| Progressive Activists Divided On What Immigration Compromises They Will Accept Posted: 20 Jan 2018 02:08 PM PST  As the federal government partially shut down at the stroke of midnight early Saturday morning, progressive activists presented a united front with congressional Democratic leadership.
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| Photos of the week: 1/12 - 1/19 Posted: 19 Jan 2018 12:17 PM PST  A house of horrors was discovered in Perris, California at the start of the week.
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| 'We want to fix it': Google, YouTube CEOs on Election Meddling Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:27 AM PST  Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki discuss what changes technology companies are making in the wake of foreign meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election via digital information platforms.
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| New Zealand Just Became The 11th Country To Send A Rocket Into Orbit Posted: 21 Jan 2018 06:41 AM PST  New Zealand successfully launched a rocket into orbit on Sunday, becoming the 11th country to achieve the feat.
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| Turkey launches ground offensive in northern Syria against US-backed militias Posted: 21 Jan 2018 04:37 AM PST  Turkish ground forces entered Syria's Afrin province on Sunday morning in a bid to oust US-backed Kurdish militias from the border between the two countries. The escalation comes on the second day of Turkey's "Operation Olive Branch", which began on Saturday with a barrage of air strikes on the Kurdish YPG militia in the same province. Turkey said it wanted to create a 30km safe zone around Afrin, deep inside Syria, representing a new phase of Turkish involvement in the country's civil war. Hours after ground forces entered the country, a missile fired in Syria hit the Turkish border town of Reyhanli, killing a Syrian national and wounding 32 people. Turkey made its move just a week after the US announced it was working to create a new Syrian Border Security Force by backing Syrian Democratic Forces, which include militia from the Kurdish YPG. The Turkish government regards the YPG as a terrorist organisation closely tied to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, which has carried out a bloody three-year insurgency in Turkey's southeast. Graphic: Areas of control in Syria Despite a call for restraint by France, which wants an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Turkish officials have taken a zero-tolerance line in northern Syria. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared on Sunday that anyone who opposes Turkey's operation there is siding with terrorists and will be treated accordingly. The ground invasion draws Turkey risks a confrontation with its NATO ally the US, which closely backs the YPG as its partner against Isil and as a border guard force in the Euphrates area. Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, said on Twitter: "In its second day, The Olive Branch Operation continues to ensure peace and security for our people, protect Syria's territorial integrity and eliminate all terrorist elements in the region." In comments that appeared to be aimed at Washington, he added: "Turkey expects its allies to support its fight against terrorism in all of its forms." However, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag later ruled out any clashes with US troops. "It is out of the question to have a direct clash between Turkey and the US in the region," he said. Early on Sunday morning, before the invasion was announced, Turkey claimed four rockets struck the border town of Kilis, wounding one person and causing damage to buildings. Turkey retaliated with a volley of artillery towards YPG positions in northern Syria. Mr Erdogan told a crowd of supporters in northwestern Turkey on Sunday that "there is no stepping back" from the mission to clear Afrin of YPG. "We are not alone . . . Allah is with us," Mr Erdogan said: "God willing, this operation will come to an end in a short time." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkish shelling on the village of Jalbara killed eight civilians, including at least one child. Return fire saw one Syrian refugee killed and 32 people wounded on a Turkish town close to the Syrian border. Sunday's invasion had been hinted at for several weeks by Ankara, and Mr Erdogan has promised to expand the operation to other Kurdish regions. The US has tried to maintain a balance between its NATO alliances and Syrian battlefield politics, but this position is growing less tenable. Just a week ago, a coalition spokesman confirmed that half of the new 30,000-strong Syrian Border Security Force would come from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group dominated by Syrian Kurds belonging to the very YPG militias in Turkey's crosshairs.
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| Ivanka Trump was just spotted wearing these $200 workout leggings Posted: 19 Jan 2018 11:04 AM PST  With the start of the new year, it looks like we are not the only one with fitness goals in mind!
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| Flu Season in the U.S. Is Getting Worse Posted: 20 Jan 2018 08:07 AM PST  "This is a season that has a lot more steam than we thought"
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| With just 3 students, small-town high school closing down Posted: 21 Jan 2018 06:17 AM PST  ROCHESTER, Vt. (AP) — With just three students left attending high school here, junior Kimberly Taylor moves from one empty classroom to the next, taking mostly online classes or studying alone.
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| Don't Let Dishonest Don Erase Honest Abe Posted: 20 Jan 2018 02:45 AM PST  Michael Wolff's blistering account of the Trump administration's first year, Fire and Fury, prompted what has now become the president's routine response to anyone who criticizes him.
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| North Korea Almost Started a Nuclear War When It Captured a U.S. Spy Ship Posted: 21 Jan 2018 06:53 AM PST  Many of the Pueblo's crew went on to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and lifelong physical injuries. Over time, however, the crewmembers put up their own website testifying to their experiences, successfully lobbied for status as prisoners of war after it was initially denied to them, and sued North Korea in U.S. court for their treatment. As for the Pueblo itself, technically the second oldest ship still commissioned in the U.S. Navy, it remains in North Korean custody to this day.
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| Texas judge pushes jury for acquittal in child trafficking case, saying God told him to do it Posted: 20 Jan 2018 08:26 AM PST  District judge Jack Robison interrupted jurors' deliberations to say they should not convict 32-year-old Gloria Elizabeth Romero Perez. Judge Robison then reportedly recused himself for the remainder of proceedings. Perez, of Buda, Texas, was convicted anyway on one count of continuous traffic of a person and jailed for 25 years, the site said.
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| Donald Trump's 'Screaming' Face On A Newspaper Stack Gets The Funniest Reworking Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:06 AM PST  A photo-editing battle has erupted over this somewhat unsettling snap of President Donald Trump's face on a stack of German newspapers: PsBattle: Trump screaming in a stack of newspapers from photoshopbattles The viral image was actually part of an advertising campaign for the Der Tagesspiegel newspaper back in 2016, reports AdWeek.
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| Apostrophes trip up Kazakhstan's move away from Russian alphabet Posted: 20 Jan 2018 06:35 AM PST  Kazakhstan's quarter-century struggle to assert its autonomy from former overlord Russia has hit an unlikely snag: the lowly apostrophe. A vast but sparsely populated country wedged between Russia and China, Kazakhstan came under the rule of its northern neighbour as Russia and Britain jostled for control of Central Asia in the Great Game. It also came under its linguistic influence, and to this day, many Kazakhs speak more Russian than their Turkic native tongue. This became especially concerning after Russian state media, which remain popular in Kazakhstan, helped whip up Russian-speaking separatists to fight government forces in Ukraine in 2014. In April, Kazakhstan's president of 27 years, Nursultan Nazarbayev, ordered the government to prepare a new Kazakh alphabet based on Latin characters and ditch the one based on Russia's Cyrillic script, which the Soviets implemented in 1940. He has said this will give Kazakhstan "real independence" and help it join the "information world". But a cumbersome version of the new alphabet chosen by Mr Nazarbayev last autumn has sparked rare dissent in this authoritarian country due to its ample apostrophes. Of 32 letters in the alphabet, nine are written with an apostrophe. Mr Nazarbayev meets with Vladimir Putin in December. He has tried to gently assert Kazakhstan's independence from its former overlord Credit: Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP An "against apostrophes" hashtag soon appeared on social media. So did a "No to Kazakh Latinisation with apostrophes!" Change.org petition in October, which was briefly blocked. Film director Saken Zholdas made a video explaining how inconvenient the apostrophes were. "With this decision, we are unintentionally, or maybe intentionally, killing the brand of Kazakh language once and for all," he said. The problem lies in the need to differentiate related but distinct Kazakh sounds, such as a long and short "a," or consonants similar to "s" and "sh". Setting them apart with an apostrophe allows the alphabet to be typed on a standard Latin keyboard, but also produces odd flurries of punctuation and many eyesore words. For instance, the word for "bottle," pronounced "shisha," is written "s'i's'a", while "east," pronounced "shyghys," becomes "s'yg'ys". Those are hardly the worst: The word for "skier" will be "s'an'g'ys'y" and that for "crucial" will be "s'es'u's'i". The Republic of Kazakhstan will be written "Qazaqstan Respy'bli'kasy". The palace of peace and reconciliation designed by Norman Foster in Astana, Kazakhstan Credit: Sergei Bobylev/\TASS via Getty Images Some have speculated that Mr Nazarbayev picked the apostrophes to keep Kazakh distinct from the Latinised alphabets of other Turkic languages and placate Russia, which since Soviet times has feared pan-Turkic movements along its southern border. "The guy just liked it, and since our country is this way, no one in government can tell the president no," Aidos Sarym, a political analyst who previously served on a state working group on Latinisation, told The Telegraph. Last month, Mr Nazarbayev said while the new apostrophes had caused "much discussion," this version was the right one because it suited computer keyboards. But at the same time it complicates web searches and social media hashtags, where an apostrophe between letters splits them into separate words. "From a technical point of view, apostrophes create more problems than they solve," said political analyst Dosym Satpayev. Mr Nazarbayev appears with Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday. He has tried to balance relations with the United States, Russia and China Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool via Bloomberg In his video, Mr Zholdas suggested replacing the apostrophes with accent marks over the nine letters in question, a move he said could be supported by 70 per cent of computer fonts. Despite the defence of his version in December, Mr Nazarbayev also said there was still time to "work with the new alphabet" before the country switches over fully in 2025, giving hope that he could eventually relax his stance. "He wants to go into history … as the father of the new Latin Kazakh alphabet," Mr Sarym said. "You can choose any version and let it be called the Nazarbayev version, but do it right so there aren't problems now, and so that tomorrow we won't have to do an upgrade."
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| 13 siblings allegedly held captive at home by parents: Part 1 Posted: 19 Jan 2018 03:45 PM PST  David and Louise Turpin pleaded not guilty to a combined 75 total counts, including charges of torture, child abuse and false imprisonment.
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| The Flu May Be Spread Just By Breathing, Study Says Posted: 19 Jan 2018 09:50 AM PST No coughing or sneezing required
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| China says U.S. warship violated its South China Sea sovereignty Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:50 PM PST ![China says U.S. warship violated its South China Sea sovereignty]( "China says U.S. warship violated its South China Sea sovereignty") A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near a disputed shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea this week, U.S. officials said on Saturday, and Beijing vowed to take "necessary measures" to protect its sovereignty. China's foreign ministry said USS Hopper missile destroyer came within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Island, which is also known as Scarborough Shoal and subject to a rival claim by the Philippines. It was the latest U.S. naval operation challenging extensive Chinese claims in the South China Sea and came even as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.
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| House GOPers Say A Secret Memo Could End The Trump-Russia Probe. Their Staff Wrote It. Posted: 19 Jan 2018 05:14 PM PST  WASHINGTON ― House Republicans spent the end of the workweek telling everyone who would listen that the American people must be allowed to see a top-secret four-page document that could bring an end to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 elections.
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| North Korea offers to resume pre-Olympic visit to South Posted: 20 Jan 2018 03:34 AM PST  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday proposed sending a delegation led by the leader of a hugely popular girl band to South Korea to check preparations for a trip by a North Korean art troupe during next month's Winter Olympics.
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| Black NASA astronaut is replaced in sudden crew shuffle Posted: 19 Jan 2018 01:42 PM PST  Jeanette Epps, 46, a former CIA agent turned astronaut, was about to become the first African-American to embark on a mission lasting several months at the International Space Station. It's still unclear why, but plans for her June liftoff suddenly changed, and another astronaut was chosen in her place, NASA has announced. "Epps has returned to the active astronaut corps at Johnson Space Center to assume duties in the astronaut office," Dean added.
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| 'Jersey Shore' Star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion Posted: 19 Jan 2018 02:24 PM PST  On Friday, "Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino pleaded guilty to tax fraud in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.
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| Doctor Delivers Baby on International Flight to New York Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:59 AM PST  A 27-year-old doctor said he planned to watch a movie, enjoy a glass of champagne and fall asleep on his flight from India to the United States but his plans changed when another passenger went into labor.
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| Governor denies parole for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten Posted: 20 Jan 2018 03:25 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The governor of California once again denied parole Friday for Leslie Van Houten, the youngest follower of murderous cult leader Charles Manson who blamed herself at her parole hearing for letting him control her life.
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| This Flu Season Is The Worst Possible Time For A Government Shutdown Posted: 19 Jan 2018 05:52 PM PST  Flu cases are continuing to rise in the U.S., with some states, such as California, seeing record numbers of patients seeking medical attention.
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| Confronting China and Russia, not tackling terrorism, is now America's top security priority Posted: 19 Jan 2018 01:11 PM PST  Countering China and Russia is a bigger focus for US national security than defeating terrorism, the American administration announced yesterday. Donald Trump's new national defence strategy named "inter-state strategic competition" as its primary concern rather than jihadist attacks. It marks a tipping point after almost two decades when the US has focussed on countering terrorism following the September 11 attacks. China, Russia, North Korea and Iran were all mentioned as powers that were threatening the international order. The strategy signals a return of a Cold War-style mentality in American foreign policy that will focus on countering rival great powers. James Mattis, US Secretary of Defense Credit: EPA/WALLACE WOON James Mattis, the US defence secretary, explained the rationale behind the 11-page national defence strategy in a speech on Friday. "We will to continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we're engaged in today, but great-power competition - not terrorism - is now the primary focus of US national security," he said. Mr Mattis added: "To those who would threaten America's experiment in democracy: they must know if you challenge us, it will be your longest and worst day." The document itself included a similar message: "Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in US national security." It called out threats posed by rival nations. "China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbours while militarising features in the South China Sea," it read. US President Donald Trump, right, and Russia's President Vladimir Credit: APEC-SUMMIT "Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic, and security decisions of its neighbours. "As well, North Korea's outlaw actions and reckless rhetoric continue despite United Nation's censure and sanctions. "Iran continues to sow violence and remains the most significant challenge to Middle East stability." John McCain, the Republican senator of Arizona, welcomed the strategy, saying: "It gets the big decisions right, prioritises the threats we face, and offers clear guidance for making tough choices." Mr Mattis also called on Democrats to agree new funding ahead of a midnight Friday deadline, warning that the military would suffer if they blocked budget proposals. Appealing to Congress, he said: "No strategy can survive without predictable funding. As hard as the last 16 years have been, no enemy has harmed the US military more than defence spending caps and sequestration." Mr Trump cancelled his trip to Florida on Friday in an attempt to help avoid a government shutdown as Republicans piled pressure on their political opponents. The US president was due to fly to his Mar-a-Lago resort but stayed in Washington as scrambled negotiations played out behind the scenes. A fierce blame game erupted in the American capital as political rivals pointed the finger at each other over who was at fault. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, accused Democrats of being unpatriotic by threatening to block a funding extension. "The American people, the citizens who actually elected us, will be watching," he said. "They will see which senators make the patriotic decision, stand up for the American people and vote to continue government funding." Chuck Schumer, the most senior Democrat in the Senate, noted that Mr Trump once said that America could use "a good shutdown".
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| Trump Is Scared Of Sharks And 10 Other Things Stormy Daniels Revealed Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:21 AM PST  In Touch magazine printed its full 2011 interview with former adult film actress Stephanie Clifford on Friday.
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| Turkish Jets Bomb Kurdish-Controlled Syrian City of Afrin Posted: 20 Jan 2018 09:22 AM PST  Erdogan promised to expand operations against a group allied with the U.S.
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| Ed Sheeran Is Engaged To Childhood Friend Cherry Seaborn Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:23 PM PST  Ed Sheeran announced his engagement to girlfriend Cherry Seaborn on Saturday in an Instagram post that was pretty darn adorable.
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| The Latest: US 101 near reopening after California mudslide Posted: 19 Jan 2018 05:17 PM PST ![The Latest: US 101 near reopening after California mudslide]( "The Latest: US 101 near reopening after California mudslide") MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the aftermath of a mudslide in California (all times local):
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| Iraqi parliament postpones vote on election date Posted: 20 Jan 2018 04:45 AM PST ![Iraqi parliament postpones vote on election date]( "Iraqi parliament postpones vote on election date") Iraq's parliament failed on Saturday to approve May 12 as the election date, as suggested by the government, as Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers demanded a delay to allow hundreds of thousands of war-displaced people to return home. Shi'ite politicians, including Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, insist on holding the election as planned on May 12, saying a delay would be against the constitution. Speaking after Saturday's session in Baghdad, Parliamentary Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, a Sunni, expressed hope that parliament would be able to vote on an election date by Monday, state TV reported.
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| Tourists in Jamaica Warned Not to Leave Resorts Due to Violent Crime Posted: 20 Jan 2018 11:01 AM PST  There's been a string of violent crimes in Montego Bay
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| Why the H3N2 ‘Aussie Flu’ Strain is Such a Brutal Virus Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:39 AM PST  Skeptical? Just ask the Australians.
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| The Latest: Pope decries killings of women, other violence Posted: 20 Jan 2018 01:31 PM PST  TRUJILLO, Peru (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Peru (all times local):
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| Make No Mistake, Trump's Government Shutdown Is About Racism Posted: 20 Jan 2018 08:41 AM PST  Lost in the shitstorm over "shithole" was another equally damning example of President Donald Trump's blatant racism and sexism. It was an outward display of a mindset that in many ways has paved the way for the government shutdown we're facing now. Last week, NBC News reported that last fall, the president of the United States asked a career intelligence analyst "Where are you from?" She responded, "New York," and that should have ended the conversation.
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| Aly Raisman Tells Nassar 'You Are Pathetic' After He Complains About Sentencing Hearing Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:37 AM PST  Olympian Aly Raisman addressed serial sexual abuser Larry Nassar in court Friday with a powerful statement, calling the former USA Gymnastics team doctor "pathetic" for complaining about the length of his sentencing hearing and "a monster" for abusing the trust of his young patients.
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| Russia tells US to show proof of N. Korea sanctions-busting Posted: 19 Jan 2018 01:36 PM PST  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday said the United States has yet to produce evidence that Russia is helping North Korea evade sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile tests. US President Donald Trump has accused Russia of "not helping us at all with North Korea" which has come under tough economic sanctions intended to pressure Kim Jong-Un to change course.
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| The Latest: Man accused in 9 killings had bleak upbringing Posted: 19 Jan 2018 03:21 PM PST  PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on nine killings in the Phoenix area that have been linked to the same convicted felon (all times local):
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| Mexico Is Buying Some of America's Most Powerful Weapons (But Why?) Posted: 19 Jan 2018 06:33 PM PST  Mexico is on the verge of being a failed state, swept by violence from powerful drug cartels who have turned the nation's cities and villages into bloody battlegrounds. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department approved a $98.4 million weapons sale to Mexico, including RGM-84L Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) systems designed to shoot down antiship missiles and Mark 54 antisubmarine torpedoes. The high-tech weaponry is intended for the Mexican Navy's new Sigma 10514–class long-range patrol ships.
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| 11 Asian Beef Recipes You'll Be Eating On Repeat Posted: 19 Jan 2018 04:26 PM PST |
| Home Where 12 Shackled Siblings Once Lived Was So Damaged That They Moved Into a Trailer, Current Owner Says Posted: 20 Jan 2018 09:03 AM PST  The man said he never met the family
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| Brash ex-Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke faces civil trial Posted: 21 Jan 2018 08:19 AM PST  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke's run-in with a 25-year-old man who shook his head at him while boarding a flight last year is headed to trial.
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| Women's March Draws Massive Crowds In Cities Across The Nation Posted: 20 Jan 2018 11:44 AM PST  WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across the nation on Saturday in a defiant stand against President Donald Trump, who today marks the anniversary of his inauguration amid a government shutdown.
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| Fox News Guest Defends White Supremacists Posted: 19 Jan 2018 10:19 AM PST  A Canadian author supported white supremacists over undocumented immigrants in a conversation on Fox News.
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| S.Africa's ANC vows change as Zuma exit looms Posted: 20 Jan 2018 03:24 AM PST  South Africa's ruling ANC party said Saturday that it "must act decisively" to rebuild its reputation, as local media reported that President Jacob Zuma could soon be forced to leave office. Zuma has been under growing pressure to resign since he was replaced as head of the African National Congress (ANC) in December by his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa. Zuma's presidency has been engulfed by corruption scandals and a weakening economy, with the party losing public support ahead of next year's general election.
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| Twitter Concedes Russian Influence Before U.S. Election Was Greater Than Initially Thought Posted: 19 Jan 2018 05:21 PM PST  At least 677,774 people in the United States followed, retweeted or liked content distributed by Russian government-linked Twitter accounts in a 10-week span prior to the 2016 U.S. election, Twitter announced Friday.
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| Trustee: MSU president should quit over sex assault scandal Posted: 20 Jan 2018 09:08 PM PST  DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan State University trustee on Saturday called for the university president to quit over the school's handling of the sexual assault scandal involving former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
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