Here are the stories making headlines on the world stage today.
How Congress is taking back power from Trump on national security
From Russia to the Pentagon budget, Republicans in Congress are proposing new checks to curb the White House’s power and in some cases simply ignoring the Trump administration’s desires on national security and foreign policy.
Trump punches CNN in a juvenile tweet
On Sunday morning the president’s personal Twitter account, which has 33 million followers, posted a 28-second video of a WWE broadcast. The video was edited to show Trump beating up a man with a CNN logo on his face. A short time later, the official @POTUS Twitter account retweeted Trump’s tweet to its 19 million followers.
Trump defends social media use after tweets
“My use of social media is not Presidential- it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!” the tweet read. The statement was an apparent response to backlash he’s received over an attack on MSNBC “Morning Joe” cohosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
Chinese rocket fails after liftoff
Carrying an experimental communication satellite, China’s largest rocket lifted off at 7:23 p.m. local time (7:23 a.m. ET) toward clear skies from the seaside Wenchang space launch center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan. But 40 minutes later, the state-run Xinhua news agency flashed a headline declaring the launch a failure — without providing any details.
Qatar defiant as demands deadline approaches
The four Arab states last month gave Qatar 10 days to meet a list of demands, with the deadline expiring Monday. During a trip to Rome on Saturday, Qatar’s foreign minister told reporters the list was “made to be rejected.” Qatar is not afraid of any actions that could be taken against it, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said.
Trump to get China, Japan leaders on the phone
Trump and Abe will speak at 8 p.m. ET. Trump’s call with Xi will come 45 minutes later, according to a White House statement. No information was provided as to what subjects the calls would cover, but they come after an eventful week in East Asia politics.
NASA plans to test asteroid defense technique
On Friday, the space agency announced plans to redirect the course of a small asteroid approaching Earth, as part of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), according to a NASA press release. The release notes that asteroids hit Earth nearly every day, but most are small enough to burn up in the atmosphere.
Scratch to Reveal: Murkomen Posts Picture of Kamariny Stadium, But Kenyans Can’t Find it
When Deputy President William Ruto was brought to task about their 5 stadium promise during the launch of Jubilee manifesto, he surprised everyone by stating that Jubilee had not just delivered 5, but had gone over and above by building 9 stadiums. He went on to list them and included one by the
Nasa on the Spot for Using Internet Pictures With ‘Fake’ Quotes
Branding, communication and public relations have never been Nasa’s strong areas. This was quite clear on Tuesday during the launch of their manifesto. The previous day, several Nasa bloggers were castigating Jubilee for launching their manifesto at night. It was quite obvious the following day t
Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Set To Visit Kenya
Alibaba founder Jack Ma is reportedly set to visit Kenya. Mr. Ma will be in Nairobi on July 19, in his capacity as UNCTAD special adviser on youth entrepreneurship. This will be his first trip to Africa.
Trump Marks Independence Day Weekend With Fantasy About Beating Up Journalists
President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the media Sunday, tweeting a video that seemed to endorse violence against journalists. The video appears to be a repurposed clip of Trump, then a reality TV star, beating up WWE owner Vince McMahon in 2007 ― with the logo for CNN, which Trump has continually labeled a “fake news” media outlet, replacing McMahon’s head.
Trump’s Tweets A Distraction, GOP Senator Says — As Trump Tweets Another Doozy
A Republican senator said Sunday he has been “frustrated” by the focus on President Donald Trump ‘s tweets, calling them a distraction to the GOP efforts to overhaul the U.S. health care system. Sen. Bill Cassidy of U.S.
Believe It Or Not: Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber Bought By Ripley’s For $450,000
Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber, the mesmerizing movie-prop weapon that eventually saved the galaxy from evil, has been bought at a Hollywood auction for $450,000 by Ripley’s Entertainment. And Skywalker’s droid buddy, little R2-D2, went to another buyer for an enormous $2.76 million, breaking the record for any movie memorabilia ever auctioned, according to the Profiles in History auction house.
China Cracks Down On Web Videos, Censoring Queer Content
China laid out rules on Friday for online content from television dramas to cartoons and “micromovies”, formalizing and tightening the steps censors should take when vetting material under a tough crackdown across media and entertainment.
Trump Launches Another Sexist Tweet In Newest Attack On ‘Morning Joe’ Hosts
President Donald Trump launched another attack against “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski on Saturday, saying the latter was “dumb as a rock.” This comes after outrage earlier this week when he directed blatantly sexist attacks against Brzezinski, insulting her appearance and intelligence.
This startup helps Uber drivers make extra cash by selling random stuff in their cars
Anyone who’s been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in an Uber probably could have used a pair of headphones or an Altoid at some point. Cargo is a new startup that promises to provide those random items you’d be happy to have mid-ride – and, more importantly, offer another source of income for ride-hailing drivers.
Rare photos of Marilyn Monroe hiking in the woods, before she was famous
In 1950, LIFE photographer Ed Clark got a call from a friend at 20th Century Fox about a “hot tomato” the studio had just signed: Marilyn Monroe. The young actress had previously signed with Fox in August 1946, but was dropped after the end of her second six-month contract.
Self-driving cars can handle anything, except kangaroos
Self-driving cars can make it through ice, snow, thunderstorms, and the winding streets of Pittsburgh. What can’t they handle? Kangaroos. Volvo admitted this week that its self-driving technology’s “Large Animal Detection system” was flummoxed by kangaroos. The cars can deal with roaming deer, elk, and caribou, but can’t process kangaroos because of the animals’ “unique method of movement,” or hopping.
Bring the movie theater anywhere with this portable drive-in projector
‘Hitch Theaters’ is a portable movie screen and projector stand that attaches to the ground or the back of a truck.
Steph Curry lands richest contract in NBA history at $201 million
The golden boy of the NBA’s champion Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry, is officially the best paid player in the entire league. Curry’s new contract, which was confirmed early Saturday morning during the NBA’s free agency period, will pay the two-time league MVP a whopping $201 million of the course of five years.
Our bodies hurt watching this dude down four In-N-Out 4x4s in 3 minutes flat
Ahead of Tuesday’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, competitive eater Matt Stonie took a break from hot dog prep in favor of four massive, 4×4 In-N-Out burgers. In just 3 minutes, Stonie downs 16 cheese-draped patties with just a little help from a giant diet coke. We’ve got phantom heartburn just watching this.
KFC launched a chicken sandwich to the stratosphere, and they have a (very goofy) video to prove it
The moment we have all been waiting for finally arrived Thursday: A KFC chicken sandwich launched to the stratosphere suspended under a giant space balloon. Seriously. The spaceflight company World View launched the Zinger chicken sandwich to its position 77,000 feet above the surface of the Earth at 9:11 a.m.
