| Trump says there was 'illegal spying' on his campaign after Barr backs off explosive claim Posted: 11 Apr 2019 11:37 AM PDT  One day after William Barr's clarified his assertion that he believes the FBI was "spying" on the Trump campaign, the president said he agreed with his attorney general's initial remarks.
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| Netanyahu looks to form right-wing government after victory Posted: 11 Apr 2019 02:36 PM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to form a right-wing governing coalition on Thursday after securing victory in a high-stakes Israeli election despite a strong challenge from a centrist alliance. The results from Tuesday's vote came despite corruption allegations against the 69-year-old premier and kept him on course to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister later this year. The allegations are likely to play an important role in coalition negotiations as many analysts expect Netanyahu to demand pledges from potential partners to agree to remain in his government if he is indicted.
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| Wanted woman gets caught after taunting cops on Facebook Posted: 11 Apr 2019 01:56 PM PDT  A wanted Pennsylvania woman was arrested after she taunted local authorities on Facebook by asking if they did "pick up or delivery."
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| Bernie Sanders's Bold Health Plan Puts Democrats in a Bind Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:52 AM PDT  Sanders, an early front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, had initially called for phasing out America's employer-based insurance system in favor of universal government coverage that's free for patients (that is, outside of the higher taxes they'd pay to finance it).
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| UPDATE 3-Boeing CEO says 737 MAX software update working as designed Posted: 11 Apr 2019 12:56 PM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Boeing CEO says 737 MAX software update working as designed]( "UPDATE 3-Boeing CEO says 737 MAX software update working as designed") Boeing Co's chief executive said on Thursday that a software update designed to prevent disasters like two recent fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX is working, with about two-thirds of the fast-selling jetliner's customers having seen the fix in simulator sessions. In his first public speech since an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash that killed all 157 aboard on March 10, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said additional tests are expected in the coming weeks as the planemaker works to regain the confidence of its customers and the flying public. Boeing, fighting its biggest crisis in years, has been developing an upgrade to software that is under scrutiny in the Ethiopian Airlines accident and a Lion Air 737 MAX crash that killed all 189 on board on Oct. 29.
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| Flying Southwest Airlines this summer? You might now be affected by Max 8 grounding Posted: 11 Apr 2019 04:55 PM PDT  The airline will cancel 160 daily flights through Aug. 5, affecting summer travel. Travelers will be notified in advance and rebooked or offered a refund.
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| Worst day of fighting as rebel army advances on Tripoli Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:31 AM PDT  Fighting in Tripoli intensified drastically on Wednesday as rival armies brought tanks and multiple rocket-launch systems to bear in the deadly struggle for control of the Libyan capital. The escalation came as Fayez al-Sarraj, the prime minister of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord, issued an address to the nation urging Libyans to defend the capital city from renegade general Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army. In an address distributed on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Serraj accused Gen Haftar of sabotaging months of painstaking peace negotiations and said he would resist the general's "coup d'etat" with "firmness and strength". "We have extended our hand of peace, yet forces of Haftar have declared war on our cities and capital," Mr Serraj said. "Accordingly we have issued our instructions and announced the state of general mobilisation for all Libyan armed forces and security services." In an apparent swipe at Gen Haftar's multiple foreign backers, he added: "A final word for the countries that support the conflict between Libyans: fear Allah, stop interfering in our affairs and lift your hands off my country." A Libyan fighter loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) mans a turret mounted on the back of a pickup truck Credit: AFP Gen Haftar, who backs a rival administration based in the east of the country, announced an assault on Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognised government headed by Mr Serraj, on April 4. The move sparked several days of skirmishes on the southern outskirts of the city and saw both sides launch sporadic airstrikes. The United Nations estimates 4,500 people have been displaced and dozens of people killed since. But local residents said the pitch of the fighting escalated dramatically on Wednesday. "Sporadic loud tank gunfire can be heard very clearly in all of Tripoli. My body is still in one piece but my mind is shattered," said one local resident. "Today it is louder and more violent. Its the fiercest in the last six days." Fighting was concentrated about seven miles to the south and southeast of the city centre, on the LNA's main axis of advance. There were particularity heavy clashes around Ain Zara, seven miles southeast of the city centre, where pro-GNA militiamen from the city of Misrata were reported to be using Grad multiple rocket launchers and tank-fired missiles to drive back LNA forces. A burning vehicle on the path taken by Haftar's army towards Tripoli Credit: AFP The LNA said they had recaptured the disused international airport, which they had earlier lost to government forces, and captured two important barracks, one 30 miles to the south. The reports could not immediately be verified. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet for a closed door emergency session to discuss the crisis on Wednesday evening. Gen Haftar has received material, military, and financial backing over several years from a range of governments including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Russia, all of which see him as a potential strongman leader with the will to crush dangerous militant Islamist groups. Critics say they have either willfully ignored or deliberately played down Gen Haftar's ambitions to become the undisputed leader of the country in the mold of Muammar Gaddafi. The United Nations Security Council was due to meet for a closed-door talks on the crisis on Wednesday evening. Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general, said the alliance was "deeply concerned" about the violence and called on all sides to cease fighting.
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| How the Greatest Battleships Ever Built Could Make the Ultimate Comeback Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:40 AM PDT  While a comeback is unlikely, it's always nice to dream.Battleships captivate the imagination. Before they were displaced by aircraft carriers, battleships were symbols of great-power status. Some of the most iconic were the American Iowa class, the last battleships ever built by the United States. Powerful in appearance, yet with sleek lines filled in with haze gray, the Iowa class served in World War II and were unretired three more times to serve as the U.S. Navy's big guns. If we brought them back today, what would they look like?The National Defense Authorization Act for 1996, generally known as the defense budget, had a unique provision hidden inside the text: the text directed the Navy to keep at least of the four Iowa-class ships on the Naval Register in good condition, retain the logistical support to maintain battleships on active duty and keep those ships on the Register until the secretary of the navy certified that existing naval gunfire support equaled or exceeded the firepower of two battleships. Iowa and Wisconsin were finally stricken from the Register in 2006 after the secretary of the navy, citing the upcoming thirty-two Zumwalt-class destroyers, certified they were no longer needed.(This first appeared several years ago.)
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| After Assange arrest, Trump says WikiLeaks is 'not my thing.' It was his thing in 2016. Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:30 AM PDT  "I know nothing about Wikileaks. It's not my thing," the president told reporters inside the Oval Office when asked if he still loves WikiLeaks.
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| Photos of the Dodge Challenger and Charger Stars and Stripes Editions Posted: 11 Apr 2019 09:07 AM PDT |
| Final Israeli election results boost Netanyahu's lead Posted: 11 Apr 2019 03:04 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — A final count of election ballots on Thursday granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party an additional seat in parliament, making it the largest faction in the Knesset and punctuating the Israeli leader's victory.
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| Michael Avenatti Indicted on Charges He Defrauded Paraplegic Client, Others Out of Millions Posted: 11 Apr 2019 11:38 AM PDT  Avenatti tweeted claims that he mishandled client money are "bogus nonsense."
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| Apple, Facebook, Google Asked to Pay for Wind Parks in Denmark Posted: 12 Apr 2019 05:03 AM PDT ![Apple, Facebook, Google Asked to Pay for Wind Parks in Denmark]( "Apple, Facebook, Google Asked to Pay for Wind Parks in Denmark") The companies have chosen the Nordic country, partly because of its abundant supply of green electricity. The Red Green Alliance, a left-wing opposition party with 14 seats in parliament, wants a ban on new data centers until a law is in place that can ensure no business "mooches" on Denmark's efforts to achieve carbon-neutrality, according to a statement published by the party on Friday.
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| U.S. House Democrats blame Trump for worsening border crisis Posted: 11 Apr 2019 03:59 PM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that bipartisan immigration reform, which has eluded Congress and the White House for years, is still the solution. It is in fact "inevitable," Pelosi said on the sidelines of a Democratic party meeting in Leesburg, Virginia. In Washington, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, also called for bipartisan discussions on immigration.
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| American Airlines flight returns to JFK Airport after clipping wing Posted: 11 Apr 2019 02:15 PM PDT  The FAA says American Airlines flight 300 that was bound from New York to Los Angeles landed safely back at JFK at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.
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| Sudan protesters defy curfew after army topples president Omar al-Bashir Posted: 11 Apr 2019 09:40 PM PDT  Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the country's military on Thursday, but protesters against his iron-fisted rule defied a night-time curfew to rally against the military "coup". In a televised address, Sudan's defence minister said the military would rule the country directly for a two year transition period before fresh elections. General Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibnouf, who is also a vice president and was seen as an ally of Mr Bashir, said the long-serving dictator was in a "safe place." "I announce as minister of defence the toppling of the regime and detaining its chief in a secure place," Gen Ibnouf said. He declared a three-month state of emergency and imposed a one-month 10 pm curfew. He said airspace would be closed for 24 hours and border crossings sealed until further notice. Mr Bashir is a former solider who ran a brutal dictatorship after coming to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989. He is a pariah in many countries and is also wanted by the international war crimes tribunal for atrocities in Darfur. Crowds are carrying a giant flag of Sudan as they march towards the military headquarters in Khartoum. The military is expected to make a statement following reports of President Omar al-Bashir's resignation pic.twitter.com/draKmgfS8C— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) April 11, 2019 His overthrow follows four months of nationwide protests against his 30-year rule, and there were scenes of jubilation in Khartoum on Thursday morning as rumours spread that he had been deposed. But Gen Ibnouf's early afternoon announcement was greeted with unease by the opposition movement that has brought tens of thousands of protesters onto the streets in recent weeks. Although demonstrators had called on the army to intervene against the president, the defence minister is deeply unpopular among the opposition and widely seen as a Bashir ally. Hundreds of Sudanese protesters maintained their sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum for the fifth day in a row Credit: Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Several protesters on the streets of Khartoum told The Telegraph ahead of the announcement they would not accept him as a replacement for Bashir. Minutes before the announcement, Alaa Salah, the 22 year old woman who has become an icon of the protests, tweeted: "We are waiting for a statement by the army. We will only accept a transitional civilian government composed of the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change. No other plan will be acceptable." She later added: "The people do not want a transitional military council. Change will not happen with Bashir's entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup. We want a civilian council to head the transition." Thousands of protesters staged a sit-in for the sixth night running outside Khartoum army headquarters as the military council's curfew began. The army had earlier warned protesters not to defy the curfew. Well after nightfall, tens of thousands beat drums, sang and chanted slogans against the armed forces and Ibn Ouf. "The first one fell, the second will, too!" protesters shouted. And: "They removed a thief and brought in a thief!" Washington said Khartoum should "exercise restraint and to allow space for civilian participation within the government". "The Sudanese people should determine who leads them and their future and the Sudanese people have been clear and are demanding a civilian-led transition," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters. The European Union urged the army to carry out a "swift" handover to civilian rule. The Sudanese Professionals Association, the umbrella group of trade unions that has coordinated the protest movement, had earlier warned that it would not accept an internal military coup. The people do not want a transitional military council. Change will not happen with Bashir's entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup. We want a civilian council to head the transition. Sudan— Alaa Salah (@iAlaaSalah) April 11, 2019 They issued a statement vowing to remain in the streets until the "regime steps down completely and power is handed to a civilian transitional government." Demonstrations against Mr Bashir's rule initially broke out in the northeastern town of Atabara after the price of bread tripled in December. Protests quickly spread to other cities and morphed from an outpouring of indignation at economic conditions into demands for Mr Bashir to step down. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live rounds to break up demonstrations and arrested ringleaders and even doctors who treated injured protesters. The movement culminated in massive protests in the capital, beginning on April 6, when opposition leaders called a "one million person" march towards the army's headquarters to mark the anniversary of the bloodless coup that overthrew Gaafar Nimeriy, another president who faced mass discontent. In conscious emulation of 1985, the SPA called for a sit-in outside army headquarters to call on the military to protect the demonstrators. Sudan uprising, in pictures The first sign of a rupture within the regime came when soldiers inside the compound intervened to prevent security personnel from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) clearing the demonstration on Monday and Tuesday. Several people were killed in the clashes, which prompted fears of a wider conflict between the multiplicity of armed forces, security agencies, and militia groups Mr Bashir set up to challenge one another and consolidate his rule. Thousands sang and danced on Thursday morning when the army said on state media it would be making an important announcement, in what many took as a sign the revolution had succeeded. Later in the morning, several officials pre-empted the military and told the media that Mr Bashir had been arrested. As the morning wore on, officials said that all political prisoners would be released, but it was not clear when. Meanwhile, troops were deployed at key points around the capital and soldiers were seen entered the headquarters of Mr Bashir's Islamic Movement, the main component of the ruling National Congress Party. Some protesters surrounded and entered houses belonging to prominent Bashir allies in Khartoum, and there were unconfirmed reports of crowds storming buildings belonging to NISS. The Alliance for Freedom and Change, which has been involved in supporting the protests, urged the people "not to attack" government and private properties as they awaited the army's announcement. "We are calling on our people to control themselves and not to attack anybody or government and private properties," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said in a statement. "Anyone found doing this will be punished by law. Our revolution is peaceful."
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| SpaceX carries out first commercial launch Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:18 PM PDT  SpaceX carried out its first commercial launch on Thursday with its Falcon Heavy rocket easing a Saudi telecoms satellite into orbit. The bright white rocket rose with a roar and spewed thick gray smoke on the ground as it made its way up into clear blue skies over Cape Canaveral, Florida, trailing a long plume of orange fire. About 34 minutes after liftoff, the shiny silver satellite was successfully deployed.
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| Disney CEO Bob Iger: 'Hitler would have loved social media' Posted: 11 Apr 2019 08:43 AM PDT  Accepting an award for his humanitarian work Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger attacked social media for its role in spreading hate. "Hitler would have loved social media," said Iger.
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| The Last Front-Engined Chevrolet Corvette, a 2019 C7 Z06, Will Be Auctioned Off in June Posted: 11 Apr 2019 05:45 PM PDT  All proceeds from the sale of the final C7 Corvette will go to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
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| Julian Assange: Chelsea Manning says arrest of WikiLeaks founder strengthens claim she is victim of judicial abuse Posted: 11 Apr 2019 03:17 PM PDT  Chelsea Manning has said the arrest of Julian Assange â€" the man to whom she leaked classified information a decade ago â€" underscored her claim that her continued imprisonment represents judicial abuse.Ms Manning, 31, was last month sent to jail indefinitely after she refused to take part in a Department of Justice investigation into WikiLeaks, and told judges she would accept “whatever you bring upon meâ€. The investigation is using secret hearings involving a grand jury. “I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech,†she said, as the court ordered her to be held until she agreed to cooperate, or else the grand jury process was completed.On Thursday, after Assange was arrested in London on behalf of the US where he was charged with conspiracy in relation to publishing the material Ms Manning provided, the former army intelligence analyst said through her lawyers, that developments had make her argument stronger.“The indictment against Julian Assange unsealed today was obtained a year to the day before Chelsea appeared before the grand jury and refused to give testimony,†she said in a statement.“The fact that this indictment has existed for over a year underscores what Chelsea’s legal team and Chelsea herself have been saying since she was first issued a subpoena to appear in front of a Federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Virginia â€" that compelling Chelsea to testify would have been duplicative of evidence already in the possession of the grand jury, and was not needed in order for US Attorneys to obtain an indictment of Mr Assange.â€> ** STATEMENT: Chelsea’s legal team responds to today’s unsealed indictment. This is further evidence that the government’s continued imprisonment of Chelsea for her principled stance against grand jury secrecy is punitive, cruel and unnecessary https://t.co/WZiDuVWHPa> > â€" Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) > > April 11, 2019The statement added: “Since her testimony can no longer contribute to a grand jury investigation, Chelsea’s ongoing detention can no longer be seriously alleged to constitute an attempt to coerce her testimony. As continued detention would be purely punitive, we demand Chelsea be released.â€Ms Manning served seven years in jail between 2010â€"2017 after being charged with more than a dozen crimes, after leaking 750,000 classified, or unclassified but sensitive documents to WikiLeaks.Among the information, was video footage showing US military helicopter attack on civilians in Baghdad that killed more than a dozen people.Easier this month, it was revealed Ms Manning had been moved from administrative segregation at the Virginia jail while she is serving an indefinite sentence after refusing to testify to the grand jury probe.The Associated Press said jail officials refused to confirm Ms Manning’s status, but said administrative segregation was used for safety reasons and those inmates still had access to social visits, recreation and break time.
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| Dimon Defends JPMorgan’s Minimum Wage, Pointing to Low Pay Elsewhere Posted: 12 Apr 2019 07:05 AM PDT  The chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co., the largest U.S. bank, pushed back on questions in a call with journalists, asking reporters from the New York Times and CNBC how much their publications pay entry-level workers and saying the banking industry likely pays more than the U.S. government. Representative Katie Porter, a first-term Democrat from California, asked Dimon at a hearing on Wednesday about a minimum-wage employee at JPMorgan who couldn't cover her monthly expenses. Minimum wages at major companies have been under the spotlight, as Jeff Bezos this week called on retailers to match or beat Amazon.com Inc.'s pledge to boost pay to at least $15 an hour.
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| Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say Posted: 10 Apr 2019 10:43 PM PDT ![Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say]( "Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say") Cairo, New York Police say a woman suffered an injury in the crash. Police believe the incident occurred after she saw a spider in the drivers' area.
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| Large dog in plane’s cockpit likely caused fatal crash, NTSB says Posted: 11 Apr 2019 08:49 AM PDT  The NTSB concluded that the cause of a June 2017 accident at Monticello Regional Airport in Iowa was the result of the pilot having a large dog as a passenger in the cockpit.
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| The Latest: Posted: 11 Apr 2019 04:24 PM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — The latest on developments in Sudan (all times local):
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| White House wanted to send migrants to Democrat cities: report Posted: 11 Apr 2019 11:48 PM PDT  The White House pushed immigration authorities to release illegal migrants onto the streets of so-called "sanctuary cities" to retaliate against US President Donald Trump's political enemies, the Washington Post reported Thursday. Citing homeland security officials and leaked emails, the Post said White House officials first broached the plan in November, asking officials at several agencies whether members of a caravan of migrants could be arrested at the border and then bused "to small- and mid-sized sanctuary cities".
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| View Photos of the 2020 Audi S6 Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT |
| Holden Matthews: ‘Black metal music’ may have influenced ‘son of sheriff’ suspect in Louisiana church fires Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:43 AM PDT  A man who has been arrested following fires at three historically black churches in Louisiana is the son of a sheriff’s deputy who authorities believe may have been influenced by “black metal musicâ€.Governor Jon Bel Edwards announced that 21-year-old Holden Matthews had been arrested in connection to those fires, which impacted three churches over a ten day period.“I don’t know what this young man’s motive, I don’t know what was in his heart … but it cannot be justified,†Mr Edwards said on Thursday during a press conference.State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said that Mr Matthews has been charged on three counts of arson on a religious building, with each individual count carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.Mr Browning was the official who said that black metal music may have been involved in Mr Matthew’s motive.“We can now confirm all three of these fires are intentionally set and all three of these fires are related,†Mr Browning said.Mr Matthews’ father works for the St Landry Parish Sheriff’s office, and Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said that his employee was shocked by the news about his son.“Holden’s father is an employee of mine,†Mr Guidroz said. “He was shocked and hurt as any father would be. He was in terrible shape.â€
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| Trump and Netanyahu make me fear for a two-state solution and Middle East peace Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:19 PM PDT  Trump acquiescence to West Bank annexation would threaten peace prospects, democracy, shared US-Israeli values and bipartisan support for Israel.
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| Amazon, Microsoft chosen to compete for Pentagon cloud computing contract Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:20 PM PDT  Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have been selected to continue competing for Pentagon cloud computing services as part of a contract that could be worth some $10 billion, the U.S. Department of Defense said on Wednesday. The contract is part of a broad modernization of Pentagon information technology systems.
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| Louisiana church fires: Deputy's son arrested as authorities investigate ties to black metal Posted: 11 Apr 2019 01:48 PM PDT  Holden Matthews, the son of a sheriff's deputy, was in custody in connection with the fires of three predominantly black churches in Louisiana.
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| A timeline of key events in rule of Sudan's al-Bashir Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:23 AM PDT  CAIRO (AP) — After 30 years in power, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was arrested and deposed by the military on Thursday, following nearly four months of protests against his rule. The army has also taken over the country for the next two years and imposed a three-month state of emergency, plunging the nation into new uncertainty.
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| Samsung announces US launch dates for Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S10 5G Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:35 AM PDT  Samsung unveiled two of the most intriguing phones of the year -- the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy S10 5G -- at its Unpacked event this February, but it didn't tell US consumers when they would actually be able to get their hands on the devices. But today, after weeks of anticipation, the South Korean conglomerate has finally announced availability details for the US, and, as expected, Android fans won't have to wait too much longer.As for the Galaxy Fold, Samsung says that it will be sending out exclusive invitations to reserve the foldable phone on Friday, April 12th to everyone who has registered on Samsung.com. You still have time to sign up here for an invite if you haven't already, and remember, supplies will be limited. The Galaxy Fold launches on April 26th, and should be available at select AT&T, T-Mobile, Best Buy and Samsung Experience stores for $1,980.Samsung wasn't quite as forthright with the release date of the Galaxy S10 5G. Rather, the company says preorders for its 5G-capable phone will be "starting soon," and that it will go on sale in the US in May. Samsung debuted the S10 5G in its home country of South Korea on April 5th, with the 512GB model coming in at 1.55 million won ($1,366), and the 256GB model priced at 1.39 million won ($1,231). We expect similar prices in the US.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9z_mF4XL4sSamsung also discussed some of the features and specifications of the two phones in its news release, highlighting the Galaxy Fold's 7.6-inch main display. As we've seen in multiple leaked videos over the past few weeks, the content on the tiny screen on the front of the device can seamlessly transfer to the main screen, and vice versa. The Galaxy Fold is also the first phone to offer three-app multitasking on its massive display.As for the Galaxy S10 5G, we know it will feature a 6.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, quadruple rear camera with dual OIS, 4,500 mAh battery with Super Fast charging, 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage, all running on the latest version of Android. But we're still waiting on a final price and release date.
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| Here’s the Law That Requires Mnuchin to Turn Over Trump’s Taxes, or Lose His Office and Go to Prison Posted: 11 Apr 2019 04:17 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero The Daily Beast/GettyDonald Trump and his top White House aide declare that the administration will not give the president's tax returns to Congress, as required under a 1924 anti-corruption law. But both the Treasury secretary and the tax commissioner have been much more nuanced, saying that they will obey the law even as they delay actually doing so.I know why Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Charles Rettig, the IRS commissioner, are so cautious. They don't want to be removed from office and sent to prison for five years just for doing Trump's bidding.The reason will no doubt surprise those who think Trump can thumb his nose at the law governing congressional access to anyone's tax returns, including his. It will for sure shock Trump, who claims that "the law is 100 percent on my side." The exact opposite is true. Under Section 6103 of our tax code, Treasury officials "shall" turn over the tax returns "upon written request" of the chair of either congressional tax committee or the federal employee who runs Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation. No request has ever been refused, a host of former congressional tax aides tell me.There is, however, a law requiring every federal "employee" who touches the tax system to do their duty or be removed from office.The crystal-clear language of this law applies to Trump, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Mnuchin and Rettig, federal employees all.The law says all of them "shall" be removed from office if they fail to comply with the request from Representative Richard Neal, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.There are no qualifiers in Section 6103 that shield Trump from delivering, in confidence, his tax returns to Congress. No wiggle room at all. Another provision in our tax code, Section 7214(a), provides that "Any officer or employee of the United States acting in connection with any revenue law of the United States… who with intent to defeat the application of any provision of this title fails to perform any of the duties of his office or employment… shall be dismissed from office or discharged from employment and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than 5 years or both."All that Neal must do is make a request in writing that falls within the committee's tax law and IRS oversight duties. Neal's carefully articulated reasoning and requests for specific tax returns and related tax information in his April 3 letter easily meets that standard.Congress earlier applied this law to Richard Nixon, who resigned in disgrace after a second audit of his returns showed he was a major league tax cheat. Nixon fabricated deductions worth more than $3.4 million in today's money. Nixon got off with a pardon, while his tax lawyer went to prison.The IRS had audited Nixon's 1969 tax return but failed to catch major league cheating by the sitting president. Only when Congressional tax lawyers went over it, and the IRS did a second audit, did they spot blatant tax evasion.Even if Mnuchin or Rettig or anyone else escaped prosecution for failing to provide the requested tax returns, removal from office under 7214(a) would damage and perhaps destroy their opportunities to cash in once they leave office. Removal from office would require disclosures to future employers and investors, limit or block service on corporate boards and require disclosures to lenders. Even someone running a privately held company, as Trump still does, would be affected by heightened disclosure requirements.Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and savings and loan company chief executive, is only 56. Removal from office alone could mean an end to his big paydays in finance under existing regulations.Rettig, 61, a tax lawyer whose specialty was helping wealthy tax dodgers who got caught in audits, could lose his California law license, especially were he to be convicted.The good-conduct provisions of the tax law are as broad as they are severe. Significantly, it doesn't just affect IRS auditors and collections officers. It applies to any federal employee—which means Trump as well as Mnuchin and Rettig—who "fails to perform any of the duties" they are assigned.It also applies to any federal employee "who conspires or colludes with any other person to defraud the United States; or who makes opportunity for any person to defraud" the government. This provision could hit Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff and Trump's budget director, given his reckless statements on Fox News, which some call Trump TV.Should congressional tax lawyers, after examining Trump's tax returns, finds that he is a tax cheat, anyone with knowledge of the cheating would also be at risk of prosecution.Keep in mind that Trump lost two income tax fraud civil trials over his 1984 New York state and city tax returns, as recounted in my 2016 book The Making of Donald Trump. He is also a confessed sales tax cheat, prompting Mayor Ed Koch of New York to say that Trump should have served 15 days behind bars for his crimes.The law covers official inaction, too. Anyone who "omits" his duty "shall" be removed and may be prosecuted as a felon.Section 7214 covers anyone with "knowledge or information of the violation of any revenue law by any person, or of fraud committed by any person, against the United States [who] under any revenue law, fails to report, in writing, such knowledge or information to the" Treasury secretary.The risks to his liberty and fortune help explain why Mnuchin, while not turning over tax returns by the Wednesday deadline, told Congress this week, "as I've said in the past when we received the request, it would be reviewed by our legal department, and it is our intent to follow the law."That artful language was likely written by a government lawyer to help shield Mnuchin from removal from office and prosecution, at least for now. Mnuchin can't stall forever. If he or Rettig tries endless inaction, forcing House Democrats to sue in federal court, the failure to act could result in the same painful results as outright refusal to comply.Under what is known as a "delegation order," the responsibility for giving Congress tax returns upon written request has long been the duty of the IRS commissioner.In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, Rettig said the decision on turning over the tax returns was his. He said he is "working on" a letter about what he will do. He also noted that he reports to Mnuchin since the IRS is under the umbrella of the Treasury Department.One big problem for Rettig and Mnuchin, and perhaps others, is the provision requiring removal from office for anyone who "conspires or colludes with any other person." Mnuchin has acknowledged that Treasury officials talked with White House officials. And Rettig indicated he has spoken with Mnuchin and others at Treasury.How many others were in the loop? Maybe Congressional hearings will tell us.Johnston won a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the American tax system in The New York Times. He is the author of bestselling books on taxes and on Trump. He teaches at Syracuse University College of Law and is chief editor of the news service DCReport.org. Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| US oil giant Chevron says will acquire Anadarko for $33 billion Posted: 12 Apr 2019 06:50 AM PDT  Chevron announced Friday it will acquire smaller US rival Anadarko for $33 billion in a deal that strengthens the oil giant's exploration and production holdings in its home market. The cash-and-stock transaction is centered on Anadarko's properties in the Permian Basin in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, two areas where Chevron is already a big player and where economies of scale can help drive value with suppliers and in key drilling and production operations. Anadarko also has a handful of overseas ventures, including a major liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique that Chevron said would help bolster one of Chevron's major global businesses.
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| The 2020 Jeep Gladiator JT Pickup is runaway hit. Here's how we'd spec ours. Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:30 AM PDT  We did battle with the Jeep Gladiator's configurator to figure out (and show you) how we'd order ours.
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| Imagine This: North Korea with 100 Nuclear Warheads Posted: 11 Apr 2019 11:00 AM PDT  For its report, RAND war-gamed a North Korean attack on Seoul's wealthy Gangnam district. "Roughly half the size of Manhattan, Gangnam—a district of Seoul—is a major economic center and home to many large companies, such as Google and IBM. With some of the most expensive real estate in the country, the district is also considered the most affluent in all of South Korea. Consequences of a single DPRK nuclear attack on Gangnam would be severe."By 2020 North Korea could possess as many as 100 nuclear warheads.That's the startling conclusion of a January 2019 report from RAND, a California think tank with close ties to the U.S. military."North Korean provocations and threats have created an unstable environment on the Korean Peninsula," RAND's report explains. "North Korea's ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles increases the possibility of their use against regional states, furthering instability across the region and beyond, thus affecting vital U.S. interests."(This first appeared several months ago.)To deliver its nukes, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the regime in Pyongyang calls itself, is building up a large stockpile of rockets of varying ranges."The DPRK's growing arsenal will provide its regime with multiple options to employ its nuclear weapons," the RAND report warns.
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| More U.S. states push ahead with near-bans on abortion for Supreme Court challenge Posted: 11 Apr 2019 05:09 AM PDT  North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed legislation on Wednesday making it a crime for doctors to perform a second-trimester abortion using instruments like forceps and clamps to remove the fetus from the womb. The move came the same day that Ohio's Republican-controlled legislature passed one of the nation's most restrictive abortion bans - outlawing the procedure if a doctor can detect a heartbeat. Georgia's Republican-controlled legislature in March also passed a ban on abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can often occur before a woman even realizes she is pregnant.
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| Mark Riddell, the test-taker whiz in cheating case, expected to plead guilty in court Friday Posted: 11 Apr 2019 01:20 PM PDT  Mark Riddell, the man accused of taking tests for students in an elaborate college admissions scheme, is scheduled to appear Friday in federal court.
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| Pet food company NomNomNow is offering 20% off your first two orders Posted: 11 Apr 2019 02:00 AM PDT  When you own a pet, they immediately become one of the most important things in your life. For such an integral part of our existence, shouldn't we be making sure that our pets are getting the best care possible? (They certainly care about us.) There are pet cameras that'll ensure that your best friend is in good hands, beds to help them get comfy, and even backpacks to bring them on your many adventures. One thing you may be overlooking, though, is what they are eating. NomNomNow makes meals for cats, too.Image: NomnomnowNomNomNow is one of a rash of new pet food companies that has cropped up as of late -- you've probably seen their ads all over Instagram. Right now you can score 20% off your first two orders with their service.Here's the way that NomNomNow works: You make a profile for your pet, input information about their weight, select from their list of recipes, and have the tailored meal plan delivered to your door twice per week. (Pricing depends on your dog or cat's size, but for reference, my 50-pound Labrador/Boxer mix came out to around $43 per week for 28 pre-packaged meals.) This one's called "Chicken Chow-Wow."Image: NomNomnowAll of NomNomNow's meals are made with restaurant-quality ingredients, and are specifically portioned out for your pet's dietary needs. You also get free nutrition consultations as a part of the deal. The company's care-grade, fresh food has been designed to help fight illnesses, but also promote enhanced energy, a shinier coat, healthy weight loss. A quote from NomNomNow's website puts it well: "To the world you may be one person, but to your pet you are the world." Pay your pet back for all that loyalty and love, and care -- check out NomNomNow and get 20% off your first two orders. Image: NomNomNow Take 20% off your first two orders with NomNomNow See Details
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| Facebook is thinking about bringing Messenger back to the main app Posted: 12 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Of all the mistakes and confusing moves that Facebook has made over the years, one that still resonates to this day is the decision to spin Messenger off into its own app from the main Facebook app. As it stands, the only way to send a message to one of your Facebook friends on your phone is to download the Messenger app from the App Store or Google Play and log in to your account. But that might not be the case for much longer.Researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who regularly delves into the recesses of popular apps to see what the developers might have planned for future updates, spotted a new feature within Facebook's app which seems to indicate that the company is, at the very least, toying with the idea of combining the two apps once more.In the tweet below, not only does Wong show off the Facebook app redesign that should be landing in the next couple of months (one which looks eerily similar to the Messenger app redesign), but we also see that the Messenger button at the top of the app no longer redirects you to the Messenger app. Instead, it opens a new Chats section within the main Facebook app, where you can message anyone on your friends list:https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1116557782193299456Wong notes that the Chats feature only includes basic messaging functionality at the moment. If you want to make a call, send a photo, or use reactions, you'll have to go back to the Messenger app. All of this functionality could easily be added before the redesign goes live, but at least for now, there's still a reason for Messenger to exist.Undoubtedly, this new feature is part of Facebook's plan to unify all of its chat apps, including Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. This unification reportedly won't happen in full until the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020, but we might start to see the first signs of it with the next major Facebook app update.
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| Trump complains US troops at border 'can't get a little rough, like they would normally' Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:04 AM PDT  Donald Trump has complained that US border troops cannot “get a little rough†with migrants because “everybody would go crazyâ€.The president lamented that his military “can’t act like they would normally act†by being heavy-handed with refugee families.He blamed “horrible laws that Democrats will not change†and said he was considering deploying more troops to the Mexico border to stop migrants attempting to cross into the US.Speaking to reporters in Texas, Mr Trump said: “I’m going to have to call up more military."But our military, don’t forget, can’t act like a military would act because if they get a little rough, everybody would go crazy. So our military can’t act like they would normally act, or let’s say another military from another country would act.“We have all these horrible laws that the Democrats will not change, they won’t change them. And I think they are going pay a very big price in 2020 for all of the things. I think the border is going to be an incredible issue.â€Mr Trump went on to depict migrants â€" many of whom have fled poverty, violence or persecution in Latin America â€" as criminals who would murder Americans and steal their homes.He said: “Think of these people â€" supposing I said, let’s have an open border â€" they will flood your houses, they will shoot you, they’ll take over your house, they’ll take your car and they’ll probably stay there.â€Mr Trump plans to aggressively push for tougher screening that will make it far more difficult for migrants fleeing persecution in their home countries to secure asylum in the US, a senior administration official said this week.The president is reportedly also considering resuming the controversial policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the border.He has purged senior immigration officials in the Department of Homeland Security as he seeks to take it in a "tougher direction".
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| Former Minnesota Vikings minority owner found dead in apparent murder-suicide, friend says Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:09 PM PDT  A wealthy Minnesota businessman, who was once part-owner of the Minnesota Vikings, was found dead along with his wife at a lakeside mansion Wednesday.
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| Photos of the 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT |
| Trump Officials Considered Transporting Migrants to 'Sanctuary Cities' as Political Retribution, Report Says Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:56 PM PDT  Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco district was reportedly discussed as migrant release location
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