| Conservative Texans Love To Fight The Feds Until They Need Them Posted: 31 Aug 2017 09:39 AM PDT  WASHINGTON ― For Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), suing the federal government is a point of pride.
|
| 10 Extraordinary Animal Rescues In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Harvey Posted: 30 Aug 2017 04:49 AM PDT  As well as helping more than 13,000 people to safety, rescuers across Texas have also plucked a plethora of animals out from the rising floodwaters. Tear-jerking viral videos and photographs show bats, birds, cows, dogs, horses and pigs all being hauled to firmer ground. Evacuation Of Pets This image of Naomi Coto carrying her dog, Simba, on her shoulders as she was forced to evacuate her Houston home on Sunday is just one of hundreds of pictures which show the lengths that many pet owners went to to save their pets.
|
| Poll: Young Americans view Trump unfavorably Posted: 31 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT  Very few young people approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing in office.
|
| Teenage girl's terrified last message hours before she went missing in Houston floods Posted: 30 Aug 2017 08:14 AM PDT  A 16-year-old girl left a terrified final Facebook post before going missing in the Houston floods. Devy Saldivar is thought to have been killed along with her siblings and great-grandparents after their van was submerged. Devy was travelling in a van along with her great-grandparents and younger siblings Daisy, 6, Xavier, 8, and Dominic, 14, when they were swept away while trying to escape the rising water levels.
|
| Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey’s aftermath Posted: 30 Aug 2017 10:44 AM PDT ![Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey's aftermath]( "Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey's aftermath") Neighborhood after neighborhood underwater. Submerged highways. The cities of coastal Texas in crisis.
|
| Federal Air Marshals Say TSA Separated Them From Families During Harvey Posted: 30 Aug 2017 03:33 PM PDT  With the hurricane closing in, agents asked to return to their families in Houston. They were refused.
|
| Cowboys rescue terrified horse from drowning in flooded pen during Hurricane Harvey Posted: 30 Aug 2017 08:00 AM PDT  A horse stranded in a flooded paddock in Cleveland, Texas, was rescued by a pair of heroic cowboys on Monday as flood waters continued to rise around it in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Chance Ward, who runs a local feed and tack business, posted a video on Facebook showing his 17-year-old son, Rowdy, working quickly to rescue the panicked animal from the neck-deep water slowly rising around it.
|
| Judge Blocks Texas Immigration Crackdown Posted: 30 Aug 2017 05:40 PM PDT  AUSTIN, Texas ― A federal judge on Wednesday blocked most of a state immigration crackdown two days before it was set to go into effect on Sept. 1, offering a major victory for opponents as a tropical storm ravages the state and local officials struggle to assure immigrants it's safe to seek help.
|
| Mexico's Red Cross delivers aid to storm-ravaged Houston Posted: 31 Aug 2017 07:44 AM PDT  Mexico's Red Cross sent an envoy of volunteers to storm-devastated Houston on Wednesday, hours after Texas governor Greg Abbott said the state accepted an offer of aid from the Mexican government, including vehicles, boats, supplies and food.
|
| Poll: 70 percent of voters think Trump dislikes the media more than white supremacists Posted: 31 Aug 2017 06:24 AM PDT  The fallout continues after President Trump's response to deadly protests in Charlottesville sparked a national debate over where to place blame, and a new poll shows Trump's words may have influenced American opinion.
|
| Danger in the Water: High Levels of Unsafe Bacteria Found in Harvey Floodwaters Posted: 31 Aug 2017 12:56 PM PDT  Microbiologists have found that the bacteria levels in the water are 125 times higher than what is considered safe for swimming.
|
| Meet the Man Who Turned His Furniture Stores Into Shelters for Harvey Victims Posted: 30 Aug 2017 01:50 PM PDT  The popular furniture store owner is now housing 400 displaced residents
|
| Teen saves horse trapped by Harvey's rising floodwaters with dad's help Posted: 29 Aug 2017 07:08 PM PDT  For days, Chance Ward and his son have been wading through deep water on horseback to save animals trapped by Tropical Storm Harvey's torrential rain. Ward, of Cleveland, Texas, shared pictures and videos of their rescue efforts on Facebook, highlighting just how devastated the region has become. One video that shows his 17-year-old son, Rowdy, letting loose a horse locked inside a pen as water rises above the fidgety animal's legs has gone viral, reaching 8.9 million views since it was posted Monday. SEE ALSO: Houston's local businesses pitch in as Harvey's flooding wreaks havoc "This is what we do, we help livestock. We try to help people," Ward wrote on Facebook. On Tuesday, Ward posted he had saved another four horses and he worked with several others to bring hundreds of cattle to higher ground. Another video shows him helping a man and his swimming dog. Mashable reached out to Ward for further comment. In a touching Facebook post, Ward reflects on helping the animals in need alongside his son. Harvey, which made landfall as a powerful hurricane on Friday and has continued to burden the Gulf Coast of Texas as a tropical storm, has set an all-time continental U.S. rainfall record of 51.88 inches. The rain slowed Tuesday evening in the Houston area, but the flooding emergencies continue. Harvey's wet wrath will hit Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and Alabama, as well. Ward, his son, and their fellow helpers are not the only citizen saviors. Others have also come out to help people trapped by the devastating flood waters in Texas, including volunteer-led grassroots organizations such as the Cajun Navy, Louisiana Navy, and Texas Navy. "We make livestock our first priority, as I know many are helping people," Ward wrote on Facebook. WATCH: Hurricane Harvey is the strongest hurricane to hit the US in 12 years
|
| UN nuclear agency rejects Iran's stance on military sites Posted: 31 Aug 2017 01:19 PM PDT  VIENNA (AP) — The top U.N. official monitoring Iran's nuclear program on Thursday rejected Tehran's claim that its military sites were off-limits to inspection, saying his agency needs access to all "relevant locations" if suspicions arise of possible hidden atomic activities.
|
| Pizza Hut Surprises Harvey Victims By Delivering Pizzas By Kayak Posted: 31 Aug 2017 08:33 AM PDT  People riding out Hurricane Harvey's destruction in a flooded Texas neighborhood received an unexpected treat of hot pizzas delivered by kayak.
|
| Inside The Megachurch Accused Of Closing Its Doors During Harvey Posted: 29 Aug 2017 07:39 PM PDT  HOUSTON — A spokesman for Houston's enormous Lakewood Church, which waited days before offering to shelter flood victims, has a message for those who criticized the delay.
|
| U.S. forces Russia to close three diplomatic offices ‘in the spirit of parity’ Posted: 31 Aug 2017 10:39 AM PDT  Last month, the United States was ordered to cut in half its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia. Now Russia is being asked to close its consulate in San Francisco and annex buildings in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
|
| Trump Touts ‘Middle Class’ Tax Relief But Only Detail He Offers Helps The Rich Posted: 30 Aug 2017 03:58 PM PDT  WASHINGTON – A year after saying he would raise taxes on the rich, President Donald Trump is now pushing a proposal that instead would give those Americans an enormous tax break.
|
| How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter Posted: 31 Aug 2017 04:00 AM PDT ![How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter]( "How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter") As protesters clash in occasionally violent street confrontations that spread via online video, provoking emotional conversations that could touch almost anyone on Facebook or Twitter, millions of Americans feel pressure to pick a side, to support or denounce a faction, knowing that whatever they say about white supremacists, Antifa, or Black Lives Matter, they risk being criticized for failing to condemn violence on "their side," or for suggesting a false equivalence between groups.
|
| Kellyanne Conway Blasts Chris Cuomo For Harvey Climate Change Question Posted: 31 Aug 2017 03:30 AM PDT  Don't get Kellyanne Conway started on climate change.
|
| The story behind that inspiring picture of a human chain in Houston Posted: 30 Aug 2017 03:39 AM PDT  In times of crisis, human beings get together and help each other the best way they can. That's one of the uplifting takeaways from the "catastrophic" Tropical Storm Harvey that poured 19 trillion gallons of rain on Texas, bringing floods and devastation on the southern state. The storm produced the most rain of any tropical storm or hurricane in the history of the lower 48 states. SEE ALSO: Tropical Storm Harvey is the strongest to hit the US in 12 years Among the acts of kindness — for strangers, for animals, for local correspondents — is this inspiring picture of a human chain to help rescue someone trapped in a car in Houston. The local ABC channel posted the photo on Twitter, where it went viral, with the caption: "#Harvey has taken a lot, but it will NEVER take our humanity. We have seen so many neighbors helping each other. THANK YOU #HopeForHouston". #Harvey has taken a lot, but it will NEVER take our humanity. We have seen so many neighbors helping each other. THANK YOU #HopeForHouston pic.twitter.com/M8aTACwHhc — ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) August 30, 2017 Stephanie Edward Mata was driving her car on the other side of the flooded road when she saw the scene and started filming: She told Mashable a group of people spotted an elderly man trapped inside his SUV, which was sinking into the water, and were desperate to help him. But there was a catch: they didn't have a rope with them. So they resorted to forming a human chain. "The people had no rope to get him out so they made a chain holding each other," she said. "They pulled the door open and one gentleman got ahold of him as they held on until they got him safe." Mata said she has no idea of what happened to the man after he was brought to safety. "There was a cop nearby where they took him to get checked out as he was so cold," she said. "I really wish I knew what happened to him next." Image: Stephanie mataShe also sent a picture of the SUV after the guy was saved: Image: stephanie mataIt is indeed heartwarming to see all types of people holding hands to help someone in need. People on Twitter noticed it, and responded to the tweet with messages of hope in front of the tragedy: When bad things go down, honestly, you want a bunch of Texans around. #harvey #Texas — Trish (@Trishmil8) August 30, 2017 Houston, you rock. Your community spirit in the face of such great loss has given me back a little hope and some faith in my fellow humans. — WeAreAllTexansToday (@JamieTFox) August 30, 2017 It is just beyond moving to witness all of these people who were initially strangers who have been brought together as neighbors. — J. Edward Griffin (@jcextra) August 30, 2017 I love people. 99% are just good human beings when given the opportunity. — lnordstrom (@lnordstrom123) August 30, 2017 My side of town ❤❤❤ — B (@Bparis88) August 30, 2017 this is THE America I remember! :) — vikilin (@vikilintw) August 30, 2017 The living prof of the land of the free and home of the brave I see the bravest people here — Lucas Diaz (@73Lucasdiaz) August 30, 2017 WATCH: Smiling rescued donkey is so happy to be back on solid ground
|
| Mumbai building collapses after torrential rain Posted: 31 Aug 2017 09:53 AM PDT ![Mumbai building collapses after torrential rain]( "Mumbai building collapses after torrential rain") An 117-year-old condemned building collapsed in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai on Thursday after torrential rains this week, killing at least 22 people, with about 10 other people feared trapped, police and fire official said.
|
| Hungry North Korean soldiers 'ordered to steal corn because war is imminent' Posted: 31 Aug 2017 03:20 AM PDT  As North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un boasts of his military prowess and flaunts his high tech weapons to the world, his malnourished soldiers are said to be stealing corn from fields to stave off hunger pangs. Officers are ordering their troops to supplement their meagre food rations by plundering local fields, in order to keep up their strength for battle, according to a report in the Daily NK. "The military officers are instructing their soldiers, exhausted after training, to eat corn in the fields because war is imminent," a source in North Hamgyong Province told the news website. Inside North Korea "They are even threatening their soldiers, saying: if you become malnourished despite permission to eat the corn, you will face difficulties." Another source in Ryanggang Province claimed that soldiers carrying big sacks of unripened corn had frequently been spotted trying to sell their wares at markets. The desperate conditions of his army paints a stark contrast with Mr Kim's brash threats since he fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a target strike exercise conducted by the special operation forces of the Korean People's Army Credit: AFP On Wednesday he hailed the test as a "good experience in…rocket operation for an actual war" and as a "meaningful prelude to containing" Guam, the US Pacific territory he threatened with missile strikes earlier this month. North Korean citizens, some of whom now have to guard their fields from marauding troops, are reported to be unimpressed by his bravado. "An increasing number of residents are pointing out that, for them, provoking the US is a losing battle," the Daily NK reported. Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers applaud as they watch a screen showing the missile test launch, in Pyongyang Credit: AFP
|
| When Rescue Efforts Seemed Impossible, Texas Civilians Performed Miracles Posted: 30 Aug 2017 06:43 AM PDT  HOUSTON ― Driving toward downtown Houston has been a near impossibility in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
|
| ‘The Daily Show's' Roy Wood Jr. Shuts Down Debate Over Confederate Symbols Posted: 31 Aug 2017 12:01 AM PDT  "The Daily Show" correspondent Roy Wood Jr. has a brilliant solution for all the controversy surrounding the confederate statues: End racism.
|
| Feds: Ex-inmate with ISIS flag tattoo arrested in gun sting Posted: 31 Aug 2017 03:42 PM PDT  McLEAN, Va. (AP) — An ex-convict arrested Thursday on a gun charge became a supporter of the Islamic state group radicalized during his incarceration and wanted to join the organization overseas, according to an FBI affidavit.
|
| Kamala Harris To Co-Sponsor Bernie Sanders' Single Payer Bill Posted: 31 Aug 2017 07:41 AM PDT  on Wednesday became the first senator to announce that she would co-sponsor legislation adopting a national, single-payer health insurance system that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans to introduce in the coming weeks.
|
| U.S.-led jets strike in Syria to block Islamic State evacuation deal Posted: 30 Aug 2017 02:19 PM PDT  By Sarah Dadouch and Angus McDowall BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-led warplanes on Wednesday blocked a convoy of Islamic State fighters and their families from reaching territory the group holds in eastern Syria and struck some of their comrades traveling to meet them, a coalition spokesman said. The strikes were aimed at stopping an evacuation deal for Islamic State fighters to leave their enclave on the Lebanon-Syria border for areas they hold in eastern Syria, arranged by the Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Syrian army. It was part of a ceasefire agreed after offensives last week by the Lebanese army on one front, and the Syrian army and Hezbollah on another, that pushed Islamic State back into a small part of its enclave straddling the frontier.
|
| Beaumont, Texas, In Crisis After City Loses Water Supply Indefinitely Posted: 31 Aug 2017 06:58 AM PDT  BEAUMONT ― Residents of this city in eastern Texas are desperate for clean water after the main municipal water pumps failed due to flooding.
|
| These Awesome Off-Road Rigs Are Rescuing People in Houston Posted: 30 Aug 2017 11:36 AM PDT  Calling all Texas truck owners.
|
| How to See The Biggest Asteroid to Pass Earth Since Records Began Posted: 31 Aug 2017 08:16 AM PDT  Florence is nearly 3 miles across
|
| Russian activist Navalny launches new attack on Putin with claim of 'secret mansion' Posted: 31 Aug 2017 10:15 AM PDT  Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has been linked to ownership of a villa complex on a scenic island near the Finnish border where a Soviet version of Sherlock Holmes was filmed, according to two investigations. It is claimed in a YouTube video, which got more than 1.8 million views in 24 hours, that Mr Putin is the owner of the Sellgren Villa on Lodochny Island in the Bay of Vyborg, a red-brick home built in 1913 and recently expanded, according to separate investigations by the independent online channel TV Rain and opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A drone flyover of the expansive property by Mr Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation showed a new 1,500-square-metre wing on the villa, a helipad, a pier, a guest house built in the same style, and a large house and garage, presumably for staff. The villa is not mentioned in the president's 2016 income and property declaration, which said he owns a 1,500-square-metre land plot, two cramped flats, three Soviet-era cars and a small cargo trailer. Mr Putin has previously been tied to a palace on the Black Sea. Google Earth view of the Finnish island where Navalny claims Putin has a "secret dacha" Mr Navalny called on supporters to demand he be allowed into next year's presidential election despite a controversial embezzlement conviction that the authorities said would bar him from running. The villa was designed by well-known Finnish architect Uno Ullberg and served as the home of German spy Von Bork in a Soviet-era Sherlock Holmes film. Lodochny Island was part of the national forest reserves until it was rezoned for the construction of a tourist base in 2012. The two investigations claim to have now linked the property, where Google Earth imagery showed construction began in 2011-13, to several longtime friends of Mr Putin. Aerial picture of Villa Selgen Grab from a video released by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny Security refused to allow TV Rain onto the property, but the channel quoted a source close to the local authorities as saying that the villa had been rebuilt as a country home for Mr Putin, who had traveled there at least once. Locals said they had seen the presidential security service guarding it from the water. Photos and plans posted to a social media group in 2012 claimed the villa was being rebuilt with a pool, billiard room, sauna and fitness complex. TV Rain reported that according to the federal property register agency, the island and buildings are controlled by a company called Sever, which was owned by Oleg Rudnov, head of the Baltic Media Group and an old friend of Mr Putin who died in 2015. Rudnov's son Sergei now owns the company. Mr Navalny said Sever also rented a building in the Konstantinovsky Palace presidential residence where Oleg Rudnov created a museum to Mr Putin, replete with his judo uniform and first car. Bare-chested Vladimir Putin goes fishing 00:55 Other Sever shareholders were tied to companies that reportedly operated the ski resort where Mr Putin's daughter got married in 2013. A sign near the entrance to the Lodochny Island property identified it as a recreational complex for the company Sibur, which is owned in part by Mr Putin's reported son-in-law Kirill Shamalov and the president's old friend Gennady Timchenko. Oleg Rudnov also ran a media company owned by Mr Putin's friend Sergei Roldugin, a cellist who the Panama Papers leak revealed to be the conduit for massive offshore holdings of the president's inner circle. Mr Navalny's YouTube exposé of prime minister Dmitry Medvedev's mansions, yachts and vineyard in Tuscany was viewed more than 22 million times this spring and inspired opposition protests around the country in March and June.
|
| Fire Rages At Texas Chemical Factory Posted: 30 Aug 2017 02:38 PM PDT  Chemical reactions at a flooded Texas factory resulted in flames and black smoke, sending 15 deputies to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
|
| Teen in fatal New Mexico library shooting remains detained Posted: 31 Aug 2017 02:24 PM PDT  CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge on Thursday ordered the teenager accused of fatally shooting two workers inside a public library and wounding four other people to remain in custody after prosecutors said he posed a threat to himself and others.
|
| Immigrants and advocates rally in support of DACA Posted: 31 Aug 2017 12:16 PM PDT ![Immigrants and advocates rally in support of DACA]( "Immigrants and advocates rally in support of DACA") Trump had pledged on the election campaign trail to scrap all of former President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration, including the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or "Dreamers," program.
|
| Iraq announces another major victory over IS jihadists Posted: 31 Aug 2017 11:08 AM PDT  Iraq declared on Thursday that its forces had retaken the northern city of Tal Afar and the surrounding region, in another major victory over Islamic State group jihadists. IS, which seized nearly a third of Iraq in 2014 in a humiliating defeat for the army and police, now controls barely 10 percent of the country, according to the US-led international coalition ranged against the jihadists. The fall of Tal Afar, located in the northern province of Nineveh, deprives IS of what was once a key supply hub between its territory in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
|
| North Korea launch increases focus on risky U.S. shootdown option Posted: 30 Aug 2017 12:54 PM PDT  North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile over Japan could increase pressure on Washington to consider shooting down future test launches, although there is no guarantee of success and U.S. officials are wary of a dangerous escalation with Pyongyang.
|
| Father shows amazing before and after pictures of his son outside their home as Harvey floodwater recedes in Houston Posted: 30 Aug 2017 01:25 AM PDT  Flood victims who have had their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey in Houston have seen a glimpse of hope as it appears the deluge has ended. They saw the sun for the first time in days as it set over the skyline of their drenched city, signalling the end of the rain. Maybe the best sunset Houston has ever seen, or needed #Harveypic.twitter.com/lNIuOE71hp— Michael Ciaglo (@MichaelCiaglo) August 30, 2017 Also, in some areas of the city it appears the floodwater is receding. A proud father shared a picture of his son, who just days ago was up to his waist outside the family home. He wrote: "This is my neighborhood. My home has flooded. That's my wonderful son. This was his birthday weekend. I love you." This is my neighborhood. My home has flooded. That's my wonderful son. This was his birthday weekend. I love you. #khou#HouNewspic.twitter.com/CHFNIcDsdM— The Bishop (@BillBishopKHOU) August 27, 2017 However, now, the floodwater has gone completely. Although the furniture in their home is damaged, the family has been able to return. He said: "Remember that picture of my son? What difference a couple of days makes." Houston residents wrote of their relief after they saw the sun shine over their city, a sign their ordeal was slowly ending. Oh my god. This is the first time I've seen the sun since I got to Houston. pic.twitter.com/99VXvmJqs8— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) August 29, 2017 Sun shining FINALLY in Houston!! pic.twitter.com/7a6krXTzjM— Vicente Arenas (@vicentearenastv) August 29, 2017 FINALLY! Blue skies in Katy, TX. Also seeing the sun slowly peek out at @KPRC2 in SW Houston. #houstonfloodpic.twitter.com/G9UAsPcg5I— Aaron Wische KPRC (@AaronKPRC) August 29, 2017 See that, #Houston? IT'S A SUN. #Harvey can't keep us down. pic.twitter.com/GDvDEJr6yo— Aimee Woodall (@aimeewoodall) August 29, 2017 There's the sun, Houston! ���� I've never been more excited to see that star over #Texas. #ABC13#hounewspic.twitter.com/WlXEeTPp7K— Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) August 30, 2017 The SUN is out in Houston! We repeat. THE SUN IS OUT IN HOUSTON! pic.twitter.com/zKOvXDqirH— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) August 29, 2017 Tropical Storm Harvey is set to make landfall again on Wednesday near the Texas-Louisiana border, adding more precipitation after a record rainfall that has caused catastrophic flooding and paralyzed Houston. The storm that first came ashore on Friday as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years has killed at least 17 people, forced tens of thousands of people to leave deluged homes and caused damage estimated at tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest US natural disasters.
|
| Harvey's Impact On Students Could Be Felt 'For Generations' Posted: 30 Aug 2017 04:33 PM PDT  Across the country, kids are donning backpacks and making the journey back to school, but for children in the path of Hurricane Harvey, lockers and lunchrooms have been forgotten amid the reality of evacuation boats and emergency relief supplies.
|
| More fires expected after blast at Arkema's flooded Texas plant Posted: 31 Aug 2017 02:55 PM PDT  By Ben Gruber CROSBY, Texas (Reuters) - Chemical maker Arkema SA said it expected more fires after two explosions hit its flooded plant 25 miles (40 km)northeast of Houston on Thursday, sickening more than a dozen law enforcement personnel and prompting an evacuation of the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said on Thursday afternoon it had launched an investigation into the explosions and fires at the 49-year-old chemical plant in Crosby, Texas. In a press call with reporters and a statement on Facebook, board Chairwoman Vanessa Allen Sutherland said the independent federal agency would begin its probe with requests for documents from the chemical maker and would not deploy to the site of the explosions until emergency response activities were completed and the facility was deemed safe.
|
| Colorado Construction Crew Finds 66-Million-Year-Old Triceratops Fossil Posted: 31 Aug 2017 11:22 AM PDT  A Colorado scientist says he's "over the moon" after a construction crew in the city of Thornton reportedly stumbled upon a triceratops fossil last week.
|
