Palm Desert

Photos of the week: 4/13 - 4/20

The matriarch of the Bush family Barbara Bush died this week at the age of 92.

Militarized Cops At Tiny Georgia Neo-Nazi Rally Arrest Counterprotesters For Wearing Masks

NEWNAN, Ga. -- A heavily militarized police force of some 400 officers

North Korea says it’s suspending nuclear and missile tests

The announcement said the suspension will continue so long as there are no nuclear threats against North Korea and contained no indication that the country would give up its nuclear weapons.

Did the GOP Memo leak actually hurt Trump instead of help?

Republicans immediately leaked James Comey’s notes after they received them but the focus quickly turned to the memo’s representation of the President’s behavior and obsessions instead of James Comey’s credibility.

Gun Violence Prevents Florida School District From Staging Walkouts Against Gun Violence

Just as students around the country were preparing another walkout against gun

Rpt: Sessions threatens to resign if Trump fires Rosenstein

A new report from The Washington Post says that Jeff Sessions warned the White House that he may be forced to step down if Trump follows through with his threats to fire Rod Rosenstein, reportedly believing that it would put him in an untenable position.

Tapes purport to show Donald Trump ‘exaggerating own wealth' to get on Forbes 400 list

When financial reporter Jonathan Greenberg received a call from an aide to a young businessman called Donald Trump in 1984, he did not think too much of it. The journalist was working on the famed Forbes 400 list of America’s richest people and Mr Trump’s vice-president of finance, John Barron, was keen to help him get all the facts about his boss’s wealth. Barron was, it seems, actually Mr Trump disguising his voice.

No surprise: Charles to succeed queen as Commonwealth head

LONDON (AP) — Prince Charles has spent a lifetime waiting to be king. On Friday the 69-year-old heir to the British throne got another position to wait for — he was approved as the next head of the Commonwealth made up of the U.K. and the countries that once were its colonies.

Lois Riess Busted After Tip From Restaurant Manager Who Recognized Her Hair

George Higginbotham said he was drawn to her shock of silver hair as she viewed the menu at his restaurant on South Padre Island.

At Least 5 Dead In Violent Clashes In Nicaragua Over Social Security Changes

Four young protesters and a police officer were killed in increasingly violent

The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Kids may say the darndest things, but parents tweet about them in the funniest

Lockheed Martin Wants to Merge an F-22 and F-35 Into 1 Fighter for Japan. It Won't Happen.

The most likely scenario is that the F-22/F-35 hybrid will remain in the realm of fantasy. Lockheed Martin Wants to Merge an F-22 and F-35 Into 1 Fighter for Japan. Reuters is reporting that Lockheed Martin is pitching an F-22 and F-35 combination to Japan to meet Tokyo’s requirement for a next-generation air superiority fighter.

These Are The Students Walking Out Of School To Protest Gun Violence

Students around the country walked out of class on Friday to bring attention

German neo-Nazis mass for festival on Hitler's birthday

Hundreds of neo-Nazis were massing Friday on Adolf Hitler's birthday for a two-day festival in a remote eastern German town where citizens and anti-fascist groups staged spirited counter-protests. Many of the mostly male right-wing extremists wore T-shirts with slogans such as "Keepers of the Race", "White is my favourite colour" and "Adolf was the best" while the event was guarded by a group called "Aryan Brotherhood". Hundreds of armoured police ringed the site of the "Schild und Schwert" (Shield and Sword, or SS) festival near the Polish and Czech borders that was expected to also attract eastern European extremists.

Video shows bullet-ridden vehicle after police shooting

Diante Yarber was driving the Ford Mustang when Barstow police officers shot in the vehicle and killed him.

2 Service Members Disciplined Over Hand Puppet Used in Oath Ceremony

A colonel and a master sergeant were disciplined for using a hand puppet during a re-enlistment ceremony.

R. Kelly's Lawyer, Publicist And Assistant Flee From Singer Amid Scandals

Singer R. Kelly's scandals may be too much for the people he employs. Since

'Flamboyant' jihadi linked to 9/11 terror cell captured by Kurdish forces in Syria

A Syrian-German jihadist linked to the 9/11 attacks on the United States has been captured in Syria by US-backed forces, the Pentagon said on Thursday. Mohammad Haydar Zammar, who has been accused of recruiting some of the 9/11 Al-Qaeda hijackers, was captured over a month ago by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia backed by the US. News of his capture was first reported on Wednesday by the Kurdish group. The Pentagon had said it was looking into the reports before confirming Zammar’s arrest. "We can confirm that Mohammad Haydar Zammar, a Syrian-born German national, was captured more than a month ago by SDF partners as part of their ongoing operations to defeat ISIS inside Syria," Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said, using an alternate name for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). "We are working with our SDF partners to obtain additional details," Pahon said. The 9/11 Commission report into the attacks in Washington and New York that led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people described Zammar as an “outspoken, flamboyant Islamist” who “had fought in Afghanistan and relished any opportunity to extol the virtues of violent jihad.” According to the report, Zammar took credit for influencing people linked to the attacks including Mohammed Atta, who hijacked an American Airlines plane and flew it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Zammar had come into contact with Atta and others linked to the attacks while living in Hamburg, in 1997, the report says. Seven foiled UK terror plots Zammar was detained in Morocco in December 2001 in an operation involving CIA agents, and was handed over to the Syrian authorities two weeks later. He was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2007 for belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood. He was reportedly freed from prison in 2014 in a prison swap organised with Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham. The SDF, which has been a key western ally in the fight against Isil, has detained several high-profile foreign members of Isil as the jihadist group’s grip on Syria has collapsed. They are currently holding two alleged members of the notorious Isil torture cell known as ‘the Beatles.’ El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexandra Kotey were captured by the group in February. The two are accused of being involved in the execution and torture of hostages. US officials believe there are hundreds of foreign fighters and thousands of Syrian Isil militants in SDF custody.

CDC Expands Romaine Lettuce Warning

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Friday said consumers should not eat any romaine lettuce from Yuma, Ariz.—where much of the romaine on the market now is from. The agency’s mo...

My Son Suddenly Stopped Talking And I Wasn't Sure If He'd Ever Speak Again

At the age of 3, my son suddenly stopped speaking ― for hours, then days, then

Indonesian fishermen rescue Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar

BIREUEN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian fishermen rescued 76 Rohingya Muslims stranded off the coast of Aceh on Friday, authorities said, in the latest attempt by members of the persecuted ethnic group to flee Myanmar by sea.

Hundreds of opposition protesters arrested in Armenia

Tens of thousands protested in Armenia's capital on Friday against what they say is a power-grab by ex-president Serzh Sarkisian, as police arrested more than 230 people. For the past week, opposition supporters have held mass rallies to denounce Sarkisian's efforts to remain in power as prime minister after a decade serving as president. On Friday, demonstrators waved national flags and held up placards reading "Sarkisian is a dictator" as protests in the impoverished former Soviet country went into their eighth day.

Gunmen shoot dead Palestinian lecturer in Malaysia

Two unidentified men shot dead a Palestinian man in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Malaysian and Palestinian authorities reported, and Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister said the suspects were believed to be linked to a foreign intelligence service. Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot. When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen.

J. K. Rowling Mocks Donald Trump With Magical 'Harry Potter' Taunt

J. K. Rowling cast a spell over Twitter with her latest diss of Donald Trump.

Infiniti Launching Five New Cars Just For China

Starting with the QX50.

The Boldest Looks From Coachella 2018 We've Seen So Far

Coachella has long been a place for festivalgoers to experiment with style,

Man jailed for 50 years for stealing $1.2m-worth of fajitas

A former youth offenders’ centre employee in Texas has been convicted of stealing more than $1.2m (£860,000) worth of fajitas. Gilberto Escamilla, 53, was jailed for 50 years after authorities discovered he was ordering the Mexican food to the Darrel B Hester Juvenile Detention Centre in Cameron County and selling it on for personal profit. Suspicions were raised after a driver from a food company called the centre’s kitchen to tell them an 800-pound (363kg) delivery of fajitas had arrived.

NASA Releases Astounding Video Of The Lagoon Nebula To Celebrate Hubble's Birthday

Ever wanted to zoom near that central bulge in the Milky Way in the

AP PHOTOS: Prince Charles' life as a man and future monarch

LONDON (AP) — It may not be his crowning achievement yet, but Prince Charles received recognition for his future role as Britain's king when leaders of the 53-nation Commonwealth confirmed Friday that Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son would succeed her as the group's chief.

Embattled Missouri Gov. Charged with Felony Computer Tampering

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is facing a charge in connection to his alleged use of a donor list from his charity during the 2016 gubernatorial campaign.

Syrian rebels withdraw from enclave northeast of Damascus

By Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels began withdrawing from an enclave northeast of Damascus on Saturday and will go to northern Syria, state TV and a rebel official said, in a surrender agreement that marks another victory for President Bashar al-Assad. The withdrawal will restore state control over the eastern Qalamoun enclave, some 40 km (25 miles) from Damascus.

Iran would talk prisoners if US shows respect: Zarif

Negotiations are a "possibility certainly from a humanitarian perspective, but it requires a change of attitude," Zarif said in an interview with CBS television's "Face the Nation" set to air Sunday. Five Americans are held in Tehran, including 81-year-old Baquer Namazi, who is in failing health. Zarif blasted the US administration for showing "disrespect" toward Iran, a frequent target of President Donald Trump's wrath.

FAA orders emergency jet engine inspections after US plane failure

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered emergency inspections of jet engines like the one that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight, leaving one passenger dead. In line with recommendations made earlier by engine maker CFM, the FAA ordered that all CFM56-7B engines that have performed 30,000 or more total accumulated flight cycles be inspected within 20 days. Each inspection of the engines, which power Boeing 737 aircraft, takes about four hours, according to CFM International, a joint venture between America's GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft Engines.

10 Of The Best Beauty Buys From Sephora's VIB Spring Sale

It's probably the only time of the year when spending too much money on beauty

Arizona Republicans seek law change in case John McCain seat in play

John McCain, a six-term Arizona senator, was diagnosed last summer with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Arizona lawmakers are debating legislation that would keep John McCain’s Senate successor off the ballot in November’s midterm elections, should the seat become open before the end of next month. The bill, which could come up for a vote this week, would change the state’s process for replacing members of Congress who resign or die in office.

New Jersey postal worker accused of stealing mail, identities

Deane Decosta, 30, was arrested while on her route in Hawthorne and is facing a 15-counts indictment.

Mother Who Left 4 Kids Home Alone While She Took European Vacation Gets Probation

Erin Macke's ex-husband is angry that she won't have to serve any jail time.

Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz Expecting First Child Together

James Bond star Daniel Craig and wife actress Rachel Weisz are expecting a

The Latest: Hamas mourns slain engineer 'commander'

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Latest on developments related to Gaza protests (all times local):

Democrats' lawsuit against Trump, Russia and Wikileaks is a ‘victory’ regardless of outcome, expert says

A lawsuit filed by the Democrats against President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, the Russian government, and Wikileaks “is a victory” for the party regardless of the outcome, a legal expert has said. “During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in [Mr] Trump’s campaign,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement on Friday morning. Mark Zaid, a Washington DC-based attorney who has worked extensively on national security matters, told The Independent the lawsuit was an “extraordinary effort to expose alleged misconduct, lawbreaking and a direct attack upon the fundamental democratic notions that underlie the US political system”.

Jeep Wrangler Scrambler Pickup Caught In Motion On The Highway

Expected to arrive in showrooms in about a year from now.

Southwest challenged engine maker over speed of safety checks

Southwest Airlines Co clashed with engine-maker CFM over the timing and cost of proposed inspections after a 2016 engine accident, months before the explosion this week of a similar engine on a Southwest jet that led to the death of a passenger, public documents showed. The proposed inspections would have cost $170 per engine for two hours of labor, for a total bill to U.S. carriers of $37,400, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in its August 2017 proposal, citing the engine manufacturer. The documents reveal that airlines including Southwest thought the FAA had "vastly understated" the number of engines that would need to be inspected - and therefore the cost.

High holiday: Pot fans join 420 smoke-out in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of marijuana enthusiasts simultaneously exhaled a giant cloud of smoke that rose above San Francisco's Golden Gate Park precisely at 4:20 p.m. Friday, the annual April 20 high holiday.