The Defense Department's Inspector General has opened an investigation into whether U.S. troops were discouraged from reporting the rape and sexual abuse of children by their Afghan allies.

The online gambling ring allegedly used an offshore website to help book $32 million in illegal sports wagers placed by more than 2,000 bettors in the United States.

This November, explore an unsolved string of murders from the past, and the dangerous new rise of ISIS in Afghanistan.

A.C. Thompson and Richard Rowley’s search for answers into the killings of five Vietnamese-American journalists took them from cities like Houston and San Francisco, to the jungles of Southeast Asia, to the corridors of power in Washington.

From 1981 to 1990, five Vietnamese-American journalists were killed in what some suspected was a string of political assassinations. Why did the murders go unsolved?

Unless the Supreme Court acts fast, the window might be closed for President Obama on immigration reform.

As ISIS expands its reach into Afghanistan, it is training children and teenagers to become the next generation of jihadis.

Najibullah Quraishi has covered the war in Afghanistan for more than a decade, but embedding with ISIS fighters who've recently emerged there "was the most risky and dangerous job ever I've done in my life," he says.

BEST FITNESS TRACKER DEALS:

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Wellness is a buzzy word lately. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in all things health, wellness, and spirituality. Juice bars are popping up, boutique studios are becoming more accessible, and essential oils are chilling us out. Self-care is becoming more of the norm too, but amidst all this hype, it can be challenging to find the right routine that promotes good exercise, sleep, vitals, and mindset.  Read more...

BEST DEALS ON HEADPHONES:

• Jaybird - RUN XT Sport True Wireless In-Ear Headphones — $179.99

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The only thing more important to runners than their sneakers is a quality pair of headphones and a killer playlist. Running without music is like some form of medieval torture: it sucks. And cheap, crappy headphones just aren't going to cut it.

When shopping for a quality pair of headphones to wear while running, you'll want to look at a few key factors: Are they sweatproof/waterproof? Will they stay in your ears? Are the volume controls easily accessible? If you answer no to any of these questions, then you know the headphones aren't going to work. Read more...

All it took was a pandemic, but the long-running joke finally became a reality: DEF CON is canceled. 

The annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, typically draws tens of thousands of attendees to talk shop, compare notes, and generally cause delightful mischief. One element of that mischief is the constant — and until now false — yearly claim that DEF CON is canceled. The coronavirus changed that, and the organization announced Friday that the in-person conference will not take place this year. 

"The #DEFCONiscanceled meme has crossed over into real life, courtesy of #COVID19," read the announcement. "In early March we had hopes that things would be stable by August. That is no longer realistic." Read more...

Google's video chat app got new features this week. No, the other one. No, the other other one.

In a Friday blog post, Google announced some snazzy new features for Duo, one of its three video chat services. Let's get this out of the way early: Duo is the one that's mobile-friendly and resembles FaceTime more than Hangouts and Meet.

The new features make more sense with that in mind. Google added something called "Family Mode" to Duo, in which you can draw silly little doodles on the video feed, presumably to amuse the little ones on the call. There are also AR effects you can use on one-on-one calls on Android and iOS, similar to those available on Facebook's video calls. Read more...

Between the infamous Peloton commercial, the wild Boyhood wannabe that ended up being a Subway ad, and the endless #girlboss marketing reminding you that even women can be part of the capitalist machine, 2019 was a year for advertising. 

But nothing quite tops this one, which was released in September but resurfaced in a viral tweet on Friday.  

The ad starts off with a bleak statistic: women hold just 10 percent of all patented inventions. Then, it pans over to a delightful montage of ambitious young women. Each one is filmed preparing for their career goals, from mixing delicate chemicals in a laboratory to carefully testing the consistency of soil.  Read more...

Apple, dear reader, has been missing you — and it's banking on the fact that you've been missing the opportunity to touch its products before you buy them, too. 

In an effort to ease this assuredly mutual feeling of longing, the company confirmed on Friday plans to begin reopening some of its U.S. stores as early as MondayApple had been aiming for a May reopening for some time, but now it's official. 

So reports CNBC, which notes that the openings are, for now, limited to stores in four states: Idaho, South Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska.

"We've missed our customers and look forward to offering our support," an Apple spokesperson told CNN Business.  Read more...

TL;DR: Have a hot meal wherever you go with the Go portable solar oven for $119, a 14% savings as of May 9.

As we look toward upcoming summer festivities, our calendars are looking pretty bleak. Nearly every event has been postponed. Festival season was straight-up canceled. And gatherings in public places are basically extinct. With fewer options on the table, you're probably going to be spending a lot of time enjoying the great outdoors in small groups or on your own as the weather warms up. By then, you'll be sick of staying home, so it's a good thing nature isn't canceled.

As you head outside for your camping, hiking, biking, and beach excursions, you'll probably need a way to cook your own food, especially if restaurants are still closed or operating on abbreviated hours. We've got just thing, and it's on sale: the Go Portable Solar Oven. All you need is a little bit of sun and this lightweight grill can cook just about anything. Read more...

TL;DR: Give a meaningful gift during these difficult times with a Tribute Video Montage for $64.99, a 34% saving as of May 9.

A Zoom happy hour only goes so far.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate and send affection to your loved ones, regardless of the reason, check out Tribute Video Montage as an alternative to those wonky (and sometimes awkward) video calls. 

Sending a Tribute might just be one of the best morale-boosting presents you can send during these trying times. It's a way for friends and family to share their love and appreciation for someone they want to celebrate, whether for a major milestone, like a 50th anniversary or 30th birthday or just because. The platform is super easy to use and breaks a 10-hour process down to just 10 minutes. Read more...

TL;DR: Skate just about anywhere you please with the lightweight Ubran E-Skateboard for $124.95, a 75% savings as of May 9.

When in doubt, skate it out. But not everyone is cut from the same cloth as Tony Hawk, and it won't make sense to try and skateboard if you know you're just going to fall flat on your butt. 

Luckily, the universe is on the side of frustrated skaters everywhere with the emergence of devices like the Urban E-Skateboard. Not only does it take all the guesswork out of skating, but it's eco-friendly, too. And for a limited time, you can get it on sale for $124.95.

At only 7 pounds and 17 inches, the Urban E-Skateboard makes it easy for you to transport it anywhere you go. When you're not, you know, skating, you can easily stuff it in your bag for fuss-free storage. It connects with a wireless remote that allows you to control your speed and choose between three speed modes, accommodating just about every rider's experience level. Read more...

Americans have been receiving contradictory information about the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that it's become a joke. One example is face masks: In March, the World Health Organization advised people to not wear masks if they aren't sick or caretakers of the sick. 

But given that some coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, opinions of masks from top officials have shifted. The CDC and the media now advise you to wear a damn mask. And a new study may provide more evidence that masks can help beat the outbreak.

According to this study, if 80 percent of Americans wore masks, coronavirus infections would plummet, Vanity Fair reports. The title of the study makes the researchers' view clear: Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read more...

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. Read more...

The internet is a scary enough place as it is, and now with the added misinformation and panic surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's even scarier. Thanks to the United Nations and dozens of artists, however, the internet just got a little more beautiful. 

In late March, the UN put a call out to artists to help combat the spread of COVID-19. They sought creatives to create content around six areas of WHO and UN priority actions: personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms, spreading kindness, myth-busting, and doing more/donating. Tens of thousands of artists answered the call in two weeks, and now the COVID-19 Response Creative Content Hub is available for browsing.  Read more...

What happens when memers meet the subject of their memes? In the case of the BA Test Kitchen meeting the brains behind @meme_appetit, pure gold. Harry Kersh and Will Martin started the accounts when they discovered their shared love of BA videos, and the Instagram and Twitter accounts have since taken off. 

Now with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram, the account has a lot of fans — including some members of the test kitchen. In this video, the BA cooks explain why they love (or dislike) some of the account's memes, whether it's accurate, and whether they even "get it." Watch them react to various memes and Kersh and Martin attempt to explain their reasoning behind them. Read more...

In a startling turn for a robot that has long haunted your dreams, Boston Dynamics' Spot has been tasked to encourage healthy behavior. 

According to the Straits Times, the robot "dog" has been assigned to patrol the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park in Singapore with the express purpose of encouraging social distancing. 

"Let's keep Singapore healthy," sounds a recording from the robot as it trots by two terrified people relaxing on a park bench in the above video. "For your own safety, and those around you, please stand at least one meter apart. Thank you."

Notably, Spot's jaunt is part of a two-week trial that began Friday. The robot will supposedly not collect any personal information on the people it admonishes.  Read more...

Freeman Dyson died last week at the age of 96 after injuring himself in a fall in the cafeteria at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, where he had continued to work right up to the end. I can’t resist adding to the outpouring of appreciation and love that has ensued. He has an […]

Last year, when we felt interest in artificial intelligence (AI) was approaching a fever pitch, we created a survey to ask about AI adoption. When we analyzed the results, we determined the AI space was in a state of rapid change, so we eagerly commissioned a follow-up survey to help find out where AI stands […]

Rita J. King, co-director and EVP for business development at Science House, recently conducted a series of interviews with business leaders, exploring the challenges and hurdles companies face in evolving business landscapes. In this interview, King chats with Craig Lemasters, CEO of Global Executive Group, about what companies face when navigating the digital transformation. They […]

Rita J. King, co-director and EVP for business development at Science House, recently conducted a series of interviews with business leaders, exploring the challenges and hurdles companies face in evolving business landscapes. In this interview, King chats with James Jorasch, founding CEO of Science House, about the importance of innovation and how to inspire and […]

Rita J. King, co-director and EVP for business development at Science House, recently conducted a series of interviews with business leaders, exploring the challenges and hurdles companies face in evolving business landscapes. In this interview, King chats with Dana Codispoti, head of HR Transformation at AIG, about how to address the human factor in business […]

I interviewed four business leaders in late 2019 to get their perspectives on the biggest obstacles and opportunities organizations are facing. Craig Lemasters was the president and CEO of Assurant Solutions. Under his leadership, Assurant Solutions doubled in size to $4B, underwent a digital transformation to expand an offering of risk management solutions in the […]

In a world focused on buzzword-driven models and algorithms, you’d be forgiven for forgetting about the unreasonable importance of data preparation and quality: your models are only as good as the data you feed them. This is the garbage in, garbage out principle: flawed data going in leads to flawed results, algorithms, and business decisions. […]

We’ve all seen that the world (well, governments, specifically state governments, to say nothing of the banks) is screaming for COBOL programmers—a cry that goes up roughly every five years. We somehow muddle through the crisis at hand, then people forget that it was ever a problem. It’s time we asked what the crisis really […]

Yesterday saw the online premier of a mini-episode of a new animated comic series based on the classic Gilbert Shelton underground comic, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. As a hippie wannabe teen in the 70s, this (and Zap! Comics) was everything to me.

In 1969, life in San Francisco consists of free love, communal living, and political protest. Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek (Harrelson), Fat Freddy Freekowtski (Goodman), Phineas T. Phreakers (Davidson) and their mischievous, foul-mouthed cat, Kitty (Haddish) spend their days dodging many things —- the draft, the narcs, and steady employment -– all while searching for an altered state of bliss.

But after partaking of a genetically-mutated strain of marijuana, the Freaks wake up 50 years later to discover a much different society. Quickly feeling like fish out of water in a high-tech world of fourth-wave feminism, extreme gentrification and intense political correctness, the Freaks learn how to navigate life in 2020 -— where, surprisingly, their precious cannabis is now legal.

OK, sounds good. But is it? If the reaction to the first mini-episode is any indication, maybe the Freaks should have remained in their drug-induced coma. As one Facbooker commented: "Get yourself a collected set of the original comic and skip this drivel!"

Read the rest

A couple of days ago, Thomas Dolby posted this video to Twitter and YouTube of a track called "Corona and the Pirate Twins," a spoof of his 1982 hit, "Europa and the Pirate Twins." The song is credited to Dolby Kids. Thomas included the following note:

"This is what my mischievous offspring have been getting up to during the Lockdown."

Here is the original video for "Europa..."

Bonus track:

And here is Thomas Dolby doing a touching home solo version of his achingly beautiful "Screen Kiss" from 1984's Flat Earth. He did it as a tribute to Matthew Seligman, the celebrated bassist who recently died of COVID-19. Seligman played bass on Dolby's recordings, including Flat Earth, and also played for Bowie, Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Murphy, and countless others. He was also a member of the Soft Boys.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

The Leopards Ate My Face subreddit is dedicated to mocking people who thought the Republican party would hurt their enemies only to be surprised to find that it hurts them, too. Inspired by a tweet by Adrian Bott—'I never thought leopards would eat MY face,' sobs woman who voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party—it has now banned posts about people who claimed Covid-19 was bullshit only to die of Covid-19. There are simply too many, and it's getting depressing.

"We've seen a billion of them in the past two weeks and the vast majority of them don't fit the subreddit," writes moderator u/ROBOT_OF_WORLD. "People dying from their decisions isn't justice, karmic, or funny." Read the rest

Jennifer Usellis-Mackay, aka the Klingon Pop Warrior, sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in her native tongue. The performance took place in 2015 at Chicago's iO Theater. From the video description:

Opening for Improvised Star Trek, I sang a new (old) song. Got some newly translated words the day of the performance... enjoy this little slice of nerdiness... or don't.

Vocals - The Klingon Pop Warrior (Jennifer Usellis-Mackay) Guitar - The Red Shirt (Joe Mizzi) Translation - Admiral qurgh (Christopher Lipscombe) Video - Eric Scull

(via r/ObscureMedia) Read the rest

This Sunday, Weezer will cameo on The Simpsons and as a teaser, the band released their cover of "The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman. From Rolling Stone:

In the new episode of The Simpsons, Weezer will play a cover band called Sailor’s Delight, which serves as the house act on a romantic cruise Homer and Marge are taking. Sailor’s Delight will “perform” a handful of tracks from Weezer’s 2019 self-titled record (also known as The Black Album) and their 2017 effort Pacific Daydream, while the episode will also boast the premiere of the band’s new song, “Blue Dream,” from their upcoming LP, Van Weezer.

CNBC reports that an aide to Pence has tested positive for COVID-19. This follows yesterday's report that Trump's personal valet tested positive for the virus.

A spokeswoman for Pence did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Pence was scheduled to travel to Des Moines, Iowa, in the morning, but his departure from Andrews Air Force Base was delayed by nearly an hour as staff dealt with news of the diagnosis. Reporters traveling with Pence said several staffers disembarked from Air Force Two just before takeoff.

Photo of Pence: Know Your Meme Read the rest

The LockPickingLawyer easily opens this Yale Y500 Combination Key Access padlock with just a sliver of aluminum from a soda can.

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These little silicone rubber bowls come in handy in so many ways.

I use them with my digital scale to measure the bulk powder supplements I take. We use them at the dinner table to hold condiments. We use them while preparing meals to hold spices and minced herbs. I keep finding new ways to use them. For instance, when I fry or scramble eggs, I now crack the eggs over one of these bowls so I can pull out shell pieces and woogers (I wish I had a wooger snatcher but the bowl will have to do). Read the rest

If you’re an entrepreneur or marketer who hasn’t embraced webinars yet, you probably need to rethink your strategies. Over 60 percent of marketers say they use webinars as a key part of their content marketing strategy — and over 70 percent say it’s the best way to generate high-quality business leads.

Thankfully, one of the silver linings to our new quarantine, work from home lifestyles lately is the explosion of conferencing software and Americans’ newfound enthusiasm for video group meetups. 

Vidthere is one of the services that has considered the needs of large and small groups trying to maintain connections over distance, offering a suite of web-based communication tools that centralizes everything in one easy-to-use place.

Vidthere is a live video platform for everyone, featuring loads of internal communications features as well as options to sell and market directly to customers.

With webinars emerging as a key means to engage customers and sell products, Vidthere gives you all the tools to do that from any location. Vidthere offers the opportunity to deliver live video webinars that are easy for both presenters and users. 

Vidthere is entirely web-based, so users never need to download any software to join a Vidthere session. As for sessions, they combine no-lag high-quality performance with the ability to scale to the size of an audience with no video loss. Plus, every Vidthere meeting or webinar has a powerful chat feature so users can engage easily.

As for presenters, Vidthere events support up to 30 meeting participants and an unlimited number of webinar viewers, with options to support screen sharing, video in video presentation, and a whiteboard mode, a full basket of tools to help contour any presentation just the way you want it. Read the rest

One positive upside of the past two months is how sheltering at home has all but emptied area animal shelters. It’s tough to get solid numbers nationally, but shelters in cities and regions all across America are reporting massive surges in animal adoptions. 

Even the steep increase in Google searches for “adopt a pet,” up a whopping 335 percent in April, proves what we probably all knew anyway — that in times of stress, having a furry friend is a huge comfort for millions.

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the past two months is there are no trainers available to help whip some of these new family pets, particularly puppies, into shape. From barking and jumping to house training and scratching, The Complete Guide to Puppy and Dog Training Bundle is a full plan for getting the newest member of your family integrated into the house safely and sanely all by yourself.

The collection includes eight courses all geared toward getting a new dog or puppy behaving the right way. And if you’ve ever had any thoughts about starting a dog training business of your own, this coursework is a perfect starting spot.

Puppies: A-Z Guide to Puppy & Dog Training kicks off the learning, explaining the best way to train, teach and socialize your puppy so they grow into a joyful, well balanced, and well-behaved dog. 

Of course, most puppies each have their particular issues, so a handful of courses look more closely at some of the tactics for helping your puppy overcome certain challenging behaviors. Read the rest

The "transient bazaar" known as Lost Horizon Night Market is a covert operation. Worlds are imagined and then built inside the blank canvasses of empty box trucks. For the event, all the "proprietors," and their appointed box trucks, convene in an unsanctioned, though discreet, location. This location is disclosed to would-be "shoppers" via text just a few hours before it starts. Word of the market generally spreads rapidly but not publicly, definitely not by social media. If you're lucky enough to hear about it, you should go.

So, Happy Mutants, this is your heads up. Lost Horizon Night Market: Quarantine Edition is happening Saturday, May 9, from 6:59p EST until 11:59p EST, "rain or shine." This one is a little different, as the spaces are virtual, not in actual, physical trucks. I got a sneak peek yesterday of what's been created and can't wait to dive in deeper. Admission is free, though tips are appreciated. RSVP here.

Previously: Secret box truck 'night market' pops up again in NYC Read the rest

I have a love/hate relationship with musical reaction videos. There are kids reacting to heavy metal (or The Beatles), vocal teachers and opera singers reacting to rock vocalists, millennials reacting to classic rock, and on and on. Some of these are quite moving, for instance, a 20-something hearing Zep's "Since I've Been Loving You" for the first time or a vocal teacher reacting to a Black Metal vocalist's cookie monster growl.

In these two videos, Heline, a classical flutist and music teacher, listens to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson performing "Bouree" at a 1969 concert and then she listens and reacts to a performance from 1976.

I didn't realize that Anderson had only been playing the flute for a year and had no formal training at the time of the 69 video (their first tour). Heline can appreciate his chutzpah in the first performance and the fact that he's only been playing for a year(!), but is perhaps predictably critical of his playing. She is more impressed with what she sees and hears in the 76 performance.

Personally, I always thought his playing was inspired and his playing, vocalizing, singing and playing, and his other stage antics (the goofy one-legged stance) were a perfect example of "the street finding its own uses for things," using technology in ways in which it was never intended. As with all things artistic, your mileage may vary.

Image: YouTube Read the rest

Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act's famed white tigers, has died. He was 75.

Quebec public health officials announced Saturday that a total of 2,786 people have died from COVID-19 and there are now 36,986 confirmed cases.

A transit centre in north Edmonton was evacuated for about two hours Saturday morning due to a suspicious package.

Tens of thousands of other crew members have been trapped for weeks aboard dozens of cruise ships around the world -- long after governments and cruise lines negotiated their passengers' disembarkation. Some have gotten ill and died; others have survived but are no longer getting paid.

Canada Post's main plant in Calgary has six confirmed cases of COVID-19. That news was confirmed Friday by Dr. Deena Hinshaw at her daily update.

The flood stricken Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo says it is on track to lift its boil water advisory sooner than it was originally projected.

While the birds are is still listed as endangered in Canada and Alberta, the population has experienced a comeback in recent years.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will not pay the full price for medical masks that do not live up to medical standards.