WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months before special counsel Robert Mueller was appointed in the spring of 2017, President Donald Trump picked up the phone and called the head of the largest U.S. intelligence agency. Trump told Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, that news stories alleging that Trump's 2016 White House campaign had ties to Russia were false and the president asked whether Rogers could do anything to counter them.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 19:45:45 -0400

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.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 19:00:00 -0400

Soviet-built jets are likely to be expensive to maintain in the United States. But if a contractor is willing to bear the cost and it benefits the Air Force to buy those services, it might be a worthy venture.As the United States Air Force continues its struggle with fielding enough aggressor aircraft for its combat aircraft crews to train against, contractors are stepping up to the plate.(This first appeared in late 2017.)In some cases, contractors are able to field remarkable aircraft that provide an exceptionally authentic replication of enemy aircraft. Such is the case of Air USA—the company has managed to acquire three two-seat trainer versions of the Mikoyan MiG-29UB Fulcrum.“The Air USA MIG 29 fleet was imported directly from a former Soviet Union nation. All aircraft are equipped with authentic former Soviet Union manufactured parts,” the company states on its website. “Air USA MIG 29 aircraft are capable of performing any air to air mission providing excellent training and flight test opportunities”Recommended: Uzi: The Israeli Machine Gun That Conquered the WorldRecommended: The M4: The Gun U.S. Army Loves to Go to War With

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 18:00:00 -0400

The apparent landslide victory of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, is a bitter blow for incumbent Petro Poroshenko who tried to rally Ukrainians around the flag by casting himself as a bulwark against Russian aggression and a champion of Ukrainian identity. Two national exit polls showed Zelenskiy had won 73 percent of the vote with Poroshenko winning just 25 percent. Zelenskiy, who plays a fictitious president in a popular TV series, is now poised to take over the leadership of a country on the frontline of the West's standoff with Russia following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 17:16:40 -0400

Target's popular car seat trade-in event returns April 22. For bringing in an old car seat, get a coupon for 20% off baby items.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 17:15:58 -0400

National chains including Starbucks, McDonald's and Dunkin' will be open Easter Sunday along with Waffle House. But it's best to call and confirm.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 15:42:34 -0400

Egyptians voted on Sunday for a second day on whether to back constitutional amendments that could see President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stay in power until 2030. The three-day referendum was called last week, a day after Egypt's parliament overwhelmingly endorsed the proposals, which would also bolster the role of the military and expand the president's power over judicial appointments. Sisi's supporters argue that he has stabilized Egypt and needs more time to reform the economy, but critics say they fear that the changes will stifle debate.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 15:33:30 -0400

The tourist trade calls it “India lite” - a laid-back paradise of perfect beaches and weather with all the culture but a softer pace of life.  But the horrific slaughter that unfolded in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter morning seemed designed to wreck that reputation, stoke sectarian tension, and destabilize an already febrile political situation.  Perhaps the most worrying thing about the attacks is that they have so little in common with the island's recent, violent history.  Whoever carried out the attacks appears not to have been emulating the now defunct Tamil Tigers insurgent group, but the bloodthirsty tactics of militant Islamist groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State, neither of which have a previously known presence on the island.     Sri Lankan military stand guard inside a church after an explosion in Negombo Credit:  STRINGER/REUTERS And it does not take an evil genius to see what the attackers were trying to achieve.  The first goal appears to be to spark further violence. There has been a striking uptick in nationalist sentiment among the predominantly Buddhist, Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka, and in recent years tensions with the Christian and Muslim minorities, which each make up no more than ten percent of the population, have been growing.  In March last year, the government declared a state of emergency after Buddhist mobs attacked a mosque in the central district of Kandy.    In such an atmosphere it would be easy - perhaps tempting - to respond with a state of emergency, cracking down on civil rights and scapegoating whatever community the attackers turn out to hail from. The dangers of doing so are obvious.  Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said security forces failed to pass on intelligence to government ministers Credit:  ISHARA S. KODIKARA/ AFP The second goal is to wreak economic damage. Security experts say they have never seen such a deliberate targeting of civilians by suicide bombings, and certainly not deliberate attacks on big hotels that lure Western tourists.   Tourism is a mainstay of Sri Lanka's post-war economic recovery, with visitor numbers more than quadrupling from around 500,000 in 2009 to over two million a year today. With the economy struggling in the aftermath of a recent political crisis, a blow to tourism could be devastating.   The attackers will presumably have hoped that the dysfunction in Sri Lankan domestic politics would make a hardline response more likely.  Last year, Sri Lanka's government was paralysed by a constitutional crisis as Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former president, attempted to replace Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.   It left the government looking ineffectual - an impression only heightened when Mr Wickremesinghe made the astonishing claim that security services had received prior intelligence about the attacks but failed to inform him - or anyone else in his government.  As Charu Lata Hogg of Chatham House points out, Sri Lanka is not New Zealand. It has suffered thousands of deaths in decades of sectarian warfare, and there are very real sectarian divisions.   But there is, she argues, reason for cautious optimism. The first reaction has been universal shock: a coming together of different communities show that, on the surface at least, they all reject the violence.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 15:31:12 -0400

The Easter Sunday attacks on three churches in Sri Lanka mark a devastating escalation of violence against a Christian minority that has been targeted in the past, but never to such brutal and deadly effect. Ethnic and religious violence has plagued Sri Lanka for decades, with a 37-year conflict with Tamil rebels that claimed 100,000 lives and an upswing in recent years in clashes between the Buddhist majority and Muslims. The US State Department's most recent report on religious freedom said the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka had documented "97 incidents" of attacks on churches, intimidation and violence in 2017.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 14:56:36 -0400

Joe Biden set to join crowded field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates; radio talk show hosts Richard Eeds and Dom Giordano join the debate.

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 14:51:21 -0400