A woman has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges in what prosecutors said was a neo-Nazi scheme to attack energy substations in the Baltimore area. Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced Wednesday and will also have to serve a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to attack electrical facilities in the state. She is also serving a concurrent 15-year prison sentence for having a gun while being a felon. Clendaniel met...

U.S. lawmakers confirmed the CCP now has more ICBM launchers than the United States, a fivefold quicker increase than the U.S. predicted. China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles are seen during a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. Greg Baker /AFP via Getty Images China’s Indo-Pacific neighbors...

President Joe Biden apparent joke about smashing rival Donald Trump like a bug is drawing scrutiny given the tense political times amid threats. Playing along during a taping of ABC's 'The View' Wednesday, Biden forcefully smacked his hand onto the table when comedian and co-host Whoppi Goldberg compared rival Donald Trump to an 'insect.' 'He just wouldn't - he was like a bug. He just kept being there., who's like a bug right there - bzzz,' the comedian said, simulating a bug harassing her...

This is Washington Edition, the newsletter about money, power and politics in the nation’s capital. Today, energy and climate reporter Jennifer A. Dlouhy explains why Kamala Harris isn’t talking much about climate change on the campaign trail. Sign up here and follow us at @bpolitics. Email our editors here. It’s the great irony of this election cycle: The window is narrowing to slash planet-warming pollution and avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. There’s even broad...

It’s not every day that we think of librarians as heroes for democracy. But as they continue to show up on the frontlines against books bans—often at the risk of their own professional livelihood—the label is well earned. Perhaps it should come as no surprise how passionately librarians are fighting to protect the free flow of information. They are, after all, natural “helpers in society,” says Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association (ALA), and a librarian herself for the past decade.Hohl has seen firsthand how librarians have been essential advocates for literacy, access to accurate information and (especially now) anti-censorship. But those who have spoken up against book bans often get falsely accused of wrongdoing, which Hohl says is “harmful” for all Americans. Photo courtesy of Cindy Hohl“Americans have fought for and enjoy many freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment is for everyone, from children to adults,” she told Upworthy. “It is not appropriate for anyone to tell anyone else what they should read, watch, listen to, or even believe. We can trust our neighbors to make informed decisions for themselves and acts of censorship of any kind weaken our democracy. We are empowered to seek out accurate information and make decisions for ourselves and our families, but not for anyone else.”Besides censorship violating a fundamental American right, Hohl notes that it only serves as a “dehumanizing distraction.”“The U.S. Government already has a lot to regulate…We don’t need distractions when everyone has a right to hear the truth. Censorship is causing a division among us and that behavior needs to stop. No voices should be silenced in America.”And it’s with this emboldened sentiment that the librarians of the ALA are looking to celebrate Banned Books Week, running from Sept 22-28.Banned Books Week was originally launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. The annual event highlights the value of free and open access to information and brings together the entire book community — librarians, educators, authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas. However, with this year’s staggeringly high number of banned books—a large amount being LGBTQ titles—there is less cause for celebration, and more for urgent action. That’s why the ALA is spreading the word on what folks can do to keep books on the shelves. First and foremost, they are urging people to join in on Freedom to Read Day on Oct 19th, when libraries, bookstores, readers, and other partners nationwide will be hosting rallies and community events to unite against book bans and demonstrate shared commitment to this fundamental freedom. Get information about a nearby event , or to host your own, here. Second, you can share “book résumés,” which detail each title’s significance and educational value with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members. Those can be found here. And last, but certainly not least, Hohl urges everyone to support your local library and staff. Quite simply because “we need recognition of our good work.” Now, more than ever, that statement seems to ring true.

The Indian River County Sheriff announced on Wednesday morning that they found the body of a missing two-year-old boy in a pond behind the family's apartment.