semi-automatic rifles near immigrants, many of them children. The group also peddles conspiracy theories and produces a radio show where members spread information about QAnon, and accuse migrants of associating with ISIS. Hopkins has also claimed that president Trump has personally asked him about ‘Muslim immigration.’UCP and Hopkins claim to work with Border Patrol, which has publicly denied doing so. Border Patrol agents sometimes appear in the periphery of the groups videos, which show camo-clad UCP members interacting with migrants at the southern border.“There’s no question about whether or not we work with Border Patrol,” said Jim, a UCP spokesperson who declined to give his last name. “That’s all documented, and not just once. It’s documented hundreds and hundreds of times over in the videos that I post.”“U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not endorse private groups or organizations taking enforcement matters into their own hands,” a Border Patrol official told The Daily Beast.Border Patrol is not supposed to interact with border vigilantes, but has been documented doing so. A Mother Jones reporter who embedded with a border militia in 2016 witnessed the group getting information from Border Patrol agents.UCP is only one of several vigilante groups patrolling the southern border with guns.New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas issued a statement on Saturday, praising the FBI over Hopkins' arrest. “This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families,” Balderas wrote in a statement. “Today's arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes.”Hopkins, of Flora Vista, N.M., is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Monday. Federal authorities said they would not released additional details about Hopkins’ arrest until after the appearance.The arrest was the latest fallout for the group. On Friday, the UCP Facebook group announced to its members that they no longer accept donations through PayPal, as the service has suspended their account. “TO ALL PATRIOTS, I wish to thank all of you that has donated to the Border Ops mission up till now. We can no longer accept payments thru PAYPAL, they have permanently suspended our account,” the post read. “... And is hold $1300.00 in donations for 180 days. I am looking for another outfit that we can go thru.”PayPal and GoFundMe announced Friday that they would no longer allow UCP to raise funds on their platforms.A PayPal spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in a statement that UCP had been banned from their platform following a video that shows the group rounding up nearly 200 migrants.“The account associated with United Constitutional Patriots has been closed due to a violation of our Acceptable Use Policy,” the spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “We do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

What's missing? The clues to Barr's 1,000 Mueller report redactions

Nearly 40% of the 448 pages have parts blacked out but that content – including remarks by Trump – is not a total mysteryThe attorney general, William Barr, made redactions under four categories: harm to ongoing matters; grand jury evidence; investigative techniques; and personal privacy. Photograph: Eric Baradat/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Mueller report contains tantalising details of Trump campaign dealings with Russia and of the president’s possible attempts to obstruct justice. But much of it is blacked out. Nearly 40% of the pages in the document contain at least one redaction, totalling nearly 1,000 in all. In some parts, entire sections have disappeared.The redactions fall into four categories. The largest is “harm to ongoing matters”. This refers to likely future trials, including that of Trump’s friend and ally Roger Stone, who is due in court in November.The second-biggest category is “grand jury”: material that might be used in ongoing legal matters. Information has also been removed which could compromise FBI “investigative techniques”. The fourth category is “personal privacy”. It concerns individuals peripheral to the core investigation by the special counsel, Robert Mueller.Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, will release a less-redacted version of the report to Congress. A close reading of the 448-page report made public offers clues as to what is missing, including remarks made by Trump about sensitive matters. 1\. Russian interference in the 2016 electionThe report gives a voluminous account of how Russian military intelligence hacked and released Democratic party emails, and how Moscow used social media to boost Trump and damage Hillary Clinton. The campaign was conducted by the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a troll factory in St Petersburg funded by the businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.Details of the IRA’s structure, history and growth since 2014 have been redacted. Also hidden are paragraphs concerning Prigozhin’s background and ties to Vladimir Putin.Paragraphs have been blacked out here because of “harm to ongoing matters”. They appear to illuminate work done by “Twitter specialists” and pro-Trump rallies organised by the IRA. Mueller has indicted Prigozhin and others but there is little prospect they will ever appear in a US court.Some of the most intriguing missing sections concern the GRU spy agency. Technical details have been redacted on the grounds they might reveal FBI methods. They encompass how the GRU researched Democratic websites, surreptitious payments made by Bitcoin, and the lease of computers in Arizona and US cities.Redactions in the Mueller report. Photograph: Reuters Graphics 2\. Campaign interactions with GRU and WikiLeaksMueller concluded that there was not enough evidence to establish a criminal-level conspiracy between Trump aides and Moscow. However, his report makes clear that Trump and those around him sought to use the Kremlin’s hacking and dumping to their advantage.There are crucial deletions over how the GRU transmitted stolen emails to WikiLeaks. “[Julian] Assange has access to the internet from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, England,” the report says, with the rest of the sentence redacted. Also struck out is the name of a Clinton aide targeted by the GRU in July 2016, after Trump appealed to Russia to find Clinton’s “missing 30,000 emails”.The most striking section is titled The Trump Campaign and the Dissemination of Hacked Materials. The campaign “showed interest” in the leaked emails, the report says. But deletions make it difficult to piece together who communicated directly with WikiLeaks, what information was passed up to Trump, and when the campaign became aware of Moscow’s espionage work.Rick Gates, Trump’s deputy campaign manager, who cooperated with Mueller, describes Trump as “generally frustrated” that Clinton’s emails had not been discovered. Other parts of his evidence are redacted. Similarly Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer, recalls talking to Trump in Trump Tower in July 2016, after WikiLeaks released the first tranche of emails.“Candidate Trump said something to the effect of …” the report says. Trump’s comment is redacted.The campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s conversation with Trump on the same theme is blacked out. One imagines Trump was thrilled by the emails’ publication but his remarks are missing. 3\. Contacts with RussiansThe report says the FBI began investigating Russian interference after a tip-off in July 2016. Australia’s high commissioner in London, Alexander Downer, met George Papadopoulos, a Trump foreign policy aide. A Maltese professor, Joseph Mifsud, told Papadopoulos Moscow was sitting on hacked emails and had “dirt” on Clinton.Mueller says Mifsud travelled regularly to Moscow and was in contact with a former member of the IRA. The name has been blacked out. So is the identity of another Mifsud contact linked to Russia’s ministry of defence.The next section concerns Carter Page, another Trump aide who in summer 2016 travelled to Moscow and held talks with Kremlin officials. Lines are blacked out, including part of an email sent by Page to senior campaign figures concerning policy on Russia. The redactions are explained as “grand jury”. Page has not been charged. It is unclear which case is meant here. 4\. ProsecutionsThis report looks at the conduct of individuals and whether they committed a federal offence. Mueller asks if there is enough evidence to sustain a conviction. He makes clear the criminal threshold is beyond reasonable doubt and does not include collusion, which is not a “term” under US law.The special counsel refers to “two sets of charges” brought against Russians, GRU officers and IRA employees indicted in 2018. But the names of some Americans are hidden. One name buried is almost certainly that of Stone. A paragraph begins ‘Questions over whether …” and then disappears. Two names are rubbed out from a list that also includes Cohen and Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. 5\. Violation of campaign finance lawsThe report examines possible campaign finance violations and considers if Trump campaign officials should be designated Russian agents. Lobbyists for foreign governments are obliged to register with the Department of Justice. Failure to do so is a crime: one of several charges against Manafort over his pre-Trump work in Ukraine.Mueller writes at length about the notorious Trump Tower meeting in which Manafort, Donald Trump Jr and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer. He decided not to pursue a criminal prosecution because of the “high burden” of proving a “culpable mental state”. A second similar instance is discussed – and entirely deleted. 6\. Trump’s conductThere are fewer blackouts in the second volume, which deals with possible obstruction of justice. Mueller lays out Trump’s conduct towards witnesses, his anxiety over where the Russia investigation is heading, the firing of the FBI director, James Comey, and his interactions with key players including Flynn and Manafort. Trump’s behaviour towards a third person is considered. We don’t know who this is. It might be Stone – or someone else. The relevant passages are scrubbed. 7\. ReferralsThe report contains appendices. One is a list of dramatis personae. Names are given in alphabetical order, some removed. They include mystery surnames beginning with G or H, K and M, and a line of biography concerning Stone.The last section describes investigations which the special counsel has handed over to the FBI and the justice department. Two of these legal “transfers” – numbers nine and 11 – are rubbed out, the words “investigation ongoing” underneath. There are 13 redacted “referrals” of cases which fall outside the scope of Mueller’s inquiry.

How the U.S. Navy Sank Imperial Japan's Top Secret Aircraft Carrier

“No doubt he intends to act as a decoy at some point to lure away our screening destroyers. That accomplished, his comrades can approach Shinano unopposed. We must guard against any such ploy,” grumbled the thoughtful skipper.The first torpedo struck farthest aft. Over the next 30 seconds three more warheads detonated against the massive aircraft carrier’s hull, working their way forward. The explosions and instant flooding immediately killed scores of men, many asleep in their bunks.As tons of seawater cascaded into the wounded colossus, men below deck could see the extent of the damage, were seized with panic, and stampeded topside. The missiles had hit 10 feet below the water line, and on the bridge and upper levels the commander and his officers were not yet aware of how sorely they were hurt. Many had survived earlier torpedo attacks, and aboard less formidable vessels than this one. Even as their gargantuan ship began to list, they remained optimistic.“Expressing the Flavor of an Ancient Samurai”

Authorities say investigation into murder of two Indiana schoolgirls is going in 'new direction'

Indiana State Police say they will announce new information about the deaths of Abigail Williams and Liberty German who were found dead on a hiking trail in Delphi, Indiana in 2017.

Air strikes and explosions hit Libyan capital

Several air strikes and explosions shook the Libyan capital Tripoli overnight, residents said, in an escalation of a two-week offensive by eastern forces on the city held by the internationally recognised government. A Reuters reporter and several residents said they saw an aircraft circling for more than 10 minutes over the capital late on Saturday, and that it made a humming sound before opening fire on several areas. An aircraft was heard again after midnight, circling for more than ten minutes before a heavy explosion shook the ground. It was not clear whether an aircraft or unmanned drone was behind the strike, which triggered heavy anti aircraft fire. Residents had reported drone strikes in recent days, but there has been no confirmation and explosions heard in the city centre this time were louder than in previous days. Residents counted several missile strikes, one of which apparently hit a military camp of forces loyal to Tripoli in the Sabaa district in the south of the capital, scene of the heaviest fighting between the rival forces. Authorities closed Tripoli's only functioning airport, cutting air links to a city of an estimated 2.5 million residents. The airport in Misrata, a city 200 km to the east, remained open. A vehicle belonging to Libyan fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) is pictured during clashes with forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar south of the capital Tripoli's suburb of Ain Zara Credit: MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP The Libyan National Army (LNA) force loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar started an offensive two weeks ago but has been unable to breach the government's southern defences. If a drone strike was confirmed this would point to more sophisticated warfare. The LNA has so far mainly used ageing Soviet-made jets from the air force of Muammar Gaddafi, toppled in 2011, lacking precision firepower and helicopters, according to residents and military sources. In the past the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have supported Haftar with air strikes during campaigns to take eastern Libya. Both countries flew air strikes on Tripoli in 2014 during a different conflict to help a Haftar-allied force, US officials said at the time. Since 2014 the UAE and Egypt have provided the LNA with military equipment such as aircraft and helicopters, helping Haftar gain the upper hand in Libya's eight-year conflict, U.N. reports have established. The UAE even built an air base in Al Khadim in eastern Libya, one such report said in 2017. The air strikes, which were also filmed by residents in video posted online, came after a day of heavy clashes in southern districts, with shelling audible in the city centre. The violence spiked after the White House said on Friday that US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Haftar earlier in the week. The disclosure of the call and a U.S. statement that it "recognized Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources" has boosted the commander's supporters and enraged his opponents. Western powers and the Gulf have been divided over a push by Haftar's forces to seize Tripoli, undermining calls by the United Nations for a ceasefire. Both sides claimed progress in southern Tripoli on Saturday, but no more details were immediately available. A Reuters TV cameraman visiting the southern Khalat Furgan suburb heard heavy shelling but saw no apparent change in the frontline. On Friday, two children were killed in shelling in southern Tripoli, residents said. The fighting has killed 227 people and wounded 1,128, the World Heath organization (WHO) said before the air strikes. On Thursday, both the United States and Russia said they could not support a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya at this time. Russia objects to the British-drafted resolution blaming Haftar for the latest flare-up in violence when his LNA advanced to the outskirts of Tripoli earlier this month, diplomats said. The United States did not give a reason for its decision not to support the draft resolution, which would also call on countries with influence over the warring parties to ensure compliance and for unconditional humanitarian aid access in Libya.

Tourists, Easter worshippers lament closure of Notre Dame

PARIS (AP) — Tourists, devout Catholics and others looked on mournfully at Notre Dame Cathedral Saturday, regretting that they couldn't get inside the magnificent monument on this Easter weekend because of the damage caused by a violent fire.

Egyptians vote in referendum to extend Sisi's rule

Egyptians started voting Saturday in a referendum that aims to cement the rule of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former coup leader who presents himself as a rock of stability in a turbulent region. Voters were being asked to back amendments to the constitution to allow Sisi, 64, to run for another six-year term while boosting his control over the judiciary and giving the military even greater influence in political life. At a polling station in Manyal, a Cairo suburb overlooking the Nile, Mohamed Abdel Salam, 45, told AFP he fully supported the changes.

Elizabeth Warren becomes first 2020 candidate to call for Trump's impeachment

The Massachusetts senator is the most senior Democrat to call for the start of impeachment proceedings against TrumpWarren’s remarks make her one of the most prominent Democratic voices to advocate for impeachment. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/ReutersElizabeth Warren on Friday became the most senior Democrat, and the first 2020 presidential candidate, to call for the start of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump following the release of the special counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and the Trump campaign. “To ignore a president’s repeated efforts to obstruct an investigation into his own disloyal behavior would inflict great and lasting damage on this country, and it would suggest that both the current and future presidents would be free to abuse their power in similar ways,” the Democratic senator from Massachusetts said in a statement Friday, one day after the release of a redacted version of a 448-page summary of Robert Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation.“The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the president of the United States,” Warren said.> Mueller put the next step in the hands of Congress: “Congress has authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice.” The correct process for exercising that authority is impeachment.> > — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) April 19, 2019Mueller did not make a conclusion about whether the president unlawfully obstructed justice, but did outline nearly a dozen cases in which the president had attempted to stop the inquiry or narrow its scope.Warren’s remarks make her one of the most prominent Democratic voices to advocate for impeachment, joining congresswomen Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Those progressive House members have pushed a formal impeachment resolution.Backers of impeachment have argued that the Democrats have a legal and ethical responsibility to launch the proceedings and continue the investigation into Trump and the question of obstruction of justice. Other Democrats fear that it would be politically unwise to begin the impeachment process close to the 2020 presidential election, raising concerns that a protracted political battle could alienate some voters and arguing that voters ultimately care more about issues like heathcare and the economy. Some have said they are also wary of vice-president Mike Pence replacing the president, given Pence’s conservative political record.The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has repeatedly said she is not in favor of impeachment. In March, Pelosi said the process would be “so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path”. She did not shift her stance after the release of the Mueller report this week.Some Democrats have instead focused on their calls to have Mueller testify before Congress and for the justice department to release an unredacted version of the report.So far, Warren is the only Democrat running for president in 2020 to formally call for impeachment hearings. Though Julián Castro, the former housing secretary, indicated earlier on Friday that he would support Congress opening impeachment proceedings. “It would be perfectly reasonable for Congress to open up impeachment hearings”, Castro told CNN.Both senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker argued it was too soon to talk about impeachment. “I think that there is definitely a conversation to be had on that subject, but first I want to hear from Bob Mueller.” Harris said.Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend mayor, said there was “evidence that this president deserves to be impeached”, but that it was up to Congress to make that decision.The former representative Beto O’Rourke argued he believed voters cared more about policy discussions, telling reporters, “I don’t know that impeachment and those proceedings in the House and potential trial in the Senate is going to answer those questions for people.”

The Latest: 12 students,1 teacher killed honored at ceremony

LITTLETON, Colo. (AP) — The Latest on events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting (all times local):

The Army Passed on This Glock Gun (And It Could Be Your Gain)

The ultimate Glock? The Army may have chosen Sig Sauer’s P320 for its Modular Handgun System program over Glock’s offerings, but that doesn’t mean you have to: Glock plans on releasing a civilian variant of its 9mm Glock 19 pistol to civilian buyers this month, the company announced today.(This article by Jared Keller originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. This article first appeared in 2018.)Glock’s commercial pistol, dubbed the 19X, is the company’s first stab at a crossover model, combining the Glock 17 frame with a Glock 19 barrel. With a “marksman barrel” and ambidextrous slide-stop levers, the pistol is designed to be as versatile as it is powerful, “almost like a [1911] Commander-style situation where you’ve got the shorter barrel with the full-sized grip frame,” as national sales manager Bob Radecki told Army Times on Jan. 2.The new 9mm Glock 19X from Glock

United Constitutional Patriots: Border Patrol pushes back against armed civilians policing border

Customs and Border Protection "does not endorse or condone private groups or organizations that take enforcement matters into their own hands."

Converse introduces trans-themed shoes for Pride and Twitter is happy for once

Brands sometimes go too hard during Pride season. Every once in a while, however, they get it right.The year 2019 has already brought us one *actually good* example. Converse recently introduced its LGBTQ Pride sneaker line, which now includes sneakers modeled after the Transgender Pride flag.This is the first time Converse has ever had a trans-specific sneaker.SEE ALSO: Mapping state-by-state tech trends: Most popular dating appsThe trans-specific sneakers currently retail for $80. Customers can also customize their own rainbow Pride shoes and add Trans Pride flair.Regardless of how you feel about corporate participation during gay Pride, this is a huge symbolic step forward. Advocates for the trans community have long complained that gay and lesbian people dominate the LGBTQ movement. Recognizing the trans community as a separate -- though equally sneaker-worthy community -- is emblematic of a larger cultural shift. Trans people are clearly moving into the public spotlight, and they can show that (if Converse is their thing) on their feet.Twitter was largely enthusiastic about the move.> TransIsBeautiful > Thank you @Converse for making a trans PRIDE shoe this year! > My 11 year-old-son is ECSTATIC! ️‍ pic.twitter.com/E6lcqIEvfA> > -- Rachel Q. Lyons (@RachelQLyons) April 15, 2019> CONVERSE HAS A NEW PRIDE COLLECTION THAT INCLUDES TRANS PRIDE SNEAKERS FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!! > > SHOP HERE: https://t.co/afn0Gc9nwy (affiliate link) pic.twitter.com/TptVcjY87E> > -- Alysse Dalessandro (@readytostare) April 19, 2019> I thought "which of my trans friends would rock Converse decked out in the colors of the trans flag," and then immediately realized the answer was "all of them." pic.twitter.com/E5NPDfPgMY> > -- Aram Vartian (@vartian) April 19, 2019> Me, looking at the chuck taylor pride collection for this year: *not super impressed* > Converse: we have trans shoes now > Me, out loud: DAMMIT pic.twitter.com/oqzpDUqaOD> > -- Rowan Adventurezone (@politebotanist) April 20, 2019> Y'all let me know when @converse lets me put trans flags on these (and they come in my size). pic.twitter.com/3ZOq9Y6rss> > -- Xan (@AlexandriaDVine) April 20, 2019> Look! You can make them with the pride base but then add trans pride touches. I'm in love! pic.twitter.com/bGtajM2QjF> > -- We'll Have A Gay Old Time (@IssaMeBrianO) April 19, 2019This Twitter user perhaps said it best.> Fuckin converse put the Trans flag on some shoes like.....yes fine I will buy them you stupid brand, ill bow to capitalism just this once> > -- Thank you gay dad (@Darius_lives) April 19, 2019Happy incredibly early Pride, everyone! WATCH: Meet the 10-year-old drag kid shaping the future of drag youth

This tiny RC car could absolutely destroy your car in a race

A 0-to-60 mph time of under three seconds is something that all but the most wealthy supercar owners are ever likely to enjoy. A 0-to-100 mph time of just over five seconds? Well now we're in territory that few production automobiles have ever dared tread, but it's all in a day's work for RC enthusiasts who seek to achieve the most ludicrous speeds with their high-tech toys.A recent video posted by YouTuber Innovation RC clearly demonstrates just how insane RC cars can be, with one of the pint-sized speed demons hitting an absolutely absurd speed of 124 mph in less than eight seconds, all while hauling a not-super-light action camera and traveling over what seems to be a fairly rough surface.Radio-controlled vehicles used to be near the top of every kid's wishlist, and perhaps some of them still are, but these aren't your grandfather's RC toys. These tiny cars are built with performance in mind, and enthusiasts regularly modify them in an effort to push the hardware to its absolute limit. They can set you back several hundreds of dollars, and that's without any additional tuning or upgrades. But they're fast... really, really fast.Just check this out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpdRrPYcEVsThat's 124 mph while hauling a camera that, if I had to guess, doesn't look like the most aerodynamic thing in the world. Not to mention the fact that the pavement being raced on here appears to be anything but smooth. It's easy to imagine this little car topping out at much higher speeds under ideal conditions, but it's still an incredibly impressive run considering the circumstances.In fact, in a subsequent video the same car can be seen hitting a top speed of 133 mph, though without a GoPro on board it's a little bit less interesting to watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo_oCzCHCxMI want one. No, no. I need one.

Easter Sunday Bombs in Sri Lanka Target Christians and Tourists, Kill Hundreds

REUTERS/Dinuka LiyanawatteA series of coordinated bomb blasts at churches and hotels across Sri Lanka killed more than 200 people and left hundreds more injured on Easter Sunday in one of the worst bouts of violence in the island nation since civil war ended a decade ago.Four luxury hotels and three Catholic churches were among the highly populated areas that were targeted, according to the Associated Press. Officials told the AP that at least two of the blasts were carried out by suicide bombers. Late Sunday, Sri Lanka’s Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena said authorities apprehended several people suspected of being involved in the attacks, according to the Associated Press. Three police officers were reportedly killed during operations to arrest the suspects.A further improvised device was found at Bandaranaike International Airport by the Sri Lankan Air Force overnight Sunday. “A PVC pipe which was six feet in length containing explosives in it was discovered,” Air Force Spokesman Gihan Seneviratne told Sri Lanka’s main newspaper the Sunday Times.Two senior intelligence officials told The Daily Beast that a Sri Lankan police official had alerted security officials in an advisory ten days ago about a threat on churches though it remains unseen what, if any, safety measures were taken to protect worshipers. The document, which has been reviewed by The Daily Beast is written in Sinhala, but is dated April 11 and clearly states in English in all caps, “Information of an alleged plan attack.”  Sri Lanka’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said he had not been informed, underscoring tensions within the government, the New York Times reported. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the calculated attacks.Both the Associated Press and AFP quoted local Sri Lankan intelligence officials that they had received warnings that “terrorist elements, including the radical Islamic organization NTJ, would carry out a suicide attack in certain churches during Easter.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement Sunday confirming that “several Americans” had been killed in the attacks. “While many details of the attacks are still emerging, we can confirm that several U.S. citizens were among those killed,” he wrote in a statement. “These vile attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States remains resolved in our fight to defeat terrorism.”Officials told the Associated Press that at least nine foreigners are among those killed in Colombo, including two people who are dual citizens of the United States and the U.K. At least one American is among those reported missing, the news site said citing the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The dead include one Portuguese citizen and two U.K. citizens, the ministry said. Chinese State Media has confirmed death of one of its citizens, per the AP. All of the foreigners were killed in attacks on hotels.Emergency officials were still combing through the bomb sites for victims as night set in Sunday, but more tourists and foreign nationals are considered to be among the dead. The New York Times reports that the deadliest attack occurred at 8:45 a.m. at the St. Sebastian Catholic Church in the city of Negombo about 20 miles from the capital city of Colombo. Survivors posted photos on social media and described seeing bodies blown to bits, with flesh splattered on the church walls. “It was a river of blood,” a witness named N. A. Sumanapala, t0ld the Times. “The priest came out and he was covered in blood.”The Catholic churches of St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and the Zion Church in Batticaloa on the eastern side of the island were also bombed, according to reports. Pope Francis, who visited the country four years ago to minister to the island nation’s Christian minority, expressed his condolences in his Easter Sunday mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. “I want to express my loving closeness to the Christian community, targeted while they were gathered in prayer, and all the victims of such cruel violence,” he said. “I entrust to the Lord all those who were tragically killed and pray for the injured and all those who are suffering as a result of this dramatic event.”Local media showed images of damage at the Cinnamon Grand, Shangri-La and Kingsbury hotels. One report showed the second-floor restaurant of the Shangri-La gutted. Sri Lanka has not seen such violence since the end of a 26-year civil war that ended over a decade ago. Then, rebels from the Tamil Tigers sought independence from the country’s Sinhala Buddhist majority. Sri Lanka’s prime minsiter Ranil Wickremesinghe called for calm on Twitter. “I strongly condemn the cowardly attacks on our people today. I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong,” he wrote. “Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation.”The BBC reported that British nationals were among the injured. Prime Minister Theresa May called the attacks “truly appalling” adding “no one should ever have to practice their faith in fear”.U.S. President Donald Trump also tweeted his condolences, “The United States offers heartfelt condolences to the great people of Sri Lanka. We stand ready to help!”The attacks sent officials around the world into high gear taking precautions at churches in preparation for Easter celebrations. A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed to The Daily Beast that the department has ramped up domestic security measures in the wake of the attacks, and that officers will be visiting all houses of worship, with a focus Sunday on those offering Easter services. —With reporting from Pervaiz Shallwani and Victoria AlbertRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

Mueller report: Elizabeth Warren becomes first 2020 candidate to call for Trump’s impeachment

Elizabeth Warren has become the first 2020 election candidate to make a clear call for impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump following the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report.The Massachusetts senator tweeted that it would be damaging to “ignore a president’s repeated efforts to obstruct an investigation into his own disloyal behaviour” and would allow future presidents to act in the same way. She added: “The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the president of the United States.”Mr Mueller, who examined whether Mr Trump’s campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 election and whether the president tried to interfere with the inquiry, made no clear verdict on obstruction of justice.His report did, however, lay out 11 possible attempts to influence the investigation – although he indicated the president was “mostly unsuccessful” because his aides refused to carry out orders.Other Democrats running in 2020 have been more cautious on impeachment than Ms Warren in their response to the publication. Julian Castro said it would be “perfectly reasonable for congress to open up those proceedings”.Both Jay Inslee of Washington and Eric Swalwell – both of whom have recently launched presidential campaigns – said only that the idea should not be taken off the table.Other Democratic candidates, including senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, suggested it was too soon to start impeachment proceedings.> The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States.> > — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) > > April 19, 2019“We don’t have an unredacted version of the report. We don’t have the underlying materials that that report was written upon. We haven’t had yet an opportunity to have hearings where we interview Mueller,” said Mr Booker said during a campaign stop in Reno, Nevada.“I think that’s there definitely a conversation to be had on that subject, but first I want to hear from Bob Mueller and really understand what exactly is the evidence that supports the summary that we’ve been given,” said Ms Harris on impeachment hearings.Pete Buttigieg, the Indiana mayor also running for the White House, suggested it was not the best way to get rid of Mr Trump.He told NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers: “If we really want to send Trumpism into the history books, the best thing we can do is defeat it decisively at the ballot box in 2020.”Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while not running in 2020, has signed on to an impeachment resolution from fellow Democrat, Rashida Tlaib.The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold Nadler, has issued a subpoena for the full Mueller report and expects the Justice Department to comply by 1 May. Attorney general William Barr is to appear before the committee on 2 May, while Mr Nadler has also summoned Mr Mueller to testify by 23 May.The only Republican who had declared he will run against Donald Trump in 2020 said on Friday he was “horrified” by special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, but said he could not back impeachment for “political reasons”.The former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld told ABC News: “It’s very unlikely that he would ever be convicted in the Senate where you need a two thirds vote”.

'House of horrors': California couple sentenced to life in prison for torturing their children

David and Louise Turpin, who pleaded guilty in February to torture and false imprisonment, are eligible for parole after 25 years.

North Korea slams Bolton's 'dim-sighted' call for sign of denuclearization

North Korea has criticized U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton's "nonsense" call for Pyongyang to show that it’s serious about giving up its nuclear weapons, the second time it has criticized a leading U.S. official in less than a week. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Bolton told Bloomberg News on Wednesday there first needed to be "a real indication from North Korea that they've made the strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons".

Army Vet Sues Company That Made 'Defective' Earplugs for the Military

A Texas veteran is suing the company he says knowingly produced and sold defective earplugs which were issued to the U.S. military, leading him and many others to develop hearing problems, including tinnitus.(This article by Haley Britzky originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. This article first appeared in 2018.)Sgt. Scott D. Rowe, who served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004, told the Houston Chronicle that he's "never at peace" from the "high-pitched frequency" he hears every day, as a result of the earplugs he received from 3M Company. Rowe told the Chronicle that 3M "lied," and "took our well-being for jeopardy while we're out there protecting the country."Rowe says in his lawsuit that 3M was aware of the defects in earplugs when it acquired the company that originally developed them, Aearo Technologies, in 2008. He says, according to the Chronicle, that the earplugs were made too short, which makes them difficult to be put deeply into the ear canal, causing the earplug to loosen and sound to get in around them.

Is 4/20 on the way to becoming marijuana's Hallmark holiday?

Once an underground celebration of weed smoking, the annual event is turning into big business in the era of legalizationTyler Shumway of Aurora, Colorado, lights up a joint at 420pm in Civic Center Park on 20 April 2012 in Denver. Photograph: Marc Piscotty/Getty ImagesToday may be the day that marijuana officially loses its cool. April 20, 4/20, the once underground national holiday for dope smokers, appears to have sold out to The Man.The origins of 4/20 are as disputed as the last pack of gummy bears after a long smoking session. Some say it was once police code for “marijuana smoking in progress” – apparently untrue – and others claim it was invented by high school stoners in Marin county, California, who would meet at 4.20pm to get high.No matter what the origins it’s big business for a rapidly growing industry – the Black Friday of getting high.Sign up for the US morning briefingThis year’s 4/20 falls on a Saturday and is expected to be the biggest sales day yet for legal marijuana, exceeding an 111% sales spike record last year. Stoners will gather at Denver’s Civic Center Park to celebrate, with clouds of marijuana smoke drifting over the crowds, some still in tie-dye and preaching cosmic one-ness.4/20 doesn’t have a Hallmark card yet but it can’t be far off. Of the hundreds of tie-in promotions this year, Lyft is offering a $4.20 credit on a single ride in Colorado and in select cities in the US and Canada. The fast-food chain Carl’s Jr is using a Denver outlet to test a hamburger infused with CBD oil.But there is a serious side to it. This year the ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s is calling on consumers to pressure lawmakers to expunge prior marijuana convictions for anyone arrested for smoking pot. Considering those arrests are four times more likely to affect African Americans, the social justice implications are clear.According to Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist at Golden Gate University, 4/20 is on its way to becoming a mainstream national holiday and that’s largely a function of the booming marijuana business. Arcview, a cannabis investment and market research firm, estimates US retail sales of cannabis products jumped to $10.5bn last year, a threefold increase from 2017.“It’s still a celebration of marijuana but the conversation has been expanded by brands that tie into the cannabis industry and for marketers to tie into something that has a coolness to it,” Yarrow says. That conversation, she adds, is increasingly focused on people wondering what role cannabis may play in their life.“The stoner dude mentality is still there but there is another that is more focused on marijuana’s medicinal properties and that’s growing in stature,” said Yarrow.The marijuana business could soon be dwarfed by the market for products using CBD, a cannabis compound from the hemp plant that supposedly has health benefits but doesn’t get you high.CBD, which is not listed as a controlled substance, can now be found in candies, coffee and other food, drinks and dietary supplements, along with perfume, lotions, creams and soap.Gus Dabais stands outside his Sidewalk Wellness store in San Francisco, where CBD oil-infused products are popular items. Photograph: Eric Risberg/APAccording to Louis Zerobnick, a veteran Colorado cannabis promoter, the CBD industry has the potential to become a far larger business than an industry based on THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. As it is, he says, the marijuana industry has moved far beyond its hippie-stoner roots and is increasingly dominated by big industry and big banking.“A lot of the old hippies aren’t going to make it in this new industry. Although they’re responsible for it, and did the activism to make it happen, you find that marijuana companies want to bring in people who have worked in other government-regulated industries. That’s the level of professionalism that’s now required to turn it into a real business,” said Zerobnick.Zerobnick thinks 4/20 could one day exceed the size of other semi-official holidays, including Valentine’s Day and Halloween. “It’s a national, non-denominational, non-racial holiday mostly celebrated by getting high,” Zerobnick said, reeling off events scheduled in Florida, Chicago and the High Times’ Cannabis Cup in California. “For people who use cannabis 4/20 is as big as Christmas.”And in the meantime Big Business is moving in to harsh the original stoners’ buzz. John Boehner, the permatanned former Republican speaker of the House, is a director of one of the US’s largest cannabis businesses, Acreage Holdings. Coca-Cola has joint venture with a cannabis company that could lead to Coke High. Big tobacco is waiting in the wings.The 4/20 the counterculture pioneers who campaigned for legalization may well be wondering if there is a high price for a legal high.“We don’t necessarily like it but everybody knows it,” says Zerobnick. At the same time that a lot of old hippies won’t make it, he says, “many could become billionaires when they’re bought out and their strains turned into commercial success”.

Roman Polanski sues the Academy after being kicked out of the Oscars 'without warning'

Roman Polanski is suing the Academy after being kicked out of the Oscars organisation. The Chinatown director was ejected from the Academy along with Bill Cosby in 2018. A lawyer for the long-time fugitive filmmaker said that he was expelled "without warning" and with no chance to respond. Polanski's lawyer filed a writ at the Los Angeles Superior Court and will pursue legal action against the film institution on grounds that the famed director's expulsion was unfair. But the Academy responded hours later and said in a statement its removal of Polanski from its ranks was "fair and reasonable" and it will not reverse the decision. It said in a statement: "The procedures taken to expel Mr Polanski were fair and reasonable. The Academy stands behind its decision as appropriate." Polanski, who has been on the run for decades following a sexual abuse case, was told of his ejection in a letter citing the need to respect "human dignity". Representing the long-time Academy member, lawyer Harland Braun has also written to the Oscars overseers on behalf of Polanski. Documents say the intention of legal action is to "redress the Academy's improper administrative action" to "summarily expel" Polanski. Braun told the Press Association: "If you notice, we are litigating the fairness of their procedure. "They threw him out without warning and without giving him a chance to respond. There was not even any notice of why, after 40 years, on the same day as Cosby. "Give me a break." Polanski was voted out of the Academy in May of 2018, receiving an unsigned letter from the organisation. The director has been a fugitive from US justice since 1978, following accusations of a sexual offence. A letter, made available by to the court, cites the need to uphold respect for "human dignity" as the motivation for the action taken in 2018. It states: "The board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy's values of respect and human dignity, and is categorically opposed to any form of abuse and harassment." Braun claims in his writ that: "The Academy failed to comply with its own rules, polices, and regulations" when it ejected Polanski. The director fled to France in 1978 after being arrested and charged with the rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US.

Galaxy Fold units keep mysteriously breaking, while the iPhone XS survives a shark bite

If you've paid attention to tech industry news to any degree over the past day or two, you're no doubt aware that Samsung is dealing with a bit of unpleasant scrutiny at the moment over reports of early units of its forthcoming Galaxy Fold phone mysteriously breaking. Definitely a bad look for Samsung and suggestive that the company may have rushed its first foldable handset into production, or that there may at least have been some issues around quality control. It was hard not to be reminded of those reports about Galaxy Folds breaking after a day or so of normal usage while watching the behind-the-scenes video that complements Apple's latest "Shot on iPhone" commercial. At one point in the behind-the-scenes footage, which you can watch above, one of the filmmakers is shown basically helpless when a shark snatches up his iPhone. With the phone secure in the shark's jaws, the filmmaker swims after him and ends up successfully retrieving it. And the phone appears to be fine after that. For the new commercial, titled Don't Mess with Mother, Apple hired production company Camp4 Collective to showcase the iPhone XS's video capabilities while capturing scenes from mother nature. The outtakes video includes scenes from a volcano, in the water with sharks and on mountains, the whole thing giving off a thrilling, "you are there" vibe. At one point, we see a monkey playing with and scrutinizing an iPhone. The idea is apparently that iPhones can capture images and video of stunning quality in nature, with the inadvertent reminder that they can withstand some tough elements too. Just something to think about as we get closer to the April 26 launch date that Samsung has decided to stick to for its ridiculously expensive foldable phone that it's still hoping people will take a chance on, despite the easy breakage some reviewers have experienced.

Jihadists kill more than 60 regime fighters across Syria

Jihadists have killed more than 60 Syrian regime fighters in 48 hours, a monitor said Saturday, in some of the deadliest attacks on pro-Damascus forces in recent weeks. Kurdish-led forces in March announced the defeat of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" in eastern Syria, but the jihadists have retained hideouts there and in other parts of the country as well as the ability to carry out deadly assaults. Since Thursday, IS jihadists have killed 35 pro-Damascus fighters in regime-held parts of central and eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Facebook Has Assembled a Small Army of Fact-Checkers. Too Small.

This is Boom Live, one of seven tiny fact-checking firms at the heart of Facebook’s efforts to rebuild some of its credibility during India’s elections. Based on the early tallies, more than 60 percent of India’s 900 million eligible voters are expected to cast ballots between now and May 19, as the center-left Congress Party tries to seize power from the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party. As in other elections around the world, paid hacks and party zealots are churning out propaganda on Facebook and the company’s WhatsApp messenger, along with Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and other ubiquitous communication channels.

Fake news? Mueller isn't buying it

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump and his team love to deride unfavorable stories as "fake news," but it's clear from Robert Mueller's report that the special counsel isn't buying it.

Take a Look at the SW1911 Gun: Smith & Wesson’s Very Own 1911 Pistol

One of the oldest gun companies in America produces its own take on one of the most exemplary handgun designs in U.S. history.Smith & Wesson’s series of handguns based on the 1911 platform stays true to the gun’s roots while adding in a number of features desirable to modern firearms enthusiasts. The company produces a full line of 1911s, from traditional to contemporary, catering to collectors and duty carriers, in a full range of sizes.The 1911 pistol was invented by prolific small arms designer John Moses Browning in the early twentieth century. Browning paired the pistol with his new .45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge, a large, heavy subsonic cartridge that delivered upwards of 400 foot-pounds of energy on target. The pairing of a semi-automatic pistol capable of holding eight rounds with the .45 ACP manstopper round was in response to reports that U.S.-issue revolvers in .38 Long Colt often failed to stop Filipino insurgents in close quarters combat.Although the 1911 missed the Philippine Insurrection, it was well positioned to enter World War I on the side of the U.S. military. The American Expeditionary Force issued the 1911 in large numbers where they fought in the trenches of World War I. Minor changes in the design resulted in the 1911A1 designation during the 1920s. More than a million pistols were produced for U.S. and allied forces during World War II, enough that the armed services kept the 1911 in frontline service well into the 1980s.

Coachella Security Guards Allege Inhumane Treatment: ‘People Over Here Are Starving’

Matt Winkelmeyer/GettyEvery year, music lovers and miscellaneous basics flood Indio, California, for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Coachella is known for its huge headlining artists and general aura of douchebaggery—the stereotypical festival-goer is a rich kid sporting a headdress and a fanny pack, scouring the desert for good times and even better Instagram opportunities. Of course, these highly mocked caricatures only make up part of the story. The festival is also populated with an army of staffers who aren’t in Indio to party. This contingent includes security guards who work long days in high heat confiscating contraband, protecting talent, and generally attempting to ensure that everyone survives the weekend. It’s an important job, and an appealing one for fans and entertainment world-adjacent security professionals. Antonio Cannady, a screenwriter based in Los Angeles, told The Daily Beast that he heard about a company based in Long Beach that was hiring security for Coachella. “So I went down there and applied and then we had this little quick orientation. It wasn’t much of an interview, it was like a cattle call, ‘cause we go inside this room and everybody’s standing up. It’s hot, we’re all sweating. But they talked it up like it’s Coachella, this big music festival. And they were like, yeah, it’s going to be like camping, so bring a tent and a sleeping bag or whatever.”Cannady, who sent The Daily Beast a written account of his experience at Coachella, wrote, “Fast-forward a few weeks later and I’m at the BMW Nationwide Security loading into a bus with about thirty-five people, all people of color.” After a four-hour bus ride, his report continued, “We all unloaded with our luggage and checked in with reps for the Staff Pro, one of the main security companies contracted by Goldenvoice [a subsidiary of AEG]… who provided us with a one-page document; basically, giving us instructions on how not to die from heat stroke.” The Daily Beast reviewed a photo of Cannady’s Coachella badge, which lists both Staff Pro and BMW. He told The Daily Beast that, “What Staff Pro has done is provided the grounds for their subcontracted companies. When we clock in, it’s all done through Staff Pro. We wear Staff Pro uniforms. We wear Staff Pro creds. They pay BMW and BMW pays us.” When reached for comment Allied Universal, the parent company of Staff Pro, initially told The Daily Beast that Staff Pro does not subcontract out to private security companies for Coachella. However, they later reversed their position, writing in an email that, “All our Staff Pro/Allied Universal security professionals (including the security staff who are subcontracted) are offered the same resources.”In a written statement, Allied Universal elaborated on these alleged resources, saying, “The Staff Pro security professionals hired for the Coachella event are offered the resources needed in order to make sure that we uphold the highest standards in working conditions for each and every employee. Located on a grassy field area at the event, we offer a camp ground that includes seating, picnic tables, charging stations as well as shower facilities. In addition, each security professional is provided pallets of water and catered food. For those security professionals who work the night shift, we offer a large air-conditioned tent that is blacked out from the sun so they can sleep during the day.” HandoutWhile Cannady certainly wasn’t expecting luxurious accommodations, he was taken aback by the condition of the campground, writing, “We were all ushered into a large, smelly, humid tent floored in grass.” Although BMW Security had advised the security guards to bring a tent, air mattress, and a blanket with them, Cannady explained that, “This was easier said than done, with some security guards obviously stricken with poverty and arriving with pretty much nothing.” Workers without their own tents slept in a large communal tent. Cannady’s account continued, “A lot of folks arrived destitute and had no choice but to sleep on a ground that felt like you were sleeping on a slab of concrete. I for one was one of those people that slept on the ground the first couple of nights. The next morning my body felt like I was a lineman for the New England Patriots. It ached just that bad. At night, the temperatures dropped into the low-60s, and the moisture moved in saturating the grass that was also your bed. So, those of us without an air mattress or a blanket were forced to use cardboard boxes and aluminum foil as a barrier between themselves and an insect-infested, cold, moist ground.”He added, “This was a situation that if you could not afford to bring the needed supplies, then you were screwed and for the most part on your own.”HandoutSpeaking on the phone with The Daily Beast from Coachella, Cannady explained that, “People over here are starving, losing weight because we’re not being fed properly. It’s just a lot of messed up stuff that’s going on.” A security guard with another company, who asked to be referred to by his nickname, Chowderr, confirmed in a conversation with The Daily Beast that it was not uncommon for workers to complain of being underfed and hungry: “If you’re not coming stockpiled and prepared, you’re going to be hurting for maybe a couple of days at a time.” The Daily Beast reviewed a photo of Chowderr’s 2019 Coachella security badge, which labels him as a Staff Pro employee, and also lists the smaller security company that hired him. The Daily Beast also reviewed an email to Chowderr from that company, Parker Security Services, confirming his employment with them. Like Cannady, he was advised to bring a sleeping bag and a tent. “So we get here, we set up our tents and whatnot,” he recalled, “It’s about 80-degree weather, really hot. I think my biggest problem is they didn’t really let us know about the wind problems that they have here. When they did let us know, it was already like—people came back from work and their tents were destroyed. A lot of people didn’t know that wind does that to the tents out here. There was no warning, there was really no assistance.”“They don’t supply you with anything—the most that they’ll supply you with is if they kick someone out, they’ll give you their tent. That’s literally it…Besides that, it’s a big lot of non-communication. It could be set up way better. We know that people who run this have the money. We’re not asking for five-star treatment or anything like that. It’s just a whole mess.” Chowderr compared the food that is provided to security guards to “jail”—“That’s kind of what it’s like, not in the quality of how good it is, but in terms of you literally get one portion off of a 13-hour shift—like, what is this? What is this going to do?” In follow-up texts to The Daily Beast, he elaborated on that “portion,” saying that Staff Pro provides “a scoop or two of whatever it is they have.” Cannady observed that different companies appeared to provide different resources to their staffers. “We were told we would be fed but we were not told what minimum we would be. For example, the company I’m with provided a small bowl of pork and beans yesterday. That was it! So if you didn’t go to work or had your own food, then that’s all you ate.”He continued: “Multiple meals were provided…sometimes. Hit-or-miss with these companies. Our company provides bag lunches but sometimes they only consist of a can of tuna and/or a single sandwich. Staff Pro is SO inconsistent. If they feed us, it’s a small single serving before we head into the field. This food is gone/burned off halfway through your shift and then you’re stuck.” In his written account, Cannady emphasized that, “If it wasn’t for BMW providing meals until we got our first paycheck, which was two weeks later, then most of the crew would have been screwed. Sadly, other security guards with other companies were not as lucky.” HandoutCannady, in his written statement, called on Coachella to “allocate food budgets to properly feed guards for at least two weeks until they receive their first pay checks. Some people arrive destitute, proper meals are essential. This burden should not fall on small subcontracted security companies because all can’t afford to do it.” He told The Daily Beast that he would also urge them to provide aircraft hangars for lodging, complete with cots and blankets, because “no one should be sleeping on that horrid ground in that horrid tent or dealing with sand storms where your tent is blown away.” Cannady has also alleged a racial divide with regard to working conditions for security personnel. “On my campground there are like three or four companies, all minority-owned by black folks,” he explained. “Now if you go across the field like I showed in the pictures, those are majority-white folks on different campgrounds.” The photos show a row of buildings, which Cannady labels as “their lot,” juxtaposed with “our lot”: a smattering of tents. Different security companies also pay different hourly wages, according to employees. Cannady, who was hired by BMW, wrote that, “Those bussed in to work Coachella for the entire month of April are only paid $12 dollars an hour and are required to work 12-16 shifts during the event.” Chowderr said that he is paid $14 an hour, but added, “I don’t understand how we don’t all get paid at least $15 minimum. Some of these posts…When I got here, they said you’re supposed to work thirteen hours, you’ll be in the sun, you cannot sit, you cannot move. And I’m like, well, how do you expect me to just stand here for thirteen hours straight in the sun and not have a chair for me?”The owner of a private security company, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution from Staff Pro, told The Daily Beast that his company was subcontracted by Staff Pro for Coachella for many years. He said that his company last worked with Staff Pro in 2017, and that “I wouldn’t want to do business with them again.” He recalled a hectic working environment at the festival and a logistical “nightmare,” explaining, “The thing was, sometimes you’d show up with 20, 25 people and they’d send away, you know, 10, 15 people because they’ve already met their numbers. So it’s not always, if you send 25, they’re going to clock in 25. And in my opinion, it’s always been a favoritism game too with [the various subcontracted security companies]…It becomes a vicious toxic environment and I don’t want to do it no more.”“When it comes to food and water and things like that, they may provide that stuff, but it runs out pretty quickly,” he continued. “Or there may not be enough of it.”Chowderr told The Daily Beast that he had had difficulty accessing food and other resources, mainly because “Walmart runs” were offered inconsistently. “Some days I didn’t eat. Like one day I did a 16 [hour shift], I did 10 a.m to 2:30 a.m., and then they’re like, okay, we’re going to do a Walmart run in the morning. How can I do Walmart runs in the morning if I’m at work for you guys? Then when I get off, they’re like, no more Walmart runs, but I need to go to Walmart to get supplies and food and something to eat! So that makes it hard.” He added that Walmart runs appeared to be cancelled during “show days,” noting, “They don’t tell us this by the way, they are just cancelled until the following week, so if you don’t have a car or know anybody with one…Yesterday I walked about 4 miles to Walmart to pick up some things for show day.” Concert goers are reflected in the sunglasses of a security guard as "The Specials" perform at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California, April 16, 2010. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT) - GM1E64H0VBE01ReutersAccording to Chowderr, “show days” bring in an influx of even more security guards, further aggravating the perceived lack of organization, communication and resources. He specifically referenced the portable showers, saying that they hold five people at a time, while there are “over 300 guards on my lot.” He continued, “When the hot water is gone we have to wait until they refill it with hot water and we don’t even know when that will be. There are lines and sometimes people are late for work or didn’t make it because of the showers.”“If you don’t respect your guards, and you don’t have these basic things, you’re not doing what you need to as a company to support a big event like this,” Chowderr warned. When asked what happens when security guards complain, Chowderr claimed, “[They] try to shoo you away, say they’ll get back to you or that it is what it is.” Cannady told The Daily Beast that he has asked other guards why they don’t speak up, and been told that, “We don’t want to get in trouble. We don’t want to get fired.” He added that quitting in protest would present many of the bused-in guards with a new challenge—finding a way back to LA.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

Score an entire suite of creative design apps for only $40

We're not about to make assumptions here, but we'd wager that the starving artist myth is partially perpetuated by the fact that design programs are so darn expensive. A subscription to a single app alone can sometimes require you to fork out hundreds of dollars you don't have. We don't know about you, but that's plain robbery.You don't have to put yourself in the red just to score apps that will help you perform a variety of design jobs. The Corel Creative Mac Bundle includes an entire creative design app suite from one of the leading software makers with a few surprise bonuses. And you only have to pay $40 to get the whole set.Check out what's in store: Toast 17 TitaniumThe ultimate DVD burning software, Toast 17 Titanium lets you turn videos into professional-looking discs. It comes equipped with a feature-rich digital media suite that includes screen recording, movie editing tools, and media browser. AfterShot Pro 3RAW images aren't the easiest things to edit and manipulate, but this app makes the process feel like a cakewalk. On top of converting RAW files into editable images without inflicting damage, it also boasts a medley of editing tools you can take advantage of to enhance your shots. Painter Essentials 6Create lifelike artworks with this app that features a selection that's chock-full of realistic painting tools and effects. With just a few clicks, it can help you transform a photo into a painting infused with realism. WinZipNobody has the time to wait for hours when sending files. WinZip compresses data with bank-level AES encryption so you can send and receive files faster and more securely. ParticleShopThis powerful brush plugin for Photoshop and AfterShot 3 breathes new life into your masterpieces with fluid, artistic strokes that are a breeze to use. It features 11 different custom brushes, all of which you can incorporate on your creations to take them to the next level.Usually valued at $309.95, grab the Corel Creative Mac Bundle on sale for only $39.99 -- a savings of 87%. Image: Pexels The Corel Creative Mac Bundle  -- $39.99 See Details

Zookeeper hospitalized after tiger attack at Kansas zoo

City officials say a tiger mauled a zookeeper at the Topeka Zoo in northeastern Kansas.

IS hits Syria army with deadliest attacks since 'caliphate': monitor

Islamic State group jihadists have killed 35 pro-Damascus fighters in Syria, in what a monitoring group described Saturday as their deadliest operation since the fall of the "caliphate". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said four senior Syrian army officers were among the troops and allied militiamen killed in the desert east of Homs province over the past 48 hours. The Amaq propaganda arm of IS, which lost the last vestige of its "caliphate" to Kurdish-led forces last month but retains desert and mountain hideouts in both Syria and Iraq, said its fighters carried out the operation.

Team Trump plots revenge on Mueller amid calls to 'investigate the investigators'

Donald Trump and his allies are attempting to turn his two-year Russia investigation saga into a political boost for the 2020 presidential election in the wake of the Mueller report.  The president’s Justice Department is looking into the inquiry’s origins to see if US intelligence over-stepped the line, cheered on by supporters who want to “investigate the investigators”.  The Trump re-election campaign is fundraising off the report, attempting to raise $1 million with emails titled “EXONERATED (again)” and “CONFIRMED: NO COLLUSION”.  Figures close to the White House have also told The Sunday Telegraph that they believe Mr Trump could benefit from any impeachment move, triggering a backlash from US voters who see it as rushed.  The emerging strategy suggests that far from drawing a line under the report by special counsel Robert Mueller, Mr Trump is preparing to use it as a rallying cry for his support base.  In tweets late on Friday night, Mr Trump dubbed Mr Mueller’s investigation a “big, fat, waste of time, energy and money” and signposted his determination to scrutinise how it begun.  “It is now finally time to turn the tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have committed very serious crimes, perhaps even spying or treason,” he tweeted. “This should never happen again!” Mr Mueller’s findings, published on Thursday after a 22-month investigation, found there was no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin in the 2016 US election.  It also did not recommend an obstruction of justice charge against Mr Trump. He pointedly refused to say no crime had been committed by the president but handed the decision to the Justice Department, who brought no charges.  Those two top-line outcomes have allowed the president to declare “no collusion, no obstruction” and his legal team to announce “total victory”.  pic.twitter.com/222atp7wuB— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2019 The 448-report itself paints a more complex picture, one where Mr Trump repeatedly attempted to thwart the Mueller investigation and both lie himself or make subordinates do likewise. The president urged his legal counsel to say he was not ordered to fire Mr Mueller when he was, the report found. Mr Trump also issued misleading statements to the press to deny reports now confirmed.  The Democrats have attempted to force the spotlight on this “unethical” behavior but are split on how to proceed – whether to begin impeachment proceedings now or wait until the 2020 election to remove him from office.  William Barr, Mr Trump’s newly installed US attorney general, announced shortly before the Mueller report’s release that he would look into how US government officials begun the Russia investigation before the 2016 election.  William Barr, Donald Trump's recently appointed US attorney general, oversaw the handling of the Mueller report Credit:  MANDEL NGAN / AFP The president’s allies see political advantage, framing the investigation as a deep state ploy to thwart Mr Trump – despite the insistence of those involved that they were acting in the public interest.  Sebastian Gorka, a former deputy assistant in the White House, told this newspaper: “It’s clear that what we’ve seen in the last two years is an attempt to use the American intelligence community in a politically motivated spying scandal.” Emails sent out by the Trump campaign in the 24 hours after the report to supporters also used the findings to generate a new wave of funds.  “Sorry haters: NO COLLUSION & EXONERATION AGAIN! How many times do I have to be exonerated before they stop? WHAT A JOKE!” read one line in a fund-raising email, sent in Mr Trump's name on Friday.  “The attacks and lies will keep coming because Democrats know they don’t stand a chance in 2020. That’s why we need to fight back BIGGER and STRONGER than ever before.”  It went on: “Let's send a HUGE message to all of the Trump Haters by raising $1,000,000 in the NEXT 24 HOURS.”  The email ended by saying that Mr Trump would be handed a list naming everyone who had contributed before the 24-hour deadline. The Trump campaign has since confirmed it hit the $1 million mark within 24 hours.