| Joe Biden Was Never Pro-Life Posted: 07 Jun 2019 11:45 AM PDT  In a catastrophic failure of moral and political judgment, Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden has buckled under pressure from abortion-rights activists and stated his newfound opposition to the Hyde amendment, a bipartisan rider that has prevented the direct public funding of abortion for decades.It is no great shock that the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination would feel obliged to uphold his party's platform, which in 2016 was rewritten to formally reject the Hyde amendment as an unconscionable restriction of a woman's right to abortion. (Arguing that a lack of federal funding to enable the exercise of a right is an unconstitutional limitation on that right likely would draw objections from Democrats if it were applied to, say, the Second Amendment.)But it is a shock to some, perhaps, to see Biden himself take this position. For decades, he has billed himself as a pro-life Democrat, taking the line that, as a Catholic, he is "personally opposed" to abortion. Along with former New York governor Mario Cuomo and former Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy, Biden pioneered the notion that prudent politicians don't force their religious views on others, and thus that it would be wrong for him to insist on prohibiting abortion, even if his religion dictates that the procedure is morally wrong.That formulation — aside from its incoherence and its reliance on a false notion of why Catholics oppose abortion in the first place — never stopped Biden and many other Democratic politicians from supporting Hyde. When the amendment was first added to a federal spending bill in 1976, Biden, then a senator from Delaware, supported it, and he continued to do so throughout his decades in the Senate.His most recent change of heart, then, can't accurately be characterized as a "flip-flop." It is instead a studied rejection of decades of supposedly sincere support for protecting the conscience rights of pro-life Americans. It is a substantial, meaningful shift that merits a thoughtful explanation.And Biden hasn't given one.If his choice appears to be nothing more than a flippant decision to toe the party line, that's because he has treated it as just that. The last month has featured the former vice president switching his stance on Hyde no fewer than three times — he tried to explain away one of his U-turns by claiming he'd "misheard" the reporter's question — before finally settling on opposition to it. He explained his final decision in a tweet that could just as easily have been written by an activist from NARAL.Biden's rejection of his decades of support for Hyde betrays the reality: He was never actually pro-life. Though he has long had a reputation as "personally opposed" to abortion on religious grounds, his political actions have merited no such label. (Nor has he ever offered a sufficient explanation for why a man who believes, for whatever reason, that abortion kills innocent human beings ought to refrain from legislating that belief.)As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden was a key player in the Democratic effort to destroy the reputation of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. Showing his penchant for holding up a finger in the political winds, Biden initially promised to vote for Bork, but quickly backtracked and fell in line with Kennedy, who described "Bork's America" as "a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions." Among the accusations Biden leveled at Bork: "It appears to me that you are saying that the government has as much right to control a married couple's decision about choosing to have a child or not as that government has a right to control the public utility's right to pollute the air."That successful Democratic effort to torpedo Bork led to the confirmation of Anthony Kennedy, who went on to affirm Roe v. Wade in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, authoring the constitutionally illiterate decision that upheld the Court-imposed regime of abortion-on-demand.Later, as Barack Obama's vice president, Biden had just as much trouble maintaining his "personally pro-life" bona fides. He was complicit in the Obama administration's effort to provide a fig-leaf to "pro-life" Democratic politicians during the fight over whether the Affordable Care Act would expand public funding for abortion. Though the administration issued an executive order attempting to make it appear as if taxpayer money wouldn't be used to subsidize elective abortions, in reality, the final ACA dramatically expanded such funding.But even with 60 Democratic senators and 258 Democratic members in the House, the party never attempted a direct assault on Hyde and never attempted to impose direct federal funding of elective abortions under Medicaid. Obamacare managed to squeak through only because the Left pretended it didn't expand taxpayer funding of abortion at all.Aside from underscoring his decades masquerading as a pro-life Democrat, Biden's most recent act of spinelessness illustrates the strong political pressure from extreme abortion-rights activists on the Left. Though a slim majority of Americans oppose using tax dollars to fund abortions, groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL have driven the Democratic party to reject even that insufficient compromise.For them, nothing less than the unlimited right to abortion — for any reason, until the moment of birth, fully abetted by the U.S. taxpayer, regardless of religion or conscience — will do. By embracing their position, Biden has shed the last pretense of moderation on abortion, capitulated to the extreme voices governing his party, and alienated moderate voters who might once have thought of him as their best option in the Democratic presidential race.
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| Trump says U.S. will release more details on Mexico immigration deal Posted: 09 Jun 2019 05:56 AM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration will release additional details of its agreement with Mexico as he denied a news report that there were no new major commitments made by Mexico to stem a flow of Central American migrants at the U.S. southern border. "Mexico was not being cooperative on the Border in things we had, or didn't have, and now I have full confidence, especially after speaking to their President yesterday, that they will be very cooperative and want to get the job properly done," Trump said on Twitter. The deal, announced on Friday after three days of negotiations in Washington, averted Trump's threatened imposition of 5% import tariffs on all Mexican goods starting on Monday.
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| Columbine High School could be torn down to end 'morbid fascination' Posted: 07 Jun 2019 12:26 PM PDT  Columbine High School, the site of one of America's most notorious school shootings, may be demolished because it remains a scene of "morbid fascination". Two teenagers walked into the Colorado high school and shot dead 12 students and a teacher in April 1999. But two decades on, local authorities have proposed tearing down and rebuilding the school because the building has remained "a source of inspiration" for people with a dark interest in the shooting Jason Glass, the Jefferson County School District superintendent, wrote to parents saying people use Columbine as "a macabre source of inspiration". Hundreds of people try to enter the school every year, with the number growing to "record levels" in the past 11 months as the 20th anniversary approached, he said. Mr Glass highlighted the most recent high-profile incident - when a Florida teenager infatuated with the massacre travelled to the area in April and made threats to local schools before taking her own life. "In 1999, no guidance existed on what to do with a building such as Columbine High School," his letter stated. "Today school safety experts recommend tearing down buildings where school shootings take place. "Since the morbid fascination with Columbine has been increasing over the years, we believe it is time for our community to consider this option for the existing Columbine building." The school district also released an online survey to gauge community support for a measure earmarking $60 to $70 million for a Columbine reconstruction project. Some early ideas include preserving the library, built after the 1999 shooting, and incorporating it into a new school building.
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| 5 U.S. Tourists Have Died in the Dominican Republic Since April. Should You Cancel Your Trip? Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:07 PM PDT  Since the beginning of 2019, there have been multiple high-profile cases involving American tourists dying or being seriously injured while staying in the Dominican Republic.
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| France ready to cut Renault stake to shore up Nissan ties: minister Posted: 08 Jun 2019 12:24 AM PDT  France is ready to consider paring back its 15-percent stake in Renault in the interests of consolidating the automaker's alliance with Japanese partner Nissan, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Saturday. In an interview with AFP on the sidelines of the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Japan, Le Maire also said Renault and Nissan should work on beefing up ties before exploring further merger possibilities. Le Maire's comments came only days after Italian-US carmaker Fiat Chrysler (FCA) pulled the plug on a proposed merger with Renault, saying negotiations had become "unreasonable" due to political resistance in Paris.
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| This is the coolest new Google Search feature we’ve seen in years Posted: 07 Jun 2019 11:48 AM PDT  Google often adds useful tools and productivity features to its various apps and services, but some of the best are more fun than they are useful. Such is the case for the latest addition to Google Search: AR animals. As the company announced at its Google I/O developer conference in May, some search results will now include 3D augmented reality models that users can interact with. And now the first of those AR models have begun to roll out.First spotted by CNET, the feature is now available for Android phones equipped with ARCore and iPhone models that can take advantage of ARKit. For the time being, the only compatible searches are for animals, including sharks, tigers, cats, Shetland ponies, brown bears, and even a macaw. CNET's Scott Stein put together a Twitter thread of a half dozen or so animals that he discovered, but there are likely more if you're willing to search.If you want to check out the feature for yourself, just head to your mobile browser of choice (I used Chrome on my iPhone 8), and search for an animal in Google Search. As long as the animal is one that Google has created a model for, you can scroll down to find the model in the card for the animal. You'll see a small, animated version of the animal with a caption that says something like: "Meet a life-sized shark up close."https://twitter.com/Google/status/1134527494596415488Tap on the button that says "View in 3D" to bring up the 3D object. You will then see two tabs at the top of the screen, and if you tap on the AR tab, the animal will suddenly appear in front of you in the environment. I took the screenshot at the top of this post today in my kitchen, and you can do the same (just not in my kitchen)!It's unclear how extensively Google plans to implement this feature in Search, but it's certainly a fun way to liven up search results. And possibly the only way to get a tiger in your living room or backyard.
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| In Iowa, Mayor Pete Buttigieg campaigns on the 'power' of being gay Posted: 07 Jun 2019 09:58 PM PDT  The South Bend mayor campaigns at an event honoring the memory of Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in 1998.
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| Huawei turns to Africa to offset US blacklist Posted: 09 Jun 2019 01:27 AM PDT  As the US leads a drive for the West to shun Huawei over security fears, the Chinese tech giant has sought to strengthen its position in Africa, where it is already well-established. Huawei has taken a leading role in developing next-generation 5G mobile phone networks around the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin weighed in on Friday, slamming Washington's attempt to "unceremoniously push" Huawei out of the global market.
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| Biden backlash: will the frontrunner's early stumbles be his downfall? Posted: 07 Jun 2019 10:00 PM PDT  A blunder on abortion right this week shows he may have misjudged the mood of an increasingly progressive party Questions are being raised about whether Joe Biden's campaign is geared to withstand a crowded primary. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP Since his arrival in the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden has basked in his status as an early frontrunner: he has coasted in most early battleground and national polls, touted formidable fundraising numbers and remained squarely focused on a potential general election matchup with Donald Trump. But this week, the former vice-president stumbled as he skipped not one, but two progressive gatherings and flip-flopped on a key abortion rights policy after being criticized by his fellow Democratic contenders. The events ignited fresh questions over whether Biden's campaign is geared to withstand a crowded Democratic primary, where candidates must first court an increasingly progressive base before eyeing Trump's grasp on the White House. Biden, who has centered much of his candidacy around the notion of electability, will be missing in action on Saturday as nearly all other Democratic presidential candidates appear at the Iowa Democratic party's annual hall of fame dinner. His decision to forgo the cattle call in the first state to hold its caucus in 2020, comes on the heels of his absence at last week's California Democratic party convention and a forum hosted by the progressive group MoveOn.org. "I think, quite frankly, they're afraid of the showing he would have in these settings," said Brian Fallon, a former aide to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. "These are settings where his frontrunner status might come under question if he got a low-key reception." He added: "You can potentially draw the conclusion that he's not courting these audiences, but I think they're afraid of a press narrative that might emerge if two, three, four other campaigns have a lot more enthusiasm." The Biden campaign did not return a request for comment. Since formally launching his campaign in April, Biden has kept a light campaign schedule and held far fewer events than the other Democrats jockeying for the top of the party's 2020 ticket. As the most experienced and well known entity in the field, he has instead focused on raising money and staying above the fray. His record on domestic and foreign policy issues – ranging from abortion and criminal justice to immigration – has nonetheless remained a subject of scrutiny. Biden's reluctance to directly engage with progressive voters has been received by some as a dismissal of their concerns. The ongoing questions surrounding Biden's past record were laid bare this week when he visibly struggled to explain his position on a controversial US policy barring the use of federal funds for abortion services. The 40-year-old ban, known as the Hyde amendment, makes exceptions for victims of rape and incest or to save a mother's life. While campaigning in South Carolina, Biden was caught off guard when approached by an activist with the American Civil Liberties Union who implored him to endorse an end to the Hyde amendment. Biden appeared to come out in favor of overturning the provision, only for his campaign to clarify that he still supported the ban. The backlash from other 2020 contenders, as well as progressive and pro-choice groups, was swift and severe. "This is not about politics, what this is about is about healthcare, about reproductive freedom, about economic freedom and about equal opportunity for all women," Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren said at an MSNBC town hall on Wednesday. "Now, some got lucky from what happened and some got really unlucky on what happened." The Hyde amendment, she added, has "been wrong for a long time. "Because it really is, it's just discrimination." Joe Biden runs up onto the stage at his 2020 kickoff rally. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Vermont senator Bernie Sanders also rebuked Biden's stance in a tweet that did not mention his rival by name, but stated: "There is #NoMiddleGround on women's rights. Abortion is a constitutional right. Under my Medicare for All plan, we will repeal the Hyde Amendment." The reaction offered a glimpse of the pushback Biden is likely to face as the first Democratic primary debates are held later this month, and the skepticism he might face from progressive crowds and activists. Karen Finney, a Democratic strategist, pointed out that doing away with the Hyde amendment was both a part of the Democratic party platform in 2016 and a focal point of Hillary Clinton's agenda. "Biden failed to recognize that the core of the Democratic party is in a very different place," she said. "Repealing the Hyde amendment is in the party platform, and we are not going backwards." "The issue is even more acute in the wake of increasingly draconian GOP laws that disproportionately target women of color." By Thursday, Biden reversed his view and came out in favor of repealing the Hyde amendment, stating: "If I believe healthcare is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's zip code." "I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to ... exercise their constitutionally protected right," he added. Biden framed his evolution in part around a spate of extreme anti-abortion laws, pushed by Republican lawmakers across the country, that he said threatened women's access to abortion. At the same time, he said he was making "no apologies" for his prior support for the Hyde amendment. Fallon said the row over abortion was a microcosm of the kind of challenges Biden might encounter at the progressive gatherings he has thus far avoided. "There's been a recognition that the backbone of the party are people of color and women," he said, while adding the Biden campaign had "misjudged" the temperature within the party on abortion rights. "It is not an issue that you can 'find a middle ground on'. "I suspect that there's going to be more issues that are going to come up where his approach of positioning himself as the centrist – and appealing to the moderates of the party – is going to run headlong into some positions where they might think they can stiff arm the left, but in the context of a debate stage are not going to play well."
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| Trump says tariffs on Mexico suspended indefinitely Posted: 08 Jun 2019 12:40 AM PDT  President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he had suspended plans to impose tariffs on Mexico, tweeting that the country "has agreed to take strong measures" to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States. A "U.S.-Mexico Joint Declaration" released by the State Department said the U.S. "will immediately expand the implementation" of a program that returns asylum-seekers who cross the southern border to Mexico while their claims are adjudicated. Mexico will "offer jobs, healthcare and education" to those people, the agreement stated.
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| Crater Of Death: Union Soldiers Tried to Tunnel Beneath Confederate Defenses (It Backfired) Posted: 08 Jun 2019 05:00 PM PDT  It was just after 3 am on Saturday, July 30, 1864. A month of relative quiet along a two-mile stretch of Union and Confederate trench lines immediately east of Petersburg, Virginia, was about to come to an explosive end. In the aftermath of several earlier Federal attacks on the strategically vital city in mid-June, a portion of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps picket line lay only 400 feet from Elliot's Salient, a highly fortified position on high ground that formed an angle protruding out from the main Confederate line, commanded by Maj. Gen. Bushrod Rust Johnson.To support the defenders' artillery and mortars, a second line, or "cavalier trench," had been dug close behind the main redoubt. Elliot's Salient boasted four smoothbores of Lt. Col. William Pegram's battery and was backed by two regiments of veteran infantrymen of Brig. Gen. Stephen Elliot's South Carolina Brigade. Across a north-south ravine from Elliot's Salient were trenches occupied by the troops of Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants' 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, many of them coal miners in civilian life.
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| After backlash for slain giraffe photo, hunter says animal was 'majestic,' 'delicious' Posted: 08 Jun 2019 07:20 AM PDT ![After backlash for slain giraffe photo, hunter says animal was 'majestic,' 'delicious']( "After backlash for slain giraffe photo, hunter says animal was 'majestic,' 'delicious'") The pictures of Kentucky trophy hunter Tess Talley were first posted on Twitter last June sparking outrage over the killing online.
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| Mom Wants Answers After Utah Officer Points Gun at Black Boy During Search for Shooting Suspects Posted: 07 Jun 2019 10:07 AM PDT  A Utah mother wants answers after a police officer pointed a gun at her black 10-year-old son during a search for men suspected in a shooting.
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| Mercedes-AMG's New 416-HP Engine Is the World's Most Powerful Four-Cylinder Posted: 07 Jun 2019 12:03 PM PDT  The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four will be stuck in cars like the A45, CLA45, and GLA45.
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| The Democratic Presidential Candidates Mostly Agree on Marijuana Legalization. The Exception? Joe Biden Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:21 PM PDT  Nearly every major Democratic contender for the 2020 nomination has come out in support of legalizing marijuana. The exception: Joe Biden.
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| Best Tech Deals in June 2019 Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:39 PM PDT  Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop DealsStill bargain hunting for a the perfect Father's Day gift for dad? Lucky for you, retailers are offering solid deals on everything from smart home devices to game consoles to help you save some cash. Amazon for example, currently has get the Ring Video Doorbell Pro on sale for $199. That's $50 off and just $20 shy of its all time lowest price. It features motion detectors to monitor your home in 1080p video with infrared night vision. It supports Alexa voice control and sends alerts to compatible devices when motion is detected or your doorbell is pressed. With a simple voice command, you'll be able to see who's at your front door using the Alexa-enabled Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clock or Echo Show (2nd Gen). The Ring Video Doorbell Pro also lets you can also see, hear and talk to your visitors on a PC, phone or tablet. In our Ring Video Doorbell Pro review, we liked that it lets you customize motion alerts and its sharp 1080p video. Although we thought its setup process could be easier, we rate it 4 out 5 stars. It's the smart video doorbell to get if you want the sleekest design and full customization over alert options. If you're in the market for a laptop, Lenovo via Newegg has the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S 14-inch Laptop on sale for $524.99. Normally priced at $800, that's $275 off its regular price. It's the lowest price we've ever seen for this configuration laptop. It features a 14-inch 1080p Full HD display and a 1.8GHz Core i7-8550U quad-core processor coupled with 8GB of RAM. For your storage and portable productivity needs, it packs a 256GB SSD and is powered by Windows 10 Home. With its strong performance and premium design, the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S is perfect for anyone who wants an affordable laptop for work and play. This deal ends June 9. With the next Amazon Prime Day just over a month away, soon we'll be gathering the best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals. In the meantime, here are some of the best tech deals we're seeing right now. Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its proprietary devices at discounted pricing. * Ring Video Doorbell 2 for $169 ($30 off) * Ring Video Doorbell Pro for $199 ($50 off) * Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle for $170 ($20 off) * Echo Show (2nd Gen) for $259.98 ($15 off) * Fire HD 8 Tablet (3-Pack) for $179.97 ($60 off) * Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet (2-Pack) for $194.99 ($65 off) * Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet (2-Pack) for $299.98 ($100 off) * Echo Auto for $24.99 ($25 off) * Echo Plus (2nd Gen) with Philips Hue Bulb for $149.99 ($15 off) * All-New Fire 7 Tablet w/ $10 Appstore Credit for $49.99 ($10 off) * All-New Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet w/ Toy Story Headphones for $99.99 ($22 off, preorder) * Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Smart Speaker (2-Pack) for $60 ($40 off) * Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clock (2-Pack) for $219.98 ($40 off) * Ring Smart Lighting Spotlights (2-pack) for $99.99 ($30 off) Top Tech Deals Right Now * Asus ROG Strix Scar Edition 17.3-inch Gaming Laptop for $1,099 ($200 off) [NEW] * Jabra Elite 65T Wireless Earbuds for $149.99 ($20 off via coupon, "JUNE20SAVE") * Lenovo IdeaPad 330S 14-inch Laptop for $524.99 ($275 off, Core i7/8GB/256GB, ends 6/8) * Apple 9.7-inch iPad for $249 ($81 off) * Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 44mm) for $379 ($50 off) * Bose QuietComfort 35 2 Wireless Headphones for $299 ($50 off) * Sony WH1000XM3 Wireless Headphones for $298 ($52 off) * Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (Wi-Fi, 512GB) for $749 ($400 off) * Apple AirPods 2nd Gen (Back-order) for $139.99 ($19 off) * Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Headphones for $229.97 ($120 off) * Acer Aspire 3 15.6-inch Laptop for $399 ($100 off) TV Deals * TCL 75-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart TV for $1,534 ($366 off) * Polaroid 50-inch 4K Smart LED TV for $259.99 ($190 off) * Samsung 49-inch Q60 Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2019) for $797.99 ($202 off) * Sharp 65-inch 4K Smart TV for $429.99 ($270 off) * Vizio 50-inch 4K HDR Smart TV for $279.99 ($120 off) * Sony 70-Inch 4K UHD Smart TV for $1,098 ($500 off) Tech Under $50 * Logitech G600 MMO RGB Gaming Mouse for $29.99 ($50 off) * Anker Powerline 1 Foot Lightning Cable for $8 ($2 off via coupon, "ANKERL1W") * Chocotech Wireless Charging Stand for $8.99 ($8 off via coupon, "LZTVD9NI") * SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSD Card for $12 ($13 off) * Soundcore Liberty Neo Wireless Earbuds for $41.99 ($12 off) * Logitech M705 Marathon Wireless Mouse for $24.97 ($25 off) * Spotify Premium Membership for $0.99 ($27 off, ends 6/30) Smartwatch Deals * Garmin Approach S60 Golf Watch for $349.98 ($50 off) also at Amazon * Fitbit Versa for $179.95 ($20 off) [NEW] * Fitbit Charge 3 for $119.95 ($30 off) [NEW] * Fitbit Ionic for $199.95 ($50 off) * Fossil Gen 4 Explorist HR Smartwatch for $199 ($76 off) * Fossil Gen 3 Explorist Smartwatch for $179 ($76 off) * Fitbit Ionic Watch for $199.95 ($50 off) * Garmin Fenix 5S Plus for $599.99 ($200 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5X Plus for $649.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy * Garmin Fenix 5 for $349.99 ($150 off) also at Best Buy Phones * Sony Xperia 10 Plus Unlocked Smartphone for $317 ($113 off) * Samsung Galaxy S10 Unlocked 128GB for $789 ($111 off) * Samsung Galaxy Note 9 w/ Galaxy Buds and 1 Yr. YouTube Premium for $999.99 ($274 off, ends 6/8) * Samsung Galaxy S10e w/ Galaxy Buds 1 Yr. YouTube Premium for $749.99 ($274 off) * Sony Xperia XZ3 Unlocked 64GB w/ Prepaid SIM Card for $529.99 ($330 off) * Samsung Galaxy Note Unlocked 128GB for $669 ($301 off) * Google Pixel 3 XL 128GB Unlocked for $779.99 ($220 off) * Apple iPhone SE Unlocked for $249 ($100 off) Cameras * Canon EOS M100 Mirrorless Camera w /15-45mm Lens for $399 ($201 off) * Panasonic Lumix LX10 4K Digital Camera for $497.99 ($202 off) * Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Camera for $498 ($100 off) * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $229 ($150 off) Games and Consoles * MS Xbox One X 1TB Division 2 Bundle on sale for $399 ($100 off) [NEW] * MS Xbox One S 1TB Fortnite Battle Royale SE Bundle for $249 ($51 off) [NEW] * Sony PS4 Pro 1TB Console for $349.99 ($50 off) [NEW] * Sony PSVR Trover + Five Nights Bundle for $249 ($50 off) [NEW] * Sony PSVR Mega Blood + Truth Everybody's Golf Bundle for $299.99 ($50 off) [NEW] * Sony PS4 1TB Slim Days of Play Console (Steel Black) for $299 (Limited Edition) [NEW] * Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection Hits for $9.99 ($10 off) [NEW] * Sony PS4 Slim 1TB Marvel's Spider-Man Bundle for $320 ($40 off) at Walmart * Madden NFL 19 Hall of Fame Edition for PS4 for $29.90 ($50 off) * Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! w/ Poke Ball for $79.44 ($21 off)
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| Trump administration refuses to let US embassies fly the Pride flag Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:22 PM PDT  This Pride month, the Trump administration has denied requests from its American embassies to fly the rainbow Pride flag on their flagpoles. This is a shift from the Obama era policy which gave diplomats blanket permission to fly the Pride flag during the month of June.Donald Trump's policy is that for the rainbow flag to be flown, express permission must be granted, and no requests have been approved. The Israeli, Latvian, and Brazilian US embassies all requested permission to fly the pride flag from the State Department and were denied. Rather, the embassies were told the rainbow flag can be hung elsewhere inside or on the exterior walls of the embassy.Richard Grenell, the ambassador to Germany and an openly gay member of the Trump Administration, said in a statement to NBC News: "The President's recognition of Pride month and his tweet encouraging our decriminalisation campaign gives me even more pride to once again march in the Berlin Pride parade, hang a huge banner on the side of the Embassy recognising our pride, host multiple events at the embassy and the residence, and fly the gay pride flag."When specifically asked if the Pride flag would be flown on the embassies flag pole, embassy spokesperson Joseph Giordono-Scholz said: "The pride flag will be on as many places as it can at the embassy."Despite Mr Trump's claim that he vocally supports for gay rights and the LGBTQ+ community, his administration's policy decisions share a different story as transgender people are barred from military service.
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| Meet the Russian Army's New PL-15 Pistol: Better Than a Glock or Sig Sauer? Posted: 08 Jun 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The PL-15 is hyped up by Kalashnikov Concern to be one of the best pistols in the world. Said to be light, accurate, and soft-shooting, Kalashnikov Concern plans to start producing the gun in 2019. However, the Russian military has not yet expressed official interest in procuring the gun. But should they? Does the PL-15 represent a large step up from existing sidearms?The short answer is, yes. The Russian military still predominantly uses the 9x18mm Makarov pistol, a single stack design from the 1950s. The PL-15 represents a quantum leap ahead of this ancient design, being a modern, striker-fired pistol. However, the Makarov is likely to soldier on for much longer in wide service.The story of the PL-15 begins in 2014, when Dmitri Lebedev, the pistol's namesake and primary designer, was recruited by Kalashnikov Concern to work on a new pistol. Lebedev had worked in small arms for many years prior, being an armorer and competitor for various Russian competition shooting teams.He began work in a new pistol, called the PL-14 that would amalgamate the features of most successful foreign pistols into a domestic design. The pistol featured a low bore axis and long beavertail similar to Glock, Steyr M, and Caracal pistols, an internal double-action trigger similar to the original FN Five-seven, and low profile recessed controls suitable for duty use.
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| Markets Right Now: Stocks rise as rate cut looks more likely Posted: 07 Jun 2019 01:13 PM PDT  Stocks are closing higher Friday as a lackluster report on hiring increases the odds the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the coming months. The yield on the 10 year Treasury fell to 2.08% from 2.12% Thursday. The Dow Jones industrials rose 263 points, or 1%, to 25,983.
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| Claire Mazur’s Daily Coffee Ritual Inspired the Design of Her Living Room Posted: 07 Jun 2019 10:23 AM PDT  The first floor of her Brooklyn brownstone is a mix of family heirlooms and new but timeless picks
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| Tony Rodham, Hillary Clinton's youngest brother, dies Posted: 08 Jun 2019 02:41 PM PDT  Tony Rodham had numerous financial difficulties, including failed businesses anda string of shaky investment deals.
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| Walmart one-ups Amazon with deliveries direct to refrigerator Posted: 07 Jun 2019 11:03 AM PDT  Walmart said Friday it was readying a new home delivery service where its employees could come inside and stock up customers' refrigerators. The new "InHome" service expected to launch this year in several US cities aims to outdo retail rival Amazon, which brings goods inside customer homes though its electronic access program called Amazon Key. Walmart said on its website that consumers who opt in for the service will need smart devices allowing remote access for the delivery team, which may enter when no one is home.
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| Muslim woman says 4 teens attacked, harassed her on Bronx bus Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:09 PM PDT  Fatoumata Camara, 22, said the group of young teens started harassing her, making inappropriate statements about her being black and wearing Muslim attire.
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| The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Is Both Familiar and Better Posted: 07 Jun 2019 03:01 PM PDT  If you liked Mercedes's previous GLC, you'll love the new updated one.
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| Trump Says He'll Drop Mexico Tariff as Deal Reached on Migrants Posted: 07 Jun 2019 06:15 PM PDT  "I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a signed agreement with Mexico," Trump said in a tweet Friday night. Under the deal, Mexico will expand deployment of its national guard throughout the country, prioritizing its southern border, according to a joint statement from the two countries.
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| Why Did the U.S. Military Delay a Key Missile-Defense Test for 13 Years? Posted: 08 Jun 2019 01:55 AM PDT  The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) isn't testing its most powerful missile-interceptor enough, the Government Accountability Office claimed in a June 2019 report. The military bumped back one key trial multiple times over a period of 13 years.Equally troubling, many of the tests the MDA is conducting aren't very realistic, the watchdog agency explained in its report. Laura Grego, a missile-defense expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Massachusetts, called the GAO report "remarkable."The GAO focused its attention on the Flight Test Ground-Based Interceptor 11 test, or FTG-11. That test, which took place in March 2019, involved a salvo of two Ground-Based Midcourse Defense missiles (GMD), which the United States has deployed in order to destroy nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles heading for North America.The MDA attempted its first trial interception with the GMD system in 1999.Twenty years later on March 25, 2019, the target rocket in FTG-11 blasted off from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Space, ground- and sea-based sensors tracked the target. Four thousand miles away, missileers at the GMD site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California launched two 50-feet-tall Ground-Based Intercept missiles.
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| Missouri health officials seek answers on abortion clinic Posted: 07 Jun 2019 06:27 PM PDT ![Missouri health officials seek answers on abortion clinic]( "Missouri health officials seek answers on abortion clinic") The state Department of Health and Senior Services said a March health inspection of the St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic "identified serious concerns, one of those involving the handling of fetal tissue extracted from abortions." The agency said that led it to investigate Boyce and Bynum Professional Services, which handles fetal tissue from abortions at Planned Parenthood. The agency declined to provide additional details about allegations that some women remained pregnant after receiving abortions at Planned Parenthood and did not specify how many instances it reviewed, citing the ongoing investigation.
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| NASA set up a webcam so you can watch them build the Mars 2020 rover Posted: 07 Jun 2019 07:05 PM PDT  NASA's mission to Mars in 2020 is a very, very big deal. After the death of Opportunity a number of months back, NASA has just one rover left on the Red Planet and Curiosity isn't exactly a spring chicken. Curiosity's two-year mission has long since lapsed and the rover has spent nearly 2,500 days on Mars since landing back in 2012.Now, with excitement over the Mars 2020 mission at a fever pitch, NASA is offering us all a seat right inside its Jet Propulsion Laboratory where the rover is slowly taking shape. A newly-installed webcam provides a live look at the scientists hard at work testing and assembling all the important parts that will make the new rover tick.The cam is set up in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's clean room, where engineers dressed in white suits add to the rover and ensure its various components are in good working order for its eventual launch.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaNiYPglK58NASA describes the stream thusly:> Affectionately called "Seeing 2020," the webcam provides the video feed (without audio) from a viewing gallery above the clean room floor. You can also watch and participate in live webchats with members of JPL's social media team and the Mars 2020 team as they answer questions from the public about the mission. These "Seeing 2020" webchats will occur Mon.-Thu. at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. PDT (2 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT), with additional moderated chats when special activities (like drive tests) occur.At present, NASA plans to launch the Mars 2020 mission sometime on or immediately after July 17th, 2020. It won't actually arrive at Mars until 2021, and going by the current schedule it should get there on February 18th of that year.The mission carries a number of scientific objectives, but perhaps the most exciting is the plan for the rover to collect and store samples from the Martian surface in secure containers that will be picked up by a later mission and then brought back to Earth where eager scientists will be waiting to study them.
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| Civil disobedience campaign empties streets of Sudan's capital Posted: 09 Jun 2019 04:06 AM PDT  A campaign of civil disobedience to demand civilian rule left the streets of Sudan's capital Khartoum largely deserted as the working week began on Sunday, while police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in Khartoum North, witnesses said. Opposition and protest groups had called for workers to stay at home after security forces stormed a protest camp on Monday, killing dozens and dealing a blow to hopes of a peaceful transition after ex-President Omar al-Bashir's removal in April. The raid came after weeks of wrangling between the military council that took over from Bashir and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), an opposition alliance, over who should steer a transition leading to elections.
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| Raytheon and United Technologies in merger talks: WSJ Posted: 08 Jun 2019 11:17 PM PDT  United Technologies Corp and US arms giant Raytheon are in talks over a merger deal that could create one of the world's biggest aerospace and defense companies, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. The new entity would be the world's second-largest defense company by sales after Boeing. A person familiar with the matter told the newspaper that United Technologies is likely to own a majority of the combined company.
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| What's the Difference Between AmazonFresh and Amazon Prime Now? Posted: 07 Jun 2019 06:53 PM PDT  If you want to get fresh groceries through Amazon, the main two channels you can try are the delivery services AmazonFresh and Amazon Prime Now. What's the difference? Great question. When we ask...
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| You’ll Crave These Hearty Sandwiches for Every Meal Posted: 07 Jun 2019 02:47 PM PDT |
| This Lifted Honda Civic Type R Is a Rally Fantasy Come to Life Posted: 09 Jun 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Everything's better with big flares and all-terrain tires.
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| PG&E shuts off power Saturday because of fire danger Posted: 08 Jun 2019 06:22 PM PDT  PG&E has shut off power to parts of three California counties to reduce the risk of fire in areas that have already seen some of the most destructive and deadliest wildfires.
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| Michael B. Jordan presents Central Park 5 with courage award Posted: 07 Jun 2019 05:09 PM PDT  Michael B. Jordan told the men known as the Central Park Five Friday that he cannot watch footage of the new series "When They See Us" without getting emotional and feeling like as a young black man he too could have faced a similar ordeal. "It's dangerous in America when you're living in a black body," Jordan said. Jordan praised the men — Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise — for their perseverance and courage during a luncheon in which the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California honored Netflix's series about their case.
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| Get 100,000 Amex Platinum points with this exclusive offer Posted: 07 Jun 2019 08:14 PM PDT  BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.You don't have to look far to discover some pretty lucrative credit card welcome bonuses that are available right now and open to anyone, as long as certain conditions are met. But when it comes to the most sought-after offers in the realm of credit card rewards, it really doesn't get much better than this incredible 100,000-point targeted offer from the Platinum Card® from American Express.The key word being "targeted," because that reward is only open to a select group of consumers. And even then, Amex only makes it available within a brief window of time, so if you're eligible, you really can't delay at all in applying for it. In this post, we'll talk about a way you can do so -- by checking the CardMatch Tool, where we've seen the return of the 100,000-point offer in recent days, which comes with a spending requirement of $5,000 within the first three months of opening the account to earn that six-figure bonus.A few important points to note about Amex welcome bonuses: It's worth keeping in mind that they're "not available to applicants who have or have had this product," a once-per-lifetime limitation that's found on this 100,000-point offer. And in addition to finding that offer via the CardMatch Tool, another newly available offer that's possible to find via the tool is an almost as sweet 50,000-point welcome offer for the American Express® Gold Card, which comes with a spending requirement of its own -- at least $2,000 within the first three months of card ownership. This is yet another reason why it's definitely worth checking out the CardMatch Tool, because even that 50,000-point offer is still 15,000 points sweeter than the current publicly available offer for the Amex Gold (35,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months). We should also point out that using the CardMatch Tool, which we'll walk you through next, generates a so-called "soft" inquiry on your credit report. That's another way of saying that the inquiry will show up on your report, but it will have no impact on your credit score, the same way as if you checked your credit report yourself via the free annual check that everyone is allowed. How to use the CardMatch Tool:The service is pretty straightforward to check out. From the CardMatch homepage, enter your first and last name, home address and the last four digits of your social security number. There's a box into which you can enter your email address if you want to be contacted by CardMatch \-- if you'd prefer not to be contacted, just proceed to the "Get Matches" prompt. Click it, then check the box to accept the terms & conditions, and after hitting "Submit," you're all done. If you are eligible for any pre-approved offers, they'll be displayed after about 60 seconds or so.If you don't see that you've been targeted for the 100,000-point offer, don't fret, because there still may be a chance for you to nab a solid Amex Platinum offer. The current publicly available welcome bonus offer for the card is a 60,000-point offer that's available once you spend $5,000 within the first three months. Of course, it's that six-figure offer everyone will want, so about that: Is the top-tier Platinum offer actually worth it?On an empirical basis, most definitely. Using the valuation of 2 cents per Membership Rewards point as calculated by The Points Guy, that makes the welcome bonus alone worth $2,000, which helps take a bit of the sting out of the card's $550 annual fee. Setting aside the welcome bonus, the Amex Platinum will reward frequent travelers with benefits like 5x points on airfare purchased directly through either the airline or American Express Travel, in addition to 5x earnings on prepaid hotels that are booked through Amex Travel. On top of all that, the card will reward you with up to $200 in credits each year for Uber rides, as well as $100 in credits for Saks purchases. Cardmembers can also enjoy access to nine existing Centurion Lounges, with more coming in major markets like New York and Los Angeles. When traveling with Delta, cardholders can also access Delta Sky Clubs plus more than 1,200 lounges and 28 airport restaurants around the country through a Priority Pass membership. But remember, to get all of these benefits with the 100,000-point offer, don't wait -- check out your status now, and act fast to claim your reward.
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| Turkey says it has 'neutralized' 43 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq Posted: 08 Jun 2019 02:03 AM PDT ![Turkey says it has 'neutralized' 43 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq]( "Turkey says it has 'neutralized' 43 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq") Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Saturday a total of 43 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) had been "neutralized" as part of an operation Ankara launched in northern Iraq 13 days ago. The Turkish military launched what it dubbed "Operation Claw" in northern Iraq's Hakurk region on June 27 with artillery and air strikes followed by operations by commando brigades. The PKK militant group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to the south of Hakurk.
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| Guaido says no new talks planned on Venezuela crisis Posted: 07 Jun 2019 01:06 PM PDT  Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido said Friday that Norway's effort to mediate in the standoff with the government of President Nicolas Maduro had stalled and no new talks were planned. "At the moment there is no meeting planned," Guaido told supporters during a speech in the northern city of Valencia. Representatives of Guaido and Maduro met face-to-face in Oslo last week as part of talks mediated by Norway aimed at resolving the country's political deadlock, which began in January when Guaido proclaimed himself interim president.
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| 4th of July bathing suits for the whole family Posted: 07 Jun 2019 09:52 AM PDT  No matter how you plan to spend your July 4th this year, it's practicallymandatory that you wear red, white and blue
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| Where to get free donuts for National Doughnut Day: Krispy Kreme, Walmart, Dunkin' & more Posted: 07 Jun 2019 09:47 AM PDT ![Where to get free donuts for National Doughnut Day: Krispy Kreme, Walmart, Dunkin' & more]( "Where to get free donuts for National Doughnut Day: Krispy Kreme, Walmart, Dunkin' & more") Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, Walmart and others are giving away free doughnuts Friday for National Doughnut Day. Find out where else to grab a freebie.
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| Trump claims he had 'automatic chemistry' with the Queen and denies fist-bumping her Posted: 07 Jun 2019 01:54 PM PDT  Donald Trump has claimed he shared an "automatic chemistry" with the Queen during his state visit to the UK earlier this week.The US president praised the monarch as a "spectacular woman" and also denied fist-bumping her when he arrived for the ceremonial welcome at Buckingham Palace.Mr Trump also said other people had noticed how well he and Queen Elizabeth II had connected."The meeting with the Queen was incredible, I think I can say I really got to know her because I sat with her many times and we had automatic chemistry, you will understand that feeling," he said told US broadcaster Fox News."There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time," he added.Asked by host Laura Ingraham if he fist-bumped the Queen, as some photos had appeared to suggest, Mr Trump said: "I did not, but I had a great relationship, we had a really great time."He added: "We had a period we were talking solid straight, I didn't even know who the other people at the table were, never spoke to them. We just had a great time together."Asked if he would keep the conversation going, Mr Trump added: "Yes I am, she is a spectacular woman, an incredible woman."The billionaire-turned-politician enjoyed a ceremonial welcome and a grand state banquet at Buckingham Palace during his stay in London this week.He was also sat next to the Queen at the D-Day commemorations at Southsea Common in Portsmouth. Mr Trump discussed Brexit and the Irish border with the Republic of Ireland's prime minister Leo Varadkar and attended a D-Day ceremony alongside French president Emmanuel Macron during his five-day trip to Europe.Mr Trump also turned to domestic politics and called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "nasty, vindictive, horrible person".The president also sent out a tweet that urged Nasa to concentrate on going to Mars rather than Moon. "We did that 50 years ago," he wrote.
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| Tory Prime Minister Candidate ‘Deeply Regrets’ Cocaine Use Posted: 08 Jun 2019 04:58 AM PDT  Days before Conservative members of parliament open nominations for candidates to be their new leader, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said he used the Class A drug on several occasions when he was working as a journalist. The revelations emerged in a Gove biography by the journalist Owen Bennett due to be published next month, and were subsequently confirmed by the Daily Mail newspaper. The 51-year-old is the second favorite to replace May and one of the figureheads of the leave campaign, while Boris Johnson remains the front-runner, according to OddsMonkey.
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