| Every top Democrat can beat Trump. Their unique strategies will determine who gets that shot Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:43 PM PDT  Each of the five leading 2020 Democratic candidates can beat the president in a general election, according to the latest national match-up polls. But first, they will need to secure the party's nomination in a hotly contested primary season that started with more than two dozen hopefuls. They're each using very different tactics to do so.Those five candidates — Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg — joined each other on Thursday night for the third Democratic debates, along with five additional candidates currently polling beneath them: Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O'Rourke and Julian Castro.
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| Second British-Australian woman jailed in Iran identified as Middle East researcher Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert Posted: 13 Sep 2019 09:56 PM PDT  A British-Australian woman who has been sentenced to 10 years in a notorious Iranian prison has been identified as Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a Cambridge-educated academic specialising in Middle Eastern politics. Dr Moore-Gilbert, who was working as a lecturer and researcher for Melbourne University's Asia Institute and has published work on authoritarian governance and activism in the Middle East, was jailed in October 2018. However, her detention had not been reported in case it harmed the prospects of her release. On Saturday, the Australian government confirmed Dr Moore-Gilbert was being held in prison in Iran. A statement from the family of Dr Moore-Gilbert, who is incarcerated in Evin prison, said they were in close contact with Australian authorities on the matter. "Our family thanks the Government and the University of Melbourne for their ongoing support at this distressing and sensitive time. "We believe that the best chance of securing Kylie's safe return is through diplomatic channels." It is not known what Dr Moore-Gilbert was charged with, but 10-year terms are routinely given in Iran for spying. She is one of two British-Australian women whose detentions in Iran have come to light in the past week. Jolie King with her partner Mark Firkin Jolie King, a travel blogger, and her Australian fiancé Mark Firkin were arrested near a military site in Jajrood near Tehran on August 9, it was revealed on Thursday. They had reportedly been using a drone to film aerial footage in the area. They too have been sent to Evin prison, the main detention centre for Iran's political prisoners, which also houses 41-year-old Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian mother of one who is midway through a five-year sentence on spying charges. Tehran has pursued a campaign of detaining Iranian and dual nationality academics in recent years, raising fears the Islamic Republic is using them as diplomatic leverage. The Australian government has said it is lobbying Tehran to ensure all three are appropriately looked after. Iran is believed to be holding the trio captive in the hope of exchanging one of them for an Iranian imprisoned in the US on charges of evading American sanctions. Tensions between Britain and Iran escalated dramatically after it emerged the women were being held in the first recent case of Tehran arresting British citizens who do not also hold Iranian nationality. Sources said Tehran sees the women as bargaining chips to secure the release of Negar Ghodskani, a 40-year-old Iranian woman facing jail in the US after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to export prohibited technology to Iran. Ghodskani was arrested in Australia in 2017 at the request of US government and gave birth to a baby boy while in custody in Adelaide. She was extradited to the US and now faces five years in federal prison. Negar Ghodskani Credit: AP While Iran has not commented publicly on any of the arrests, in April the country's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, proposed swapping Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe for Ms Ghodskani. According to the University of Melbourne's website, Dr Moore-Gilbert "specialises in Middle Eastern politics, with a particular focus on the Arab Gulf states," and has published work on the 2011 Arab uprisings, authoritarian governance, and on the role of new media technologies in political activism. In 2018 she was awarded a grant to investigate "Iran's relationship with Bahrain's Shi'a after the Arab Uprisings". Dr Moore-Gilbert's LinkedIn profile shows her first degree came in Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge, where she also completed her Master of Arts. Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she has raised the cases of the three prisoners "many times" with Mr Zarif, and denied the arrests were politically motivated. "We have no reason to think that these arrests are connected to international concern over Iran's nuclear programme, United Nations sanction enforcement or maritime security concerning the safety of civilian shipping," Senator Payne said. What appears to be the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 off the coast of Tartus, Syria, Credit: Reuters News of the three prisoners has come amid a downturn in relations between Britain and Iran, sparked by issues including the Royal Marines' seizure near Gibraltar in July of an Iranian oil tanker, the Grace I. Iran responded by seizing British-flagged oil tanker the Stena Impero. While Britain released the Iranian tanker, the Stena Impero is still being held. Australia also said in July that it would join the US and the UK in protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats. Relations between Tehran and the West, especially the United States, have deteriorated significantly since the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to ramp up restricted enrichment.
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| Ancient Handholding Skeletons Are Men but Italy Won’t Say Gay Posted: 13 Sep 2019 05:45 AM PDT  Archeo ModenaROME—In 2009, the straight world swooned when archaeologists discovered two ancient skeletons from between the fourth and sixth centuries A.D. holding hands in a grave in Modena, Italy. They were dubbed the "Lovers of Modena" and have become synonymous with heterosexual romance, their image now often used in Italy to symbolize undying love.When they were discovered, archeologists said the bones were in such a state of decay that the usual genetic-based methods used in confirming the biological sex of ancient remains was of no use. Still, one of the figures was slightly smaller than the other, so it was assumed they were male and female. The individuals did not die in situ—their hands were placed holding each other's by whoever buried them, most likely to represent a relationship between the two people. Eleven people were buried in the cemetery where they were found, all initially thought to be soldiers and victims of an ancient war, based on wounds consistent with battles. The consensus among anthropologists was that the presumed female hand-holder was the lover of one of the warriors.This week, scientists with the University of Bologna announced the "Lovers of Modena" were actually both biologically male, thanks to a revolutionary process they used to examine tooth enamel. A certain peptide that is present only in males was present in all 16 teeth extracted from both skeletons. The scientists also found that only one of the 11 individuals buried in the cemetery was female, and she wasn't holding anyone's hand. Then, suddenly, the hand-holders weren't lovers at all: Italian archaeologists insisted that surely they were brothers or cousins who died in battle. Archaeologist Federico Lugli, who led the Bologna study, conceded that while it was impossible to know if the two men were lovers, he highly doubted it. "In late-ancient times it is unlikely that homosexual love could be recognized so clearly by the people who prepared the burial," he told The Daily Beast by email. "Given that the two individuals have similar ages, they could be relatives, probably siblings or cousins."Homosexuality was well documented in Roman times. Emperor Nero married women to bear children, but he had sex with men for pleasure. He publicly married two men, Pythagoras and, years later, Sporo, who was castrated and made to wear a woman's gown during the ceremony, according to historical accounts by Pliny the Elder, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, whose writings account for much of what we know about ancient Rome. The ancient Roman Empire legal tome Lex Scantinia sets out a series of regulations for men having sex with other men, including that freeborn Romans—that is to say those who were not slaves or war prisoners—could not take a passive role when having sex with a man. But by no means did it make same sex relationships illegal and it was quite common for noble Romans to have male lovers in addition to wives who fulfilled the traditional role of childbearing. In the case of the skeletons of the Lovers of Modena, it seems historians are not willing to concede that two individuals who were once thought to be romantically linked when they were presumed to be male and female are likely not now that their biological sex is the same. "The burial of two men hand in hand was certainly not a common practice in the late-ancient era," Lugli says. "We believe that this choice symbolizes a particular relationship between the two individuals, but we do not know the nature of it."There are plenty of examples of ancient figures buried in all manner of embrace—most of which have been positively identified through genetic sampling as male and female, but not all. The embracing skeletons found in Petrykiv village in western Ukraine are thought to be from a woman who committed suicide to be buried with her man, but the analysis was made based on jewelry and size. In 2015, a couple of 6,000-year-old spooning skeletons were found in Greece, though no one has any idea yet why they were in such a position. Their bones were identified as biologically male and female. Usually, when couples are found buried together, the first question is why they died at the same time and if one was sacrificed to be buried with the other. Now, thanks to the new dental enamel science, archaeologists can go back to other ancient lovers to find out more about who they were. "At present there are no other burials of this type," Lugli says of the two male hand-holders. "In the past several graves were found with pairs of individuals laid hand in hand, but in all cases it was a man and a woman. The link between the two individuals of the Modena burial, instead, remains a mystery." Or perhaps the evidence is right in front of them. 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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| Will Venezuela Become a Russian Missile Base? Posted: 13 Sep 2019 06:23 AM PDT  And how would Trump respond to that?
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| Church sex abuse 'far-reaching' in Missouri: attorney general Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:01 PM PDT  The attorney general in the US state of Missouri on Friday accused the Catholic Church of turning a blind eye to church sex abuse and referred a dozen former clergymen for criminal prosecution. "Sexual abuse of minors by members of Missouri's four Roman Catholic dioceses has been a far-reaching and sustained scandal," said the Midwestern state's top prosecutor, Eric Schmitt, after a year-long investigation. "For decades, faced with credible reports of abuse, the church refused to acknowledge the victims and instead focused their efforts on protecting priests," Schmitt told a news conference.
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| Dominican Republic Announces New Safety Measures After Deaths of 11 American Tourists Posted: 12 Sep 2019 09:38 PM PDT  'American tourists should feel safe and secure,' an official said
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| Liberty students protest in wake of reports about Falwell Posted: 13 Sep 2019 03:39 PM PDT  Students at Liberty University in Virginia gathered Friday to protest in the wake of news reports containing allegations that school president Jerry Falwell Jr. improperly benefited from the institution and disparaged students in emails. Students joined together at the private evangelical university known for being an influential hub in conservative politics and held up signs calling for accountability and an investigation. Elizabeth Brooks, a junior majoring in politics and policy, told The Associated Press by phone that a recent Politico Magazine story as well as a Reuters report prompted the protest at the school in Lynchburg.
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| A 'turning point' on UFOs: Physicist Michio Kaku tells ufology conference the truth is out there Posted: 13 Sep 2019 02:00 AM PDT  Sparked by recently released Navy cockpit videos, interest in UFOs is spiking. A world "ufology" conference drew its share of eccentrics — but also a renowned physicist and government officials who say it's time to take the phenomenon more seriously.
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| Tomi Lahren apologizes after Democrat Julián Castro calls out 'anti-immigrant' statement Posted: 13 Sep 2019 03:13 PM PDT ![Tomi Lahren apologizes after Democrat Julián Castro calls out 'anti-immigrant' statement]( "Tomi Lahren apologizes after Democrat Julián Castro calls out 'anti-immigrant' statement") "We have to have a means to defend ourselves from—who knows who's coming in," Tomi Lahren said while laying out a defense of the Second Amendment.
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| If everyone except for Biden, Bernie, and Warren dropped out of the 2020 race right now, Biden would be the clear loser Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:23 AM PDT  Here's what would happen if Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren were the only ones left in the 2020 democratic presidential race.
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| U.S. Navy Asserts Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea Posted: 13 Sep 2019 08:20 PM PDT ![U.S. Navy Asserts Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea]( "U.S. Navy Asserts Freedom of Navigation in South China Sea") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Navy has asserted that the recent passage of its guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer in waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea is consistent with its stance on international law that allows freedom of navigation, according to a statement Saturday."China, Taiwan, and Vietnam each claim sovereignty over the Paracel Islands," the U.S. Navy said. "The unilateral imposition of any authorization or notification requirement for innocent passage is not permitted by international law, so the United States challenged these requirements."The comments were in response to an earlier statement issued by the People's Liberation Army Daily stating that the U.S. vessel had entered Chinese waters surrounding the islands and had ignored China's objection to the move.The latest development comes as Vietnam is pushing back harder against China's efforts to isolate it diplomatically on a territorial dispute in an energy-rich part of the South China Sea.To contact the reporter on this story: Marcus Wong in Singapore at mwong547@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Andreea Papuc, Stanley JamesFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee defends House Democrats' impeachment investigation Posted: 12 Sep 2019 09:47 PM PDT  We are fact-finders, says Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee.
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| Grand jury indicts man accused of killing 22 people at Texas Walmart Posted: 12 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT  Patrick Crusius, 21, was indicted for capital murder and will face the death penalty if he is convicted, El Paso County District Attorney Jaime Esparza said in a statement. "The District Attorney's Office will continue to work hard to ensure that justice is done and is committed to assisting the victims through the judicial process," Esparza said.
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| Israel's F-35s Are the Uncontested Kings of the Middle East's Skies Posted: 13 Sep 2019 01:00 PM PDT  Israel's enemies can't even see them coming.
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| Iran inks deal to develop gas field in tense Gulf Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:47 AM PDT  Two Iranian companies signed a $440 million agreement Saturday to develop a gas field in the sensitive Gulf, with the oil ministry saying it showed arch-foe the United States could not stop the country with sanctions. Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the deal reached between two government-owned firms, Pars Oil and Gas Company and PetroPars, to develop the Balal field would be the first of many. Tensions have soared in the Gulf since last year when the US began reimposing sanctions on Iran after unilaterally withdrawing from a 2015 deal that put curbs on its nuclear programme.
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| Andrew Yang on healthcare during the Democratic Debate: 'I'm Asian, so I know a lot of doctors' Posted: 12 Sep 2019 06:51 PM PDT  While speaking during the Democratic debate, Andrew Yang invoked a stereotype about Asian people.
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| Coming for your AR-15? O'Rourke scrambles Dems' gun message Posted: 13 Sep 2019 04:52 PM PDT  Beto O'Rourke's "hell yes" moment at the Democrats' presidential debate is scrambling his party's message on guns. The Democrats have long contended their support of gun control laws does not mean they want to take away law-abiding citizens' firearms. O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso was the site of a mass shooting last month that killed 22 people, and he has put the issue of gun violence at the center of his campaign effort.
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| Tomi Lahren: We Need Guns to ‘Defend Ourselves’ From Immigrants Posted: 13 Sep 2019 01:46 PM PDT  Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren declared on Friday that Americans need guns in order to potentially fight off unlimited immigrants coming into the United States, adding that citizens need the ability to "defend ourselves" because "we don't know" who is coming into the country.Appearing on Fox Business Network's Varney and Co., the conservative firebrand reacted to Democrats' calls for stricter gun control in the wake of several mass shootings. Specifically, she took issue with Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke's call for mandatory buybacks of assault-style weapons like the AR-15 and AK-47."I would also remind those that might not have a use for a gun or don't feel they have a use for a gun, many Americans do," Lahren told Fox Business anchor Stuart Varney. "Many Americans don't live in the suburbs, who are far away from where police can respond, and so that's why that self-defense is so important."And then she brought the threat of "open borders" immigration into the mix."And all the things the Democrats want to put in place—my goodness, if they want to open our borders, you better be sure the people in Texas, the people in South Dakota, the people in the middle of this country, we are going to be armed and ready," she exclaimed. "Because we have to have a means to defend ourselves from—who knows who's coming in? That's the thing, we don't know, and we have to be able to protect ourselves."The right-wing provocateur's insistence that guns are needed to stave off migrants heading into the U.S. comes barely a month after the El Paso mass shooting that left 22 dead. The suspected shooter admitted that he was targeting "Mexicans" and apparently posted a racist manifesto in which he decried the "Hispanic invasion" of America.This also isn't the first time that Lahren has fear-mongered over supposed "open borders" immigration. Earlier this year, she devoted a monologue to warning Fox viewers that an extremely high border wall was needed because immigrants are "shifty and adaptable."After her remarks faced intense backlash that included Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro personally calling her out, Lahren took to Twitter to "apologize" for how her comments "came out.""Not what I meant & I apologize for the way it came out. I simply mean without a secure border we don't know who is coming into our nation & those who wish to do us harm will exploit it," she wrote Friday afternoon. "I'm NOT advocating for violence against any person, regardless of race or immigration status."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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| Sen. Marsha Blackburn blasts 'unconstructive' Democratic opposition to GOP gun control proposals Posted: 12 Sep 2019 11:22 AM PDT  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is reportedly poised to reject any gun proposals from the White House as pressure mounts to reach consensus; insight from Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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| Ku Klux Klan application found in US police officer's home Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:05 AM PDT  A police officer in Michigan was terminated on Thursday after a prospective homebuyer who had been touring the officer's house posted a picture on social media of a framed Ku Klux Klan application he had seen there, spurring an internal investigation.Frank Peterson, the city manager of Muskegon, confirmed Friday that the officer, Charles Anderson, had been terminated, but said a report on the inquiry conducted by the Muskegon Police Department would not be released until next week.
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| Turkey orders arrest of 223 military personnel over suspected Gulen links: state media Posted: 13 Sep 2019 11:49 PM PDT  Turkey has ordered the arrest of 223 serving military personnel across the country and in the breakaway state of Northern Cyprus over suspected links to a network Ankara accuses of organizing an attempted coup in 2016, state media said on Saturday. Authorities are seeking the suspects across 49 provinces in Turkey and in Northern Cyprus, state broadcaster TRT Haber said.
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| Jeered over attacks, S.Africa's president apologises at Mugabe funeral Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:45 AM PDT  South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa was jeered and whistled at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe's funeral before he apologised for recent xenophobic attacks. At least 12 people have been killed this month in a surge in violence and mob attacks against foreign-owned businesses in and around Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. A wave of jeers, boos and whistles interrupted Ramaphosa at the Harare national stadium as he started his eulogy at the state funeral for Mugabe, who died age 95 last week.
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| A pair US F-15 fighter jets came close to taking out a couple of free-falling skydivers at nearly 350 mph Posted: 12 Sep 2019 12:38 PM PDT  The skydivers, who were in freefall at 120 mph, caught the fighters on video passing beneath them at 345 mph, a UK air safety board reported.
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| Pence goes after Biden for saying 'I'm the vice president' at the Democratic debate Posted: 13 Sep 2019 02:50 PM PDT  So let me be clear, I am the vice president of the United States," Pence told a group of Republicans at the GOP retreat in Baltimore.
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| Venezuelan opposition leader denies ties to criminal gang Posted: 13 Sep 2019 02:24 PM PDT  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó rejected allegations Friday that he has ties to an illegal armed group in Colombia, as officials launched an investigation based on photos appearing in social media purportedly showing him posing with members of the gang. The pictures were allegedly taken in late February when Guaidó crossed into Colombia and made a surprise appearance at a concert organized by billionaire Richard Branson aimed at helping deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela. Government officials loyal to President Nicolás Maduro are holding up the photos as proof that Guaidó's covert journey was orchestrated with the help of a Colombian criminal gang known as the Rastrojos, an accusation he denies.
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| China and the U.S Are Fighting a Major Battle Over Killer Robots and the Future of AI Posted: 13 Sep 2019 06:45 AM PDT  At the U.N., China called killer robots a "humanitarian concern." But experts fear the military power is developing autonomous weapons.
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| The Electric-Car Community Wants to Invite You to a Party: It's National Drive Electric Week Posted: 14 Sep 2019 07:30 AM PDT  More than 300 events are happening all over the U.S. from September 14–22, all to get you excited about an EV.
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| Black transgender woman found torched in car as campaigners warn LGBT rights are fragile in Trump’s America Posted: 14 Sep 2019 06:17 AM PDT  On the still dark morning of September 4, tucked behind a rural Florida neighbourhood dotted with single-story houses painted bright green, turquoise and pink, flames licked the metal frame of a PT Cruiser parked in the grass.When Hendry County Sheriff's deputies doused the flames, they found a woman's body inside so badly burned she couldn't be identified for days.
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| India sets up fund to complete stalled housing projects Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:33 AM PDT  India on Saturday announced a series of measures to revive the housing sector and boost exports as the government tries to kick-start an economy hit by a lending crisis and a slowdown in demand. A fund worth 100 billion rupees ($1.41 billion) will be available to complete unfinished affordable and middle income housing projects, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. An equal amount of funding will come from the private sector or from a government insurance company, she added.
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| These Are the Next Wave of Ultra-Luxury Electric Cars Entering the Market—and They Don't Disappoint Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:14 PM PDT |
| Cars Worth Waiting For That Arrive between 2020 and 2025 Posted: 14 Sep 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Who won the Democrats' debate? Our panelists' verdict Posted: 12 Sep 2019 10:25 PM PDT  Another combative Democratic debate saw clashes between Joe Biden and his opponents – but no clear winner emerged Nathan Robinson: 'Biden did better but remains a liabilityThe consensus will probably be that Julián Castro distinguished himself in Thursday's debate, thanks to some forceful talk on immigration, a good story about hard ethical choices, and some deliciously salty exchanges with Joe Biden. Biden himself did better than before, which isn't saying much. There were still painful moments, especially a downright bizarre ramble delivered in response to a question on his racial record – Biden implied that black parents need instructions on how to raise children, told people to "make sure you have the record player on at night", and then started talking about Venezuela for no reason at all. I continue to believe he is a political liability who should under no circumstances be nominated.Bernie had some excellent answers on foreign policy and democratic socialism, sadly made less forceful thanks to a hoarse voice. Unfortunately, he was also denied the chance to say anything about climate change, meaning he couldn't explain the urgent need for a Green New Deal.Warren distinguished herself as an explainer of progressive policies and effectively replied to the line about people wanting to "keep their insurance" by saying "I've never met anybody who likes their health insurance company." Kamala Harris continues to duck tough questions about her atrocious record as a prosecutor, Amy Klobuchar continues to offer uninspiring centrist cliches, Beto O'Rourke continues to emphasize guns and racism, Andrew Yang gets ever closer to becoming Matthew Lesko, and Cory Booker continues to be personally endearing without offering any reason to vote for him. Oh, and please: no more three-hour debates. They are truly unendurable. * Nathan Robinson is the editor of Current Affairs and a columnist for the Guardian US Lloyd Green: 'For Democrats, 2020 can't arrive quickly enough'Joe Biden came out swinging hard but then struggled to stay focused in the third hour. Still, his swipes at Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were effective. Warren refused to own up to the cost of her single-payer healthcare plan; as for Sanders, he was reminded that "socialist" can be a putdown. Biden's line, "I'm with Barack, Elizabeth is with Bernie" is here to stay.Kamala Harris also did well. Her tart Wizard of Oz description of President Trump, "When you pull back the curtain it's a really small dude," got the audience's attention.Presidents Obama and Trump were also winners. This time, the candidates on stage repeatedly sang Obama's praises on his healthcare reform. As for Trump, he had to be smiling when Julián Castro angrily taunted Biden over his age. For the Democrats, 2020 can't arrive quickly enough. * Lloyd Green was opposition research counsel to George HW Bush's 1988 campaign and served in the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992 Jessa Crispin: 'I miss Marianne Williamson'Biden as the Democratic frontrunner only makes sense if no one is watching any of his media appearances or these debates: he spends half his time stuttering, digressing, and bleeding from sensory organs.Everyone on stage on Thursday agreed on which issues are important and squabbled about how they will all magically solve intractable problems like healthcare, gun control and environmental devastation. The only fun left here is guessing who leaves the race next. Well, that and figuring out why Kamala Harris, who kept giggling at her own awkward jokes, had such a strong wine mom energy tonight.I miss Marianne Williamson. While everyone else argues about whose plan is going to actually raise taxes the most, she spoke to the deep issues of apathy, loss of authority, and weariness with a system that spends a year making big promises and then spends four years explaining why those promises are all impossible to achieve.If Biden is the Democratic future, responding to every mass shooting with an Oh Jeez and every diplomatic crisis with a "got your nose" joke, I want at least one person talking about why this is a joke too many. * Jessa Crispin is the author of Why I Am Not a Feminist Malaika Jabali: 'No clear winners – but better moderators'It's clear that Democratic debate hosts continue their disingenuous framing of socialism and the left, from asking loaded questions about what distinguishes Bernie Sanders from Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro to repeating conservative talking points about Medicare for All. The debates are becoming increasingly redundant, with few revelations materializing among them. However, moderators Linsey Davis and Jorge Ramos asked tough questions that were a welcome shift from the tone of previous debates.Davis unflinchingly confronted Biden on his positions on racial equality and lack of interest in reparations, and she directly called out Kamala Harris's criminal justice record. Likewise, Jorge Ramos keyed in on Biden's support for the Obama administration's deportations of 3 million people.As the debate was three hours long, there should have been plenty of time to follow up on these questions, instead half of the first hour was spent relitigating Medicare for All. While there were no clear winners, and the frontrunners' positions will likely change little after tonight, at least a few pointed questions forced some to contend with their records. * Malaika Jabali is a public policy attorney, writer, and activist Art Cullen: 'Beto had a tremendous night'The best moment in all the debate was when Joe Biden made his closing remarks, speaking of resilience against all his tremendous personal loss: "Faith sees best in the dark. You find purpose in what you do. I stayed engaged." Going up against that, Julián Castro looked small nipping at Biden's heels by suggesting that he was forgetful.Beto O'Rourke had a tremendous night, the best on stage, with accolades all around and the most applause from the crowd for championing gun safety and condemning racism with passion, calling Trump a "white supremacist". "Would you take away their guns? "Hell yes," O'Rourke said. "We're gonna take away your AR-15, your AK-47."Elizabeth Warren maintained her momentum with cogent riffs on trade, Afghanistan, healthcare and corruption. Amy Klobuchar's midwestern appeals for pragmatism will echo for voters looking for relief from chaos. She stayed in the fray. * Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa, where he won the Pulitzer prize for editorial writing. He is author of the book: Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope from a Heartland Newspaper
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| Texas capital of Austin approves first-in-the-nation funding for abortion transportation, lodging, child care Posted: 12 Sep 2019 06:27 PM PDT  Austin, Texas, has become the first city in the nation to approve funding for abortion access services such as transportation, advocates said.
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| In era of legal pot, can police search cars based on odor? Posted: 13 Sep 2019 08:37 AM PDT  Sniff and search is no longer the default for police in some of the 33 states that have legalized marijuana. Traditionally, an officer could use the merest whiff of weed to justify a warrantless vehicle search, and whatever turned up — pot, other kinds of illegal drugs, something else the motorist wasn't allowed to have — could be used as evidence in court. The result is that, in some states, a police officer who sniffs out pot isn't necessarily allowed to go through someone's automobile — because the odor by itself is no longer considered evidence of a crime.
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| US-trained bomb-sniffing dogs sent to Jordan are living in horrible conditions and dying from improper care Posted: 13 Sep 2019 11:38 AM PDT  More than 10 have died in recent years from potentially preventable health issues. Others were found to be living in "disturbing" conditions.
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| California boat fire: six crew members were asleep when fatal blaze erupted, report finds Posted: 13 Sep 2019 11:09 AM PDT  All six crew members were asleep when the fatal boat fire in California erupted, according to preliminary findings released on Thursday.There were 39 people aboard the 75-foot Conception when it set off for a weekend dive trip to the Channel Islands in Southern California.
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| Germany warns against early troop withdrawal from Afghanistan Posted: 14 Sep 2019 06:16 AM PDT  A withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan could see the country falling back under the strict Islamic rule of the Taliban, German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Saturday. Kramp-Karrenbauer, who also heads Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and is seen as the chancellor's most likely successor, said a pullout of foreign troops would be particularly tough for Afghan women. "I am worried that if we were to ditch our responsibility (in Afghanistan) we will face horrifying images of women being stoned and hanged and of girls not able to attend school and married off," Kramp-Karrenbauer told a gathering of CDU women.
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| Taiwan Needs New Submarines To Stop a Possible Future Invasion by China Posted: 14 Sep 2019 02:35 AM PDT  But can Taipei really build them or buy them abroad?
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| 'A traffic jam around the moon': Physicist Michio Kaku on aliens, space travel and his search for the 'God Equation' Posted: 13 Sep 2019 02:00 AM PDT  Physicist Michio Kiku talks with Yahoo News on topics from the state of human evolution to the upcoming traffic jam around the moon.
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| Tomi Lahren on Beto O'Rourke's vow to take away guns: 'Finally they're being transparent' Posted: 13 Sep 2019 03:51 AM PDT  Democrats' push for stricter gun control measures are an effort to "chip away" gradually at the Second Amendment, Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren argued Friday on "Fox & Friends."
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| Russia's world-first floating nuclear plant arrives in port Posted: 14 Sep 2019 03:34 AM PDT  Russia's world first floating nuclear power station on Saturday completed a 5,000-kilometre (3,100-mile) Arctic transfer to the country's far east, the Rosatom nuclear agency said. "The Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear plant arrived ... at Pevek, in the autonomous district of Chukotka," where it is to start operating by year end once connected to the local electricity grid, Rosatom said. What will be the world's northernmost nuclear power plant left Murmansk in Russia's far north on August 23 after being loaded with combustible nuclear fuel.
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| Father of Colorado State student in blackface says his daughter is 'not a racist' Posted: 13 Sep 2019 12:41 PM PDT  Les Kaplan said his daughter, Leana, has been fired from her job, received death threats since an Instagram post of her wearing blackface went viral.
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| Trump Says He Plans to Unveil Middle-Class Tax Cut in Next Year Posted: 12 Sep 2019 06:23 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's planning a tax cut directed at the middle class that will be announced in the next year."It will be a very substantial tax cut," Trump told congressional Republicans at a retreat in Baltimore. He said the tax cut would be "very, very inspirational" without providing details.Trump spoke a day after deciding against cutting the tax on capital gains by indexing gains to inflation. That decision was announced late Wednesday after a meeting earlier between the president and his economic advisers, who discussed whether to move ahead with the tax break.The administration has also put off the idea of a possible cut in payroll taxes, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC earlier Thursday. Mnuchin said that Trump was focused instead on a second round of proposed tax cuts.But a Trump-backed tax cut would face a near-impossible battle in Congress in advance of the 2020 elections. Constitutionally, tax legislation must originate in the House, which Democrats currently control. They are unlikely to back any legislation that could give Trump a victory during the presidential election campaign.Key Democrats in Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, have said they could consider cuts to levies on the middle class, but those cuts would have to be offset with higher taxes on the wealthy.That trade-off -- if Trump and Democrats could compromise -- could cause no-new-tax Republicans to balk, making agreement nearly impossible in a divided government.Trump last month floated the idea of indexing capital gains to inflation or cutting payroll taxes as a way to jolt the U.S. economy, which has shown warning signs of a slowdown. But he later said that cutting capital gains taxes would be seen as "somewhat elitist" because it would benefit the wealthy.Most of the benefits of indexing would go to high-income households, with the top 1% receiving 86% of the benefit, according to estimates in 2018 by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. The policy could reduce tax revenue by $102 billion over a decade, the model found.This isn't the first time the White House has floated a tax cut when facing political headwinds. Last fall, ahead of the midterms where Republicans ultimately lost their majority in the House, Trump suggested he would cut taxes for middle-earners by 10%.The tax cut announcement came as a surprise to administration officials and Trump's allies in Congress. That plan was never released.Again in August, Trump said "a lot of people" would like a cut in payroll taxes, but then said that a reduction isn't needed. A day later, he said he was still open to a payroll tax break and cutting taxes for investors by indexing capital gains taxes to inflation, a move some of his advisers think he could do without Congress.And late in 2017, as the Republican tax overhaul was taking shape and criticism arose that it would favor the wealthy and corporations, Trump promised relief for the middle class. But that did not make it into the final legislation.(Updates with prospects for new tax cut in Congress, starting in fifth paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Jordan Fabian in Washington at jfabian6@bloomberg.net;Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, John Harney, Justin BlumFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Fugitive ex-priest sentenced to 30 years in sex abuse case Posted: 13 Sep 2019 04:05 PM PDT  A former Roman Catholic priest who fled the country decades ago was sentenced Friday in New Mexico to 30 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing an altar boy at a veterans' cemetery and military base. In ordering the sentence, U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez said it was the worst case of child sex abuse she has handled over the course of 26 years. At one point, the judge demanded that 81-year-old defendant Arthur Perrault look a woman in the eyes as she testified about being abused by him.
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| Shipping times for Apple's new iPhone 11 have already slipped several weeks only a few hours after preorders went live (AAPL) Posted: 13 Sep 2019 07:40 AM PDT  The new iPhone 11 models are available for preorder, and shipping times are already later than the launch date for some models.
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