| Trump’s Military Response To Migrant Caravan Foreshadows A Dark Long-Term Climate Policy Posted: 27 Oct 2018 05:00 AM PDT  The Trump administration is preparing to dispatch 800 troops and has
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| Democrats could still flip the Senate. Republicans could still keep the House. Here’s how. Posted: 26 Oct 2018 08:31 AM PDT  It's unlikely the GOP will keep the House or the Democrats will take the Senate. But those improbable things can still happen.
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| AI-generated portrait sells for a whopping $432,000 at auction Posted: 26 Oct 2018 12:38 AM PDT  Well, here's another job artificial intelligence can do instead of humans. AI-generated artwork Portrait of Edmond Belamy sold for 45 times its anticipated price at Christie's, going under the hammer for an eye-watering $435,000 in New York. SEE ALSO: A museum without walls: How the Met is bringing its ancient collection online While the painting (of sorts) is done by computers, the project is actually the creation of Obvious, a Parisian collective consisting of Hugo Caselles-Dupré, Pierre Fautrel and Gauthier Vernier. It's the first AI-created artwork that's gone to auction, and was created by an algorithm which uses thousands of portraits to create the image. "The algorithm is composed of two parts," Caselles-Dupré explained in a statement online. "On one side is the Generator, on the other the Discriminator. We fed the system with a data set of 15,000 portraits painted between the 14th century to the 20th. "The Generator makes a new image based on the set, then the Discriminator tries to spot the difference between a human-made image and one created by the Generator. The aim is to fool the Discriminator into thinking that the new images are real-life portraits. Then we have a result." While it resembles a portrait, there is slight distortion in its appearance, which is a result of the AI being not quite there when it comes to aesthetics. "The Discriminator is looking for the features of the image — a face, shoulders — and for now it is more easily fooled than a human eye," Caselles-Dupré added. It's not the first time AI has been used to create art. Last year, Los Angeles artist Matty Mo used the technology to create portraits of factory workers, art dealers, pilots, artists, and taxi drivers, jobs that he believes will be replaced by machines. WATCH: The Met is redefining what it means to be a museum in the digital age — Mashable Originals
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| French court orders new probe in Paris bombing case Posted: 26 Oct 2018 04:14 AM PDT  A French court Friday ordered a new probe into evidence allegedly linking a Lebanese-Canadian academic to the 1980 deadly bombing of a Paris synagogue before deciding whether to put him on trial. The October 3, 1980, bombing of a synagogue on 24 Rue Copernic in Paris, which killed four people and injured 46, was the first fatal attack against Jews in France since the Nazi occupation in World War II. On Friday, the appeals court said it would grant an anti-terrorist investigating magistrate until February 15 to further analyse a handwritten hotel registration form, which prosecutors claim was filled out by Hassan Diab, the only identified suspect in the case.
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| Vatican meeting ends with call for greater role for women in Church Posted: 27 Oct 2018 03:15 PM PDT  The role of women took center stage at the synod, which was focused on reaching out to young people but has been overshadowed by the scandal over sex abuse in the Church and acrimony between social conservatives and reformers. A working paper for the gathering, which began on Oct. 3, had used the acronym LGBT, but this did not appear in the 60-page final document. The document also called for stricter measures to combat sexual abuse, including more transparency in Church structures, and denounced a culture of elitism among some Church leaders which it said can facilitate cover-up and corruption.
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| Cesar Sayoc's Purported Twitter Accounts Regularly Promoted Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories Posted: 26 Oct 2018 02:01 PM PDT  Cesar Sayoc, the suspect arrested Friday in connection with more than a dozen
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| Rouhani Braces for Sanctions With New Ministers in Key Posts Posted: 27 Oct 2018 02:49 PM PDT ![Rouhani Braces for Sanctions With New Ministers in Key Posts]( "Rouhani Braces for Sanctions With New Ministers in Key Posts") It's drawn its sword from the sheath and points it in the faces of the people of Iran, and we have to battle and we have to fight and we have to be united," Rouhani said in a speech to lawmakers ahead of the parliamentary vote aired on state TV. Rouhani is under mounting pressure to contain a currency crisis brought on by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal.
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| Plane carrying Harry and Meghan aborts landing, flies around Posted: 26 Oct 2018 01:59 AM PDT  NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga (AP) — A plane carrying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to abort its landing at Sydney airport on Friday evening and flew around because there was another aircraft on the runway.
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| Michelle Obama Is Challenging People To Start Voting Squads As Midterms Near Posted: 27 Oct 2018 09:30 AM PDT  Michelle Obama is continuing her efforts to increase voter turnout in the
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| 2 dead at Yosemite National Park after apparent fall: Official Posted: 26 Oct 2018 03:57 AM PDT  A man and a woman were found dead after apparently falling from Taft Point in Yosemite National Park, the park said in a statement Thursday.
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| Trump Wants to Leave a Nuclear-Weapons Treaty. Here’s What Happened When Arms Control Failed in the 1930s Posted: 26 Oct 2018 11:14 AM PDT  Twice in the 20th century, the great powers tried to create a peaceful world for the long run by limiting armaments. And, with recent developments, it appears as if those efforts have twice failed
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| Suspect In Fatal Kroger Shooting First Tried To Get Inside Black Church: Police Posted: 26 Oct 2018 06:29 AM PDT  JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. (AP) -- A white man with a history of violence and mental
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| Khashoggi killing undermines stability in the Middle East, warns US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis Posted: 27 Oct 2018 05:49 AM PDT  US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis warned the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi threatened the stability of alliances in the Middle East, as the kingdom's foreign minister claimed the ongoing global outcry had become "hysterical". Speaking at a conference in Bahrain on Saturday, Mr Mattis said Washington would take "additional measures" against those found responsible.
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| Facebook removes fake accounts tied to Iran that lured over one million followers Posted: 26 Oct 2018 10:13 AM PDT  Facebook Inc said on Friday it had deleted more accounts originating in Iran that attracted more than a million U.S. and British followers, its latest effort to combat disinformation activity on its platform. The social media company removed 82 pages, groups and accounts on Facebook and Instagram that represented themselves as being from American or British citizens, then posted on "politically charged" topics such as race relations, opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump and immigration, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said in a blog post. In total, the removed accounts attracted more than 1 million followers.
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| Migrant caravan gives Kobach fresh ammunition in deadlocked Kansas governor's race Posted: 26 Oct 2018 02:16 PM PDT  Though the capital of Kansas is about 1,000 miles from the southwest border, Kris Kobach has seized on the immigrant caravan story to make illegal immigration a key issue in his incredibly close governor's race with Democrat Laura Kelly.
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| Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting: At Least 11 People Dead, Suspect in Custody Posted: 27 Oct 2018 07:59 AM PDT  Multiple people are dead after a shooter opened fire Saturday morning at the
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| After deadly Gaza protests, rockets hit southern Israel Posted: 26 Oct 2018 04:05 PM PDT  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli aircraft struck several militant sites across the Gaza Strip early Saturday shortly after militants fired rockets into southern Israel, the Israeli military said.
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| Emergency declared in typhoon-ravaged Northern Mariana Posted: 27 Oct 2018 07:40 AM PDT  US military aircraft laden with emergency supplies flew in to the Northern Mariana Islands Saturday in the wake of destructive Super Typhoon Yutu which destroyed buildings and cut electricity. Ralph Torres, the governor of the US Pacific territory, said President Donald Trump had approved a request for a "major disaster declaration" after the storm. More than 1,000 were also stranded with the international airport on the main island of Saipan closed to commercial flights to free up space for military aircraft.
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| Plane Carrying Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Forced to Abort Landing in Sydney Posted: 26 Oct 2018 05:07 AM PDT  A plane carrying the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to abort its landing at Sydney airport because there was another aircraft on the runway
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| Ford Is Bringing Seven Modified 2019 Rangers to SEMA Posted: 26 Oct 2018 09:36 AM PDT  Two of the trucks were tuned by Ford's Performance division.
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| Friday Rewind: Mega Millions jackpot winner Posted: 26 Oct 2018 03:16 AM PDT  A lucky winner in South Carolina is confirmed to be the winner of the nearly $1.6 billion jackpot.
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| Newt Gingrich Suggests Kavanaugh Could Block Democratic Bid To Get Trump's Tax Returns Posted: 26 Oct 2018 02:31 AM PDT  Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said Thursday that if Democrats
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| Trump may send U.S. troops to Mexico border, but migrants undeterred Posted: 25 Oct 2018 07:15 PM PDT  Trump's threat was sparked by the advance of a caravan of Central American migrants trekking through Mexico, headed toward the United States. "I am bringing out the military for this National Emergency. "Whatever Trump may say, he's not going to hold us back," said Denis Omar Contreras, a caravan organizer from Honduras, who plans to help lead the group to northern Mexico.
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| Four-nation Syria summit calls for lasting Idlib ceasefire Posted: 27 Oct 2018 02:02 PM PDT  A joint statement adopted at the end of a major summit in Istanbul said the countries were committed to working "together in order to create conditions for peace and stability in Syria". It also "stressed the importance of a lasting ceasefire" in Idlib, while hailing "progress" following a deal last month between Syrian-regime supporter Russia and rebel-backer Turkey to create a buffer zone around the northwestern province.
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| Melissa Harris-Perry Declares Megyn Kelly's 'Today' Slot For Tamron Hall Posted: 26 Oct 2018 08:07 AM PDT  Now that Megyn Kelly is leaving NBC's "Today" show following controversy over
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| Honda's SEMA 2018 display lineup includes Ridgeline Overland Concept and a surprise Posted: 26 Oct 2018 09:14 AM PDT  For this year's SEMA, Honda announced an impressively long list of models, from race cars to motorbikes to a secretive concept car, that will be on display at its booth. Let's cut to the chase: the Rugged Open Air Vehicle Concept, which Honda describes as "wild-looking" is definitely piquing interest. As for the rest of the lineup, a number of Honda race cars, some of which have been piloted by Ryan Eversley and Team Honda Research West, will be in Honda's display beside a Ridgeline Overland Project.
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| Police Reveal Extortion Plot Tied to Killing of Utah Track Star Posted: 26 Oct 2018 10:23 AM PDT  University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy revealed new information Thursday about the death of 21-year-old student-athlete Lauren McCluskey, including details of a sexual extortion/blackmail plot against her.
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| Bomb Mailing Suspect Cesar Sayoc Was A Big Trump Fan With A Criminal History Posted: 26 Oct 2018 10:25 AM PDT  The man arrested on suspicion of mailing at least a dozen suspicious packages
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| Judge orders Durst of 'The Jinx' to stand trial in murder case Posted: 25 Oct 2018 05:43 PM PDT ![Judge orders Durst of 'The Jinx' to stand trial in murder case]( "Judge orders Durst of 'The Jinx' to stand trial in murder case") Robert Durst, the subject of an HBO documentary, "The Jinx," must stand trial in the 2000 murder of his longtime friend, a judge ruled on Thursday at a hearing interrupted at times by outbursts from Durst. Durst, a 75-year-old multi-millionaire, was arrested in 2015 and charged with murder in the shooting death of his confidante Susan Berman. Prosecutors say Durst killed Berman because she could implicate him in the murder of his wife, who vanished in 1982 when the couple was living in New York City.
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| Texans say voting machines changing straight-ticket choices Posted: 26 Oct 2018 12:22 PM PDT  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Some Texas voters are complaining that machines flipped their straight-ticket selections to the other party in key races during early voting, especially the much-watched Senate battle between Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O'Rourke.
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| Suspicious packages sent to top Democrats, CNN and others Posted: 26 Oct 2018 10:22 AM PDT ![Suspicious packages sent to top Democrats, CNN and others]( "Suspicious packages sent to top Democrats, CNN and others") President Donald Trump, in his first remarks since Cesar Sayoc, 56, was apprehended in Florida, declared that "we must never allow political violence take root in America." But his remarks came just hours after Trump tweeted a complaint that the media's focus on bombs was distracting from Republican efforts in the upcoming midterm elections.
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| Cesar Sayoc Threatened Joe Biden, Maxine Waters, Eric Holder Over Twitter Posted: 26 Oct 2018 05:02 PM PDT On Friday, authorities arrested Cesar Sayoc, 56, on suspicion of sending
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| Tesla says has not received subpoena on Model 3 production Posted: 27 Oct 2018 12:12 AM PDT  Tesla Inc has not received a U.S. subpoena related to its Model 3 production forecasts, the electric carmaker said on Friday, following a report that it faced a deepening criminal probe about the projections. The company has cooperated in responding to what it called a "voluntary request" for documents from the Department of Justice in September, a Tesla spokesperson said. "We have not received a subpoena, a request for testimony, or any other formal process, and there have been no additional document requests about this from the Department of Justice for months," the spokesperson said in an email.
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| Maisie Williams just gave us the Stark reunion we didn't know we needed Posted: 26 Oct 2018 05:26 AM PDT  The last time Arya Stark saw her older brother Robb on Game of Thrones, it was a pretty horrendous scene. You might recall Robb's headless body was being marched through the streets with the head of his direwolf Grey Wind attached to a mocking chant of "King in the North!" SEE ALSO: Maisie Williams filmed her final 'Game of Thrones' scene alone But thankfully, Maisie Williams just gave us the wholesome Stark reunion we so desperately needed. Williams posted a photo on her Instagram along with her Game of Thrones co-star Richard Madden, who played Robb Stark. Oh how satisfying it is to see the King in the North reunited with his little sister again. View this post on Instagram ��♀️ A post shared by Maisie Williams (@maisie_williams) on Oct 26, 2018 at 3:06am PDT Madden also shared the photo, which was apparently taken at the Hampstead Theatre, where Williams is currently starring in the play "I And You." Madden captioned the photo "Last night watching @maisie_williams being brilliant in her new play." Such a supportive big brother! Seriously, can't the Lord of Light bring Robb back or something already? WATCH: How that epic 'GoT' Arya-Brienne showdown was shot
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| The Real Reason People Carve Jack-O'-Lanterns for Halloween Posted: 26 Oct 2018 09:00 AM PDT  The etymology of "jack-o'-lantern" is almost unrelated to its modern meaning and tradition
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| Japan and China ties at 'historic turning point' though both sides remain wary Posted: 26 Oct 2018 05:22 AM PDT  Japan's relationship with China is at a "historic turning point" as the countries signed a series of agreements on Friday, although decades of historic tension still remain with Japan still critical of China's human rights record. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, is on his second day of a rare state visit to China, a trip he said marked the new dawn for relations between the countries. "From competition to co-existence, Japan and China bilateral relations have entered a new phase," Mr Abe said Friday. He added that relations were at a "historic turning point". Li Keqiang, premier of China's State Council, also praised the "bright future" of cooperation between the world's second and third largest economies. Mr Li also boasted of $18 billion (£14 billion) in business deals, but Japanese officials disputed the amount saying it was unclear how Beijing arrived at the figure. Indeed Mr Abe's visit shows the relationship is on the mend after territorial disputes and a disastrous falling out in 2012 over islands in the East China Sea. Japanese officials reaffirmed Friday that it would not compromise or back down on issues including China's human rights record. Both sides have agreed to cooperate on denuclearising North Korea, to continue dialogue about the disputed region and maritime security, and signed a $30 billion currency (£23 billion) swap. Chinese soldiers march out to form an honour guard for Shinzo Abe outside the Great Hall of the People, Beijing Credit: GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images Mr Abe also met Friday with Xi Jinping, China's president, and attended a state dinner in the evening. But despite the public displays of affection, both nations are keeping their distance – Japan has invited Mr Xi on a state visit Japan next year though China has not yet accepted. Chinese state media covered Mr Abe's visit, but with little fanfare. Pollution was also heavy Thursday in Beijing when he touched down – Chinese authorities are known to stop factory production in order to ensure clear blue skies around important events. Japanese officials as well made it clear signing a broad range of business deals with China was not an official endorsement or participation by Tokyo in Beijing's highly touted "Belt and Road" development programme. "Japan and China are both important donor countries, and there could be cooperation in the future," Takeshi Osuge, Japan's foreign ministry spokesman, told the Telegraph. Japanese firms may choose to invest in various projects with Chinese companies without Tokyo's knowledge. "Without us knowing it, the Chinese government might be calling it part of the 'Belt and Road initiative," Mr Osuge said. "But for us, it's a private company's decision to join in that project, or invest." Mr Osuge added there were no specific projects being discussed for official cooperation.
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| Ex-deputy says he feels 'very bad' about killing unarmed man Posted: 26 Oct 2018 08:06 AM PDT  TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A white former Oklahoma volunteer deputy who fatally shot an unarmed black man says he's sorry for the man's family, but that the shooting also disrupted his own life.
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