US taps Lockheed for $928M hypersonic project after reported gains by Russia, China

A Russian fighter launches a hypersonic missile during a test in March over southern Russia.  (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

The U.S. Air Force has tapped defense giant Lockheed Martin to develop a hypersonic weapon, in a deal reportedly worth $928 million.
The contract comes one month after Russia said it successfully tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile with no equal. China has similar capabilities, the Washington Post reported.
Defense officials have warned that hypersonic missiles that can travel at more than five times the speed of sound and could -- in theory -- evade U.S. missile defense systems, the report said.
The Air Force project is considered the Pentagon’s top “technical priority,” which is remarkable due to ever-evolving cyber-warfare threats and bioterrorism.
“We will, with today’s defense systems, not see these things coming,” Michael Griffin, the Pentagon’s research and development leader, said, according to the Post.
The Russian Defense Ministry posted video in March showing a MiG-31 launching a Kinzhal (Dagger) missile during a training flight. The ministry claimed the missile hit a practice target and had been put on combat duty with a unit of Russia’s Southern Military District.
The Pentagon said in a statement that the Lockheed contract "provides for the design, development, engineering, systems integration, test, logistics planning, and aircraft integration support of all the elements of a hypersonic, conventional, air-launched, stand-off weapon."
Defense News reported that the deal’s value could be as high as $928 million for Lockheed.

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Lockheed is reportedly developing a hypersonic unmanned plane, the SR-72, “son of Blackbird,” that aims to fly at Mach 6.
Marillyn Hewson, the company’s CEO, said the SR-72 “could forever change our ability to deter and respond to conflict.”

Bush-bashing professor has Fresno State scrambling to keep its donors

Fresno State is investigating comments made by professor Randa Jarrar, who posted that former first lady Barbara Bush was an "amazing racist," among other things, just an hour after Bush's death was announced.  (Facebook)

A Fresno State professor who called the late Barbara Bush “racist” soon after her death Tuesday, and said she was glad “the witch is dead,” continues to face fallout as donors mull ceasing donations to the institution.
Randa Jarrar, an English professor at the school (also known as California State University at Fresno), sparked outrage Tuesday just hours after the former first lady died at age 92, writing a number of tweets attacking Bush and the family.
“Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal. F*** outta here with your nice words,” the professor tweeted. “I'm happy the witch is dead. Can’t wait for the rest of her family to fall to their demise the way 1.5 million Iraqis have.”

Jarrar, a tenured professor, boasted on social media that because she has tenure, she won’t be fired from her job. She’s currently on leave this semester and was reportedly traveling overseas.
Amid the backlash, someone on social media shared Jarrar's publicly available work phone number and email address, to which the professor responded with a phone number for a crisis hotline at Arizona State University, saying that’s her number, prompting a flood of calls to the hotline that normally receives just a few calls per week.
FRESNO STATE SAYS BARBARA BUSH-BASHING PROFESSOR CAN BE FIRED DESPITE TENURE
A university investigation is underway. But several donors to Fresno State are reportedly considering whether the university deserves their contributions.
Ed Dunkel Jr., who made sizable financial contributions to Fresno State, said he will await the outcome of the controversy before deciding whether to close his checkbook.
“I have a lot of friends that I've been talking to, and these are people who donate now and talking about holding back, and some are even questioning whether to send their kids to Fresno State," Dunkel told the Fresno Bee.
"I admire and have a lot of respect for President (Joseph) Castro and huge affection for Fresno State," Dunkel said. "But I have huge concerns. This represents such an embarrassment to the university and the community. It's hard to believe this is an isolated thing that just happened. I have to imagine people previously knew of this person's character and what she's about."
Fresno State President Joseph Castro acknowledged that he’s been having conversations with donors regarding the controversy.
"The conversations I'm having are more about their concern, and I share that concern. I understand where they're coming from. I'm asking them for understanding here as we work through the complexities of this issue,” he told the Fresno Bee.

"I understand where [university donors are] coming from. I'm asking them for understanding here as we work through the complexities of this issue."

"They're outraged, and I'm outraged as well," he added. "This is behavior that is unacceptable as a university that models the development of leaders. We just cannot tolerate it."
On Wednesday, the school seemed to make a point of posting on Twitter that campus flags were at half-staff in memory of Barbara Bush.
The school's College Republicans also tweeted that they were "outraged" by Jarrar's comments.
But while Jarrar is facing calls to be terminated, she attracted support from multiple advocacy organizations and professors who defended her right to free speech.
“Jarrar’s tweets are unquestionably protected speech under the First Amendment and Fresno State has no power to censor, punish, or terminate Jarrar for them,” Adam Steinbaugh, senior program officer for FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), said in a statement to Fox News.
FIRE also joined other free speech advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in opposing the university’s decision to investigate Jarrar, saying it conflicts with the First Amendment.
Another controversial Fresno State professor, who was demoted after tweeting that President Donald Trump “must hang” in order to “save American democracy,” said the university is failing to live up to its promise to defend academic freedom.
Lars Maischak, a history lecturer, wrote an article for the Bee claiming the university professor is siding with attackers of Jarrar rather than standing up to the “fascist threat to academic freedom.”

Trump tweets that Comey memos ‘clearly’ show no obstruction, collusion

President Trump late Thursday tweeted that the newly released memos written by former FBI Director James Comey “show clearly” no collusion with Russia in 2016 and no obstruction into the investigation.
The memos, which were written by Comey about his interaction with Trump, prove that the fired FBI director never felt obstructed, GOP lawmakers said. Many Democrats claim that Trump tried to hold up the FBI’s investigation into alleged collusion leading up to the 2016 election.
“James Comey Memos just out show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?” Trump tweeted.
The memos also showed that eight days after he was sworn in as president, Trump told Comey during a one-on-one dinner at the White House that he "needed loyalty and expected loyalty."
Comey wrote that he "did not reply, or even nod or change my facial expression, which [Trump] noted because we came back to it later." At a later point, Comey wrote that Trump told him directly, "I need loyalty."
"I replied that he would always get honesty from me," said Comey. "[Trump] paused and said that's what he wants, 'honest loyalty.' I replied, 'you will get that from me.'"
"It is possible we understood that phrase differently," Comey added as a parenthetical, "but I chose to understand it as consistent with what I had said throughout the conversation: I will serve the President with loyalty to the office, the country, and the truth. I decided it would not be productive to push the subject further."
More than two months later, on March 30, Comey wrote that Trump had called him and pressed the FBI director to make public that the president was not under investigation over contacts between Russian officials and members of his campaign.
"I reminded [Trump] that I had told him we weren't investigating him and that I had told the Congressional leadership the same thing," Comey wrote. "[Trump] said it would be great if that could get out and several times asked me to find a way to get that out."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.; House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.; and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said in a joint statement that Comey's memos "show the President made clear he wanted allegations of collusion, coordination, and conspiracy between his campaign and Russia fully investigated.
"The memos also made clear the 'cloud' President Trump wanted lifted was not the Russian interference in the 2016 election cloud, rather it was the salacious, unsubstantiated allegations related to personal conduct leveled in the dossier" compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, they added.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., disagreed, tweeting that the memos "are further proof of [Trump's] contempt for the rule of law.
"His attempts to intimidate, circumvent the law & undermine integrity of law enforcement investigations demand immediate action to protect the Mueller investigation," she said.
The assurance from Comey that Trump was not being investigated seemed to have weighed on the president's mind as Michael Flynn was fired as national security adviser after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with the Russian envoy to the U.S.
Trump told Comey during their March 30 conversation that "if there was 'some satellite' (NOTE: I took this to mean some associate of his or his campaign) that did something, it would be good to find that out, but that he hadn't done anything," Comey recalled.
Comey said Trump restated at the end of their conversation that the president "hoped I could find a way to get out that he wasn't being investigated.
"I told him I would see what we could do and that we would do the work well and as quickly as we could," Comey said he responded.
Goodlatte, Gowdy and Nunes noted that Comey "never wrote that he felt obstructed or threatened," adding that while Comey "went to great lengths to set dining room scenes, discuss height requirements, describe the multiple times he felt complimented, and myriad other extraneous facts, he never once mentioned the most relevant fact of all, which was whether he felt obstructed in his investigation."
Trump called Comey again on April 11 to ask "if I did what he had asked last time -- getting out that he personally is not under investigation." Comey says he advised Trump to have White House Counsel Don McGahn call then-Acting Attorney General Dana Boente to request that such a statement be made.
After Trump said he would do so, Comey said the president told him, "I have been very loyal to you, very loyal, we had that thing, you know."
"I did not reply, or ask him what he meant by 'that thing,'" wrote Comey, who added that as Trump ended the call, the president told him he was "doing a great job and wished me well."
During their Jan. 27 dinner in the Green Room, Comey wrote that Trump "thought maybe he should ask me to investigate" salacious allegations "to prove [the dossier] was a lie."
Comey wrote that "it was up to [Trump], but I wouldn't want to create a narrative that we were investigating him, because we are not and I worried such a thing would be misconstrued."
"My sense is that [the president] was focused on the personal piece [of the dossier]," Comey told MSNBC Thursday night. "He would bring it up to me repeatedly."

Gov Cuomo Cartoons

Democrat hopes McConnell changes mind about bill to protect Mueller's job

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., left, remained hopeful Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would bring to the Senate floor legislation designed to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired.  (Reuters)

A bipartisan U.S. Senate bill designed to shield Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Donald Trump isn’t dead, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said Wednesday, despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell previously shutting down any hope of a vote on the measure.
Booker’s comments came a day after McConnell told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on “Your World” that there was “no indication” that Mueller would be fired.
As a result, “We’ll not be having this on the floor of the Senate," McConnell said, referring to the shield proposal.
Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, told NJ.com he was “disappointed” by McConnell's remarks, but remained hopeful for the bill's “success.”
"McConnell's changed his mind before and he might change his mind again if we show enough bipartisan support and momentum," Booker told NJ.com. "I'm encouraged with the progress and I'm hoping that we can convince McConnell to change his mind."
The proposed legislation would allow the special counsel’s firing only for good cause by a senior Justice Department official. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to consider the proposal later this month.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. co-sponsor the legislation with Cory Booker, D-N.J.  (Reuters)

In addition to Booker, other senators supporting the bill include Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Democrat Chris Coons of Delaware.
All four senators serve on the judiciary committee.
"I don't think he's going to fire Mueller, but I think institutionally it would be nice to have some protections," Graham said Tuesday.
McConnell, R-Ky., told Cavuto that he would be shocked if Trump fired the special counsel, who is investigating contacts between Russian officials and Trump's campaign.
"I don't think the president's going to do that, and just as a practical matter, even if we passed [the bill], why would he sign it?
"I’m the one who decides what [legislation] we take to the floor," McConnell said. "That's my responsibility as the majority leader."

3 in National Guard disciplined over use of dinosaur hand puppet during oath ceremony

Disciplinary actions were announced Wednesday after three Tennessee Air National Guard airmen filmed a re-enlistment oath ceremony that involved a dinosaur hand puppet.  (Facebook)

Military officials announced disciplinary actions Wednesday against three Tennessee Air National Guard airmen after filming a re-enlistment ceremony in which an officer recited her oath using a dinosaur hand puppet.
An unidentified colonel in the Guard was demoted and retired after leading the disrespectful ceremony last week in which Master Sgt. Robin Brown wore the puppet as she recited her oath.
Brown, a senior noncommissioned officer, was removed from her full-time position with the Tennessee Joint Public Affairs Office, with other administrative actions pending, officials said.
Another senior noncommissioned officer, responsible for filming the video that sparked the uproar, received an official reprimand and was removed from his job as unit first sergeant, but will remain in the Guard.
Army Maj. Gen. Terry Haston announced the disciplinary measures in a Facebook post and criticized the airmen.
“I am absolutely embarrassed that a senior officer and a senior NCO took such liberties with a time-honored military tradition,” Haston wrote. “Not taking this oath solemnly and with the utmost respect is firmly against the traditions and sanctity of our military family and will not be tolerated.”
“The Tennessee National Guard leadership as a whole is appalled by the actions of these individuals which do not represent our nation’s service members nor the Airmen and Soldiers of Tennessee,” he added.
The controversial video of the ceremony spread on social media like wildfire, with the original footage watched more than 2.6 million times on Facebook, and immediately caught the attention of military officials and civilians alike.
Many said the use of the hand puppet, in addition to the colonel not raising his own right hand and not remembering the oath, was disrespectful.
Some suggested that perhaps the video was unofficial and made merely for Brown’s children to watch later. But William Jones, a spokesman for the joint public affairs office for the Tennessee National Guard, told the Washington Post that the ceremony was official and claims to the contrary were incorrect.
Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard, issued a Facebook statement on Monday slamming the airmen in the video.
“I’m equally shocked and dismayed by this event that mocks such a cherished and honorable occasion,” Rice said. “This action goes against our very foundation.”

New York Gov. Cuomo grants 35,000 paroled felons right to vote; GOP sees 'power grab'

Jan. 17, 2017: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo releases his proposed state budget during a news conference at the Executive Mansion in Albany, N.Y.  (AP)

In an executive order signed Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo granted some 35,000 paroled felons the right to vote.
The move by the second-term Democrat came after state Republicans blocked a bill in the state Senate.
“I’m unwilling to take no for an answer,” Cuomo said at the annual convention of the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network in New York City. “I’m going to make it law by executive order.”
The new directive includes New York in a list of 14 states and the District of Columbia that allow felons to vote in elections after serving their sentence.
“It is unconscionable to deny voting rights to New Yorkers who have paid their debt and have re-entered society,” Cuomo said in a statement.
“This reform will reduce disenfranchisement and will help restore justice and fairness to our democratic process. Withholding or delaying voting rights diminishes our democracy.”
Cuomo said that nearly three-fourths of parolees in New York are black or Latino, and allowing parolees to vote will help them to reconnect with the community.
But Republicans disagree and already started pouncing on Cuomo over the new measure. Republican Senate Leader John Flanagan said Wednesday that the order was bad public policy and could potentially be illegal because the governor ignored the Legislature.
Ed Cox, chairman of the state Republican Party, in a statement, called the directive an “outrageous power grab” in a bid to appeal to “radical primary voters,” according to the New York Times.
Cuomo is facing an energized Democratic primary challenge from "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon, who has repeatedly attacked the governor from the left and for failing to support minorities in the state.

Most Californians back more deportations; nearly half support travel ban, survey finds

An overwhelming majority of Californians want to deport more illegal immigrants, and nearly half support President Donald Trump's travel ban aimed at reducing terrorism, according to a new survey from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society.
But in reporting the findings of the statewide December 2017 survey, the Haas Institute on Wednesday appeared to put a liberal spin on some of the results.
For example, the headline of its news release reads, "Majority of Californians oppose border wall, support racial inclusion."
But the actual data say that in California, "66% reject the idea that the U.S.-Mexico border wall is an important immigration policy priority" -- not that they oppose the wall entirely.
And results also demonstrate that only 54 percent -- or slightly more than half -- of Californians "have positive views of Muslims," and only 51 percent "oppose banning people from majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States."
Meanwhile, "59% find it important to increase deportations of those here without documentation." Nearly 80 percent, however, support a pathway to citizenship for so-called DREAMers, and "67% think undocumented immigrants should be able to purchase health insurance on the California state exchange."
The Haas Institute concedes in its news release that "Californians hold some contradictory and troubling views."
Its suggested fix: "[O]utreach and information campaigns anchored in narratives that point Californians towards their shared progressive values and identity."
CALIF. PROFESSOR CALLS BARBARA BUSH 'AMAZING RACIST,' SAYS SHE'S HAPPY 'WITCH IS DEAD'
But the results show that many Californians already have a sense of identity and values, outreach campaign or not. For example, 45 pecent of Californians said that being Christian is an "important part of being American," and nearly 40 percent don't want to limit law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, according to the survey.
The survey comes as several California cities and counties back the Trump administration's lawsuit against the state's pro-illegal immigration sanctuary policies.

"Californians hold some contradictory and troubling views."

On Wednesday, California Gov. Jerry Brown announced plans to deploy “up to 400” members of the state's National Guard troops “to combat” criminal activity along the U.S.-Mexico border — after President Donald Trump slammed the Democratic leader a day earlier for “trying to back out” of an earlier pledge to do so.
CALIFORNIA HAS WORST QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE US, REPORT FINDS
Brown issued an order that the National Guard be sent to help “combat criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers — within the state, along the coast and at the U.S.-Mexico border.”
But the governor sent military personnel on the condition that “the California National Guard will not enforce immigration laws or participate in the construction of any new border barrier.”
Brown's office also said the Trump administration would pick up the tab for the California deployment, the Los Angeles Times reported.
For his part, Trump tweeted Wednesday that Californians are tiring of their government.
"There is a Revolution going on in California," he wrote. "Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!"
The complete Haas Institute survey is available by clicking here.