Sea Mine Blown Up

Sea Mine Sighted, Blown Up Off Washington Coast

It was probably a training mine, but that doesn't mean it couldn't explode.

By Kyle Mizokami
TWITTERRANJI SINHA

What appeared to be a sea mine was sighted yesterday in Washington State’s Puget Sound. The mine was taken under control by the U.S. Coast Guard, moved to a safe area, and blown up. The sudden appearance of the mine in a relatively high traffic waterway illustrates the danger that sea mines pose, decades after a war’s end.

Raises Cancelled for Fed Workers

Trump: I'm Canceling Raises for Federal Workers

Members of the military will still get their raises

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

In this Aug. 28 photo, President Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

President Trump has told Congress he is canceling a pay raise that most civilian federal employees were due to receive in January, citing budgetary constraints, per the AP. Trump informed House and Senate leaders in a letter, saying that locality pay increases would cost $25 billion, on top of a 2.1% across-the-board increase for most civilian government employees. "We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases," reads the letter. Congress could effectively overturn the decision, notes the Hill. Trump's action doesn't affect the military, whose members are still due to receive a 2.6% raise.

Changing Overbooked Flights

American Airlines Is Changing the Way It Deals With Overbooked Flights

John Gress/Getty Images

CAILEY RIZZO 

American Airlines is testing a service that will let you know if your flight is overbooked before you get to the airport.

Despite the fact that fewer passengers were involuntarily bumped last year than ever before, airlines are still looking to minimize the impact of overbooking.

5 Go Through It

3 Species Were Known to Go Through Menopause. Now It's 5

Aside from humans, they're all similar in one way

By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff

A beluga whale is shown in this stock photo.   (Getty Images/W6)

Menopause isn't a distinctly human condition—and now scientists have discovered two more species that experience it and then live well beyond it, bringing the total number to five.

Save by Booking Two 1-way Tickets

20 Destinations Where You Could Save by Booking Two One-way Tickets Instead of a Round-trip

Vladimir Zakharov/Getty Images

TALIA AVAKIAN 

Booking two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip flight can get you greater savings at times, but it can be tough to know when to make this move.

That's why Kayak has released its first Flight Hacker Guide, highlighting 10 international cities and 10 domestic cities where travelers can save as much as 16 percent on a ticket by booking two one-way fares.

Tesla Driver in Crash

Tesla Driver in Crash: 'I Think I Had Autopilot On'

It is unclear whether Autopilot was activated

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

In this Aug. 8, 2018, file photo a Tesla emblem is seen on the back end of a Model S in the Tesla showroom in Santa Monica, Calif.   (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

A Tesla driver who said he thought his car was in Autopilot mode crashed into the back of a firetruck in San Jose early Saturday.

American dads

7 facts about American dads

BY KIM PARKER AND GRETCHEN LIVINGSTON

Elsiana Ruiz gets help learning to ride her bike from her father, Sinahy, at a playground in Aurora, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Fatherhood in America is changing. Today, fathers who live with their children are taking a more active role in caring for them and helping out around the house. And the ranks of stay-at-home and single fathers have grown significantly in recent decades. At the same time, more and more children are growing up without a father in the home.

Music News

Eminem Drops New Album ‘Kamikaze’

• Erin Nyren

Craig McDean

The rapper targets President Trump, the Grammys and the press on his tenth full-length release.

Eminem has dropped the follow-up to 2017’s “Revival.”

The rapper surprise-released his latest album, “Kamikaze,” on Thursday night (midnight on the east coast).

Entertainment News

Twenty Years Later, Wesley Snipes Says He's Still the Only Guy Who Could Play Blade

This week marks the 20-year anniversary of the first Blade film. We spoke to Wesley Snipes about the franchise's past and potential future.

Image via New Line Cinema

Twenty years ago this week, Wesley Snipes katana sliced his way through box office history and a heap of sexy LA vampires withBlade, a gritty R-rated superhero movie about a lesser known Marvel character. With the titular character a half-human, half-vampire vampire hunter played by Snipes, Blade subtly tackled racial allegories via supernatural characters ages before films like Bright would attempt the same feat with far less nuance.

Help Someone

How to Help Someone Find Hope and Healing, Part 1

How to Help Someone Find Hope and Healing, Part 1
By Rick Warren

“Therefore [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them”(Hebrews 7:25 NIV).

I believe that small groups are a vital part of helping so-called hopeless people find healing. One of the parts I like best about being in a small group is that you can pray for one another’s “hopeless” cases. We can lean upon the faith of others when we start to doubt.

Today's Encouragement

No Filter Required 

Jenny Wheeler

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Hipster. Antique. Vibrant. Faded.

Fri Devotional

Daily Devotional 

from Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…”
Matthew 6:25

If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship, then you know that all cruises begin in much the same way. Once all the passengers board, the ship’s horn sounds, and most of those on board rush up onto the deck. Further below the thick ropes that held the ship to the dock are let go. Then the vibration of the engines can be felt in the steel beneath your feet. Moments later, the dock begins to slip away.

What Americans Tip

What Americans Tip on Average in Each State, Ranked From Lowest to Highest

Getty Images/Tetra images RF

MATTHEW MICHAELS / BUSINESSINSIDER.COM
This story originally appeared on BusinessInsider.com.

You've enjoyed your meal but your work is not yet over. You have to pay the check and figure out how much to tip.

Video Apps for Kids

The Best Streaming Video Apps for Kids

Cameron Summerson | @summerson 

There are plenty of videos on the internet, with tons just for kids. But instead of handing your kid a phone with YouTube and letting them go crazy, an app with content just for them is the way to go.

Lyft to Offer Free Rides

Lyft to Offer Free and Discounted Rides to Voters on Election Day

By MCKENNA MOORE

Popular ride-hailing service Lyft said this week that it would provide discounted and free rides during this year’s U.S. midterm elections to encourage people to vote.

Coffee Delivery Drone

IBM Files Patent For a Coffee Delivery Drone

It would know when you need a caffeine boost and fly over with your fancy coffee.

By David Grossman
IBM/US PATENT OFFICE

A new patent from IBM could bring new meaning to instant coffee. The patent describes a drone that could detect when a person is tiring and fly over with a cup of coffee on demand—so no need to worry if yours is the one street corner without a Starbucks.

Getting Very Sleepy

You’re Getting Very Sleepy. (So Is Everyone Else.)

Fewer people in industrialized countries are getting adequate sleep.

A sleep deficit can affect the safety and productivity of individuals in a workplace. Events such as the Challenger space shuttle disaster have been tied to a lack of sleep.CreditLucy Nicholson/Reuters

By Bilal Choudhry

Inadequate sleep causes more than $400 billion in economic losses annually in the United States and results in 1.23 million lost days of work each year, researchers have found.

Disable Your PC’s Touchpad

How to Disable Your PC’s Touchpad When You Connect an External Mouse

BRADY GAVIN  @bradyjgavin 

While laptop touchpads can be useful—especially those that support gestures—they can also be annoying. They’re just too easy to accidentally hit when you’re typing. If you use an external mouse, it’s even more annoying because you don’t need the touchpad at all. Here’s how to disable the touchpad when you use an external mouse.

Sports News

Quarterback battles are settled at some schools, not so much at others

By DAVID WHARTON

The elephant in the room.

That is how Jalen Hurts has described his much-debated battle with Tua Tagovailoa for the quarterback job at Alabama.

Farmers' Almanac: Winter

Farmers' Almanac: Get Ready for 'Teeth-Chattering' Winter

But the Old Farmer's Almanac had a different prediction last week

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

This Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017 photo shows the cover of the 2018 Farmers' Almanac in Portland, Maine.   

(AP Photo/David Sharp)

The Farmers' Almanac released its 2019 winter outlook this week, and it's a doozy: It predicts a "long, cold, and snow-filled winter," with the worst of the "teeth chattering" arriving in mid-February and higher than normal levels of snow in many areas.

Entertainment News

"Skinemax" No More: HBO Exits Erotic Programming Space

YouTube/HBO Docs
'Taxicab Confessions'

The programming change has been in the works for the past year as HBO and Cinemax look for other late-night programming.

The days of "Skinemax" have come and gone.

Movie Preview - Kin

Nothing Worthwhile

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy

Nothing Worthwhile Is Ever Easy
By Rick Warren

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”(Galatians 6:9 NLT).

There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether.

Today's Encouragement

Sometimes Pain Is a Good Thing

Kenisha Bethea

"Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Romans 2:4 (NLT)

Thur Devotional

Daily Devotional 

from Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt:

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." John 16:33

United will Charge More

United Will Soon Charge More for Economy Seats Toward the Front of the Plane

The change comes with the introduction of new corporate perks for business clients.

STACEY LEASCA

United Airlines will soon begin charging extra for seats toward the front of the economy cabin, Travel Weekly reported. The change comes with the introduction of new corporate perks for business clients.

Fewer Babies

Americans Are Having Fewer Babies. They Told Us Why.

Women have more options, for one. But a new poll also shows that financial insecurity is altering a generation’s choices.

By Claire Cain Miller

Jessica Boer, 26, kissing her cat Kip at her home in Portage, Mich. Like an increasing number of people in her generation, she does not plan to have children. “Now we know we have a choice,” she said.CreditBrittany Greeson for The New York Times

Americans are having fewer babies. At first, researchers thought the declining fertility rate was because of the recession, but it kept falling even as the economy recovered. Now it has reached a record low for the second consecutive year.

Stop Owning Cars?

Lyft Wants Everyone to Stop Owning Cars

By Hope King

Lyft is a company trying to "improve lives through transportation." That's according to Jody Kelman, a product lead on the company's self-driving car team.

During a panel discussion in New York City Wednesday evening, Kelman argued for a future where we stop spending $9,000 every year on owning a car, have more green spaces and fewer parking lots, and gain more independence... especially as it relates to an aging population who eventually has to give up driving rights ー which includes her mother.

Pre-Order Games

The Cheapest Places to Pre-Order Games (Now That You Need Prime for Amazon Discounts)

by Chris Hoffman 

Amazon’s 20% discount on video game pre-orders and Best Buy’s generous Gamers Club Unlocked program are both gone. The competition is cooling down, but you can still find savings on new PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One games.

Multiple Google Calendars

How to Juggle Multiple Google Calendars

by Cameron Summerson

If you only have one Google account, managing your calendar is pretty simple. But once you bring your work account, shared family calendars, and even specialty calendars into the mix, keeping things organized becomes more challenging.

Buckingham Palace

This New Job Opening at Buckingham Palace Comes With Free Meals and 33 Vacation Days

Cathal McNaughton - Pool /Getty Images

STEPHANIE PETIT / PEOPLE.COM 

Calling all foodies — get your royal résumés ready!

Queen Elizabeth is looking for a kitchen porter, and the full-time job comes with some dream perks — like living at Buckingham Palace!

Tech People

Hating the wrong tech people for the right reasons

Jon Evans@rezendi 


The slings and arrows aimed at tech’s titans these days are almost too numerous to count. Jeff Bezos: squandering money on space while exploiting warehouse employees. Mark Zuckerberg: complicit in everything from genocide to the death of democracy. Larry Page and Sergey Brin: in bed with China and the military. Elon Musk: where even to begin?

Pumpkin Spice Craze

Weary of Pumpkin Spice Craze? We Have Bad News

The drink for the fall is already back, earlier than ever

By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff

Pumpkin spice latte is becoming a staple of the fall, though it's here already.   (Getty/bhofack2)

The array of pumpkin spice-whatever products that normally deluge consumers in the fall is now arriving in the summer. Starbucks says its lattes—credited with starting the boom more than a decade ago—are available starting Tuesday.

Holiday Flights

When to Buy Your Holiday Flights, According to Google

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

JESSICA PLAUTZ

People are more concerned about getting a good deal on a vacation than they are about any other discretionary purchase in their life, according to Google. If you've already started looking at flights and hotels for the upcoming holiday season, you probably know what they're talking about.

So Much More

God Is So Much More

God is So Much More
by Debbie Holloway

For your Maker is your husband--the LORD Almighty is his name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth (Isaiah 54:5).

Today's Encouragement

Love Never Fails

Tessa Afshar

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:17b-18 (NIV)

Wed Devotional

Daily Devotional 

from Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt:

“But I call out to God, and the Lord will save me.” Psalm 55:16

Photoshop

What Are Photoshop Plug-ins, Extensions, and Add-Ons?

by Harry Guinness 

Photoshop is already a powerful and versatile app, but you can make it even more powerful, more versatile, and easier to use with Photoshop Add-Ons.

Free TV Online

Watch Free TV Online Right Now With Xumo.TV

by Justin Pot 

Xumo.TV brings the channel surfing experience to cord cutters, with content from The History Channel, MSNBC, Fox Sports, and more. And it’s free.

Driver Verifier in W10

Why You Shouldn’t Use the Driver Verifier in Windows 10

by Chris Hoffman 

Windows includes a “Driver Verifier” tool that can stress test your device drivers. It detects bad driver behavior, but any issue found triggers an immediate blue screen of death. Most PC users should stay away.

This utility has been around since Windows 2000 and XP, and it’s still part of Windows 10 today.

Movie Preview - Operation Finale

Make Your Coffee Tastier

The One Thing You Can Add to Your Coffee to Make It Tastier — and Healthier

Getty Images/EyeEm

BRANDI BROXSON / REALSIMPLE.COM 

This easy add-in will change the way you drink your coffee (trust).

I’ve never really liked the taste of coffee. I usually try to offset its bitterness with a little half and half and sometimes a sugar cube or spoonful of simple syrup.

Shooting Down Nukes

Shooting Down Nukes From Space Is Harder Than It Sounds

Three decades after Reagan's "Star Wars," putting missile interceptors in orbit is still a bad idea.

By Kyle Mizokami
TIME LIFE PICTURES

Could Uncle Sam shoot down Kim Jong-un's nukes from space? Perhaps not.

Largest City w/out a Paper

Pittsburgh becomes largest US city without a daily print newspaper

BY JOE CONCHA 
© Getty Images

Pittsburgh will hold the distinction of being the largest city in the U.S. without a daily print newspaper after the city's Post-Gazette informed readers it will cut its production schedule from seven days a week to five beginning this weekend.

Sports News

Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. becomes highest-paid NFL WR with five-year, $95 million extension

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY


(Photo: Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)

Odell Beckham Jr.'s patience paid off in a big way.

Markets Hit Record Highs

Markets Hit Record Highs on Trade Deal

By Kavitha Shastry

U.S. stocks soared Monday after President Trump announced a trade deal had been reached with Mexico.

Summer Hangs On

Summer hangs on: 70 million endure late-August heat wave

Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
(Photo: AP)

Could this be one of summer's last gasps?

About 70 million Americans are under some level of heat advisory or warning, the National Weather Service said, and portions of the Midwest and Northeast are forecast to see the heat index near 100 degrees this week.

Making the Wrong Decision

Are You Afraid of Making the Wrong Decision?

Are You Afraid of Making the Wrong Decision?
By Rick Warren

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3 NIV).

Often we’re afraid of making the wrong decision, and that creates stress.

Today's Encouragement

Can I Really Trust God?

Sharon Jaynes

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

I stood in the front yard waiting for the yelling to stop before I went back inside. Dad had been drinking again, and Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs.

Tues Devotional

Daily Devotional 

from Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt:

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28

How should we deal with someone who has wronged us…hurt us deeply…but isn’t repenting and isn’t asking for forgiveness? What about the person who doesn’t even recognize he has done anything wrong…or maybe does and is glad he is doing it? Jesus answers that question when He speaks of loving our enemies and forgiveness. Jesus taught that love doesn’t just forgive when another person asks for it. Love offers forgiveness with no strings attached. Love also bears with another and endures. And according to 1 Peter 4:8, love covers over a multitude of sins.

Entertainment News

‘Bewitched’ Reboot With Interracial Family From Kenya Barris & Yamara Taylor Set At ABC With Big Commitment Via ABC Studios, Sony TV & Davis Entertainment

by Nellie Andreeva 

Columbia/Shutterstock

 Just before he recently departed ABC Studios to embark on a rich overall deal at Netflix, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris sold one last high-profile project to ABC: Bewitched, a single camera, interracial blended family comedy based on the popular 1960s sitcom of the same name.  It took a little while for all the deals to close, but the network has given a pilot production commitment to the new take on the classic supernatural sitcom, from Barris and Black-ish writer/producer Yamara Taylor. The project hails from ABC Studios; Sony Pictures TV, which has the rights to the title; and Sony-based Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist).

           Robyn Von Swank                            Megan Miller

In Bewitched, written by Barris and Taylor, Samantha, a hardworking black single mom who happens to be a witch, marries Darren, a white mortal who happens to be a bit of a slacker. They struggle to navigate their differences as she discovers that even when a black girl is literally magic, she’s still not as powerful as a decently tall white man with a full head of hair in America.

America's Favorite Apple Changed

Gala apple passes Red Delicious as America's favorite

Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY 

Believe it or not, there are an estimated 7,000 varieties of apples. And most of us know our favorites by name as the apple has become the most branded piece of produce on the planet. USA TODAY

Mobile Games

8 Good Paid Mobile Games with No Pesky In-App Purchases

by Craig Lloyd

It’s rare when a mobile game doesn’t come with any in-app purchases, but they still exist. Here are some pay-up-front games with no additional in-app purchases that we enjoy playing.

Secret Taped Conversations

Should you secretly tape conversations with your boss?

by Kathryn Vasel   @KathrynVasel

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman claimed she recorded her firing by White House chief of staff John Kelly and a subsequent call with President Donald Trump.

She's not the first person to record workplace conversations.

First U.S. Hypersonic Weapons

The First U.S. Hypersonic Weapons: Arrow and Hacksaw

The U.S. is racing to catch up with Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons.

By Kyle Mizokami
USAF

The U.S. Air Force has awarded contracts to defense giant Lockheed Martin to develop two new hypersonic weapon systems. The contracts are in response to the rapid development of hypersonics in Russia and China, a development that could challenge U.S. technological superiority.

CBD-Infused Drinks

NYC Chef Puts CBD-Infused Drinks on Menu

By Jacqueline Corba

Chef Ron Silver wants the CBD experience to have a faster effect more consistently than current products allow, and he's developed his own sweetener to help do it.

Weekend Box Office Results

'Crazy Rich Asians' Dominates the Competition in Its Second Weekend

by Brad Brevet

It was another crazy rich weekend for Warner Bros.'s Crazy Rich Asians, which dropped just 5.7% in its second weekend based on estimates, and if last weekend's performance is any indication, don't be surprised to see that weekend number climb once actuals are received on Monday afternoon. As for the weekend's new wide releases, both The Happytime Murders and A.X.L. struggled, though Sony's limited release of Searching delivered a chart-topping per theater average in limited release, in advance of going wide next weekend.

Weak Passwords get Hacked

Weak passwords let a hacker access internal Sprint staff portal

Zack Whittaker@zackwhittaker 


It’s not been a great week for cell carriers. EE was hit with two security bugs and T-Mobile admitted a data breach. Now, Sprint is the latest phone giant to admit a security lapse, TechCrunch has learned.

Using two sets of weak, easy-to-guess usernames and passwords, a security researcher accessed an internal Sprint staff portal. Because the portal’s log-in page didn’t use two-factor authentication, the researcher — who did not want to be named — navigated to pages that could have allowed access customer account data.

Before Shooting

Before Shooting at Gaming Tournament, a Chilling Sight

Red laser dot appeared on competitor before gunfire began; 3 dead, including gunman

By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff

A law enforcement boats patrol the St. Johns River near the Jacksonville Landing, site of a mass shooting on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.   (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

The details from Sunday's mass shooting at a gaming tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., have begun to settle: Police say a gunman killed two people and himself during the video game competition within a riverfront entertainment venue called the Jacksonville Landing, reports the New York Times.

Your Thoughts

Your Life Is Shaped by Your Thoughts

Your Life Is Shaped by Your Thoughts
By Rick Warren

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts”(Proverbs 4:23 GNT).

God is far more interested in changing your mind than changing your circumstances.

Today's Encouragement

Love Like That

Les Parrott

“Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Ephesians 5:2 (MSG)

Mon Devotional

Daily Devotional 

from Touching Lives with Dr. James Merritt:

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” Isaiah 53:3

The wounds inflicted by a friend can hurt much worse than those from an enemy. Because the pain is unexpected, it seems to cut much deeper – to hurt much worse. It festers, and often takes much longer to heal.

World’s First Beer Hotel

The World’s First Beer Hotel — With In-room Taps and Shower Mini-bars — Is Finally Opening 

A lobby bartender will be there to welcome you with a complimentary beer. 

ELIZABETH PRESKE 

In March 2018, Scottish beer company BrewDog launched a campaign for the “world’s first crowdfunded craft beer hotel,” complete with taps in all the rooms, mini-fridges stocked with beer in the showers, and a spa that uses beer-infused products.

Lawn Ready for Fall

6 Tips to Get Your Lawn Ready for Fall

The end of summer doesn't mean the end of lawn care. Take these simple steps with your grass now and you'll have a head start on a healthy lawn for next spring.

By Joseph Truini
ANNE WHITE - FLICKR CC

With autumn nearly upon us and winter rapidly approaching, you're probably not spending much time thinking about your lawn. But autumn, with its cooler temperatures and occasional rainfall, is the ideal time to prepare your lawn for next spring.

Addicted to Phones

EVEN TEENS WORRY THAT TEENS ARE ADDICTED TO THEIR PHONES

DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES

American teenagers have a complicated and sometimes contradictory relationship with their smartphones—just like the rest of us. A new Pew Research study shows that kids are trying to negotiate between worry that they spend too much time on their phones and anxiety when they are separated from their devices.