Douglas Ernst

Navy SEAL Angel Martinez-Ramos admits to drug smuggling

Angel Martinez-Ramos, an Navy SEAL who left active duty in 2010 to serve in the Reserve, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle drugs into the U.S.

May 7, 2014

World War Drone: Armed UAVs will cover the world within 10 years, experts tell defense site

Armed aerial drones will be in the possession of almost every country within a decade, and "it's too late for the United States to do anything about it."

May 6, 2014

Calif. bill would tax drivers per mile: ‘We’re being taxed on vacations?’

California state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier has introduced a bill that would tax motorists for each mile driven.

May 6, 2014

UPS delivers parts for $350K NOAA drone to college kid: ‘I think I just got a drone in the mail’

A college student attempting to order weight lifting equipment through the mail somehow received parts for a $350,000 drone from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.

May 6, 2014

John Podesta: Bill Clinton parlayed first Putin meeting into ‘vodka shot’ marathon in Moscow

No one told former President Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff John Podesta that what happens in Moscow stays in Moscow. Mr. Podesta told Runner's World magazine how the former president's first meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2000 was parlayed into a "vodka shot" marathon.

May 6, 2014

D.C. strip club evacuated after building collapse

A partial collapse of two buildings in downtown D.C. led to the evacuation an adult entertainment establishment next door on Friday afternoon.

May 2, 2014

Venezuela’s Maduro hails ration card to help deal with food shortages

A new ration card is the latest idea by Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro to deal with the country's perpetual food shortages.

May 2, 2014

‘I would be dead if I had stayed with the VA,’ says veteran who dealt with Phoenix hospital

A U.S. Army veteran had to wait almost two years before seeing a doctor at the Phoenix veterans hospital currently under investigations for allegations of corruption and unnecessary deaths. By that time, the veteran had stage-four prostate cancer.

May 2, 2014

Shariah law comes to first East Asian nation; Brunei blasted for ‘horrific and sickening’ move

Human rights groups blasted the oil-rich nation of Brunei for adopting a code of Islamic law that opens the door to "flogging, dismemberment and death by stoning," as punishment for crimes.

May 1, 2014

Lockheed Martin enters new arena: Drone systems

Lockheed Martin has been around for over 100 years, beginning with innovative work that was cheered on by men like Orville Wright. Now, the company has entered slightly new territory: drones.

May 1, 2014

‘Rules of engagement’ with polar bears needed, says Naval War College professor

A retired Navy officer and a professor of war games at the U.S. Naval War College has found a gap in national security preparedness: rules of engagement with polar bears.

May 1, 2014

UC Berkeley students told to pay up for cost of graduation ceremony featuring Nancy Pelosi

Students who graduate from the University of California-Berkeley can expect to spend roughly $120,000 for a four-year degree. This year, they still must pay an extra $10 to attend their own graduation ceremony, where they will also listen to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

April 30, 2014

Marine who lost legs in IED blast to receive ‘all-terrain’ wheelchair

A U.S. Marine who lost both legs after stepping on an roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2011 wouldn't let it stop him from hunting and fishing, but an all-terrain wheelchair from a nonprofit military advocacy group will make those activities much easier.

April 30, 2014

Federal government lost $11.2B on GM bailout: report

A Treasury watchdog's report released Wednesday estimated that the federal government lost $11.2 billion on its 2009 bailout of General Motors Company, almost $1 billion more than the Treasury Department's own estimated of $10.3 billion.

April 30, 2014

Defense Department may get drone director; House bill seeks independent oversight

New legislation introduced by Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee would require the creation of an independent organization within the Department of Defense to manage drones.

April 30, 2014

Al Qaeda group in Syria killing people and hanging them from crosses: report

A Syrian opposition group says that al Qaeda-backed rebels are executing people and hanging them crucifixion-style.

April 29, 2014

Ala. swimmer killed by tornado saved girlfriend’s life: ‘He always wanted to be a hero’

University of Alabama swimmer John Servati died from injuries he suffered during the tornadoes that ripped through the South on Sunday and Monday, but not before saving his girlfriend's life.

April 29, 2014

Quoting Winston Churchill’s criticism of Islam contributes to U.K. politician’s arrest

Quoting Winston Churchill's opinions on Islam contributed to a U.K. politician's arrest — and possible imprisonment of up to two years — on Saturday.

April 29, 2014

First FAA-approved drone testing facility to open in N.D.

The first of six FAA drone-testing sites for the nation will open next week in North Dakota.

April 29, 2014

Navy orders 10 nuclear subs for $17.6B in most lucrative contract ever

The U.S. Navy plans to build 10 new SSN 774 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines over the next five years. Price tag: $17.6 billion.

April 29, 2014