A military judge Wednesday ruled that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had exceeded his authority and acted too late when he canceled plea deals for three accused 9/11 conspirators, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The restoration of the plea deals, negotiated over two years and signed off by retired Gen. Susan Escallier, could mean life sentences for Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, who have been awaiting trial at Guantánamo Bay since 2012. Who said what...

The Federal Reserve announced Thursday that it would lower its federal funds rate target range by 0.25% in a push to boost the U.S. economy. The Fed’s decision to lower the range to between 4.50% and 4.75% follows a September cut of 0.50% as inflation decelerates and the labor market softens. The previous rate cut was preceded by several democratic senators calling for an aggressive move from the Fed, with speculation that a large cut could help boost Vice President...

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday following Donald Trump’s decisive victory, urging Americans to “accept the choice the country made” while encouraging his supporters to “get back up.” “We accept the choice the country made,” he said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden. “I’ve said many times you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.” Biden’s speech comes four years after he was projected as the...

Two House Democrats have been ousted by their Republican challengers in Pennsylvania, bolstering the GOP’s chances of defending its slim majority as it inches closer to the 218-seat threshold. Republican candidate Ryan Mackenzie defeated three-term incumbent Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, securing a big win for Republicans. Mackenzie defeated Wild with 50.7% of the vote with more than 95% of ballots counted so far. The Associated...

Germany's federal prosecutor office says it has arrested an American citizen who allegedly spied for China. The individual is accused of providing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence services, potentially compromising national security. This arrest underscores ongoing concerns about foreign espionage within Germany. Earlier this year, German authorities detained three German nationals on suspicion of supplying military technology information to a Chinese intelligence service. The...

If the 2024 presidential contest proved anything, it’s that the mass media no longer drive the national conversation. They can no longer stoke fear and outrage in average voters. They can no longer prop up terrible candidates. And, like him or not, President-elect Donald Trump’s success with black, Hispanic, and Jewish voters, if exit polls are even close to correct, proves that the entire “fascist” scare was a flop. Indeed, the establishment press are less trusted...

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.The woman, 38, met her husband Sam, 47, ten years ago, when his daughter, Leah, 25, was 15. Five years ago, the couple got married after Leah had moved out to go to college. Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.Last year, Leah became pregnant, and she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement, the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.Leah’s story is experienced by many young mothers who are facing difficulties. The father isn’t involved in the baby’s life as a caretaker or financially. Sadly, 33% of all children in the U.S. are born without their biological fathers living in the home.The new mother is a teacher and can’t afford to live on her own with a child. A recent study found that out of the top 50 U.S. cities, Pittsburgh is the only one where a new teacher could afford rent.The stressors of taking care of the baby made Leah realize she needed help.“But once she had the baby around 4 months back, Leah seemed to realize having a baby is not the sunshine and rainbows she thought it was,” the woman wrote on Reddit. “She barely got any sleep during the last four months. All the while Sam was helping her with the baby while I did almost all chores myself.”“Now her leave is ending. She did not want to leave the baby at daycare or with a nanny,” the woman continued. “Sam and I both work as well.”Leah asked her stepmother if she would stay home with the baby. The stepmother said no because she never wanted to have a baby and she has a job. “I asked why Leah can't stay home with the baby herself,” the woman wrote. “She said how she was young and had to build a career. I said many people take breaks to raise kids, and she broke down crying about how she was so tired all the time being a mom and needed something else in her life too.”After the woman told her stepdaughter no, her husband pressured her to stay home with the baby. But she refused to give up her job to raise her stepdaughter’s child. “Leah said yesterday how she wished her mom was alive since she would have had her back. She said I didn't love her, and my husband is also mad at me,” the woman wrote. The woman asked the Reddit community if she was in the wrong for “refusing to help my stepdaughter with the baby,” and the community responded with rapturous support."[The woman] should tell her husband to knock it off and stop trying to pressure her into raising his daughter’s baby. If he wants a family member to look after her baby while she works, then he can do it," Heavy_Sand5228 wrote."This is Leah's baby that she alone chose to have. That doesn't obligate you to change YOUR life to suit her desires. The whole business of saying you don't love her because you won't quit your job to watch her baby is manipulative and messed up, and I'm shocked your husband is siding with her," SupremeCourtJust-a** added.Leah and many women like her are in this situation because, in many places, teachers are underpaid, rent is high, and not all dads pay child support, even those required by law.Another commenter noted that the baby is much more the father’s responsibility than the stepmother's. "To add, Leah should consider seeking child support from her ex. Her kid should be getting that money," Obiterdicta wrote.This article originally appeared on 10.3.23

Forgotten. The post The musical tribute Roger Waters left to Bob Dylan and Bob Ezrin first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

“It isn’t egomania. It’s a fact.” The post “It isn’t egomania”: The line John Lennon wrote about feeling different from most people first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

An anthem still resonating today. The post “Humanity was in great danger”: The CSNY song about the folly of war first appeared on Far Out Magazine.