| Accused Russian agent Maria Butina pleads guilty to attempting to sway US policy Posted: 13 Dec 2018 01:18 PM PST  A Russian woman has admitted to acting as an agent for the Kremlin to get close to the Republican party in an effort to influence US policies. Maria Butina, 30, pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy in a court in Washington on Thursday, admitting to working under the direction of a top Russian official to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA), a powerful gun rights group closely aligned with senior Republican politicians. She is the first Russian citizen to be convicted of working to shape US policy in the run up and through the 2016 election campaign, agreeing to co-operate with prosecutors for less prison time. Appearing before Judge Tanya Chutkan, she admitted to conspiring to work with Alexander Torshin, a former deputy governor of Russia's central bank, and two US citizens as a Russian agent from 2015 until her 2018 arrest. Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, was arrested in July and has been held in jail without bail ever since. Maria Butina was said to be directed by Alexander Torshin, previously described as Vladimir Putin's "emissary" Credit: AP She initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against her but in the last week it was revealed she had reversed course and agreed to co-operate with prosecutors. Her aim was to make contacts with officials at the NRA, conservative figures and 2016 presidential candidates in order to set up unofficial back channels with high-ranking American politicians. Butina is known to have met with the president's son, Donald Trump Jnr, during one of the NRA's conventions as well as reportedly hosting a party in Washington attended by Trump campaign aides in November 2016. Prosecutors told the court that Butina drafted a March 2015 "Diplomacy Project" that called for establishing unofficial channels of communication between high-ranking American politicians in order to help advance Russia's interests. In this courtroom sketch, Maria Butina, left, is shown next to her attorney Robert Driscoll Credit: AP To carry out the plan, Butina requested $125,000 (£98,000) from a Russian billionaire to attend conferences and set up "separate meetings with interested parties" such as other Russian businessmen or people with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they added. The prosecutors said Butina invited "powerful members" of the NRA for a visit to Moscow where they met with high-level Russian officials. Apparent photos of the NRA Moscow trip are posted on her social media accounts. After the visit, according to court records, she sent a Russian official a message apparently referencing the NRA saying, "We should let them express their gratitude now, we will put pressure on them quietly later." The alleged Russian agent was arrested in July Credit: Reuters Butina also hosted "friendship dinners" in the hope of establishing ties with people who "would have the ear of the next US presidential administration," prosecutors said. After the 2016 election, she proposed creating a dialogue with President Donald Trump's advisors, but the Russian official told her he did not think the foreign affairs ministry would "go for it," prosecutors said. The actions occurred during the same time period that US intelligence agencies have concluded Russia engaged in a campaign of propaganda and hacking to sow discord during the 2016 presidential race and boost Mr Trump's chances against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Butina was a gun rights activist Butina's lawyers previously identified the Russian official as Alexander Torshin, who was a deputy governor of Russia's central bank and was targeted with US Treasury Department sanctions in April. One of the two Americans referenced in the prosecution's case was Paul Erickson, an conservative political activist who was romantically linked to Butina. His lawyer William Hurd said: "Paul Erickson is a good American. He has done nothing to harm our country and never would." Russian officials hit back at the case, calling it a "modern political inquisition" in comments quoted by the RIA state news agency. She faces a maximum of five years in prison and deportation. As part of her agreement prosecutors dropped a second charge of violating a law that requires foreigners working for their government to register with the US Justice Department. Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, estimated that under sentencing guidelines for similar crimes Butina could face up to six months in prison. Because of Butina's ongoing co-operation, the judge did not set a sentencing date but scheduled a hearing for February 12.
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| 'Christmas miracle': 3 suspected thieves rescued after days in West Virginia mine Posted: 13 Dec 2018 07:34 AM PST !['Christmas miracle': 3 suspected thieves rescued after days in West Virginia mine]( "'Christmas miracle': 3 suspected thieves rescued after days in West Virginia mine") Three people who disappeared in a closed West Virginia mine five days ago have been rescued and taken to a hospital in what a family member called a "Christmas miracle."
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| Yemen's warring parties agree to ceasefire in Hodeidah and U.N. role Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:45 PM PST  At the close of a week of talks in Sweden, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a framework for political negotiations would be discussed at the next round of talks at the end of January between the Iranian-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Western nations, some of which supply arms and intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015, had pressed the two sides to agree confidence-building steps to pave the way for a wider truce and a political process to end the war, which has killed tens of thousands of people. The conflict has pushed Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, to the verge of famine.
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| Georgia officer killed after traffic stop; suspect dead Posted: 13 Dec 2018 10:48 PM PST  DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia police officer and a suspect died Thursday night after a traffic stop led to a foot chase and shooting just east of Atlanta, authorities said.
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| Imprisoned former Venezuela oil minister dies: prosecution Posted: 12 Dec 2018 06:08 PM PST  Former Venezuelan oil minister Nelson Martinez, imprisoned over corruption allegations, died Wednesday of health complications, the prosecutor's office said. Martinez, who also served as president of state oil firm PDVSA, was arrested on November 30 last year, four days after President Nicolas Maduro removed him from his position. "Nelson Martinez was suffering from a serious chronic illness whose progression aggravated his condition and led to his death.
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| Porsche presents EV ‘FastCharge' solution Posted: 13 Dec 2018 03:13 AM PST  The automaker Porsche has presented a prototype charging station in Germany with an output of up to 450kW. It can be used by electric models of all brands compatible with the European standard Type 2 variant of the widely used Combined Charging System (CCS). Increasing the available charge capacity to up to 450kW considerably reduces the charging time, in turn increasing the number of vehicles able to use the technology in a given space of time.
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| Former Canadian Envoy Is Now at Center of Feud With China Posted: 13 Dec 2018 04:51 AM PST  The former Canadian diplomat who has written about some of the touchiest geopolitical issues in the world, including China's expanding military footprint in Africa and the North Korea nuclear crisis, is now at the center of a stand-off between two global super-powers. Kovrig was detained by China's spy agency during a visit to Beijing on Monday, just nine days after Canadian authorities, acting on a U.S. request, arrested a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive in Vancouver. The Chinese government confirmed Kovrig has been detained, according to a Canadian government official briefing reporters Wednesday evening in Ottawa.
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| In farewell speeches, senators bemoan downfall of the 'world's greatest deliberative body' Posted: 13 Dec 2018 12:57 PM PST  In their farewell addresses on the Senate floor, senators call out the hyperpartisan atmosphere that has taken hold of the U.S. Capitol.
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| President Trump: Michael Cohen case is meant to embarrass me Posted: 13 Dec 2018 10:20 AM PST  President Donald Trump reacts to the sentencing of his former personal attorney and his 46 percent job approval rating in an exclusive interview with Harris Faulkner on 'Outnumbered Overtime.'
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| 6 Sandy Hook Survivors On Healing, Faith And Forgiveness, 6 Years Later Posted: 14 Dec 2018 09:51 AM PST  Dec. 14, 2018, marks six years since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary
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| Man who sexually assaulted woman on flight while she slept is jailed for nine years Posted: 14 Dec 2018 02:16 AM PST  Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 34, was also sitting next to his wife on the overnight flight in January. Ramamoorthy had molested the victim while unbuttoning her blouse and unzipping her trousers as she slept. US attorney Matthew Schneider said: "Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on aeroplanes.
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| EU's Tusk says no more Brexit negotiations Posted: 14 Dec 2018 08:25 AM PST  By Gabriela Baczynska and Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday he had no mandate to reopen Brexit negotiations with Britain, while the head of the bloc's executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he "admired" Prime Minister Theresa May. Tusk and Juncker were speaking at a news conference after two days of talks at an EU summit that were dominated by the issue of Brexit and saw the other 27 national leaders of the bloc offer May only vague assurances over their Brexit deal. "I have no mandate to organize any further negotiations. ...
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| The Latest: Israeli PM vows to 'settle the score' of attacks Posted: 13 Dec 2018 09:05 AM PST  JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (all times local):
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| Iran urges West to end 'absurdities' on missiles Posted: 13 Dec 2018 08:53 AM PST  Iran on Thursday urged the United States and its allies to stop their "absurd" accusations about Iranian missile tests, a day after Washington urged the UN to adopt punitive measures against Tehran. "US & allies should cease their hypocritical absurdities abt Iran's missiles," Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter. Beneath the text, Zarif published a graphic detailing arms exports to Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2017 using figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
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| Yes, he really said that. What Trump gets about his presidency that critics don't. Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:00 AM PST  When Trump flouts the conventions of the office, he's winning with his core voters. It doesn't matter what he's saying — what matters is that he's making the rest of us howl in indignation.
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| Cash deposited in Robinhood's 3% checking and savings isn't insured, SIPC says Posted: 14 Dec 2018 01:51 PM PST  Cash in Robinhood's new checking and savings products that were rolled out this week is not insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corp.
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| The 2020 Toyota Supra Finally Debuts in January and the First One Will Be Auctioned for Charity Posted: 13 Dec 2018 06:49 AM PST  The long wait for Toyota's revived sports car is almost over.
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| Jared Kushner Calls U.S. Criminal Justice System The 'Best In The World.' It's Not. Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:07 AM PST  Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, made a rare television
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| Johnson & Johnson 'kept secret' that its Baby Powder contained asbestos Posted: 14 Dec 2018 11:50 AM PST  Johnson & Johnson knew that its talcum powder contained asbestos but failed to tell customers for over three decades, an investigation has found. Shares in the company plunged 12 per cent following the release of the report by news agency Reuters, wiping £37bn ($47bn) off the company's value. The investigation also found that the pharmaceutical company had employed a range of tactics to shape research into the problem and protect its Baby Powder brand. In one case, the company commissioned and paid for a study, told the researchers their desired results and then hired a ghostwriter to redraft the article presenting the findings. The investigation centres on a cache of documents released by Johnson & Johnson relating to the 11,700 plaintiffs claiming that the company's talc caused their cancers. The documents show that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, and that company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public. A case in July, in which a judge ordered the company to pay $4.69bn in damages to 22 parties, was the first to succeed with a claim that the talc caused ovarian cancer. Johnson and Johnson said it will appeal the recent verdicts against it and maintains that its talc is safe, adding that the recently divulged court papers show its commitment to ensuring its products are asbestos-free. has been required to divulge in recent litigation shows the care the company takes to ensure its products are asbestos-free
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| Brazil take first step in program to join nuclear-powered sub club Posted: 14 Dec 2018 09:52 AM PST  President Michel Temer and his right-wing successor, President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, both pressed the button that lowered into the sea the 1,700-ton submarine named Riachuelo at a Rio de Janeiro naval base. Temer's wife, Marcela, had christened the vessel, by smashing a champagne bottle against its hull. The submarines being built by the Brazilian Navy in partnership with France's defense company Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS, are a modified version of the Scorpene class diesel-powered submarine.
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| Russian Orthodox church calls on UN for help in Ukraine Posted: 14 Dec 2018 06:05 AM PST  MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church on Friday called on the United Nations, the leaders of Germany and France, the pope and other spiritual leaders to protect believers in Ukraine in the face of pressure on Moscow-affiliated clerics.
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| Tijuana official: Some caravan migrants breaking into homes Posted: 13 Dec 2018 05:38 PM PST  Tijuana delegate Genaro Lopez on the impact the migrant caravan is having on the city.
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| China Says Canada's Huawei Arrest Has ‘Aroused Public Anger’ Posted: 14 Dec 2018 12:41 AM PST  "The Canadian government at the request of the U.S. side wrongly detained the Chinese citizen," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. The decision to arrest Meng earlier this month to aid a U.S. extradition effort has made Canada the focus of China's ire, even as President Donald Trump's trade war sits at the center of the dispute.
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| Seven-year-old Guatemalan girl dies in US custody: report Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:47 PM PST  A seven-year-old Guatemalan girl died in American custody after being detained by US border police in New Mexico, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. The girl who illegally crossed the border from Mexico along with her father and dozens of others died last week of "dehydration and shock," the newspaper reported, citing US Customs and Border Protection. The father is in El Paso, Texas awaiting a meeting with Guatemalan consular officials, the Post said, quoting CBP, which said it is investigating the incident.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refuses to run for president: 'How about... no' Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:31 PM PST  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently became the youngest American elected into Congress, is a rising star among the left and has even been suggested as a viable Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential race. Ms Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday in response to a Vox article, written by co-founder Matthew Yglesias, that argued the incoming congresswoman should be able to run for the 2020 election despite her young age. Sometimes political media is too fixated on personalities instead of policies.
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| Cadillac's 3-row XT6 SUV loses camouflage for Detroit Auto Show Posted: 13 Dec 2018 07:01 AM PST  Cadillac confirmed this week that the forthcoming XT6 crossover SUV will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next month. The Caddy that we got a camouflaged sneak peek at a couple months ago has been confirmed for the Detroit Auto Show in January according to Automotive News. The XT6 SUV is expected to fill the vacancy in the Cadillac portfolio between the midsize XT5 crossover and the full-size Escalade, featuring three-rows of sets like its bigger sibling.
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| Brad Ford and The Hudson Company Team Up for a Connecticut Showroom That Emphasizes Craftsmanship Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:47 PM PST  The designer and Hudson Company founder Jamie Hammel bring their shared passion for fine craftsmanship to Ridgefield
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| The 6 Best Smartwatches of 2018 Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:39 PM PST |
| UNAIDS head to quit post early following scathing report Posted: 13 Dec 2018 10:12 AM PST  GENEVA (AP) — The head of the U.N. agency focusing on AIDS said he would leave the job six months early, bowing to apparent pressure just a week after independent experts looking into sexual harassment blasted the "defective leadership" at UNAIDS. At least one major donor reportedly threatened to halt its funding.
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| EU to Step Up Plans for No-Deal Brexit as Bloc Plays Hardball With May Posted: 13 Dec 2018 04:22 PM PST  May had come to Brussels hoping to secure some additional "assurances" on the most controversial part of her Brexit deal -- the so-called Irish border backstop. "Theresa May has led a courageous fight but unfortunately we are not seeing the results," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters.
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| Shamir Shah Creates a Serene Model Unit With Global References at the Kent Posted: 14 Dec 2018 12:48 PM PST |
| On criminal justice reform, policy prevails over politics Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:32 PM PST  The First Step Act is expected to be passed by the Senate soon and then to be signed by President Trump, reversing more than two decades of tough-on-crime policies.
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| French president to meet relatives of victims of Christmas market shooting Posted: 14 Dec 2018 10:58 AM PST  French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Strasbourg Friday evening to pay his respects to the victims of a jihadist gunman who was himself later shot dead by police. Macron, who earlier in the day took part in a European Union summit in Brussels, was to meet with families of the victims and with police involved in the manhunt for 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, a small-time criminal turned jihadist who went on a shooting spray Tuesday evening in Strasbourg's famed Christmas market. Police finally caught up with him Thursday evening when he was killed after opening fire on a street police patrol.
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| Scott Walker Signs Wisconsin GOP's Massive Power Grab Into Law Posted: 14 Dec 2018 10:24 AM PST  Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed legislation Friday that strips power
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| Pope-appointed missionary travels US to do good Posted: 13 Dec 2018 10:07 PM PST  Father Jim Sichko had a calling and it wasn't just to God. It was to, well, everybody. Pope Francis named the Kentucky-based priest to a newly created fleet of Papal Missionaries, ministers who travel the world offering acts of mercy. (Dec. 14)
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| Special report: J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder Posted: 14 Dec 2018 07:06 AM PST  An examination shows that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, products sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos.
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| VW teases Detroit-bound 2020 Passat with sketches Posted: 13 Dec 2018 05:57 AM PST  The collection of teaser sketches of the upcoming 2020 VW Passat show that the model is just getting some upgrades rather than a complete redesign. Volkswagen shared some sketches this week of the next Passat ahead of its Detroit Auto Show debut in January. Car publication Auto Blog, who saw the car in the flesh but wasn't allowed to take pictures, said that the teased images accurately portray the real deal which is basically a "bigger, taller Jetta." VW stated that every body panel has been upgraded for the new model, despite its resemblance to the last generation.
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| Washington governor proposes major steps for orca recovery Posted: 13 Dec 2018 02:46 PM PST  SEATTLE (AP) — With scientists warning that the Northwest's beloved killer whales are on the brink of extinction, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced dramatic plans Thursday to help the population recover — including $1.1 billion in spending and a partial whale-watching ban.
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| China Seeks to Defuse Trade War With Reversals on Cars and Corn Posted: 14 Dec 2018 05:16 AM PST  China also may buy at least 3 million metric tons of American corn, said people familiar with the discussions, who asked not to be named as the information is confidential. The moves come two weeks after President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in the trade war at their meeting in Argentina. Trump claimed he won a concession during talks with Xi and said China, the world's biggest automobile market, would reduce and remove tariffs, a claim that Beijing didn't immediately confirm.
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| Alaska Airlines to give priority boarding to people in ugly sweaters Posted: 13 Dec 2018 11:32 AM PST  Alaska Airlines will let passengers wearing ugly sweaters board early on Friday, Dec. 21 in honor of National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day.
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| Trump administration could deport thousands of Vietnamese refugees after immigration rules changed Posted: 13 Dec 2018 05:23 AM PST  Thousands of Vietnamese refugees who fled to America after the Vietnam war are now at risk of deportation, after Donald Trump's administration changed immigration rules. The US government has unilaterally reinterpreted an accord signed with Vietnam in 2008 to allow it to send Vietnamese citizens in America who arrived before 1995 back to their home country.
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| Lost girls of Indonesia among 61k dead and missing migrants Posted: 13 Dec 2018 01:59 PM PST  FATUKOKO, Indonesia (AP) — The stranger showed up at the girl's door one night with a tantalizing job offer: Give up your world, and I will give you a future.
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| US airliner turned back after human heart left on board Posted: 13 Dec 2018 01:37 PM PST  A Southwest Airlines flight headed from Seattle to Dallas was turned back mid-flight after it was discovered that a human heart had been left on board, officials said Thursday. The plane had was over eastern Idaho -- around 600 miles (950 kilometers) into the journey -- when staff discovered the "life critical cargo shipment," meant for delivery back in a Seattle hospital after being transported from California. "Once we realized the error we immediately worked to return to Seattle," airline spokesman Dan Landson told AFP.
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| Chinese state media urges Canada to defy U.S., free Huawei exec Posted: 12 Dec 2018 07:58 PM PST  SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Canada should distance itself from U.S. "hegemonism" and grant unconditional freedom to Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of China's Huawei detained in Vancouver on Washington's request, state-owned tabloid Global Times said in a Thursday editorial. Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, has been accused by U.S. prosecutors of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran, putting the banks at risk of violating sanctions. The United States needs to make a formal extradition request within 60 days of her arrest, which a Canadian judge will weigh to determine whether the case against Meng is strong enough.
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