Reuters: U.S.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Mueller has said his piece. What now?

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Thursday 07.25.19

What does our universe look like? NASA has released fascinating new images that will make you wonder what else is really out there. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

By AJ Willingham
Mueller
 
Well, that was that. Former special counsel Robert Mueller answered questions on Capitol Hill for hours yesterday, and even thought many people considered it must-watch TV, it wasn't the dramatic showdown some were expecting. Perhaps the biggest moment of the day came when California Rep. Ted Lieu asked Mueller if the Office of Legal Counsel guidance against indicting a sitting president was the reason he didn't indict Trump. Initially, Mueller agreed, but later walked back his comment and said that he meant that because of the OLC guidance there was no decision either way on whether to indict. This is important because, according to Lieu, Mueller's first answer essentially confirms Trump did things worthy of indictment. So, did Democratic leaders get what they needed to move forward with impeachment proceedings? The answer isn't clear. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi avoided the question altogether after the hearings. When asked about the day's events, President Trump called the entire investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia a "hoax." 
North Korea
 
Several alarming incidents have rattled the Korean peninsula this week. North Korea launched two missiles yesterday, putting South Korea on edge. South Korean officials said the missiles were a "new type of short-range missile" and posed a "military threat" which risked undermining the peace process between the two countries. On Tuesday, warplanes from four countries engaged in a chaotic and unprecedented face-off above a small, disputed island off the coast of South Korea and Japan. South Korea, Japan, Russia and China all have different versions of what happened between their military aircraft, but South Korea says they fired more than 300 warning shots at a Russian plane after it repeatedly violated the country's airspace. South Korean officials suspect the move was part of a joint Russian-Chinese military exercise.
Europe heat wave 
 
Europe has been sweltering under a historic heat wave and today, temperatures are supposed to reach their breaking point. Meteorologists predict temperatures in the UK could reach 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, while France could see the mercury rise to a shocking 107.6 in Paris. The heat is so bad that Notre Dame's chief architect says the cathedral's fragile ceilings, which were severely damaged in a fire earlier this year, could be at risk of collapsing. 
Border Patrol
 
A US Border Patrol chief has admitted to being a member of a secret Facebook group that reportedly contains cruel and lewd posts about migrants. Carla Provost admitted her involvement during her testimony in front of a House Appropriations subcommittee, but said she wasn't directly involved in the posts and rarely interacts on the platform. The groups and posts were discovered in early July, and internal investigators for US Customs and Border Protection have identified 70 people, 62 of whom are current employees, who are connected to the inappropriate posts or the Facebook groups that had such posts. 
Fertility
 
The general fertility rate in the United States is at an "all-time low," according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2018 nadir is part of a larger pattern of declining fertility in the US, and for the last few years, that rate has been lower than the rate needed for the population to replace itself. Some of this is due to positive trends, such as a decline in teen birth rates. However, other fertility trends are less positive, like a marked rise in preterm birth rates. That last part is a cause for concern among professionals, and though there is no single reason or theory as to why the preterm birth rate is rising, one expert said it could be attributed to a rise in births among women in their late 30s and 40s. 
Rosselló will resign 
Late last night, amid protests and rumors, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced he will resign. Rosselló said in a video message on Facebook that he will resign August 2 at 5 p.m. ET. The governor had been expected to announce his resignation earlier Wednesday as lawmakers were ready to begin impeachment proceedings.
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Tesla wants to do a better job of teaching its customers how to turn on their cars 
Sorry folks, they can drive themselves but you have to figure out the rest

This ridiculously popular app will make your selfies into Renaissance art
But don't get mad if you don't like how you look as a 15th-century nobleman

Faux meat company 'Beyond Meat' is working on fake bacon and steak 
If they don't call it "fake-on" and "fake" then what are we even doing here

Study says a nice hot bath a few hours before bed will improve your sleep
Well OUR studies say a nice hot bath any time will improve anything.

Parisians are angry that unwanted voyeurs are tainting nude beach experiences 
Sacré bleu! Let them be naked in peace! 
 > $2 million

The amount people have donated to a fund for families of the Kyoto Animation fire victims. The Japanese studio was burned in an arson attack Thursday, leaving 34 people dead. 

It's like becoming a bird. But it's also very hard. I have to fight against the wind with my legs so there's pain too. It's not as peaceful as it looks.
 
French inventor Franky Zapata, who recently tried but failed to cross the English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard 
Like buttah
This woodcarving is sooo satisfying! We'd try it ourselves, but our fingers would never be safe. (Click here to view)
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Thursday 07.25.19

The worst events often bring out the best in people, like those who stood in line for hours in Las Vegas to give blood. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

By AJ Willingham
Mueller
 
We now know who's responsible for the massacre in Las Vegas and how it happened. But we may never get an answer to the most pressing question: why. Why would a 64-year-old retired accountant, with no history of violence, hole up in a casino hotel room and fire off round after round on innocent concertgoers? The carnage is almost unspeakable -- at least 59 dead and more than 500 injured. It's the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

The shooter, Stephen Paddock, had amassed an arsenal of 42 firearms. Twenty-three weapons, including a handgun and multiple rifles, were found in his room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Another 19 firearms were found in his home in nearby Mesquite, Nevada. Material used to make explosives were found in his car. Authorities still think he acted alone. His brother told reporters this was totally out of character for Paddock.

And now, we're learning about the victims: people like Sonny Melton, 29, a registered nurse from Tennessee, whose wife said he saved her life before he was shot, and Rachael Parker, 33, a records tech for a police department in California. Read more here about those lost too soon. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel got emotional talking the tragedy in his hometown and what can be done about gun violence, and Hillary Clinton tweeted, "Our grief isn't enough."
 
North Korea 
 
For the second day in a row, President Trump will be called upon to be the nation's comforter-in-chief. After striking a unifying tone during his address on the Las Vegas shooting, Trump heads today to Puerto Rico to witness storm damage from Hurricane Maria. It will be a heavy lift after Trump went after Puerto Rican officials who criticized the federal storm response. Everyone will be watching to see how the President is received on the US island. Oxfam, a global group that works to end poverty, called the administration's response "slow and inadequate." Even "The Simpsons" appealed for more aid
 
Europe heat wave
 
Looks like the Russians got a lot of bang for their buck when they bought political ads on Facebook to meddle in America's elections. Facebook says about 10 million people saw at least one of the 3,000 ads bought by accounts linked to the Russian government. And it cost just $100,000 over two years to get that kind of reach. Facebook's disclosure came just hours after it gave Congress detailed records of the ads. Another fun fact: More than half of the ads ran after the 2016 election, and some may still be running today.
 
Navy SEALS 
 
Wells Fargo's CEO will be in the hot seat when he appears before Congress today, a little more than a year after the fake account scandal rocked the mega-bank. Tim Sloan plans to place the blame on management, according to his prepared testimony, and his predecessor, former CEO John Stumpf, for acting too slowly to head off the scandal. Wells Fargo is trying to change its broken sales culture, which gave rise to the bank opening up 3.5 million fake accounts. Sloan will almost certainly face a hostile audience on Capitol Hill. Last week, Democrat Maxine Waters said the bank should be shut down for its sins.
 
Fertility
 
Rock 'n' roll lovers hearts are broken at the news of the death of Tom Petty. The lead singer of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers died after suffering cardiac arrest. Petty, 66, and his band have been a rock radio staple, with a string of hits spanning the decades, including "Free Fallin'," "American Girl," "I Won't Back Down" and "Don't Come Around Here No More." He was also part of the '80s supergroup The Traveling Wilburys. Petty's final performance was last week at the Hollywood Bowl.
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$811,800

That's how much seven trips by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on government planes cost taxpayers.


Men have a competitive advantage. They don't have to waste the kind of energy we waste.
 
Arianna Huffington, who says it's OK for women to repeat outfits at work and events
Say hello to...

Vernell Jackson from Savannah, Georgia
Occupation: I am a certified mastectomy fitter. I have the joy of aiding ladies who have survived breast cancer by fitting them with a prosthetic breast. The look that comes over a woman's face when she sees herself in the mirror and she is 'whole' again, is more rewarding than my pay.

The best part of your morning routine?  I have three girls ages 12, 6, and 1. Knowing that they are safe, and I have done all I can to prepare them for the day and the world is the best part of every day. That and my coffee.
Glide and ride
Boomer the cat sets a world record by skateboarding under 20 people's legs because, well, that's what the Internet's for.
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