| Bernie Sanders says felons, even Boston Marathon bomber, should have right to vote in prison Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:42 AM PDT  Bernie Sanders offered his stance at a CNN town hall Monday when asked whether he thought felons should be allowed to vote while they're incarcerated.
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| Elizabeth Warren's plan to end student debt is glorious. We can make it a reality Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  We fully support the 2020 nominee's student debt relief proposal. But to make it happen, we'll need to kick our efforts into higher gear 'Elizabeth Warren's proposal is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives.' Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP This week, Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, announced a proposal to cancel student debt for millions of people and make public college free. This is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives. But like every other progressive proposal now being touted by presidential hopefuls, from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, the call for debt relief and free education first came from the grassroots. And if we want a real student debt jubilee to actually happen – to go from policy paper to reality – the grassroots will need to continue to push for it. Fortunately, it's a battle that can be won. Raising our voices is how we got this far. Ten years ago, student debt, even as it soared, was not seen as a serious issue. Writers including Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz were early to sound the alarm, exposing young people's disproportionate indebtedness as a structural issue. Scholars such as Darrick Hamilton and Tressie McMillan Cottom would later go on to document the racially disparate impact of student loans, which burden women and people of color most of all. But it took the Occupy Wall Street movement to make public how profoundly the pinch of monthly payments was felt by an entire generation. Sign up to receive the latest US opinion pieces every weekday In April 2012 a group of Occupiers organized a "1T Day" protest to mark the day student debt in America surpassed $1tn. Seven years later, that number has ballooned to more than $1.5tn. That protest represented a watershed moment, the point when student debt went from being a personal problem to a political one, the result of decades of disinvestment in public colleges and universities that turned education into a consumer product instead of a public good. Some of the organizers of that event would go on to help launch the Debt Collective, a union for debtors that I co-founded. We kicked things off with the Rolling Jubilee fund, a public education campaign that bought and cancelled more than $30m in medical, student debt, payday loans and private probation debts. Then, in 2015, the Debt Collective launched the country's first student debt strike. Since the strike was announced, we have won more than $1bn (and counting) in student debt cancellation for people who attended fraudulent for-profit colleges. Our team accomplished this by building a membership base of for-profit borrowers themselves. These debtors, a multiracial group of working-class people from across the country, led a campaign to pressure the Department of Education to cancel their loans. Their victory – and the fact that our primary demand of a debt jubilee and free college is now on Warren's platform – demonstrates the power of grassroots organizing. The precedent-setting significance of the Debt Collective's work is clear and cannot be overstated: Warren knows that student loans can be cancelled because they already have been on a smaller scale for for-profit college borrowers. That said, Warren's plan, as bold as it is, is hardly inevitable. Her proposal of canceling student debt and ensuring free college seems contingent on the passage of a millionaire's tax that, barring a miracle, is likely to be stymied by an intransigent Congress. In order to win a jubilee, then, we will have to kick our grassroots efforts into a higher gear. Debtors must continue to fight for their rights and advocate for the best possible solutions. We are preparing to do just that. Since 2016, along with our partners at Harvard Law School's Project on Predatory Student Lending, we have been working out a roadmap that would allow all federal student loans to be cancelled without waiting for Congress to act. Congress, it turns out, has already given administrative agencies the power to cancel debts. Just as the Securities and Exchange Commission can cut low-dollar deals with banks that break the law, for example, the secretary of education can settle with debtors for a fraction of what they owe or suspend the collection of student debt altogether. When it was first given the power to issue and collect student loans in 1958, the Department of Education also received the power to "compromise, waive, or release any right" to collect on them. And when the Higher Education Act of 1965 made student loan authorities permanent, it solidified their power to compromise. Nothing in the law prevents the secretary of education from using compromise and settlement authority to address the worst effects of decades of failed higher education policy. But only a movement with that as its goal can get us there. Student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country To win a jubilee, we need a movement focused on motivating candidates to commit to using the full powers available to them in office to address this emergency and stop collections on all student loans. While millionaires and billionaires should be taxed at a much higher rate, in the short term we should not let a Congress bought off by the super-rich prevent us from doing what's right and legal – and economically beneficial. Indeed, student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country. Not only would debtors get relief, academic research shows it would be a significant stimulus that might "supercharge" the economy and help address the racial wealth gap. Money currently used to pay back loans with interest would be redirected to other goods and services. But the win would be more profound than just an economic boost. Education could finally be a public good and not a commodity (or worse, a debt trap). This transformation would help inaugurate a new political vision that redefines liberty as the ability to freely access the social services that we all need to survive and thrive. The Debt Collective has been leading this fight for years – and our growing membership will continue to do so. Grassroots organizing is what got us this far, and it's the only thing that can get us to the finish line: an end to student debt and free public college for everyone, once and for all. Astra Taylor is a writer, organizer, and documentarian. Her books include the American Book Award winner The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone. Her most recent film is What Is Democracy?
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| The Latest: Police clarify suspect sketch in girls' killings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:38 PM PDT  DELPHI, Ind. (AP) — The Latest on the investigation into the 2017 killings of two northern Indiana girls (all times local):
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| Silent streets after dozens of children killed in Sri Lanka attacks Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:26 AM PDT  The streets of Sri Lanka's Katuwapitiya should be full of the sound of children's games. "These streets are usually full of children playing," said Suraj Fernando, whose own 12-year-old grandson Enosh was among those killed. The community is in the town of Negombo, where a suicide bomber targeted Easter services at the St Sebastian's church, one of three churches and three hotels hit on Sunday.
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| NASA probe detects likely 'marsquake': an interplanetary first Posted: 23 Apr 2019 05:34 PM PDT  The breakthrough came nearly five months after InSight, the first spacecraft designed specifically to study the deep interior of a distant world, touched down on the surface of Mars to begin its two-year seismological mission on the red planet. The faint rumble characterized by JPL scientists as a likely marsquake, roughly equal to a 2.5 magnitude earthquake, was recorded on April 6 - the lander's 128th Martian day, or sol.
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| Democrats Consider Fines for Trump Officials Who Spurn Subpoenas Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:00 AM PDT  At a meeting of House leaders earlier this month, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler suggested fining officials personally if they deny or ignore subpoenas, according to a person who attended the meeting. Nadler even mentioned jailing administration officials as a consequence for contempt of Congress, though he surmised such a plan might be unrealistic, added the person, who requested anonymity to discuss a closed-door session. The person said the idea surprised many in the room but seemed to have been researched as a serious option by Nadler or his staff.
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| Jared Kushner Does Not 'Dispute' Saudis Behind Jamal Khashoggi's Death Posted: 23 Apr 2019 02:43 PM PDT  Kushner said he urged the Crown Prince to "be as transparent as possible"
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| US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:07 AM PDT ![US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings]( "US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings") U.S. stocks hovered below their all-time highs on Wednesday, as investors digested a mixed batch of earnings reports and losses in energy stocks limited gains on the indexes. The S&P 500 is 0.3% below its record high of 2,940.91 hit in late September.
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| Growing U.S. Pressure is Emboldening Iranian Hardliners Posted: 23 Apr 2019 05:05 AM PDT  The ingredients for a war with Iran are falling into place. The Trump administration's termination of oil waivers for importers of Iranian oil and designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's state-run military, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) are dangerous acts of escalation. Surprisingly, the Iranian reaction to the IRGC designation has been restrained as Tehran's top decisionmakers remain committed to waiting out the Trump administration and not being baited into conflict. However, their approach is under immense domestic challenge—and could soon become unsustainable.Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and his reformist and moderate allies continue to prefer to minimize foreign tensions through diplomatic engagement. Despite President Donald Trump's abrogation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal and the reimposition of hard-hitting unilateral sanctions, Rouhani has won elite consensus on refraining from retaliatory actions that could spur a multilateral front against Iran or risk conflict.Rouhani has pushed for a policy that is best described as strategic patience. It has been marked by continuing to adhere to the JCPOA, reticence to escalate regional tensions, and preserving ties with Europe in the face of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign. While Rouhani and other senior officials have ruled out talks with the Trump administration, they have left the door open to engaging a future White House that renters the JCPOA.
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| Judge Andrew Napolitano: Did President Trump obstruct justice? Posted: 23 Apr 2019 09:43 PM PDT  Judge Napolitano's Chambers: Judge Andrew Napolitano weighs in on the information revealed in the Mueller report and whether or not President Trump obstructed justice.
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| Student sues Apple for $1 billion, claims face-recognition caused false arrest Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:47 AM PDT  Apple is being sued for $1 billion by a college student who blames the company's facial recognition software for his wrongful arrest.
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| View Photos of the 2019 Lexus LS500h Hybrid Posted: 23 Apr 2019 11:05 AM PDT |
| Easter Massacre Opens Door for Strongman to Return in Sri Lanka Posted: 23 Apr 2019 11:49 PM PDT  The star-studded event, featuring both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, underscored the importance of the property beyond simply attracting more tourists: It was also a monument to Sri Lanka's resurgence following a brutal three-decade civil war between the mostly Buddhist Sinhalese majority and predominately Hindu Tamils. The Shangri-La was built on the old site of the army headquarters, which was shifted outside the city after former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa's government won a decisive victory in 2009 with tactics criticized by human-rights activists. The Easter Sunday bombings that tore apart the Shangri-La, two nearby luxury hotels and three Christian churches have made security a top-of-mind concern in Colombo once again.
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| UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires Posted: 23 Apr 2019 04:18 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires]( "UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires") PG&E Corp can pay employees up to $350 million in bonuses this year to spur them to help meet the bankrupt California power provider's safety goals to prevent wildfires, a judge said on Tuesday. PG&E's management has said the company needs to implement the bonus plan to carry out tasks such as clearing trees and branches around power lines to avert contact that triggers wildfires. While the maximum cost of the plan is $350 million, PG&E has said it expects the likely cost will be around $235 million.
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| Hillary Clinton: Russian interference 'certainly had an impact' on the 2016 election Posted: 23 Apr 2019 12:58 PM PDT  Amid efforts by President Trump and the White House to downplay the effectiveness of Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election, Clinton said it's clear that Moscow's efforts affected the outcome.
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| Rouhani says U.S. must lift pressure and apologize before Iran will negotiate Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:20 AM PDT  GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is willing to negotiate with America only when the United States lifts pressure and apologizes, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, according to state media. Oil prices hit their highest level since November on Tuesday after Washington announced all waivers on imports of sanctions-hit Iranian oil would end next week, pressuring importers to stop buying from Tehran and further tightening global supply. "We have always been a man of negotiation and diplomacy, the same way that we've been a man of war and defense. ...
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| Kim woos Putin as N. Korean labourers toil in Russia Posted: 22 Apr 2019 07:36 PM PDT  While North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is wined and dined with Vladimir Putin in Russia this week, around 10,000 of his citizens will be labouring around the country to earn money for his government. Analysts say Kim is looking to strengthen economic links with Moscow with his nuclear negotiations with Washington deadlocked -- and as he seeks a counterbalance to Beijing, currently Pyongyang's key major ally and vital economic lifeline. The pair are expected to meet in the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, possibly on Wednesday or Thursday, in the first summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia since Kim Jong Il met with Dmitry Medvedev eight years ago.
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| Samsung delays folding phone launch after breaking issues Posted: 22 Apr 2019 07:30 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Samsung is pushing back this week's planned public launch of its highly anticipated, $2000 folding phone after reports that reviewers' phones were breaking.
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| This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra Will Break All The Necks Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:50 AM PDT  This may be a replica, but it's the only one licensed by Shelby. This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra has the sleek, instantly recognizable looks of the original Shelby Cobra, making it a standout in a sea of cool cars.
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| Who was behind the Sri Lanka bombings? Everything we know so far about the Easter Sunday attacks Posted: 22 Apr 2019 09:10 PM PDT  Easter Day bomb blasts at three Sri Lankan churches and four hotels killed 310 people and wounded around 500, following a lull in major attacks since the end of the civil war 10 years ago. The explosions, some of which officials said were suicide bomb attacks, led to an immediate clampdown, with the government declaring a curfew and blocking access to most major social media and messaging sites. What happened? The powerful blasts - six in quick succession and then two more hours later - wrought devastation, including at the capital's well-known St Anthony's Shrine, a historic Catholic Church. The three hotels hit in the initial attacks were the Shangri-La Colombo, Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo and the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. pic gallery The first six explosions were all reported within a short period in the morning just as church services were starting. Hours later there were two further attacks in the outskirts of Colombo. Police the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers. Who were the victims? The death toll rose to 310 on Tuesday after several people died of their injuries overnight, a police spokesman said. There were hundreds of people injured in hospitals. There were eight British citizens killed in the attack, two of whom had dual US nationality. Ben Nicholson said his wife Anita, 42, son Alex, 14, and daughter Annabel, 11, had been killed as they sat at a table for breakfast in the Shangri-la Hotel in Colombo on Easter Sunday. "Mercifully, all three of them died instantly and with no pain or suffering," Mr Nicholson said. Ben Nicholson (right) with the other members of his family who were killed Daniel Linsey, 19 and his younger sister Amelie, 15, were having breakfast with their father Matthew at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel when the suicide bomber struck. Dr Sally Bradley and her husband Bill Harrop were staying in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel when one of the seven suicide bombers struck. The Manchester couple had been living in the Australian city of Perth since 2013 where Dr Bradley was practising medicine, but were due to return to the UK soon. Read more | Sri Lanka attacks Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, said she lost a relative in the attacks. "It is all so devastating," she wrote on Twitter. "Solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka." The first American victim of the Sri Lanka terror attack has been named as 40-year-old Dieter Kowalski. Mr Kowalski, from Denver, Colorado, checked into the luxury Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo just hours before it was targeted by the bombers. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said the nationalities of 11 foreigners killed in the Easter Sunday blasts have been verified. Three Indians, one Portuguese and two Turkish nationals were killed, while a further nine foreigners were also reported missing. A Dutch national and a Chinese national also have been reported among the victims. Read more about the victims. Who was behind the attacks? A police spokesman said on Tuesday 40 people were now under arrest in connection with the attacks. A Sri Lankan government official said the attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a domestic militant group named National Thowfeek Jamaath. There was no claim of responsibility on Monday. All of the bombers were Sri Lankan citizens, but authorities suspect foreign links, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said at a news conference. Earlier, Ariyananda Welianga, a government forensic crime investigator, said an analysis of the attackers' body parts made clear that they were suicide bombers. He said most of the attacks were carried out by a single bomber, with two at Colombo's Shangri-La Hotel. Documents seen by AFP show that Sri Lanka's police chief Pujuth Jayasundara issued an intelligence alert to top officers 10 days ago, warning that suicide bombers planned to hit "prominent churches". "A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo," the alert said. The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that was linked last year to the vandalism of Buddhist statues. Sri Lankan police were holding a Syrian national in custody for questioning, three government and military sources told Reuters on Tuesday. "The terrorist investigation division of the police arrested a Syrian national following the attacks for interrogation," a source said. Two other officials with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the detention. "He was arrested after interrogation of local suspects," a second source said. Key intelligence on a possible terrorist attack was not passed onto the Sri Lankan government weeks before the attack. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged late on Sunday that "information was there" about possible attacks, adding that "we must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken." How did Sri Lanka react? The government beefed up security and imposed an immediate and indefinite curfew across the country. It also put in place a "temporary" ban on social media platforms "in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread". Security at Colombo's airport was also enhanced, according to Sri Lankan Airlines, which advised its passengers to arrive four hours before their flights. It added that passengers with passports and tickets will be able to reach the airport during the curfew. he front page of a Sri Lankan newspaper, showing coverage of the Easter Sunday blasts, hangs at a newsstand in Colombo Credit: AFP The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, called on Sri Lanka's government to "mercilessly" punish those responsible "because only animals can behave like that." Two Muslim groups in Sri Lanka also condemned the church attacks. The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka said it mourned the loss of innocent people in the blasts by extremists who seek to divide religious and ethnic groups. The All Ceylon Jammiyyathul Ulama a body of Muslim clerics, said targeting Christian places of worship cannot be accepted. Embassies in Sri Lanka have warned their citizens to shelter in place. Here is a round-up of the world's reaction to the atrocity.
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| JPMorgan's Bob Michele Says ‘Enjoy the Ride’ as Risk Assets Rally Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:52 AM PDT  The chief investment officer at JPMorgan Asset Management said money managers are sitting on too much cash and should be boosting their allocations to high-yield assets after the Federal Reserve's dovish pivot. The firm is putting its weight behind emerging markets as investors from BlackRock Inc. to Fidelity International warn of a break in the rally.
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| Grandfather gunned down in front of children on Easter Sunday in Southeast Fresno Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:33 AM PDT  An Easter that included a fun day of family memories at a park ended in an execution-style murder in Calwa, California.
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| Lindsey Graham tells Trump to 'expect impeachment proceedings' Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:09 AM PDT  A senior Trump ally says he expects impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump \- despite Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi attempting to steer party members away from the move.Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, chair of the senate judiciary committee, made the prediction on Twitter on Tuesday morning.He declared that the 'radical left' is now in charge of the Democratic Party, meaning attempts by House Speaker Ms Pelosi to avoid divisive impeachment proceedings will fail."Nancy Pelosi is not in charge of the Democratic Party. The radical left is in charge."So, I will expect that there will be impeachment proceedings against President Trump."Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday night, he said he expected a "stampede" by the so-called radical left to impeach the president.He said he "hates" that Mr Trump will have to go through the process, but believes the Mueller report, released in a heavily redacted form last week, "vindicates" the president.The end result of impeachment proceedings, he predicted, would be Mr Trump's re-election in 2020.Any impeachment process would be extremely unlikely to pass the Senate.His comments come in the wake of Ms Pelosi, a pragmatic party elder not known for grand gestures, urging colleagues to pursue other options to impeachment this week.She said it was "important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings".She condemned Mr Trump's "highly unethical and unscrupulous behaviour" as revealed in Robert Mueller's report, but warned her party not to become overly obsessed with the specific way it responded."While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings of the Mueller report or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth," Ms Pelosi wrote to colleagues ahead of a conference call.
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| In-Depth Photos of Our Long-Term 2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:04 PM PDT |
| Bernie Sanders Got It Right on CNN: Felons Ought to Be Allowed to Vote Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:21 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/GettyIn their CNN town halls Monday night, Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg disagreed on whether current prisoners should be able to vote. Sen. Kamala Harris refused to endorse a plan for expanding the franchise to incarcerated people, but supported voting rights for former prisoners.Sanders was specifically asked about Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and "those convicted of sexual assault." What sane person would want them to vote? Our political system is already run by crooks. Do we want to add murderers and rapists too?In European history dating to Roman times, criminals could be stripped of their legal personality after committing a crime. They could not sign contracts or own property. They were outlaws, banished from the city walls. John Locke and other political theorists argued that criminals broke an implicit social contract: a rule-breaker should lose the right to make rules for others. But Locke lived in a time when only white, male, wealthy landowners could vote. Today, the right to vote is enshrined in democratic constitutions and international treaties. In American history, many states' exclusions of those with a criminal record from voting date to the post-Civil War period and were clearly aimed at denying the franchise to African Americans. Criminal justice reform advocates argue that suffering a Medieval-style "civil death" dehumanizes prisoners, prevents their reintegration into society, and perpetuates inequalities in our political system. We should not assume that prisoners are less knowledgeable about politics than those outside of prison—that's a pretty low bar, after all. Encouraging prisoners to feel involved in the political process can have real benefits too. Isolating prisoners from the political process during and after their incarceration further stigmatizes and isolates them, and that can encourage reoffending.Prisoners lose many of their rights when they go to prison. They can't serve on a jury from a prison cell, or own guns; both of those are probably reasonable proscriptions. They probably should not own guns. But prisoners do not lose all their rights in prison. They are entitled to practice their religion and can challenge the conditions of their confinement. Taking away prisoners' liberty is already a heavy punishment. Allowing them to cast an absentee ballot is not an unreasonable privilege.The most important consequence of allowing prisoners to vote is that it would remove the incentives for "prison gerrymandering." In most U.S. states, prisoners are counted by the census based on where they are incarcerated, not where they are registered to vote. Because most large prisons are in sparsely populated rural areas, prison complexes have an important effect on gerrymandering. Many prisoners are racial minorities or people who live in urban areas, which means these places lose voting population, while more conservative areas gain nonvoting population. This advantages Republican congressmen in places like upstate New York, who benefit from inflated populations for redistricting purposes, but have nothing to fear at election time. Prisoner disenfranchisement therefore contributes to a structural disparity that causes Congress and state legislatures to be more conservative than the public at large.While many states are in the process of revising their laws to allow ex-prisoners to vote, voting by current prisoners only exists in Maine, Puerto Rico, and Vermont—the latter represented by Sanders in the U.S. Senate. In addition, the trend across the developed world is to allow at least some prisoners to vote. The supreme courts of South Africa, Canada, and Israel have legalized voting for at least some prisoners. The European Court of Human Rights has also rejected blanket prohibitions on prisoner voting, though it has allowed exceptions.The policy options are far broader than a single audience question would suggest. In Germany, prisoners can vote unless they were convicted of terrorism or political violence, an exception that would encompass Tsarnaev's marathon attack. Other European countries prevent violent criminals, those serving lengthy or life sentences, or war criminals from voting. Exceptions for crimes of dishonesty or fraud might be reasonable as well. In a few countries, only those convicted of misdemeanors can vote, rather than felonies.These are policy debates we should be willing to have. Even if we allowed only persons serving misdemeanor sentences in local jails to vote, this alone might add nearly 300,000 voters to the rolls. Prisoner voting is already underway in some states and developed countries, so it is hardly a revolutionary position. Overbroad restrictions on voting help ensure that politicians select their own voters, rather than voters electing their own politicians.Andrew Novak is Assistant Professor of Criminology Law and Society at George Mason University.Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Teva stops testing its migraine drug as cluster headache treatment Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:34 AM PDT  The drug, known generically as fremanezumab, competes with rival treatments from Eli Lilly & Co and Amgen Inc. Lilly in November received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "breakthrough" status for its migraine drug Emgality in treating episodic cluster headaches. In a late-stage trial, three out of four patients treated with Lilly's drug saw at least a 50 percent reduction in weekly cluster headaches. Teva's decision could be positive for Lilly's drug in differentiating it from its rivals, BMO Capital Markets analyst Alex Arfaei said.
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| Alleged commander of militia reportedly said group was training to assassinate Clinton, Obama Posted: 23 Apr 2019 03:51 AM PDT  The group has posted social media videos of its volunteers apprehending migrants crossing the U.S. border in New Mexico.
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| Amazon customers can now return their items at Kohl's Posted: 23 Apr 2019 11:28 AM PDT  Kohl's announced Tuesday that Amazon customers will be able to return items atall of its stores beginning in July
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| Facebook profit slumps on set-aside for big US fine Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:51 PM PDT  Facebook on Wednesday reported quarterly profit sank 51 percent from a year earlier due to setting aside $3 billion for an anticipated fine from US regulators. The leading social network logged a profit of $2.4 billion on revenue that climbed 26 percent to $15.1 billion in the first three months of this year. The number of monthly active users of Facebook at the end of March was 2.38 billion, up eight percent from a year ago.
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| Trump's Iran Moves Threaten to Take Dangerous Turn, Zarif Warns Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:08 AM PDT  Speaking two days after the U.S. said it will let waivers to a handful of governments still importing Iranian oil expire, exposing them to sanctions, Zarif said Wednesday that he thinks that Trump wants to force Tehran to the negotiating table but is being pushed toward a potential military conflict by some of his advisers and regional allies -- a "B Team" of officials that he said includes the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and National Security Advisor John Bolton. "President Trump's aim is to bring us to our knees and talk," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York.
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| WWII shipwreck discovered off Australian coast Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT  The SS Iron Crown, an Australian freighter sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II, has been discovered.
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| Kim Jong-un heads to Russia for first meeting with Putin Posted: 23 Apr 2019 03:24 PM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has left for the Russian city of Vladivostok for his first meeting with president Vladimir Putin, during which the two are expected to discuss sanctions, regional security and Pyongyang's growing need for food aid. Kim "left here by a private train at dawn on Wednesday to visit the Russian Federation," the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported, kicking off a 20-hour journey to the far north-east of his country, where it has a short border with Russia. An aide to Mr Putin said the two leaders would focus on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula but were not planning to make a joint declaration or sign any agreements. "This visit cannot be seen as a singular event and it has to be looked at in the context of North Korea test-firing some sort of new weapon last week and demanding that the US replace Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo as Washington's lead negotiator with the North", said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor of international relations at Tokyo's International Christian University. "This summit is a third pillar that is designed to demonstrate to the US that North Korea has options that allow it to diversify its diplomatic outreach as it tries to break the US sanctions stranglehold", he said. "It's a strong signal that it has lots of options and that it won't be forced into a bad deal with the US," he told The Telegraph. North Korean and Russian flags fly from lampposts on Russky island where the leaders will meet Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Talks between Kim and US president Donald Trump in Hanoi in February broke down after the United States refused to completely lift sanctions in exchange for the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear weapons research facility. Mr Putin's aide said Russia was seeking to follow a 2017 road map for denuclearisation it drafted with China, which called for the end of US missile tests in the area. There are growing indications that North Korea is being affected by sanctions imposed by the United Nations as a result of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and Mr Kim is likely to appeal to Mr Putin for assistance in having those sanctions lifted as well as exploring ways to get around them. Russia has already donated 50,000 tonnes of grain to the North as emergency food aid and Mr Kim is expected to ask for more, as well as assistance with energy supplies. The issue of North Korean "slave" labourers abroad, a key source of income for Pyongyang, could be raised after Russia said it had sent home two-thirds of some 30,000 such workers to comply with UN sanctions. Mr Nagy added that the North Korean dictator may also seek ways to obtain the luxuries that he bestows on the key people in his regime that he needs to keep happy in order to retain power. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departs to visit Russia at undisclosed location Credit: Reuters Mr Putin - whose government is also under US sanctions - could be receptive to requests for aid. He has criticised Washington's pressure on Pyongyang, suggesting that US belligerence has forced it to continue developing weapons. Russia has been accused of helping North Korea dodge the UN embargo on fuel shipments. Attempts to increase his diplomatic influence in the region complement the trade deals and military exercises undertaken for what Mr Putin has called a "pivot to Asia". Moscow has previously sought to revive the six-party talks that temporarily achieved the closure of North Korean nuclear facilities in 2007. "It's clear that Mr Putin is trying to complicate the US diplomatic presence in the region and efforts to achieve the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and he wants Moscow to have a greater say in what happens in the region," Mr Nagy said. North Korea is one of the few topics on which the United States continues to consult with Russia, most recently sending a special envoy to Moscow last week. For his part, Mr Kim is believed to be playing Russia off against its neighbouring superpower rival, China, as he seeks assistance and concessions that permit him to remain in power in the North. Russian media have reported that Mr Kim and Mr Putin will hold talks at the Far Eastern Federal University on Thursday before the Russian leader goes on to a conference in Beijing scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Mr Kim will remain in Vladivostok until Friday for a "cultural programme," Russian media said. The summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in Hanoi in February failed to produce an agreement Credit: Evan Vucci/AP It is his first visit to Russia, as he cancelled a 2015 trip to attend the Victory Day parade on Red Square. Reports in Japan have suggested that North Korean officials have visited a number of sites ahead of his arrival, indicating that he will visit the city's Mariinsky Ballet theatre, the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet and possibly the city's aquarium. He will be following in the footsteps of his father Kim Jong-il, who inspected a Russian warship and purchased several dozen cakes at a bakery during his 2002 visit to meet Mr Putin. Preparations were in full swing on Tuesday as two unscheduled planes believed to be carrying Mr Kim's security detail landed at Vladivostok airport. The leader will reportedly have an entourage of 230 people. Mobile phone footage showed a motorcade with two limousines driving into the Far Eastern Federal University, which met Mr Kim's security demands thanks to its location on an island outside the city proper. Workers at the Vladivostok railway station reportedly even had to deepen an exit ramp by 20 centimetres so Mr Kim's limousine would be able drive out.
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| The 2020 Nissan 370Z Commemorates 50 Years with a $2600 Special Anniversary Edition Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:38 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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| Don't Throw A Memorial Day BBQ Without These Recipes Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:33 PM PDT |
| Self-styled U.S. citizen border patrol unravels after leader's arrest Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:15 PM PDT ![Self-styled U.S. citizen border patrol unravels after leader's arrest]( "Self-styled U.S. citizen border patrol unravels after leader's arrest") SUNLAND PARK, N.M./TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - A group of armed Americans who have been stopping migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border abandoned their New Mexico camp on Tuesday, days after its leader was arrested and allies deserted them during a storm of criticism. The abrupt departure of the paramilitary group, the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), followed allegations they had kidnapped migrants and an ultimatum by the Union Pacific Railroad for them to leave the area in 30 minutes after the company accused the group of trespassing. Larry Hopkins, leader of the UCP, appeared in court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Monday to face firearms charges following his arrest by the FBI at the weekend.
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| Flying Southwest to Hawaii: Coconut rum, snack packs and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:12 AM PDT  USA TODAY flew to Hawaii on Southwest Airlines and back on Hawaiian Airlines to compare the experience.
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| These premium true wireless earphones make AirPods sound like dollar store earbuds Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:26 AM PDT  Apple's first-generation and new second-generation AirPods are great. They offer seamless integration with iOS devices and the sound is pretty impressive too, though most of the bass leaks out since they don't have silicone tips. If you have them and you love them, that's certainly fine. But if you're thinking about buying a pair and your primary concern is sound quality as opposed to image, there's an alternative that makes AirPods sound like those cheap no-name earbuds you might find in a dollar store.The Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones offer a fantastic design, incredible sound quality thanks in part to 10mm beryllium drivers, and a wonderful fit that locks in all that incredible sound. They also come with a very cool aluminum charging case, and they're in stock right now on Amazon. At the time of this writing, Amazon actually had a half-dozen pairs on sale at a sizeable $70 discount, dropping the price to $229.98. That's an all-time low, and those six units will definitely sell out quickly.Here's more info from the product page: * Master & Dynamic MW07 True wireless earphones are built on cutting-edge technology and feature beautifully handcrafted acetate and a richly appointed hand-polished stainless steel charging case to deliver a superior mobile sound tool. Technically sophisticated components such as custom 10mm Beryllium drivers, proprietary "fit wings, " improved antenna technology and optical sensors that detect in-ear placement to automatically play and pause the earphones demonstrate that when it comes to designing the ultimate True wireless listening experience, no detail is too small. * Premium materials: beautifully handcrafted and eye-catching acetate and durable finish, with a lightweight, slim Design * Exceptional acoustics: custom, high-performance 10mm Beryllium drivers deliver rich, expansive sound * Superior comfort & fit: proprietary silicone "fit wing" innovation available in two detachable sizes for a custom and extra secure in-ear fit
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| Rebuilding Notre Dame Is More Than a Vanity Project Posted: 22 Apr 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The burning of the cathedral has occasioned a remarkable outpouring of pledges from around the world — including from some of the wealthiest families in France and elsewhere. In Paris itself, the gilets jaunes were back in the streets last weekend, having decided not to take an Easter break from their regular protests. If this is so, then the fury stems not from the fact that the wealthy are contributing money to rebuilding a national treasure, but from the fact that the national treasure they seek to rebuild happens to be a cathedral.
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| High crimes, misdemeanors are impeachable and hard to define Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:10 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday promising to fight any effort by House Democrats to impeach him for, in the Constitution's vague words, "high crimes and misdemeanors." Trump said that "not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all."
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| NBA Coach Luke Walton Sued for Sexual Assault by Sports Reporter Kelli Tennant Posted: 22 Apr 2019 10:29 PM PDT  Yong Teck Lim/GettyCurrent Sacramento Kings and former Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton allegedly sexually assaulted a female reporter while he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, according to a lawsuit first reported by TMZ.In the lawsuit, Kelli Tennant, who was working as a reporter with SportsNet LA, claims she met Walton at the Hotel Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California, per the Los Angeles Times. The purpose of the meeting was to present him with a copy of her 2014 book, The Transition: Every Athlete's Guide to Life After Sports, for which Walton penned the foreword. (Tennant was a star volleyball player at the University of Southern California before starting a career in sports media.)The two had maintained a working relationship and according to the lawsuit, Tennant viewed Walton as a "trusted mentor and colleague." The lawsuit doesn't specify a date when the incident allegedly took place, but Tennant does claim that after arriving at the hotel, Walton, who married his current wife in 2013, suggested they return to his hotel room. There, he "pinned Ms. Tennant on the bed, placing his hips and legs over her body," the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, claims, and "began forcing kisses on her neck, face, and chest." Despite Tennant's attempts to physically extricate herself, Walton allegedly restrained her and continued to molest her, touching her breasts and groin, despite her loud, vocal protests demanding he stop. According to the lawsuit: "[Tennant] was afraid she was about to be raped." After Walton finally let her go and just as she reached the hotel door, Tennant recalled hearing him say: "Good to see you."In a statement, the Sacramento Kings said: "We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time." Similarly, the Warriors said in a statement: "We became aware of the alleged incident and story this evening and are in the process of seeking more information. We'll have no further comment at this time." For their part, the Lakers denied having any knowledge of alleged assault: Garo Mardirossian, the attorney representing Tennant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast. He told the Los Angeles Times that further information would be provided at an upcoming press conference, though he did not say whether Tennant had reported the incident to the police prior to filing suit. Luke Walton's attorney, Mark Baute, released the following statement to ESPN regarding Tennant's lawsuit: "Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations. The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, and her claim is not credible. We intend to prove this in a courtroom."Tennant continued to encounter Walton professionally following the alleged assault. At a charity event in May 2017, Walton "uttered vulgar, guttural sounds at her in a lewd manner," then said, "Mmmm… you're killing me in that dress!" and embraced her in an aggressive and unwanted manner, the suit claims. (Tennant left SportsNet LA in 2017. She now is working on multiple ventures, including covering the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour for Amazon Prime.)The son of NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, Walton graduated from the University of Arizona in 2003, where he won a national championship in 2001. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, and proved to be a journeyman if cerebral player and deft passer, neatly slotting into then-Head Coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense and winning two titles over the course of his pro career. After retiring in 2013, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Lakers D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders. He quickly moved up the ranks, joining the Golden State Warriors staff in 2014, and serving as the team's head coach in 2015 while Steve Kerr was sidelined by a botched spinal surgery. Though none of the wins were officially credited to his record, he was named coach of the month when the Warriors zoomed out to a 19-0 start on the way to winning a league-record 73 games. In April 2016, he left the Bay Area to take the reins of the Lakers. Initially, Walton was credited with helping to nurture the development of the Lakers' young core, but the arrival of LeBron James in the summer of 2018 dramatically altered management's expectations, and led to a tumultuous and ultimately dysfunctional season. Though newly hired team president Magic Johnson appeared to give Walton a long leash in September should the team struggle to integrate a band of mismatched veteran free-agent signings, his tolerance with losing didn't last. By November, ESPN had reported that Johnson had berated his young coach in an "aggressive tone" after they lost three of their first eight. Still, Walton was able to right the ship, sporting a record of 20-14, when LeBron went down with a groin injury at the end of December. The team struggled in his absence and Walton began airing his frustrations. By the end of the month, whispers began to circulate that LeBron once again had soured on his head coach, per ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. At the end of the regular season, with the Lakers mired in the lottery, it seemed likely that his three-year tenure in Los Angeles had come to an end. Walton might have been canned sooner, had Johnson not shockingly announced that he was quitting during an impromptu press conference on April 9. Amidst Johnson's at times jarringly cheery proclamations that the job wasn't fun anymore, he added that he couldn't bring himself to tell owner Jeanie Buss, whom Johnson called his "sister," that Walton needed to go. Three days later, Walton was relieved of his head coaching duties. The Lakers described it as a mutual decision, but he didn't have to wait long to find work. The Sacramento Kings hired Walton as head coach on April 15. At the time, Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr seemed dismayed by the Lakers' decision to part ways with Walton. "They're losing one of the best human beings in the NBA," he said. Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| House Dems Schedule First Ever ‘Medicare for All’ Hearing Posted: 23 Apr 2019 03:11 PM PDT  House Democrats have scheduled the first ever hearing for Medicare for All legislation for next week, as the proposal is becoming a litmus test for Democratic 2020 presidential candidates.The "Medicare for All Act" will be considered by the House Rules Committee next Tuesday and by the House Budget Committee at a later date. However, the two primary health care committees, Ways and Means as well as Energy and Commerce, have so far been reluctant to consider the proposal."It's a serious proposal that deserves serious consideration on Capitol Hill as we work toward universal coverage," said Representative James McGovern, who chairs the Rules committee.Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell introduced the legislation, which has more than 100 House co-sponsors, fewer than the proposal has had in previous years. The bill would cover disability, prescription drugs, mental health, maternal care, vision, dental, and substance-abuse care, would scrap Medicare's age requirement, and would not charge patients copays, premiums, or deductibles. It does not detail how the program's cost would be covered.Speaker Nancy Pelosi has encouraged committees to hold hearings on Medicare for All but has not attached her name to the proposal."That is, administratively, the simplest thing to do, but to convert to it? Thirty trillion dollars. Now, how do you pay for that?," Pelosi remarked in February.Analysts estimated other versions of the legislation, such as Senator Bernie Sanders' Senate bill, would cost in the ballpark of $32 trillion.Sanders was one of the first Democratic heavyweights to back the sweeping health care overhaul, which would transfer all U.S. residents to a government health care plan and essentially eliminate the private health insurance market.The democratic socialist and presidential candidate has since propelled the issue to the front of the 2020 presidential debate, impelling other contenders for the Democratic nomination to state where they stand on the proposal.
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| Twitter not amused by long wait for Tesla earnings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:12 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc's first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released. Here is a sampling of comments on Twitter: "Tesla forgot to get Deepak's password when he left and now they can't release the earnings. 40 minute late and counting... ...
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