| Cuba denies military in Venezuela, charges U.S. readies intervention Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:52 PM PST  U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the administration have charged that Cuba's security forces and military control Venezuela's and that troops are also on the ground there. "Our government categorically and energetically rejects this slander," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a Havana press conference, adding all of the some 20,000 Cubans in Venezuela were civilians, most health professionals. Communist-run Cuba has been a key backer of the Venezuelan government since the Bolivarian Revolution that began under former leader Hugo Chavez in 1998.
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| As Vatican meets on sex abuse, Pope must defrock Guam's Apuron, groups say Posted: 20 Feb 2019 04:10 AM PST  Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron was found guilty of 'certain accusations' of crimes related to the sexual abuse of minors. He has appealed the ruling.
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| See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL Grand Edition Posted: 19 Feb 2019 03:01 PM PST |
| Pakistan will retaliate against any Indian attacks over Kashmir bombing, says Imran Khan Posted: 19 Feb 2019 05:56 AM PST  Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, has warned his country will retaliate against any Indian attack in the wake of last week's Kashmir suicide bombing and called instead for dialogue to calm the growing crisis. Mr Khan said he was willing to help Delhi investigate the blast which killed at least 40 paramilitary policemen last week and prompted outrage in India and calls for revenge. As tensions remained high, the senior Indian military commander in Kashmir told mothers to ensure their sons surrendered to an ongoing security crackdown or they would be killed. India says it has incontrovertible evidence that Pakistan's spy agency was behind the blast as part of its long history of supporting militant groups in the region. The attack on a security convoy was claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group. Only weeks before a spring general election, the worst ever attack on Indian security forces in Kashmir has put significant pressure on India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, to strike back. Lt Gen KJS Dhillon said militants in Kashmir had to surrender or die Credit: AP In a televised address Mr Khan told India that in the event of any aggression "Pakistan will not just think about retaliating, we will retaliate. There will be no way to respond other than to retaliate." He went on: "And after that, where does the matter go? We all know that starting a war is easy. [But] starting a war may be in our hands, ending it won't be." If Delhi had "any actionable intelligence that a Pakistani is involved, give it to us," he said. "I guarantee you that we will take action ─ not because we are under pressure, but because they [any individuals found involved] are acting as enemies of Pakistan." An Indian soldier on guard during a curfew in Kashmir Credit: Reuters The disputed region has since the 1980s been a hotbed of insurgents wanting either independence or union with Pakistan, and heavy-handed Indian tactics have alienated many of the youth. The bombing was carried out by a 20-year-old man from a village in Indian Kashmir. His parents said he had joined a militant group after being beaten by Indian troops three years ago. Lt-Gen KJS Dhillon commander of the Indian army's Kashmir-based 15 Corps, accused Pakistan's military spy agency of "controlling" those behind the bombing. He said: "I would request all the mothers in Kashmir to please request their sons who have joined terrorism to surrender and get back to the mainstream. Otherwise anyone who has picked up the gun will be killed."
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| Farrakhan to Omar: Don’t apologize for Israel comments Posted: 19 Feb 2019 03:31 AM PST  Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan defends Minnesota congresswoman.
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| US weather latest: Powerful coast-to-coast storm to blast Americans with snow, ice and torrential rain Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:58 AM PST  A powerful storm is expected to hit up to 200 million Americans with snow, ice and torrential rain, over the coming week. About 60 per cent of the US will likely to be hit by wintry weather on Tuesday, according to AccuWeather, an American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services worldwide. It said the storm will develop over the western Gulf of Mexico before moving northwards.
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| Southwest Airlines under FAA investigation for aircraft weight, balance calculations Posted: 18 Feb 2019 01:51 PM PST ![Southwest Airlines under FAA investigation for aircraft weight, balance calculations]( "Southwest Airlines under FAA investigation for aircraft weight, balance calculations") The investigation began in February 2018, and there have been no fines nor enforcement action from the investigation to date.
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| The Two Venezuelas and Foreign Intervention Posted: 19 Feb 2019 03:30 AM PST  Today Venezuela is at an impasse, a term allegedly coined by Voltaire to refer to a situation devoid of exits. It has infinite inflation, four immobilized branches of government, two presidents, and the worst humanitarian crisis to hit the Americas in decades. There is sporadic violence on the streets and in improvised prisons hidden away from YouTube. What today resembles a civil war without weapons could easily escalate into bloodshed. Yet it is foreign powers and not domestic actors that will determine the country's fate.The Bolivarian divide runs so deep that the republic now has two presidents: Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó. Maduro, elevated to power by the late Hugo Chavéz, insists that he has begun his second constitutional term, sworn in by the Supreme Court, backed by the courts and, crucially, the country's armed forces. Guaidó is recognized by the National Assembly, the unicameral legislature that Chávez himself created when he wanted to do away with a Senate keen on opposing his accumulation of power. Hundreds of thousands of exiled Venezuelans, including former Chavista officers and representatives, support him, too.The international media have paid scant attention to Venezuela. With rare exceptions, the crisis has seemed far away, complex, and entirely domestic to the outside world. Yet that perception is misguided: Venezuela's crisis is no longer a mere constitutional battle; it is a power struggle among international powers.When Guaidó invoked articles 233 and 333 of the Venezuelan constitution to declare himself president, he did so with plenty of support. The United States had already refused to recognize Maduro after last year's presidential "election," in which he was effectively the only candidate allowed to run. Same with the so-called Lima Group, a gathering of Latin American nations led by Brazil and Argentina. Such support allowed Guaidó to unify an opposition whose internal divisions had previously enabled Chávez and then Maduro to accumulate power. A few days later, the European Union joined the anti-Maduro forces, in a move ironically led by the socialist government of Spain, but not by Italy, where the populists of the Right (the Northern League) could not get the populists of the Left (the 5 Star Movement, old friends of Chavismo) to abandon Maduro.Recognizing a president, however, does not topple a government. The most damaging hits against Maduro were economic. The United States blocked PDVSA, Venezuela's state-run oil giant and its only true source of funds, from accessing its refineries in the U.S. (Venezuelan oil has always been too heavy, leading the country's oil industry to rely on American refineries.) The Trump administration also imposed sanctions on Venezuela's primary debt issuance, as necessary for revolutionaries as it is for capitalists, as well as on the trading of existing securities. Guaidó will now control the country's official accounts and will get to appoint a board for Venezuela's crown jewel in the U.S.: the Citgo refinery.When it became clear that the petrodollars would stop flowing, defections from Maduro's camp ticked up. And yet the regime did not fall. To outsiders, Maduro's days in charge might appear numbered, but in Caracas he hangs on. That is because Chavismo's traditional allies — Cuba, Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, Syria — have stood by him. In particular, the support of Russia and China, for whom Venezuela remains a bulwark against the pro-market governments ascendant elsewhere on the continent, has proved crucial.Despite its natural wealth, Venezuela's debts to China are far larger than is commonly understood. And in Russia, oligarchs close to the Kremlin have too much to lose if the Maduro regime falls apart. That is why RT is keen on broadcasting every single "historic" military exercise by Maduro's generals. (As my colleague Daniel Lansberg has pointed out, Venezuela now has more generals than all of NATO.) Paradoxically, the socialist revolution that Chávez created is now sustained by the capitalist interests of its main international sponsors.This dynamic is far from unprecedented. Decades ago, when there were two Spains rather than two Venezuelas, the diplomatic support of Western democracies mattered very little on the ground. In 1936, a failed military coup against the legitimate Spanish republic kicked off the century's paradigmatic civil war. Madrid quickly received the support of international actors, including France, the United States, Mexico, and even the Soviet Union. But the generals under Francisco Franco had sponsors willing to fight. Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy invested blood and treasure in Franco — and drove him to victory. His legitimacy was built on the battleground.Intervention matters. And so does the lack of it. When Rwanda's ethnic conflicts escalated into an unspeakable genocide in 1994, U.N. troops stood by, eventually inspiring Samantha Power's doctrine of moral intervention. When, later, Power was U.N. ambassador under President Obama, Obama refused to intervene in Syria even after the Assad regime mounted chemical-weapons attacks on its own citizens, thereby crossing the "red line" Obama had laid out. In both cases, the results were gruesome and the victims numerous.Ultimately only force can break an impasse. In Venezuela's case, as in Spain's before, legitimacy is not about constitutions but the balance of forces. Economic sanctions can debilitate a regime, but only those willing to use force can truly tilt the balance. As long as Venezuela's traditional allies areeconomically and financially motivated to keep Chavistas in power, the current regime will endure, with or without Maduro. If Washington is not willing to intervene with force, then it must convince Moscow and Beijing that a political transition is in their interests. Guarantees for their investments are a good place to start. More important, Venezuela's sorry destiny reminds us that in a world devoid of absolute hegemonies, there are worse things than American global leadership.
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| After IS, ammunition among the IV drips at Syria clinic Posted: 18 Feb 2019 04:29 PM PST  At a clinic in eastern Syria, the Islamic State group have fled leaving a floor strewn with medical supplies -- but also explosives and a foreign passport. US-backed fighters took the three-storey building in the village of Baghouz in recent days, and now use its roof to survey the frontline against the jihadists. Under three mounds of earth, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces had buried a woman and two IS fighters found wearing ammunition jackets.
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| China's Silicon Valley Blueprint Has Plenty of Holes Posted: 18 Feb 2019 11:13 PM PST  Late Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency released details of the State Council's Greater Bay Area plan – a project to knit together Hong Kong and Macau with nine mainland cities into a global innovation hub to rival California's Silicon Valley. Hong Kong residents struggling with high housing prices will have the opportunity to move across the border and work in state-owned companies while people moving the other way will gain access to the city's education and health systems.
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| Tensions rising after Kashmir attack as gunbattle kills 9 Posted: 18 Feb 2019 04:51 PM PST  SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Tensions escalated after a suicide attack in disputed Kashmir, with nine people killed Monday in a gunbattle that broke out as Indian soldiers searched for militants.
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| Alabama editor who called for lynchings by Klan should quit, senators say Posted: 19 Feb 2019 07:23 AM PST  Officials in Alabama are calling for a small-town newspaper editor to resign because of an editorial calling for the Ku Klux Klan to terrorize Washington, D.C.
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| Amazon announces plans to make half of shipments carbon neutral by 2030 Posted: 18 Feb 2019 11:47 AM PST  Online retail giant Amazon has announced plans to make alf if its shipments carbon neutral by the year 2030. The company, which ships millions of packages a year to shoppers, said that it will achieve that goal by switching to renewable energy sources and by asking suppliers to reimagine their packaging. "It won't be easy to achieve this goal, but it's worth being focused and stubborn on this vision and we're committed to seeing it through," Dave Clark, Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations, said.
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| 'A new day is coming to Latin America': Donald Trump warns Venezuelan military leaders Posted: 18 Feb 2019 03:37 PM PST  President Trump directs speech at Florida's Venezuelan community as he tries to appeal to Latino voters heading into the 2020 election.
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| An 11-Year-Old Student Was Arrested in Florida After Refusing to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance Posted: 18 Feb 2019 11:03 PM PST  The 11-year-old was charged with disruption and resisting arrest
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| Netanyahu-Putin meeting in Russia postponed Posted: 20 Feb 2019 05:02 AM PST  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have postponed a planned meeting Thursday in Moscow for talks on Iranian military activity in Syria, an Israeli official said. The two leaders would speak by phone on Thursday instead, the official said on condition of anonymity Wednesday, adding that a new date for the meeting would be set as soon as possible. The official gave no reason for the postponement, but Israeli media said it was related to Netanyahu's strategizing with allied right-wing parties for April 9 elections ahead of a Thursday deadline for electoral lists to be submitted.
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| Southwest Air Drops on $60 Million Hit From Government Shutdown Posted: 20 Feb 2019 09:10 AM PST  The political stalemate that ended last month will reduce first-quarter revenue by $60 million as the aftereffects lingered on, Southwest said in a regulatory filing Wednesday. "With more of first quarter under our belt now, and a higher percentage of March bookings in place, we feel like we are at the point where we can reasonably quantify the total impact from the shutdown," Southwest said by email.
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| Obama joined by Curry to tell minority boys 'you matter' Posted: 20 Feb 2019 07:21 AM PST  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Former President Barack Obama and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told a roomful of minority boys on Tuesday that they matter and urged them to make the world a better place.
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| Conspiracy theorists are claiming Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dead. She isn’t. Posted: 19 Feb 2019 11:42 AM PST  Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned to the Supreme Court bench Tuesday to hear oral arguments for the first time since undergoing cancer surgery in December.
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| 10 Non-Hybrid Crossovers and SUVs That Get 30 MPG or More Posted: 19 Feb 2019 04:37 PM PST |
| American Airlines investigating after passenger boarded flight without record of it Posted: 20 Feb 2019 05:14 AM PST  American Airlines is investigating a possible technical problem with a scanner at the gate that let a passenger get on board, without leaving any record of it.
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| Aurora shooting victim Josh Pinkard texted love to his wife as he lay dying Posted: 18 Feb 2019 12:54 PM PST  One of the victims of a gunman's rampage in Illinois texted love to his wife as he lay dying: "I received a text at 1:24 from my precious husband."
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| Islamic State nears defeat in last Syrian enclave Posted: 20 Feb 2019 08:57 AM PST  More than 2,000 civilians left the village of Baghouz in a convoy of dozens of trucks. Coalition warplanes could be seen overhead and the sounds of intermittent gunbattles could be heard from the area, which is completely surrounded by the SDF. "The terrorists are entrenched inside, still betting on ending it militarily," said Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office.
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| Victims of Church sex abuse go global with fight for justice Posted: 18 Feb 2019 07:18 PM PST  After years of struggling alone or finding support in national groups, survivors of sex abuse by priests have formed a new international alliance to pressure the Catholic Church to face up to its crimes. The group, called Ending Clerical Abuse (ECA), brings together activists from dozens of countries on several continents, and will be mobilised in Rome this week when Pope Francis hosts a hotly awaited summit on tackling the wave of child sex abuse scandals shaking the Catholic Church. "It's a momentous and a historic movement... to bring a global and unified voice," one of its co-founders, Peter Saunders, told AFP.
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| Bernie Sanders: What are the left-wing senator’s policies for 2020 presidential campaign? Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:10 AM PST  Senator Bernie Sanders will run for president proposing to enact a "Medicare for All" health care system, stave off catastrophic climate change through a "Green New Deal" and other measures, and implement a $15 (£11.50) an hour minimum wage for all American workers, according to his aides. Mr Sanders' criminal justice platform will include legalising marijuana, ending cash bail throughout the US, and abolishing private prisons, while he will also run on the standard Democratic policy goals of protecting young immigrants brought to the US as children and limiting the sale and distribution of guns. Mr Sanders' policies would require trillions of dollars in additional government spending.
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| Mariano Rivera calls child support allegations 'unfounded' Posted: 19 Feb 2019 07:40 PM PST  PANAMA CITY (AP) — Just weeks after becoming baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, Mariano Rivera is defending himself from accusations in his native Panama that he has failed to support two children he had outside his marriage.
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| Man Charged with Pulling Gun on Couple in MAGA Hats Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:09 AM PST  A Tennessee man was arrested Tuesday for pulling a gun on a couple who were wearing the Make America Great Again hats popularized by Donald Trump's presidential campaign.James Phillips, 57, of Cottontown, Tenn., was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment after he reportedly pulled the gun in a Kentucky Sam's Club store amid an argument, according to his arrest citation. Phillips allegedly told the woman, "It's a good day to die, b****," and exchanged obscene hand gestures with the man. He said he did so because of their hats.Phillips, who wore a hat indicating he was a military veteran, has a concealed-carry permit for his gun.The incident comes amid the continuing controversy over Empire actor Jussie Smollett's claim that he was beaten and left with a noose around his neck by two men shouting pro-Trump slogans, which has been increasingly scrutinized as a possible hoax.
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| Presidents Day protests decry Trump's emergency declaration Posted: 18 Feb 2019 12:08 PM PST  Calling Trump's declaration an abuse of power and usurpation of Congress, organizers with the nonprofit advocacy group MoveOn.org and other participants said it was important to let the outrage over the move be heard. "We disagree with the state of emergency declared by the president and stand with our immigrant colleagues and friends," said Darcy Regan, executive director of Indivisible Chicago, which co-hosted the protest there. Trump invoked the emergency powers on Friday after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was his signature 2016 campaign promise.
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| 7 Stocks Warren Buffett Just Bought or Sold Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:40 AM PST ![7 Stocks Warren Buffett Just Bought or Sold]( "7 Stocks Warren Buffett Just Bought or Sold") Warren Buffett is wheeling and dealing. The most anticipated 13-F filing each quarter is that of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (ticker: BRK.A, BRK.B). Here are seven stocks Buffett has been buying and selling according to this month's filing.
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| Forget the line at Juice Press — this WiFi-enabled Vitamix blender is $160 off Posted: 19 Feb 2019 07:59 AM PST  "I'm gonna start eating healthy and cooking at home," said a lot of people, probably.But with Chinese 30-40 minutes away on Uber Eats, how many of us actually follow through? (Not me, that's for sure.)Vitamix blenders make eating better easier though, and the A3500 Ascent Series model is $159.60 off on Amazon today. Just don't get your kale at Trader Joe's.SEE ALSO: How different cold pressed juices will affect your body and soulFor people who love the destination (food) but hate the journey (making it), the A3500 is the fanciest of the Ascent series and the ultimate hands-off blender. It features four touch control programs for smoothies, hot soups, dips and spreads, and frozen deserts, all auto-adjusting to the correct blending speed and time so you won't have to babysit it. Built-in WiFi connectivity and the Vitamix app keep things exciting with 17 blending programs and over 500 recipes for ice cream, coffee, waffles, potato soup, and more.Image: vitamixNix the guesswork even more with Vitamix's new digital timer, which decides what the optimal blending time is for you to get perfect textures without having to experiment. If you know what you're doing, there's a programmable timer that will blend for the time you've entered and stop automatically.All of your options are displayed across a scratch-resistant touchscreen, with a self-cleaning option available to get you off the hook afterwards.Regularly $699.95, you can save $159.60 and get it for $540.35. Image: vitamix Save $160 on the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Blender (64 oz) -- $540.35 See Details
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| Southwest Airlines extends schedule, adds new seasonal routes Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:11 PM PST ![Southwest Airlines extends schedule, adds new seasonal routes]( "Southwest Airlines extends schedule, adds new seasonal routes") Southwest announced addition of two weekend-only seasonal routes. It also confirmed the return of seven seasonal routes that will resume in August.
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| Pakistan Vows Retaliation If India Launches Military Strikes Posted: 19 Feb 2019 06:06 AM PST  "Pakistan will not think of retaliation, Pakistan will retaliate," Khan said in a televised speech on Tuesday. Tensions between the historic arch-rivals have been high since a militant car bombing, claimed by a Pakistani-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed, on Feb. 14 in Kashmir killed 40 members of India's security forces -- the deadliest strike in the region in decades.
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| The Latest: Governor says reviewing lapse in retrieving gun Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:14 PM PST  AURORA, Ill. (AP) — The Latest on the mass shooting at a warehouse in Aurora, Illinois (all times local):
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| Video showing boy in wheelchair jump on trampoline goes viral Posted: 19 Feb 2019 10:04 PM PST  A viral video of a little boy in a wheelchair jumping on a trampoline with his coach is warming hearts around the world.
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| Britain to strip IS teen of citizenship: lawyer Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:36 PM PST  Britain will strip citizenship from a UK teenager who joined the Islamic State group in Syria but now wants to return home with her newborn baby, a lawyer for her family said Tuesday. The case points to a dilemma facing many European countries, divided over whether to allow jihadists and IS sympathisers home to face prosecution or barring them over security concerns as the so-called "caliphate" crumbles. A lawyer for her family, Tasnime Akunjee, said on Twitter that they were "very disappointed with the Home Office's intention to have an order made depriving Shamima of her citizenship," and that they were considering "all legal avenues".
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| Subaru's Mysterious Concept SUV Will Show Off New e-Boxer Hybrid Tech Posted: 19 Feb 2019 10:20 AM PST  The lifted plug-in hybrid from the all-wheel-drive specialist is set to debut at this year's Geneva auto show.
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| 10 of the Best Car-Upholstery Cleaners Tested Posted: 19 Feb 2019 11:57 AM PST |
| Hair Force Un: Vietnamese barber marks summit with free Trump-Kim haircuts Posted: 19 Feb 2019 04:31 AM PST  For those who like to push the cutting edge of style, two of the world's most talked-about haircuts are now available for free, in Vietnam. In honor of an upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Feb. 27-28, a Hanoi barber is offering free haircuts to anyone wanting to copy their distinctive locks. "I feel happy with this haircut because people will think I look like the leader of North Korea," said nine-year-old To Gia Huy, whose hair had been moulded to perfectly match the slicked-back top and shaved sides of Kim's unique coiffure.
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| The Best Thing in IKEA's New Summer Collection Is . . . Posted: 19 Feb 2019 11:36 AM PST  Hint: It's going to transform your backyard BBQ setup
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| Some Americans face a costly surprise this tax season: tiny refunds or bigger bills Posted: 20 Feb 2019 08:50 AM PST  For some, this tax season so far has come with a costly surprise – a tiny tax refund or a big tax bill. The shock is hitting their finances.
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| Pressure builds to get civilians out of last IS-held enclave Posted: 19 Feb 2019 12:02 PM PST  AL-OMAR OIL FIELD BASE, Syria (AP) — Dozens of trucks arrived Tuesday at the outskirts of a besieged enclave held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, signaling renewed efforts to evacuate hundreds of civilians trapped in the militants' last patch of territory along the Euphrates River.
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| Roger Stone to appear in court over controversial Instagram post that could send him to jail while awaiting trial Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:04 AM PST  Roger Stone has been ordered back to court on Thursday to discuss a controversial Instagram post that attacked the judge presiding over his trial. Earlier Monday, Stone posted a photo of US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head. The judge already issued an order limiting comments in the pending case prior to Stone's Instagram post.
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| How to Determine Whether a Warehouse Club Membership is Worth It Posted: 20 Feb 2019 07:20 AM PST ![How to Determine Whether a Warehouse Club Membership is Worth It]( "How to Determine Whether a Warehouse Club Membership is Worth It") Warehouse clubs such as Sam's Club, Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club are marketed to consumers as great places to find bargains on all kinds of goods, particularly items sold in bulk. Many discount grocers offer comparable prices on the goods you can find at a warehouse club. For most customers, there are three major areas that will provide enough savings throughout the year to pay for a warehouse club membership.
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