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The final phase of the Flight 93 National Memorial is underway and on track to open on the 17th anniversary of plane’s crash into a Pennsylvania field during 9/11. United Airlines Flight 93 was en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers seized control and redirected the plane toward Washington, D.C. But 40 passengers and crew members fought back, and the hijackers responded by crashing the plane into the field near Shanksville, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Pittsburgh.  Continue reading “Tower at Flight 93 memorial to open by 9/11 anniversary”

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CHICAGO (AP) — A federal court has ruled that printing “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency doesn’t amount to a religious endorsement and therefore doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution. The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reports the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago made the ruling Thursday in a lawsuit brought by a self-declared Satanist, Kenneth Mayle. He argued that the motto propagates a religious view he opposes.  Continue reading “Judge: ‘In God We Trust’ on money isn’t religion endorsement”

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — A San Diego police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg Sunday while pursuing a hit-and-run suspect who pointed a weapon at officers and was eventually arrested on the roof of a parking structure near the finish line of an annual marathon, authorities said.

Officers fired at the woman but missed after she brandished the weapon at the parking facility at the edge of a downtown plaza shared by City Hall, police Chief David Nisleit told reporters. The suspect, identified by police as 58-year-old Mona Elease Williams, threw the weapon from the top of the structure to the street below before being taken into custody, Nisleit said. It was unclear what type of weapon it was, but investigators were looking into whether it was a pellet gun that resembles the real thing, the chief said.   Continue reading “Officer wounds self during pursuit near San Diego marathon”

RT

Syrian President Bashar Assad says Moscow deterred the West from launching a devastating country-wide air strike last month, and believes that Damascus has nearly won the seven-year war, despite continued US “interference.”

“With every move forward for the Syrian Army, and for the political process, and for the whole situation, our enemies and our opponents, mainly the West led by the United States and their puppets in Europe and in our region, they try to make it farther – either by supporting more terrorism, bringing more terrorists to Syria, or by hindering the political process,” Assad told RT correspondent Murad Gazdiev, during a sit-down interview in Damascus, noting that without outside funding his opponents inside the country could be subdued “within a year.”   Continue reading “‘We were close to direct conflict between Russia & US inside Syria’ – Bashar Assad”

RT

Unable to win concessions from from its trading partners ahead of the Friday deadline, the US has introduced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The new 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico come into force at midnight (04:00 GMT, Friday), according to US Commerce Secretary Ross.   Continue reading “US slaps Europe, Canada & Mexico with steel, aluminum tariffs”

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As remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto spread into the Great Lakes region, people were keeping a weary watch on dams and hillsides Thursday as rains from the storms have triggered floods and mudslides in the Appalachians of the Southeast.

In the North Carolina mountains, one of those landslides was blamed for a gas leak that destroyed a home, killing two people. Boone police Sgt. Shane Robbins said the landslide resulted in the “catastrophic destruction” of the home Wednesday afternoon because of a gas leak.   Continue reading “Alberto’s last gasp: Mudslides and flooding in Appalachia”

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — When Oregon lawmakers created the state’s legal marijuana program, they had one goal in mind above all else: to convince illicit pot growers to leave the black market. That meant low barriers to entry that also targeted long-standing medical marijuana growers, whose product is not taxed. As a result, weed production boomed — with a bitter consequence.

Now, marijuana prices here are in freefall, and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before broad legalization say they are in peril of losing their now-legal businesses as the market adjusts.   Continue reading “Easy entry into Oregon’s legal pot market means huge surplus”

RT

The reported killing of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko on Tuesday in Kiev was actually a ruse played by the Ukrainian law enforcement to prevent a planned hit, the Ukrainian authorities said.

Reporting on the high profile case on Wednesday, the head of the SBU, Ukraine’s national security service, Sergey Gritsak said Babchenko was alive and unhurt.   Continue reading “‘Assassinated’ journalist Babchenko alive, Kiev says, accusing Russia of murder plot”

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Islamic State militants, including two suicide bombers, dressed in military uniforms and riding in two armored vehicles launched a surprise attack on the Interior Ministry in Kabul on Wednesday but Afghan forces managed to repel the assault, leaving all the attackers dead.

It was a rare victory for Afghan security forces, who have struggled to secure the capital in recent months amid relentless attacks by the Taliban and the IS affiliate in Afghanistan. According to the ministry spokesman, Najib Danish, one policeman was killed and five were wounded in the assault.   Continue reading “Afghan forces repel Islamic State attack at Kabul ministry”

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s Hamas rulers said Wednesday they had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to end the largest flare-up of violence between the sides since a 2014 war. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, said Egyptian mediators intervened “after the resistance succeeded in warding off the aggression.” He said militant groups in Gaza will commit to the cease-fire as long as Israel does.   Continue reading “Gaza’s Hamas rulers say cease-fire reached with Israel”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Don’t tell 20-year-old Nestor Aguilera he can’t effect change in politics. The Indiana University business major protested outside President Donald Trump’s recent appearance in Aguilera’s home of Elkhart, Indiana. And while he admits he didn’t vote in 2016, he’s promising to show up for this fall’s midterm elections.  Continue reading “Young people feel more empowered, AP-NORC/MTV poll finds”

RT

Journalists, Obama’s former speechwriter and other public figures all quietly deleted their misplaced horror at images of caged migrant children in the US when they found out the picture was taken under President Obama.

CNN journalist Hadas Gold, NYT Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein, Obama’s speechwriter Jon Favreau, Women’s March co-founder Linda Sarsour and former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were all caught out by a seemingly new article that featured an image of two migrant children sleeping in a cage at an ICE detention facility.   Continue reading “‘Caged migrant children’ go viral… until picture turns out taken under Obama, not Trump”

Mail.com

Patients of a neurologist already facing rape charges in New York and New Jersey say law enforcement officials in Philadelphia are burying nearly identical accusations against him, angering and perplexing women who say they’re being victimized twice — first by their doctor, now by a big-city justice system that won’t hold him accountable.

A slew of patients who accuse Dr. Ricardo Cruciani of sexual misconduct in Philadelphia have yet to see authorities pursue a felony case against him, even after police in New York City and New Jersey investigated their claims and swiftly filed charges that could put him away for decades.   Continue reading “Sex-abusing neurologist’s patients: No justice in Philly”

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Nearly two years after a trip to meet the woman he loved turned into an imprisonment in a Venezuelan jail, an exhausted but grateful Utah man arrived home with his wife. Josh Holt arrived at the Salt Lake City airport Monday to a tearful, cheering crowd holding signs in his favorite color, green, with messages such as: “We never gave up.” His grandmother draped an American flag around his shoulders as he exchanged long hugs with person after person while the crowd sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”   Continue reading “American freed from Venezuela jail returns home to Salt Lake”

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli jets bombed Gaza hours after militants from the territory on Tuesday fired more than 25 mortar shells toward communities in southern Israel in what appeared to be the largest single barrage since the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.

The Israeli military said no one was hurt and that most of the mortar shells were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, though one of the shells landed near a kindergarten shortly before it opened.   Continue reading “Israeli jets bomb Gaza after mortar shells fired from strip”

RT

The US dollar is becoming less appealing for investors as American debt continues to soar and the greenback is printed to cover it, investor Jim Rogers said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The American currency will lose the status of main reserve currency much sooner than 2030, Rogers said at the Valdai Club’s discussion session, held as part of SPIEF.   Continue reading “US has largest debt in world history, dollar to lose status as No.1 currency – Jim Rogers”

RT

Settlements in US currency could be dropped by Russia in favor of the euro if the EU takes a stand against the latest US sanctions on Moscow, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“As we see, restrictions imposed by the American partners are of an extraterritorial nature. The possibility of switching from the US dollar to the euro in settlements depends on Europe’s stance toward Washington’s position,” said Siluanov, who is also Russia’s first deputy prime minister.   Continue reading “Russia ready to ditch dollar in favor of euro in foreign trade – finance minister”

Mail.com

ATLANTA (AP) — With its popularity threatened and critics stretching all the way to the White House, the NFL just wanted to get past the debate over taking a knee during the national anthem. Put the focus back on football.

Instead, the league seemed to muddle the divisive issue even more with a new policy that stirred up defenders of free speech, prompted a couple of owners to quickly backtrack and raised all sorts of potential questions heading into next season.   Continue reading “NFL sparks new questions over anthem; Trump lauds league”

Mail.com

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts judge who engaged in sexual acts with a social worker in his courthouse chambers will be suspended indefinitely, the state’s highest court ruled Thursday, and may face removal from the bench.

The Supreme Judicial Court said Judge Thomas Estes’ “grave, willful and repeated wrongdoing” has damaged the public’s faith in the judicial system. “The sanction we impose is not severe because we seek to punish the judge severely, but because … we seriously question whether he can command the respect and authority essential to the performance of his judicial function,” the judges wrote.   Continue reading “Judge suspended for courthouse affair with social worker”

RT

The excessive speculation in internet-based companies is worse today than during the peak of the dot-com bubble at the turn of the millennium, warns Keith Wright, a professor at the Villanova School of Business.

“It’s going to be all downhill from here,” he wrote in an opinion piece for CNBC. “Massive losses are coming in venture capital-funded start-ups that are, in some cases, as much as 50 percent overvalued.”   Continue reading “Silicon Valley’s biggest ever tech bubble about to burst”