| Judge orders psych evaluation for Appalachian Trail suspect Posted: 13 May 2019 01:32 PM PDT  For the past couple of weeks, hikers along the Appalachian Trial had been warning each other about a hiker who was threatening other hikers with a large knife.
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| Netanyahu Gets Two-Week Extension to Form Coalition Government Posted: 13 May 2019 05:24 AM PDT ![Netanyahu Gets Two-Week Extension to Form Coalition Government]( "Netanyahu Gets Two-Week Extension to Form Coalition Government") Netanyahu's center-right Likud party and Benny Gantz's center-left Blue & White bloc both won 35 Knesset seats, but Netanyahu was seen to have the better chance of forming a government after religious and nationalist parties won a total of 65 seats in the 120-member legislature. Netanyahu is also said to be discussing proposals that could shield him from prosecution in several long-running corruption probes, or keep his government intact if he's indicted.
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| House intelligence committee subpoenas DOJ for materials related to Mueller probe, unredacted report Posted: 13 May 2019 02:15 PM PDT  The subpoena requires the Justice Department to turn over the documents by May 15.
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| Cory Booker says this Elizabeth Warren proposal sounds like 'a Donald Trump thing to say' Posted: 12 May 2019 12:42 PM PDT  Presidential candidate Cory Booker characterized his colleague and 2020 opponent Elizabeth Warren's proposals to break up tech giants as "a Donald Trump thing to say."
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| World equities sink as US and China exchange trade war salvos Posted: 13 May 2019 02:39 PM PDT  China's move to retaliate against the latest US tariffs pummeled global stocks on Monday, with Wall Street suffering an especially bruising blow amid fears the year-long conflict could deteriorate further.
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| In setback for Apple, U.S. Supreme Court lets App Store antitrust suit proceed Posted: 13 May 2019 02:06 PM PDT  A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave the go-ahead to an antitrust lawsuit accusing Apple Inc of forcing consumers to overpay for iPhone software applications, a decision that could lead to billions of dollars in damages and put at risk the company's lucrative way of selling apps. The consumer plaintiffs claim Apple monopolized the market in violation of federal antitrust law by requiring that apps be sold through its App Store and extracting an excessive 30 percent commission on purchases. Apple's shares fell 5.8% to $185.72.
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| Iranian woman working for British Council jailed for 'spying for UK' Posted: 13 May 2019 07:18 AM PDT  An Iranian woman working for the British Council has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran on allegations that she spied for the UK government. Aras Amiri, 33, worked for the UK cultural institution in London and was arrested in Iran in March 2018 while on a private holiday to visit family. Iranian authorities announced Monday that a woman had been jailed for 10 years for "cultural infiltration by the British intelligence services in Iranian internal affairs". The report did not specifically name Ms Amiri as the woman being sentenced but a family member confirmed to The Telegraph that it was her. Ms Amiri's conviction is the latest in a long pattern of Iranian authorities arresting and harassing people it accuses of being British spies. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a 41-year-old charity worker, has been held for more than three years on espionage allegations, while Iranian authorities have repeatedly targeted employees of the BBC's Persian service. Ms Amiri lived in London for more than a decade and worked at the British Council on projects intended to showcase the Iranian art scene. She was also studying art philosophy at Kingston University. Letters from Jerusalem RHS The British Council, a charity partly funded by the UK government, closed its offices in Iran in 2009 after its staff were harassed by the Iranian government. The UK embassy closed two years later after it was stormed by a mob. Sir Ciarán Devane, the chief executive of the British Council, said: "Our colleague's safety and wellbeing remain our first concern, as it has been throughout their detention. We are in close contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." The British Council said had no offices or representatives in Iran and no longer does any work in the country. A spokesman for the Iranian judiciary described Ms Amiri as being the head of the Iran desk at the British Council but the organisation said she was a junior employee. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are very concerned by reports that an Iranian British Council employee has been sentenced to jail on charges of espionage. We have not been able to confirm any further details at this stage and are urgently seeking further information."
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| Memorial service planned for Colorado school shooting hero Posted: 13 May 2019 02:49 PM PDT  HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (AP) — A memorial service for a student hailed as a hero for tackling one of the gunmen who attacked his suburban Denver school will be held Wednesday.
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| For Britain’s Tories, Election Losses Are a Wake-Up Call — and an Opportunity Posted: 13 May 2019 11:38 AM PDT  On May 2nd, voters across the U.K. went to the polls to vote in local elections. Given the Conservative government's continued failure to deliver Brexit, the Tories were long expected to lose big in the vote. Brexit Minister James Cleverly predicted that the party could lose 800 seats of the more than 5,000 it won in 2015. Conversely, many predicted that the opposition Labour party and its hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn, would capitalize on Prime Minister Theresa May's weakness to win scores of seats across the country.But in the early hours of Friday morning, the biggest losers were both main parties. Surpassing even Cleverly's dire prediction, the Conservatives awoke to losses of 1,335 seats and control of 49 local councils. Labour lost 86 seats and control of six councils. The far-right United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) also failed to capitalize on pro-Brexit sentiment, losing 145 seats. The biggest winners? The staunchly pro-Remain, center-left Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems), who won 704 seats and control of twelve councils. The Green party and independents also scored important victories, winning 194 and 661 seats, respectively.The disastrous results for the Conservatives and tepid support for Labour reflect an electorate growing frustrated with the dysfunction of the political class. The inability of the Conservatives to deliver Brexit and the ongoing turmoil in May's cabinet amid countless leaks, firings, and turnover no doubt contributed to scores of voters defecting. The Lib Dems managed to make huge inroads in affluent, predominantly Tory-leaning strongholds across southern England, both among pro-Leave and pro-Remain voters. Even in Windsor and Maidenhead, home to Theresa May's constituency, the Tories lost 15 seats to the Lib Dems and independents.Not all was disastrous for the Tories, however. The party managed to take some important victories from Labour, notably in pro-Leave, one-time Labour heartlands like the Midlands and North East Lincolnshire, reflecting ire at Labour's noncommittal, neither-Leave-nor-Remain Brexit stance. The Lib Dem victories are no doubt impressive, but they are not necessarily indicative of growing support for Remain. Just as independents saw wins across the country, Lib Dem wins likely stemmed from a combination of soft-left Remain supporters and a pox-on-both-their-houses attitude from frustrated Conservative and Labour voters alike. After near total wipeout in 2015, the Lib Dems were always expected to make major gains this election, and have traditionally done well in many of the southern shires where they won seats. Success at the local level has not always translated to parliamentary seats for third parties.Instead, the biggest takeaway from Thursday's election is the realignment of British party politics. Party strength in the U.K. has traditionally broken down along geographic and class lines, but with growing discontent with the status quo, both parties will have opportunities for electoral success amid the realignment. The once-solidly Labour North hemorrhaged support to the Conservatives, while true-blue Tory heartlands flipped to the Lib Dems and independents. The Green party's increased vote share across the country also bodes poorly for Corbyn; an ascendant, leftist Labour party would be expected to sweep up those who voted Green, and these dissatisfied voters could cost him crucial votes at the next general election. Nigel Farage's new Brexit party is predicted to top all major parties in the European Parliament elections at the end of May; should it stand in domestic parliamentary elections, both Conservatives and Labour alike can expect to see defections.In short, Labour still faces an uphill battle to win in a snap general election. While ChangeUK, the coalition of pro-Remain Labour and Conservative defectors, has failed to galvanize much support, the resurgence of the Liberal Democrats and the Greens and the gradual defection of Labour-voting Leave supporters in the North will likely force Corbyn to clarify the party's hazy Brexit stance. Deputy Leader Tom Watson and other Labour grandees are already clamoring for a second Brexit referendum, yet formally adopting such a policy would likely bleed further support to pro-Brexit parties. Corbyn will still have to battle the Lib Dems for Remain supporters, especially in London and the South, and must still contend with the SNP in Scotland. That he managed to botch these local elections against a historically dysfunctional government also raises further questions about his electability.No doubt, these results are a damning indictment of Theresa May's premiership and her government's handling of Brexit. That said, Labour has failed to capitalize on the electorate's displeasure with May, and the growing Tory support in the Midlands and North gives Conservatives a way forward. Just as Margaret Thatcher managed to win over the average "Essex man" and lead her party to three successive victories, the Tories would have a real opportunity under a new, pro-Leave leader to sweep up dissatisfied former Labour voters, halt the defections to Farage's Brexit party, and restore confidence in conservatism. They might have been this election's biggest losers, but they could be the biggest winners at the next election if they play their cards right.
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| Bears running back Mike Davis surprises mom with new house on Mother's Day Posted: 13 May 2019 09:53 AM PDT  Chicago Bears running back Mike Davis might have given his mom the best Mother's Day ever.
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| Trump administration staff to abandon protection of president under threat of fines, congressman suggests: 'It could be a game changer' Posted: 14 May 2019 01:08 AM PDT  Trump administration staff who are protecting the president by refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas could abandon him under threat of huge fines, senior Democrats have suggested.Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, has proposed holding those who do not comply with Congress with inherent contempt, a rarely used procedure which can result in fines up to $25,000 (£19,330) daily or even imprisonment.The proposal comes amid an unprecedented effort by the White House to resist efforts by House Democrats to get access to Donald Trump's tax returns, the unredacted Mueller report, and documents from former White House lawyer Don McGahn. "I don't know how many are going to want to take that risk for Donald Trump. But we're going to have to use that device if necessary," Mr Schiff told ABC News."We're going to have to use the power of the purse if necessary. We're going to have to enforce our ability to do oversight." Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, asked about Mr Schiff's comments, told NBC News on Monday that he believed "fines would be appropriate".Noting the threat of contempt ultimately pressured the Nixon administration into complying with Congress during the Watergate scandal, Mr Khanna said: "I do think it could be a game changer. Not everyone is going to want to incur a fine to protect this president, not everyone is going to want to be held in contempt of congress to protect this president." Mr Khanna, who is co-chair of Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, added he hoped the issue could be resolved in the courts, amid what he described as a "constitutional stalemate". House Democrats last week escalated their feud with the White House by moving towards holding attorney general William Barr in contempt over his refusal to give up the unredacted Mueller report, which details Russia's attempts to help Mr Trump win the 2020 election, as well as the president's attempts to impede the subsequent investigation. Finding Mr Barr in contempt would make him only the second sitting attorney general to be hit with the charge.The White House has been contacted for comment.
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| The Best EVs and Hybrids 2019-2020 Posted: 13 May 2019 12:30 PM PDT |
| Walmart fights back against Amazon with one-day shipping in some U.S. markets Posted: 13 May 2019 09:02 PM PDT  Walmart Inc is stepping up its battle with Amazon.com Inc by offering one-day delivery without a shipping fee, weeks after Amazon announced a similar offer - a move that will intensify the race to deliver orders to shoppers faster. On April 25, Amazon said it plans to deliver packages to members of its loyalty club Prime in just one day and expects to spend $800 million toward the shipping goal in the second quarter alone. Walmart's offer applies to fewer products.
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| As Trump escalates pressure, experts fear Iran will strike back Posted: 13 May 2019 06:33 AM PDT  The Trump administration's strategy of ratcheting up diplomatic, financial and military pressure on Iran is increasing the likelihood that Tehran will use its proxy forces to strike U.S. targets abroad, according to several former intelligence officials.
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| Mother of missing Texas girl heckled outside courtroom after hearing canceled Posted: 13 May 2019 12:22 PM PDT  The mother of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl was heckled outside a courtroom by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter.
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| Team heads to Alaska to probe sightseeing planes collision Posted: 14 May 2019 08:44 AM PDT ![Team heads to Alaska to probe sightseeing planes collision]( "Team heads to Alaska to probe sightseeing planes collision") ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A team of federal airplane accident investigators was expected to arrive in Alaska on Tuesday to investigate the cause of a midair collision between two sightseeing planes that killed at least four people.
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| 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman celebrates Mother's Day with 10 of her children: Photo Posted: 13 May 2019 11:48 AM PDT  A full house!Nadya "Octomom" Suleman was surrounded by love on Mother's Day this year, andthe mother of 14 took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of her growingchildren on the joyous holiday
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| Trump Warns China Impasse to Worsen If Xi Retaliates on Tariffs Posted: 13 May 2019 04:45 AM PDT  "I say openly to President Xi & all of my many friends in China that China will be hurt very badly if you don't make a deal because companies will be forced to leave China for other countries," Trump wrote in one of several Twitter messages. Trump's comments come after high-level talks between Chinese and American officials broke up May 10 without a deal and ahead of an expected announcement Monday from U.S. officials detailing their plans to impose a 25% additional tariff on all remaining imports from China -- some $300 billion in trade.
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| Myanmar plane in emergency touchdown as landing gear fails Posted: 12 May 2019 10:06 AM PDT  A Myanmar pilot saved the day after his aircraft's landing gear failed, safely putting the jet on the runway with no front wheels on Sunday, an official said. Myanmar Airlines flight UB-103 -- an Embraer-190 model -- touched the ground at around 9:00 am in Mandalay (0230 GMT), a city popular among foreign tourists. The plane carried 82 passengers and a crew of seven.
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| Christians should prepare to be 'shunned' for their beliefs, Mike Pence warns as he reaffirms Trump administration's anti-abortion stance Posted: 12 May 2019 02:15 PM PDT  Mike Pence has warned Christian graduates of an evangelical university that they should prepare to face "ridicule" for their beliefs.The deeply religious vice president told Liberty University students that "some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs".In a commencement address at the college founded by right-wing preacher Jerry Falwell, he said: "Throughout most of American history, it's been pretty easy to call yourself Christian."It didn't even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible. But things are different now."You're going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, you're going to be asked to endorse them. You're going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture."As an example, he cited attacks on his wife Karen's decision to begin teaching at a school that bans LGBT pupils.And Mr Pence, who has said he would like to see the landmark Roe vs Wade decision overturned, reaffirmed the Trump administration's anti-abortion stance, adding that it stood "without apology for the sanctity of human life".Both the president and vice president have been vocal in their support for anti-abortion activists over the last two years, and have both previously visited Liberty University.The late Mr Falwell's son, Jerry Jr, has provided advice to Mr Trump on faith matters and, during his speech, Mr Pence revealed that four Liberty University graduates worked in his White House office.> To the graduates of @LibertyU: As your own founder, Dr. Falwell, often said, "No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition." You will face opposition for holding to your faith. pic.twitter.com/XJhHn9OgEd> > — Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) > > May 11, 2019The vice-president's comments on Saturday came a day after a judge struck down a Kentucky law that would have restricted access to terminations after 15 weeks by cracking down on the so-called dilation-and-evacuation procedure. The state's governor vowed to appeal.State governments across the southern US are considering or have passed so-called heartbeat abortion laws that prohibit terminations after a fetal heartbeat can be detected – which often occurs before a woman knows she is pregnant, at about six weeks' gestation.Such restrictions in Georgia, in particular, have sparked threats of boycotts by Hollywood production companies. Actor Alyssa Milano called for a "sex strike" in protest.
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| Identity released of young mother killed in possible street-racing crash in Willowbrook Posted: 13 May 2019 11:54 PM PDT  A 23-year-old mother who was killed in a violent crash that may have been caused by street racers just hours before Mother's Day was identified Monday.
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| UPDATE 13-Saudi oil tankers among those attacked off UAE amid Iran tensions Posted: 13 May 2019 09:33 AM PDT ![UPDATE 13-Saudi oil tankers among those attacked off UAE amid Iran tensions]( "UPDATE 13-Saudi oil tankers among those attacked off UAE amid Iran tensions") DUBAI/LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two of its oil tankers were among those attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and described it as an attempt to undermine the security of crude supplies amid tensions between the United States and Iran. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz.
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| Correction: Houston-Missing Girl story Posted: 13 May 2019 10:25 AM PDT  HOUSTON (AP) — In a story May 9 about a missing Houston girl, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the police, misspelled the name of the man who told investigators that the girl had been abducted. His name is Derion Vence, not Darion Vence. The AP also reported that police referred to Vence as the girl's stepfather. A spokesman for the girl's mother says she and Vence lived together and were engaged, but that she recently broke off the engagement.
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| Kavanaugh Sides With Liberal Justices In Ruling iPhone Users Can Sue Apple Over App Prices Posted: 13 May 2019 09:27 AM PDT  Justice Brett Kavanaugh sided with his liberal colleagues on the Supreme Court Monday, writing for an ideologically unusual majority that iPhone users can sue Apple over the high app prices that result from its monopolistic control over the "the iPhone apps aftermarket."Kavanaugh and the court's four liberal justices concurred with the Ninth Circuit's contention that Apple, not app developers, controls the point of sale and, as a result, can be sued for exercising a monopoly."It is undisputed that the iPhone owners bought the apps directly from Apple," Kavanaugh wrote, splitting with a district court that previously held the app developers responsible for pricing.Kavanaugh took issue with Apple's defense that it does not have a monopoly because it doesn't set the retail price for individual apps, pointing out that the fee the company charges developers (30 percent of sales revenue plus $99 annually) significantly affects retail pricing."In the retail context, the price charged by a retailer to a consumer is often a result (at least in part) of the price charged by the manufacturer or supplier to the retailer, or of negotiations between the manufacturer or supplier and the retailer," Kavanaugh wrote.Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the Court's conservative dissenters, argued that the majority relied on "convoluted pass-on theories" in which damages to the consumer that are actually inflicted by the app developers can be passed on to a third party, namely Apple."If the proximate cause line is no longer to be drawn at the first injured party, how far down the causal chain can a plaintiff be and still recoup damages?" he wrote.The Court's decision simply allows the original lawsuit, brought by a group of iPhone users, to proceed; it does not represent a ruling on the merits of the case.
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| As ‘Game of Thrones’ battle nears, we have questions about how Dany, Jon, Cersei wage war Posted: 12 May 2019 01:06 PM PDT  As Cersei and Daenerys appear destined for war, we've still got tactical questions relating to earlier 'Game of Thrones' battles.
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| Immigrants and crime: New study rebuts Trump claims Posted: 13 May 2019 11:16 AM PDT  U.S. cities with larger populations of undocumented immigrants do not see higher rates of violent and property crime, the study found.
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| Gunmen kill six during Catholic mass in Burkina Faso Posted: 12 May 2019 06:33 PM PDT  Gunmen killed a priest and five parishioners during mass Sunday in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and a local official said. "Towards 9:00 am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church," Dablo mayor Ousmane Zongo told AFP. The attackers -- between 20 and 30 according to a security source -- managed to trap some of the worshippers, Zongo added.
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| Doris Day won't be having a funeral: Here's why Posted: 14 May 2019 06:21 AM PDT  There won't be a funeral for Doris Day -- and that's exactly how she would've wanted it.
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| Alabama Senate to vote on bill banning abortion Posted: 14 May 2019 05:13 AM PDT  Debate on the strictest anti-abortion bill in the United States was set to begin in the Republican-controlled chamber at 4 p.m. CDT (2100 GMT). It would be the latest in a procession of anti-abortion bills across the country that activists are hoping will result in the issue going before the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill previously passed the Republican-dominated Alabama House of Representatives.
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| Mom Calls for End to Violence After Son Killed One Day Before Mother's Day Posted: 13 May 2019 09:03 AM PDT  A devastated Indianapolis mother is calling for an end to violence after her son was shot and killed one day before mother's day.
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| How to use Target Cartwheel to save money and time Posted: 14 May 2019 02:05 AM PDT  Saving time and money doesn't have to make your head spin. We take you on the twists and turns of the Target app to help save you time and money.
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| Britain warns US of ‘unintended’ escalation in conflict with Iran as Trump sends bombers to the Gulf Posted: 13 May 2019 07:10 AM PDT  Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned US officials about what he says could become an unintended escalation of conflict in the Persian Gulf. "We need to make sure that we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to re-nuclearisation," he told reporters on Monday, before meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and EU foreign ministers. The meeting was scheduled to reportedly discuss the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East shortly after Donald Trump ordered US warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the increasingly unstable region. "We are very worried about a conflict, and the risk of a conflict … of an escalation that is unintended," Mr Hunt said after arriving in Brussels, according to Reuters. Mr Hunt also called for "a period of calm so that everyone understands what the other side is thinking." Despite US efforts to dismantle the Iran Nuclear Deal under Mr Trump, EU and German officials said on Monday they remained committed to the pact — so long as Iran continued complying with international inspections. "No one wants Iran to be in possession of a nuclear bomb," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, describing the deal as "necessary for our security." The EU has reportedly faced difficulties establishing a process for Iran to continue selling its oil under recent US sanctions. Additional details surrounding the bilateral meetings on Monday were not immediately clear. Iran, meanwhile, has decried the Trump administration's move to send bombers to the region, saying it amounts to "psychological warfare." Mr Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after the meetings in Brussels with EU officials.
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| Julian Assange: from political asylum to prison Posted: 13 May 2019 07:52 AM PDT  Paris (AFP) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is fighting extradition to the United States to face charges over the 2010 publication of thousands of classified documents.
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| Google takes a shot at the iPhone’s camera in new Pixel 3a ads Posted: 13 May 2019 01:27 PM PDT  Late last year, Google introduced a new camera feature called Night Sight that allows users to take surprisingly clear and detailed shots in otherwise poorly lit environments. What Night Sight is able to do is nothing short of magical and easily outclasses what even the iPhone XS brings to the table. What makes Night Sight mode all the more impressive is that the feature is built on advanced software, which is to say that users don't necessarily have to have the most recent Pixel phone in order to take advantage of it. With that said, it's not at all surprising that Google's recently unveiled Pixel 3a -- which is a budget version of the regular Pixel 3 -- includes Night Sight mode. The Pixel 3a is priced at $399 and offers up a lot of bang for the buck both in terms of features and overall performance. In many ways, the Pixel 3a -- which is positioned as a premium device that won't break the bank -- fills a gap Apple left open when it curiously discontinued the iPhone SE last year. Google, meanwhile, wasted no time in touting Night Sight mode on the Pixel 3a while taking a few solid jabs at Apple in the process. Over the weekend, people in Washington D.C. noticed a new billboard ad that cleverly highlights the iPhone's subpar low light camera performance while also reminding folks that it's $600 more expensive than a Pixel 3a. https://twitter.com/MichaelSteeber/status/1126962236117876737 Google's marketing strategy in this regard shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that we've seen the company take similar shots at Apple over the past few months. Indeed, the official Pixel 3a trailer Google showed off at its annual I/O event last week included the same shot found in the billboard above. You can get a better look at it below. And back in January, you may recall that Marvin Chow -- Google's VP of Product Marketing -- fired off the following tweet featuring a side-by-side comparison shot of a photo taken with an iPhone XS and one taken with a Pixel 3. https://twitter.com/theREALmarvin/status/1089326451537600512 Night Sight mode is unquestionably a cool and differentiating feature, and it makes sense that Google is using it as part of a full-fledged marketing assault on the iPhone.
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| Veteran Palestinian negotiator says she was denied U.S. visa for first time Posted: 13 May 2019 12:55 PM PDT  A veteran Palestinian negotiator said on Monday she had been denied a U.S. travel visa for the first time, and viewed it as retaliation for her criticism of the Trump administration and Israel. Asked about Hanan Ashrawi's allegations, a U.S. State Department official did not comment directly, but said visas are not refused on the grounds of an applicant's politics if those political statements or views would be lawful in the United States. Since they boycotted the Trump administration over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017, the Palestinians have seen cuts to U.S. funding that have contributed to their economic distress in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
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| Military officer says no rise in Iran threat in Iraq, Syria Posted: 14 May 2019 08:43 AM PDT ![Military officer says no rise in Iran threat in Iraq, Syria]( "Military officer says no rise in Iran threat in Iraq, Syria") WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S.-led military coalition combating the Islamic State group has detected no increased threat lately to its troops in Iraq or Syria from Iranian-backed forces, a senior coalition officer said Tuesday.
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| China expected to retaliate over Trump tariff hike, economic adviser says Posted: 12 May 2019 06:22 PM PDT  Larry Kudlow says 'We may know more today or this evening or tomorrow' after Trump raises spectre of a full-blown trade war Donald Trump meets President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing in 2017. Photograph: Andy Wong/AP The US expects China to retaliate over the Trump administration's latest tariff hike, chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Sunday. "The expected countermeasures have not yet materialized," Larry Kudlow told Fox News Sunday. "We may know more today or even this evening or tomorrow." As markets digested the comments, futures trading pointed to a drop in Wall Street stocks on Monday while Asian shares slipped in early trade. Talks ended on Friday and Trump raised the spectre of a full-blown trade war when he ordered that tariffs on Chinese imports worth around $200bn be raised from 10% to 25%. Beijing retaliated for previous tariff hikes by raising duties on $110bn of US imports. Chinese officials have also targeted US companies by slowing customs clearance and stepping up regulatory scrutiny. On Saturday he had tweeted saying Beijing had deliberately sought to delay negotiations. "China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky [and] have a Democrat win," he said. Kudlow told Fox no more talks were planned but also said there was a "strong possibility" Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping "will meet in Japan at [the] G20" summit at the end of June. In China, state media said the door to talks was always open but China would not yield on important issues of principle. In a commentary carried by the official Xinhua news agency, the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily said there are no winners in any trade war and China did not want to fight but would not be afraid to do so. China and the US are sparring over allegations that China steals technology and pressures US companies into handing over trade secrets, as part of a campaign to turn Chinese companies into world leaders in robotics, electric cars and other advanced industries. Kudlow said China had not implemented changes Washington wanted, including strong enforcement provisions on issues such as forced technology transfer and intellectual property. "We have to have a very strong agreement," he said, "to correct, to right these wrongs before we will be satisfied". Kudlow also said Trump's plan to raise tariffs across the board could take "a couple of months. Call it three months. I don't know. That will take some time and then of course the president's going to have to make the final decision on that." The face-off with China has proved tricky political territory for Democrats, given Trump's framing of his stance as a defence of American workers. On Sunday the California senator Kamala Harris, a leading contender for the presidential nomination, was asked on CNN's State of the Union if she agreed with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who this week told Trump he should "hang tough" in his dispute with Beijing. Harris dodged the question, choosing instead to criticise Trump for not working with allies and for "conducting trade policy, economic policy, foreign policy by tweet". "That's irresponsible," she said. "It is a display of a president who thinks that unilateral action is better than working with the friends to address issues that not only impact our country, but impact the globe. And I think it puts us in a weaker position." Continuing his Twitter thought on Saturday, Trump said "the only problem" with China's approach to talks "is that they know I am going to win (best economy & employment numbers in US history, & much more), and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS!" Many observers have suggested Trump seems not to understand the economic impact of tariffs. One study released this week said that as companies which import steel absorb the cost of tariffs by passing it on to their customers, American consumers and businesses are paying $900,000 a year for every job created or saved by the US action. On Sunday evening Trump returned to Twitter to claim the US was "right where we want to be with China", and would "be taking in tens of billions of dollars in tariffs from China". He added that "buyers of product can make it themselves in the USA (ideal), or buy it from non-tariffed countries". In a confused pair of tweets, the president also claimed the US would "spend (match or better) the money that China may no longer be spending with our Great Patriot Farmers (Agriculture), which is a small percentage of total tariffs received, and distribute the food to starving people in nations around the world! GREAT! #MAGA". On Sunday, Kudlow conceded to Fox that China does not actually "pay" tariffs, but claimed "the Chinese will suffer GDP losses and so forth with respect to a diminishing export market". On Sunday the Republican Kentucky senator Rand Paul warned that Trump's policies could damage his claim to the "best economy in US history", a key line of attack as the 2020 election approaches. Speaking to ABC's This Week, Paul advised the president to finalise a deal with China soon, "because the longer we're involved in a tariff battle or a trade war, the better chance there is that we could actually enter into a recession because of it".
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| Amazon offers employees $10,000 to quit, launch delivery business Posted: 13 May 2019 07:48 AM PDT  Amazon announced Monday it was offering employees $10,000 to quit their jobs and become independent package delivery entrepreneurs as the online giant ramps up efforts to control its own logistics. An Amazon statement said the latest incentive would also include three months of wages for employees who want to start their own delivery enterprise, and that they would be assured "consistent delivery volume" from the company. The initiative "continues Amazon's long-time commitment of empowering employees to pursue career aspirations," the company said.
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