| 'Yellow vest' Libya protesters say France backs Tripoli assault Posted: 16 Apr 2019 07:47 AM PDT  Dozens of "yellow vest" protesters rallied Tuesday in the Libyan capital to denounce what they said was France's support for military strongman Khalifa Haftar who has launched an offensive on Tripoli. The demonstrators donned yellow vests in a nod to the jackets worn by anti-government protesters who have been rallying across France since November. "France must stop backing the rebel Haftar," read one sign held up by the demonstrators gathered in central Tripoli's Algiers Square.
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| Ola Bini: Wikileaks collaborator and Assange ally accused of plotting to blackmail Ecuador president faces 'threats in jail', parents say Posted: 16 Apr 2019 12:19 PM PDT  The parents of a Swedish programmer who was an early ally of Julian Assange and Wikileaks and who has now been accused of trying to blackmail Ecuador's president, is facing threats in jail, his parents have claimed.Ola Bini, 36, was arrested last Thursday in Ecuador, hours after Mr Assange was detained by police in London who entered the Ecuadorian embassy. Mr Assange was charged with skipping bail by a London judge, while the US charged him with conspiring with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to hack a US computer. Defenders of Mr Assange say the US is trying to punish the Wikileaks founder for exposing embarrassing and damaging information about Washington's actions, including the behaviour of its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.Prosecutors in Ecuador, have said they intend to charge Mr Bini, a longtime Wikileaks defender, with seeking to blackmail Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno, who turned against Mr Assange and invited the British authorities to enter the embassy last week and arrest him.On Tuesday, Mr Bini's parents, Dag Gustafsson and Gorel Bini, professed their son's innocence and said they would remain in Ecuador until he was released. "We want to say that Ola is not feeling safe, because of some threats inside," Mr Gustafsson told reporters.His wife added: "Right now, he's ok. But he's worried."Last week, Ecuador's interior minister Maria Paula Romo, told local media the Swedish coder, who has long worked with social justice groups, had been arrested for "investigative purposes"."For several years now, one of the key members of this WikiLeaks organisation and a person close to Mr Julian Assange has lived in Ecuador, and we have sufficient evidence that he has been collaborating with the destabilisation attempts against the government," she said.According to the Associated Press, she added: "It's up to the justice system to determine if he committed a crime. But we can't allow Ecuador to become a centre for piracy and spying. That period in our history is over."Ms Romo said Bini had travelled at least 12 times to meet with Assange at the London embassy. She said he was also in Venezuela earlier this year at around the same time as a close aide to Mr Moreno's former mentor turned arch enemy, Rafael Correa. Mr Correa, a former president who frequently criticised the US, had initially offered asylum to Mr Assange.
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| Bernie Sanders Brings a Gun to a Democratic Primary Knife Fight Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:38 AM PDT  Mark Makela/GettyIn seeking the 2020 nomination for the presidency, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had made overtures that he'd operate more firmly within the Democratic Party as the party adopted procedural reforms to accommodate his concerns. The rapprochement was always delicate. And this week it hit a major snag as the senator's presidential campaign opened fire at one of the Democratic Party's leading think tanks over a video that its editorially independent news site posted on Sanders' personal wealth. That video from ThinkProgress and the senator's response, in which he accused the Center for American Progress of bias against liberal candidates and veneration for corporate interests, exposed the lingering animus between the Sanders and the Democratic Party's actual institutions. It also raised alarm and questions as to whether Sanders was running to lead the party or to fundamentally change it. "If you always want to be an aggrieved factional candidate, then you do what they did here," said a Democratic operative who is a fan of Sanders. "It has nothing to do with the electoral context of Iowa or New Hampshire or Nevada or South Carolina. Let's go fight that battle. Voters don't care about CAP."The root of the latest blow up was a video produced by ThinkProgress noting that Sanders had stopped maligning millionaires—leaving his criticism for billionaires—when he became one himself. The news site is part of the CAP umbrella, which gave the video the veneer of a sanctioned attack. But it also claims editorial independence from the think tank, though the degree of that independence is difficult to define. Sanders' campaign was initially uncertain of how it should respond to the post. But a day after it had been up—and shared gleefully by Republican operatives—they chose to push back in a way that, Democrats said, redefined disproportionality. Over the weekend, Sanders' campaign sent a letter to the board of CAP and CAP Action Fund saying that the "counterproductive negative campaigning needs to stop." The letter referenced content written about Sanders and two close colleagues who are also in the 2020 race: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). It also explicitly called out CAP president Neera Tanden, an ally of Hillary Clinton, who has been critical of Sanders in the past but has attempted to mend bridges. Among some Democrats, there was a sense of bewilderment that the Sanders campaign had gone—as one operative put it—"nuclear" over a mere web video. One Democratic consultant sympathetic to Sanders described the video as being "like a gnat buzzing around your ear," one which should not have distracted from the candidate's Midwest tour. It also raised questions as to whether the senator was ready for the scrutiny that would come from being a frontrunning candidate, after having run as an insurgent against an ideal foil, Hillary Clinton, in 2016. "When you're leading in the polls of president of your party you should expect investigative stories to hit at least once a week and to be attacked by your opponents every day," said Ben Labolt, who served as press secretary to Barack Obama during the 2012 campaign. "An attack on something like ThinkProgress is the sign of a super-narrow-minded campaign that isn't actually thinking of how the election will be won... They have chosen an establishment force that no one outside of the Starbucks at 16th and K would recognize." But within Sanders' orbit, the pushback was seen as strategically prudent. Sanders has often bristled at personal questions that he deems irrelevant to the set of beliefs he has espoused for decades. And his attack on CAP effectively set a benchmark for the type of coverage that the his team would countenance and reinforced his brand as someone outside of typical party structures. It also undermined any notion that he was a political pushover—a suggestion that lingered for some after he muted some of his attacks on Clinton in 2016. It didn't hurt matters that some prominent, though non-establishment, Democratic figures offered Sanders their support. Tom Steyer, the liberal billionaire donor and party activist, who also serves on the board of directors for CAP issued a statement on his own saying he would use his "voice on the Center for American Progress' Board of Directors to discourage any such attacks on any candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in the future."Those close to Steyer told The Daily Beast that he released the statement without consulting with others at the organization and that it by no means suggested he was endorsing Sanders. Another CAP board member, Stacey Abrams, declined to comment. But a spokesperson for the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia directed The Daily Beast to a conciliatory statement Tanden issued on Monday afternoon, saying the video had been "overly harsh" and did "not reflect our approach to a constructive debate of the issues."That, for now, seems to have quieted the skirmish with Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir saying that the campaign looked "forward to working in a more productive manner" with CAP, "if possible." But within a few hours, Sanders was, once more, putting pressure on the press; this time on an outlet of a highly-different ideological bent than ThinkProgress. In a town hall with Fox News, the senator hit back on the suggestion that his income-inequality message was muddied by his personal wealth by directly challenging the newscasters to ask the president for his own tax rates. "I pay the taxes that I owe," he declared, "and by the way, why don't you get Donald Trump up here and ask them how much he pays in taxes?"Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
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| Here's How Much the Priciest Toll Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels Cost in the United States Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:29 AM PDT |
| Trump says Boeing should fix, 'rebrand' grounded 737 MAX jet Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:37 AM PDT  The FAA has been meeting with representatives from major airlines over the next steps after more than 300 Boeing 737 MAXs were grounded worldwide.
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| Barn find 1955 Chevy Corvette Hasn't Seen Daylight In 40 Years Posted: 16 Apr 2019 11:13 AM PDT  Tucked away for 40 years, this 1955 Chevrolet Corvette looks worse-for-wear in its hiding place – but now it's out, don't even think about trying to buy it. Anyone who owns a rare classic car like a 1955 Corvette could tell you that car collectors are constantly trying to buy them up, and that's the exact reason Bob Doucette put his 1955 Corvette into hiding — that, and wanting a safe place to preserve the car.
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| Student Dies After Falling 40 Feet in Bell Tower at Fordham University Posted: 15 Apr 2019 12:27 PM PDT  A Fordham University student died after she fell 40 feet from the top of the school's bell tower early Sunday, according to an email sent out by the university.
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| Ocasio-Cortez: 'Netanyahu is a Trump-like figure' Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Ocasio-Cortez said U.S. policy toward Israel should be affected by the proposed annexation, and there are "conversations happening in our caucus."
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| 'Legendary' Notre-Dame roof astounded Middle Ages: carpenter Posted: 16 Apr 2019 12:31 PM PDT  The charred roof of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was once a legend that "astounded the Middle Ages" and still fascinates master carpenters, Thomas Buechi of the Charpente Concept group told AFP. It is possibly one of the greatest masterpieces for French master carpenters. It was so complex that it astounded the Middle Ages.
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| Ex-Obama Lawyer Faces August Trial Over Lobbying Claims Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:03 AM PDT  U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson at a hearing in Washington on Monday set a tight schedule of pre-trial deadlines to accommodate Craig's and the government's stated desire to wrap up the case quickly. The charges against Craig, 74, a former lawyer at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, arose from Mueller's two-year probe. Craig is the first prominent Democrat charged, and he pleaded not guilty last week.
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| Socialist Sanders' tax returns show millionaire status Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:03 PM PDT  Self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire. The senator, who routinely rails against "millionaires and billionaires" and the "rigged" economic system that protects their standing, saw his income spike on royalties from sales of his book, "Our Revolution," published shortly after his 2016 race for the Democratic nomination. According to tax returns released by the Sanders campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of $561,293 in 2018, $1,131,925 in 2017 and $1,062,626 in 2016.
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| Stung by the IRS on Your 2018 Taxes Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:47 AM PDT  Stung by the IRS on Your 2018 Taxes? Here's How to Fix It. If your tax refund was smaller this tax season—or you're shocked at how much you owe—you're not alone. Data from the Internal Revenue S...
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| U.S. airlines face too many travellers, too few planes in 737 MAX summer dilemma Posted: 15 Apr 2019 12:18 PM PDT ![U.S. airlines face too many travellers, too few planes in 737 MAX summer dilemma]( "U.S. airlines face too many travellers, too few planes in 737 MAX summer dilemma") Normally, U.S. airlines compete to sell tickets and fill seats during the peak summer travel season. The grounding of Boeing Co's fuel-efficient, single-aisle workhorse after two fatal crashes is biting into U.S. airlines' Northern Hemisphere spring and summer schedules, threatening to disarm them in their seasonal war for profits. Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest MAX operator, and American Airlines Group Inc with 34 and 24 MAX jetliners respectively, have removed the aircraft from their flying schedules into August.
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| Nancy Pelosi calls for security review to protect Ilhan Omar from ‘real danger’ after Trump attack Posted: 15 Apr 2019 12:05 AM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked House officials on Sunday to review security measures intended to protect Ilhan Omar after President Donald Trump tweeted a video attacking the Minnesota Democrat using images of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.Ms Pelosi was not responding to new information about the safety of Ms Omar, according to a senior Democratic aide.She called for the review based on dozens of threats made on Ms Omar's life before Trump posted the video on Friday, the aide said."Following the president's tweet, I spoke with the sergeant-at-arms to ensure that Capitol Police are conducting a security assessment to safeguard Congresswoman Omar, her family and her staff," Ms Pelosi said in a statement."They will continue to monitor and address the threats she faces."After Ms Pelosi released her statement, a spokesman for Ms Omar, Jeremy Slevin, said, "Our office has seen an increase in direct threats on Rep. Omar's life – many directly referencing the president's video."He said Ms Omar's office has collected a series of menacing tweets over the past few days, some accusing her of treason.The footage promoted by Trump intercut images of the World Trade Centre aflame with comments from Omar, one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, about the treatment of Muslims after 9/11.Conservatives have seized on those remarks as dismissive of the attacks."The president's words weigh a ton, and his hateful and inflammatory rhetoric creates real danger," Ms Pelosi said. "President Trump must take down his disrespectful and dangerous video."Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, said Trump was not inciting violence against Ms Omar, or Muslims in general, and would not be ashamed for "speaking out against" violence.She added that Democrats should be "taking the same hard line that the president is" against Ms Omar.Ms Sanders said on "Fox News Sunday" that referring to the 9/11 attacks "in such a dismissive way is frankly disgusting and abhorrent".Ms Omar, appearing at an event in Los Angeles in March sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy organisation, suggested that government officials infringed upon the free-speech rights of some Muslim Americans after the 9/11 attacks."CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognised that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties," she said, making an incorrect reference to the organisation's founding, which actually took place in 1994.Ms Omar's critics have seized on the "some people did something" remark. But others have said the words were taken out of context. The speech focused on attacks Muslims in America faced after 9/11.A spokesman for Ms Omar has said the entire speech was addressing civil rights and the "danger of Islamophobia in the United States and around the world – in particular the danger of associating all members of a religion with the acts of a few despicable terrorists".Ms Pelosi, who is travelling in Europe during the congressional recess, has tried to contact Ms Omar, but her travel schedule has made it difficult for the two to connect, a Democratic aide said.The speaker criticised Trump in a series of early-morning tweets Sunday from Germany, where she was visiting with US service members."It is wrong for the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to fan the flames to make anyone less safe," she wrote.But the remarks have caught fire in conservative circles. The New York Post, owned by Trump ally Rupert Murdoch, juxtaposed Ms Omar's comments with a picture of the twin towers on its cover last week.On Friday, Trump followed suit. "WE WILL NEVER FORGET," the president tweeted to his nearly 60 million followers, while posting the video that repeatedly played Ms Omar's reference to "some people", then cut to the planes slamming into the Manhattan skyline.Ms Omar has been the subject of numerous threats.Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged a New York state man with phoning in a death threat to her.The attacks on the congresswoman have provided Democrats with a rare opportunity to unify around Ms Omar, whose previous comments about Israel have been interpreted as antisemitic by some Jewish Democrats in Congress.After a fierce internal debate, Democrats passed a catchall anti-bigotry resolution in March that was intended, in part, to put the controversy over Ms Omar's remarks to rest.Ms Pelosi joins a growing list of Democrats, including many of the declared 2020 candidates, who have denounced Trump's tweet.On Saturday, Senator Elizabeth Warren accused the president of "inciting violence against a sitting Congresswoman – and an entire group of Americans based on their religion" in a tweet.Senator Kamala Harris said Trump's actions were another reminder of how important it was to unseat him in 2020."For two years, this President has used the most powerful platform in the world to sow hate & division," she tweeted. "I'll be blunt – we must defeat him."The New York Times
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| The 2020 Ford Mustang's Base Model Gets a Better Performance Package Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  This single box-check option, borrowed from the Focus RS, can take a 2.3-liter Mustang from base to race.
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| Your Air Force Needs Some Firepower and Can't Get an F-35?: Check Out the Eurofighter Typhoon Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:17 AM PDT  The development of the Typhoon did not clear the field of European fighter contenders. France, with its own aviation industry and its own specialized requirements (including carrier takeoff and landing capability) and Sweden would produce their own fighters, which continue to compete with the Typhoon for export contracts. The F-35 has come to dominate the fighter acquisition plans of many European countries, sucking up money and attention that might have gone to the Typhoon.The Eurofighter Typhoon has joined the Dassault Rafale, the Saab Gripen, and the Sukhoi "Flanker" in pursuit of a growing niche in the international fighter market. These aircraft offer capabilities beyond the Generation 4 platforms developed in the 1970s, but don't carry the costs and complications of stealth. While the Eurofighter has enjoyed outstanding technical success thus far, the market niche may not be large enough to sustain production over time.(This first appeared in 2016.)Origins:
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| Syria, Iran say US is waging 'economic terrorism' Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:45 AM PDT  DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria and Iran said Tuesday the United States is waging "economic terrorism" against countries that have different opinions and should pursue its aims through diplomacy instead.
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| Apple and Qualcomm bury the hatchet in royalties battle royal Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:40 PM PDT  Apple and American microchip manufacturer Qualcomm said Tuesday they have agreed to "dismiss all litigation" against each other worldwide in what had been a sprawling battle over royalty payments. The news sent Qualcomm's stock price soaring more than 23 percent on Wall Street, its best one-day performance in nearly 20 years. The deal includes a six-year license agreement with the option to extend for two years, and a payment to Qualcomm from Apple, the companies said.
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| India bans BJP state chief minister from campaign after anti-Muslim comment Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:18 AM PDT  India's election commission on Monday banned a Hindu state chief minister from campaigning for three days after anti-Muslim comments in an election that will end next month. The saffron-clad Yogi Adityanath, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, had been warned this month about his campaign speeches, the election commission said. The commission said Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, had spoken about a "green virus" in a speech last week in reference to Muslim voters who he said were being wooed by opposition parties.
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| AOC: Trump is 'absolutely' trying to incite violence against Omar Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:11 AM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says President Trump is "absolutely" trying to incite violence against Rep. Ilhan Omar by tweeting a video that juxtaposes Omar's controversial reference to 9/11 hijackers with jarring images of the terror attacks.
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| Volkswagen Shows Tarok Concept to See If America Wants a Small Pickup Again Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT  This is the second small pickup concept VW has used to tease U.S. buyers. Is it leading to production?
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| Sanders’s Medicare for All Goes Too Far Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:30 AM PDT  It would outlaw most forms of private health insurance and eliminate all out-of-pocket costs — something that Medicare doesn't now do. Sanders's plan wouldn't replace private health care with a government-run system like the U.K.'s National Health Service.
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| Leak suggests the OnePlus 7 launch is less than a month away Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:05 AM PDT  OnePlus is expected to launch three new phones by the end of the quarter, including the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, according to recent leaks. For the first time in its brief history, the Chinese smartphone maker will debut a series of devices in the spring, if these rumors are accurate.That's hardly surprising considering what the competition is up to, but also because we're finally getting 5G phones this year, and OnePlus wants to be one of the first companies on the market with a 5G device. While previous rumors claimed the new OnePlus 7 would arrive in May, we didn't have a precise release date. But now, an insider with a solid track record is back with an actual date.It turns out we're (supposedly) about a month away from the OnePlus 7 launch. Teenage leaker Ishan Agarwal, who has been posting scoops on Twitter about various phones in recent months, including the Pixel 3 and OnePlus's most recent phones, says the OnePlus 7 will launch on May 14th.https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1117378077309329408Moreover, fans looking to attend the press conference will soon be able to buy their tickets, just like last year:https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1116989679503577089The same leaker previously said the OnePlus 7 series would launch next month, providing details about the upcoming phones, including the fact that OnePlus will launch a "Pro" version -- also a first for the company.A different leak a few days ago seemed to confirm the new all-screen design for the OnePlus 7 series. The phone will feature a slide-out selfie camera, like many other Android handsets from China, as well as a triple-lens rear camera. When it comes to specs, the phone will run on the next-gen Snapdragon flagship chip, the 855, which also powers the Galaxy S10 as well as several recent 5G phones.OnePlus's 7 Pro 5G will be its first 5G handset, with UK carrier EE expected to be OnePlus's first 5G partner.
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| Canada: police hunt hitman disguised as delivery person who shot woman Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Suspect injured woman with a crossbow in a 'premeditated, targeted' attack, police say, in November 2018Police say the bow and arrows used in the attack are designed for hunting big game like moose. Photograph: Chris Helgren/ReutersPolice in Canada are hunting a suspected hitman who they say disguised himself as a delivery person to carry out a "premeditated, targeted and isolated attack" on a woman, gravely injuring her with a crossbow.Details of a brazen murder attempt were released to the public Monday morning by police in Mississauga, Ontario. The attack on the 44-year-old woman occurred late on 7 November 2018 in an area north of Toronto.In black-and-white home surveillance footage, a man is seen carrying a large cardboard box on the victim's front porch. Dressed in a baseball cap, hooded sweatshirt and dark gloves, the man awkwardly holds the large rectangular box, which police say concealed the crossbow.After a brief conversation, he fires the weapon and flees in a dark pickup truck. The front door is seen closing as the suspect runs away.Despite her substantial injuries, the woman was able to phone emergency responders. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she has remained for months."The injuries that she sustained were absolutely devastating," Det Sgt Jim Kettles of Peel police told reporters. "It involved damage to a lot of her internal organs. She'll be in recovery phase for the rest of her life … Her life will never be the same."The woman got a "direct look" at the man who attacked her, but was unable to identify him."This was most definitely a targeted type of attack," Kettles said, adding that "the crossbow was never removed from the box" during the encounter.At the press conference, police displayed a similar crossbow and arrows to the ones used in the attack, which are designed for hunting big game like moose. The choice of weapon was meant to "inflict the maximum amount of damage possible", said police, who were able to recover one of the arrows at the scene of the crime."Comments made to the victim [by the suspect] indicate the victim was targeted and that the suspect may have carried out the attack at the request of another individual," said Supt Heather Raymor. "It is clear that this attack was meant to end the victim's life."Police have not released a motive for the attack. Kettles said the shoes and baseball hat worn by the suspect were unique – and the suspect did not conceal his face, giving investigators a number of potential clues. "We are open to anything at this point and we are looking at all possible investigative avenues," he said.
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| Democrats request documents on White House 'sanctuary city' idea Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:24 AM PDT  Top Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday demanded documents from the Trump administration over a White House proposal to release migrants from detention and transport them to "sanctuary cities." U.S. media reported on Thursday the administration had considered the idea, which would send migrants and asylum seekers who had crossed the U.S. border with Mexico to districts represented by Democratic lawmakers. Sanctuary cities are local jurisdictions that generally refuse to use their resources to help enforce federal immigration laws against undocumented immigrants that could lead to deportations. Since many of these jurisdictions are represented by Democrats, critics saw the plan as a way to taunt Democrats by dangling the possibility of an influx of illegal immigrants into their communities.
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| 'In the blink of an eye': USA TODAY was there when Nipsey Hussle vigil turned to chaos Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:33 PM PDT  USA TODAY reporter Harrison Hill was among hundreds of people gathered at a makeshift memorial for Nipsey Hussle Monday, right as it turned violent.
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| Pete Buttigieg is making Republicans nervous: Today's talker Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:25 AM PDT  'If social media activity is any indication, Indiana's Republican leaders are at a minimum bothered by Buttigieg,' says Suzette Hackney.
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| Donald Trump suggests Boeing should 'rebrand' troubled 737 Max aircraft in wake of fatal crashes Posted: 15 Apr 2019 01:24 PM PDT  Donald Trump has suggested Boeing should "rebrand" its grounded 737 Max fleet and give it "a new name" in the wake of two deadly crashes involving the jets. The US president tweeted on Monday: "What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would fix the Boeing 737 Max, add some additional great features...rebrand the plane with a new name." He added: "No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?" American manufacturer Boeing was forced to ground its new 737 Max series worldwide last month after one of its planes crashed minutes after take off in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board. It followed a similar crash involving the model in Indonesia in October in which 189 people were killed. Preliminary reports into the crashes suggests a flaw in the model's automation software was the cause of both tragedies. The reports have rocked the plane maker and prompted questions about how much Boeing knew about the software glitch in its best-selling aircraft. What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019 The plane's grounding has also threatened the US summer travel season, with some airlines removing the 737 from their schedules through August. Mr Trump, who is an aviation enthusiast, issued the tweet as Boeing tries to restore trust in its fastest-selling jet, the main source of profits and cash at the Chicago-based aviation giant which has won some 5,000 orders or around seven years of production for the aircraft. Boeing's chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg, has apologised for the fatalities in the two recent crashes and promised to fix any issues in the flight software. Ethiopia Airlines crash The company has held dozens of briefings and simulator sessions for airline executives and pilots as well as meetings with airline branding and communications staff in a bid to relaunch the troubled Max fleet. Pilots are expected to play a major role in regaining public confidence in the aircraft, but Mr Trump's tweet marks the first time the brand underpinning Boeing's profits in coming years has been thrown into question at a high level. The president has previously blamed technological advances in the aftermath Ethiopian Airlines crash, saying "pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT." He later went on to say he hoped the planes would only be grounded "for a short period of time" and noting the company is "one of our largest exporters". According to recent estimates, airlines have racked up nearly $2 billion (£1.5 million) in extra costs as a result of the worldwide grounding of Boeing's 737 Max jets. Each day one the 387 aircraft in service sits on the ground it costs its operator $150,000 (£114,000), aerospace consultancy IBA said.
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| Notre Dame Fire: Paris police chief says cathedral structure has been saved after spire collapse Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:13 PM PDT  The Paris chief of police said the structure of Notre Dame cathedral has been saved and a catastrophic fire stopped from spreading to the northern belfry.
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| View Photos of the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLB Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:42 AM PDT |
| Are Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un About to Have a Summit? Posted: 15 Apr 2019 01:50 AM PDT  Summit speculation has been rife in recent months
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| AOC on 'Game of Thrones' finale: It'd be 'badass' if it ended in democracy Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:28 AM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., offered an optimistic view on the potential conclusion of "Game of Thrones."
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| SpaceX lost its Falcon Heavy core booster to the ocean Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:23 AM PDT ![SpaceX lost its Falcon Heavy core booster to the ocean]( "SpaceX lost its Falcon Heavy core booster to the ocean") Last week, SpaceX finally accomplished something it had never done before. It launched the Falcon Heavy on its first commercial mission, and when its trio of boosters came back to Earth, it nailed all three of the landings. It was an incredible accomplishment, and still is, but unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans for Falcon Heavy's core booster.In an announcement that the company certainly wishes it didn't have to give, SpaceX revealed to The Verge that the Falcon Heavy center booster was swallowed up by the ocean after it landed safely on the company's drone ship.SpaceX described the unfortunate event thusly:> Over the weekend, due to rough sea conditions, SpaceX's recovery team was unable to secure the center core booster for its return trip to Port Canaveral. As conditions worsened with eight to ten foot swells, the booster began to shift and ultimately was unable to remain upright. While we had hoped to bring the booster back intact, the safety of our team always takes precedence. We do not expect future missions to be impacted.The company did apparently manage to recover the booster from the ocean, with Elon Musk revealing on Twitter that the booster's engines appeared "ok," but would have to be inspected closely:https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1118017021612937216Seawater can seriously damage many sensitive rocket components, and ensuring that any piece of hardware that endured a dunk in the ocean is completely free of any corrosion or buildup is a difficult task.Nevertheless, SpaceX has already announced that it plans to reuse the nosecone fairings of Falcon Heavy in another launch before the end of the year. The fairings splashed down in the ocean as well, and were quickly scooped up by SpaceX, so it seems the company is confident it can negate the effects of seawater on at least some of its pricey rocket parts.SpaceX almost hit a total home run with the second Falcon Heavy launch, but it seems there's still room for improvement. Maybe next time.
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| Get the Best Sleep of Your Life with These Smart (and Just Plain Soothing) Products Posted: 16 Apr 2019 01:35 PM PDT |
| Israel's president starts consultations on prime minister nomination Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:14 AM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination seemed virtually ensured after his right-wing Likud won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the April 9 ballot, and his closest rival, Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party, conceded defeat. President Reuven Rivlin said he would announce his choice on Wednesday after meeting with all of the parties that captured seats in the 120-member Knesset. Under Israeli law, after consultations with the parties the president taps a legislator whom he believes has the best chance of forming a government, delegating 28 days, with a two-week extension if necessary, to complete the task.
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| This Congress not 'smart enough' to understand Trump's tax returns, Sarah Sanders says Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:43 AM PDT  "I don't think Congress, particularly not this group of congressmen and women, are smart enough to look through the thousands of pages," she said.
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| Boeing 737 MAX changes deemed 'operationally suitable': FAA Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:37 PM PDT  The changes US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has proposed in the wake of two deadly accidents of its top-selling 737 MAX aircraft were deemed "operationally suitable," according to a draft report released by US regulators Tuesday. Boeing has been working on a software fix for its anti-stall system following crashes in Ethiopia last month and Indonesia in October that killed nearly 350 people, both shortly after takeoff. All 737 MAX aircraft have been banned from the world's skies since days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10, and the FAA has said it will not rush to approve the proposed fixes.
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| Best Grocery Stores and Supermarkets Posted: 16 Apr 2019 09:39 AM PDT  America's grocery shoppers have spoken, and they've said they like their regional chains. In Consumer Reports' latest grocery store ratings of 96 chains, five regional grocers shared top marks fo...
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| China Considers U.S. Request to Shift Tariffs on Farm Goods Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:30 AM PDT  The step would involve China moving retaliatory duties it imposed starting last July on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods to non-agricultural imports, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. The shift is because the U.S. doesn't intend to lift its own duties on $50 billion of Chinese imports even if an agreement to resolve the trade war between the two nations is reached, one the people said. Another person said China would consider shifting the tariffs to make it easier to meet a proposal to buy an additional $30 billion a year more of U.S. agricultural goods on top of pre-trade war levels as part of a final deal.
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| The 2020 Nissan 370Z Commemorates 50 Years with a Special Anniversary Edition Posted: 16 Apr 2019 04:00 AM PDT  The legendary Z turns 50 and celebrates with a unique livery inspired by the iconic BRE 240Z race car.
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| SpaceIL Will Try Again After Last Week's Failed Moon Landing Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:25 AM PDT  Israeli company SpaceIL is not giving up on its goal of becoming the first private company to land on the moon.
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| Bank of America profit rises 6 pct on growing loan book Posted: 16 Apr 2019 03:56 AM PDT ![Bank of America profit rises 6 pct on growing loan book]( "Bank of America profit rises 6 pct on growing loan book") Bank of America Corp reported a 6 percent rise in quarterly profit on Tuesday, as a growing loan book and cost cuts made up for a drop in revenue in investment banking. Net income applicable to common shareholders rose to $6.87 billion, or 70 cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31 from $6.49 billion, or 62 cents per share, a year earlier.
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| Man charged after girls come forward following inappropriate acts at sleepover, Orange County Sheriff's Office says Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:07 PM PDT  A 36-year-old man is facing sex crime charges after a girl reported his inappropriate behavior to her mother when she returned home from a sleepover at a friend's house.
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