| Trump returns to critics after historic N.Korea stop Posted: 01 Jul 2019 03:02 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump has returned from a historic, impromptu stop on North Korean soil to attacks from Democrats and suggestions of a rift within his administration, with critics saying he is normalizing a nuclear-armed Pyongyang. In the sort of made-for-television, down-to-the-wire diplomacy relished by the former reality television host, Trump walked a few paces across the Demilitarized Zone on Sunday to greet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a day after the US leader proposed a meeting over Twitter. In practical terms, Trump said that he and Kim agreed to start working-level talks on a denuclearization deal, ending a standstill in place since the two leaders' second summit, in Hanoi in late February, ended without an agreement.
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| Grand jury indicts woman for Las Vegas manicurist's death Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:21 PM PDT  A grand jury has indicted a 21-year-old woman on charges of murder, robbery and other crimes after she was accused of skipping out on a $35 manicure and running over a salon worker with her car. Timothy Treffinger, an attorney for Krystal Whipple, did not immediately respond to an emailed message seeking comment Monday on the indictment. Police say Whipple tried to pay for her Dec. 29, 2018, manicure with a fraudulent credit card before telling Nguyen that she was going to her car to get cash, then drove away.
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| When is Robert Mueller set to testify to Congress and what can we expect? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 02:35 PM PDT  Robert Mueller will testify before the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees on July 17. The highly anticipated appearance comes three months after the special counsel released the 400-page report on Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 US presidential election.The testimony will take place over two open sessions with Mr Mueller and two closed sessions with his staff. The House judiciary committee will choose 22 of its 41 members to question the special counsel during the open sessions, an aide told NBC. Each chosen member will be allowed five minutes of questioning. They, along with those not chosen for the open sessions, will be given time to follow up during closed session.They'll be allowed to ask anything they want, but are expected to stay within questioning that deals with information given in the report. There will be no transcript of the closed session of the House intelligence committee, for which members will have access to the un-redacted version of volume 1 of the Mueller report. There will likely be a transcript of the session with the House judiciary Committee, for which members will be given an un-redacted version of the volume II.The first volume deals with collusion and conspiracy with the Russian government, while the second one deals with obstruction of justice. Neither committee will be given access to redacted information that protects information provided to the grand jury.Republicans on both committees include some of the president's most ardent supporters, like representatives Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Devin Nunes. Several representatives told Politico that they planned to stick to a line of questioning that relies on the conclusion that there was "no collusion" found by the lengthy report.On the Democrats' side, members are likely to push for more clarification. "It's clear that most Americans – and even some Members of Congress – have not read Mueller's report, and understand the deeply unethical, unpatriotic and corrupt behaviour that he uncovered by the Trump campaign and President Trump," said a spokesperson for representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. "That's why it is so important that Americans hear directly from Mueller himself."
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| The new and improved Gay Street sign is all over NYC Pride Twitter Posted: 30 Jun 2019 11:37 AM PDT  This year the New York City Pride March marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riot, and the parade is bigger and more colorful than ever. As the march makes its way to Greenwich Village, one street sign in particular is popping up on social media as a symbol of 2019's much-needed focus on inclusion in the queer community. It's pure coincidence that Gay Street intersects with Christopher Street right near the Stonewall Inn -- the "Gay" of Gay Street is a family name -- but its location on the parade route makes it prime real estate for a statement on what pride means in 2019. Take a look:> The famous Gay Street sign, representing a wide spectrum of gender expression. Near Christopher Park in Greenwich Village, NYCPride pic.twitter.com/8vTUJKsr50> > -- ken ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴ (@kensadahiro) June 29, 2019The sign was one of many changes made around the city to celebrate Pride Month. > For the LGBT folks in the city today, I hope you all know that New York City will always stand with you. Enjoy PrideNYC today!!!! pic.twitter.com/FKpz1tEXQx> > -- Craig Anderson (@canderson1989) June 30, 2019The temporary changes to the Gay Street sign were part of an "Acceptance Matters" campaign by MasterCard, which raises questions about the place of corporations in New York's Pride Month celebrations. This particular installation seems to be popular on social media, however, for its reminder that every element of the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to feel proud of their identity. WATCH: 'History repeats itself': LGBTQ elders discuss how Stonewall impacted their organizing during the AIDS crisis
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| Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden talks about addiction, Beau Biden death in New Yorker interview Posted: 02 Jul 2019 05:57 AM PDT  Joe Biden's son spoke to The New Yorker about his struggle with addiction and his relationship with his late brother Beau's wife, Hallie.
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| 'Hong Kong is not China': Protests pose major test for Xi Posted: 02 Jul 2019 01:28 AM PDT  Chinese President Xi Jinping faces a major test in Hong Kong after protesters stormed the semi-autonomous city's legislature and graffitied a defiant message on its walls: "Hong Kong is not China". Beijing has trod carefully since massive protests erupted last month over a bill that would allow extraditions to the mainland, voicing support for the Hong Kong government without directly intervening and blaming "foreign forces" for the unrest.
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| Democrats, Beware of Andrew Yang’s Insane Vision for America Posted: 02 Jul 2019 01:39 AM PDT  Photo illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast/Photos GettyAfter a surprising surge to make his way to the debate stage, Andrew Yang didn't make much of an impression there in just three minutes of speaking time as leading Democrats with a lot in common tried to make the most of their distinctions. But Yang was only there at all because he raised money and registered in the polls by packing the policies of elite technocrats in a coating of Clintonesque pain-feeling paternalism. He's already made the list for the next Democratic debate, and his rise is an early warning about how, no matter how bad our politics may see right now, they could be far worse if parties and voters don't police themselves and defend their values.Andrew Yang, Upstart Democratic Presidential Candidate, Comes Out Against CircumcisionYang cut his teeth in test prep, an industry that sorts students based on abilities for a nifty profit. That sorting, of course, privileges the wealthy who have more access to the resources the prep industry offers. He became a millionaire when he sold his company, Manhattan Prep, to Kaplan, the test prep industry leader, and founded Venture for America, "to create economic opportunity in American cities by mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the skills and resources they need to create jobs"—that is, to hack the rust belt with venture funding. Now, Yang is running for president to fulfill the tech oligarchs' dream of a universal basic income intended to pacify the poor as a substitute for actually dealing with income inequality. It is politics as philanthropy, that smacks of a 19th-century noblesse oblige.This is a brand of politics intended to neuter a muscular liberalism based on moral guidelines and defined as an attempt to civilize the economy and empower people. It is an approach not only opposed to the democratic socialism of Bernie Sanders, but to the core philosophies of the Democratic Party. Yang's prescription stands against the notion that the state, through policies and legislation, needs to play a more muscular role in social and economic life. Instead, he is providing a Silicon Valley venture capitalist's vision, one that acknowledges inequality and injustice, but then seeks to treat only its symptoms rather than its cause: Just give money to the poor, and let them figure it out. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his approach—shorn of emotion, passion or sensitivity—has drawn never Trumpers, libertarians and members of the alt-right to his "Yang Gang." His campaign picked up momentum from appearances with Tucker Carlson on Fox and Joe Rogan on his podcast, as he's called for—along with a $12,000 a year "Freedom Dividend" for every adult American—a massive reduction of the federal workforce, a 10-percent slice of the military budget for a "Legion of Builders and Destroyers" that would be able to overrule state and local governments to get new stuff built, and, of course an outside consultant who'd supposedly make all of this work. If this sounds crazy that's because it is crazy. It's the "disruption" tech companies keep peddling and that consumers keep ending up with buyer's remorse about, but for our entire nation. Yang's politics masquerades as a new form of liberalism but they are something entirely different, as he aims to gut the federal government while handing unfettered power to tech executives and real estate developers, with a measly $1,000 a month for the rest of us as this happens.Democrats, and the Democratic Party, need to make themselves clear: This is not the future that liberals want. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Audi S8 Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:01 PM PDT |
| Trump nepotism attacked after 'out-of-her-depth' Ivanka given key summit role Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:32 AM PDT  * Experts say first daughter's presence reflects gravely on US * Opinion: Laugh at Ivanka – to take her seriously is frighteningIvanka Trump with national security adviser John Bolton in South Korea on Sunday. On stage later, Donald Trump introduced his daughter and said: 'She's going to steal the show.' Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersDonald Trump has been accused of taking nepotism to alarming new depths after giving his daughter, Ivanka, a prominent role in meetings with the G20 and Kim Jong-un.On Saturday, the French government released a video from the G20 summit in Osaka that showed Ivanka awkwardly interjecting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister, Theresa May, Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau and IMF director Christine Lagarde, whose icy expression spoke volumes. During the summit, Ivanka was also included in photographs of a group of leaders.A day later, Trump's 37-year-old daughter became one of the few Americans to set foot inside North Korea as her father held nuclear talks with Kim in the demilitarised zone. The first daughter described the event as "surreal".Then, addressing US forces stationed in South Korea, Donald Trump invited Ivanka on stage and promised: "She's going to steal the show."Such brazenly dynastic displays caused concern among foreign policy experts who, noting Ivanka's complete lack of diplomatic experience or training, warned of lasting damage to America's credibility.Ned Price, former special assistant to Barack Obama for national security affairs, said: "It's one thing for Trump to have his relatives around him in the White House as personal consigliere, especially if they do have the calming influence that's been reported. But it's quite another for his daughter to represent the United States of America in the presence of world leaders.> It reflects poorly on Ivanka Trump that she lacks the self-awareness to recognise how out of her depth she is> > Ned Price"It reflects poorly on Trump that he would place her in that context and poorly on Ivanka Trump that she lacks the self-awareness to recognise how out of her depth she is."Price, now director of policy and communications at National Security Action, a thinktank, added: "Above all it reflects poorly on the United States that we're too often represented by unelected officials without any relevant qualifications."Ivanka is listed on the official White House website as "adviser to the president", focusing on the "education and economic empowerment of women and their families". This has included several foreign trips, often promoted on her Instagram account.Her husband, Jared Kushner, is no less influential, and recently unveiled part of a widely derided Middle East peace plan at a conference in Bahrain that was boycotted by Palestinian officials. The couple moved from New York to Washington to join the administration, with Ivanka eventually closing her clothing business.Several leaders brought their spouses to the G20, but in the absence of Melania, Donald Trump brought his daughter instead. Speaking at one session, she said the world economy would get a boost of up to $28tn by 2025 if women were on an equal economic footing. Ivanka even released video in which she looked self-conscious as she summarised meetings and used words such as "deliverables".But it was the footage of her conversation with world leaders that triggered a tsunami of online parodies.May can be heard saying: "As soon as you charge them with that economic aspect of it, a lot of people start listening who otherwise wouldn't listen."Ivanka then chips in: "And the same with the defence side of it, in terms of the whole business that's been, sort of, male-dominated."Lagarde's head jerks to the left. She looks irritated.Democrats seized on the incident. Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is running for president, said: "This is your reminder that Ivanka Trump has no foreign policy or diplomacy experience. The American people deserve to be represented by a qualified diplomat, not the president's daughter."Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: "Being someone's daughter actually isn't a career qualification. It hurts our diplomatic standing when the president phones it in [and] the world moves on."Trump drew his own sharp criticism over the weekend for his ostentatiously cosy relations with Kim, Vladimir Putin and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, suspected of involvement in the death and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who lived in the US and wrote for the Washington Post. Trump's unorthodox approaches to trade, Iran, Israel and European allies have also received withering censure.Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, said: "The fact that Trump would let his own daughter, who has no training and no basis for participating in diplomatic events, [go to the G20] epitomises the Trump administration's amateurish approach to foreign policy."He's very obviously thumbing his nose at protocol and decades of norms."The Trump family business has drawn comparisons to a constitutional monarchy. Trump told the Atlantic earlier this year: "If [Ivanka] ever wanted to run for president. I think she'd be very, very hard to beat."Ivanka's brothers, Donald Jr and Eric, have become outspoken defenders of their father and are set to play leading roles in the 2020 election.Jordan Libowitz, communications director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (Crew) in Washington, said: "It is questionable what Ivanka Trump was doing at the G20 summit, but it is also questionable what she does in the White House."She takes a very prominent public role without defined duties or qualifications further than being the president's daughter."More troubling is the fact that she continues to own significant problematic assets, from which she makes millions of dollars – including a share of the Trump hotel in Washington, which has become a haven for people looking to influence the Trump administration."
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| Jury resumes deliberations in U.S. Navy SEAL's war crimes trial Posted: 01 Jul 2019 03:02 AM PDT  A military jury in San Diego resumed deliberations on Tuesday in the war crimes trial of a U.S. Navy SEAL charged with murdering a wounded Islamic State prisoner in his custody and shooting unarmed civilians during a 2017 deployment in Iraq. The case against Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, whose prosecution has drawn White House attention, went to the seven-member jury of U.S. Marines and Navy personnel on Monday as the trial phase of his court-martial entered its third week. If Gallagher is convicted, the panel also will determine the sentence.
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| The Story of an Air Force Defector to Iran Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:11 AM PDT  Witt was a member of the aircrew of an RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft forward deployed from RAF Mildenhall in Great Britain.Former Tech. Sgt. Monica Elfriede Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who had defected to Iran and who was charged with espionage on Feb. 13, 2019, served as an airborne crypto linguist on board a RC-135 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military Times revealed.She earned the Air Medal as a result. The citation says she had "distinguished herself by meritorious achievement while participating in sustained aerial flight from March 29 to April 18."In March 2003, then-Staff Sgt. Witt was serving as an airborne crypto linguist with the 95th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, 398th Air Expeditionary Group, out of Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete.The U.S. invaded Iraq on March 20, followed by three weeks of major combat operations.
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| A win for public safety or a government ploy? California set to require background check for ammo sales Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:41 AM PDT  Already, California has some of the toughest gun laws in the United States. There's another hurdle for gun owners coming on July 1.
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| Dear Kamala Harris, here's why Joe Biden worked with segregationists in the Senate Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:02 AM PDT  Harris criticized Biden for working with segregationist senators. But she would have done the same. It was then the only way to advance civil rights.
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| The 25 Highest-Paying Jobs Without a Degree Requirement Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:00 AM PDT ![The 25 Highest-Paying Jobs Without a Degree Requirement]( "The 25 Highest-Paying Jobs Without a Degree Requirement") You don't need a four-year degree to score these jobs.
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| Portland protesters arrested during violent demonstrations appear in court Posted: 02 Jul 2019 06:17 AM PDT  Officials work to identify additional suspects believe to be involved in crimes during protests that turned violent in downtown Portland.
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| Trump suggests homelessness is a 'phenomenon that started two years ago' in barely comprehensible interview Posted: 02 Jul 2019 03:11 AM PDT  Donald Trump has suggested that homelessness is a "phenomenon that started two years ago" and said that he "may intercede" to tackle the crisis. The US president also implied that homeless people living in the streets of US cities were making police officers sick.He made the comments in a rambling interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Japan, which was broadcast on Monday.When Mr Carlson asked Mr Trump why US cities including have "a major problem with filth", unlike Japanese cities, Mr Trump appeared to talk about homelessness instead."It's a phenomenon that started two years ago," he said. "It's disgraceful".He added: "You can't have what's happening – where police officers are getting sick just by walking the beat,""I mean, they're getting actually very sick, where people are getting sick, where the people living there are living in hell too."Mr Trump may have been referring to a Los Angeles police officer who was diagnosed with typhoid fever last month after working in a downtown area with a large homeless population."Some of them have mental problems where they don't even know they're living that way," Mr Trump added. "In fact, perhaps they like living that way.""We cannot ruin our cities. And you have people that work in those cities. They work in office buildings and to get into the building, they have to walk through a scene that nobody would have believed possible three years ago."Throughout the segment, it was unclear what the US president was referring to as he did not mention the word "homelessness"."When we have leaders of the world coming in to see the president of the United States and they're riding down a highway, they can't be looking at that," he added. "I really believe that it hurts our country."Mr Trump said the cities facing these problems "are usually sanctuary cities run by very liberal people"."We may intercede. We may do something to get that whole thing cleaned up," he added. "It's inappropriate."Los Angeles has seen homelessness increase by 16 per cent over the last year as the city's housing crisis intensifies.Likewise, in San Francisco, homelessness has increased by 17 per cent in the past year despite the tech boom which has benefited many companies based in the city. In the same fox interview, Mr Trump railed against some of these big tech companies in San Francisco."Facebook was against me," he said. "They were all against me."Twitter was against me… I've been very good for Twitter. I don't think Twitter would be the same without what I do on Twitter."
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| Venezuelan deputy faces trial for drone 'hit' attempt on Maduro Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:48 PM PDT  A Venezuelan politician accused of an attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro using explosing drones will face trial after a court on Monday accepted charges against him, his lawyer said. Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens faces 30 years in prison if found guilty of the brazen attempt to kill Maduro as he attended a military parade in downtown Caracas on August 4, 2018. Two drones packed with explosives flew towards President Maduro, causing panic among soldiers and civilians when they detonated during his speech.
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| Ocasio-Cortez describes 'horrifying' conditions at Texas migrant facility Posted: 01 Jul 2019 07:04 AM PDT  Controversy broadsided the embattled U.S. Border Patrol agency Monday, as a high-profile U.S. Congresswoman touring detention facilities called conditions "horrifying" and as current and former agency staffers were alleged to have posted offensive comments about the lawmaker and migrants on a private Facebook page. Migrants held at a border patrol station in Texas were subjected to psychological abuse and told to drink out of toilets, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said after a visit with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the main border patrol facility in El Paso. The tour, which also included a visit to a Clint, Texas, facility, followed reports from a government watchdog that immigrants were being housed in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
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| This Iranian Commander Kept Secret That Israeli F-35 Stealth Fighters Had Violated Iran Airspace Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:30 AM PDT  Israel has praised the Lockheed Martin F-35 as a "game-changer".Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) commander Brigadier General Farzad Ismaili, who had been in office since 2010, has been fired by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after he kept secret that Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35 stealth fighters had violated Iran's airspace, the Kuwaiti daily Al Jarida reported on Saturday.The newspaper emphasized that it was the original media source that exposed the Israeli raids, which had taken place in March 2018. Al Jarida cited senior Iranian military who said that only following its March report did the intelligence services of the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian intelligence ministry begin to investigate the case, under Khamenei's direct orders.According to the newspaper's investigation, "the IAF F-35 "Adir" planes penetrated Iran's airspace, circled high above Tehran, Karajrak, Isfahan, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas – and photographed Iran's air defense system."
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| 15+ All-American Jell-O Shots For Your Fourth Of July Party Posted: 01 Jul 2019 10:21 AM PDT |
| Motorcycle racer dies at Colorado race he had won 4 times Posted: 30 Jun 2019 06:38 PM PDT  A prominent motorcycle racer died Sunday after he crashed near the finish line of an event he had won four times, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported . Carlin Dunne died at the 97th Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, officials said in a news release. Dunne, 36, who is from Santa Barbara, California, crashed his 2019 Ducati Streetfighter V4 Prototype near the finish line, the newspaper reported.
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| Cars buried as storm drops extreme amount of hail on city Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:44 AM PDT  Cars were trapped in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 30, after a storm dropped extreme amounts of hail on the area.
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| Poll: Kamala Harris surges in Iowa as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders suffer after debate Posted: 02 Jul 2019 09:46 AM PDT  A new Suffolk University/USA TODAY in Iowa, which holds the opening caucuses, shows Kamala Harris surging as Joe Biden struggles after the debate.
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| The American Medical Association Is Taking a More Aggressive Approach on Abortion Legislation Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:00 AM PDT  The doctors' group, is taking an assertive stance arguing that North Dakota's laws interfere with doctor-patient relationships.
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| Mourners remember slain Utah college student at vigil Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:35 PM PDT  More than 100 people gathered at the University of Utah to memorialize a student who authorities say was killed and her charred remains found in a Salt Lake City man's backyard. The crowd was silent while friends recalled 23-year-old Mackenzie Lueck as a bubbly, nurturing person who loved spending time with her family and looked forward to a career in medicine or health care.
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| CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-UN calls for independent probe into Venezuelan navy captain's death Posted: 01 Jul 2019 10:51 AM PDT ![CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-UN calls for independent probe into Venezuelan navy captain's death]( "CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-UN calls for independent probe into Venezuelan navy captain's death") CARACAS/GENEVA, July 1 (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities must conduct an independent and transparent investigation into the death in custody of a navy captain amid allegations of torture, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. President Nicolas Maduro's government over the weekend confirmed the death on June 29 of Rafael Acosta, arrested eight days earlier for alleged participation in a coup plot, without providing details on the cause of death or commenting on the torture accusations. Human rights organizations and political leaders have accused Maduro's government of torturing Acosta to death and refusing to clarify the circumstances.
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| World watches China's reaction to Hong Kong protests as fears of military involvement grow Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:04 AM PDT  The storming of Hong Kong's legislative building on Monday was a severe escalation of recent demonstrations, which will give Beijing reason to consider using stronger force – perhaps even calling on the military in a move that would be reminiscent of the bloody crackdown in Tiananmen Square three decades ago. Over the last few weeks, Hong Kong police have fired tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds on protesters who have been asking city leaders to withdraw an extradition bill that would send suspects to face trial in mainland China where the Communist Party controls the courts. Those crowd-control measures, against protests that had largely been peaceful, quickly turned the public against the police, but left mainland China out of the fray. But now that demonstrators have successfully stormed government buildings, Beijing could have found itself justification for greater physical force to disperse demonstrators. Hong Kong police have clearly been well prepared - armed with riot shields, batons and protective vests - in comparison to the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in 2014, the last time protesters took the streets. And Beijing is likely to give Hong Kong authorities one more chance to get a grip on the situation. Hong Kong protests: riot police baton charge and fire tear gas to clear demonstrations at parliament, in pictures "The Hong Kong police is still one of the most effective and efficient police forces in the world and it is perfectly capable of dealing with the situation," said Steve Tsang, director of the University of London's SOAS China Institute. Bringing in the Chinese military would be a "last resort." Beijing may also have been deterred from taking a stronger line so far to avoid awkward questions from the press when President Xi Jinping met US president Donald Trump at the G20 in Japan over the weekend. With that out the way, Beijing is freer to take a hard line. "Xi's meeting with Trump was an enormous deterrence against allowing things to get really ugly in Hong Kong, and with that having now been removed, the risk of Beijing allowing more drastic actions taken is significantly higher," said Mr Tsang. The resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam – who proposed the extradition bill that kicked the protests off – would be one way to close this chapter and move on, fulfilling one of the protesters' main demands. But it would have to be done without appearing to have the backing of Beijing, or risk making Mr Xi appear weak, having caved into protester demands. Authorities could also consider slapping rioting charges against protesters, which carry a jail sentence of up to ten years. But that carries risks for Beijing. Protesters out in the streets now could easily be in and out of prison for the next several years, and may bring more support to their cause. Joshua Wong, who was imprisoned for his role in the 2014 student protests, remained a key figure even behind bars and galvanised supporters in the latest unrest after his recent release. From a propaganda standpoint, China will likely continue with the same line it's used for weeks – blaming unrest in Hong Kong on foreign interference and deflect responsibility. Beijing will not publicly entertain the idea that perhaps the frustrations are in response to Communist Party policies that haven't sat well in Hong Kong. A state media editorial on Monday said that unrest is being spurred by "those who are using these grievances and disturbances as a means to serve their own agendas and put pressure on China."
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| Top Selling Cars From Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:18 AM PDT  It was a big weekend for Barrett-Jackson!As we reported on Friday, the last front engine, C7 Chevrolet Corvette crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson and received a staggering $2.7 million bid, but it wasn't the only car in Mohegan Sun in Connecticut worth watching. The docket represented a diverse group of cars, and six of the ten sold set new auction records for the company. "We're so appreciative of all our guests, sponsors and exhibitors who contributed to this auction and made it such an extraordinary event," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "Thanks to everyone's participation and efforts, we hit incredible milestones as we wrote new pages in automotive history. Chief among those was a new charity auction record set by the last-built C7 Corvette. This special moment closed an era for Corvette and also raised critical support for our nation's heroes. We built so much momentum this year in Scottsdale, Palm Beach and the Northeast that we can't wait to top it off in Las Vegas this October."Overall, 545 vehicles were sold for a total of $21.8 million, with an almost unheard of 100-percent sell through rate. In addition, 470 pieces of automobila sold, bringing the total sales up to over $24 million. The top 10 from the Northeast Auction are:Last-Built 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Lot 3001) - $2.7 million (charity vehicle) 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster (Lot 671) - $280,500 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Yenko/SC Stage II Convertible Serial 1 (Lot 663) - $258,500* 1954 Buick Special Custom Coupe "G54" (Lot 694) - $220,000* 1969 Ford Bronco Custom SUV (Lot 669) - $203,500* 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition (Lot 665) - $187,000 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Custom 6X6 (Lot 654) - $181,500* 1997 Toyota Supra Anniversary Edition (Lot 711) - $176,000* 2017 Dodge Viper GTC ACR (Lot 664) - $172,700 2014 Ferrari California Convertible (Lot 673) - $170,500* 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda Resto-Mod (Lot 685) - $165,000 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 (Lot 667) - $165,000 *An asterisk represents a Barrett-Jackson auction record. "Collector cars are the heart and soul of everything we do," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "But we've gone a step further to create an immersive lifestyle experience around the auction that's unmatched in this great hobby. We offered terrific symposiums led by top automotive experts and hands-on exhibits. For the first time since its introduction, Ford offered select rides to the public in the adrenaline-pumping Ford GT supercar. Only at Barrett-Jackson can you drive home the car of your dreams, rub shoulders with industry legends and make memories that will last a lifetime." Read More... Barrett-Jackson Consigns the Vault Portfolio For Northeast Auction David Maxwell Collection At Barrett-Jackson's Northeast Auction
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| The 2021 Ram Dakota Mid-Size Pickup Could Be the Jeep Gladiator's Cheaper Cousin Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT  Ram already confirmed that a mid-size truck is in the works, and this is what we know about it so far.
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| Biden plummets, Harris vaults to second in major poll Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:55 PM PDT ![Biden plummets, Harris vaults to second in major poll]( "Biden plummets, Harris vaults to second in major poll") The California senator slid into second place in a new national poll from CNN, with Joe Biden still leading.
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| A Pilot's Incredible Tale of the Iran-Iraq War Posted: 02 Jul 2019 03:44 AM PDT  Our aeroplanes were only armed with AIM-7s and AIM-9s, so we came in really close. I fired one AIM-9 at very close range, and when my missile hit the MiG, it blew up into a massive fireball almost immediately – I could not avoid the explosion.Retired by the U.S. Navy on Sep. 22, 2006 the iconic F-14 Tomcat remains the backbone of Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) interceptor fleet.However, as told by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop in their book Iranian F-14 Tomcat units in combat, the F-14's service in Iran is characterised by an implausible series of controversies and 'educated guesstimates' that are completely wrong.In fact at the time of the Iraqi invasion in 1980, the Tomcat force effectively bore the brunt of active air defence operations against thousands of Iraqi air strikes. Indeed, F-14 crews fought more aerial engagements than the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy combined during the Vietnam War, scoring a similar number of aerial victories.
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| A Canadian political cartoonist's drawing of Donald Trump went viral. Two days later, he was fired Posted: 01 Jul 2019 08:34 AM PDT  A Canadian political cartoonist said he was let go from his freelance contract two days after his cartoon featuring President Donald Trump went viral.
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| Israel will be destroyed in half an hour if America attacks Iran: senior Iranian MP Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:17 AM PDT  Israel will be destroyed in half an hour if the United States attacks Iran, a senior Iranian parliamentarian said on Monday, according to the semiofficial Mehr news agency.
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| These Flavorful 4th of July Cupcakes Are Better Than Fireworks Posted: 01 Jul 2019 10:23 AM PDT |
| LAPD opens internal affairs inquiry in Nipsey Hussle case Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:11 PM PDT  Los Angeles police have opened an internal affairs investigation into why the woman who drove the getaway car in the aftermath of rapper Nipsey Hussle's killing was sent home when she tried to turn herself in during the manhunt for the shooter. The LAPD's Office of the Inspector General confirmed Monday that the Internal Affairs Group is investigating a desk officer's response at the 77th Street station. Capt. Gisselle Espinoza, an LAPD spokeswoman, said the matter is under administrative investigation and she couldn't release more details.
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| Bodies of drowned migrant man, daughter back in El Salvador Posted: 30 Jun 2019 04:46 PM PDT  The bodies of a man and his young daughter who drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico to the United States were returned on Sunday to their native El Salvador. Hearses brought the two corpses from Mexico through Guatemala to the Salvadoran town of La Hachadura, where Salvadoran minister of government Mario Duran was on hand to receive the remains. A shocking photo of the lifeless bodies of Oscar Alberto Martinez, who was 25, and his 23-month-old daughter Valeria lying face down in the border river fueled concern and outrage around the world, with some people blaming the US crackdown on border crossings for their deaths.
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| UN confirms that Iran has breached 2015 nuclear agreement Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:15 AM PDT  Iran has carried out its threat to breach the nuclear 2015 deal by exceeding limits on its enriched uranium stockpile, a move that brings the frayed international agreement a step closer to collapse. A year after the US pulled out of the deal, Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said his country had deliberately exceeded a 300kg cap on its enriched uranium stockpile. "Iran has crossed the 300kg limit based on its plan,"Mr Zarif said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, confirmed on Monday afternoon that Iran had exceeded the 300kg level. Donald Trump, the US president, said about the news from Iran: "They know what they're doing, they know what they're playing with. I think they're playing with fire." Iran's government announced last month that it would start breaching parts of the deal in protest at US sanctions on Iran's economy and Europe's lack of action to ease the impact of the sanctions. While exceeding the limit on low-grade uranium is only a minor step towards a potential nuclear weapon, Tehran has threatened a more serious breach on July 8 by resuming enrichment of higher-grade uranium. Iran has announced it will carry out a more serious breach of the deal next week. Credit: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File Iran's policy of increasingly serious breaches presents Britain, France, and Germany - the European states who have defended the nuclear agreement - with a stark choice. They can reimpose sanctions on Tehran, and risk destroying the nuclear deal altogether, or hold off on sanctions and try to convince Iran to reverse course and come back into compliance with agreement. Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, said he was "deeply worried by Iran's announcement that it has broken existing nuclear deal obligations" but that the UK remained committed to the deal. "I urge Iran to avoid any further steps away from [the nuclear deal] and come back into compliance." The US pulled out of the nuclear agreement in 2018 and European diplomats now fear that Iran is on course to crash out, effectively killing the deal and potentially increasing the chances of war. Iran said on Monday that it was prepared to go back to complying with the deal if the European powers can deliver the economic benefits that Tehran was promised during the 2015 nuclear negotiations. Deeply worried by Iran's announcement that it has broken existing nuclear deal obligations. UK remains committed to making deal work & using all diplomatic tools to deescalate regional tensions. I urge Iran to avoid any further steps away from JCPoA & come back into compliance.— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 1, 2019 But the European states have so far struggled to find ways to convince Iran to stay in the agreement. Their main effort has been focused on a financial mechanism known as Instex, which is designed to circumvent US sanctions and allow European firms to trade with Iran. The mechanism became operational this week but there is so far little sign that it will succeed in providing the kind of broad economic relief that Tehran is demanding. On Monday night an EU spokeswoman said the body was fully committed to the agreement and urged Iran to reverse this step and refrain from further measures that undermine the deal. "Continued full implementation of the JCPOA by all sides is crucial for the sustainability of the agreement. The EU remains fully committed to the agreement as long as Iran continues to fully implement its nuclear commitments," she said. Eric Brewer, deputy director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank's project on Iran's nuclear activity, said the Iranian move was designed to increase pressure on the European states to act. "The chances of Europe or other countries taking the type of steps Iran is asking for are slim. So Iran will have some big decisions to make about how far it's willing to take its nuclear escalation," he said. "Decisions in the coming weeks will be hugely important to determining whether we're on a path to further escalation, or whether it's possible to seize an off ramp." Iran promised as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement that it would not store more than 300kg of uranium enriched to the low level of 3.6 per cent fissile material. Iran has warned it will carry out a more serious breach of the agreement on July 8 when it will resume enriching the kind of high-grade uranium that could eventually be used for a nuclear weapon. In a rare public appearance, Yossi Cohen, the Israeli spy chief said "the world must now allow" Iran to stockpile high-level enriched uranium. "Just imagine what will happen if the material stockpiled by the Iranians becomes fissionable, at military-enrichment grade, and then an actual bomb. The Middle East, and then the entire world, will be a different place," he said. Israel came close to bombing Iran's nuclear facilities in 2011 but held off partly because of Barack Obama's opposition to military action against Iran. Mr Trump has taken a tougher line against Iran and has been more supportive of Israeli military action. However, he has said several times that he is reluctant to engage in a war with Iran and hopes to one day resume negotiations. Iran has said it will not negotiate with the US under the pressure of sanctions.
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| Gateway Bronco Will Build The Ford Bronco Of Your Dreams Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:23 PM PDT  These are for people who seriously love Broncos. The Ford Bronco has become a favorite for off-roaders and car collectors alike. While you can hunt down a vintage model and attempt to restore or restomod it yourself, Gateway Bronco will pump up the build to a level you'll barely believe. With three build options, the result is a Bronco that will turn heads and perform like a true champion.Choosing the Gateway Bronco Fuelie Edition will give you a solid off-roader. While it has the classic looks of a Ford Bronco, it packs some modern amenities. The main attraction is a Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine, which has proven to be a solid and potent powerplant. You get to choose either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, plus a removable hardtop or bikini top. The leather interior follows the original look of the Bronco, but unique noise reduction makes the ride even more comfortable, so you can actually hear music or your passengers while going down the highway. Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes and HydroBoost also provide modern stopping performance. You get a 3-year warranty with this option.If you're looking for more, the Gateway Bronco Coyote Edition is the next level. It adds to the mix with a 6-speed transmission sourced from the Raptor, plus both noise and vibration reduction that's patent pending, so you're not going to find it anywhere else. The interior gains real Porsche leather, couching you in luxury.Finally, there's the Gateway Bronco Modern Day Warrior. A Shelby supercharger boosts the Coyote V8 to the next level, while Brembo disc brakes, a 4-link suspension, and Fox Racing shocks balance that power out. If you'd rather, Gateway Bronco offers a twin turbo option. Custom aluminum billet wheels come with each Modern Day Warrior, adding some subtle flair to the SUV.Really, there are two ways to get that classic Ford Bronco of your dreams. Using Gateway Bronco means a professional build that will surely appreciate well over time. With interest in the Ford Bronco spiking, now is an excellent time to jump on board as prices continue to rise. More Cars 12K Mile Midship: 1987 Ferrari Testarossa Candy Apple Green: 1989 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pro Mod Make Your Own Magic In The Need For Speed 2013 Mustang Camera Car Nissan Celebrate 50 Years Of The Z Sports Car
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| Oregon Democrats demand investigation into Republican state senator who threatened to kill a police officer Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:53 AM PDT  Democrats in Oregon are demanding that a Republican state senator who threatened police be investigated.A memo from an outside law firm retained by Oregon's state legislature recommended that Brian Boquist, who made national news when he threatened state police last week, be barred from the courthouse until those threats were investigated. According to the Associated Press, several staff members recorded in the memo that they were "fearful and scared to come to work.""This member threatened to kill an Oregon state trooper," said senator Shemia Fagan, a Democrat. "If that's not unacceptable, then what is unacceptable?"A formal complaint has also been filed against Mr Boquist, which will be heard at a special committee meeting in July. At a news conference last week, senate minority leader Herman Baertschiger refused to characterise Mr Boquist's comments as inappropriate, saying his words were simply "unhelpful".The saga began last month when Republicans in Oregon's senate walked out to avoid voting on a proposed cap and trade bill to reduce the state's fossil fuel emissions, in an effort to battle climate change. In response, Oregon governor Kate Brown ordered the state police to round up the eleven fugitive senators, who were thought to have fled to neighbouring Idaho.Boquist, one of the hiding republicans, told reporters that his message for the state police was to "send bachelors and come heavily armed." He later clarified that he was indeed threatening harm, after a reporter cited his comments as "thinly veiled" threats."Nothing thinly veiled," senator Boquist wrote in an email to an Oregon newspaper. "I have been in political coup attempts. I have been held hostage overseas. I have been jailed politically overseas...Not going to be arrested as a political prisoner in Oregon period."The Republicans did eventually return after a week away, but legislature was this time delayed by Democrats, whose requests for senator Boquist to be barred from the floor due to his threats were denied.Senator Sara Gelser, a Democrat, said Saturday that she would not appear in the chamber if Mr Boquist was present. Citing her disappointment in state senate leadership, she entered the courthouse only after the Republican left the building on Sunday.A separate memo from the state's interim human resources director said only the full senate can take action against one of its members. Ms Gelser maintains that leadership was more focused on pushing through policy bills before the legislative session ended at midnight on Sunday night than attending to safety concerns. "There has to be a point at which we are willing to ... have a rocky floor session if that's what it takes to make things better," she said. "People deserve to be safe."Mr Boquist told the Associated Press that he had not spoken to Ms Gelser about the matter. He said he was unaware of the formal complaint until seeing news reports on the situation.
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| Texas plane crash: 10 killed in small plane accident at Dallas-area airport Posted: 01 Jul 2019 08:50 AM PDT  No one survived the accident, which occurred when a small plane collided with a vacant hanger in a fiery crash
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| Elon Musk believes electric planes will become more practical in about 5 years Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:08 PM PDT  For as easy as it is to poke fun at Elon Musk's online shenanigans, there's no denying that he was able to revolutionize the auto industry in a relatively short period of time. Thanks to the initial success of the Model S, Tesla was able to prove that electric cars didn't have to be clunky eyesores. What's more, the popularity of the Model S -- along with the Model Y and the Model 3 -- definitively proved that demand for EVs was far greater than anyone could have anticipated even a few years ago.Tesla's obsession with all things electric, of course, extends far beyond traditional four-door sedans, an assertion bolstered by Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity and the company's plans to roll out an electric-powered semi-truck and pickup truck in the near future.Beyond that, is it perhaps possible that Tesla will one day leverage its EV expertise to develop an airplane? It certainly sounds far-fetched, but as evidenced by Musk's work with The Boring Company, it's practically impossible to anticipate what Musk will get into next. That said, someone asked Musk via Twitter a few days ago about whether or not an electric powered plane would be feasible."Yes," Musk responded, "but still a bit too limited on range. That will change in coming years as battery energy density improves.""Jet A (kerosene) has much higher energy density than Li-ion, but electric motors weigh much less & convert stored energy to motion better than combustion engines," Musk later added. Lastly, Musk noted that he anticipates lithium-ion batteries will be able to compete with kerosene in about five years time.Of course, Musk's comments on Twitter prompted many to wonder if Tesla might someday get into aviation. Personally, I don't think so, but stranger things have happened once Musk becomes fixated on an idea.
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| Judge: Rep. Duncan Hunter's trial can detail alleged affairs Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:40 PM PDT  Jurors can hear evidence of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter's alleged extramarital affairs when they consider charges the California Republican looted campaign cash to finance vacations, golf outings and other personal expenses, a judge said Monday. Prosecutors revealed salacious details about the married congressman's lifestyle in court filings last week, saying he used campaign money to illegally finance a string of romantic relationships with lobbyists and congressional aides. U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan said the allegations were relevant to whether campaign money was spent illegally and spoke to motive and intent.
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| Ivanka’s North Korea Photobombs Perplex White House Officials Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:19 PM PDT  Brendan Smialowski/AFP/GettyWhen Donald Trump and his advisers crossed over from South Korea into the heavily fortified demilitarized zone between North and South Korea over the weekend, the cameras were ready. Images of the president greeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as "my friend" in a last-minute meetup streamed across televisions worldwide. Trump wasn't alone. After a few snapshots, Ivanka Trump, along with her husband, Jared Kushner, followed the president into what's known as the Freedom House—a building on the South Korean side of the zone. That's when the cameras stopped. The media was reportedly blocked from entering and covering the historic event.It wasn't until later that reporters learned Ivanka and Kushner did more than accompany the president into the Freedom House. They were reportedly present at a closed-door meeting between the two leaders, who ended up speaking about one of the most sensitive topics on the planet—North Korea's nuclear-weapons program.(The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. After this story was published, an official reached out and said: "Although they met Kim, Jared and Ivanka did not participate in the closed-door meeting." The official did not clarify which meeting Ivanka and Jared participated in or how many meetings were held on the border. But two other officials told The Daily Beast that Ivanka and Kushner were in the room for part of the conversations that pertained to nuclear weapons and sanctions.President Trump has long used his family, particularly his son-in-law, to run various foreign-policy projects, leading to investigations on Capitol Hill over security clearances and the administration's circumvention of traditional foreign-policy procedure. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a recent congressional interview that he was often left in the dark about various high-stakes foreign-policy decisions because Kushner at times ran his own shadow State Department, meeting secretly with world leaders from countries such as Mexico and Saudi Arabia.The meeting in the DMZ seemed to spur a new sense of frustration in Washington on Monday, this time directed in particular at the first daughter, who was also present—front and center—at the G-20 summit in Hamburg. She provided a video readout about the conversations Trump had with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took photo-ops with attendees. "Ivanka has participated in previous bilateral meetings, and on behalf of the White House at past G-20 summits," said Garrett Marquis, a spokesperson for the National Security Council. "Issues of women's empowerment are central to the president's national-security and women's peace and security strategies."Photos and video footage from the conference emerged over the weekend, showing Ivanka mingling with some of the top world leaders, inserting herself into conversations with veterans of the foreign-policy world. The internet erupted, and lawmakers took to social media."It may be shocking to some, but being someone's daughter actually isn't a career qualification," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said on Twitter. "It hurts our diplomatic standing when the President phones it in & the world moves on."One senior administration official told The Daily Beast that the Trump team often tries to find roles for Ivanka on travels overseas because she is a talented spokesperson. But it is unclear what Ivanka was doing in North Korea beyond the purely ceremonial. Two senior administration officials and one former one said they do not consider the president's daughter a significant player on major foreign-policy initiatives, including on the Koreas, though they all acknowledged that President Trump will at least solicit her advice for gut checks on any manner of foreign-policy and national-security decision: striking other countries, climate agreements, and so on. "She matters because the president says she matters," the former official said. "Who in their right mind would cross her knowing that?"A current official noted that Ivanka is often in the room during important policy discussions and read-into those matters specifically, and at times exclusively, because her father demanded it.It's not only Trump's aides and advisers who have taken note of that; foreign leaders have factored it into their diplomacy and flattery of Trump, as well. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is known to go out of his way to ask the president how Ivanka is doing and ask about her interest in global women's empowerment projects, another one of the current senior Trump administration officials said."Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, advisor to the US President Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump and Indonesia's President Joko Widodo attend an event on women's empowerment during the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 29, 2019."Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Photo by Brendan Smialowski/GettyStill, Ivanka's protected status in the Trump orbit has frustrated several high-ranking aides over the years, including the president's one-time chief strategist Steve Bannon and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, the latter of whom reportedly complained in private that Ivanka is merely "playing government," according to a CNN report early last year. That report came at a time when Ivanka's trip to South Korea, as leader of a U.S. delegation at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, perplexed, if not outright aggravated, several of her fellow senior colleagues, chief among them Kelly, a former White House official said.Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have looked into how and why the administration's foreign policy has shifted at the hands of Trump's family. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, in particular, has scrutinized Kushner's relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Tillerson, in his interview with the committee in May, said the inclusion of Ivanka and Kushner in the national-security process made his job more difficult."One of the challenges I think that everyone had… to learn to deal with was the role, the unique situation with the president's son-in-law [Kushner] and daughter [Ivanka] being part of the White House advisory team," Tillerson said. "There was not a real clear understanding of the role, responsibilities, authorities… which made it challenging for everyone."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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