| Trump thought Mueller would 'end' his presidency and other takeaways from the Mueller report Posted: 19 Apr 2019 10:11 AM PDT  Although the probe "did not establish that members of Trump campaign conspired" with the Russians, it identified "numerous links" between them.
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| Comedian Zelenskiy keeps Ukraine presidential poll lead Posted: 18 Apr 2019 01:43 AM PDT  KIEV (Reuters) - Comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a political novice who plays a fictional president in a popular TV series, has kept his lead in Ukraine's presidential election race, according to an opinion poll published on Thursday. The poll by research body Reiting showed Zelenskiy on 57.9 percent of votes and incumbent Petro Poroshenko on 21.7 percent. Reiting polled 3,000 voters in all regions, except annexed Crimea, from April 12 to 16. The previous poll made by Reiting in April 5-10 gave Zelenskiy 61 percent of votes while Poroshenko received 24 percent. ...
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| Teenage girl 'infatuated' with Columbine school massacre found dead from self-inflicted gunshot Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:30 PM PDT  An armed 18-year-old girl "infatuated" with the Columbine school massacre was found dead after fears she was seeking to replicate the shooting 20 years on. Sol Pais, a high school pupil, made threats online and then flew from her home in Miami Beach, Florida to Denver, Colorado, where Columbine is located. She then bought a pump-action shotgun and ammunition and was seen near the school wearing camouflage trousers, black boots and a black T-shirt. Columbine and more than 20 other schools in the Denver area were closed on Wednesday, with 500,000 pupils staying at home as the FBI and police searched for her. She was later found dead from what police called an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" in woodland near a camp ground 60 miles southwest of Denver. Police, including a SWAT team, had flooded into the area after hikers reported seeing a naked woman with a gun running through the woods". An FBI spokesman said: "There is no longer a threat to the community." Police at Columbine high school Credit: AFP On April 20,1999 two heavily armed teenage gunmen - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - killed 12 fellow pupils and a teacher before taking their own lives. It set off an era of mass shootings in American schools and other public venues. Police said Pais had "made threats to commit an act of violence" in the Denver area, and had written "deeply disturbed" posts on the internet. She had been "infatuated with the perpetrators of Columbine". She sought advice online on how to buy a gun in Colorado, which she did at a gun shop near Columbine. Local sheriff Jeff Shrader said: "The firearm was purchased legally. I'm sure there will be some ongoing evaluation in that regard." During the massive search police declared her "armed and extremely dangerous". Jared Polis, the Colorado governor, said there had been "a lot of anxiety". Peter Langman, an expert on the psychology of school shooters, said more than 30 other attacks, from California to Germany, have been inspired in some manner by Columbine.
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| Driver with STAYUMBL license plate, notorious for cutting people off around Durham, charged in incident with bus Posted: 19 Apr 2019 05:15 AM PDT  The STAYUMBL license plate is notorious on the road and social media. Folks say the driver behind the wheel will speed up, cut people off and then slam on her brakes, sometimes causing a crash.
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| View Photos of the Volkswagen I.D. Buggy Posted: 18 Apr 2019 02:01 PM PDT |
| France's 'yellow vest' protesters banned from Notre-Dame: police Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:59 PM PDT  For their 23rd consecutive Saturday protest, France's yellow vests have been told they will be banned from the area around Paris's fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral. The ban will be in place all day Saturday, a police statement said, following Monday's devastating fire at the world famous landmark. "No protest demonstration can be held" in the area due to the fragility of the building, the statement said.
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| A robot that kind of looks like Wall-E’s big brother helped save Notre Dame Posted: 18 Apr 2019 12:11 PM PDT  Notre Dame was reportedly only about 15 to 30 minutes away from a fire completely destroying the historic cathedral earlier this week when Paris firefighters decided to play their last hand. Commander Jean-Claude Gallet knew it was time to send their very best firefighter into the heart of the blaze in a last-ditch effort to save the building.Needless to say, a lot was riding on Colossus, an 1,100-pound tank of a robot that can spray more than 660 gallons of water a minute, as he rumbled toward the cathedral.Colossus, manufactured by a French company called Shark Robotics, took aim at the cathedral's stone walls. According to Gallet, it was the heroically named Colossus robot -- fighting the fire from the inside that tore through the structure as the world watched in horror -- that saved the day. And made it less critical for firefighters to enter the building and risk their own lives."Time was against us, the wind was against us and we had to get the upper hand," Gabriel Plus, a spokesman for the Paris fire brigade, told The Times of London. "The priority we set was to save the two belfries. Imagine if the timber of the belfries had been weakened and the bells had collapsed. That was really our fear. In the beginning, it was not impossible to imagine that the cathedral structure could collapse."The Colossus robot, according to Shark Robotics, is 2.5 feet wide and a little more than 5 feet long. It can be controlled via joystick from as far as 1,000 feet away, it can crawl up stairs and it can withstand not only water and fire but even thermal radiation, according to the company.Lithium ion batteries also allow it to last for as much as eight hours.According to the company, Colossus is deployed with the Paris Firefighter Brigade as well as a variety of other French regional services. Its presence allowed the Paris firefighters to act quickly when they'd previously been weighing a decision they didn't know how to answer -- should they direct the firefighters on hand toward saving the roof from fire? Or focus on keeping the flames from spreading throughout the structure?Complicating matters was the fact the wind was blowing, and a police drone flying above the cathedral didn't reveal much in the way of actionable information.Reliance on the Colossus robot during this incident, of course, has already sparked talk of relying on such machines even more in dangerous settings that involves fires or other elements. Companies and individuals from around the world have already started pledging funds to help rebuild the 855-year-old cathedral, but it's certainly worth highlighting the fact that it's able to rebuilt and saved at all thanks to a quick-acting, talented firefighter that also happens to be a robot.
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| Israel's president formally nominates Netanyahu as PM Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:33 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president on Wednesday formally nominated Benjamin Netanyahu for a fourth consecutive term as prime minister, officially launching a process that is expected to result in a new government dominated by religious and nationalist parties in the coming weeks.
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| This 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Restomod Is A Showstopper Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:16 AM PDT  Case and point, this 1957 Cadillac Eldorado SeVille restomod currently listed by Streetside Classics. Finished in Bright Ruby Red and detailed with polished chrome work elevates this iconic design to new levels. Its creators were careful not to detract away from the timeless styling of the Eldorado, and have instead exaggerated its highly fashionable character.
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| Trump allies say they're 'not concerned' about the Mueller report Posted: 17 Apr 2019 05:48 PM PDT  Ahead of the scheduled Thursday morning release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, allies of President Trump have a simple message: Move along, nothing to see here.
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| Judge upholds New York City's mandatory measles vaccination order Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:37 PM PDT  In a six-page decision rendered hours after a hearing on the matter, Judge Lawrence Knipel denied the parents' petition seeking to lift the vaccination order, imposed last week to stem the worst measles outbreak to hit the city since 1991. The judge sided with municipal health officials who defended the order as a rare but necessary step to contain a surge in the highly contagious disease that has infected at least 329 people so far, most of them children from Orthodox Jewish communities in the borough of Brooklyn. Another 222 cases have been diagnosed elsewhere in New York state, mostly in a predominantly ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Rockland County, northwest of Manhattan.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: I invited Barr to the Bronx to talk climate change. He said no. Posted: 18 Apr 2019 06:49 AM PDT  Ocasio-Cortez continued to tease a Kentucky Republican lawmaker for backpedaling on his invitation for her to visit the Bluegrass State.
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| Portugal says all 29 dead in bus crash were German Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:30 AM PDT  LISBON, Portugal (AP) — All the 29 people killed in a tour bus crash on Portugal's Madeira Island were German, Portugal's foreign ministry confirmed Thursday.
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| Don't Wait to Book Summer Air Travel | 737 Max Posted: 18 Apr 2019 09:17 AM PDT  737 Max Fallout: Don't Wait to Book Summer Air Travel If you're thinking of taking a summer vacation but haven't yet booked your airline tickets, here's one bit of advice: This is not the year t...
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| Tech startups Pinterest, Zoom soar in Wall Street debut Posted: 18 Apr 2019 10:50 AM PDT  Pinterest got off to a flying start on Wall Street Thursday in the market debut for the San Francisco-based visual discovery service, a positive sign for the wave of Silicon Valley firms planning stock listings. Pinterest shares leapt 28 percent in early afternoon trade at $24.16 after its initial public offering (IPO) which raised some $1.4 billion. The jump was a positive sign for other venture-backed Silicon Valley firms after a stumble for ride-hailing firm Lyft, which has lost some 20 percent since its market debut last month.
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| Here's What's Open and Closed on Easter 2019 Posted: 18 Apr 2019 06:05 AM PDT  Wondering where to get eggs on Easter Sunday 2019? Don't worry, we know!
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| Appeals court upholds California 'sanctuary state' bill Posted: 18 Apr 2019 07:35 PM PDT  A US appeals court on Thursday upheld a California "sanctuary state" bill that blocks state and local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities. The three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, headquartered in San Francisco, unanimously ruled to uphold Senate Bill 54, which prohibits police and sheriffs from collaborating with immigration authorities. "SB 54 may well frustrate the federal government's immigration enforcement efforts," said Judge Milan Smith in the ruling.
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| NTSB investigating American Airlines JFK flight that 'struck an object' at takeoff Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:20 PM PDT  The plane reportedly tipped in strong wind, and a wingtip hit a runway marker during takeoff.
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| Robert Mueller Made One Mistake: He Trusted Bill Barr Posted: 19 Apr 2019 01:41 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyTwo days before the 50th anniversary of Robert Mueller being seriously wounded while leading his platoon against a numerically superior enemy in Vietnam, his latest service to the nation was released in the form of the Special Counsel's Report.In a morning press conference before the release, Attorney General William Barr seemed to give a friend of three decades his due after two years of lies and slander by our president."I would also like to thank Special Counsel Mueller for his service and the thoroughness of his investigation, particularly his work exposing the nature of Russia's attempts to interfere in our electoral process," Barr said.A few breaths later, Barr committed one of the great public betrayals of our history.The country's most senior law enforcement officer actually sought to justify President Trump's mendacious attacks against Mueller and the investigation he had been appointed to conduct."As the special counsel's report acknowledges, there is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks," Barr said.In fact, the report acknowledges no such thing.What the report does demonstrate is that Mueller conducted an exceedingly fair, determinedly thorough investigation.Just as he had on the battlefield a half century ago, Mueller performed brilliantly.His one mistake was to trust his supposed friend Barr.To call Barr a human hedgehog would be unfair if the resemblance were confined to his appearance. But he also shares a hedgehog's unique "self-anointing," a behavior that involves licking an object whose smell the creature finds attractive until it works up a froth that it then rubs on itself.Barr must have worked up considerable froth in the presence of the president. He smelled like pure Trump on March 24, when he offered a four-page document that was was supposed to be an honest appraisal of the evidence Mueller so carefully gathered under such trying circumstances.Barr reeked of The Donald when he subsequently spoke of the FBI "spying" on the Trump campaign. During his public betrayal of Mueller at Thursday's press conference, Barr twice said there was "no collusion." He implicitly excused even Trump's demonstrable lies concerning an effort to fire Mueller because of fictitious "conflicts."As he exonerated Trump, Barr failed to note that page two of Volume II of the very document he was releasing states, "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."The report further states, "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state."Mueller apparently did not foresee that Barr would effectively see Trump exonerated anyway. Mueller also did not likely anticipate that when releasing the report, Barr would say Trump's behavior must be put "in context" and accepted.The report documents that Trump lied, lied, and lied again—and pressured his subordinates to do the same.The true source of the frustration and anger that Barr describes was partly the refusal of several staffers to be as unprincipled as their president.The most prominent of those who stood up to the president was White House Counsel Don McGahn, nephew of the late Atlantic City lawyer/fixer Paddy McGahn. The uncle cleared the way for Trump's casinos and the nephew might therefore have been expected to be situationally flexible. But the uncle was also a thrice-wounded Marine and recipient of the Navy Cross. The report describes the nephew as responding more like a Marine than a fixer/lawyer.The big test for Don McGahn came after Trump instructed him to have Mueller fired for supposed "conflicts," in June 2017. Mueller would subsequently find himself in the bizarre position of investigating an attempt to stop him from investigating. "The president cited as conflicts that Mueller had interviewed for the FBI Director position shortly before being appointed as special counsel, that he had worked for a law firm that represented people affiliated with the president, and that Mueller had disputed certain fees relating to his membership in a Trump golf course in Northern Virginia," the report notes.The report adds that Steve Bannon told Trump the purported conflicts were "ridiculous." Mueller had never been interviewed for the FBI Director. He had not represented any Trump people, even if others at his very large law firm had. As for the supposed golf course fee dispute, the report says:"In October 2011, Mueller resigned his family's membership from Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, in a letter that noted that, 'We live in the District and find that we are unable to make full use of the Club,' and that inquired 'whether we would be entitled to a refund of a portion of our initial membership fee,' which was paid in 1994."The report adds, "About two weeks later , the controller of the club responded that the Muellers' resignation would be effective Oct. 31, 2011, and that they would be 'placed on a waitlist to be refunded on a first resigned / first refunded basis...' The Muellers have not had further contact with the club."McGahn said he would quit rather than fire Mueller on fictitious grounds, and went so far as to pack up his office. Trump relented, and that might have been that, had the "fake news" not reported the truth."In early 2018, the press reported that the president had directed McGahn to have the special counsel removed in June 2017 and that McGahn had threatened to resign rather than carry out the order," the report says. "The president reacted to the news stories by directing White House officials to tell McGahn to dispute the story and create a record stating he had not been ordered to have the special counsel removed. McGahn told those officials that the media reports were accurate in stating that the president had directed McGahn to have the special counsel removed. The president then met with McGahn in the Oval Office and again pressured him to deny the reports."The report continues, "The president asked McGahn whether he would 'do a correction,' and McGahn said no."The president also asked McGahn in the meeting why he had told Special Counsel's Office investigators that the president had told him to have the special counsel removed. McGahn responded that he had to, and that his conversations with the president were not protected by attorney-client privilege."Trump inquired about McGahn's habit of jotting down what was said during meetings with him. The report says, "The president then asked, 'What about these notes? Why do you take notes? Lawyers don't take notes. I never had a lawyer who took notes.' McGahn responded that he keeps notes because he is a 'real lawyer' and explained that notes create a record and are not a bad thing. The president said, 'I've had a lot of great lawyers, like Roy Cohn. He did not take notes.'"Anybody who was around Roy Cohn knew that he did not want to be hampered by a record and that he always sought to make the truth whatever best suited him at the moment. And Cohn was not just Trump's lawyer; he was young Donald's mentor.To read the litany of Trump's lies as detailed in the Mueller report is to feel that Cohn's spirit has risen from the crypt in Queens that he shares with his mother. Trump also lies about the successful firing of FBI Director James Comey. Then there are the lies about the Mueller investigation itself. The report describes a moment on the south lawn last August: "In an impromptu exchange with reporters that lasted approximately five minutes, the president twice called the special counsel's investigation a 'rigged witch hunt.'"So said the president who sought to rig the firing of a resolutely honest prosecutor.At another moment, the report says, "The president described the special counsel's investigation as 'a witch hunt that ends in disgrace.'"The actual disgrace belongs to Trump and to Barr. In assuming the scent of the president, the human hedgehog seems to have also assumed the scent of Trump's mentor. Cohn spoke endlessly about loyalty, but was always ready to betray a friend.In Barr's case, that is Mueller, whose only big mistake in the investigation was trusting him. It's nearly 50 years since Mueller led his platoon from potential disaster, despite a bullet wound to the thigh. This is one of the qualities that has long made America great. Barr, and Trump, and his truth-indifferent supporters, all owe Mueller an apologyRead more at The Daily Beast.
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| UPDATE 2-Sears sues Lampert, claiming he looted assets and drove it into bankruptcy Posted: 18 Apr 2019 10:52 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-Sears sues Lampert, claiming he looted assets and drove it into bankruptcy]( "UPDATE 2-Sears sues Lampert, claiming he looted assets and drove it into bankruptcy") Sears Holdings Corp sued longtime former Chairman Eddie Lampert, his hedge fund ESL Investments and others like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, claiming they illegally siphoned billions of dollars of assets from the retailer before it went bankrupt. The lawsuit, made public on Thursday, was filed by the restructuring team winding down Sears' bankruptcy estate and suing on behalf of creditors, many of whom blame Lampert for the retailer's downfall. The complaint seeks the repayment of "billions of dollars of value looted from Sears," including while it was in what Lampert would later call a "death spiral" where it sold core assets to meet daily expenses with no real plan for becoming profitable.
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| Peru's Ex-President Dies in Suicide as Police Raid His Home Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:53 PM PDT  The dramatic death of the longtime leftist underscores the scope of the Odebrecht affair, which has spawned bribery probes across Latin America and destabilized governments, above all in Peru. "President Garcia made the decision of a free man,'' Mauricio Mulder, a lawmaker with Garcia's Apra party, told reporters outside Casimiro Ulloa hospital. President Martin Vizcarra, whom Garcia had blamed for the investigations, confirmed his death in a tweet.
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| Widows, ace guide to climb Everest to honor Sherpas Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:47 PM PDT  KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Five years after one of the deadliest disasters on Mount Everest, three people from Nepal's ethnic Sherpa community are preparing an ascent to raise awareness about the Nepalese mountain guides who make it possible for hundreds of foreign climbers to scale the mountain and survive.
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| Dozens of doctors in Appalachia charged in opioid fraud bust Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:46 PM PDT  Sixty people, including 31 doctors, were accused of illegally prescribing opioid drugs in exchange for cash and sexual favors in the rural, mountainous region stretching from Pennsylvania and West Virginia to Alabama and Louisiana. "The opioid epidemic is the deadliest drug crisis in American history, and Appalachia has suffered the consequences more than perhaps any other region," Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement.
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| How to Get Rid of Lawn Weeds Posted: 19 Apr 2019 05:30 AM PDT  Unless you stop them, weeds are going to grow in your lawn. Here's what you need to do.
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| Hyundai Confirms High-Performance Sonata N-Line with 275 Horsepower Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:35 PM PDT  This rendering shows what the sporty sedan could look like.
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| Sentencing of Man in Killing of NYC Jogger Postponed Amid Jury Misconduct Allegations Posted: 17 Apr 2019 02:33 PM PDT  The sentencing of Chanel Lewis, who is convicted in the killing and sexual assault Queens jogger Karina Vetrano, was postponed Wednesday amid allegations of jury misconduct.
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| India holds new vote amid violence and protests Posted: 18 Apr 2019 07:42 AM PDT  Millions of voters across India cast ballots in the second round of the world's biggest election Thursday amid violence and protests that highlighted the intensity of animosity in the campaign. With more than a month to go before the marathon ends, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept up a punishing schedule of rallies as he seeks a second term, while opposition leader Rahul Gandhi maintained attacks on the right wing Hindu nationalist government. Voting went ahead in 95 of India's 543 constituencies, most of it peacefully, but with noticeable blackspots.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Trump must be impeached over Mueller report obstruction of justice findings Posted: 19 Apr 2019 12:27 AM PDT  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the Mueller report has convinced her that Donald Trump must be impeached.The Congresswoman said she had resisted calling for the president to undergo investigation, and that she would rather work on other priorities, but that the behaviour detailed in the newly released report had forced her to back calls for his removal.Ms Ocasio-Cortez said she took "no pleasure" in the discussion, "but the report squarely puts this on our doorstep".The stance puts her at odds with more senior Democrat colleagues. House speaker Nancy Pelosi last month said impeaching Mr Trump would "divide the country" and that he is "not worth it".But Ms Ocasio-Cortez claimed the report clearly pointed to wrondoing on the president's part and that Congress must investigate."Mueller's report is clear in pointing to Congress' responsibility in investigating obstruction of justice by the president," she wrote on Twitter."It is our job as outlined in Article 1, Sec 2, Clause 5 of the US Constitution."As such, I'll be signing onto Rashida Tlaib's impeachment resolution."She acknowledged the proceedings were likely to run into problems with objections from the Senate and elsewhere. But she said she was unable to justify backing the investigation all the same."While I understand the political reality of the Senate and election considerations, upon reading this DoJ report, which explicitly names Congress in determining obstruction, I cannot see a reason for us to abdicate from our constitutionally mandated responsibility to investigate."She wrote on Twitter that she would rather be working on other priotities but that she had no choice but to give it her backing."Many know I take no pleasure in discussions of impeachment. I didn't campaign on it, and rarely discuss it unprompted."We all prefer working on our priorities: pushing Medicare for All, tackling student loans, and a Green New Deal."But the report squarely puts this on our doorstep."Fellow new Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also said she had been convinced to back the impeachment of Donald Trump."Impeachment is part of our constitutional responsibility," she wrote on Twitter. We have an obligation to investigate whether the President committed impeachable offenses", pointing to "obstruction of justice, violating the Emoluments Clause, collusion, and abuse of power" as possible avenues for investigation.
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| Best destinations for a cheap summer vacation Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:49 AM PDT ![Best destinations for a cheap summer vacation]( "Best destinations for a cheap summer vacation") Here are some wonderful destinations for cheap summer adventures, plus other ways to cut your vacation costs.
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| Fire-ravaged Notre Dame now stabilized, firefighters leave Posted: 19 Apr 2019 09:37 AM PDT  PARIS (AP) — Architects and construction workers have now stabilized the damaged structure of Notre Dame cathedral, four days after a fast-spreading fire ravaged the iconic Paris building, and firefighters will leave the site Friday night, a fire brigade spokesman said.
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| Holiday island mourns after bus crash kills 29 German tourists Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Caniço (Portugal) (AFP) - Portugal and Germany mourned on Thursday after 29 German tourists died when their bus tumbled down a slope and crashed into a house on the tourist island of Madeira. Frankfurt-based tour operator Trendtours said 51 of its customers were involved in the accident.
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| In Anticipation of Summer, All Our Favorite Melty Decor Posted: 17 Apr 2019 02:23 PM PDT |
| Cheap solar panels power consumer appliance boom in North Korea Posted: 18 Apr 2019 03:23 AM PDT  Electricity shortages have been a perennial concern for North Korea, and leader Kim Jong Un has called for greater use of renewable energy as part of his drive for self-sufficiency as sanctions have ratcheted higher in response to the country's nuclear and missile programs. Now ever more households, factories and businesses are equipped with solar panels, leading to a greater variety of home electronics products available in increasingly common private markets known as jangmadang, defectors and recent visitors say. Among the hottest selling items are water purifiers, hair straighteners and electric bicycles, mostly from China but some made in North Korea or even smuggled in from South Korea.
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| The Mazda 6 Is Officially Getting a Diesel and All-Wheel Drive Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:56 PM PDT  Like the CX-5 crossover, Mazda's mid-size sedan is getting a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel-finally.
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| Sporadic violence as millions vote in second phase of India's mammoth election Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:24 AM PDT  The Election Commission said 66 percent of more than 155 million eligible Indians had voted, as per provisional data, in 95 constituencies in 12 states. Results of the election to India's 545-member parliament are expected on May 23. In focus are the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where the main opposition Congress party and its allies need to win big if they hope to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from securing a second straight term.
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| Trump celebrates Mueller report with another 'Game of Thrones' meme Posted: 18 Apr 2019 07:39 AM PDT  President Trump has embraced "Game of Thrones" yet again. He tweeted a photo of himself juxtaposed next to the hit HBO's show's signature fonts.
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| Amber Alert issued for 15-year-old girl last seen with mother wanted for Carson murder Posted: 18 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT  MISSING GIRL: Authorities are looking for a 15-year-old girl who was last seen with her mother and another man who are wanted suspects in a Southern California murder investigation.
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| Which of These Classics is Your Favorite Easter Candy? Posted: 18 Apr 2019 09:15 AM PDT |
| Amazon to pull plug on China retail operations: report Posted: 18 Apr 2019 12:15 AM PDT  Amazon plans to close down its online retail operations that cater to consumers in China in an apparent admission of defeat to local e-commerce rivals such as Alibaba and JD.com, a report said on Thursday. The US e-commerce pioneer will maintain other operations in China such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kindle e-books and cross-border teams that help ship goods from Chinese merchants to customers abroad, Bloomberg News said, citing unidentified people familiar with the plans. An Amazon spokesperson did not explicitly confirm plans to throw in the towel on domestic e-commerce, but said the company was looking to focus more on cross-border sales.
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| Fossil hunter tries to sell baby T-Rex skeleton on eBay for £2.25m, enraging scientists Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:37 AM PDT  A fossil hunter's attempt to sell a young Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on eBay for $2.95 million (£2.25 million) set off a furore among scientists who warned that it needed to be studied, not sold to the highest bidder.The skeleton's owner, Alan Detrich, defended his decision to try to sell the 15-foot fossil to a wealthy private collector, arguing that it could still be subject to research."It's very hard to reach a billionaire," he said Wednesday, noting that he hoped a wealthy bidder from Europe or Asia would emerge. "Putting it on eBay is one way to do it."That outlook has angered scientists who have questioned why Mr Detrich lent the skeleton to the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum two years ago, saying that putting it on public view was part of a strategy to sell the specimen to a rich investor."Mr Detrich has tried to capitalise on the museum's good faith by using the exhibition and scientific attention as selling points" on eBay, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology said in a letter last week.It added: "These events undermine the scientific process for studying past life as well as the prospect for future generations to share the natural heritage of our planet."The skeleton, believed to be a four-year-old T-Rex, was displayed at the museum until recently and has been returned to Mr Detrich.The museum asked that Mr Detrich remove all references to the museum from the original eBay listing, which advertises the fossil's 21-inch skull and 12 teeth in the lower jaw. The fossil hunter complied."Most Likely the Only BABY T-Rex in the World!" the ad reads. "It's a RARE opportunity indeed to ever see a baby REX."Mr Detrich, who lives in Overbrook, Kansas, said he hoped the exposure from the eBay sale would attract a billionaire wealthy enough to pay his $2.95 million price tag. He did not inform the museum of the sale, he said, but did offer to give it a cast of the specimen.He said he agreed to lend the fossil to the museum two years ago after he and his brother, Robert, unearthed it in 2013 on property he leased near Jordan, Montana, where he hunts for fossils.Mr Detrich said it was not the first time he had received pushback from the scientific community for selling fossils.In 1999, he sought to sell a T-Rex skeleton on eBay for $5.8 million (£4.5 million) and was unsuccessful after pranksters flooded the auction with fake bids. He said he wanted the juvenile skeleton to be studied even if it ended up with a wealthy collector.Mr Detrich, who said he is in his 70s, began hunting fossils three decades ago.He is also a sculptor who creates religious iconography and other works from dinosaur bones, petrified wood and steel. During the interview, he pointed out that he was voted one of People magazine's "Top Bachelors" in 2001.Leonard Krishtalka, the director of the museum, declined to be interviewed.But Anne Tangeman, a spokeswoman for the museum, said in an email: "Our intent was to keep the specimen in the museum sphere to be enjoyed by visitors until it was sold to a museum."She added, "We learned early last week that the owner had abruptly listed the specimen for sale on eBay without prior warning or checking with us."Mr Detrich said he had recently tried to find a museum to buy the skeleton but had no luck.That caused a rift with the Kansas museum, he said, because the original eBay listing made it appear as if the museum was promoting the sale to a wealthy investor. It was not.Early this month, Mr Detrich said, he received an email from Krishtalka balking at the eBay sale."He said, 'What are you doing?'" Mr Detrich recalled."Well, I own this thing," Mr Detrich said of the T-Rex. "It is mine. I can do whatever I want." So far, he has not received any bids.The New York TImes
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| The $8 fast wireless charging pad people went crazy for is back in stock… but it’ll sell out soon Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:54 AM PDT ![The $8 fast wireless charging pad people went crazy for is back in stock… but it'll sell out soon]( "The $8 fast wireless charging pad people went crazy for is back in stock… but it'll sell out soon") Wireless chargers can cost as much as $50 if you buy them from big brands. Of course you follow the BGR Deals team, so you know that you can get the same quality for a fraction of the price on Amazon. We covered a crazy sale last week that got you the 4.5-star rated Seneo 10W Fast Wireless Charging Pad for just $8.49, but it quickly sold out. Well guess what: it's back! This sale is definitely going to sell out quickly yet again, so hurry up if you want to get in on the action.Here's more info from the product page: * 【WORLD-LEADING WIRELESS CHARGER BRAND】As the leader of wireless charger industry, Seneo focuses on the innovation of design and technology to provide the best wireless charging experience to customer from all over the world. Seneo has sold more than 2,000,000 wireless chargers and always be committed to offer FIVE YEARS WARRANTY to our friendly customers * 【10W & 7.5W FAST WIRELESS CHARGER】Compatible with any phones that support fast charging or Qi-Enabled. 7.5W fast wireless charging speed is for iPhone Xs/Xs Max/XR/X/8/8 Plus and 10W wireless charging speed for Samsung Galaxy S10/S9/S9+/S8/S8+/Note9/8/S7/S7 Edge/S6 Edge+/Note5, 5W for New Airpods/Galaxy Buds, google Pixel 3/3XL, Lg V30 and all Qi-enabled Cell Phones * 【MULTIPLE PROTECTION & NOTE】Qi certified and adopted with exclusive technology of ATB (Automatic Temperature Balance), wireless charging speed is up to 15% faster than others; With temperature protection, input voltage protection, input current protection, short circuit protection and other multiple safety protection. The mobile phone should be away from any extra metal objects to effectively prevent the phone from overheating * 【SLEEP-FRIENDLY】Intelligent LED indicator to indicate the charging status for safe charging. The green light is moderate in brightness when charging, so that you can easily find your phone in the dark and it will not disturb your sleep * 【PACKAGE & WARRANTY】Package contains 1 x Wireless Charger, 1 x 3.3ft Micro USB Cable, 1 x User Manner. Your satisfaction is our first goal. Every wireless charger includes a 45 days money back and 5 YEARS warranty (No AC Adapter)
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| Ukraine's presidential candidate pledges NATO referendum Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:49 AM PDT  KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The comedian who is odds-on favorite in Ukraine's presidential election promised Thursday to hold a nationwide referendum on joining NATO only after building a national consensus on the issue.
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| Intelsat says satellite made by Boeing fails Posted: 18 Apr 2019 02:08 PM PDT ![Intelsat says satellite made by Boeing fails]( "Intelsat says satellite made by Boeing fails") Satellite operator Intelsat S.A. said on Thursday one of its satellites made by Boeing Co has failed due to an anomaly related to its propulsion system. The company, which disclosed a service outage on its 29e satellite on April 10, said a failure review board has been convened with Boeing to complete an analysis of the cause of the anomaly. On April 7, the 29e propulsion system experienced damage, and while working to recover the satellite a second anomaly occurred, after which efforts to save the satellite were unsuccessful, the company said.
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| Trump's new Cuba crackdown puts US at odds with Canada and Europe Posted: 17 Apr 2019 02:50 PM PDT  US will allow lawsuits against firms using property nationalised by the revolution, cap remittances and restrict 'non-family' travelThe US national security adviser, John Bolton, addresses the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association in Coral Gables, Florida, on the 58th anniversary of the failed 1961 invasion of Cuba on Wednesday. Photograph: Wilfredo Lee/APDonald Trump has taken another step towards reversing Barack Obama's historic rapprochement with Cuba with a measure that earned swift criticism from allies in Canada and Europe.The US announced on Wednesday that it would enable lawsuits against foreign companies that use properties nationalised by the communist government after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.The policy shift, which could draw hundreds of thousands of legal claims worth tens of billion of dollars, aims to put pressure on Cuba at a moment when the US is demanding an end to Havana's support for Venezuela's socialist president, Nicolás Maduro.Sign up for the US morning briefingIt was condemned by Cuba as "an attack on international law" and by Canada and the European Union as "regrettable", since their companies have significant investments in hotels, distilleries, tobacco factories and other properties on the island.Title III of the Helms-Burton Act had been fully waived by every president over the past 23 years due to concerns from the international community and fears that it could overwhelm US courts with lawsuits.But Trump, who has made a habit of breaking from his predecessors, gave the go-ahead for it to be activated. Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, said that, for the first time, US citizens will be able to bring lawsuits against individuals trafficking in property that was confiscated by the Cuban regime.Pompeo accused the Obama administration of playing a "game of footsy with the Castros' junta" which did not deter it from targeting human rights activists. "Detente with the regime has failed," the secretary told reporters.The issue has come to a head now as the US argues that Cuba's security and intelligence support is crucial to Maduro's grip on power amid Venezuela's economic and political crisis.Pompeo added: "Cuba's behaviour in the western hemisphere undermines the security and stability of countries throughout the region, which directly threatens United States national security interests. The Cuban regime has for years exported its tactics of intimidation, repression and violence."They've exported this to Venezuela in direct support of the former Maduro regime. Cuban military intelligence and state security services today keep Maduro in power."The decision represents a blow to Cuba's efforts to draw foreign investment. The foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, retorted on Twitter: "I strongly reject the announcement of State Secretary Pompeo. This is an attack on international law and the sovereignty of Cuba and third states. Aggressive escalation of USA against Cuba will fail."Numerous foreign companies have invested in Cuba since Obama eased restrictions. A joint EU-Canada statement said the US move was "regrettable" and will have an "important impact on legitimate EU and Canadian economic operators in Cuba".James Williams, president of the pressure group Engage Cuba said: "President Trump is doing this for one reason, and one reason only: to appease fringe hardliners in South Florida ahead of the 2020 election. The only way to get property claimants what they deserve is through diplomatic negotiations, which President Trump just threw off the table."On Wednesday Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, also announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, including a new cap on the amount of money that families in the US can send to relatives in Cuba.Remittances from the United States have surged since Obama started easing restrictions on them in 2009, becoming an important part of the Cuban economy and fueling the growth of the private sector by providing startup capital.He also said the United States would also further restrict "non-family" travel by Americans to Cuba, though he offered no details.In a speech to an association of veterans of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, Bolton said the US was adding five names linked to Cuba's military and intelligence services to its sanctions blacklist. "Under this administration, we don't throw dictators lifelines," Bolton said in Miami. "We take them away."Associated Press contributed to this report
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| New York Auto Show hits and misses: 4 winners, 4 losers from the show floor Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:27 AM PDT  The Subaru Outback was a hit, but the Mazda CX-5 diesel? Not so much. Here's our list of hits and misses from the 2019 New York Auto Show.
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| Turkish opposition takes control of Istanbul, re-run appeal still pending Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:57 PM PDT  The final result of the March 31 local elections gave a wafer-thin majority to the secularist opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey's commercial hub, ending 25 years of control by the AK Party (AKP) and its Islamist predecessors. The loss is especially hard for Erdogan who launched his political career in Istanbul as mayor in the 1990s and has triumphed in more than a dozen parliamentary, presidential and local polls since his party came to power in 2002. Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters outside the municipality building, Ekrem Imamoglu promised to work for all 16 million residents.
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| Earth Was Hit by an Interstellar Asteroid Years Ago, Scientists Claim Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:56 PM PDT  Researchers calculate that an asateroid from beyond our solar system burned up in the atmosphere in 2014.
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| Three mountaineers presumed dead in Canada avalanche Posted: 19 Apr 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Three world-renowned professional mountaineers -- two Austrians and an American -- were missing and presumed dead after an avalanche on a western Canadian summit, the country's national parks agency said Thursday. American Jess Roskelley, 36, and Austrians Hansjorg Auer, 35, and David Lama, 28, went missing Tuesday evening in Banff National Park, according to media reports.
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