Hasta La Gadget!

WASHINGTON ― Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, will vote to block President Donald Trump’s plan to ship over $500 million of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, his office said Monday in a statement provided exclusively to HuffPost.

Schumer’s decision makes him the most powerful supporter of a resolution of disapproval from Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that is designed to show U.S. condemnation for the Saudis’ controversial role in a bloody civil war in Yemen.

“I will support Senator Murphy’s resolution of disapproval. The human rights and humanitarian concerns have been well documented and are important,” Schumer said Monday. “Of equal concern to me is that the Saudi government continues to aid and abet terrorism via its relationship with [a hard-line school of Islam known as] Wahhabism and the funding of schools that spread extremist propaganda throughout the world.”

The announcement is the clearest sign yet that the Senate push against the weapons transfer ― blocked by the Obama administration but recently approved as part of Trump’s planned $110 billion package for Saudi Arabia ― will fare better than a similar attempt to block a U.S.-Saudi tank sale last fall. Schumer did not support that effort by Murphy and his partners.

Two other top Democrats who opposed last year’s motion are also on board this year: Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

General Democratic unity against the sale now seems likely. It’s a win-win: a way for them to show opposition to Trump, who has pulled the Saudis close, and to burnish their humanitarian credentials.

The key for activists trying to pressure Saudi Arabia will now be convincing more red-state Democrats, like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Iran hawk Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to join the cause. They also hope to win over some Republicans who have been willing to take stances on human rights issues, like Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Senators are expected to vote Tuesday afternoon on the resolution to disapprove of the sale, a congressional aide told HuffPost.

The resolution comes as the Saudis continue to fight in Yemen, where they and allies in a U.S.-backed coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, are responsible for thousands of civilian deaths and a worsening cholera outbreak.

All the while, the Saudis, the U.A.E. and others are isolating Qatar, a U.S. partner nation that hosts the biggest American base in the region. Tuesday’s vote would give the Senate a rare chance to weigh in on the actions of the U.S.-dependent kingdom.

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A convicted sex offender has been charged with murdering a 12-year-old Florida girl whose body was found in a creek last week.

The girl disappeared from outside her family’s Pensacola apartment in May. A fisherman found the body of Naomi Jones five days later.

Robert Letroy Howard, 38, who was dating a woman in the apartment complex where Naomi lived, was arrested Thursday, Escambia County Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said.

“We have caught our monster,” Simmons told reporters at a press conference. “We have caught the killer that took Naomi’s life.”

Howard is facing charges of first degree premeditated murder, kidnapping and failure to register as a sex offender.

According to Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, surveillance video captured Howard by the creek where Naomi’s body was found.

“Howard could not provide a viable alibi of his whereabouts during the disappearance of Naomi,” Morgan said.

Howard has been on the Alabama Sex Offender Registry since 1999 after being convicted of two counts of sexual assault and rape involving a 19-year-old victim. He was jailed 15 years for the offenses.

A report made by the sheriff’s office indicates Howard told investigators he “had nothing to do with killing Naomi Jones” and was in Alabama at the time. Morgan said detectives determined that was “false information.”

Naomi disappeared after she and her siblings returned home from an afternoon walk on May 31. She left behind her cellphone, keys and purse at her home.

Authorities said the girl was active on social media prior to her disappearance and that “tech surveillance” was “critical” in solving the case. However, investigators have declined to confirm whether Howard used social media to communicate with the victim.

 “He was not unknown to our victim,” Morgan said, without elaborating.

Authorities said they believe Naomi was killed within 24 to 36 hours of her disappearance. The medical examiner determined that the death was probably due to asphyxiation.

Howard, who is being held behind bars without bond, is scheduled to appear in court on June 30.

Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said their office is likely to seek the death penalty.

Howard’s sister, Althea Walker, told WKRG News that she disagrees with the way the sheriff’s office portrayed her brother.

“I want people to know he is not a monster,” Walker said.

The sheriff, who said investigators believe Howard acted alone, warned parents to be mindful of their children’s activities.

“Please be parents,” Morgan said. “Your children are carrying a handheld computer. It just happens to double as a cellphone … There are predators out there [and] you can’t protect your children from this unless you parent. That’s part of your job.”

David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.

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Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.

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One year ago today, 49 people were killed in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Today, we take a look back at the tragedy with the help of YouTubers Justin Gerhard and Riyadh Khalaf.

In the video above, Justin and Riyadh visit the former Pulse nightclub to commemorate those who we lost one year ago, and look toward the future. Through their words and sentiments, the grim look-back becomes recontextualized in a way that offers hope for the future of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and around the world.

Take some time today and consider how you can become an ally for the LGBTQ+ community. Under the looming shadow of Donald Trump, there’s never been a more important time to stand in support of LGBTQ+ rights.

Never forget this tragedy, but let’s all move forward together.

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The officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in July 2016 testified in court Friday that he fired his gun because he feared for his life.

Jeronimo Yanez, 29, said that after Castile informed the former St. Anthony, Minnesota, cop that he had a licensed firearm in the car, he told Castile not to reach for it. Yanez said that he saw Castile, 32, reaching for his gun in his pocket and reacted.

“I had no other choice. I didn’t want to shoot Mr. Castile. That wasn’t my intention,” Yanez said, according to local outlet WCCO. “I thought I was going to die.”

According to Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, who testified on Tuesday, he wasn’t reaching for the gun. Reynolds, who livestreamed the moments after Yanez fired his gun, told jurors that Castile posed no threat and he was reaching for his seatbelt to get his wallet just before Yanez pulled the trigger.

Reynolds said that as Yanez continued to point his weapon into the car after firing several shots, she feared for her safety and that of her 4-year-old daughter, who was also in the car. So she began recording. 

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How many times have you started an important task, only to find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram 20 minutes later ― and then chastising yourself for getting distracted?

Because of common (read: inevitable) instances like this, most people have negative, guilt-inducing associations around the concept of procrastination. But Dr. Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and co-host of the radio show “The Web,” says procrastination itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s how you approach it that determines whether it becomes a burden or a tool.

Procrastination is defined simply as “the act of delaying or postponing something,” Klapow said. But “most of us see it as a sign of fear, laziness, or otherwise avoidance behavior.”

This, however, isn’t always the case. Klapow said the key to using procrastination to your advantage is to take an active approach instead of a passive one.

“Never allow yourself to say, ‘I’m going to get to it.’ That is setting yourself up for failure,” he said.

Instead, use a method he calls “planned procrastination,” where you ask yourself why you need to delay taking action on something — maybe you’re too overwhelmed, too sleep-deprived to focus, or don’t yet have the right resources — and then postpone your task for a specific day and time. The difference here is intention. You’re consciously deciding how to spend your time, rather than letting procrastination be something that happens to you.

Next time you find yourself on the verge of procrastinating — by logging on to social media, perhaps, or leaning over your desk to chat with a co-worker — stop and ask yourself Klapow’s questions:

1. Is this task something I truly don’t have time for?

2. Is it something I have time for but don’t want to do?

3. Is it something I’m afraid to do?

4. Or something I don’t know how to do?

“If you plan your procrastination with an honest understanding of why you are delaying [your task] and a realistic, exact day and time allocation [for completing it], then you can simply enjoy the time off you give yourself in the delay,” Klapow said.

And though there are infinite ways to spend your time, you probably don’t want to squander a deliberate procrastination session by playing games on your phone or scrolling through Twitter ― at least not when you could engage in an activity that helps recharge your batteries and refocus your energy.

Follow these smart procrastination strategies to help set yourself up for productivity when you’re ready to get down to business:

Get out of your head and get moving

If you feel too tired or stressed to tackle your project, take a brisk walk outside, check out the local yoga class you’ve been wanting to try, or jog around your neighborhood.

It may seem counterintuitive to work out if you feel sluggish or anxious, but research shows that exercise is not only a powerful combatant against stress, it also has energizing effects ― meaning your sweat session can leave you feeling simultaneously calmer and more invigorated.

Even just 10 minutes of movement can help reset and improve your mood.

Declutter a problem area in your space.

If Marie Kondo has taught the world anything, it’s that tidying up your home is the key to joy, serenity, and success. Why? Because, as Klapow notes, clutter can cause distraction and stress, especially if the amount of stuff in your space makes it inconvenient or frustrating to accomplish mundane tasks like getting dressed or cooking dinner.

If you follow the KonMari method as a means of procrastination, though, you’ll be decluttering until your entire house is in perfect order — books alphabetized and socks neatly folded atop one another — which will likely take too much time. “The act of decluttering can be overwhelming depending on the size of the job, [and] thinking about how much work there is to do creates more stress,” Klapow said.

So think smaller. Pinpoint a visibly cluttered but contained space in your home, like your desktop, kitchen counter, or bathroom sink area, then determine a set amount of time you’ll spend tidying it up. Klapow explained that setting these specific parameters around a project helps you solve the problem without getting sidetracked.

Meditate or write in a journal.

Instead of pushing through a difficult task when you feel scattered or overwhelmed, pause and turn inward. A study in the American Journal of Hypertension found that regular transcendental meditation practices helped young adults lower their blood pressure, reduce stress, and improve their coping skills. Try meditating for two, five, or 10 minutes — whatever you feel comfortable with. As you breathe, observe the thoughts that come up, and practice acknowledging them without judgment or attachment.

If you’re not the meditation type, try free-writing in a journal — jot down dreams, brilliant ideas, worries, or things you’re grateful for. The simple act of paying attention to your thoughts can help you eliminate mental clutter and feel more relaxed.

Do something creative.

If you’ve consciously postponed the thing you need to get done, use your procrastination time to explore your creativity.

“Start very small and be very generous in your definition of creativity,” Klapow advised. “Maybe it’s arranging some flowers from your garden, maybe it’s doodling on a notepad, or maybe it’s writing a few sentences down.”

Research shows that creative expression through music, writing, visual arts, dance, and the like can help lower stress levels and promote relaxation. Pick your favorite activity, whether it’s cooking, crafting, dancing, or playing guitar, and give yourself the freedom to enjoy it without restriction, judgment, or self-imposed pressure.

Next time you feel the urge to put off a task, try this method out. Chances are you’ll walk away with renewed energy and inspiration.

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