| Trump blames Obama, not Putin, for Russia seizing Crimea Posted: 26 Aug 2019 10:20 AM PDT  President Trump blamed the last U.S. president for Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, praising President Vladimir Putin for outsmarting President Obama and saying he thought Russia should be welcomed back into the annual meeting of the leaders of the world's largest economic powers.
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| After a Georgia teenager reported a sexual assault to her school administrators, she says she was expelled for 'sexual impropriety.' Now she's suing. Posted: 27 Aug 2019 07:51 AM PDT  The teenager's lawsuit agains the Fayette County Board of Education was filed by the National Women's Law Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.
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| Iran sentences 3 to long prison terms on spying charges Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:09 AM PDT ![Iran sentences 3 to long prison terms on spying charges]( "Iran sentences 3 to long prison terms on spying charges") Iran on Tuesday said it sentenced three people — one woman and two men — to lengthy prison terms on security and spying charges. The men were convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said in remarks broadcast on state TV that the convicted woman is Aras Amiri, who had worked for the British Council while allegedly spying on cultural activities in Iran.
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| China Formally Arrests Australian Writer on Suspicion of Spying Posted: 27 Aug 2019 12:54 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- An Australian writer detained in China seven months ago has been formally arrested on suspicion of espionage, triggering swift demands from the government in Canberra that he be allowed to return home.Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was "concerned and disappointed" that Yang Hengjun, a Chinese native who's now an Australian citizen, would "continue to be criminally detained." He is one of several detained foreign nationals whose cases have raised concerns about operating on the mainland. Two Canadians -- Michael Kovrig, a Hong Kong-based security analyst on leave from Canada's foreign service, and entrepreneur Michael Spavor -- were detained in December and later accused of espionage."It is important, and we expect, that basic standards of justice and procedural fairness are met," Payne said in a statement Tuesday. "I respectfully reiterate my previous requests that if Dr. Yang is being held for his political beliefs, he should be released."Yang was detained in the southern city of Guangzhou in January after a flight from New York. His lawyer Rob Stary told the Australian newspaper Tuesday that the precise nature of the espionage allegations weren't clear, though apparently relate to his "democracy activism."Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday that Yang's case was being investigated "according to law" and that China "deplores" Payne's statement. "This case is now being investigated according to the law and his rights are lawfully and fully guaranteed. His health condition is good," Geng told reporters in Beijing. "I'd like to stress that China is a nation with the rule of law and Australia should earnestly respect China's sovereignty and stop interfering with China's handling of this case in any form."At the time of his detention, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said Yang was being investigated for "criminal activities endangering national security." Yang previously was a Chinese foreign affairs official in Beijing, before becoming an Australian citizen and novelist, the Australian newspaper reported earlier this year.Payne said Yang had been held in "harsh conditions" without charge and denied access to lawyers or his family. She said she had discussed the issue twice with her Chinese counterpart and written to him three times raising her concerns.Yang has been visited by embassy officials seven times since his detention and a visit is scheduled for today, she said."I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of Dr. Yang to ensure a satisfactory explanation of the basis for his arrest, that he is treated humanely and that he is allowed to return home," Payne said.(Updates with China Foreign Ministry comments in fifth paragraph.)\--With assistance from April Ma.To contact the reporter on this story: Edward Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net, Peter VercoeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| A flight from the UK to Portugal was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot reportedly fainted Posted: 27 Aug 2019 03:33 AM PDT  A Jet2 plane from Manchester, England, to Madeira, Portugal, diverted to Porto. The First Officer landed the plane, and an off-duty pilot helped.
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| Tropical storm Dorian gathers strength in Caribbean as Puerto Rico braces for first hurricane Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:00 AM PDT  A tropical storm is gathering strength and is expected to become a hurricane by the time it hits Puerto Rico.A state of emergency has been declared in the US territory as residents prepare for Dorian to bring the first hurricane of the season.
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| View Photos of the BMW X5 Protection VR6 Posted: 27 Aug 2019 07:37 AM PDT |
| Former Staffers Urge Gillibrand to End ‘Performative and Obnoxious’ Presidential Campaign Posted: 26 Aug 2019 06:23 AM PDT  Two of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's former staffers are urging the New York Democrat to discontinue her 2020 presidential campaign rather than continue fighting to qualify for the next Democrat primary debate."It would be best if she decided that this was not her time," one longtime Gillibrand fundraiser told the New York Post. "Most people that I talk to are very happy with her as their senator and don't want her to give up her Senate seat and don't see any realistic traction for her."Gillibrand, who has yet to breach one percent in major national polls, is working to secure the 130,000 individual donations required to appear on the debate stage next month in Houston — an appearance that one former staffer believes will only serve to harm her future political career."I don't know that anyone even wants to see her on the debate stage. Everyone I have talked to finds her performative and obnoxious," a former senior staffer in Gillibrand's Senate office told the Post."She comes across as an opportunist to the public. I think that's the biggest problem," said the staffer, noting Gillibrand's reversal on gun rights and immigration restrictionism, causes she championed as a member of the House representing a rural upstate New York district but later abandoned when she ran for the upper chamber. "I think she'll have to seriously evaluate her campaign and her candidacy if she doesn't make this debate."Gillibrand has received roughly 115,000 individual donations, which places her behind upstart candidate Marianne Williamson, a self-help author with no political experience who has already surpassed the threshold required to qualify for the next debate.
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| Russia divides G7 leaders as Trump pushes for readmission Posted: 26 Aug 2019 09:27 AM PDT  The future reintegration of Russia into the elite G7 group of the world's rich nations divided leaders at its summit in France on Monday, as President Donald Trump pushed for Moscow to be allowed back after its 2014 expulsion. Russia was kicked out of what was then the Group of Eight -- even as Moscow was holding its presidency -- after it annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, a move never recognised by the international community.
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| Indiana attorney general exposes the real reason behind California's homeless crisis Posted: 26 Aug 2019 05:44 AM PDT  Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill says California's Proposition 47 has had unintended consequences.
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| Sri Lankan Islamic clerics seek clarity on face veil ban Posted: 27 Aug 2019 01:32 AM PDT  Islamic clerics in Sri Lanka asked Muslim women on Tuesday to continue to avoid wearing face veils until the government clarifies whether they are once again allowed now that emergency rule has ended four months after a string of suicide bomb attacks. Clerics are wary of the Muslim community being targeted again for violence, as it was in the aftermath of April's Easter Sunday attacks that killed more than 260 people, said Fazil Farook, spokesman for All Ceylon Jammiyyathul Ulama, Sri Lanka's largest group of Islamic clerics.
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| A Georgia attorney thought a man hit his Mercedes with a golf ball. He ran him over and killed him, DA says Posted: 25 Aug 2019 04:08 PM PDT ![A Georgia attorney thought a man hit his Mercedes with a golf ball. He ran him over and killed him, DA says]( "A Georgia attorney thought a man hit his Mercedes with a golf ball. He ran him over and killed him, DA says") An Atlanta attorney has been charged with murder after he allegedly struck and killed a real estate investor he says hit his car with a golf ball.
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| Far-Right Vies for Lead in German Regional Election, Poll Shows Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the German Social Democratic Party are barely holding their ground against the insurgent far-right Alternative for Germany in two states holding elections on Sunday, two polls showed.The SPD, which has governed the eastern state of Brandenburg since German reunification in 1990, gained 2 points to 21% there. It is neck and neck with the anti-immigration AfD, which also gained 2 points compared with a survey three weeks ago, according to a survey by Insa published in Bild newspaper.In Saxony, a CDU stronghold, Merkel's party gained a point to 29% and is now four percentage points ahead of the AfD, according to a second poll in the same paper. The upstart far-right party surged more than 15 percentage points from the last election in 2014, while the SPD and CDU, both in Merkel's coalition, together plunged by as much.Nazi Salute in Dresden Shows Cracks With Merkel, GermanyWith Merkel's fourth-term government saddled with infighting and deep losses for the SPD, the Sept. 1 election in the two states that were once part of communist East Germany risks prompting an early collapse of CDU-led coalition in Berlin. After almost 14 years in office, Merkel has said she won't run again for chancellor.Several leaders of the center-left SPD have blamed their poor showing in polls on their coalition with the center-right CDU, saying they've abandoned their traditional values.To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Raymond Colitt, Iain RogersFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| National Poll Shows Warren and Sanders in Virtual Tie with Biden Posted: 26 Aug 2019 11:13 AM PDT  A new poll shows Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders close to overtaking Joe Biden nationally as the race for the Democratic presidential nomination heats up.The former vice president has fallen 13 points from last month to 19 percent support among registered Democrats, while Sanders and Warren have risen six and five points respectively to reach 20 percent support, according to the latest Monmouth University poll. While his one-point deficit is well within the poll's margin of error, it marks a startling moment for Biden, who held a double digit lead over his competition in recent polls and has long been the race's front-runner.Senator Kamala Harris polls behind the top three at 8 percent, followed by Senator Cory Booker and South Bend, Ind. mayor Pete Buttigieg at 4 percent. Andrew Yang is polling at 3 percent, and Julian Castro, Beto O'Rourke, and Marianne Williamson are all tied at 2 percent.Biden's discouraging numbers, due mostly to a slip in support among moderate and conservative Democrats, come after he assured supporters that he is "not going nuts" as media coverage of his verbal gaffes continues to plague his campaign.Meanwhile, 58 percent of Democratic voters say it is important to them that the nominee support Medicare for All, while Biden instead supports enhancing the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration's signature legislative achievement."Biden's drop in support is coming disproportionately from later states that have less impact on the process. But if this trend continues it could spell trouble for him in the early states if it undermines his claim to being the most electable candidate," said poll director Patrick Murray. "This could benefit someone like Harris, who remains competitive in the early states and could use a strong showing there to propel her into the top tier. Based on the current data, though, Warren looks like the candidate with the greatest momentum right now."The poll surveyed 298 registered voters who lean Democrat from August 16 to 20, and has a 5.7 percentage point margin of error.
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| Japan to host Africa aid forum as China looms large Posted: 27 Aug 2019 12:30 AM PDT  Japan hosts development talks with African leaders this week, looking to boost its presence on the continent and offer an alternative to investments by an increasingly assertive China. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he wants the latest round of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) to help "launch impactful Japanese action" on the continent.
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| Trump promotes unfounded Ilhan Omar conspiracy and shares claim Justin Trudeau 'assumes submissive position' with him Posted: 26 Aug 2019 08:54 AM PDT  Donald Trump unleashed a series of controversial late-night tweets from the G7 Summit in France over the weekend, reigniting his feud with Ilhan Omar and attacking Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.The president promoted an unfounded and incendiary claim purported by the far right online that Ms Omar, a Democratic congresswoman of colour and former refugee from Somalia, married her brother years before she took office in 2018.
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| U.S. increasingly disappointed with Zimbabwe government: U.S. official Posted: 26 Aug 2019 03:48 PM PDT  The official said Washington had made clear to the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa what it would take to improve relations between Zimbabwe and the United States. U.S. officials have previously called on Mnangagwa to change Zimbabwe's laws restricting media freedom and allowing protests.
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| Correction: Gun Violence-Missouri Cities story Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:55 AM PDT  In a story Aug. 26 about efforts to deal with gun violence in Missouri's two big cities, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Missouri, in 2017, became the first state to allow people to carry guns without a permit.
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| 'Coward': Accusers rip Jeffrey Epstein in court hearing Tuesday Posted: 27 Aug 2019 09:50 AM PDT  Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but women who say the wealthy financier sexually molested them took center stage in a Manhattan courtroom.
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| Someone Has Killed More Than 40 Wild Burros in a California Desert. There's a $10,000 Reward for the Gunman Posted: 26 Aug 2019 05:24 PM PDT  A burro is simply a wild donkey. They are considered to be an enduring symbol of the Southwest region of America, according to the Associated Press
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| Rudy Giuliani Jumps on the Seth Rich Conspiracy Bandwagon Posted: 26 Aug 2019 08:51 AM PDT  Alex Wong/GettyDonald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani promoted discredited conspiracy theories about murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich on Twitter early Monday morning, further fueling the baseless speculation that has anguished Rich's grieving family.Giuliani quote-tweeted a tweet from conspiracy theorist Matt Couch, whose fevered claims about Rich's 2016 murder provoked a defamation lawsuit from Rich's brother. In his tweet, Couch pointed out that, while Washington, D.C. police believe that Rich was murdered in a currently unsolved botched robbery attempt, none of his belongings appear to have been taken by his killer.Speaking rhetorically from Rich's point of view, Couch pointed to popular conspiracy theorist talking points about Rich's murder."I was Shot multiple times in torso.. I worked for the DNC…." Couch tweeted. "They called it a botched robbery and sue anyone who investigates it..Who am I?""I'd like to know," Giuliani added in his own tweet. Rich's July 2016 murder has inspired a number of conspiracy theories claiming that he leaked Democratic emails to WikiLeaks, and then was murdered by Hillary Clinton or the "deep state" in retaliation. That idea, which isn't backed up by any evidence, has been embraced by some Trump supporters—including Fox News host Sean Hannity—because it would mean the emails were released by a whistleblower, rather than by Russian government hackers. In reality, Rich's neighborhood had experienced a series of robberies in the lead-up to his death, which led police to believe it was likely a botched robbery.Hannity Weasels Out of Seth Rich ConspiracyIn text messages with The Daily Beast, Giuliani insisted his tweet wasn't meant to promote any conspiracy theories but merely to ask questions about Rich's murder, which has remained unsolved. "I didn't support any conspiracy theory," Giuliani told The Daily Beast in a text message. "I raised several nagging coincidences." "I vaguely remember it and was asking a question about whether it was ever investigated fully," Giuliani added. "Don't remember if it was ever solved? Was it." After this article was published, Giuliani doubled down on his speculation and accused The Daily Beast of lacking "proper seductive reasoning." "Either you haven't been trained in proper seductive [sic] reasoning or the most truthful explanation is irrelevant," Giuliani wrote in a text message.Giuliani added that the media reaction to the conspiracy theorists made him more suspicious about the case."Another new area of suspicion beyond a possible murder of convenience is the overreaction you all have to anyone raising any question about this unsolved murder," Giuliani wrote. "'Me thinks the Lady Protests too Much?'"Rich's family has repeatedly asked conspiracy theorists to stop speculating about their son's murder, which has drawn in a number of publicity-seeking right-wing media figures. But in text messages to The Daily Beast, Giuliani said "legitimate questions" about Rich's murder shouldn't be off-limits because of "some degree of emotional pain." "It is tragic for the family but if we stopped all honicide [sic] investigations until solved because it will cause pain then it would leave many unsolved," Giuliani wrote. "There are legitimate questions here and the more they are suppressed with this media Hillary/oriented censorship the more the conspiracy theorists thrive." Giuliani, a former U.S. Attorney, said he wanted to look at the "parties with the greatest motivation.""I've done a number of very complex investigation [sic] and you must always look at the parties or parties with the greatest motivation and the most to gain or lose," Giuliani wrote. "Until a murder is conclusively solved that is always a viable hypothesis. Political censorship or even some degree of emotional pain can not suppress trying to solve an open homicide."Rich's family has repeatedly asked conspiracy theorists to stop speculating about their son's murder, which has drawn in a number of publicity-seeking right-wing media figures. Couch, who livestreams his conspiracy theory broadcasts to his fans online, is one of the most dedicated promoters of the Rich claims, despite reports that Russian intelligence agents spread the rumor that Rich's murder was somehow tied to the Democratic email releases.In 2018, Couch was sued for defamation by Rich's brother Aaron Rich, over his claims that Seth had helped to steal Democratic emails and received payment from WikiLeaks for the files. Earlier this month, Couch told a federal judge that he couldn't afford legal defense to continue fighting the case, and said he had removed mentions of Rich from his website.This story has been updated with Giuliani's responses following its publication.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 2019 Hyundai Tucson Ultimate Posted: 27 Aug 2019 04:59 AM PDT |
| Bolsonaro Says He Will Only Accept G-7 Forest-Fire Donations if Macron Apologizes for Insults Posted: 27 Aug 2019 07:21 AM PDT  Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said Tuesday that he will only accept the G-7's offer of international aid to fight fires ravaging the Amazon rain forest if French president Emmanuel Macron first apologizes for insulting his handling of the crisis."Before speaking or accepting anything from France, even if it comes from the best possible intentions, he must retract his words. Then we can talk," Bolsonaro told reporters.Bolsonaro was referring to the $20 million in aid pledged during the G-7 summit on Monday in France. The offer of aid came after Macron criticized Bolsonaro last week for cutting environmental regulations despite assurances that he would prioritize the fight against global warming.The newly elected Brazilian president responded by accusing Macron of expressing a "colonialist mentality," and suggested that France and the other G-7 nations plan to use the aid to exercise leverage over Brazil and its Amazonian resources."Look, does anyone help anyone . . . without something in return? What have they wanted there for so long?" Bolsonaro said.In response, Macron assured Bolsonaro that he had no ulterior motives for extending the aid."We respect your sovereignty. It's your country," he said, according to the AP. But "the Amazon forest is a subject for the whole planet. We can help you reforest. We can find the means for your economic development that respects the natural balance. But we cannot allow you to destroy everything."Bolsonaro further exacerbated the disagreement by appearing to mock Macron's wife on Facebook by sharing an image of her next to an image of his own wife with the caption: "Don't humiliate the guy … haha."Macron addressed the controversy at the G-7 summit on Monday, calling it a "sad" situation for Brazil."He had extremely disrespectful comments towards my wife," the French president said. "What can I tell you? It's sad. It's sad for him and for Brazilians. I think that Brazilian women are probably ashamed to read that their president has done that."The number of fires in the Amazon has increased by 75 percent this year, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research. The dramatic jump has sparked an international controversy as world leaders express concerns about the potential for the deforestation to increase global warming. While politicians and journalists have emphasized the Amazon's oxygen-producing role as the "lungs" of the world, some skeptical scientists have questioned the rainforest's importance to the global climate.
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| Argentine court rejects Kirchner bid to throw out corruption case Posted: 26 Aug 2019 01:53 PM PDT  An Argentine court rejected a request from lawyers to throw out a corruption case against former president and current vice presidential candidate Cristina Kirchner. The 66-year-old Kirchner is accused of having favored companies owned by businessman Lazaro Baez in the award of 52 public works contracts worth 46 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) during both her presidency and that of her late husband Nestor Kirchner. Another 12 people are accused in the case, including Baez, Julio De Vido, an ex-minister, and former government official Jose Lopez.
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| DEA to expand marijuana research after years of delay Posted: 26 Aug 2019 10:21 AM PDT  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday that it will move ahead with a long-delayed expansion of its marijuana research program, in a sign that the Trump administration's hostility to the drug may be waning as a growing number of states have legalized its use. The DEA said it would roll out new guidelines that would allow more growers to produce marijuana for scientific and medical research. The DEA also said producers of hemp, an industrial form of marijuana that has little psychoactive effect, will not have to get a permit from the agency.
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| Survey shows growing number of Millennials starting to care less about traditional American values Posted: 26 Aug 2019 12:19 PM PDT  Over the last 21 years, the Wall Street Journal/NBC News conducted a survey asking millennials the importance of religion, patriotism and family.
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| Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson says Russia denied him a visa Posted: 26 Aug 2019 03:11 PM PDT  A U.S. senator from Wisconsin who has publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia has denied him a visa to visit as part of a congressional delegation. Ron Johnson said he had planned to speak with government officials, American businesses and others during his trip. The Republican is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation.
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| British teenager denies lying about being raped by Israeli youths Posted: 27 Aug 2019 02:43 AM PDT  A British teenager who accused a group of Israeli youths of gang-raping her in Cyprus pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of making up the accusation. The 19-year-old was arrested after police said she withdrew an accusation that 12 Israeli teenagers raped her in a hotel room in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in mid-July. Her lawyers have told reporters she says she withdrew her accusation under duress. A court in the town of Paralimni ordered her released on bail before the trial which is due to start on Oct. 2. She has spent a month in custody. The charge the teenager faces, of public mischief, carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail or a fine. The Israelis, who were on holiday in Cyprus, were detained and later released without charge. They had denied any allegation of assault and have since returned to Israel.
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| Man crosses 3,000 miles of Pacific Ocean by paddleboard and sees plastic pollution 'every day' Posted: 27 Aug 2019 07:01 AM PDT  An adventurer has completed a 2,951-mile solo paddleboard voyage from San Francisco to Hawaii, a feat of endurance which lasted 76 days.Antonio de la Rosa travelled alone across the Pacific Ocean without supporting boats. He braved choppy waters and glimpsed whales – as well as a constant stream of plastic pollution.
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| NRA’s Former Ad Firm Slaps Wayne LaPierre With Subpoena Posted: 26 Aug 2019 12:18 PM PDT  Lucas Jackson/ReutersThe National Rifle Association's former ad firm has subpoenaed the gun group's chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, for a deposition, according to a court document reviewed by The Daily Beast. Lawyers for the NRA, who filed the document in Virginia Circuit Court on Aug. 21, are seeking to postpone LaPierre's interview. LaPierre isn't the only senior NRA official who faces a grilling from ad firm Ackerman McQueen. According to the filing, the ad firm also wants to question the gun group's top spokesperson, Andrew Arulanandam; Millie Hallow, assistant to the executive vice president; and the NRA's chief financial officer, Craig Spray. NRA Spent Tens of Thousands on Hair and Makeup for CEO's WifeIt's the latest episode of an ongoing legal brawl between the powerful but troubled gun-rights group and the ad firm that helped it sally forth into America's culture wars. For more than three decades, there was no daylight between the two entities that was visible to outsiders. But last April, the NRA sued the firm, and within weeks, the two had parted ways. Ackerman then counter-sued the NRA, and now both entities are seeking tens of millions of dollars from the other. The NRA's filing says that the ad firm has refused to hand over materials responsive to its own document demands because of the NRA's outside law firm, Brewer Attorneys and Counselors. Ackerman has argued that Brewer's firm tried to steal its business from the NRA and has asked the judge presiding over the case to limit Brewer's access to material it shares with the NRA. Wayne LaPierre Promised Job Security, Then Ousted an NRA Top GunThe NRA's filing argues that as long as Ackerman McQueen withholds materials, LaPierre and the other gun-group chiefs shouldn't have to be deposed. LaPierre's deposition is currently scheduled for Sep. 4, according to the filings. It isn't LaPierre's only scheduled Q-and-A session. According to the New York Daily News, the New York Attorney General's Office has also subpoenaed LaPierre as part of its investigation of the gun group. 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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| 85+ Low-Carb Dishes That Will Make Your Diet A Breeze Posted: 26 Aug 2019 02:02 PM PDT |
| White House insists Trump has authority to block American companies from doing business in China Posted: 25 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT  White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow asserted President Trump's threat to block trade between private Americans businesses and China, saying he has "emergency economic power authority" to do so.
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| Source: Prostitute arrested in 3 deaths, including head chef found dead in Queens Posted: 27 Aug 2019 07:36 AM PDT  A law enforcement source says a woman is under arrest in connection to three deaths -- including a head chef of a well-known NYC restaurant who was found dead last week.
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| Sidney Rittenberg, former American advisor to Mao, dies at age 98 Posted: 26 Aug 2019 09:40 AM PDT  Sidney Rittenberg, a former American advisor to Mao Tse-tung who spent long spells in prison as he fell in and out of favor with China's communist leaders, has died in the state of Arizona, the New York Times reported. The rebellious son of a prominent family from Charleston, South Carolina, Rittenberg arrived in China as a US army linguist at the end of World War II, and was soon swept up in the country's epochal civil war and communist revolution. Hiking 46 days to reach Mao's mountain redoubt, he served as an interpreter and traveled with the red army.
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| 7 escape injury in fiery plane crash at California airport Posted: 26 Aug 2019 10:06 AM PDT  Seven people escaped unhurt when a large transport plane they were on crash-landed and caught fire at Southern California's Santa Barbara Airport, authorities said. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to Santa Barbara, where it landed on its belly and skidded along a runway, the FAA said. Firefighters sprayed the aircraft with foam to douse the flames sparked in the crash.
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| She made history with AOC but Congress' second-youngest woman, Abby Finkenauer, is her own Democrat Posted: 26 Aug 2019 07:03 AM PDT  Congress' two youngest women lawmakers ever, Abby Finkenauer and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, embody the Democratic party split in the House of Representatives
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| Amazon fires: Effort to quell rainforest blaze hampered by hostile ground and defiant Bolsonaro Posted: 27 Aug 2019 12:37 AM PDT  Millions of dollars in aid are being pledged. Hundreds of soldiers are heading into the jungle. The Amazon is burning - and the world has taken notice.Now comes the hard part.
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| Italy bans German-flagged rescue ship to enter its waters: sources Posted: 27 Aug 2019 06:42 AM PDT  ROME/BERLIN (Reuters) - Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has signed a decree to ban a migrant rescue ship operated by the German charity Mission Lifeline from accessing Italian waters, sources at the ministry said on Tuesday. A succession of charity vessels has struggled over the past year to bring migrants rescued at sea to Italian shores as Salvini, leader of the far-right League, takes a tough line. The ship dubbed Eleonore is currently carrying 101 refugees rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, said Axel Steier, head of Mission Lifeline, adding that both Italian and Maltese authorities had declined to let the migrants land.
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| Kashmiri doctor arrested after warning blackout could cause deaths Posted: 27 Aug 2019 04:55 AM PDT  A Kashmiri doctor who warned the three-week curfew and communications blackout in the state would lead to critical medication shortages and deaths has been arrested. Omar Salim, a urologist at the Government Medical College in the state capital of Srinagar, said life-saving medicines were running out and new orders could not be placed. Dr Salim was detained on Monday, ten minutes after speaking to the media in Srinagar, and his whereabouts is unknown. Efforts to contact him have been unsuccessful because of the blackout. It was reported he was holding a placard that said he was making a "request and not a protest" as he was arrested. Kashmir has been under curfew and a communications blackout since the Indian authorities revoked Article 370 and 35A of its constitution on August 5, bringing the Muslim-majority state under central rule for the first time since independence in 1947. Kashmiris claim that medical supplies are running out and that patients can't access emergency care because of the curfew Credit: Rakesh Bakshi/AFP "I have a patient who required chemotherapy on August 6, he came to us on August 24 but could not obtain the chemotherapy medicine," Dr Salim said. "Another patient whose chemotherapy drug has to be obtained form Delhi was unable to place an order for the drug. His chemotherapy has been postponed indefinitely." Dr Salim also warned kidney dialysis patients could only receive treatment once a week and Kashmiris could not purchase medicines because ATMs had run out of money. "If patients don't receive dialysis, they will die. If cancer patients don't receive chemotherapy, they will die. Those patients who can't be operated on can die," he said. The Jammu and Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations dismissed reports of medicine shortages claiming all government approved drugs are still available in both state-owned shops and private retailers. This was contradicted by two groups of Kashmiri medical professionals who separately published open letters last week warning the curfew was preventing patients from accessing emergency medical care and that supplies were running out. The Indian authorities claim there have been no civilian deaths since it removed the state's autonomous status. Local media reports say there have been at least three deaths from tear gas and shotgun pellets and that doctors have "received clear verbal instructions" from the authorities to record alternate causes of death. The Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, told The Indian Express the curfew and blackout had been necessary to maintain peace and that "we don't foresee this going on for too long." The Indian Army has taken to the streets to hand out flyers listing the 11 positives the removal of autonomy would make. These included compulsory education for women, the construction of new hospitals and hotels and the central implementation of law from Delhi which would include a crackdown on corruption.
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| Bernie Out-Raises Biden in Obama-Trump Swing Counties Posted: 27 Aug 2019 01:39 AM PDT  Tom Brenner/GettyFormer Vice President Joe Biden has built his early polling lead in the 2020 Democratic primary on the argument that he is the Democratic candidate best positioned to take on President Donald Trump. He referenced his standing against Trump in the first TV ad he ran and has spoken repeatedly about winning over Republican voters who, he argues, have grown disenchanted with the president. But in at least one "electability" metric, Biden is lagging behind his Democratic competition. In the 206 counties that voted for Barack Obama twice before backing Trump in 2016, the former VP has fewer donors than three primary opponents. According to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data on the Democratic online giving portal ActBlue, 12,040 donors from those Obama-Trump counties made 19,885 donations to Biden during the first six months of 2019. By contrast, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had 13,674 donors make 26,298 donations from those counties and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg had 14,294 donors make 23,320 donations from those counties. Biden has only been in the race since late April, compared to Warren and Buttigieg, who had launched presidential exploratory committees by the beginning of 2019 and late January respectively. But the latter two have had stronger fundraising months more recently. All three of them trail Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)—whose campaign helped compile the data—when it comes to donors from Obama-Trump counties. The Democratic-Socialist had 33,185 donors make 81,841 donations in those areas, a haul that his team was eager to tout."To defeat Donald Trump, we will need to drive turnout to historic levels in every county in America—and these numbers show that Bernie Sanders' campaign is building a huge and diverse grassroots movement to do exactly that," campaign manager Faiz Shakir told The Daily Beast, calling his candidate "best positioned to defeat Trump."Older Activists Are Sick of Hearing Concerns About Joe Biden's AgeSanders has led the Democratic field in terms of sheer number of givers by a wide margin. The senator, according to an aide, now has more than 2.5 million contributions and more than 900,000 individual donors overall. So the fact that he is beating Biden in these specific counties is not overly shocking. Nor is it clear whether donations will directly translate into votes. Not all primary voters give to candidates. And data on campaign giving does not include the party identification, meaning that Sanders—and, to a lesser degree, Warren and Buttigieg—may be getting a boost from over-excited progressives and not those Democrats who left the party for Trump in 2016. Still, the data point could present potential problems for Biden, whose main hurdle in the path to the nomination seems to be a hiccup in an early primary state. Of the 206 counties that swung from Obama to Trump, Iowa played host to the highest number with 31. Biden and his team have made the case that he can resuscitate the Obama-era Democratic coalition and have leaned heavily on public opinion polls showing him beating Trump in hypothetical matchups by larger margins than his primary opponents. Sanders campaign has responded by noting that he has consistently beat Trump in early head-to-head polling too; in fact, the senator's team has tried to make a concerted effort to prove that he is more electable that Biden. Biden's campaign did not offer comment on the record.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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| De Blasio Considering Eliminating Gifted Programs to Achieve Racial Parity in NYC Schools Posted: 27 Aug 2019 05:21 AM PDT  New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is current considering a proposal that would eliminate all selective schools and programs in an effort to further integrate the city's public education system, the New York Times reported Monday.The proposal was developed by a board that de Blasio appointed to devise policies that will reduce the racial disparities between the selective schools and gifted programs, which are mostly utilized by white and Asian students, and the non-selective schools, which are mostly populated by black and Hispanic students.The New York City public education system is one of the only ones in the country that's run entirely by the mayor's office, rather than a board of education. As a result, de Blasio can adopt all or part of the proposal without input from the state legislature, the city council, or any other body.Gifted programs and selective schools have "become proxies for separating students who can and should have opportunities to learn together," the panel, comprised of several dozen education experts, wrote in a report obtained by the New York Times.The panel recommends that the gifted schools be replaced with so-called magnet schools, which they believe will attract a diverse group of students interested in one particular subject area. Under their recommendation, elementary and middle schools would no longer be permitted to admit students based on test scores. The city's seven selective high schools, which are partially controlled by the state, would be exempted.De Blasio has stressed his commitment to achieving racial parity in the city's schools since taking office and has identified a lack of resources as the chief obstacle preventing that end.As part of his effort to court teacher's unions and secure more resources for the city's public schools, he's relentlessly attacked charter schools and the emphasis on giving family's choice that was championed by his predecessor Michael Bloomberg. While charter schools tend to produce better educational outcomes on average, de Blasio has argued they increase inequality."I'm going to be blunt with you, I am angry about the state of public education in America," de Blasio shouted during his opening statement at the National Education Association's annual assembly in Houston in July."I am angry about the privatizers. I am sick and tired of these efforts to privatize a precious thing we need — public education. I know we're not supposed to be saying 'hate' — our teachers taught us not to — I hate the privatizers and I want to stop them," he said.
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| Syria soldiers eye Turkish outpost in recaptured town Posted: 25 Aug 2019 07:42 PM PDT  Syrian soldier Ahmad Amuri rolls up on a motorbike to hand water bottles to comrades standing guard under pistachio trees, just a few dozen metres from a Turkish observation point in northwest Syria. President Bashar al-Assad's troops seized the town of Morek from jihadists and allied rebels on Friday, encircling the Turkish outpost. "Calm has returned to Morek," Amuri told AFP on Saturday, with water bottles in a black plastic bag, a cap on his head and his uniform covered in dust.
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| Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea Posted: 25 Aug 2019 09:41 PM PDT  A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrives in China on Wednesday for a visit that will include meetings with top Chinese officials over the South China Sea and attendance at a world basketball championship game. Duterte's visit will be his fifth to China but the first during which he plans to finally raise the result of the 2016 Hague arbitration case that mostly invalidated China's claim to virtually the entire South China Sea under the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
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