Douglas Ernst

Facebook looks to extend reach by acquiring drone company

On Monday, technology website TechCrunch reported that Facebook is looking to buy Titan Aerospace, the makers of "near-orbital, solar-powered drones which can fly for five years without needing to land." Published March 4, 2014

Boy gives soldier $20 he found because troops remind him of father ‘in heaven’

Eight-year-old Myles Eckert found $20 in a parking lot, but it didn't last long. He gave the money to a soldier who reminded him of his father "in heaven." Published March 4, 2014

Turkish Air Force scrambles jets after Russian plane flies near its Black Sea coast

Turkish F-16s had to be scrambled Monday when a Russian surveillance plane flew along its Black Sea coast, Reuters reported. Published March 4, 2014

‘Unlock Iran’ website gives glimpse of nation’s political prisoners

Hundreds of journalists, students, artists and scientists sit in prison for simply being themselves, and now the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center has found a way to digitally link the Western world to their plight via social media. Published March 4, 2014

Studies raise questions about Army standards for mental illness screening

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. soldiers had a common mental illness, such as depression, panic disorder or ADHD, before enlisting in the Army, according to a new study that raises questions about the military's assessment and screening of recruits. Published March 4, 2014

Giuliani survived Sicilian mafia’s ‘Boss of bosses’ contract on his life

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani had the mafia "Boss of bosses" out to kill him in the 1980s. Published February 28, 2014

Planned Parenthood president: Start of life not ‘really relevant’ to abortion discussions

The president of Planned Parenthood doesn't believe that the question "When does life start?" is relevant to a discussion on the services her organization provides. Published February 28, 2014

Russia invades Crimea region, capital; armored personnel carriers roll in

Russian armored personnel carriers are on their way to Crimea, and Ukrainian officials are calling it a "military invasion and occupation." Published February 28, 2014

Japanese city: No ‘scary’ tattoos allowed at beach popular with U.S. troops

Japan gave the world samurai, but now one of its cities has banned "scary" tattoos on a beach frequented by American soldiers. Published February 27, 2014

Iran on nuclear negotiations: ‘We will not close any program’

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wants the world to know that the country's nuclear program will be going nowhere. Published February 27, 2014

French automaker: Car that runs on compressed air will hit streets in 2015

French automaker Peugeot plans to release the first car that uses compressed air to increase fuel efficiency by 2015, which would make hybrid cars that run on batteries a thing of the past. Published February 27, 2014

Spy chief urges Congress to take on cybersecurity: ‘Attacks are coming’

The head of the National Security Agency warned Congress on Thursday that cyberattacks "are coming" and that American is not ready for them. Published February 27, 2014

SpaceX on the verge of spy satellites

Billionaire Elon Musk's Calif.-based SpaceX is on the verge of entering a new frontier — spy satellites. Published February 27, 2014

Russian spy ship docked in Communist Cuba

Communist Cuba's state run media predictably did not make an announcement, but it's there — a Russian spy ship docked in Havana. Published February 26, 2014

Richard Clarke: Potential for American ‘police state’ created by NSA

A former cybersecurity adviser to President George W. Bush fears that the NSA has created the "potential for a police state" to emerge in the United States. Published February 26, 2014

N. Korea to United Nations: Help us with foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

North Korea has requested assistance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in dealing with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that has racked Pyongyang and its suburbs. Published February 26, 2014

‘Operation Wave’: Ukraine’s Yanukovych planned to ‘cleanse’ Kiev of protesters

Documents released by Ukrainian intelligence officials to one of the country's legislators show that ousted president Viktor Yanukovych had a plan called "Operation Wave," which would have "cleansed" Kiev of its protesters. Published February 26, 2014

Special forces to get ‘lethal’ headset: A ‘cross between the Terminator and Iron Man’

Soldiers are ready to a battlefield version of the Google glass, thanks to global defense, security and aerospace company BAE Systems. Wired magazine called the helmet-mounted display a 'lethal cross between the Terminator and Iron Man.' Published February 26, 2014

Soldier hides to avoid saluting flag, brags about it on Instagram

A solider has infuriated the online military community by posting a picture of herself on Instagram hiding in her car to avoid saluting the flag during retreat ceremony, which signals the end of duty for the day. Published February 25, 2014

Military commissary budget slashed $1B

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans to decrease the size of U.S. military commissaries, which will take a $1 billion hit over the next three years. Published February 25, 2014