Humboldt astronomer and photographer Mike Myer snapped this gorgeous photo Monday morning of the rising sun, illuminating just a sliver of the waning crescent moon. Any moon within 24 hours of a new moon is difficult to see, Myer explained. This was taken about 26.5 hours before the new moon.
French soldiers killed in helicopter collision
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Two helicopters collided on a moonless night and killed 13 French soldiers fighting Islamic State group-linked extremists in Mali, France said today, mourning its highest military death toll in nearly four decades.
The deaths draw new attention to a worrying front in the global fight against extremism, one in which France and local countries have pleaded for more support. In a surge of violence this month, attackers often linked to IS have killed scores of troops in West Africas arid Sahel region and ambushed a convoy of employees of a Canadian mining company, leaving at least 38 dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep sadness after the Monday crash. It was Frances highest military toll since 1983, when 58 paratroopers were killed in a truck bombing in Lebanon.
The military said the helicopters were flying very low when they collided and crashed in Malis Liptako region near Niger while supporting French commandos on the ground pursuing a group of extremists. No one on board survived.
French defense minister Florence Parly said the helicopters were operating in the total darkness, which made the operation much more complicated. The helicopters flight data recorders have been found and an investigation has begun.
The French troops were chasing fighters with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, affiliated to IS, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Francois Lecointre said.
Frances operation in West and Central Africa is its largest overseas military mission and involves 4,500 personnel. France intervened in Mali in 2013 after extremists seized control of major towns in the north and implemented a harsh version of Islamic law. They were forced back into the desert, where they have regrouped and moved south into more populated areas.
Since 2013, at least 44 French soldiers have died in the mission that has created little public debate in France.
French lawmakers observed a minute of silence on Tuesday. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe defended military operations in the Sahel, saying that without the ability to face the enemy … we cannot guarantee, on another hand, the essential work of political stabilization and economic development.
A new surge in extremist attacks in Mali has killed well over 100 local troops in the past two months, with IS often claiming responsibility. The extremists loot military posts and profit from mining operations while finding refuge in forested border areas. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes.
Before his death this year, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi congratulated brothers in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso for pledging allegiance.
Public outrage in Mali also has been directed in recent weeks against France, the countrys former colonizer, over the failure to stop the violence that also has led to deadly clashes between wary communities amid suspicions of supporting the extremists.
Malis President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Tuesday sent his deepest condolences to France. The loss is heavy but the people of the Sahel share your mourning, he said in a statement.
Malis Liptako region and its Gourma region near the Burkina Faso border have become strategic crossings for extremist groups as they are largely unguarded, the International Institute for Strategic Studies wrote last month. France built a new base in Gossi in the Gourma region this year, it said.
Despite increased French presence in this zone, military gains remain limited. Both sides barely ever engage in direct confrontation. Militants use guerrilla tactics, rely heavily on improvised explosive devices and hide within the civilian population before and after launching attacks, it added.
Frances Barkhane military operation is one of multiple efforts against the growing extremist threat in the Sahel including a five-nation regional counterterror force that struggles to secure international funding despite French backing and a peacekeeping mission in Mali that is one of the deadliest in U.N. history.
The United States and others have blocked efforts to set up sustained U.N. funding for the 5,000-strong regional G5 Sahel force.
Former White House lawyer ordered to testify to Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge has ordered former White House counsel Donald McGahn to appear before Congress in a setback to President Donald Trumps effort to keep his top aides from testifying.
The outcome could lead to renewed efforts by House Democrats to compel testimony from other high-ranking officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton.
Not even the Republican presidents closest aides who receive subpoenas from Congress can ignore or defy congressional compulsory process, by order of the President or otherwise, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote on Monday in ruling on a lawsuit filed by the House Judiciary Committee.
Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings, Jackson wrote. This means they do not have subjects, bound by loyalty or blood, whose destiny they are entitled to control.
McGahn was a star witness in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, and Democrats wanted to question McGahn about possible obstruction of justice by Trump. That was months before the House started an impeachment inquiry into Trumps effort to get Ukraine to announce an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden.
The administration filed a notice of appeal early today and asked Jackson to put her ruling on hold during the appeal.
This decision contradicts longstanding legal precedent established by Administrations of both political parties, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. We will appeal and are confident that the important constitutional principle advanced by the Administration will be vindicated.
William Burck, an attorney for McGahn, said the former White House counsel will comply with the subpoena, absent a court-imposed stay.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Judiciary Committee chairman, said he hoped McGahn would promptly appear before the committee.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement calling Jacksons decision yet another resounding ruling that the Administrations claim of absolute immunity from Congresss subpoenas has no basis in the law or our democracy, and must immediately cease.
The White House has argued that McGahn and other witnesses have absolute immunity from testifying.
But such immunity simply does not exist, Jackson wrote in a 118-page ruling. That is to say, however busy or essential a presidential aide might be, and whatever their proximity to sensitive domestic and national-security projects, the President does not have the power to excuse him or her from complying with a valid congressional subpoena, Jackson wrote. She is an appointee of President Barack Obama.
Whether McGahn has to provide all the information Congress seeks, though, is another matter, the judge wrote. The president may be able to assert executive privilege on some sensitive issues, she wrote.
McGahn was a vital witness for Mueller, whose April report detailed the presidents outrage over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trumps efforts to curtail it.
In interviews with Muellers team, McGahn described being called at home by the president on the night of June 17, 2017, and being directed to call the Justice Department and say Mueller had conflicts of interest and should be removed. McGahn declined the command, deciding he would resign rather than carry it out, the report said.
Once that episode became public in the news media, the report said, the president demanded that McGahn dispute the news stories and asked him why he had told Mueller about it and why he had taken notes of their conversations. McGahn refused to back down.
Its unclear if McGahns testimony would include any new revelations beyond what Mueller has already released. Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice but also that there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy between Trumps campaign and Russia.
House Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry have yet to try to force Bolton to testify, and a subpoena for Boltons former deputy, Charles Kupperman, to appear was withdrawn. Democrats have said they dont want to get bogged down in court fights over testimony.
Charles Cooper, Kuppermans lawyer, said the McGahn ruling does not necessarily cover close presidential advisers whose responsibilities are focused exclusively on providing information and advice to the President on national security. Kupperman is pursuing a separate lawsuit in which he wants U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to rule whether he would be required to comply with a congressional subpoena.
Tony Hibbs
Tony Hibbs, age 66, of Gas, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at his home following his battle with cancer.
He was born Jan. 28, 1953, to Russell William Hibbs and Velda (Clay) Hibbs at Salinas, Calif. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Hibbs and granddaughter, Heidi Hibbs of the home; son, Jonathen Hibbs of Madison; and other relatives.
Memorial contributions may be made to help defray final expenses and left in care of Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US HWY 54, Iola, KS 66749.
Herschel Perry
Herschel Perry, age 86, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019.
He was born on Nov. 15, 1933, to Henry and Viola Perry in Colbert, Okla.
He served in the U.S. Army.
He married Barbara Perry on June 5, 1954, at Gas City. She survives.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Chapel, 1883 US Hwy 54. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery, Iola. Memorial contributions may be made to A.C.A.R.F. (Allen County Animal Rescue Foundation) and left in care of the funeral home.
UMW hears about trip
The Iola United Methodist Women met Nov. 14 at Calvary United Methodist Church.
Brody Nemecek told the women about an overseas trip to the United Kingdom and Ireland that he and other Southwind 4-H livestock team members took part in over the summer.
Nemecek impressed the club members with his leadership and speaking abilities.
Regina Woodworth and Linda Johnson served brunch.
Members gave to World Service Blankets, as well as to purchase hats and gloves for school children, and for 30 College We-care Boxes to be sent to those associated with the Iola UMC.
Lori Cooper discussed a number of events, including the 13 Reasons Why event Nov. 16-17, the church-sponsored Thanksgiving dinner held last week, and the church advent workshop held after Sundays church service at Wesley United Methodist Church.
The unit will host the April 25, 2020, Five Rivers Spring District UMW meeting.
After the meeting adjourned, the members assembled the college boxes to be delivered next week.
The next meeting is at 10 a.m. Dec. 12 at Calvary. Secret Sisters will be revealed, the Thank Offering collected and hats and gloves for school children will be gathered.
Special prosecutor appointed to Kansas senators DUI case
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A special prosecutor will decide whether to pursue a DUI charge against a Kansas legislator who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after his vehicle was found in a Topeka ditch.
Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said he assigned Franklin County Attorney Brandon Jones to state Sen. Vic Millers case. A special prosecutor investigates, and potentially prosecutes, cases in which a conflict of interest exists for the usual prosecuting authority.
Kagay asked Jones to take the case because prosecutors in Kagays office had appeared before Miller when he was administrative judge for the Topeka Municipal Court, a position he held from 2011 to 2015, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Having had direct dealings with him, and appearing in front of his committees during that process, I determined it would be best to have a special prosecutor review the case to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety, Kagay said.
Topeka police arrested the 68-year-old Democratic legislator in May after finding him inside his crashed vehicle in the ditch. Police said Miller wasnt injured but appeared intoxicated.
He was initially charged with DUI and inattentive driving in municipal court, but the citys chief of prosecution had those charges dismissed and referred the case to Kagays office due to potential conflicts that could have arisen in municipal court because Miller was previously employed there.
Trump’s actions raise concerns about military justice
WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Mark Esper declared that President Donald Trump ordered him to stop a disciplinary review of a Navy SEAL accused of battlefield misconduct, an intervention that raised questions about Americas commitment to international standards for battlefield ethics.
Espers comments on Monday were the latest twist in the case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, which led to a conflict between Trump and armed services leaders over military discipline. The dispute peaked over the weekend with the firing of Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer.
Gallagher was acquitted of murder in the stabbing death of an Islamic State militant captive but convicted by a military jury of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017.
Esper initially favored allowing the Navy to proceed with a peer-review board which could have resulted in Gallagher losing his SEAL status, but he said he was obliged to follow Trumps order. Still, Esper also directed the Pentagons legal office to review how service members are educated in the laws of armed conflict and trained to wartime behavioral standards.
I can control what I can control, Esper told reporters when asked whether Trump sent the right message to U.S. troops by intervening to stop the Gallagher review. The president is the commander in chief. He has every right, authority and privilege to do what he wants to do.
In yet another twist to the Gallagher saga, Esper also made an extraordinary accusation against Spencer.
Esper said Spencer had gone behind his back last week to propose a secret deal with the White House in which Spencer would fix the outcome of the Gallagher review. Esper said this was a violation of the military chain of command and said Spencer acknowledged his misstep.
Through a Navy spokesman, Spencer declined requests for comment on Espers allegation. However, in a letter to Trump on Sunday he said he could not in good conscience follow an order that he believed would undermine the principle of good order and discipline in the military suggesting he had been ordered to stop the peer-review process for Gallagher.
Trump began to get involved in the Gallagher case in the spring after Bernard Kerik, a former business partner to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, became an advocate for the family and made appearances in conservative media.
The SEAL also changed his defense team to include Marc Mukasey, a lawyer for the Trump real estate company.
The president has tweeted in support of Gallagher, praising the sailors service and saying the case was handled very badly from the beginning.
Earlier this month, Trump restored Gallaghers rank, which had been reduced in his military jury conviction.
Trump also pardoned two soldiers a former Army special forces soldier set to stand trial next year in the killing of a suspected Afghan bombmaker in 2010 and an Army officer who had been convicted of murder for ordering his soldiers to fire on three unarmed Afghan men in 2012, killing two.
Beyond the Spencer firing, the Gallagher case has raised questions about the appropriate role of a U.S. president in matters of military justice. Esper said Trump had a constitutional right to intervene, but others worry that such actions undermine the credibility of American claims to be a leader in ethical and lawful behavior on the battlefield.
What concerns me the most is the chilling effect this will have on special forces willingness to report when they see illegal behavior, James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral, said in an email to The Associated Press. That is tragic because in the end what separates us from our opponents on the battlefield is our willingness to follow the rule of law.
Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Army veteran, accused Trump of inappropriate involvement in the military justice system.
The White Houses handling of this matter erodes the basic command structure of the military and the basic function of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Reed said.
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, said Trumps action undercut the military.
We want to be a standard for the world in terms of rule of law, he said. Im concerned that it undermines our own military; it undermines our standing in the world.
Trump has said Gallagher was treated unfairly by the Navy.
I think what Im doing is sticking up for our armed forces, he said Monday. Theres never been a president who is going to stick up for them and has like I have.
Last week Trump tweeted that Gallagher must be allowed to retire as a SEAL, regardless of the Navys intention to review his standing in the elite force. Espers comments Monday revealed that on Sunday Trump had given the defense secretary a direct order to make this happen.
Even before receiving that order, however, Esper had decided the Gallagher process should be stopped. He said his rationale was that, given the events of the last few days, it was no longer possible for Gallagher to get a fair shake.
As professional as they are, he said of the Navy review board members, no matter what they would decide, they would be criticized from many sides, which would further drag this issue on, dividing the institution. I want the SEALs and the Navy to move beyond this now, fully focused on their warfighting mission.
In announcing Sunday that he had dismissed Spencer, Esper said he acted after learning of Spencers secret plan to guarantee in advance the outcome of the review board that was to convene next week.
Spencer had proposed a deal whereby if the president allowed the Navy to handle the case, he would guarantee that Eddie Gallagher would be restored to rank, allowed to retain his Trident and permitted to retire, Esper said Monday.
This was completely contrary to what Esper and the rest of the Pentagon leadership had agreed to, he said, and contrary to Spencers public position that the Navy disciplinary process should be allowed to play out with no interference.
Esper said he had previously advocated for allowing the Navy review to go forward. But when Trump gave him a verbal instruction to stop the process, he did so.
Esper did not say explicitly that he disagreed with Trumps order.
Once Trump gave the order, Esper said he responded, Roger. I got it.
Attorney general: Israels Netanyahu not required to resign
JERUSALEM (AP) Israels attorney general said Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not required to leave office following his indictment on corruption charges, giving a small boost to the embattled leader.
Avichai Mandelblit said in a statement that Netanyahu can remain interim prime minister, just days after serving him with charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Netanyahu faces calls from his opponents to step down following the indictment. Mandelblits opinion confirmed what had been a consensus legal view, that an indicted prime minister may remain in office while fighting criminal charges.
Israeli law requires other public officials, including Cabinet ministers, to resign if charged with a crime. But it doesnt explicitly state that a prime minister has to leave office in those circumstances.
Netanyahu is the first-ever sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime.
The attorney general did not weigh in on whether Netanyahu could keep his other ministerial positions while under indictment. Netanyahu also holds the agriculture, labor and welfare, health and Diaspora affairs portfolios.
Netanyahu, Israels longest serving prime minister, has dismissed the charges as an attempted coup and refused to resign. He says he will fight the charges from the prime ministers office.
The indictment comes at a delicate time following the failure by both Netanyahu and his chief rival, former military chief Benny Gantz, to secure a parliamentary majority and form a new government.
Israel has held two parliamentary elections this year in April and in September both of which resulted in political deadlock, with neither Netanyahu nor Gantz capable of mustering support for a ruling coalition.
Last week Gantz conceded he was unable to form a government, setting in motion a 21-day period for a majority of Israels 120-seat parliament to throw support behind Gantz, Netanyahu or a third candidate.
If a government is not formed by Dec. 11, Israel will be forced to hold elections for the third time in a 12-month period.
The Justice Ministry said the attorney general did not evaluate the legality of whether the president could task an indicted politician with forming a new government, which he said remained theoretical.
Jackson continues MVP caliber season
LOS ANGELES (AP) Eric Weddle is rarely at a loss for words, but the safety was speechless and flabbergasted after his Los Angeles Rams were dominated by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.
Then again, plenty of teams have been left speechless after seeing Lamar Jackson up close and personal.
I never thought in a million years we would get completely destroyed. Its tough to put into words, Weddle said after the Rams 45-6 loss. They are one of the best teams in the league. They are playing at a high level and we didnt match up to it.
The Rams became the first defense in nearly 11 years to allow a touchdown on each of their first six possessions. They also allowed 285 rushing yards, which is the most that a Wade Phillips defense has allowed when he has been either a coordinator or head coach.
Weddle thought that the Rams would be able to adjust to Jacksons speed after the first couple drives, but it never happened. It wasnt until Baltimores eighth possession, when Robert Griffin III was under center, that the Rams finally forced a punt.
For those who thought that Weddle might have a little bit of an advantage after being on the same team as Jackson last year, Weddle had a simple retort he wasnt running this offense as a scout-team quarterback.
You cant emulate it. Lamar is the fastest guy on the field. Hes a MVP candidate for a reason, Weddle said. Half the time I didnt know who had the ball until I had to go to the line and tackle him.
Baltimore averaged 5.9 yards per rushing play. The only time they had negative rushing yards was Griffins kneel downs at the end of the game.
Jackson completed 15 of 20 for 169 yards and four touchdowns along with 95 yards rushing. He joined Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks to throw four touchdowns and run for over 90 yards in a game.
They ran hard and were efficient moving the ball. We didnt do enough. It was one of those deals where it spiraled out of control, linebacker Clay Matthews said.
While Baltimore was nearly perfect on offense, the Rams made plenty of mistakes. They went three-and-out on their first two possessions and saw Baltimore turn those into touchdowns. Los Angeles drove to the Ravens 7 on their third series, but a false start penalty and Todd Gurley losing 5 yards on a screen pass from Jared Goff ended up with them settling for a field goal.
It is the second time in three games the Rams have failed to score an offensive touchdown, while the six points matches last years loss at Chicago for least scored in Sean McVays three seasons as coach.
Theres a million things (that have gone wrong this season). We have to be better consistently, said Goff, who was 26 of 37 for 212 yards and two interceptions.
The Rams (6-5) are two games back of Minnesota for the final playoff spot in the NFC. They travel to Arizona on Sunday before hosting Seattle and then going to Dallas and San Francisco before closing with the Cardinals.
While the odds of the defending NFC champions getting back to the postseason are high, Matthews said they cant let Mondays loss linger.
No one envisioned being in this situation. You figure coming off last season with a few free agents and the draft we would be better. We have to start winning, he said.