| California officer's killing reignites sanctuary law fight Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:12 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The shooting death of a California police officer has reignited the debate over sanctuary laws, with a sheriff all but blaming the statewide immigration policy for the killing as he announced the arrest of a man living in the U.S. illegally.
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| Egypt kills 40 'terrorists' in crackdown after Giza attack Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:26 AM PST  Egyptian police killed 40 suspects in a crackdown on Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a tour bus claiming the lives of three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian guide. Thirty alleged "terrorists" were killed in separate raids in Giza governorate, home to Egypt's famed pyramids and the scene of Friday's deadly bombing, while 10 others were killed in the restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said without directly linking them to the attack. A security source said the raids took place early Saturday morning, hours after Friday evening's roadside bombing which officials said hit a tour bus in the Al-Haram district near the Giza pyramids killing the three Vietnamese holidaymakers and their Egyptian guide.
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| Strong earthquake rattles southeastern coast of Philippines Posted: 28 Dec 2018 08:22 PM PST  A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the southeastern coast of the Philippines around midday Saturday, local time, prompting fears of a tsunami. However, no tsunami was reported.
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| How F-22 and F-35 'DNA' Will Make the 'New' F-16 Viper a Real Killer Posted: 30 Dec 2018 07:00 AM PST  Here is all we know.
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| Two migrant children recently died in Border Patrol custody. There were documented warning signs Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:45 AM PST  Federal officials launched new health-care efforts after two migrant children died in December. But kids' health warnings had been filed months earlier.
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| California authorities seek motive in triple slaying Posted: 30 Dec 2018 02:08 PM PST  ORCUTT, Calif. (AP) — California authorities are trying to determine why a Central Coast man stabbed and beat his sister, mother and a third person to death in their home.
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| Afghanistan to delay presidential election to July: election body Posted: 30 Dec 2018 07:03 AM PST  The announcement follows heavy criticism of October's chaotic parliamentary election, which saw problems ranging from roadside bomb attacks to malfunctioning biometric voter verification equipment, incomplete voter lists and huge delays at polling sites. The timing of the election has also been complicated by talks under way between U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives of the Taliban aimed at launching a full peace process to end the war in Afghanistan. The election was originally scheduled for April 20 but Gula Jan Abdul Bade Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) said mounting problems had forced a delay.
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| Origin of virus that hobbled newspapers still unclear Posted: 30 Dec 2018 04:02 PM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The origins of a suspected computer attack that disrupted the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing newspapers remained unclear Sunday after causing delivery delays and being brought to the attention of federal investigators.
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| Workers fret at making ends meet as US govt shutdown persists Posted: 30 Dec 2018 07:34 AM PST  According to President Donald Trump, federal workers affected by the US government shutdown support him as he insists on no deal until Congress funds a wall on the Mexican border. After past shutdowns, Congress quickly ensured that federal workers were retroactively paid. Kevin, a statistician, said he recently relocated to Washington with his wife and young son from the southeastern US in search of the long-term stability of a government job.
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| Heads up: Israeli woman stumbles upon Roman busts Posted: 30 Dec 2018 09:56 AM PST ![Heads up: Israeli woman stumbles upon Roman busts]( "Heads up: Israeli woman stumbles upon Roman busts") An Israeli woman walking near ancient ruins noticed a head sticking out of the ground, leading to the uncovering of two Roman-era busts, archaeologists said Sunday. The life-size sculptures, carved in limestone, were found in the northern city of Beit Shean earlier this month, with the Israel Antiquities Authority dating them to the late Roman period, some 1,700 years ago. The well-preserved busts are of men, one of them bearded, sculpted in the Oriental style that was becoming fashionable at the end of the Roman period, according to Eitan Klein, deputy head of the IAA's theft prevention unit.
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| Bali's Agung volcano spews ash in fresh eruption Posted: 30 Dec 2018 12:47 AM PST  A volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali erupted Sunday, belching ash high into the air and over nearby villages as officials warned tourists to keep clear of the area. Mount Agung has been erupting periodically since it rumbled back to life in 2017, when it grounded hundreds of flights and left 120,000 visitors stranded. "Residents near Mount Agung as well as climbers and tourists should not carry out any activity in the danger zone or within four-kilometre radius from the crater," the centre said in a statement.
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| Perris torture case: Home dubbed 'House of Horrors' up for auction Posted: 30 Dec 2018 09:35 AM PST  UP FOR AUCTION: The Riverside County home dubbed a house of horrors is on the auction block.
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| California Will Become First State to Require Pet Stores to Sell Only Rescue Animals Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:27 PM PST  The bill, "would require all sales of dogs and cats authorized by this provision to be in compliance with laws requiring the spaying or neutering of animals, as specified."
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| Ask the Captain: What airplanes did you fly in your career? Posted: 30 Dec 2018 06:00 AM PST ![Ask the Captain: What airplanes did you fly in your career?]( "Ask the Captain: What airplanes did you fly in your career?") Prior to becoming an aviation safety consultant, and USA TODAY columnist, John Cox flew a wide variety of commercial airplanes.
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| Did the U.S. Military Just Admit Victory in Afghanistan Is Impossible? Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:31 PM PST  "These are two sides that are fighting against one another, and neither one of them will achieve a military victory at this stage."
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| Fears of intimidation, violence as Bangladesh set to vote Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:51 AM PST  DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — As Bangladeshis get set to vote in Sunday's parliamentary elections, there are fears that violence and intimidation could keep many away from the polls, including two opposition candidates who said police had barricaded them inside their homes.
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| Donald Trump blames Democrats and the parents of young migrants for the deaths of two children Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:43 AM PST  President Donald Trump has blamed the Democrats for the deaths of two migrant children in US custody, lashing out also at the childrens' parents for mistreating them. On Christmas Day it was announced that an eight-year-old boy from Guatemala died in US government custody, becoming the second migrant child to pass away while in the administration's care this month. The death came just weeks after another Guatemalan, seven-year-old Jakelin Caal, died in a hospital on December 8, shortly after being apprehended by border agents. She died of dehydration and shock after crossing from Mexico into the United States illegally with her father. Mr Trump on Saturday said the Democrats – who are refusing to fund his $5 billion (£4bn) plans for a border wall – were to blame for the two deaths. Relatives and friends of the family carry the coffin of Guatemalan seven-year-old Jakelin Caal, who died in a Texas hospital two days after being taken into custody by US border patrol agents "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally," he tweeted. "They can't. If we had a Wall, they wouldn't even try!" He then turned to blame the childrens' parents. "The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. "The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadn't given her water in days. "Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit!" Mr Trump remains cooped up in the White House, having cancelled his planned Christmas holiday break at his private Florida club. Donald and Melania Trump answer phone calls from children on December 24 The US government shut down on December 21, running out of money after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on the budget, sparring over funding for the border wall. Mr Trump tweeted earlier on Saturday that he was "in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come on over and make a deal on Border Security." But there has been little direct contact between either side during the stalemate, and Mr Trump did not ask Republicans, who hold a monopoly on power in Washington for another five days, to keep Congress in session. Several federal departments are running on a skeleton staff, and Nasa has dramatically reduced its staffing in the midst of the standoff. On Friday night the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which had the money to function a week longer than some agencies, implemented its shutdown plan at midnight. The Smithsonian Institution has also announced that its museums and galleries will close starting midweek if the partial shutdown drags on.
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| US winter storms kill seven: media Posted: 29 Dec 2018 10:04 AM PST  Parts of the United States were digging out Saturday from winter storms that media reports said led to at least seven deaths, while warmer regions braced for potential flooding during the New Year's travel period. As storm clouds moved east, they were set to bring heavy rain and probably flooding to the Gulf Coast, and both rain and freezing rain to New England. Flight tracker FlightAware reported more than 129 flight cancellations and 1,006 delays Saturday -- down from more than 500 cancelations and 5,700 delays on Friday -- as the winter storm hit north-central and Midwestern states with up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snow.
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| Germany: Drugged driver forces car onto airport tarmac Posted: 29 Dec 2018 02:24 PM PST  BERLIN (AP) — A man forced open a locked gate on the security perimeter of Hannover Airport in northern Germany and drove a car onto the airfield Saturday before coming to a halt underneath an airliner and being detained, police said.
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| U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure Posted: 29 Dec 2018 03:03 PM PST ![U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure]( "U.S. medic quarantined in Nebraska for possible Ebola exposure") A U.S. healthcare worker who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus while treating patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived in the United States on Saturday and was put in quarantine in Nebraska. The medic, who is not exhibiting symptoms of Ebola, will remain under observation for up to two weeks at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska Medicine said in a statement.
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| Why now is the perfect time to look over your IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts Posted: 30 Dec 2018 03:00 AM PST ![Why now is the perfect time to look over your IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts]( "Why now is the perfect time to look over your IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement accounts") It's a good time to make sure you start the new year off on the right foot – especially when it comes to your retirement accounts.
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| The Economists, Military, Moralists & Politicians Running Brazil Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:00 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Traditionally, Brazilian presidents offered ministerial positions to politicians in return for their parties' support in Congress. But with politics-as-usual deeply discredited in the wake of successive corruption scandals, Jair Bolsonaro is trying a different tack. The new government consists of roughly four separate groups, only one of which is explicitly political.
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| 50 Years Ago, the U.S. Navy Lost a Submarine In a Shocking Accident. Here's What Happenned. Posted: 28 Dec 2018 06:33 PM PST  The death of the USS Scorpion.
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| Dan Palmer: I don’t like the way the Democrats have framed the debate; the border wall is a national security issue Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:02 PM PST  GOP financier Dan Palmer says that if the president frames the debate correctly, Democrats should spare no expense to secure the U.S. southern border.
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| No. 1 story of 2018 isn't anything Donald Trump has done. It's the death of John McCain. Posted: 30 Dec 2018 05:30 AM PST  In the tug of war for the soul of the Republican Party, Sen. McCain was the strong man at the other end of the rope.
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| Egypt police kill 40 'terrorists' after Giza bus attack: ministry Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:41 AM PST  Egyptian police killed 40 "terrorists" in separate raids early Saturday, a day after a roadside bomb near the Giza pyramids killed three Vietnamese tourists and their guide, the interior ministry said. Two raids in the Giza governorate killed 30 "terrorists", while the remaining 10 were killed in the restive North Sinai, the ministry said in a statement. "Information was received by the national security that a group of terrorists were planning to carry out a series of aggressive attacks targeting state institutions, particularly economic ones, as well as tourism, armed forces, police and Christian places of worship," the statement said.
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| Will General Motors resurrect the GMC Envoy? Trademark filing raises speculation SUV may be brought back. Posted: 30 Dec 2018 11:25 AM PST ![Will General Motors resurrect the GMC Envoy? Trademark filing raises speculation SUV may be brought back.]( "Will General Motors resurrect the GMC Envoy? Trademark filing raises speculation SUV may be brought back.") General Motors has filed for a trademark on the name Envoy, raising speculation that it will resurrect the once popular GMC SUV.
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| Israel's Jewish Home party splits ahead of April election Posted: 29 Dec 2018 11:07 AM PST  A religious-nationalist party in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government split on Saturday, with its leaders saying they were bolting to appeal to more secular constituents ahead of an April election. The Jewish Home party's schism posed no immediate threat to Netanyahu, for whom polls predict an easy win to a fifth term. The Jewish Home leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, told reporters that he and his deputy, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, were leaving to form "a new party, of religious and secular together ... in true partnership".
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| U.S. judge dismisses suit vs Google over facial recognition software Posted: 29 Dec 2018 08:32 PM PST  The suit, filed in March 2016, alleged Alphabet Inc's Google violated Illinois state law by collecting and storing biometric data from people's photographs using facial recognition software without their permission through its Google Photos service.
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| Israel protests after Jordan minister pictured stepping on flag Posted: 30 Dec 2018 10:42 AM PST  Israel's foreign ministry protested to Jordan on Sunday after a minister was pictured stepping on an image of the Israeli flag while entering a meeting. The image of the flag has been affixed to the floor just inside the entrance to the complex for several years to protest Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and Jordan's normalised ties with the Jewish state, union officials say. Israel called Jordan's ambassador in for clarifications on Sunday, the foreign ministry said.
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| Amazon to build more Whole Foods stores to boost reach of Prime Now service Posted: 30 Dec 2018 02:20 PM PST ![Amazon to build more Whole Foods stores to boost reach of Prime Now service]( "Amazon to build more Whole Foods stores to boost reach of Prime Now service") When Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.4 billion back in June of 2017, many people found the move a bit curious. Now, about 18 months later, Amazon's plans with the popular supermarket chain are finally starting to crystallize. A few months ago, for example, Amazon announced that Prime members would able to receive discounts on Whole Foods purchases, with some items available at a generous 50% discount. And now comes word via The Wall Street Journal that Amazon is planning to expand the cumulative number of Whole Foods stores across the country. The reason? It will significantly expand the pool of Prime subscribers who will be able to take advantage of Amazon Prime Now, the company's free two-hour delivery service. "The push would bring Whole Foods to more suburbs and other areas where the natural grocer is quickly adding customers since the merger," the Journal explains. "That is a shift from the layoffs and slowing store growth Whole Foods experienced for several years before Amazon bought it in 2017..." Notably, Amazon is reportedly contemplating adding stores to areas that currently lack a Whole Foods presence, with areas in Idaho and Utah being two such examples. Of course, as with all things Amazon, everything can seemingly be tied back to Amazon Prime, which currently boasts more than 100 million subscribers. Over the past few years, Amazon has significantly increased the number of benefits afforded to Prime subscribers. This, of course, should be expected given that the price of a Prime subscription this year jumped from $99 to $116. All that said, free two-hour delivery from Whole Foods is undoubtedly a nice perk that will certainly keep current Prime subscribers happy and potentially sway prospective Prime subscribers to pull the trigger. And in a rare instance where the word "synergy" might appropriately be used, Amazon anticipates that the move will "attract new customers to Whole Foods and draw them back more often."
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| China's FM-2000 Short-Range Air Defense System: A Real Threat? Posted: 29 Dec 2018 05:38 AM PST  Or just another Russian copy?
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| AP FACT CHECK: Trump twists facts of child migrant deaths Posted: 30 Dec 2018 03:05 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump, in his first public words about two migrant children who died in Border Patrol custody, misrepresented the circumstances of their deaths as he sought to deflect any responsibility from U.S. authorities.
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| Bangladesh deploys 600,000 security forces ahead of vote Posted: 28 Dec 2018 10:41 PM PST  Bangladesh stepped up security Saturday in a bid to contain violence during a general election expected to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina win a record fourth term. Authorities have deployed around 600,000 police, army and other security forces ahead of Sunday's vote, a senior official said, following a deadly campaign marred by clashes. The forces -- which also include the elite Rapid Action Battalion, navy, border and coast guards and auxiliary police units -- are providing security to some 40,000 election booths.
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| Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after 4 rebels killed Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:59 AM PST  SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said.
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| Dow outlook: Why I'm optimistic about the stock market for 2019 Posted: 30 Dec 2018 09:04 AM PST  I was too optimistic in 2018. That makes me even more optimistic for 2019. When most folks expect bad times, stocks usually shine the following year.
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| Illegal immigrant arrested in the murder of California police officer Ronil Singh had been previously arrested for DUI Posted: 29 Dec 2018 12:45 PM PST  Former FBI assistant director Steve Pomerantz says that law enforcement is at the greatest risk of coming into contact with illegal immigrants who are serial criminals.
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| Hardline cleric Larijani named to head powerful Iran body Posted: 30 Dec 2018 10:22 AM PST ![Hardline cleric Larijani named to head powerful Iran body]( "Hardline cleric Larijani named to head powerful Iran body") Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani - the chief of Iran's hardline judiciary who has been blacklisted by Washington - was named on Sunday as the new head of the powerful Expediency Council, state television reported. The council is intended to resolve disputes between parliament and a watchdog body, the Guardian Council. Larijani, 57, was appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who also made him a member of the Guardian Council, which vets laws and elections for compliance with Iran's Islamic constitution, state television reported.
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| Two right-wing ministers form new party ahead of Israel polls Posted: 29 Dec 2018 01:06 PM PST  Two right-wing Israeli government ministers on Saturday launched a new party aimed at winning over secular voters ahead of snap elections in April. Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said they were quitting the far-right Jewish Home party to found the New Right party. Nationalist Jewish Home -- of which Bennett was the head and Shaked deputy leader -- has been part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with eight seats in parliament.
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| These were the most popular Netflix shows in each US state for 2018 Posted: 29 Dec 2018 06:01 AM PST  From the action in shows like Daredevil and Peaky Blinders to the sci-fi thrills of Stranger Things, Netflix gave us tons of content to love and binge in 2018. With that in mind, the folks at HighSpeedInternet.com decided to dive into Google Trends and use that to come up with a list of the most popular shows in each state for the year. These kinds of things always offer a fun look at what people like -- and usually produce some surprising and interesting findings, such as the fact that 13 Reasons Why, a series about a young girl who takes her own life, was one of the overall country's most favorite shows this year. Forty-six states this year had a new favorite Netflix show compared to what this same analysis found in 2017. The favorite show this year was the same as last year in just four states -- Louisiana and West Virginia, both of which still love Orange is the New Black; Utah, which still loves Stranger Things; and Missouri, which loves -- surprise, surprise -- Ozark. Speaking of Stranger Things, interest in the 80s sci-fi throwback seems to be picking up. It went from being the favorite in just one state in 2017 (Utah) to four this year -- in Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. Also, the biggest Netflix fans in the country are apparently in the nation's capital. Because in Washington DC, there was a massive 16-way tie this year for that locale's favorite Netflix show, which you can also see in the map above. All in all, this another reminder that Netflix remains an entertainment juggernaut, with so much content it can give people to watch. Speaking of the year the company has had, the company disclosed on Friday that CEO Reed Hastings is getting a 7 percent increase in his compensation, which could hit as much as $31.5 million in salary and stock options next year.
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| Flu cases surge: Here's what you need to know to stay healthy Posted: 29 Dec 2018 07:38 AM PST  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that flu activity from the 2018-2019 season is climbing in the United States. Officials say it's not too late to get vaccinated.
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| House GOP quietly ends probe into FBI's 2016 decisions Posted: 28 Dec 2018 07:41 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans say more investigation is needed into decisions made by the FBI and the Justice Department in 2016 as they brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the department's handling of probes into Democrat Hillary Clinton's emails and Donald Trump's ties to Russia.
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| Syria's regime on path to come in from the cold Posted: 30 Dec 2018 02:17 AM PST  Almost eight years into Syria's civil war, President Bashar al-Assad seems closer than ever to securing a comeback at home and in the Arab region, analysts say. As 2018 ends, the Moscow-backed government in Damascus is in control of nearly two-thirds of Syria, after notching up a string of victories against rebels and jihadists. On Friday, Damascus sent troops to a northern area near the border with Turkey to stave off a long-threatened Turkish assault on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces there.
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