Pentagon plans to increase drone flights by 50 percent

Pentagon plans to increase drone flights by 50 percent

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va.

Faced with escalating aggression from Russia and China, the Pentagon is planning to increase its use of drones by about 50 percent over the next several years, using the Army and civilian contractors to put more of the unmanned aircraft in the air.

The decision to add Army and civilian-operated missions to the mix was triggered because the Air Force – which had been running about 65 combat air-patrol missions a day – asked to decrease that number to 60 because of stress on the force. But 60 patrols don’t come close to meeting the demands of top military commanders facing growing security threats around the world.

Planned Parenthood asks judge for emergency ruling

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

Planned Parenthood in Florida asked a judge Monday for an emergency ruling to allow them to continue performing abortions at 12 and 13 weeks after a discrepancy with the state about what constitutes first- and second-trimester abortions.

The request comes after state health officials recently inspected 16 Planned Parenthood facilities and said three were performing second-trimester abortions when they were licensed to perform first-trimester abortions.

Indonesian plane was carrying cash for poor families

JAYAPURA, Indonesia

An airplane with 54 people on board that crashed in the mountains of eastern Indonesia was carrying nearly half a million dollars in government cash for poor families to help offset a spike in fuel prices, an official said Monday.

Smoldering wreckage of the Trigana Air Service turboprop plane was spotted from the air Monday morning in a rugged area of the easternmost province of Papua, rescue officials said. There was no immediate word of any survivors from Sunday’s crash, which happened in bad weather.

Four postal workers aboard the plane were escorting four bags of cash totaling $468,750 in government fuel aid, Franciscus Haryono, the head of the post office in Jayapura, the provincial capital, told The Associated Press.

Study links preterm birth with microbes

WASHINGTON

Scientists might have found a new way to tell who’s at risk of having a premature baby, by checking the bacterial community that lives in mom’s reproductive tract.

Trillions of microbes share our bodies, living on the skin or in the gut, mouth or vagina, what scientists call our microbiome. Many of these germs play critical roles in health, from good digestion to robust immunity, but they can contribute to health problems if they get out of whack.

Ex-police officer indicted in shooting

FAIRFAX, Va.

A former Fairfax County police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man as he stood inside his front door with his hands up in 2013 was indicted Monday on a second-degree murder charge, authorities said.

A special grand jury convened by Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh returned the indictment against Adam Torres, 32, in the shooting death of John Geer of Springfield.

Torres fatally shot Geer, 46, in August 2013 after a report of a domestic dispute. Witnesses, including other officers, said Geer was unarmed and had his hands up when he was shot. Torres told investigators he thought Geer might have a weapon hidden in his pants.

Associated Press