| Al Franken rips Trump in farewell speech to Senate Posted: 21 Dec 2017 11:34 AM PST  The Minnesota Democrat, who is stepping down next month following allegations of sexual misconduct, used his final speech on the Senate floor to attack the president and his policies.
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| After Hurricane Maria, a look back at the Vazquez family, lit by generator Posted: 22 Dec 2017 02:00 AM PST  Christmas marked 96 days since Jesse Vazquez's house on Calle Alameda in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, lost power in Hurricane Maria. The small generator his children brought him from New York back in October, when Yahoo News accompanied them on their journey, has since been supplemented with a larger one.
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| Jeff Sessions Reportedly Revives Probe Of Uranium One Deal Posted: 21 Dec 2017 05:02 AM PST  The Justice Department is reviving an inquiry into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the government's controversial approval of the Uranium One deal, NBC News reported on Thursday.
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| Judge questions whether Gates fundraiser broke gag order Posted: 22 Dec 2017 01:36 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former presidential adviser Rick Gates, on house arrest in the federal Russia probe, didn't even have to leave his home this week to provoke the judge handling his case.
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| Ivanka Trump Goofs Up On Tax Law In Her Televised Boast Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:40 PM PST  Ivanka Trump's victory boast on "Fox & Friends" about her dad's new tax measure included a couple of gaffes.
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| Washington state highway reopens after deadly Amtrak derailment Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:15 PM PST ![Washington state highway reopens after deadly Amtrak derailment]( "Washington state highway reopens after deadly Amtrak derailment") The affected southbound stretch of Interstate 5, which runs from the Canadian border to Mexico, opened on Wednesday afternoon, the Washington State Department of Transportation said. Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are seeking answers about the crash's cause in interviews with the train's engineer and a trainee conductor who were in the locomotive's cab. NTSB members say they are focused on whether the engineer was distracted, but are timing their interviews with the crew this week around their recuperation from injuries.
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| French woman, husband incommunicado in China after Liu Xiaobo tribute Posted: 21 Dec 2017 09:44 PM PST  A French citizen and her husband have been incommunicado for a week after the couple travelled to southern China to paint a tribute to the late democracy activist and dissident Liu Xiaobo, friends and witnesses said Friday. Marine Brossard and Hu Jiamin painted a mural at the entrance of a public exhibition in Shenzhen on December 15, but city authorities covered the wall with a banner the same evening, witnesses told AFP.
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| First World War submarine lost with 35 British and Allied crew on board is finally found - ending 103-year mystery Posted: 21 Dec 2017 04:26 AM PST  The wreck of the first allied vessel lost in the First World War has been discovered 103 years after it vanished off the coast of Papua New Guinea following a search that has finally ended Australia's oldest naval mystery. HMAS AE1, Australia's first submarine, which had 35 British, Australian and New Zealand crew members aboard, disappeared near the Duke of York Islands during a patrol for German warships on September 14, 1914. The submarine, which had only been in service for seven months, was captained by Lieutenant Commander Thomas Besant, a 30-year-old British officer who had been seconded from the Royal Navy. Despite at least twelve search operations over the decades, no trace of the vessel was found. But the wreck was finally found more than 1,000 feet underwater after an underwater survey captured an image of the vessel during a search involving the government and private backers. Following the survey, searchers aboard the Furgro Equato dropped an underwater camera to the seabed to confirm that the vessel was AE1. The team of maritime surveyors, marine archaeologists and naval historians scoured the search area with a multi-beam echo sounder and side-scan technology in an underwater drone Credit: REUTERS "Australia's oldest naval mystery has been solved," said Marise Payne, Australia's defence minister. "The boat and her crew, who've been on eternal patrol since 1914 … have now been found. I truly trust that this discovery will bring peace of mind to the descendants of the families of the crew who lost their lives." The cause of the sinking has not been confirmed but it is believed to be related to a technical failure during a practice dive. Peter Briggs, a retired rear admiral who led the search, said the loss was probably due to a sudden "diving accident", noting that the fin guardrails were stowed and the upper conning tower hatch appeared to be shut. He told The Australian newspaper that the submarine appeared to suffer a "high energy event" – possibly due to an explosion involving one of its torpedoes or a high pressure air cylinder – which may have occurred after it began to sink but caused it to quickly flood and accelerate towards the seabed. The search led by Find AE1 Limited, and was funded by the Royal Australian Navy and the Silentworld Foundation, with assistance from the Submarine Institute of Australia Credit: REUTERS "When the end came for the men of AE1 it would have been very fast, they may well have not known what hit them," said rear admiral Briggs, president of the Submarine Institute of Australia. "The submarine appears to have struck the bottom with sufficient force to dislodge the fin from its footing, forcing it to hinge forward on its leading edge, impacting the casing." The location of the wreck has been kept secret to prevent salvage attempts. Timeline | Submarine accidents Following the discovery, the crew aboard the search vessel held a memorial for the dead officers and sailors. Australian and Papua New Guinean officials will consider ways to preserve the site and establish a lasting memorial. Rear Admiral Briggs said the discovery "opens the next chapter: learning exactly what happened to it". "It will be quite a detective puzzle," he added.
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| 10 promises Trump kept in 2017 Posted: 22 Dec 2017 04:11 AM PST  Donald Trump in 2017 moved from being a chaos candidate to a chaos president. He shoots for the moon (literally), routinely says things that aren't true, and often makes pledges that generate enormous attention but very little follow-through. Many of his signature policy efforts have been tied up in or blocked by the courts, his campaign is under investigation by the FBI, and his approval rating is at historic lows for a first-year president.
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| Older Couple Caught With 60 Pounds Of Pot Said It Was For Holiday Gifts: Police Posted: 22 Dec 2017 03:24 PM PST  A routine traffic stop in York County, Nebraska, on Tuesday turned out to be anything but routine.
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| New Democratic leader orders party to 'organize everywhere' Posted: 22 Dec 2017 02:00 AM PST  Tom Perez, the head of the Democratic National Committee, sees organizing as central to rebuilding the party.
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| Groom in rare cross-border wedding is a drug smuggler Posted: 21 Dec 2017 07:36 PM PST  SAN DIEGO (AP) — It was a heartwarming scene: A U.S. citizen, forbidden to enter Mexico, wed the love of his life in a brief moment when the gate separating the two countries was opened.
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| The Spanish State Has Been Defeated.' Pro-Independence Parties Sweep Catalan Election Posted: 21 Dec 2017 05:06 PM PST  Catalonia's secessionist parties won enough votes Thursday to regain a slim majority in the regional parliament and give new momentum to their political struggle for independence from Spain.
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| Cardinal Law funeral held at Vatican with no mention of sex abuse crisis Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:52 AM PST ![Cardinal Law funeral held at Vatican with no mention of sex abuse crisis]( "Cardinal Law funeral held at Vatican with no mention of sex abuse crisis") The funeral of Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as Archbishop of Boston 15 years ago after covering up years of sexual abuse of children by priests, was held in the Vatican on Thursday without a mention of what led to his downfall. About 200 people attended the funeral Mass in a chapel in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica and presided over by a senior cardinal, Angelo Sodano. Pope Francis entered the chapel for a few minutes after the Mass to bless the coffin and conduct a brief service known as the Final Commendation and Farewell - which he does for all cardinals who die in Rome.
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| The 20 Funniest Tweets From Women This Week Posted: 22 Dec 2017 02:46 AM PST  The ladies of Twitter never fail to brighten our days with their brilliant ― but succinct ― wisdom.
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| Watch Trump Apologize To Women In A Mashup We Wish Was Real Posted: 21 Dec 2017 09:09 AM PST  Donald Trump just apologized to women everywhere. Just kidding!
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| Trump and Saudi Arabia: Missing a Generational Opportunity Posted: 21 Dec 2017 12:27 PM PST  The United States once sided with a Middle Eastern monarch to reform a country. There is much to commend Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for, particularly his willingness to confront the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's entrenched interests that have long prevented its transition to an economically sustainable and more socially free country. From the Wahhabi-dominated religious establishment that has long hindered social reform in Saudi Arabia and helped lay the groundwork for Sunni extremism globally, to the wasteful economics of absolute oil dependency, Prince Mohammed's willingness to confront these internal forces represents a unique departure from previous Saudi monarchs.
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| Is 'Short-Term' Health Insurance a Good Deal? Posted: 22 Dec 2017 08:41 AM PST  Consumers struggling to afford health coverage are increasingly being targeted with an attractive pitch from insurance companies and brokers: Low-cost alternatives to Affordable Care Act plans th...
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| Thousands in Syria's Aleppo mark one year since 'victory' Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:26 AM PST  Jumaa Sabbuh lost his son in the violence that battered Syria's Aleppo for years. On Thursday, he was among thousands commemorating the one-year anniversary of the army's recapture of the city. Sabbuh carried a poster of his bright-eyed son, killed in 2014 while serving in Syria's army.
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| 5-year-old boy shot for second time in two years in Chicago Posted: 21 Dec 2017 12:07 PM PST  A 5-year-old boy in Chicago has undergone emergency surgery after being shot for the second time in two years. Kavan Collins of Chicago, Illinois accidentally shot himself in the hand while playing with his younger brother in his family home, according to local news reports. A year and a half ago, the young boy was hit by a stray bullet while walking with his family in Chicago's South Side.
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| The Latest: Barely active, California wildfire nears record Posted: 22 Dec 2017 09:57 AM PST  VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on Southern California's big wildfire (all times local):
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| Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute Posted: 20 Dec 2017 07:31 PM PST ![Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute]( "Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute") A federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in a criminal case against four people, including Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, over a 2014 armed standoff with U.S. government agents, and rebuked prosecutors for withholding evidence from the defense. Bundy, two of his sons and a fourth man were charged with 15 counts of conspiracy, assault and other offenses stemming from the confrontation, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging federal authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro told federal prosecutors they had willfully violated evidence rules in failing to turn over pertinent documents to the defense, adding, "The failure is prejudicial," to ensuring a fair trial.
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| Sean Hannity Appears To Bash CNN, NBC While Sharing NBC Story Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:56 AM PST  Fox News host Sean Hannity appeared to criticize CNN and NBC News on Twitter on Thursday, calling them "fake news" and "conspiracy TV," but then included an article published by NBC News.
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| Turtle Found by U.S. Coast Guard with $53 million Worth of Cocaine Attached to It Posted: 22 Dec 2017 02:20 PM PST  A Sea Turtle was rescued after it became trapped in bundles of cocaine worth over $53-Million dollars
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| Trump Bemoans War Costs As Pence Promises Afghanistan To 'See This Through' Posted: 22 Dec 2017 06:02 AM PST  President Donald Trump on Friday lamented the cost of U.S. military action in the Middle East and vowed to spend more on domestic infrastructure, undercutting a promise his vice president made to Afghan leaders a day earlier.
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| Jordan Peele Tweets 'Get Out' Joke About Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Posted: 22 Dec 2017 12:03 PM PST  Jordan Peele just made a perfectly dark joke about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Christmas plans that will make any "Get Out" fan cackle.
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| Iran’s North Korean Playbook to Protect Its Nuclear Program Posted: 22 Dec 2017 08:41 AM PST  Tehran is building up Hezbollah as leverage against an attack by Israel.
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| Miss America bosses under fire for misogynistic emails Posted: 22 Dec 2017 04:01 PM PST  Leaders of the Miss America beauty pageant were fending off calls for their mass resignation after leaked internal emails showed misogynistic, fat-and slut-shaming language, US media reported Friday. Forty-nine former Miss Americas, including a 87-year-old crowned in 1948 and a former Fox News host, signed an open letter published by HuffPost demanding the resignations of the organization's CEO, president and board chair. "We stand firmly against harassment, bullying and shaming -- especially of women --through the use of derogatory terms meant to belittle and demean," HuffPost quoted the letter as saying.
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| Opioid Overdoses Are Major Cause Behind Life Expectancy Decline, CDC Report Says Posted: 20 Dec 2017 09:01 PM PST  The average life expectancy in the U.S. dropped in 2016, largely because of an increase in deaths from drug overdoses, according to a report out today from the Centers for Disease Control and Pre...
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| Senate says $1.5 million paid over 20 years for 'harassment' Posted: 21 Dec 2017 08:09 PM PST ![Senate says $1.5 million paid over 20 years for 'harassment']( "Senate says $1.5 million paid over 20 years for 'harassment'") WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate quietly released a bare-bones report late Thursday on what a statement called "harassment settlement" data, showing that nearly $1.5 million in taxpayers' money has been spent over the past two decades to cover claims against lawmakers and other Senate offices.
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| Chicago police say Facebook 'secret groups' traffic in guns and drugs Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:20 PM PST  Announcing the arrests at a news conference, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson initially criticized Facebook as being unhelpful during a 10-month investigation by his department. Police did not detail charges facing the 50 men and women arrested through Thursday, but said there were "dozens and dozens" of private Facebook groups being used for illegal drug and weapons transactions. Arrest warrants for 18 more suspects have been signed, and most have prior criminal histories, police said.
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| How to cook the perfect Christmas dinner – the definitive step-by-step guide Posted: 22 Dec 2017 08:15 AM PST  Juggling all the components that go into having the Christmas dinner all laid out on the dinner table can seem like having to deliver six billion presents all over the world in one evening. And with just four hobs (or seven reindeers in Santa's case) too. Everything has to be piping hot and on the dinner table at the same time, on time (quite like the presents under the tree). And while this may seem like mission impossible, you can do it. Really. You just need a little help. That's why, with the kind help of Leiths Cookery School, we have put together this definitive interactive guide to cooking the perfect Christmas dinner on this most stressful of days. Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith founded the school in 1975, and their teachers have been helping home cooks master the seemingly dark arts of cookery ever since. With this guide you can follow their expert timings and instructions, making a breeze of the (roughly) five hour cooking process. Just hit start on the graphic and follow the step-by-step guide. Checklist | What you need to make our perfect Christmas dinner The guide works on the basis that you are working with a conventional home oven and four hobs. It's a done-in-one-go instruction manual; there's no need to do anything the day or the week before (although you do need to make sure your turkey is fully defrosted by the time you wake up on Christmas morning). And if you fall behind at any point, don't worry too much: Leiths say they'd always allow for an hour's contingency when cooking a meal as large as this. Simply click the link at the bottom of the graphic to reveal the step-by-step process in full. Good luck and have a Merry Christmas! Christmas roast interactive timer Celebrate Christmas with Leiths with their festive gift guide How to make the perfect gravy | Source: Leiths cookery School
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| 21 Popsicles You Have To See To Believe Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:15 PM PST |
| There Is Now Weed Named After Monica Lewinsky Posted: 22 Dec 2017 10:58 AM PST  A Washington-state based cannabis producer called Sugarleaf created a strain of weed named "Monica Lewinsky," and the woman behind that namesake has discovered it.
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| 5 Things South Korea Can Do to Wrest Control from Washington Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:12 AM PST  A glance at a map of the Korean Peninsula shows why the interests of Washington and Seoul diverge when it comes to preventive war. South Korea does not lack for savvy experts on statecraft, and he would, and should, turn to them. Ultimately, South Koreans must decide their country's policies.
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| 'Kayak Killer' Released From Prison Just 6 Weeks After Sentencing in Boyfriend's Death Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:54 AM PST  Angelika Graswald has been freed, much to the anger of Vincent Viafore's family.
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| Bitcoin plunges below $12,000, heads for worst week since 2013 Posted: 22 Dec 2017 08:20 AM PST ![Bitcoin plunges below $12,000, heads for worst week since 2013]( "Bitcoin plunges below $12,000, heads for worst week since 2013") NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Bitcoin plunged by a quarter to below $12,000 on Friday as investors dumped the cryptocurrency in manic trading after its blistering ascent to a peak close to $20,000 prompted warnings by experts of a bubble. It capped a brutal week that had been touted as a new era of mainstream trading for the volatile digital currency when bitcoin futures debuted on CME Group Inc, the world's largest derivatives market on Sunday. Friday's steep fall bled into the U.S. stock market, where shares of companies that have recently lashed their fortunes to bitcoin or blockchain - its underlying technology - took a hard knock in early trading.
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| Family of slain Australian concerned about US investigation Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:12 PM PST  SYDNEY (AP) — The family of an Australian woman fatally shot by a police officer in the United States in July demanded a more rigorous probe Thursday after a Minnesota prosecutor cast doubts on the initial investigation.
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| 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Sedan Posted: 22 Dec 2017 10:00 AM PST  The sports sedan to beat.
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| Almost 9 Million People Enroll In Obamacare, Despite Trump's Sabotage Attempts Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:07 PM PST  Health insurance enrollment on the federal Obamacare exchange marketplaces is down from last year.
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| Mindy Kaling's Friends Throw Her A Nora Ephron-Themed Party Celebrating New Baby Posted: 22 Dec 2017 11:41 AM PST  Actress and self-avowed romcom fan Mindy Kaling gave birth to her first child last week, and her friends aptly threw her a "You've Got Mail"-themed holiday party to celebrate.
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| China Is Gaining Control of the South China Sea (Thanks to North Korea) Posted: 21 Dec 2017 04:51 PM PST  Beijing's moves in the South China Sea come at a time of strategic opportunity. With the United States laser-focused on the North Korean nuclear problem, China is cementing its control over the South China Sea. Earlier this month, CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI)—which closely tracks China's island-building campaign using satellite imagery—reported that 2017 has been a productive year for Beijing.
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| Car Brands Ranked by Owner Satisfaction Posted: 21 Dec 2017 03:00 AM PST  At our 327-acre test track in Connecticut, we evaluate dozens and dozens of cars each year, which we buy at dealerships the same way you do. In addition to testing them rigorously at our track, w...
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