| Sri Lankan president shakes up defense forces, says attack warnings went unheeded Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:04 PM PDT  Sri Lanka's president has demanded that the defense secretary and national police chief resign after the Easter Sunday suicide bombings.
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| Joe Biden: Popular, seasoned Democrat with a cumbersome past Posted: 25 Apr 2019 03:53 AM PDT  Joe Biden sat out 2016 while mourning his late son, but he is now mounting a White House bid as a Democratic senior statesman, grappling with a recent storm over his notoriously tactile approach with voters that could suggest a man out of step with his modernizing party. The former vice president ended the speculation Thursday by jumping into a crowded Democratic field as an immediate frontrunner in the battle to oust President Donald Trump in 2020. Several strategists see Biden as the down-to-earth Democrat with star power who connects with working class voters such as those who abandoned Hillary Clinton for Trump three years ago.
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| MJ Hegar launches 2020 Senate run against Texas' John Cornyn Posted: 23 Apr 2019 10:14 AM PDT  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrat MJ Hegar, an Air Force veteran whose viral campaign ads nearly helped her get elected in one of Texas' most Republican-friendly congressional districts last year, set her sights higher on Tuesday and launched a run for U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent John Cornyn.
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| 'I smiled in the face of bigotry': A woman's response to anti-Islam protesters goes viral Posted: 25 Apr 2019 07:00 AM PDT !['I smiled in the face of bigotry': A woman's response to anti-Islam protesters goes viral]( "'I smiled in the face of bigotry': A woman's response to anti-Islam protesters goes viral") A group of anti-Islam protesters gathered at a conference in Washington, D.C. One woman's reaction: 'I smiled in the face of bigotry.'
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| Ex-Florida policeman faces sentencing for killing black motorist Posted: 25 Apr 2019 07:10 AM PDT ![Ex-Florida policeman faces sentencing for killing black motorist]( "Ex-Florida policeman faces sentencing for killing black motorist") A former Florida police officer was due to be sentenced on Thursday for fatally shooting a black motorist in 2015 without identifying himself as a police officer as he approached the man who was waiting for his car to be towed. Nouman Raja, 41, faces a maximum of life in prison after he was convicted last month by a jury of manslaughter and first-degree murder. Raja was fired from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department after he killed 31-year-old Corey Jones and was charged in 2016 with using unjustifiable force.
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| AP EXCLUSIVE: At Walmart, using AI to watch the store Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:58 PM PDT  LEVITTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Inside one of Walmart's busiest Neighborhood Market grocery stores, high resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to a table of bananas. They can tell how ripe the bananas are from their color.
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| Three-year-old boy found alone near US border with name and number written on his shoes Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:39 PM PDT  Border Patrol agents found a three-year-old boy alone in a field in Texas after likely being abandoned by smugglers at the southern border, authorities said. US Customs and Border Protection said that the boy's name and a phone number were written on his shoes when agents found him on Tuesday morning. The agency said it is trying to reach the boy's family and that the boy "does not speak well enough to communicate." The boy was crying and in distress when the agents found him near Brownsville, according to NBC. Brownsville is at the eastern edge of the US-Mexico border in South Texas.The child will likely be sent to a facility for unaccompanied minors operated by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Border Patrol apprehended nearly 9,000 unaccompanied minors in March and more than 20,000 since January, as border crossings surged compared to recent levels. Most minors are usually teenagers from Central America who travel north on their own, but some are young children who arrived with an adult relative or a human smuggler. And parents carrying infants or holding the hands of young children arrive daily . That surge of families has put pressure on the Border Patrol, which says it doesn't have the staff or facilities to care for hundreds of children at a time. While US authorities have ended the large-scale family separations that spurred outrage last year, the Border Patrol says it still must take children from adults who are not biological parents or legal guardians or when it suspects fraud or neglect.Agency officials said this month that from April 2018 through most of March, the Border Patrol identified more than 3,100 parents and children whom it accused of making "fraudulent claims." During a March visit to the Border Patrol's main processing centre in McAllen, reporters from The Associated Press saw a 4-year-old boy sitting with adult staff watching cartoons. Authorities said the adult who brought the boy wasn't his parent and had a criminal record.AP
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| Elizabeth Warren's plan to end student debt is glorious. We can make it a reality Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  We fully support the 2020 nominee's student debt relief proposal. But to make it happen, we'll need to kick our efforts into higher gear 'Elizabeth Warren's proposal is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives.' Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP This week, Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, announced a proposal to cancel student debt for millions of people and make public college free. This is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives. But like every other progressive proposal now being touted by presidential hopefuls, from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, the call for debt relief and free education first came from the grassroots. And if we want a real student debt jubilee to actually happen – to go from policy paper to reality – the grassroots will need to continue to push for it. Fortunately, it's a battle that can be won. Raising our voices is how we got this far. Ten years ago, student debt, even as it soared, was not seen as a serious issue. Writers including Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz were early to sound the alarm, exposing young people's disproportionate indebtedness as a structural issue. Scholars such as Darrick Hamilton and Tressie McMillan Cottom would later go on to document the racially disparate impact of student loans, which burden women and people of color most of all. But it took the Occupy Wall Street movement to make public how profoundly the pinch of monthly payments was felt by an entire generation. Sign up to receive the latest US opinion pieces every weekday In April 2012 a group of Occupiers organized a "1T Day" protest to mark the day student debt in America surpassed $1tn. Seven years later, that number has ballooned to more than $1.5tn. That protest represented a watershed moment, the point when student debt went from being a personal problem to a political one, the result of decades of disinvestment in public colleges and universities that turned education into a consumer product instead of a public good. Some of the organizers of that event would go on to help launch the Debt Collective, a union for debtors that I co-founded. We kicked things off with the Rolling Jubilee fund, a public education campaign that bought and cancelled more than $30m in medical, student debt, payday loans and private probation debts. Then, in 2015, the Debt Collective launched the country's first student debt strike. Since the strike was announced, we have won more than $1bn (and counting) in student debt cancellation for people who attended fraudulent for-profit colleges. Our team accomplished this by building a membership base of for-profit borrowers themselves. These debtors, a multiracial group of working-class people from across the country, led a campaign to pressure the Department of Education to cancel their loans. Their victory – and the fact that our primary demand of a debt jubilee and free college is now on Warren's platform – demonstrates the power of grassroots organizing. The precedent-setting significance of the Debt Collective's work is clear and cannot be overstated: Warren knows that student loans can be cancelled because they already have been on a smaller scale for for-profit college borrowers. That said, Warren's plan, as bold as it is, is hardly inevitable. Her proposal of canceling student debt and ensuring free college seems contingent on the passage of a millionaire's tax that, barring a miracle, is likely to be stymied by an intransigent Congress. In order to win a jubilee, then, we will have to kick our grassroots efforts into a higher gear. Debtors must continue to fight for their rights and advocate for the best possible solutions. We are preparing to do just that. Since 2016, along with our partners at Harvard Law School's Project on Predatory Student Lending, we have been working out a roadmap that would allow all federal student loans to be cancelled without waiting for Congress to act. Congress, it turns out, has already given administrative agencies the power to cancel debts. Just as the Securities and Exchange Commission can cut low-dollar deals with banks that break the law, for example, the secretary of education can settle with debtors for a fraction of what they owe or suspend the collection of student debt altogether. When it was first given the power to issue and collect student loans in 1958, the Department of Education also received the power to "compromise, waive, or release any right" to collect on them. And when the Higher Education Act of 1965 made student loan authorities permanent, it solidified their power to compromise. Nothing in the law prevents the secretary of education from using compromise and settlement authority to address the worst effects of decades of failed higher education policy. But only a movement with that as its goal can get us there. Student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country To win a jubilee, we need a movement focused on motivating candidates to commit to using the full powers available to them in office to address this emergency and stop collections on all student loans. While millionaires and billionaires should be taxed at a much higher rate, in the short term we should not let a Congress bought off by the super-rich prevent us from doing what's right and legal – and economically beneficial. Indeed, student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country. Not only would debtors get relief, academic research shows it would be a significant stimulus that might "supercharge" the economy and help address the racial wealth gap. Money currently used to pay back loans with interest would be redirected to other goods and services. But the win would be more profound than just an economic boost. Education could finally be a public good and not a commodity (or worse, a debt trap). This transformation would help inaugurate a new political vision that redefines liberty as the ability to freely access the social services that we all need to survive and thrive. The Debt Collective has been leading this fight for years – and our growing membership will continue to do so. Grassroots organizing is what got us this far, and it's the only thing that can get us to the finish line: an end to student debt and free public college for everyone, once and for all. Astra Taylor is a writer, organizer, and documentarian. Her books include the American Book Award winner The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone. Her most recent film is What Is Democracy?
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| See this Aircraft Carrier? It Was One of the Worst To Ever Set Sail. Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:33 AM PDT  On September 15th, 1942 USS Wasp was struck by three torpedoes from the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-19. Wasp at first though survivable and was even able to remain under her own power, but gasoline fires swept through the ship and made her recovery impossible. After five hours the order was given to abandon ship, and Wasp was scuttled by three torpedoes fired by the destroyer USS Lansdowne. Of the ship's 2,247 crew, 193 were killed and 366 wounded.(This first appeared last month.)The U.S. Navy rose to prominence during World War II from just one of many major naval powers to the undisputed greatest in just four short years. This was in large part due to the expansion and effective use of its aircraft carrier fleet. Although most American flattops that fought in the war were highly successful designs one, USS Wasp, was fatally compromised by the need to conform to international treaty obligations. The result was a carrier that was quickly sunk early on in the war, making only a modest contribution to the overall effort.A Treaty Like No Other: One of the most ambitious conventional arms control treaties ever signed was the Washington Naval Treaty. The multinational treaty was negotiated between 1921 and 1922 and resulted in limits in the size of individual warships and the overall tonnage of the navies of the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, and France.
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| FBI and US military personnel arrive in Sri Lanka to help investigate bombings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:25 AM PDT  The Islamic State claimed responsibility for bombings at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that killed 359 and injured 500.
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| Judge Andrew Napolitano: Did President Trump obstruct justice? Posted: 23 Apr 2019 09:43 PM PDT  Judge Napolitano's Chambers: Judge Andrew Napolitano weighs in on the information revealed in the Mueller report and whether or not President Trump obstructed justice.
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| Mexico tells US to invest in Central America to stem migration Posted: 23 Apr 2019 01:56 PM PDT  Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told the United States on Tuesday that if it wants to stem the flow of Central American migrants to its southern border, it needs to invest in the region. Slowing entries from Mexico has been a major focus of President Donald Trump's administration amid numerous reports of migrant caravans heading up from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras in the hope of a better life. The migrants say they are fleeing poverty and gang violence, but Trump has characterized many as criminals and has ramped up pressure on Mexico to help ease the strain on US immigration authorities.
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| Pete Buttigieg faces backlash for saying people in prison should not be allowed to vote Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:16 AM PDT  Democratic frontrunners are facing scrutiny for their stance on voting rights for incarcerated felons - after Bernie Sanders said he supports voting rights 'even for terrible people'.In one of five CNN town halls that aired Tuesday night, Senator Sanders was asked by a Harvard student specifically on whether those currently serving a prison sentence should be allowed to vote."This is a democracy and we have got to expand that democracy," the Vermont senator said, "and I believe every single person does have the right to vote."Vermont is one of two states, the other being Maine, where incarcerated felons have always retained their right to vote. In Sanders's adopted state, voters must be citizens of Vermont and register at their previous home address, preventing prisons from becoming voting blocs. A 2018 report from NBC on the practice claimed that it's had a "profound" effect on prisoners re-entering free society. As of 2018, neither states tracks the number of votes from prison.Still, allowing prisoners to vote became an unexpected, and hotly contested, issue. Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren both told audiences that they'd like to have a "conversation" about that practice. Each added that restoring voting rights for felons after they leave prison remains important to them. Meanwhile, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg came out strongly against the notion."You lose your freedom and I think during that freedom it does not make sense to have an exception for it the right to vote," Buttigieg said.His response was mostly met with applause in the town hall, but a swift response from viewers at home criticised the Midwestern mayor for his unwavering stance."I've been working in prisons for five years now & there is not a single person in there who doesn't deserve the right to vote," wrote author and Harvard PhD candidate Clint Smith on Twitter. "To suggest otherwise is to have a myopic, regressive view of who & is not deserving of citizenship.""Buttigieg said that it was a matter of punishment," wrote organiser and photographer Kelly Hayes in the midst of a Twitter thread responding to the mayor's position. "But if to punish a human being, you must remove their ability to have any voice in what happens to them in the largest of matters, in addition to the smallest of matters, that's not mere punishment. That's utter dehumanisation."Others pointed out hat at least one member of the town hall audience seemed perplexed by the mayor's statement. "What's the reason NOT to let incarcerated people vote?" wrote Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti in a tweet Wednesday morning. "Shouldn't the people most affected by unjust laws have some say in electing people to change them?"Senator Amy Klobuchar, who also had a town hall on CNN Tuesday night, was not asked about her stance on the matter.
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| #FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:55 PM PDT ![#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts]( "#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts") The trend often involves uniformed workers posting selfies coupled with captions joking about what their work day may entail.
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| UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:22 PM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares]( "UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares") Visa Inc reported higher expenses and lower spending by people using its cards abroad on Wednesday even as increased overall consumer spending drove quarterly profit 14 percent higher. Shares of the company were trading lower after the bell as investors worried over a slide in cross-border volume growth, which measures the value of transactions made on a Visa card outside a customer's home country. The company and its rival Mastercard had recently come under fire for charging high fees on tourist cards in the European Union.
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| In-Depth Photos of Our Long-Term 2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:04 PM PDT |
| Russian-North Korean relations since the Korean War Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:05 PM PDT  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February.
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| Video leak shows Apple’s iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max designs side by side Posted: 25 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Just a few short months ago, Apple's next-generation iPhone 11 lineup was shaping up to be one of the most boring iPhone updates in recent history. It couldn't be the most boring iPhone update, since there's no way Apple will be able to top the iPhone XS in that department. Thankfully, a few new reports from well-placed sources over the past few weeks have painted a much more compelling picture of the iPhone 11. While the overall design of Apple's upcoming new iPhone lineup will remain largely unchanged, we've seen more and more news of big upgrades lately. Most recently, the world's top Apple insider reported that Apple's iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will both feature triple-lens rear cameras that pack all sorts of new tricks, while the iPhone 11R (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) will sport an upgraded dual-lens camera. On top of all that, Apple has big things planned for iOS 13 and some of the details surrounding the company's upcoming new mobile software update have already leaked.Long story short, 2019 is looking a bit brighter for Apple fans than it was a couple of months ago. iPhone owners who don't plan to upgrade to a new phone will still have a pretty huge software update to look forward to in September (or in June, if they're brave enough to install the early beta versions following WWDC 2019). Meanwhile, people who do upgrade will apparently get an updated design, plenty more power, and a massive camera upgrade that's much-needed, considering how far Apple has fallen behind the likes of Google and Huawei in this crucial area. If you're wondering what all that will look like when it comes together, a new leak that just hit the web this morning is just what the doctor ordered. The video in question shows Apple's final iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max designs side by side, and it shows what they'll look like in real life as opposed to just pictures.Remember back in 2016 when Apple released the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus? They used the exact same designs as the iPhone 6s series that came before them, and the iPhone 6 series that came before that. In order to make up for that, Apple introduced some sleek new finishes, a bunch of new features, and an upgraded dual-lens camera on the larger iPhone 7 Plus. It worked quite will for the company -- Apple sold a record 78.29 million iPhones in the holiday quarter following the iPhone 7's release. That's a record that still stands to this day.It appears as though Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup is going to follow the same pattern as far as design and features are concerned. From afar, the iPhone 11 will look just like the iPhone X that was released two years before it. The iPhone 7 from 2016 looked just like the iPhone 6 from 2014. But leaks have shown us that Apple is planning a huge upgrade for the iPhone 11's camera, and reports from insiders suggest a few important design changes such as a new finish and new frosted glass on the back.It will still be a while before we know exactly what Apple has in store for us in 2019, but a new leak gives us a very good idea of what to expect. Using schematics that had previously leaked from a factory set to manufacture Apple's upcoming iPhone 11 series phones, 3D printed dummy models of the upcoming iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max have made their way to Alibaba. Japanese Apple news blog Mac Otakara recently purchased a pair, and on Thursday the blog posted a video of them in action.Again, these are not actually Apple's upcoming new iPhones. That said, they are models that were built to scale using schematics that are believed to be accurate, so they're almost certainly a very good representation of what we can expect from the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max when they're announced in September. The video showing the mockups is embedded below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1witX6DzJQ
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| Tesla Model S and X get new drivetrains, longer range Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:11 AM PDT  Without changing or upgrading the battery, Tesla has updated the Model S and Model X to increase each vehicle's driving range to 370 miles and 325 miles respectively. On Tuesday, Tesla announced that it has upgraded the powertrains of the Model S liftback and Model X SUV to increase the range by 10 percent for each, and significantly improve the power and torque for all model variants. The new drive unit technology increases the drivetrain efficiency by 93 percent, according to Tesla.
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| Three-year-old boy 'abandoned' at US-Mexico border: agency Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:57 PM PDT  US border patrol agents found a crying three-year-old boy in a Texas cornfield on Tuesday with his name and a phone number written on his shoes, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said Wednesday. The boy was "abandoned" by a group of suspected illegal immigrants who had crossed into the United States from Mexico near Brownsville, Texas, the CBP said. "As agents attempted to intercept the group, the suspected illegal aliens scattered in the overgrown field," the CBP said in a statement.
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| House Dems Schedule First Ever ‘Medicare for All’ Hearing Posted: 23 Apr 2019 03:11 PM PDT  House Democrats have scheduled the first ever hearing for Medicare for All legislation for next week, as the proposal is becoming a litmus test for Democratic 2020 presidential candidates.The "Medicare for All Act" will be considered by the House Rules Committee next Tuesday and by the House Budget Committee at a later date. However, the two primary health care committees, Ways and Means as well as Energy and Commerce, have so far been reluctant to consider the proposal."It's a serious proposal that deserves serious consideration on Capitol Hill as we work toward universal coverage," said Representative James McGovern, who chairs the Rules committee.Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell introduced the legislation, which has more than 100 House co-sponsors, fewer than the proposal has had in previous years. The bill would cover disability, prescription drugs, mental health, maternal care, vision, dental, and substance-abuse care, would scrap Medicare's age requirement, and would not charge patients copays, premiums, or deductibles. It does not detail how the program's cost would be covered.Speaker Nancy Pelosi has encouraged committees to hold hearings on Medicare for All but has not attached her name to the proposal."That is, administratively, the simplest thing to do, but to convert to it? Thirty trillion dollars. Now, how do you pay for that?," Pelosi remarked in February.Analysts estimated other versions of the legislation, such as Senator Bernie Sanders' Senate bill, would cost in the ballpark of $32 trillion.Sanders was one of the first Democratic heavyweights to back the sweeping health care overhaul, which would transfer all U.S. residents to a government health care plan and essentially eliminate the private health insurance market.The democratic socialist and presidential candidate has since propelled the issue to the front of the 2020 presidential debate, impelling other contenders for the Democratic nomination to state where they stand on the proposal.
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| Maisie Williams reminds 'Game of Thrones' fans her family saw that sex scene: 'Kill me' Posted: 23 Apr 2019 02:04 PM PDT  Maisie Williams tweeted about the reaction to Arya's sex scene on "Game of Thrones: "If u feel uncomfortable just know that my mother and my stepdad... probably watched this too."
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| US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:07 AM PDT ![US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings]( "US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings") U.S. stocks hovered below their all-time highs on Wednesday, as investors digested a mixed batch of earnings reports and losses in energy stocks limited gains on the indexes. The S&P 500 is 0.3% below its record high of 2,940.91 hit in late September.
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| Florida House closer to passing felon voting rights bill Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:28 PM PDT  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Legislation that would restore voting rights to convicted felons who complete their sentences except murderers and felony sex offenders moved another step Tuesday toward passage in the Florida House.
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| High-resolution Pixel 3a leak reveals the design of Google’s next phone Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:53 PM PDT  Much like the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Fold before it, Google's Pixel 3a appears to have leaked in full ahead of its unveiling next month. On Wednesday morning, VentureBeat's Evan Blass piled on with a leak of his own -- a high-resolution Pixel 3a render that gives us our clearest look yet at the midrange phone.As previous leaks revealed, the Pixel 3a is a blast from the past, with a design more reminiscent of the phones that came before the iPhone X than the phones that have made their debut over the last 12 to 18 months. No notches, no triple-lens camera, no in-display fingerprint sensor -- the Pixel 3a forgoes all of the modern design advances that the industry has adopted in favor of a classic design that basically mirrors that of the Pixel 3.The design alone won't entice any smartphone fanatics that want to owe the latest, greatest device (providing it isn't so flawed that it has to be delayed indefinitely). But with a simple design and midrange specs, Google will be able to offer a quality Android phone for a competitive price, as Samsung does with its Galaxy A series.https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1120938099318693888Due to various leaks over the past several months (including one from Google itself), we think we know what will be contained within the Pixel 3a and the larger Pixel 3a XL as well. The Pixel 3a is expected to feature a 5.6-inch display at 2,200 x 1,080 and a Snapdragon 670 CPU, while the Pixel 3a XL will boast a 6-inch display at 2,160 x 1,080 and a Snapdragon 710 CPU. Both phones will have 4GB of RAM and the Pixel Visual Core software.Google will announce the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL on May 7th, which is the date Google I/O 2019 kicks off.
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| The Latest: Police clarify suspect sketch in girls' killings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:38 PM PDT  DELPHI, Ind. (AP) — The Latest on the investigation into the 2017 killings of two northern Indiana girls (all times local):
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| Deutsche Bank handing over Trump loan documents: source Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:44 PM PDT  Deutsche Bank has begun to provide documents on financing for some of President Donald Trump's projects to New York State authorities, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Wednesday. In mid-March, New York Attorney General Letitia James subpoenaed the German bank, demanding records related to loans and lines of credit granted to the Trump Organization. The money was intended to finance projects such as Trump hotels in Washington, DC, Miami and Chicago, another source told AFP last month on the condition of anonymity.
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| California lawmakers pass bill to end hair discrimination Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:54 PM PDT  State senators have passed a bill to protect people from hair discrimination in the workplace.
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| Iranian Foreign Minister Proposes a Prisoner Swap With the U.S. Posted: 25 Apr 2019 12:30 AM PDT  "Let's have an exchange. I'm ready to do it," he said.
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| Flying Southwest to Hawaii: Coconut rum, snack packs and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:12 AM PDT  USA TODAY flew to Hawaii on Southwest Airlines and back on Hawaiian Airlines to compare the experience.
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| North Korea's Kim says he will coordinate views on peninsula issues with Putin Posted: 24 Apr 2019 09:27 PM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday that his summit with President Vladimir Putin will help jointly assess the Korean peninsula issues and coordinate their stances. Kim and Putin met for their unprecedented summit in the Russian city of Vladivostok, where Kim is likely to seek support from the Russian leader as nuclear talks between North Korea and the United States are hanging in limbo. Putin told Kim he welcomed North Korea's efforts to improve ties with the United States.
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| Royal baby name odds and title predictions for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first child Posted: 24 Apr 2019 04:37 AM PDT  Last year was one of the most eventful for the Royal family, with the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank, and the birth of Prince Louis. And while 2019 won't be as jam-packed for the Windsors, there's a whole new reason to celebrate on the horizon - the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child this spring. As royal watchers in the UK and abroad wait for the latest arrival, speculation is mounting as to what he or she could be called - and whether the Queen will allow the child to become a Prince or Princess. Latest predictions on what the Royal baby will be called The duke and duchess may decide to go with a traditional name like Alice, Grace or Victoria for a girl or James, Edward or Arthur for a boy. However, the pair are forward-thinking royals and may decide to surprise everyone when naming their first child. Canadian-born Autumn Phillips, and husband Peter Phillips, opted for a non-traditional name for their daughter Savannah - the Queen's first great-grandchild - in 2010. Princess Charlotte stands next to Savannah Phillips and Prince George at Trooping The Colour 2018 Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage The Duchess may also seek inspiration from her friends. Her confidante and stylist Jessica Mulroney has twin boys Brian and John, and a daughter Isabel Veronica, who is known as Ivy - who were pageboys and bridesmaid at the royal wedding. In the US, the most popular name for a baby girl is Emma and Liam for a baby boy. In the UK, the most popular name for a girl born in 2017 was Olivia, and for a boy Oliver. Harry and Meghan's child, who will be seventh in line to the throne, is extremely unlikely ever to be king or queen, meaning the couple have more freedom with their choices. In comparison, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose to give their children traditional names, picking George for their firstborn, who is likely to one day be king. One option - considered a favourite for a girl - is Diana, in honour of Harry's mother. William and Kate paid tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in 2015 by choosing it as one of Charlotte's middle names. Prince Harry was just 12 when the Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997. Meghan's mother, to whom she is close, is called Doria, and the ex-Suits star may want to pay tribute to her as well. Royal christenings through the years, in pictures What are the Royal baby name odds? These odds from William Hill were last updated on April 24, 2019. Girls names Diana 4/1 Victoria 7/1 Alice 12/1 Grace 12/1 Isabella/Isobella 12/1 Elizabeth 14/1 Alexandra 20/1 Harriett 20/1 Rose 20/1 April 25/1 Boys names Arthur 16/1 James 16/1 Edward 25/1 Albert 33/1 Alexander 33/1 Christopher 33/1 Daniel 33/1 Henry 33/1 Phillip 33/1 Joseph 40/1 Royal baby | Meghan and Harry expecting their first child What title will the Royal baby have (and why the baby won't necessarily be a Prince or Princess) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby will not be a prince or a princess unless the Queen steps in. King George V - Harry's great-great-grandfather - limited titles within the royal family in 1917. If the child is a boy, he could instead become Earl of Dumbarton - one of the subsidiary titles the prince received from the Queen on the morning of his wedding. The eldest son and heir apparent of a duke can use one of his father's lesser grade peerage titles by courtesy, according to Debrett's. A daughter could be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent sons Lord (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor. The 1st Earl of Dumbarton, George Douglas, was a Scottish nobleman and soldier. He was badly injured in a duel with the duc de Normandie in 1669 and papers reported him dead due to the severity of his injuries. History behind the favourite baby names The nation has put its money on the baby being called Diana (presumably after Prince Harry and William's mother). While Diana Spencer was the only member of the royal family with that name, the moniker has regal connotations. In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of hunting and chastity, and daughter of Jupiter, king of the gods. Victoria, the second-favourite name, has a more clear royal history. The most iconic royal who springs to mind is, of course, Queen Victoria - although (as fans of the ITV show will know), this was not her real name. She was born Alexandria Victoria, but changed her name when she became queen. If the baby is a boy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may call him Arthur - a name with a similarly impressive heritage. The most recent royal Arthur was Queen Victoria's son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. Before him, there was Henry VIII's younger brother, Arthur, who tragically died at the age of just 15. The most famous Arthur, of course, is the one we aren't sure existed: romantic hero King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Edward and James have been popular names for kings in the past, but Philip is more of a rogue contender. The first royal Philip was James VII's brother-in-law Prince Philippe I, Duke of Orleans. Since then, there has not been another royal Philip - until Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Naming their child Philip may be a way for the Duke of Sussex to pay tribute to his grandfather. A look back at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's baby photos Keep up to date with the Royal family by signing up to our weekly newsletter, Your Royal Appointment.
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| Delphi murders: Here's what we know about unsolved killings of two teen girls in Indiana Posted: 23 Apr 2019 02:16 PM PDT  It's been more than two years since the Delphi murders. Here's what we know now about the unsolved killings of Abigail Williams and Liberty Germany.
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| This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra Will Break All The Necks Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:50 AM PDT  This may be a replica, but it's the only one licensed by Shelby. This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra has the sleek, instantly recognizable looks of the original Shelby Cobra, making it a standout in a sea of cool cars.
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| 'NRA in crisis' ad campaign launched ahead of gun group's annual convention Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:16 AM PDT  On the eve of the National Rifle Association's annual convention, Everytown for Gun Safety has unveiled a new ad campaign that argues the organization is "becoming more fringe and more toxic to the Americans it has long claimed to represent."
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| Scared Muslim refugees flee Sri Lankan homes over attack fears Posted: 25 Apr 2019 06:27 AM PDT  Hundreds of Muslim refugees in western Sri Lanka have taken refuge in mosques and a police station after facing intimidation following the deadly Easter bombings, activists said Thursday. At least 359 people died in Sunday's coordinated suicide blasts, including more than 100 Christians attending mass at St Sebastian's church in Negombo on the island's west coast. The attacks have been condemned by leaders of the country's Muslim minority who have said mosques will not bury the bombers, and the community has been left in fear of a backlash.
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| AT&T CEO confirms that 5G subscription plans won’t come cheap Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:35 PM PDT ![AT&T CEO confirms that 5G subscription plans won't come cheap]( "AT&T CEO confirms that 5G subscription plans won't come cheap") In a mobile world where carriers are seemingly obsessed with squeezing every spare cent they can from subscribers, it was a pleasant surprise to see T-Mobile CTO Neville a few weeks back promise that T-Mobile's 5G data plans won't be more expensive than the company's existing 4G plans. Unfortunately, it looks as if the same can't be said for AT&T.During AT&T's earnings conference call today, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson relayed that 5G pricing could very well be tiered and that users keen on enjoying the maximum data speeds afforded by 5G will have to pay a little bit extra for the privilege."I will be very surprised if as we move into wireless, the pricing regime in wireless doesn't look something like the pricing regime you see in fixed line," Stephenson explained. "If you can offer a gig speed, there are some customers that are willing to pay a premium for 500 meg to a gig speed, and so forth. So I expect that to be the case. We're 2-3 years away from seeing that play out."Truth be told, pricing surrounding 5G data plans is something of a moot point given how early we are into the 5G roll out. AT&T, for example, began rolling out its 5G network in late 2018 across 12 U.S. cities. Since then, the number of cities with support for AT&T's 5G network has grown to 19. While seemingly encouraging, it's not anything consumers can enjoy just yet given that there are no 5G capable smartphones for AT&T at the moment.Interestingly, the various carrier approaches we've seen with respect to 5G vary wildly. With T-Mobile promising not to charge extra for 5G and AT&T hinting that it may employ a tiered pricing matrix, Verizon has opted for a $10 add-on for consumers wanting to take advantage of 5G.
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| Australia leader plays down terror threat at Gallipoli event Posted: 25 Apr 2019 02:43 AM PDT  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister played down Thursday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders.
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| Saudi Sisters Urge Google and Apple to Pull an 'Inhuman' Woman-Tracking App Posted: 25 Apr 2019 01:35 AM PDT  The sisters, who fled Saudi Arabia, say the app 'gives men control over women'
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| 4-year-old girl found wandering alone at 3 a.m. after breaking window: Father Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Pasadena police say the girl's grandparent was able to help officers find her father.
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| Twitter not amused by long wait for Tesla earnings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:12 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc's first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released. Here is a sampling of comments on Twitter: "Tesla forgot to get Deepak's password when he left and now they can't release the earnings. 40 minute late and counting... ...
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| Trump praises AOC about VA healthcare — before completely contradicting her Posted: 24 Apr 2019 09:11 AM PDT  Donald Trump has praised Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter over comments she made last week about the Department of Veterans Affairs — while simultaneously undermining her stance on the issue of privatising health care for US veterans. The president claimed the agency "is doing great" thanks to his administration in a tweet, seemingly undermining the fundamental point the 29-year-old lawmaker was making during a town hall event in New York. Mr Trump supported at least a portion of the congresswoman's statements surrounding veterans' health care in America, writing Wednesday, "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is correct, the VA is not broken, it is doing great. But that is only because of the Trump administration." Ms Ocasio-Cortez was speaking out against efforts by the Republican Party to privatise the VA — the second largest federal department following Defence — when she said at a town hall event in New York, "When it comes to the VA, all I can think of is that classic refrain that my parents always told me growing up, which is that, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'" "That is their opening approach that we have seen when it comes to privatisation," she continued. "the idea that this thing that isn't broken, this thing that provides the highest quality care to our veterans somehow needs to be fixed, optimised, tinkered with, until — until we don't even recognise it anymore."More follows...
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| Tesla hit with big loss as car deliveries sputter Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:44 PM PDT  Electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday announced a heavy loss in the first quarter as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced. Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated. Tesla's quarterly loss followed changes to pricing and reversals in the way the company sells vehicles.
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| What is type 2 diabetes and how does it differ from type 1? Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:53 AM PDT  There are many cultural misconceptions about diabetes – one of the most common being the dangerous assumption that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are one and the same. Though it may only seem obvious to diabetics of either type (I write as a type 1 diabetic, having been diagnosed when I was a child over two decades ago), the conditions are 'caused' in very different ways, cared for through largely individual treatment plans, and can become as dangerous as each other if left undiagnosed or untreated. Knowledge is power in every area of diabetic care and it is especially important to understand the difference between type 1 and type 2. The latter, particularly, because it is sure to affect someone you know (as you'll see, below). What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes? Diabetes (technically, diabetes mellitus) typically comes in two forms: 'type 1' and 'type 2'. No awards for creativity. Both are chronic conditions which affect the way the body processes insulin – the handy little hormone which turns carbohydrates and sugar/glucose into energy, regulating blood sugar levels. Beyond this, they are largely unrelated. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease whereby a person's immune system targets and kills off insulin-producing beta cells. Type 2 diabetesis, in short, a condition based on insulin resistance. While the aforementioned beta cells are still alive, they don't work as well as they should and tend to make less and less insulin as time goes on. Though type 2 was once only prevalent in adults (earning itself the moniker 'adult-onset' diabetes), it is now increasingly common for the condition to affect children – particularly those who are overweight or obese. According to Diabetes.co.uk, there are currently over four million people living with diabetes in the UK and type 2 diabetes accounts for roughly 90pc of all diabetic cases. This means roughly one in every 18 people suffer from type 2 diabetes. Can type 2 diabetes develop into type 1? Though many people believe type 2 diabetics can 'become' type 1 diabetics, this is not true. They are different diseases. At the same time, type 2s can become insulin-dependent and regulate their blood sugar levels through daily blood monitoring and injections, as all type 1 diabetics have to do. If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can increase the risk of cardiovascular conditions and cause blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations. In more severe cases, type 2 diabetics have to inject themselves with insulin to regulate blood sugar levels Credit: Alex Flynn/Bloomberg Symptoms of type 2 diabetes It is very common for symptoms of type 2 diabetes to appear gradually, which means that, without the help of medical tests for unrelated issues, it is rarely diagnosed at an early stage. Symptoms also vary from type 1 diabetes, which tends to cause extreme fatigue and dehydration when undiagnosed. For type 2 diabetics, common symptoms include feeling tired after meals, feeling hungry shortly after eating (polyphagia), urinating more often than normal, itchy skin (particularly around the genitals and especially if you have regular yeast infections), blurred vision, slow healing of cuts, and new skin disorders such as psoriasis or acanthosis nigricans (dark, discoloured skin folds). Causes of type 2 diabetes Unlike type 1 diabetes, there are many known causes and risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes. Often, a number of contributing factors lead to diagnosis. Risk factors include having high blood sugar, cholesterol, excess weight, type 2 in the bloodline, and a prior case of gestational diabetes (which typically disappears post-pregnancy). The most prominent and medically-acknowledged cause of type 2 diabetes is a poor diet (which, coincidentally, leads to many of the risks outlined above). A number of medications, particularly steroids and statins, have also been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The list includes – but is not limited to – corticosteroids (including those which treat Athsma and Crohn's disease), thiazides and beta-blockers (often used to treat hypertension), and statins (like Lipitor and Lescol). Actor Tom Hanks, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2013, said he was a "total idiot" leading up to his diagnosis by being "part of the lazy American generation that has blindly kept dancing through the party and now finds ourselves with a malady" Credit: Eddie Mulholland Still, many people find they're diagnosed with type 2 against the odds. Chris Rooney, a type 2 ultra-marathoner from Huddersfield, told me his own diagnosis, discovered during a routine medical check up, came as a huge shock. "The three biggest risk factors did not apply to me," he said. "I was overweight but not obese, active and exercised regularly, and had no family history of diabetes. "However, there was no doubt; my resting blood glucose was 9.7mmol, HbA1C was 66 – definitely diabetic." Thankfully, Rooney sent his diabetes "into remission" within three months by committing to the LCHF lifestyle outlined below. Treatment of type 2 diabetes There are two primary aims of treating type 2 diabetes. Firstly and most imperatively, to control blood glucose levels. Secondly, to 'cure' type 2 diabetes altogether. Depending on type 2's personal severity, initial treatment plans range from healthy lifestyle adjustments to tablet medications, injections, and bariatric surgery. When medication is prescribed, yearly diabetic health checks are also put into place to help you avoid long-term complications. When you are newly diagnosed or feel your treatment plan needs an update, it is routine for GPs to set up diabetes education, courses and specialist referrals. Though type 2 'reversal' has only become a mainstream idea in the last few years, many of the same lifestyle changes used to control blood glucose levels can be put into permanent practice to eliminate the need for medication. Often, losing weight is not only a primary goal for those with type 2 diabetes but a choice which improves insulin sensitivity overall. Because of this, balanced low-carbohydrate diets created specifically for type 2 diabetes are regularly touted as a 'cure' for the condition. An LCHF diet plan has recently gained popularity in type 2 communities for not only helping diabetics to lose weight but lowering their HbA1C (a person's average blood sugar levels over two to three months) to non-diabetic numbers. The diet plan, which stands for Low Carb High Fat, champions whole foods and limits sugar and starch to a minimum. The keto diet falls under this umbrella and, as a particularly extreme form of LCHF, has been medically proven to reduce the need for type 2 diabetes medications. However, it has its own side effects. Debra Scott, a type 2 diabetic and activist from Blackpool, said: "I was devastated when I was told I had type 2. I saw it lead to my mum being registered blind, having a stroke, having sores that wouldn't heal and more. "I declined the offer of medication and asked the nurse if I could try to find a way through diet. I looked into 'reversing diabetes' and found everyone who was doing it was doing it on a low carbohydrate diet. "I started this way of eating on December 8th and my blood glucose levels were in pre-diabetic range by February. By May I was in non-diabetic range and had lost four stone – reaching my goal weight. I've never felt healthier, happier or more confident about myself. My diagnosis has really been a blessing in disguise." Many doctors also recommend reducing your alcohol intake and quitting smoking, for obvious reasons, as part of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes treatment.
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