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US fingers Iran on Gulf attacks but eases tone

President Donald Trump's administration charged Tuesday it was "quite possible" Iran was responsible for the sabotage of Gulf oil interests but said its own robust response had prevented potential attacks on Americans. Top Trump officials appeared to be toning down weeks of fiery warnings to Iran before delivering a classified briefing to the full Congress, where opposition Democrats have accused the administration of hyping intelligence and pushing the United States dangerously close to war. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States has not made "a definitive conclusion" that can be presented publicly over the sabotage of oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates or drone strikes on a crude pipeline in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. eases curbs on Huawei; founder says clampdown underestimates Chinese firm

The U.S. Commerce Department blocked Huawei Technologies from buying U.S. goods last week, a major escalation in the trade war between the world's two top economies, saying the firm was involved in activities contrary to national security. The two countries increased import tariffs on each other's goods over the past two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump said China had reneged on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. On Monday, the Commerce Department granted Huawei a license to buy U.S. goods until Aug. 19 to maintain existing telecoms networks and provide software updates to Huawei smartphones, a move intended to give telecom operators that rely on Huawei time to make other arrangements.

Gov: Abortion ban shows Alabama values 'sanctity of life'

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's governor said Monday the new abortion ban she recently signed into law reflects the high value residents place on the "sanctity of life," adding she doesn't expect any fallout from the controversial measure on tourism or business recruitment.

Alabama man in custody after allegedly killing police officer, injuring two others

Grady Wayne Wilkes, 29, was arrested Monday following a massive manhunt that involved multiple police agencies and aircrafts.

Could One of America's Allies Take Down the F-35 Program?

What does America need to save its troubled F-35 stealth fighter?Turkey, that’s what.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan recently warned that the multinational F-35 program, of which Turkey is a member, would fail if Turkey were excluded. Turkey is facing sanctions, including being dropped from the F-35 program if it goes ahead with purchasing Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which has raised Washington’s fears that F-35 secrets might be leaked to Russia. The U.S. has stopped shipping equipment to Turkey for that nation’s planned purchase of 100 F-35s, while the first two aircraft officially delivered to Turkey are still in the United States.For its part, Ankara is adamant that it has a right to purchase both American stealth fighters and Russian anti-aircraft missiles, despite the fact that the S-400 is one of the most likely Russian weapons to be used against the F-35. “We were surely not going to remain silent against our right to self-defense being disregarded and attempts to hit us where it hurts,” Erdogan said at a Turkish defense trade show. “This is the kind of process that is behind the S-400 agreement we reached with Russia.”“Nowadays, we are being subject to a similar injustice - or rather an imposition - on the F-35s ... Let me be frank: An F-35 project from which Turkey is excluded is bound to collapse completely.”

1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Restoration Is A Work Of Art

The Ford Mustang is an American automotive icon known the world over. Ford’s pony car is the four-wheeled embodiment of the American dream. Petty’s Garage is well-known for its work on modern Mustangs, enhancing their performance and producing limited edition special models.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy calls early elections as he disbands parliament in first act as president

Ukraine’s new president dismissed parliament and called a snap election just moments after being sworn into office on Monday. Volodymyr Zelensky, whose Servant of People party has no representation in the current parliament, also used his inaugural address to promise an end to the war in the east of the country and asked MPs to fire several key officials including the current defence minister.  “All my life I tried to do all I could so that Ukrainians laughed,” Mr Zelensky, a television comedian, told MPs during a ceremony in the parliament in Kiev. “Now I will do all I can so that Ukrainians at least do not cry any more.” Mr Zelensky, 41, won the presidency last month with a landslide run-off victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who had been in power since 2014. He had no prior political experience, and he was mostly known for his role in a television comedy ‘Servant of the People’, in which he played a school teacher who accidentally becomes president of Ukraine after ranting against corruption. He named his party after the TV show.  Zelenskiy greets his supporters as he walks to take the oath of office ahead of his inauguration ceremony Credit:  REUTERS Critics say he has given few specific details about his plans for presidency and have questioned his links to Ihor Kolomoisky, a billionaire oligarch who had fallen out with the previous government.   On Monday he dispensed with the traditional motorcade and arrived at the parliament building on foot, he stopping to pose for selfies and high-five his cheering supporters who gathered outside. Inside, he delivered a punchy and at times confrontational speech in which he said his priority would be ending the war, which has claimed at least 13,000 lives since Russia sent troops across the border to support a separatist uprising in 2014.  "I'm ready to do everything so that our heroes don't die there," he said. "I'm ready to lose my popularly and, if necessary, I'm ready to lose my post so that we have peace," he said. He said he would begin by demanding Russia release Ukrainian prisoners.  When one MP heckled for switching from Ukrainian into Russian in an appeal to residents in the east, he snapped back: "Thank you for continuing to divide our people". He also spoke against a deep-rooted culture of corruption among the government officials, saying politicians themselves had created “the opportunities to bribe, steal and pluck the resources.” He suggested the MPs should lift their own right to immunity from prosecution and demanding the dismissal the defense minister, the head of the Security Service, and the prosecutor general.  The next elections for the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s single-house parliament, were scheduled to take place in October. Mr Zelensky said they would be brought forward to July.  The move appears designed to help his party win a majority of seats before the surge of popularity on which he rode to office dissipates.  In a symbolic move Volodymyr Groysman, the current prime minister, said he would resign Wednesday, inviting Mr Zelenskiy to take full responsibility for the country. If parliament accepts his resignation, he will remain as a caretaker prime minister until the snap election.  Russian media reported that no officials were invited to the ceremony from Moscow. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin would not congratulate Mr Zelensky on his electoral victory until there was progress in ending the war.

Forget Stealth Destroyers. Turn the Navy's New Warships Into Pocket Battleships.

The Zumwalt could locate and track an enemy task group by proxy, setting up an ambush when conditions are favorable, without even turning on its radar or sending out drones of its own.The three new Zumwalt-class destroyers are in trouble.Originally envisioned as a fleet of more nearly three dozen destroyers, and the weapons that justified them, the Zumwalts have faced delays, cuts and staggering cost increases. As the ships teeter on the verge of white elephant status, could they become relevant again by taking on a new role, that of a stealthy ship killer?(This first appeared last year.)The Zumwalt-class destroyers were originally envisioned as a fleet of thirty-two destroyers designed to attack targets far inland with precision-guided howitzer shells. Designed in part to support amphibious landings by the U.S. Marine Corps, the Zumwalts were meant to make up for the lack of big-gun firepower caused by the retirement of the Iowa-class destroyers.Unfortunately, cost overruns and technical problems caused the Pentagon to trim the number of Zumwalts to just three ships. Even worse, the service has decided the long-range attack-projectile shells that justified the ships are too expensive to purchase. This puts the remaining fleet in a poor position to support future naval landings, as only one ship is likely to be at sea at any given time.

New Quinnipiac poll shows Biden leading Dems, Trump not getting credit for the economy

According to the poll, 71% of the voters say that the economy is "good" or "excellent," but only 38% of voters approve of Trump.

InterDigital expects to be able to license 5G tech to Huawei, despite U.S. ban

InterDigital and Qualcomm are the two major American holders of patents for wireless networking technology, including the 5G networks rolling out this year in China. Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order restricting the ability of U.S. firms to sell technology to Huawei, though officials on Monday eased some of those restrictions for 90 days. InterDigital, which generates revenue by developing wireless technologies and then licensing out the patents, said it believes it can continue its efforts to strike a 5G deal with Huawei because export control laws do not cover patents, which are public records and therefore not confidential technology.

Mississippi judge who blocked 15-week abortion ban hears arguments on fetal heartbeat law

Mississippi's fetal heartbeat law which bans abortions after approximately six weeks could be blocked or upheld by Judge Carlton Reeves.

Prosecutors: Agent called migrants savages before hitting 1

PHOENIX (AP) — A Border Patrol agent in Arizona sent texts calling immigrants "savages" and "subhuman" the month before using his patrol vehicle to knock over a Guatemalan man who was trying to flee, prosecutors say.

Iraq caught in the middle of US-Iran face-off

Scarred by two decades of conflict, Iraq finds itself caught in the middle of a US-Iranian tug-of-war, fearing it could pay the price of any confrontation between its two main allies. Analysts say third parties may seek to exploit the latest spike in tensions between Tehran and Washington to spark a showdown that serves their own interests. Iraq "pays a disproportionate tax on Iranian-American tensions and (has) an unenviable front-line position in any future conflict between the two," said Fanar Haddad, an Iraq expert at the National University of Singapore.

Comrade Sanders Targets Charter Schools

Few things offend Bernie Sanders as much as people escaping from command-and-control government systems, even minority students whose parents are desperate to get their kids a decent education.The socialist wants to turn George Wallace on his head and not block black children from attending traditional public schools, but block them from exiting those schools for something better.  The New York Times wrote a long, devastating report the other day on the then-Burlington, Vt., mayor’s love affair with the Sandinistas in the 1980s. So many decades later, his reflex is the same: If the Sandinistas wouldn’t favor it, he’s not inclined to like it much either. That goes for charter schools that, yes, are publicly funded, but still too flexible and unregulated for refined socialist tastes. Over the weekend, Sanders unveiled his education plan. He wants to end for-profit charter schools (about 15 percent of all charters) and impose a moratorium on new public funding of charters, while taking steps to impose a one-size-fits-all regulatory regime on existing charters.Sanders thus seeks to kneecap what has been an astonishingly successful experiment in urban education because it doesn’t fit nicely within his ideological preconceptions.That Sanders says he wants to do this to advance the principle that “every human being has the fundamental right to a good education” is hilariously perverse. The comrades will have a good chuckle over that one.Charter schools aren’t the product of a libertarian conspiracy. They fall short of the vouchers favored by conservatives to allow parents to get access to private schools. Charters receive public money but have more leeway to develop policies outside the regulatory and union straitjacket of traditional public schools. Charters had bipartisan support before a Vermont socialist became one of the party’s thought leaders. Bill Clinton won the first-ever lifetime achievement award from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Promoting charters was a hallmark of Barack Obama’s education agenda and a signature of Cory Booker’s mayoralty in Newark, N.J.Not all charters are created equal. Some don’t serve their students well, especially online charter schools, and the performance of suburban and rural charter schools hasn’t been very impressive. It’s the charter schools in urban areas with the worst traditional public schools that have excelled. According to a well-regarded 2015 study by Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes, students in urban charter schools got the equivalent of 40 additional days of math instruction and 28 additional days of reading annually. The numbers for African-American students in poverty were even better. Charters in Newark and Boston have seen enormous academic gains.In New York City, the Success Academy founded by Eva Moskowitz — one of the foremost education reformers of our time — has eliminated racial and economic achievement gaps.It’s amazing what schools can do when they impose discipline, have the highest expectations, and focus with a laser intensity on instruction. Anyone interested in the education of minority students should seek to build on these oases of excellence, rather than cut them off. But the teachers unions hate charters, and they are a much more powerful potential cadre in the Sanders “revolution” than poor black kids. Sanders suggests that charter schools somehow increase segregation. This is nonsense, as Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine points out. Urban charter schools reflect the segregation of their neighborhoods where they are located — just like traditional public schools do.The polling shows that minority parents get what Sanders (and white progressives) refuses to understand. A solid majority of black and Hispanic Democrats have a favorable view of charters, while white Democrats have an unfavorable view by a 2-1 margin. It is doubtful how much of his anti-charter agenda Sanders would be able to enact if elected, since much of the action is at the state and local level. That he’s hostile to these schools should, regardless, redound to his shame. © 2019 by King Features Syndicate

Mountain region of Slovakia named best destination in Europe 2019: Lonely Planet

A wild, rugged, mountainous region of Slovakia dotted with plunging waterfalls and lakes and hiking trails has been named the top European destination of 2019 by the travel experts at Lonely Planet. 

The Latest: UN rejects Russian attempt to meet on Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The latest on Ukrainian politics (all times local):

Border patrol agent accused of using slurs before bumping migrant with truck

Text messages sent by a U.S. Border Patrol agent before he knocked over a migrant with a pickup truck showed he called migrants “subhuman,” and “savages,” according to federal court documents.

On impeachment, can the GOP evolve?: Today's Toon

Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.

Chips are down: Huawei U.S. blacklisting knocks semiconductor stocks

U.S. and European chipmakers fell sharply on Monday amid worries the Huawei Technologies suppliers may suspend shipments to the Chinese firm due to a U.S. crackdown. The selling came after Nikkei Asian Review reported that Infineon had halted shipments to Huawei after Washington added the world's No. 2 smartphone maker to a trade blacklist last week, imposing restrictions that will make it difficult to do business with U.S. companies. Reuters reported that Alphabet Inc's Google had suspended some business with Huawei and Lumentum Holdings Inc, seen as a major supplier of Apple Inc's face ID technology, said it had discontinued all shipments to Huawei.

Trump says he doesn't want war with Iran. Is John Bolton driving the US into a conflict anyway?

The view that John Bolton is driving Trump into military confrontation with America's principal foe in the Middle East is spreading across the globe.

These impossibly sleek Pixel 4 renders look so much better than the iPhone 11

The Pixel smartphone series began its life as a shameful iPhone copycat. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise since the original Pixel and Pixel XL phones were designed by Google in partnership with HTC. Once a market leader, HTC had already fallen quite far at that point, and it had just released its own iPhone 6 copycat in hopes of boosting sales. Google's first-generation Pixel phones were based on the design of that iPhone 6 ripoff, which was called the HTC One A9s. The Pixel was basically an Android-powered iPhone 6, while the Pixel XL was an Android-powered iPhone 6 Plus. The only real difference in designs was the big glass panel the Pixel phones had on the back.Google's current-generation Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL aren't quite as blatant when it comes to copying Apple. Of course, the larger Pixel 3 XL still takes inspiration from Apple's latest iPhone models and includes a big notch at the top of the display. If everything we've heard so far pans out, however, Google's Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones will be nothing like Apple's iPhone XS or the next-generation iPhone 11. Instead, they'll take design cues from Samsung's Galaxy S10 series -- and if the results end up looking anything like the renders you're about to see in this post, there's a very good chance that Google's 2019 Pixel phones will look even better than the iPhone 11 series handsets Apple is planning to release later this year.Thanks to months worth of leaks and rumors, we know almost exactly what Apple's iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R will look like when they're announced this coming September. In a nutshell, the iPhone 11 is going to be a copy of the iPhone XS, but it'll have a huge square camera bump on the back that houses Apple's new triple-lens camera system. Here's what it'll look like when Apple unveils the iPhone 11 series in a few months:It doesn't look bad, not by a long shot, but it also isn't anything special. For the second time, Apple plans to use almost the same exact smartphone design for three straight years instead of two, just like the company did with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7.In contrast to the iPhone 11 series phones set to debut in September, rumors suggest Google's next-generation Pixel 4 lineup will feature a complete design overhaul. Google is said to have ditched the massive, unsightly bezels on its Pixel 3 phones in favor of an all-screen design with hole-punch cameras just like the Galaxy S10 from Samsung. In fact, the Pixel 4 will supposedly have one hole-punch selfie camera like the Galaxy S10 and S10e, while the larger Pixel 4 XL will apparently have dual selfie cameras in an oblong cutout, just like the Galaxy S10+.Graphic designer Jonas Daehnert, who goes by @PhoneDesigner on Twitter, has seen the same rumors as the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, however, Daehnert has the chops to turn those rumors into reality by mocking up lifelike smartphone designs. He recently turned his attention to the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, and the results are absolutely stunning. Take a look:And here's his vision of the Pixel 4 XL in white:There may end up being a few things here and there that are off the mark. For example, the latest rumor suggests that Google's new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones won't have any buttons on them at all. But for the most part, these renders are likely a very good indication of what we can expect from the real Pixel 4 series phones once Google releases them this coming October.

Ford to cut 7,000 jobs, 10% of global staff 

Ford plans to cut 7,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its global workforce, as part of a reorganization as it revamps its vehicle offerings, the company said Monday. The reorganization will involve some layoffs and reassignments and should be complete by the end of August, a Ford spokeswoman said. Ford has been phasing out most sedan models in the United States as more consumers have opted for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz Is Developing Heated Seatbelts, But It's Not Just for Comfort Reasons

Believe it or not, the hot restraints are intended to boost safety.

Scouted: The Sleek, Black Stainless Steel Version of the 6QT Instant Pot LUX60 Is on Sale for $50

Right now, you can add the sleek, black stainless steel edition of the 6QT Instant Pot LUX60 to your kitchen while it’s on sale for $50. That’s a savings of 50% on a gadget that could easily replace half of the other things you use in your kitchen on a regular basis.What’s so great about this Instant Pot? I mean, just look at it. It’s like the original Instant Pot’s cool teen brother. It’s like the original Instant Pot got a makeover montage in an early-Aughts romcom. You get everything the Instant Pot has to offer, from the pressure cooker to the rice cooker to the steamer. It’s still the six-in-one gadget you love, just with a black stainless steel outside, and it’s on sale. If the original super shiny Instant Pot clashed with your aesthetic, this is the version for you. Want one that makes a bit more of a statement? You can get a red stainless steel version for $60.Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Abortion laws: What are the regulations in each US state?

There has been a recent uptick in legislative attempts to restrict abortion access in America, a medical practice which many consider a human right. Exemplified by increasing numbers of so-called 'heartbeat bills' and Alabama’s all-out ban designed to challenge Roe v Wade, there has been a turn in state initiatives towards restricting abortion access to “protect life”. In the wake of abortion rights being challenged by Republicans in America, The Independent has compiled a list detailing up to what point in a pregnancy selective abortion is available in all 50 US states and Washington DC. Despite these initiatives to restrict pregnancy termination, abortion currently remains legal in all 50 states until the point in pregnancy detailed below:Alabama: 20 weeksCurrent law: Allows for abortion up to 20 weeks in all cases, allows beyond 20 weeks for rape, incest, or health of the mother. Proposed changes: Governor Kay Ivey has signed the Human Life Protection Act aiming to criminalise abortion provision as a class A felony. The act fails to provide exceptions for rape and incest. Lawmakers hope it will end up in the Supreme Court. The HLPA has not criminalised abortion provision yet, it is slated to become enforceable law in six months. Until then, Alabama’s three abortion clinics will remain active.Alaska: No gestational limits on abortionArizona: Viability (A term used in United States constitutional law since Roe v Wade, referring to the potential of the foetus to survive outside the uterus after birth, natural or induced, when supported by up-to-date medicine)Current law: Allows for abortion up to the second trimester, without exceptions for rape or incest, but with exceptions for the physical health of the pregnant person. Selective abortion beyond the first trimester is a criminal act. Abortion seekers must attend a mandatory counselling session 24 hours before they are permitted to get an abortion.Proposed changes: State Representative Walter Blackman, in response to the Alabama abortion ban, suggested changing abortion policy in ‘increments’. Blackman suggested a mandatory 48 hour waiting period and parental notification for minors, and noted he’d consider exceptions for rape and incest in a ban.Arkansas: 20 weeksCalifornia: ViabilityColorado: No gestational limits on abortionConnecticut: ViabilityDelaware: ViabilityCurrent law: Selective abortion until viability, post-viability abortion in cases of foetal abnormalities and the health of the pregnant person. Parental notice mandatory if the abortion seeker is under 16 with no exceptions for rape, incest, or child abuse.Proposed changes: Republican state lawmakers have presented two bills, one banning abortions after 20 weeks, and another bill where physicians would be required to offer an abortion seeker the opportunity to see their ultrasound and hear a fetal heartbeat. These bills have yet to make it to a floor vote in the Democrat controlled house.Washington, DC: No gestational limits on abortionFlorida: 24 weeksCurrent law: Selective abortion until 24 weeks, abortion available in the third trimester with two physicians noting in writing that carrying or delivering the foetus will bring the pregnant person serious physical harm or risk their life. State mandated information must be provided to abortion seekers, 24 hour waiting period between information sessions and abortion provision. Parental notice to those under 18. Proposed changes: Republican state lawmakers introduced a foetal heartbeat bill in February but the bill failed. Representative Mike Hill plans to reintroduce the bill after removing exceptions for rape and incestGeorgia: 20 weeks (until July 10, 2019, then 6 weeks)Current law: Selective abortion up to 20 weeks, abortion after 20 weeks is a criminal act except for if performed for the health or life of the pregnant person. No exceptions are made in the case of rape or incest. There is a 24 hour waiting period between mandatory counseling and abortion provision, and a parent must be notified if the abortion seeker is under 18, with no exceptions for rape or incest.Proposed changes: Governor Brian Kemp, an anti-choice Republican, signed a heartbeat bill (six week abortion ban) into law, slated to take effect on July 10th, 2019. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit to block the law from being enforced.Hawaii: ViabilityIdaho: 20 weeksIllinois: ViabilityCurrent law: Selective abortion until viability, post-viability abortion to preserve the pregnant person’s health or life. For minors, parents must be notified of their child’s abortion 48 hours before the procedure, with exceptions for incest and abuse.Proposed changes: The Reproductive Health Act is heading to the state legislature to protect abortion choice. Heartbeat bill legislation is also headed to the capitol to be debated.Indiana: 20 weeks. Current law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks, post-viability abortion for the health and life of the pregnant person with two physicians attending. Mandated counseling 18 hours before abortion provision. For minors, a parent must offer written consent before abortion provision.Proposed changes: In January of 2019, Indiana banned dilation and evacuation abortion provision, a common method for second trimester abortions. No other proposed changes at this time.Iowa: 20 weeksCurrent law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks, post-viability abortion for the health and life of the pregnant person, no exceptions for rape or incest. Prior to the procedure, must be offered to view an ultrasound or hear a heartbeat. Parental notification for minors seeking abortion.Proposed changes: In spring of 2018, lawmakers passed a heartbeat bill, but the law was blocked permanently as it was unconstitutional. It is currently making its way through the courts.Kansas: 20 weeksKentucky: 20 weeks Current law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks or viability, post-viability abortion for the health and life of the pregnant person. Mandated counselling 24 hours before abortion provision. Written consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor. Proposed changes: No proposed changes yet, but Governor Matt Bevin supports anti-abortion legislation.Louisiana: 20 weeks Current law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks or viability, post-viability abortion for the health and life of the pregnant person with two physicians in attendance. No exceptions for rape or incest. Mandated counselling 24 hours before abortion provision. Written consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: There are two tentative laws restricting abortion: one which bans abortion in near entirety if Roe v Wade is overturned, and another that bans abortion at 15 weeks without reasonable exceptions that will go into effect if Mississippi’s similar ban is deemed constitutional. A 6 week heartbeat bill is heading to the Democratic governor who has vowed to sign the measure.Maine: ViabilityMaryland: ViabilityMassachusetts: 24 weeksMichigan: ViabilityCurrent Law: Selective abortion until viability, post-viability exceptions for the life and health of the pregnant person. Mandated counseling 24 hours before abortion provision. Consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: In May of 2019, Michigan state lawmakers introduced a bill to ban dilation and evacuation abortion provision, a common method for second trimester abortions. No other proposed changes at this time.Minnesota: ViabilityMississippi: 20 weeksCurrent Law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks, post-20 week abortion for the life or health of the pregnant person with exceptions for rape or incest. Dilation and evacuation abortions, a common and safe method of second trimester abortion provision, are banned. Mandated counseling 24 hours before abortion provision. Consent in writing from both parents if the abortion seeker is a minor prior to abortion provision.Proposed changes: Mississippi governor Phil Bryant signed a six-week abortion bill into law in March with exceptions for the health and life of the pregnant person but none for rape or incest.Missouri: ViabilityCurrent Law: Selective abortion until viability, post-viability abortion for the health and life of the pregnant person with a second physician attending. Mandated counseling 72 hours before abortion provision. Consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: Republican-lead state house and senate passed an 8-week abortion ban, which has yet to be signed into law, but Governor Mike Parson has indicated his support for the measure.Montana: ViabilityNebraska: 20 weeksNevada: 24 weeksNew Hampshire: No gestational limits on abortionNew Jersey: No gestational limits on abortionNew Mexico: No gestational limits on abortionNew York: 24 weeksNorth Carolina: 20 weeksNorth Dakota: 20 weeksOhio: 20 weeksCurrent law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks, post-20 week abortion for the life or health of the pregnant person if two physicians write that abortion is necessary. Dilation and evacuation abortions, a common and safe method of second trimester abortion provision, are banned. Mandated counselling 24 hours before abortion provision. Consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: In April of 2019, Ohio governor Mike DeWine signed a foetal heartbeat bill limiting selective abortion to five weeks, or one week after a missed menstrual cycle, at which point many women do not realise they are pregnant. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.Oklahoma: 20 weeksOregon: No gestational limits on abortionPennsylvania: 24 weeksRhode Island: 24 weeksSouth Carolina: 20 weeksCurrent law: Selective abortion until 24 weeks, post-24 week abortion for the life or health of the pregnant person if two physicians certify in writing that abortion is necessary. Mandated counselling 24 hours before abortion provision. Consent from one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: A foetal heartbeat bill passed in the state house, but may not make it to the state senate until 2020.South Dakota: 20 weeksTennessee: ViabilityTexas: 20 weeksUtah: ViabilityVermont: No gestational limits on abortionVirginia: 27 weeksWashington: ViabilityWest Virginia: 20 weeksCurrent law: Selective abortion until 20 weeks, post-20 week abortion for the life or health of the pregnant person. Dilation and evacuation abortions, a common and safe method of second trimester abortion provision, are banned. Mandated counselling 24 hours before abortion provision. Notice of one parent if the abortion seeker is a minor.Proposed changes: A heartbeat bill was introduced in February with exceptions for rape and incest, but has yet to be voted on.Wisconsin: 20 weeksWyoming: Viability

5 Catalan separatist leaders escorted to Spanish Parliament

MADRID (AP) — The five separatist leaders on trial for Catalonia's 2017 secession attempt who were elected to the Spanish Parliament last month picked up their official credentials under police escort on Monday.

I'm the same age as Elizabeth Warren. We 70-somethings have no business being president.

I have nothing against old people — I'm one of them. But maybe it's time to add a maximum age limit to our minimum age requirement for our presidents.

Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Death: Baby opens eyes for 1st time; Sheriff asks DCFS to investigate if reporting protocols were followed

The Cook County Sheriff is asking the Department of Child and Family Services to see if proper protocols were followed in reporting the birth of Marlen Ochoa Lopez's baby.

Boeing acknowledges flaw in 737 MAX simulator software

Boeing acknowledged Saturday it had to correct flaws in its 737 MAX flight simulator software used to train pilots, after two deadly crashes involving the aircraft that killed 346 people. "Boeing has made corrections to the 737 MAX simulator software and has provided additional information to device operators to ensure that the simulator experience is representative across different flight conditions," it said in a statement. Boeing's statement about the flight simulator marked a first acknowledgement of shortcoming since the two accidents led to the grounding of the top-selling 737 MAX plane.

Apple offered to buy Tesla back in 2013 for more than it’s worth today

For years, analysts have maintained that Apple needs to move past the iPhone and look for additional revenue streams. Consequently, many analysts over the years have proposed that Apple would be well advised to make a blockbuster acquisition and snatch up a company like Netflix or Tesla.Interestingly enough, it turns out that Apple actually did make an effort to acquire Tesla six years ago at a valuation of $240 a share. Incidentally, Tesla's share price has been reeling lately and is currently hovering in the $200 range. Word of Apple's efforts to acquire Tesla was brought to light by analyst Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners who revealed the interesting tidbit on CNBC (via Electrek) earlier today."Around 2013, there was a serious bid from Apple at around $240 a share," Irwin said."This is something we did multiple checks on," Irwin added. "I have complete confidence that this is accurate. Apple bid for Tesla. I don't know if it got to a formal paperwork stage, but I know from multiple different sources that this was very credible."Notably, there have been rumblings over the years regarding Apple's interest in Tesla, but this is the first time we've seen a report that Apple was legitimately trying to make a serious play for the electric automaker.You might also recall reports from a few years back which revealed that Elon Musk, sometime in mid-2013 -- sat down for a meeting with Apple's mergers and acquisitions chief Adrian Perica and, rumor has it, Tim Cook himself.Apple, of course, has been busy working on its own car initiative -- known as Project Titan -- for the past few years, though it remains to be seen if anything concrete ever manifests from its efforts. Early reports hinted that Apple was set on designing and building its own car, though a plethora of technical challenges ultimately resulted in a few rounds of layoffs and employees being shifted over to other projects. Last we heard, Apple's Project Titan is still ongoing but is now focused on autonomous systems as opposed to designing a car from the ground up.Interestingly, and somewhat uncharacteristically, Tim Cook confirmed this during an interview a few years ago. "We're focusing on autonomous systems," Cook said in 2017. "It's a core technology that we view as very important."Lastly, with Morgan Stanley recently noting that Tesla shares may sink to $10/share in a worst-case scenario, it will be interesting to see if Apple might swoop in and pick up the company at a huge discount.

'All out warfare': Hundreds take the streets in Alabama in abortion ban protest

Alabama Gov. Kay signed the near-total ban Wednesday, a day after lawmakers  declined to add exceptions into the ban for cases of rape or incest.

Iran Accelerates Production of Enriched Uranium as Tensions Rise

The semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, an official at Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, as saying that Iran had increased its output of 3.67% enriched uranium as of Monday, and that the United Nations nuclear watchdog had been informed. Crucially, Iran hasn’t increased the level to which it is enriching beyond the agreed limit. Tehran has already announced it stopped complying with a 300-kilogram cap on the storage of enriched uranium and heavy water imposed by the multilateral accord, and said it would abandon limits on uranium enrichment unless Europe throws it an economic lifeline within 60 days, setting an ultimatum for the survival of the landmark agreement.

India's BJP prepares return to power as exit polls predict clear win: sources

The talks will be on Tuesday at the BJP's headquarters in New Delhi and will be led by the party president, Amit Shah, one of the party sources said. Nalin Kohli, a spokesman for the BJP, declined to comment. India's seven-phase general election, billed as the world's biggest democratic exercise, began on April 11 and ended on Sunday.

DHS: 2018 saw increase in migrant naturalizations

Does this mean President Trump's immigration crackdown is working? Ron Meyer and Chuck Rocha weigh in.

Boeing Had Big Plans to Build Its Very Own F-35 (And Flopped)

The fundamental issue with the Joint Strike Fighter was that is was always an overambitious program to replace multiple specialized types with one aircraft in the hope that it could perform every role equally well. The result is predictably a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.On October 26, 2001, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Lockheed Martin’s X-35 had won the Joint Strike Fighter contest over Boeing’s X-32.(This first appeared in late 2015.)The win secured Lockheed’s future as the manufacturer for all of America’s fifth-generation fighter platforms. But Lockheed’s resultant F-35 has suffered myriad delay, technical glitches, unrecoverable technical shortfalls and massive cost overruns. Already the largest ever defense program with an estimated price tag of $233 billion in 2001 for a total of 2,866 aircraft, the F-35 program is now estimated to cost more than $391 billion for 2,457 jets, according to the Government Accountability Office.Moreover, while the short-takeoff vertical landing F-35B was originally projected to achieve initial operational capability with the U.S. Marines in 2010, it only reached that milestone in 2015—five years late. Meanwhile, the conventional F-35A and the F-35C carrier variant were both slated to achieve initial operational capability with Block 3 software in 2012—but that software block is now scheduled to be delivered for operational testing in 2017 at the earliest.

The 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Will Be GM's Next Electric Car

The new EV is a crossover based on the same platform as the Bolt EV.

May holds out promise of new Brexit referendum

British Prime Minister Theresa May promised Tuesday to give lawmakers a vote on whether to hold a second Brexit referendum as part of a last-gasp push to get her deal over the line. The embattled British leader dangled a series of sweeteners that she hopes can resolve the Brexit crisis three years after the country first voted to leave the European Union after 46 years. "The government will therefore include in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill at introduction a requirement to vote on whether to hold a second referendum," she said.

The Latest: Merkel, Macron and Putin discuss Iran situation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Latest on developments in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere in the Mideast amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):

Hundreds protest Alabama abortion ban: 'My body, my choice!'

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Hundreds of demonstrators marched to the Alabama Capitol on Sunday to protest the state's newly approved abortion ban, chanting "my body, my choice!" and "vote them out!"

Proposed Merger of T-Mobile and Sprint Moves a Step Closer to Completion

A year after proposing a $26 billion merger, T-Mobile and Sprint now have the backing of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, but consumer advocates remain wary of the deal, warning that it could lead to reduc...

Grad attempts a backflip during graduation ceremony, and it doesn't go well

After slogging through four (or more) years of all-nighters, unforgiving professors, and incomprehensible readings, college grads deserve to jump for joy. Or perhaps, backflip for joy?Twitter user @viridianna_g captured a moment of pure graduation elation at the El Paso Community College ceremony -- that is, until their hype came tumbling down.SEE ALSO: 15 perfect graduation cap designs for fans of 'The Office'Walking across the stage, the stereotypical scene plays out. Names are read, hands are shook, and useless pieces of paper worth thousands of dollars in debt are given out. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, save one administrator attempting to be hip with the kids and fist bump the grads. That is, until one grad goes for it, the perfect physical representation of years of being released from the confines of higher education. A backflip. What could go wrong? Well, just about everything. And Twitter absolutely lost it. > "Yea that's me in the air. You're probably wondering how I got here" pic.twitter.com/SDGX7pEABY> > -- Ahmed☜ (@maulid_80) May 19, 2019> It was at this moment the "Demetrius" realized that he done f*&$ed up.> > -- Damu K. Bobb (@DamuBobb) May 19, 2019> His parents when he get home pic.twitter.com/oRspZIb6Uz> > -- † (@Taj_Uub) May 19, 2019> I was looking at the dude giving everyone a "pound" instead of a handshake then I saw some dude flying in the air > > -- please say sike (@fatherrs) May 18, 2019> Mans said: pic.twitter.com/MFmvdMRwJA> > -- Ivin Setnomarim (@IvinSetnomarim) May 18, 2019> I'm.worried about this guy's knee.> > -- jonoski (@jonoski7) May 18, 2019> He almost had it. Whyyyy? pic.twitter.com/1UWnAHLVoI> > -- Padrino (@wagush) May 18, 2019> reaction* and I wasn't even expecting that...I thought one of the girls would trip over their heels or something. > > -- Nyawira (@GraceJustBeing) May 18, 2019> I was watching the whole thing wondering when something was gonna happen. pic.twitter.com/ueJsDw03V0> > -- Padrino (@wagush) May 18, 2019> What's hilarious is the fact he said "wait" to the dean only for that!> > -- Mzee Edd (@005e5n) May 18, 2019> Boutta be in his seat like this afterwards pic.twitter.com/amMFbSEfe0> > -- Damian Ruvalcaba (@cashmoneydame) May 18, 2019> His family in the crowd like pic.twitter.com/4zZzuchSua> > -- Blu' P.R.I.N.T (@richthanfamous5) May 19, 2019In an attempt at sticking it to the system, he only stuck it to himself. So for anyone about to graduate, let this be a reminder to save the theatrics for when you're not in front of thousands of people who can clown you about it later.  WATCH: Harvard, MIT alumnus donates $4.5 million to each school for cannabis research