No, Nextdoor: Humans were not here before coyotes

We have a long history of coddling coyotes. A large part of our affinity comes from the fact that coyotes are smarter than many humans, and they're especially more clever than most hair-on-fire alarmists on social media, especially, not surprisingly, the eternally fear-stricken people who tend to favor Nextdoor, where the cyclical cry for coyote eradication has once again flared up.

U.S. defense budget with lavish purchase plan faces doubts

The U.S. Department of Defense on Monday rolled out its budget for fiscal year 2019, asking Congress for 716 billion U.S. dollars for arms purchases and a staff expansion, and bringing a slew of questions and doubts. The entire budget consists of three parts -- the base budget of 617 billion U.S. dollars, covering Pentagon operation costs and arms procurement, the war fund, or Overseas Contingency Operations, of 69 billion dollars, and the defense budget of 30 billion dollars to keep other government agencies functioning.

Kinston native serves aboard one of the Navy’s most versatile combat ships Updated at

SAN DIEGO – A 2010 South Lenior High School graduate and Kinston native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of a crew working aboard one of the country's most versatile combat ships. Petty Officer 2nd Class Perry Witherspoon is an information systems technician serving aboard USS Gabrielle Giffords based in San Diego.

US Navy probes alleged drug use by sailors in Japan

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating Yokosuka-based sailors for alleged drug use and distribution," the 7th Fleet said, referring to its home base southwest of Tokyo. "The Navy has zero tolerance for drug abuse and takes all allegations involving misconduct of our sailors, navy civilians and family members very seriously," it said in a comment emailed to AFP.

U.S. Navy Probes Suspected Drug Selling, Use Among Sailors in Japan

Military is investigating at least a dozen sailors for suspicion of buying, selling, and using LSD, ecstasy and other drugs WASHINGTON-The U.S. Navy is investigating at least a dozen U.S. sailors based in Japan, some serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, for suspicion of buying, selling, and using LSD, ecstasy and other drugs, U.S. Navy officials said Friday.

Foreign permits in Philippine Rise revoked to give way to Filipino marine research activities

Any foreign entity could still lodge a new application for marine research in the Philippine Rise, formerly known as Benham Rise, but they would now be required to get the prior approval of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., MalacaA ang clarified on Tuesday. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made it clear that there was no ban on future foreign exploration in the Philippine Rise, noting that President Rodrigo Duterte only revoked the existing foreign permits in the area to give priority to Filipino researchers.

Surf Passage

Sailors training to serve as SEALs participate in Surf Passage at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., Feb. 6, 2018. The surf course is one of many evolutions during the first phase of SEAL training.

Why do we monitor everyone in charge of nuclear weapons except presidents?

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists recently moved its Doomsday Clock 30 seconds closer to midnight , citing in part President Trump's rhetoric on nuclear weapons and minimizing of the science on climate change. According to this panel of experts and their symbolic clock, we are now two minutes from a human made global catastrophe - the closest we have come since the Cold War in 1953.

Regulator Okays Husky Energy to Restart SeaRose Operations

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board has announced it has lifted the notice to suspend operations for the SeaRose floating production, storage and offloading vessel and associated facilities. The January 17, 2018 C-NLOPB notice to suspend operations resulted from an incident in March 2017 where Husky Energy departed from its agreed Ice Management Plan by not disconnecting the vessel and sailing away when an iceberg entered its quarter-mile exclusion zone.

Trump will hail two Californians – a firefighter who saved…

Trump will hail two Californians - a firefighter who saved dozens of campers and boy who honors veterans' graves - in State of the Union speech Steve Oaks met David Dahlberg when they were tasked with saving 62 children and counselors from the Whittier fire last year. Oaks, a Santa Barbara County Fire Division chief, said that before Dahlberg left, "I wanted to look into his eyes to make sure the instructions were understood."

Around the Region Jan. 30

Members of the Tuscarora Creek Project Team invite volunteers to help clean up a section of the creek above and below the Oak Street Bridge at 1 p.m. Thursday. Oak Street Bridge connects Oak Street to East John Street a little past the Adam Stephen House.