ECHO PAPA EXPOSED

One of the mechanics soon recognized Echo Papa from news photos — he was Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater. Several of the Airborne staff whispered among themselves, astonished that they had been working for America’s best-known mercenary. The secrecy and strange modification requests of the past four months began to make sense. In addition to surveillance and laser-targeting equipment, Airborne had outfitted the plane with bulletproof cockpit windows, an armored engine block, anti-explosive mesh for the fuel tank, and specialized wiring that could control rockets and bombs. The company also installed pods for mounting two high-powered 23 mm machine guns. By this point, the engineers and mechanics were concerned that they had broken several Austrian laws but were advised that everything would be fine as long as they all kept the secret.

https://theintercept.com/2016/04/11/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-drive-to-build-private-air-force/

Colorado GOP deletes #nevertrump tweet, pledges investigation

Moments after announcing that Ted Cruz had swept all 34 delegate slots at the Colorado GOP convention Saturday, the state party tweeted: “We did it. #NeverTrump.”

Within minutes, the tweet had been deleted.

Steve House, the Colorado GOP chairman, insisted his staff had nothing to do with the tweet and is now investigating.

“There’s no way we tweeted that,” House said, although he acknowledged that the state party was responsible for deleting it.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/colorado-gop-nevertrump-tweet-221766