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BATH, Maine — The Bath-built USS Zumwalt, the first-in-class “stealth” destroyer that left the Bath shipyard on Sept. 7, broke down Monday night while passing through the Panama Canal and was towed by tugs through the locks toward the Pacific Ocean. The DDG 1000, the first of a class of three destroyers that cost an estimated $22 billion combined, “suffered an engineering casualty,” the Navy Times reported. The Zumwalt was towed through the locks to Rodman, a former U.S. military base.

Just three weeks after commissioning the USS Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy has admitted it is canceling ammunition specially developed for the ship's high-tech gun systems because the rounds are too expensive. . The guns, tailor made for the destroyer, will be unable to fire until the Navy chooses a cheaper replacement round. The Zumwalt-class destroyers were conceived in the late 1990s as the first of a new generation of stealthy warships. The radar signature of the 610 foot long warship is that of a 50-foot fishing boat, making the Zumwalts great for getting in close to an enemy coastline and...

The Motorcycle Diaries is not a “coming-of-age” story as it has been described by a number of commentators. When Che Guevara took off on a motorcycle journey across South America he was not a teenager; he was 23-years-old and therefore already “of age.” In my view, this book has nothing to do with coming-of-age issues, rather it is a “hippie discovers communism” kind of story. The Che Guevara that we meet in The Motorcycle Diaries is a hippie who drifts from place to place without any coherent plan. He is alienated from society. He sees the ill effects of materialism...

After being mentored by the labor leader John L. Lewis, Alinsky founded the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), which trained community organizers around the country. Aided by the liberal millionaire Marshall Field III, Alinsky expanded his mission of inspiring and organizing poor, urban communities across America. "Reveille for Radicals," his 1946 book, became a best-seller. Perhaps even better known is his second book “Rules for Radicals,” which contains an acknowledgement to Lucifer, “who at least won his own kingdom.” During the 1960’s Alinsky set up institutes to train other organizers, and his reputation as an activist grew. In 1969 college student...

The U.S. Navy’s new high tech destroyer has been sidelined for repairs after suffering a seawater leak in its propulsion system less than a month before its expected commissioning.

The State Department is hosting a two-day conference on the world's oceans, beginning today, and it's expected to produce a raft of announcements and initiatives, including new marine protected areas -- one off the coast of New England -- as well as a ban on single-use plastic bags. Ahead of the conference, press reports said President Obama on Thursday will establish the first national marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean to permanently protect nearly 5,000 square miles of underwater canyons and mountains off the coast of New England. The White House said the designation will lead to a ban on...

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From morning into the late afternoon, all the "anchors" and all the "message" from FOX News cable is nothing but a non-stop attack on Trump, misrepresentation of Trump, lies from Hillary talking points from Trump, guests who are only there to attack Trump, only the negative polls but never the positive polls about Trump, and it is clear as a gun site what these POS's are, they are nothing but the disgusting creeps and losers of the Jeb Bush wing of the Republican establishment that really has one agenda and that is the globalist cheap labor agenda and open borders...

<p>The largest and most expensive destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy once headed to sea in a snowstorm during builder trials. Now, it's heading into the remnants of a tropical storm as it leaves Maine for good.</p> <p>The skipper is watching the weather as the stealthy Zumwalt destroyer prepares to depart from Bath Iron Works on Wednesday en route to its commissioning in Baltimore, and then to its homeport in San Diego.</p>

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been wearing an interesting pair of socks during practice. Kaepernick ignited a nationwide debate last Friday when he chose to sit during the national anthem at a home pre-season game in San Francisco. CBS Sports and a handful of Twitter users noticed that Kaepernick has been wearing practice socks that depict little cartoon police officers as pigs:

A top benefits appeals manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) didn’t show up for work for six months but kept cashing his federal paycheck as he opened and operated a motorcycle apparel and accessories business. Robert Gingell was paid $140,000 a year by VA throughout the time he claimed he was sick or working from home. He retired in September 2015 after being caught but was subjected to no punishment or restitution. He now operates Renegade Classics Northern Virginia in Manassas, Va., part of a nationwide chain of outlets that specializes in clothing and gear that appeals to...

President Obama called the shooting deaths of at least five Dallas police officers a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack” and a “wrenching reminder” of the sacrifices of law enforcement. Speaking from Warsaw on Friday after the first of a series of meetings with European Union and NATO leaders, the president said he had offered his condolences to the Dallas mayor overnight. “We are horrified over these events,” he said. “We stand united with the people in the police department in Dallas.” The officers were monitoring a peaceful protest Thursday of police shootings of black men this week in Minnesota and...

Following news that Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel had died on Saturday, anti-Israel writer Max Blumenthal called on people to avoid celebrating the life of one of the world's foremost chronicler of the Holocaust.

In 1955, the small Californian firearms company ArmaLite unveiled one of the most defining and influential rifles of the 20th century — the AR-10. The hard-hitting rifle would see extensive service in bitter colonial conflicts and provide the basis for the M-16, one of the most iconic rifles of all time.

During recent rally for his wife’s campaign, the 69-year-old ex-president was caught laying a kiss on a woman in the crowd. While politicians are known to shake hands and give the occasional cheek kiss, commenters have accused Slick Willie of crossing the line this time. “Yuck,” one commenter wrote. W”here’s Bill’s left hand? What’s with the woman clasping Bill’s neck?” Others agreed, saying, “Boy, he never stops does he, young or old.” As Radar readers recall, this is far from the first time that Bill has been accused of having inappropriate extramarital relationships.

President Obama is visiting Vietnam today and paused for a picture with communist party President Tran Dai Quang in front of a bust of Ho Chi Minh. Perhaps it’s just me, but given the nature of the diplomatic relationship this specific optic seems rather inappropriate.

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works delivered the first Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer to the Navy on Friday, Naval Sea Systems Command announced. The delivery of the 16,000-ton Zumwalt (DDG-1000) optimized for stealth and operations close to shore follows last month’s successful acceptance trials of the ship overseen by the service’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), Navy officials told USNI News. INSURV evaluated the ship’s hull, mechanical and engineering (HM&E) systems during the underway testing period last month. “Zumwalt’s crew has diligently trained for months in preparation of this day and they are ready and excited to take charge of...

BATH, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Navy is ready to take ownership of the Zumwalt, its largest and most technologically sophisticated destroyer. Sailors' uniforms and personal effects, supplies and spare parts are being moved aboard the 610-foot warship in anticipation of crew members taking on their new charge, said Capt. James Kirk, the destroyer's skipper. The Zumbalt is the first new class of warship built at Bath Iron Works since the Arleigh Burke slid into the Kennebec River in 1989. The shipyard is expected to turn the destroyer over to the Navy this week. "We've overcome lots of obstacles to...

Some of the smallest surface combatants in the U.S. Navy will be getting new missiles with "over the horizon" capabilities. The effort is part of a program to give the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program a major firepower boost. The Navy has announced that the USS Freedom, one of two types of the so-called Littoral Combat Ship, will be outfitted with the Norwegian-designed Naval Strike Missile. The missile will be ready for the Freedom's next deployment, whereupon it will be evaluated with an eye for fleet-wide adoption. The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, originally designed to provide a multi-mission ship...

This is one of the best pictures of the new USS Zumwalt destroyer yet. width=1000> There she is on her second (very successful) US Navy acceptance trials and will soon be turnd over to the US Navy soon. They will put her through her paces for the next 18 or more months before commissioning in late 2017 or so. Beautiful and very powerful, modern vessel. The second will launch soon. See my Flickr Album on this Ship for much more information