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North Korea's old airplanes could be its most dangerous weapon

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Amid escalating tensions with the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tested out a seemingly laughable, but key part of his arsenal.

Footage recently emerged of North Korea paratroopers jumping out of what seems to be two 70-year-old Antonov An-2 transport aircrafts.

While the concept of Pyongyang using these Stalin-era planes seems far-fetched considering the nuclear weapons at its disposal, the aircrafts could be North Korea's most deadly weapon.

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The dated aircraft raisesthe concern that they could be used to transport a nuclear bomb to be dropped quite easily without triggering any radar at any specific target.

According to several reports, the North Korean army has a fleet of 200 Antonov An-2 aircrafts. They were first "introduced" in 2015, but disregarded as obsolete by many.

However, what makes them so dangerous is that they have an incredibly low radar profile, meaning they are difficult to track using conventional aircraft.

The Drive reported the aircraft fly at such a slow speed and low altitude that modern surface-to-air missile systems would have a very hard time detecting and engaging them.

The aircraft, initially designed as a crop duster and utility transport, can land on short sections of a road that would make disembarking soldiers quite easy and sneaky.

According to the BBC, the Antonov An-2 first flew in 1947 as the Soviet Union was rebuilding after the end of World War II. Aside from its remarkable short take-off and landing, it can basically fly backwards.

"The reason the An-2 still flies is that there is really no other aircraft like it," aviation writer Bernie Leighton, who has flown in an An-2 in Belarus, told the BCC. "If you need an aircraft that can carry 10 soldiers, people or goats, that can take off from anywhere and land anywhere ‒ it is either that or a helicopter."

The Soviet Union built more than 10,000 airplanes before it fell in 1991.
Lucia I. Suarez Sang is a Reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow her on Twitter @luciasuarezsang

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North Korea's antique airplane could be its most dangerous weapon yet

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Amid escalating tensions with the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un tested out a seemingly laughable, but key part of his arsenal. Footage recently emerged of North Korea paratroopers jumping out of what seems to be two 70-year-old Antonov An-2 transport aircrafts.

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A bullied 6th grader got 50 bikers to escort him on his first day of school

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50 bikers escort bullied kid to school - cnn video

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50 bikers escort bullied kid to school - CNN Video

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Fifty bikers escorted a bullied 6th grader to his first day of middle school in Indiana.

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North Korea took missile tests over japan

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Tokyo and Washington have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council after Pyongyang launched a missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido early Tuesday morning local time.

The meeting will take place Tuesday in New York, two UN diplomats told CNN.

In total, North Korea has fired 21 missiles during 14 tests since February, further perfecting its technology with each launch.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that "the world has received North Korea's latest message loud and clear," adding Pyongyang "has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior."

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," he said in a statement. "All options are on the table."

North Korean state media has yet to acknowledge Tuesday's launch, but a recent commentary published by state news agency KCNA accused Trump of being a "source of headache(s) at home and abroad."

"Much upset by (North Korea's) successful ICBM test-launches, Trump ran riot, talking about 'fire and fury' unprecedented in the world," KCNA said, accusing Trump of adding "fuel to the aggravated situation."

More sanctions?

Though the meeting is on the agenda, it's not clear what the Security Council can do to stop North Korea firing off missiles.

Earlier this month, a new round of sanctions was levied against North Korea in an effort to stymie the country's ability to earn foreign money, some of which helps fund its weapons program.

However, rather than working to curb Pyongyang's missiles tests, the international pressure campaign seems to have hardened the regime's resolve.

"The bottom line is they flew a missile over a neighboring country without giving them a heads up," said John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Studies.

"These North Korean missile tests are emblematic of the ongoing security dilemma where there are hostile parties taking steps to deter the other, and each improvement on one side's deterrent capability is a provocation to the other side."

The Trump administration is pursuing a "peaceful pressure" campaign to push for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The United States has said it doesn't seek regime change, but North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons program to prevent an imminent US invasion.

While the White House says diplomacy is preferred when it comes to dealing with Pyongyang,talks will not be unconditional and a military option remains "on the table."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that North Korea, which the United States has accused of reneging on previous agreements, must offer some sort of proof that it will negotiate in good faith.

He said last week at a State Department briefing that the recent lack of missile tests may have been "the signal we are looking for."

Tuesday's launch, however, has changed the game, argues Adam Mount of the Center for American Progress.

"If we had a window in August, that window is closed. That doesn't mean the talks are impossible, but it means it does require an even greater effort by the United States," he said.

Mount argues that the United States has not done a good enough job telegraphing what constitutes acceptable behavior from the North Koreans and what it should expect to receive.

Some of President Trump's comments - such as when he said North Korea would "be met with fire and fury" if the country continued to threaten the United States - may make for strong headlines, they are too broad to have any tangible deterrent effect, Mount said.

"The United States has not generated a coherent and forceful response to North Korea," Mount said. "If there's not a specific response that's tailored to this to deter this from happening in the future, it will continue to happen."

Bruce Bennett, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation who specializes in North Korea, says the United States needs to reestablish its credibility with a targeted military response.

"That military action could include flying a Tomahawk cruise missile over North Korea and directly over Pyongyang to illustrate that two can play at this game," Bennett said.

"The United States needs to turn to a more incremental, multidimensional strategy that minimizes the likelihood of major North Korean escalation, but still hits back against North Korea, imposing significant costs," he said.

After five nuclear tests and two successful launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, most experts believe the opportunity to prevent North Korea from developing a nuclear weapon that could hit the United States has come and gone.

Attempts to take out weapons in North Korea -- where reliable intelligence is scarce -- could be incredibly risky.

"If you attack them after they have the nuclear weapons, it's not a preventive war. It's just a plain old nuclear war," Jeffrey Lewis, a nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies' James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said on a recent podcast.

Even if nuclear weapons aren't used, North Korea's huge artillery stocks could devastate the South Korean capital of Seoul and its surrounding areas. Japan's military likely does not have the capability to forcefully respond without US assistance, as it's a primarily defensive force.

Unconditional dialogue is one of the few remaining options that some North Korea watchers think should be tested.

The current process of clamping down on North Korea is what the country is used to, argues Delury of Yonsei University.

Punishing North Korea for its missile tests -- which the United Nations Security Council has barred it from conducting -- is "the logical counter-reaction but it doesn't change the outcome," Delury said. "You just continue along this trajectory."

"There's just really no good option," Robert Kelly, a professor of political sciences at South Korea's Pusan National University, told CNN.

"If there were, we wouldn't be talking about this every few months. No one knows what to do about North Korea."

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north korea missile launch: are us options diminishing? - cnnpolitics

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North Korea missile launch: Are US options diminishing?

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Tokyo and Washington have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council after Pyongyang launched a missile over the Japanese island of Hokkaido early Tuesday morning local time. The meeting will take place Tuesday in New York, two UN diplomats told CNN.

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2 dead four hospitalized in shooting at New Mexico library.

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Two dead, four hospitalized in shooting at New Mexico library

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Two people were killed and four more hospitalized after a shooting at a library in the small city of Clovis, New Mexico, the city's fire chief said.

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It is still pouring in Texas and people walk through the water that comes up too there waist.

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A mother of three who was rescued with her family from the roof of a two-story home was reunited fro the first time with the man who saved her life

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A mother of three who was rescued with her family from the roof of a two-story home was reunited for the first time with the man who saved their life.

When Iashia Nelson, 36, finally saw a boat bring them to safety, she said her emotions overcame her. "I was so emotional I couldn't hold back my tears, I was crying," Nelson said today on " GMA."

Nelson and her family were rescued by the "Cajun Navy," an informal volunteer group with small watercraft. After the children were picked up, the adults in the group, including Nelson, were rescued by another boat.

"I was so happy to see my kids getting on that boat and all those children we had with us getting on that boat. I don't know what I would do if James and the Cajun Navy [had not come] and volunteered their service," she added.

When James Murphy first passed the house in the boat, Nelson said, "We were hollering and he said, 'I'll be back for y'all I promise,' and he kept his word and I'm forever grateful for him."

Murphy told ABC News he ultimately used another man's boat for the rescue because of the choppy flood waters.

"In order to get to them we tried a few boats, but it's very dangerous and the currents were very strong," Murphy said. "It was a big risk we just wanted to basically get them to safe ground."

Murphy said he saved more than 100 people yesterday and plans to continue with rescue efforts today.

A GoFundMe page has been setup for Nelson and her family.

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Houston family reunited with man who saved them from floodwaters

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A mother of three who was rescued with her family from the roof of a two-story home was reunited for the first time with the man who saved their life. When Iashia Nelson, 36, finally saw a boat bring them to safety, she said her emotions overcame her.

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southwest airlines help with the hurricane

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The Southwest customers were stranded inside the airport when the FAA closed it earlier Sunday morning. All roads to and from the airport were also closed. It was unclear how many others were stuck at the airport.

The humanitarian rescue mission underscores the severity of Hurricane Harvey's impact on the Houston area.

Five of the airline's stranded Boeing 737s flew out of the flooded airport Sunday evening back to Love Field in Dallas, according to one of the sources.

Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The airline received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate out of the closed airport, according to the two sources. Hobby Airport is expected to remain closed to all non-emergency air traffic until August 30 at the earliest, according to the FAA.

Without working airport lights at Hobby Airport,the Southwest aircraft had to move quickly before the sun set over the storm-battered city.

Separately, with those five aircraft able to depart Sunday, the airline still has 10 remaining aircraft on the ground at Hobby, according to the sources.

Hobby is the smaller of two main Houston-area commercial airports.

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southwest flies stranded houston customers out of flooded airport - cnn

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Southwest flies stranded Houston customers out of flooded airport

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The Southwest customers were stranded inside the airport when the FAA closed it earlier Sunday morning. All roads to and from the airport were also closed. It was unclear how many others were stuck at the airport. The humanitarian rescue mission underscores the severity of Hurricane Harvey's impact on the Houston area.

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video of teens burning dog sparks outrage with animal lovers.

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Viral video of animal abuse sparks outrage from dog lovers

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Video shows teen girl pointing flame from a lit aerosol can at a dog

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Family of six counted among the dead as Harvey death toll rises to 14

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A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said.

The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press. At one point, a strong current swept the van away and into the Greens Bayou.

"Sam calls my husband and tells him, 'they're gone,'" Saldivar said. "That's when my husband dropped the phone and started screaming."

The driver - the children's great-uncle - managed to escape. He told everyone to get out of the van using the back door, but the van quickly sank, KHOU reported.

The victims include Manuel Saldivar, 84, and his wife Belia, 81; Daisy Saldivar, 6; Xavier Saldivar, 8; Dominic Saldivar, 14; Devy Saldivar, 16.

Witnesses said first responders were in the area, but they were too late to conduct a rescue operation, FOX26 reported.

"I'm just hoping we find the bodies," Saldivar said.

Their bodies were not recovered as of Monday night, but Harris County sheriff's officials said "the 14 reported dead include a family of six who were lost when their van sunk after crossing a bridge and hitting high water." Saldivar said the Coast Guard told her family they couldn't search for the bodies until the water recedes. She added she has not yet told the children's father, her son, who she says is in prison for violating parole.

"Pasadena ISD's heart is heavy as we have learned that four Pasadena ISD students and two of their great-grand parents were swept away by the floodwaters of Greens Bayou while trying to escape the floodwaters of Harvey," the Pasadena Independent School District's statement read.

Texas officials said Monday that so far at least 14 people have died, but feared that the death toll likely to increase once the water level recedes and further search will be conducted, My Statesman reported.

Houston city officials said around 6,200 people are currently staying in shelters - with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner claiming the city is after another facility to act as a "major shelter."

"The need is tremendous," Turner said, according to My Stateman. "No one would be here if they didn't have to be here," Turner said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in the meantime, mobilized Texas National Guard to respond to Harvey - calling up all 12,000 members to aid in search and rescue missions and other disaster relief efforts.

In a stunning show of Texas grit, volunteers are helping rescue Houstonians stuck in Harvey's path. Thirty to 40 people at a time are being loaded into dump trucks, trailers, boats and other large vehicles.

Flood victims are using their phone lights to signal volunteer rescue workers. Evacuees say 100 or more people are standing in the road, soaked to the bone, waiting for help.

Tens of thousands of people are still stuck as night falls and conditions on the ground worsen.

Harvey, which since has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in 50 years, reportedly moved into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. Houston remains paralyzed and floodwaters reached many single-story houses in the city.

Further floods and torrential rains are expected, Reuters reports.

Louisiana, meanwhile, is bracing for its own flooding as the storm is likely to strike the state. Gov. John Bel Edwards alerted the people, saying "the worst is likely to come for us here" during a press conference Monday.

He added that Harvey "does remain a tropical storm and it's going to drop an awful lot of rain" on the state of Louisiana, noting that "We do have a long way to go with this particular storm."

Southwestern areas of Louisiana could see up to 20 inches of rain from the storm. The authorities have issued flood warnings last Thursday.
Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis, Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Family of six counted among the dead as Harvey death toll rises to 14

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A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said. The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press.

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a little girl wrote a note to her dad which is going to help the people in texas

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She seemed to know that what her father was about to do was risky, but so important for the people left stranded and endangered by the storm.

"Dear Daddy, I hope you don't get hurt, but I hope you help other people that need it more than you do," she wrote. "I hope no one gets hurt more. I hope everyone gets away the hurricane. I love you!"

"I know this young lady personally," Sgt. Patrick Swanton wrote. "And know that it took everything that her daddy could do to keep her from loading up with him to go."

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a little girl's inspiring note to her police officer dad as he heads out to help harvey victims - cnn

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A little girl's inspiring note to her police officer dad as he heads out to help Harvey victims

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She seemed to know that what her father was about to do was risky, but so important for the people left stranded and endangered by the storm. "Dear Daddy, I hope you don't get hurt, but I hope you help other people that need it more than you do," she wrote.

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Indian guru sentenced to 20 years for rape was sentenced 10 years per person. after sentence violence broke out at least 36 killed hundreds more injured.

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Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the spiritual sect Dera Sacha Sauda, was convicted on Friday of raping two of his followers in a case that dates back to 1999. The minimum sentence for rape is seven years.

He was sentenced to two consecutive 10-year terms, one for each conviction.

Singh was sentenced behind locked doors inside Rohtak jail, where he arrived by helicopter Friday from a courthouse in the northern city of Panchkula. The move came in a bid to prevent supporters gathering outside.

Security forces in northern Haryana state are set to remain on high alert after supporters were involved in deadly protests following his conviction.

At least 36 people were killed in Friday's violence and hundreds more injured, as supporters of Singh's rampaged through several northern states, setting fire to empty train carriages and burning cars.

Loyal support

Singh, known as the "guru of bling" on account of his flamboyant lifestyle, commands a vast and loyal support base throughout the region, and while no new clashes were reported over the weekend, security remains tight, with internet and SMS services shut down in parts of both Punjab and Haryana states until Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police in Panchkula, Manbir Singh, told CNN that additional army and paramilitary forces have been deployed and are expected to remain on guard until Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also condemned the violence.

Speaking on his monthly radio program "Mann ki Baat" ("Straight From the Heart") on Sunday, Modi reminded listeners that India was the home of "Gandhi and Lord Buddha" and that violence was not in the country's culture.

Sect followers refuse to leave

Dera Sacha Sauda, which describes itself as a "selfless socio-spiritual organization," has ashrams across 10 states and union territories across India and claims to have millions followers worldwide.

In the small town of Sirsa, located 150 miles away from Panchkula, thousands of devotees have gathered at the group's headquarters.

"The followers are still inside the compound and they could be in the numbers of 10,000 and upwards though people are leaving the compound," Vijay Kumar, the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Sirsa, told CNN.

Kumar added that a curfew and a ban on the gathering of five or more persons will remain in place in Sirsa throughout the coming days.

Singh is a surprisingly influential figure in India, where he is considered a cult icon and performer.

He is the star of five films and numerous popular music videos, including the "Messenger of God," in which he acts as the hero who saves the nation.

His look is part-biker gang member, part Hindu epic hero.

In one of his most popular music videos, "Love Charger," Singh appears clad in a rhinestone-studded motorcycle vest with an embossed image of a lion on the back, while he sings before an adoring crowd.

India's Central Bureau of Investigation first picked up the case against Singh in 2002, but charges were only formally brought against him in 2007, according to the bureau's R.K. Gaur.

Singh is also at the center of an ongoing murder investigation.

CNN's Huizhong Wu and Steve George contributed to this report

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ram rahim singh sentenced to 20 years in prison  - cnn

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Indian guru sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape

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Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head of the spiritual sect Dera Sacha Sauda, was convicted on Friday of raping two of his followers in a case that dates back to 1999. The minimum sentence for rape is seven years. He was sentenced to two consecutive 10-year terms, one for each conviction.

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Bus bomber charged with 28 counts of attempted murder.

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German prosecutors have charged a man accused of bombing Borussia Dortmund's team bus in April with attempted murder.

Dortmund prosecutors said they filed the indictment at the city's state court Tuesday. The 28-year-old suspect, who has been identified only as Sergej W. in line with German privacy laws, is charged with 28 counts of attempted murder, two counts of bodily harm and setting off an explosion.

Dortmund defender Marc Bartra and a police officer were injured in triple blasts as the bus headed to the soccer team's stadium for a Champions League game.

Investigators have said the suspect took a five-figure loan to bet that the club's shares would drop, then bombed the bus in an attack he tried to disguise as Islamic terrorism in a scheme to net millions.

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Dortmund bus bombing suspect charged with attempted murder

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German prosecutors have charged a man accused of bombing Borussia Dortmund's team bus in April with attempted murder. Dortmund prosecutors said they filed the indictment at the city's state court Tuesday. The 28-year-old suspect, who has been identified only as Sergej W. in line with German...

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Bass Pro Shops is helping  in with Hurricane Harvey  providing dozens of boats to rescue and relief efforts.They are helping by donating $40,000.

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Bass Pro Shops is pitching in with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in Texas, providing dozens of boats to rescue and relief efforts.

The outdoor retail giant is coordinating with local, state and federal agencies, which includes police, fire and rescue teams on the ground, according to a news release. They will be providing over 80 Tracker boats to area government agencies and rescue organizations in Houston and surrounding communities that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

The company is supporting the efforts through its Bass Pro Cares Fund and are supporting disaster response organizations by donating relief supplies totaling $40,000.

The contributions support Convoy of Hope, a Springfield, Missouri-based humanitarian organization, and the American Red Cross.

Donated supplies include protein-rich foods like Uncle Buck's Premium Jerky and peanuts for those in the field.

Bass Pro Shops has also suggested to their customers that they donate if they can.

"The company remains in close contact with the governor's office, first responders and associates on the ground to monitor response efforts and assess ongoing needs," reads the release. "Bass Pro Shops encourages all customers and community members who want to support relief efforts to donate directly to the American Red Cross."

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Houston area to get rescue boats from Bass Pro Shops

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Bass Pro Shops is pitching in with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in Texas, providing dozens of boats to rescue and relief efforts. The outdoor retail giant is coordinating with local, state and federal agencies, which includes police, fire and rescue teams on the ground, according to a news release.

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A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said.

The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press. At one point, a strong current swept the van away and into the Greens Bayou.

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A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said.

The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press. At one point, a strong current swept the van away and into the Greens Bayou.

"Sam calls my husband and tells him, 'they're gone,'" Saldivar said. "That's when my husband dropped the phone and started screaming."

The driver - the children's great-uncle - managed to escape. He told everyone to get out of the van using the back door, but the van quickly sank, KHOU reported.

The victims include Manuel Saldivar, 84, and his wife Belia, 81; Daisy Saldivar, 6; Xavier Saldivar, 8; Dominic Saldivar, 14; Devy Saldivar, 16.

Witnesses said first responders were in the area, but they were too late to conduct a rescue operation, FOX26 reported.

"I'm just hoping we find the bodies," Saldivar said.

Their bodies were not recovered as of Monday night, but Harris County sheriff's officials said "the 14 reported dead include a family of six who were lost when their van sunk after crossing a bridge and hitting high water." Saldivar said the Coast Guard told her family they couldn't search for the bodies until the water recedes. She added she has not yet told the children's father, her son, who she says is in prison for violating parole.

"Pasadena ISD's heart is heavy as we have learned that four Pasadena ISD students and two of their great-grand parents were swept away by the floodwaters of Greens Bayou while trying to escape the floodwaters of Harvey," the Pasadena Independent School District's statement read.

Texas officials said Monday that so far at least 14 people have died, but feared that the death toll likely to increase once the water level recedes and further search will be conducted, My Statesman reported.

Houston city officials said around 6,200 people are currently staying in shelters - with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner claiming the city is after another facility to act as a "major shelter."

"The need is tremendous," Turner said, according to My Stateman. "No one would be here if they didn't have to be here," Turner said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in the meantime, mobilized Texas National Guard to respond to Harvey - calling up all 12,000 members to aid in search and rescue missions and other disaster relief efforts.

In a stunning show of Texas grit, volunteers are helping rescue Houstonians stuck in Harvey's path. Thirty to 40 people at a time are being loaded into dump trucks, trailers, boats and other large vehicles.

Flood victims are using their phone lights to signal volunteer rescue workers. Evacuees say 100 or more people are standing in the road, soaked to the bone, waiting for help.

Tens of thousands of people are still stuck as night falls and conditions on the ground worsen.

Harvey, which since has been downgraded to a tropical storm and is the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in 50 years, reportedly moved into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. Houston remains paralyzed and floodwaters reached many single-story houses in the city.

Further floods and torrential rains are expected, Reuters reports.

Louisiana, meanwhile, is bracing for its own flooding as the storm is likely to strike the state. Gov. John Bel Edwards alerted the people, saying "the worst is likely to come for us here" during a press conference Monday.

He added that Harvey "does remain a tropical storm and it's going to drop an awful lot of rain" on the state of Louisiana, noting that "We do have a long way to go with this particular storm."

Southwestern areas of Louisiana could see up to 20 inches of rain from the storm. The authorities have issued flood warnings last Thursday.
Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis, Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Family of six counted among the dead as Harvey death toll rises to 14

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A family of six trying to escape the floodwaters produced by Harvey has been counted among the 14 victims who died in the historic storm, authorities said. The four children and their great-grandparents died Sunday afternoon when Samuel Saldivar, the driver of the van, attempted to pick them up amid the flooding, his sister-in-law Virginia Saldivar told the Associated Press.

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Today North Korea launched a ballistic missile carrying nuclear payload at Japan.

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North Korea on Tuesday-- in an act of defiance-- fired a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan for the first time, sending a clear message to Washington and Seoul.

The distance and type of missile test seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the U.S. territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.

Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts the North a step closer toward its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. Tuesday's test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.

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North Korea will no doubt be watching the world's reaction to see if it can use Tuesday's flight over Japan as a precedent for future launches. Japanese officials made the usual strongly worded condemnations of the launch. There were no immediate tweets from Trump.

"We will do our utmost to protect people's lives," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. "This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat."

A U.S. congressman visiting Seoul said Washington is now pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions by shutting down the impoverished country's access to hard currency, the lifeblood of its expensive weapons program.

The Pentagon told reporters that it was investigating the launch over Japan, adding: "North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America." The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said the Japanese military did not attempt to intercept the missile.

South Korea's air force effectively fired back at North Korea's missile launch over Japan by conducting a live-fire drill involving powerful bombs, officials said early Tuesday.

Four F-15 fighters dropped eight MK-84 bombs that accurately hit targets at a military field near South Korea's eastern coast, Seoul's presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun said. Each bomb has an explosive yield of a ton, according to the country's air force.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it traveled over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The North has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year -- 13 times, Seoul says -- and some analysts believe Pyongyang could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Trump's first term in early 2021.

Seoul says that while the North has twice before fired rockets it said were carrying satellites over Japan -- in 1998 and 2009 -- it has never before used a ballistic missile, which is unambiguously designed for military strikes.

Tuesday's missile landed nowhere near Guam, but firing a Hwasong-12 (Hwasong is Korean for Mars, or Fire Star) so soon after the Guam threat may be a way for the North to show it could follow through if it chose to do so. Guam is 2,200 miles away from North Korea, but South Korea's military said the North may have fired the most recent missile at a shorter range.

Another interesting aspect of this launch is that it was the first-ever reported from Sunan, which is home to Pyongyang's international airport. Some outside observers wondered if North Korea had launched a road-mobile missile from an airport runway -- something South Korea's military couldn't immediately determine.

Tuesday's launch comes days after the North fired what was assessed as three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea and a month after its second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week, said he welcomed the restraint Pyongyang showed by not firing any missiles in July.

"(North Korea) think that by exhibiting their capability, the path to dialogue will open," Masao Okonogi, professor emeritus at Japan's Keio University, told Reuters. "That logic, however, is not understood by the rest of the world, so it's not easy," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report

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North Korea's launch of ballistic missile over Japan sends clear message to US, allies

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North Korea on Tuesday-- in an act of defiance-- fired a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload over Japan for the first time, sending a clear message to Washington and Seoul. The distance and type of missile test seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the U.S.

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A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she got high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter alone for hours who then fatally injured herself.

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A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she got high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter alone for hours who then fatally injured herself, according to prosecutors.

Deanna J. Joseph, 39, was charged with second-degree child endangerment, NJ.com reported. The mom called 911 on Saturday night claiming her daughter is not responsive.

Salem County Prosecutor John Lenahan said the young girl was found dead in the mother's car parked in the driveway of her home with running engine, adding that the child possibly fatally injured herself.

"It appeared the child was confined in a car seat for an extended period of time while the mother was under the influence of drugs, and may have injured herself in the car seat," he said Sunday, according to NJ.com

The prosecutor noted that the child did not have any visible force trauma marks and the cause of death will be evaluated by medical professionals.

According to court records, this is Joseph's third arrest in nine years on charges related to neglect of a child.

Back in 2014, authorities have reportedly found her unconscious with an infant son bathed in several inches of water in an apartment. She was consequently convicted of neglect and cruelty of a child and sentenced a year in jail, NJ.com reports.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Baby died in car seat while New Jersey Mom was high on drugs, prosecutors say

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A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she got high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter alone for hours who then fatally injured herself, according to prosecutors. Deanna J. Joseph, 39, was charged with second-degree child endangerment, NJ.com reported.

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North Korea launched a missile just before 6 AM over Japan early Tuesday. It hit an island called Hokkaido, breaking it into 3 pieces, and then falling into the ocean. Trump says all options on table.

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Another US official says US spy satellites had been observing preparations for a ballistic missile test that would most likely be an intermediate range missile that could reach Guam. The official says the assessment is ongoing.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs issued a statement that North Korea "fired an unidentified projectile" from an area near Sunan, Pyongyang, toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.

This launch comes only days after Pyongyang fired three short-range ballistic missiles from the Kangwon province on Saturday.

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north korea launches unidentified projectile

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south korea joint chiefs say - cnnpolitics

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Michael Callahan, K.J. Kwon and Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN

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Another US official says US spy satellites had been observing preparations for a ballistic missile test that would most likely be an intermediate range missile that could reach Guam. The official says the assessment is ongoing. South Korea's Joint Chiefs issued a statement that North Korea "fired an unidentified projectile" from an area near Sunan, Pyongyang, toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.

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Baby died in car seat, while mom was high on drugs.

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A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she got high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter alone for hours who then fatally injured herself, according to prosecutors.

Deanna J. Joseph, 39, was charged with second-degree child endangerment, NJ.com reported. The mom called 911 on Saturday night claiming her daughter is not responsive.

Salem County Prosecutor John Lenahan said the young girl was found dead in the mother's car parked in the driveway of her home with running engine, adding that the child possibly fatally injured herself.

"It appeared the child was confined in a car seat for an extended period of time while the mother was under the influence of drugs, and may have injured herself in the car seat," he said Sunday, according to NJ.com

The prosecutor noted that the child did not have any visible force trauma marks and the cause of death will be evaluated by medical professionals.

According to court records, this is Joseph's third arrest in nine years on charges related to neglect of a child.

Back in 2014, authorities have reportedly found her unconscious with an infant son bathed in several inches of water in an apartment. She was consequently convicted of neglect and cruelty of a child and sentenced a year in jail, NJ.com reports.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Baby died in car seat while New Jersey Mom was high on drugs, prosecutors say

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A New Jersey mom has been arrested after she got high on drugs in her car and left her 2-year-old daughter alone for hours who then fatally injured herself, according to prosecutors. Deanna J. Joseph, 39, was charged with second-degree child endangerment, NJ.com reported.

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In Bakersfield California, a woman refused to bake cakes for a same-sex couple because of her beliefs.

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Houston police make 3,400 rescues as Harvey gears up for another landfall

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Southwest Airlines saves almost 500 people from the closed Hubby airport in Houston, Texas. When a runway got cleared by inspectors, southwest used 5 Southwest 737-700's, which can seat 137 people. They were flown to Dallas, stayed in a hotel overnight, and then were re-booked to flights other places. United also helped, using their only plane in the airport at the time.

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Southwest Airlifted Hundreds of Passengers From Flooded Texas Airport

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The Texas-based airline was quick to respond to Hurricane Harvey.

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New Mexico public library shooting kills a least 2 and wounds 4

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Two people are dead and at least four others were rushed to a hospital after a shooting at a public library in New Mexico Monday afternoon, investigators said.

Clovis Fire Chief Michael Nolen told Fox News that the male suspect was captured fairly quickly, and he now is in state policy custody.

Vanessa Aguirre told The Eastern New Mexico News she was in the Clovis-Carver Public Library with her son when a man came in and "started to shoot" into the air.

"It all happened so fast," she said. "We took off fast. My purse is still in there."

Aguirre said she thought the shooter had a handgun.

Clovis, with an estimated population of about 40,000, is about 200 miles east of Albuquerque, near the Texas state line.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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New Mexico library shooting kills at least 2, wounds 4

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Two people are dead and at least four others were rushed to a hospital after a shooting at a public library in New Mexico Monday afternoon, investigators said. Clovis Fire Chief Michael Nolen told Fox News that the male suspect was captured fairly quickly, and he now is in state policy custody.

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The Texas Hurricane Harvey headed/spilled to Louisiana on Tuesday caused more disasters.Donald Trump planned to survey the ongoing devastation.

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The Washington Post 47 mins ago Kevin Sullivan, Sandhya Somashekhar, Mark Berman
Video by CBS News
HOUSTON - The remnants of deadly Hurricane Harvey spilled toward Louisiana on Tuesday with more potentially disastrous flooding and emergency evacuations as President Trump planned to survey the ongoing devastation in stricken Texas.

Trump's scheduled visits to Corpus Christi and Austin, the capital, come after he pledged swift action by the federal government to provide relief to states affected by Harvey. The trip is also set to occur on the 12th anniversary of the last massive storm to pinwheel in from the Gulf with catastrophic damage: Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005.

The death toll in Texas had reached nine, officials said, but they said it could rise as authorities pursue reports of people apparently lost in the torrential downpours unleashes by Harvey since Friday. In Montgomery County, north of Houston, police said a man was presumed drowned after attempting to swim across fast-moving flood wash.

Meanwhile, the storm clouds continue to drench the region with an unprecedented deluge - reaching 43 inches since Friday in South Houston and surpassing 40 inches in several other places in around the city, the National Weather Service reported.

For Houston, the rainfall amounts since June 1 reached 50.16 inches - more than the annual average rainfall of 49.77 inches. In Louisiana, rescue teams near Lake Charles near the Texas border evacuated hundreds of people as floodwaters crested river banks and levees. Flash flood warnings and watches were in effect for much of the Lake Charles region as forecasters said up to 10 inches or more rain could fall before the storm is done. New Orleans was under a tornado and flash flood watch until Thursday.
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Harvey is moving toward the northeast, with its center expected to be just off the middle and upper Texas coast through Tuesday night, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning. After that, the storm is forecast to move inland on the northwestern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Forecasters say more than a foot of rain is still expected to fall through Friday over parts of the Texas coast and Louisiana, and the National Weather Service warned Tuesday of potential flooding in southern Mississippi as well as southeastern Louisiana.

Trump on Monday declared "emergency conditions" in Louisiana. Not long before that, authorities in Texas had warned that more than 30,000 people across the region could be forced from their homes by the time skies are expected to clear later this week. Thousands have piled into shelters in Houston and beyond, seeking safety from the storm without a clear idea of when, or if, they could return home.

"We just can't take any more," Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said in western Louisiana, urging residents to leave flood-prone homes Monday. "Anything we get is going to be crucial at this point."

The immediate focus for many remained on Houston, the country's fourth-largest city and a sprawling metropolitan area that has seen its share of floods. But the deluge of the past two days is unprecedented.

Every major waterway in the city spilled over its banks. Gullies overflowed. Even neighborhoods far from a creek or bayou flooded. The hardest-hit areas were in the south and southeast, the downstream end of the waterways.

But the southwest may be the next venue for catastrophe. The Brazos River, which runs through Fort Bend County about 20 miles west of downtown Houston, has been swelling as the runoff from the storm collects in its banks. National Weather Service models showed the river rising to 59 feet by Tuesday, topping the previous record of 54.7 feet.

Earlier Tuesday, evacuation orders were given for two prisons with thousands of inmates near the Brazos.

Fort Bend County Judge John Hebert warned Monday night that more than a hundred square miles along the river could flood overnight and into Tuesday as the river swells to unprecedented heights.

"They can guarantee we'll have a record flood in for Bend County," he said. "In areas under mandatory evacuation, the danger is very real."

Authorities issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for parts of that area and warned that anyone who ignores mandatory evacuation orders will not be aided by first responders when the waters rise. But with virtually all the main thoroughfares already closed because of high water, many of the affected residents saw no way out.

Kim Adoubeif, 60, was among about a dozen residents of the Greatwood subdivision who stood in the rain atop a levee on the Brazos River on Monday to gaze at the water and ponder their fate. She said she checked online traffic maps and couldn't find a route to safety.

"Every way out, there are roads that are flooded," she said, holding an umbrella against the rain. "So we might not even find a way out."

In the River Park subdivision, Byron Golden, 60, and his wife planned to stay put in their home. Other neighbors had tried to leave, only to meet flooded roads separating them from Interstate 10, a main artery out of town.

"We did plan an escape route, but at this time it may be too late to leave," Golden said. He figured it would be better to get caught in a flood in his two-story house than in his car on the road.

Golden and his wife spent the day putting important documents and sentimental possessions into plastic bags and carrying their important things upstairs.

Some who did evacuate ran into difficulties Monday as they tried to reach shelters. In north Houston, for example, rescuers who picked up people forced out of their drenched homes brought them to a fire station to be transported to the M.O. Campbell Center, a school gym and activity center that had been converted to a shelter.

But when the shelter reached capacity, its doors were shut, and at least 300 people were stranded at the fire station.

The horror stories led authorities to urge patience and persistence on the part of residents needing help.

"Please don't give up on us. None of us are going to give up," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Monday.

One of the largest shelters, the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown, took in thousands of evacuees Monday. Officials there said that people were lined up to take refuge and that Red Cross officials were prepared to accept 5,000 of them in total.

Among those helping with the rescue efforts alongside first responders were volunteers with boats. On Monday afternoon, dozens from both groups crowded near the Grand Vista subdivision on Harlem Road in the Brazos River area, on the edge of the water that stretched from the road to the rainy horizon.

Boats were unloading evacuees - among them the elderly and children - onto the road, then turning back into the flood.

"It messed me up seeing the kids and babies," said Jorge Ramirez, 28, who brought over his Alumacraft flat-bottom boat after seeing on Facebook that folks were stuck in this neighborhood. "That's who we're trying to get out first."

He said he'd made about five trips in four hours.

Authorities also faced new questions about whether they should have evacuated Houston. Asked Monday about the decision to recommend that people shelter in place rather than leave the city, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said there was no point in thinking about past decisions.

"We are where we are now," he said.

Of those confirmed dead late Monday, six were in Harris County, which includes Houston; one was in Rockport, near where Harvey made landfall; and another person was discovered in La Marque, near Galveston. Police said a woman in her 60s died in Porter, a town north of Houston; she was napping in her bedroom when a large oak tree landed on her mobile home.
Somashekhar and Berman reported from Washington. Emily Wax-Thibodeaux in Katy, Tex.; Ed O'Keefe, Wesley Lowery, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Katie Zezima and Brian Murphy in Washington; Brittney Martin in Houston; Ashley Cusick in New Orleans; and Mary Lee Grant in Corpus Christi, Tex., contributed to this report.

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Harvey takes aim at Louisiana as Trump plans to survey stricken Texas

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The Washington Post 47 mins ago Kevin Sullivan, Sandhya Somashekhar, Mark Berman Video by CBS News HOUSTON - The remnants of deadly Hurricane Harvey spilled toward Louisiana on Tuesday with more potentially disastrous flooding and emergency evacuations as President Trump planned to survey the ongoing devastation in stricken Texas.

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A German nurse currently serving a life sentence in prison for murdering six patients may have killed 84 more, making him one of the country's worst ever serial killers, police and prosecutors said Monday.

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Nurse killed at least 90 patients, police say - CNN Video

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German police believe a nurse, convicted and serving life for killing six, may have killed 84 others. CNN's Atika Shubert reports.