| An anonymous Democratic group leaked a poll that shows swing voters deeply dislike Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the left wing, widening the party's rift Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:59 PM PDT  The poll found that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a 22% approval rating among 1,003 white non-college-educated voters who knew of her.
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| A NASA Intern Bought Apollo 11 Videotapes for $218. Now They're Going to Auction for Millions Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:45 AM PDT  They are 'the only surviving first-generation recordings of the historic moon walk'
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| Italy seizes air-to-air missile, guns in raids on neo-Nazis Posted: 15 Jul 2019 09:04 AM PDT ![Italy seizes air-to-air missile, guns in raids on neo-Nazis]( "Italy seizes air-to-air missile, guns in raids on neo-Nazis") Italian police have seized a large arsenal of weapons, including an air-to-air missile, in raids on neo-Nazi sympathisers, they said on Monday. Elite police forces searched properties across northern Italy following an investigation into Italians who had fought alongside Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, a police statement said. During their raids, police discovered a French-made Matra air-to-air missile that appeared to have once belonged to the Qatar armed forces.
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| All the Best Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals to Shop (So Far) Posted: 15 Jul 2019 09:10 AM PDT |
| Land crabs infest Florida man's house after heavy rainfall Posted: 15 Jul 2019 12:11 PM PDT  A man in Florida recently received hundreds of crabs as unexpected house guests.Heavy rain fall in south Florida forced hundreds of land crabs, which burrow underground, out of their holes and into the property of Dan Skowronski, a resident of of Port St Lucie. In a video shared to Facebook, the Florida man witnessed the home invasion with a surprising calm."They must have got rained out of their holes," he said while filming the crabs, which were scurrying all over his house and property. "All land crabs. Their homes got wiped out by the rain, and they're all over.""They're more scared of me than I am of them," he said, adding that "sometimes it happens once a year".Florida saw heavy rainfall as Hurricane Barry geared up in the Gulf Coast throughout last week, before making landfall in Louisiana on Saturday. The storm left heavy flooding throughout New Orleans, but was downgraded to a tropical storm upon hitting the city, and did less damage than anticipated. Still, much of the city experienced rampant flooding, which is expected to continue and spread this week.In the Florida panhandle, far north above the crab invasion, the storm stirred up a mass influx of jellyfish, washing up on the sand as the water picked up into dangerous riptides. Public beaches were closed to swimmers while the fish and waves persisted.WPTV reports that the crabs in South Florida were gone by Friday.
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| UN concerned at US limits on Iran FM's access Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:51 PM PDT  The United Nations voiced concern Monday after the United States imposed unusually harsh restrictions on the movements of Iran's foreign minister, who was visiting the world body and also speaking on the soaring tensions between the countries. Weeks after the United States threatened sanctions against Zarif, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington issued him a visa but forbade him from moving beyond six blocks of Iran's UN mission in Midtown Manhattan.
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| 1 dead, 15 hurt in California home gas explosion Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:18 PM PDT  A natural gas explosion destroyed a Southern California home, killed a gas company worker and injured more than a dozen other people Monday, authorities said. Firefighters and Southern California Gas Co. workers went to the home after a report that a contractor had damaged a gas line. Murrieta Deputy Fire Chief David Lantzer said 15 people were injured, but he had no information about their injuries.
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| Boy slips through Heathrow security to board British Airways flight to Los Angeles Posted: 14 Jul 2019 03:09 PM PDT  Police at Heathrow Airport are investigating how a 12-year-old boy slipped through security and managed to board a British Airways flight to Los Angeles without a ticket or boarding pass. The unaccompanied child, who had no travel documents, mingled with passengers getting on the flight and was only spotted when cabin crew asked to see his boarding pass in order to direct him to his seat. The mystery youngster, who is thought to be Dutch, was not travelling with his parents, and refused to cooperate with cabin crew when he was challenged. Fellow passengers said he refused to leave the aircraft and was eventually removed by police officers who boarded to assist aircrew. As a result of the security lapse, the aircraft had to be cleared and all the passengers were forced to undergo a second security check, delaying the flight by more than four hours. The mystery youngster, who is thought to be Dutch, was not travelling with his parents, and refused to cooperate with cabin crew when he was challenged Credit: AP Photo/Alastair Grant Detectives were working to establish where the boy was originally from and how he had managed to pass through strict security cordons, without being spotted. One theory is that he was a transit passenger who had arrived at Heathrow with a ticket to an onward destination, but had then attempted to see if he how far he could get with our being challenged as part of an elaborate dare. The lapse also raises concerns over the effectiveness of security checks at Britain's busiest airport, although a spokesman for British Airways insisted the boy had been through the same controls as all other passengers. The spokesman said: "We have apologised to our customers for the delay to their flight after an issue during boarding. "The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and everyone who had boarded the aircraft had been subject to security checks. "We conducted additional precautionary screening as soon as this issue came to light and we are assisting the police with their enquiries." Rachel Richardson, who was heading to Los Angeles on a business trip, described chaotic scenes as airline staff tried to deal with the situation. She said: "The boy would not speak to the cabin crew and they were asking if anybody spoke Dutch. He would not help them understand where his bags were so the whole aircraft had to be cleared which meant we were almost more than four hours delayed taking off. It was very frustrating." A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "A 12-year-old boy boarded a BA flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles at around 17:15hrs on 14 July. "He was identified by cabin crew during pre-flight check. He did not have a ticket or any travel documents. "The boy was an unaccompanied minor. He is not a UK national. As a security precaution, passenger de-planed following a discussion between police and the captain. "The child is believed to have arrived at Heathrow as a transit passenger." A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are working with our police colleagues and British Airways to understand how an unauthorised passenger boarded the incorrect aircraft. The individual did not represent a security risk and, purely as a precaution, the aircraft in question was re-screened and has since departed. We apologise for the disruption and will continue working closely with the authorities and our airline partners to keep the airport safe."
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| Russia’s Election Hackers Are Back—and Targeting George Soros Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:21 AM PDT  Sean Gallup/GettyThe Russian intelligence agency behind 2016's election attacks is training its sights on billionaire financier George Soros, The Daily Beast has learned. The move comes hot on the heels of a surge in U.S.-focused hacking by Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate with similarities to 2016 in targeting and methodology. Laura Silber, chief communications officer for Soros' Open Society Foundations, confirmed the hack attempt, but couldn't provide additional details over the weekend. "We were aware of an attack," Silber told the Daily Beast.Last month Microsoft quietly seized a new batch of 10 deceptive domain names the company says were set up by the hackers known as Fancy Bear, the group intelligence officials and independent analysts have long attributed to Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU. Those web addresses imitate genuine domains used for Microsoft services like Sharepoint, an unmistakable sign that they were intended for use in phishing attacks, in which a victim is tricked into typing their password into a fake login page. Mueller Finally Solves Mysteries About Russia's 'Fancy Bear' HackersOne domain targets a Singapore-based investment firm, and another references the Berlin anti-corruption organization Transparency International, which Russia has targeted before. Others are generic or ambiguous in their targeting. But one seized domain, soros-my-sharepoint[.]com, jumps out as a clear reference to Soros, a past GRU target from Russia's 2016 election interference. An additional four phishing domains registered in the same time frame appear to target Soros' Open Society Foundations, said Kyle Ehmke, an intelligence researcher at the Arlington, Virginia-based cybersecurity firm ThreatConnect. Those domains haven't been seized and ThreatConnect hasn't found enough evidence to definitively link them to the Russian hackers, said Ehmke. The Kremlin's targeting of Soros and his organization carries echoes of 2016, when the GRU dumped 2,500 files stolen from the Open Society Foundations for the debut of "DC Leaks", the fake leak site the spies created for their 2016 election interference campaign. "SOROS INTERNAL FILES – BIG DATA", the site announced at the time.Some of the stolen files were reportedly altered to create the appearance that Soros was secretly financing Russian opposition candidates, making the leak politically useful to Vladmir Putin. More importantly, the Soros dump earned DC Leaks instant credibility in American right-wing circles, where the 88-year-old Hungarian-American philanthropist plays the role of villainous global puppet-master in countless conspiracy theories. Russia's Internet Research Agency—the so-called "troll farm, later indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller—pushed the same trope on its Facebook and Instagram feeds in the run-up to election day. One meme featured a close-up of Soros against a backdrop of anti-Trump picketers. "No lives matter for those who sponsoring [sic] anti Trump protests," the caption read. Another imagined Soros confronting the late Senator John McCain. "Hey Johnny, I'm paying you a fortune. I don't care how much cancer you have, get back to DC and backstab Trump."The Soros targeting comes in the wave of what one expert describes as a fresh wave of Fancy Bear attempts against political nonprofits in the U.S. that ran from last December to March or April of this year, using similar tactics to the mass phishing campaign that famously ensnared Hillary Clinton's campaign chief in 2016. "It's a similar type of activity to what hit Podesta," said Robert Johnston, the former Marine Corp captain who investigated the 2016 DNC breach, and now heads the financial cybersecurity firm Adlumin. "These were against political organizations and NGOs. The FBI has reached out to of bunch of them."Putin's Hackers Now Under Attack—From MicrosoftIn 2016 Microsoft sued Fancy Bear in federal court in Virginia and won, unopposed, an injunction allowing the company to seize any web addresses registered by the GRU's hackers that imitate a Microsoft product or service. The company has seized over 100 domains so far.Experts caution that Russia's hackers have always cast a wide net, and there's no way to tell what their motives are in revisiting old haunts now. It may be pure intelligence gathering, or the opening salvo of a 2020 election interference campaign."We don't know whether they are ultimately looking to compromise targets for influence operations, internal intelligence uses, or both," said Ehmke.Either way, Russia likely views its 2016 efforts as a success, and is certain to try for an encore. "I think you should absolutely anticipate a very vocal Russian interference in the 2020 elections," said Johnston.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Boeing slips on report the troubled 737 Max could remain grounded into 2020 Posted: 15 Jul 2019 06:48 AM PDT  Airlines have said they'll add the 737 Max back to schedules in November, but now it seems the plane won't return to the skies until 2020.
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| Trump’s ‘blatantly illegal’ immigration rules end asylum protections Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:22 PM PDT  The ACLU has vowed to sue the administration over the 'unlawful' new rules, which raise the asylum eligibility barImmigrants seeking asylum are taken into custody by border patrol agents in McAllen, Texas. Photograph: John Moore/Getty ImagesThe Trump administration has announced new immigration rules ending asylum protections for almost all migrants who arrive at the US-Mexico border, in violation of both US and international law.According to the new rules, any asylum seekers who pass through another country before arriving at the southern border – including children traveling on their own – will not be eligible for asylum if they failed to apply first in their country of transit. They would only be eligible for US asylum if their application was turned down elsewhere.The change would affect the vast majority of migrants arriving through Mexico. Most of those currently come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, but an increasing number are from Haiti, Cuba and countries further afield in Africa and Asia.The new rules were placed on the federal register on Monday and due to take effect on Tuesday, though they will be immediately challenged in court for contraventions of the US refugee act and the UN refugee convention guaranteeing the right to seek asylum to those fleeing persecution from around the world.Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said he was deeply concerned by the move. "It will put vulnerable families at risk. It will undermine efforts by countries across the region to devise the coherent, collective responses that are needed. This measure is severe and is not the best way forward," he said.The American Civil Liberties Union said the rules were "patently unlawful" and said it would sue the administration to block them taking effect.In a joint statement, the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice said the rules "add a new bar to eligibility for asylum" for migrants arriving at the southern border "who did not apply for protection from persecution or torture where it was available in at least one third country outside the alien's country of citizenship, nationality or last lawful habitual residence".The attorney general, William Barr, said: "This rule will decrease forum shopping by economic migrants and those who seek to exploit our asylum system to obtain entry to the United States, while ensuring that no one is removed from the United States who is more likely than not to be tortured or persecuted on account of a protected ground."The US Refugee Act of 1980 limits the right of asylum if the applicant can be sent back to a "safe third country", but human rights advocates have pointed out that neither Mexico nor any Central American countries come close to meeting the act's standards of a safe third country, "where the alien's life or freedom would not be threatened"... "and where the alien would have access to a full an fair procedure for determining a claim to asylum".Furthermore, for a country to be considered "safe", it would have to enter into a formal agreement with the US. In recent months, the US has sought to conclude safe third country agreements with Mexico and Guatemala, but Mexico rejected the initiative and the agreement in Guatemala was blocked on Sunday by that country's constitutional court. The new rules published on Monday simply ignore the safe third country standard.Mexico continued to express muted support for asylum seekers, even as the country cracks down on migrants crossing its southern border.The foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said that the new rules would not apply to Mexicans or turn Mexico into a safe third country. "Mexico doesn't agree with measures that limits people seeking asylum or refuge," he said.The move represents the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to cut off the flow of migrants through the US-Mexico border. Under the "migrant protection protocols", the US has required migrants to wait in Mexico while their cases are decided in US immigration courts."The Trump administration is yet again attempting to rewrite and violate laws passed by Congress to protect refugees from return to persecution," said Eleanor Acer, the director of refugee protection at Human Rights First. "This new rule is dangerous, disgraceful and blatantly illegal.""This rule will be challenged because it is contrary to the asylum statute and to US obligations to refugees under international law," Keren Zwick, a litigator at the National Immigrant Justice Centre.An Amnesty International assessment of the Mexican asylum system found it was "underfunded, absolutely beyond its capacity and inadequate in identifying even valued asylum claims" according to the organisation's advocacy director for the Americas, Charanya Krishnaswami. The study found that Mexico sent a quarter of applicants back to the countries they were fleeing without due process."Those dangers make clear that Mexico would not be a safe place for the many thousands who are seeking protection at the US border," Krishnaswami said.Additional reporting by David Agren
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| Neo-Nazi James Fields get life plus 419 years in state court for murder in Charlottesville Posted: 15 Jul 2019 12:41 PM PDT  James Alex Fields Jr., a neo-Nazi who rammed his car into counterprotesters of an alt-right rally, was sentenced to life in prison in state court.
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| South Korea calls Japan reports of North Korea sanctions breach 'grave challenge' Posted: 14 Jul 2019 11:58 PM PDT  South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday Japan's reported accusations that South Korea had exported banned goods to North Korea posed a "grave challenge" amid a growing dispute over Japanese export curbs. Japan has tightened restrictions on the export of three materials used in high-tech equipment, citing "inadequate management" of sensitive items exported to South Korea. Japanese officials have cited "inadequate management" of sensitive items exported to South Korea as a reason behind the curbs, as well as lack of information sharing on export controls.
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| Dominican Republic deaths: Georgia man is 11th American tourist to die since June 2018 Posted: 15 Jul 2019 04:49 AM PDT  A Georgia man died in the Dominican Republic in March, the State Department confirmed Friday.
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| Anti-Semitism event at Justice Department turns into pro-Israel rally Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:29 PM PDT  As the public grappled with President Trump's latest insulting tweetstorm, widely condemned as racist, the Department of Justice held a Monday event billed as a summit on combating anti-Semitism.
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| Workers recover hundreds of bodies from Syrian mass grave Posted: 15 Jul 2019 09:26 AM PDT  In an open field on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa, workers in black uniforms, surgical masks and red hardhats toil under a scorching sun to dig up bodies from a large mass grave discovered last month. All of the dead are men, women and children believed to have been killed or died during the Islamic State group's rule over the northern city, once the de facto capital of the extremist group's so-called Islamic caliphate and the site of atrocities committed by the group against residents who opposed its extremist ideology. The group at the time commanded large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq that it administered based on its own radical version of Islamic rule.
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| Man Murdered Teen Star and Posted Instagram Photos, Cops Say Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:09 PM PDT  Photos via InstagramAn upstate New York man is accused of brutally slaying a teenage internet personality he met online and posting pictures of her body to the internet, according to police.Authorities say Brandon Clark slashed Bianca Devins' throat early Sunday, nearly decapitating her. They first met online, and met in person two months ago, police told The Daily Beast. Shortly after her murder, Clark posted pictures of her corpse online. He then stabbed himself in front of officers who had been dispatched to search for him, police added.Devins, 17, a Utica, New York teen, had just graduated high school and was preparing to start a psychology degree at her local community college.Devins was anonymous to many of her internet friends. Online she was a popular Instagram and Tumblr user. She also frequented 4chan, and ran a Discord server populated with some of her 4chan connections, many of whom knew her as Oxychan.Two months ago, she met one of those internet friends in person, Utica police Lt. Bryan Coromato told The Daily Beast. Clark, 21, lived in Cicero, New York, approximately an hour away. The two had some form of offline relationship, Coromato said. On Instagram, Devins' sister wrote that "it wasn't just an 'internet boyfriend' this was a close family friend whom we've met and trusted so much. I do not want false information being spread around."Utica police said in a statement Monday evening that the two attended a concert together in New York City on Saturday and arrived back in Utica early Sunday. Police believe they had an argument, which precipitated the murder.Early Sunday morning, Clark began posting gruesome pictures on his Instagram story. One picture showed him covered in blood with the caption "I'm sorry Bianca." Another, of a dark road, referenced going to Hell. Other photos appeared to show a body under a tarp, and before-and-after images of a self-inflicted knife wound on his neck. Clark's updated Instagram biography and a post on his Facebook suggested that he planned to kill himself.Coromato confirmed that the pictures were authentic.Around the same time, Clark posted an image to Discord showing Devins with her throat cut in a car and a large knife next to her. He also doxxed her, sharing Devins' full name and hometown, which was unknown to many of her online friends, and included a derogatory remark about Devins and her online following. The pictures spread to multiple misogynistic forums, where some users called for more killings of women and girls.All the images hit the internet before police were alerted about the killing. Around 7:20 a.m., officers received a call about a person making statements of harm, Coromato said. They were able to triangulate Clark's location based on his cell phone. When they found him, he began stabbing himself in front of an officer, Coromato said.Eventually he took out a phone and began taking pictures of himself laying on the tarp that concealed Devins' body, police said.Clark was taken into custody and transported to a hospital, where he is sedated and in critical condition, but expected to survive. He has yet to be formally charged in the killing."Bianca was a lot of things to so many people," her stepmother wrote on Facebook. "She was young and beautiful and so full of life. She had been through hell and back conquering her own mental illness and she won. She was getting better. Fighting everyday. She was happy."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Susan Rice Calls Chinese Diplomat a ‘Racist Disgrace’ on Twitter Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:19 AM PDT ![Susan Rice Calls Chinese Diplomat a 'Racist Disgrace' on Twitter]( "Susan Rice Calls Chinese Diplomat a 'Racist Disgrace' on Twitter") (Bloomberg) -- Former U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice sparred with a senior Chinese diplomat on Twitter in an unusual and heated dispute over race in Washington.In a series of Tweets apparently aimed at making a broader point about diplomatic divisions over the mass detention of Muslims in China's Xinjiang province, Lijian Zhao, a diplomat posted in Islamabad, said on Sunday that if "you're in Washington, D.C., you know the white never go" to the southeastern part of the U.S. capital."You are a racist disgrace. And shockingly ignorant too," Rice told Zhao on Twitter. Likely assuming that Zhao was posted in China's mission in Washington, she then addressed her next comment to China's ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai. "Ambassador Cui, I expect better of you and your team. Please do the right thing and send him home."Zhao, who is deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Pakistan's capital, is often vocal on Twitter against critics of China's infrastructure-building projects in Pakistan and other parts of Asia. Beijing has invested tens of billions of dollars in Pakistan, whose leader Imran Khan has previously dodged questions about the issue.'Shockingly Ignorant'"You are such a disgrace, too. And shockingly ignorant, too. I am based in Islamabad. Truth hurts. I am simply telling the truth," Zhao fired back at Rice on Monday. "To label someone who speak the truth that you don't want to hear a racist, is disgraceful & disgusting."Read More: How China Is Defending Its Detention of Muslims to the WorldZhao didn't immediately respond to phone calls, an email and a direct message on Twitter seeking comment.In a string of messages that appeared aimed at highlighting U.S. hypocrisy on human rights, Zhao referred to everything from income inequality and school shootings in the U.S. to immigration officers separating children from parents.He tweeted a list of mostly-Western nations that condemned China for its actions in Xinjiang as well as a separate list of other countries -- including Pakistan, Cuba, Tajikistan and Nigeria -- that wrote a joint letter to the United Nations supporting Beijing, which Zhao called "a big slap on the face of U.S. & its western cohorts."Outspoken DiplomatsChina's diplomats have become increasingly vocal and outspoken. This month, China's ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, gave a rare televised statement accusing the British government of meddling in Hong Kong, the scene of mass protests against Beijing's rule.Earlier this year, China's envoy to Canada publicly accused his hosts of "white supremacy," while the country's chief envoy in South Africa said President Donald Trump's policies were making the U.S. "the enemy of the whole world."Asked about the Twitter dispute on Monday, China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang didn't comment directly."I don't know the specific situation," he said. However, he added, "we resolutely oppose the interference of the U.S. and individual Western countries in interfering in China's internal affairs with the Xinjiang issue."To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in New Delhi at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Chris Kay, Gregory TurkFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Populist pro-China mayor to face Tsai in Taiwan presidential clash Posted: 14 Jul 2019 09:03 PM PDT  A populist mayor who favours closer ties with Beijing was announced as the presidential candidate for Taiwan's opposition on Monday as it looks to unseat President Tsai Ing-wen in upcoming elections. Han Kuo-yu won the primary for the opposition Kuomintang party, comfortably seeing off a challenge from Taiwan's richest man, billionaire Foxconn founder Terry Gou.
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| 'Snakes and other critters' join flooding, tornadoes as Barry's latest threat Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:16 PM PDT  Hurricane Barry, quieted to a tropical depression Monday, remained a dangerous storm that threatened flooding, tornadoes and snakes.
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| European leaders fail to grasp 'hardening' of UK view on Brexit, Latvia warns Posted: 14 Jul 2019 08:27 AM PDT  A hard Brexit could be made more likely because European Union leaders have failed to grasp the hardening of opinion in Britain, Latvia's foreign minister has warned. Edgars Rinkēvičs, who has served as the Baltic state's chief diplomat for eight years, said a mutual gulf of understanding between London and Brussels means revising the Withdrawal Agreement before the October 31 deadline will be "extremely difficult." And he warned that Boris Johnson's plan to use hard Brexit as a "credible threat" in negotiations was based on a false assumption about the European position and the speed with which the EU can move. Speaking during a visit to London, Mr Rinkevics said: "I think that in the European Union we sometimes do not grasp that the UK, after three years of this very tortuous process, has a very hardened stance," he told the Telegraph. "But there is another dynamic that is not well understood here in London, which is very important for me as a representative of a small member state: it is also very important that the unity and solidarity of the European Union is not just words. "When you have a situation where your key national interests are at stake, you count on the support of all the other 26 members. There are key national interests of Ireland at stake here - I don't think anyone can deny that - and I believe that a very similar situation other member states would be counting on the support on all of them," he said. Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, the candidates in the Conservative leadership race, have both said Britain must leave the European Union by October 31. That will give the new prime minister just three months to negotiate a new Withdrawal Agreement after a winner is declared on July 23. Both candidates have said the threat of a no-deal Brexit should be used to push the European Union to make concessions on controversial areas including the Irish backstop. Mr Rinkēvičs said: "I do not think the [withdrawal agreement] can be revised in just a couple of weeks." Incoming EU leaders | Their views on Brexit Latvia is considered a close ally of Britain inside the European Union. They both take a hard line on Russian sanctions and increasing Nato defence spending, and Mr Rinkēvičs said Riga remains anxious for the EU to maintain the closest possible cooperation on security and law enforcement. A crash-out Brexit on October 31 would jeopardise both European and British security if it also took Britain out of the European Court of Justice, undermining the work of European arrest warrants and cooperation via Europol and Eurojust, the pan-European policing and legal agencies. Britain's absence from the European Union may also raise questions about the endurance of the sanctions regime imposed against Russia following the annexation of Crime and war in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Several countries including Hungary and Italy have publicly criticised the sanctions regime. Latvia and neighbouring states were alarmed when the Council of Europe, a human rights body unrelated to the European Union, voted to restore Russia's voting rights last month. Mr Rinkevics said it was widely acknowledged that there will be a "change in dynamic" in the formation of EU foreign policy after Britain leaves, but said it was too early to predict how it would develop. "There are some members states - I don't want to single out any - that could raise [lifting sanctions on Russia]," said Mr Rinkēvičs. "In that case I believe so the consequences are going to be really damaging for the credibility of the European Union," he said. "If we give in, the implications for the security and stability in the neighbourhood will be quite grave."
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| Florida suspect punches hotel owner Posted: 14 Jul 2019 01:55 PM PDT  Raw video: Surveillance video captures a suspect attacking a hotel owner over parking space dispute.
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| UPDATE 3-U.S. judge slashes Roundup jury award to $25.3 mln; Bayer still plans to appeal Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:37 PM PDT ![UPDATE 3-U.S. judge slashes Roundup jury award to $25.3 mln; Bayer still plans to appeal]( "UPDATE 3-U.S. judge slashes Roundup jury award to $25.3 mln; Bayer still plans to appeal") A federal judge on Monday slashed a damages award Bayer AG owed a California man who blamed Roundup weed killer for his cancer, to $25.27 million from $80.27 million, while rejecting the company's bid for a new trial. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco said evidence against the former Monsanto Co, which Bayer bought last year, supported the $5.27 million in compensatory damages that a jury awarded Edwin Hardeman. Chhabria nonetheless reduced punitive damages to $20 million from $75 million, saying that while Monsanto "deserves to be punished" the higher award was "constitutionally impermissible" because it was nearly 15 times the compensatory damages award.
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| Police say Greek man detained in American scientist's death Posted: 15 Jul 2019 11:14 AM PDT  A Greek man has been detained for questioning in the slaying of an American scientist on the island of Crete, police said Monday. Authorities said the 27-year-old man detained Monday was one of 10 people interviewed over the weekend for the investigation of Suzanne Eaton's slaying. Homicide detectives traveled from Athens to the island to head the investigation.
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| Report: A $15 Minimum Wage Would Be an Economic Disaster Posted: 14 Jul 2019 04:01 PM PDT  Just in time for next week's likely House vote on a federal $15 minimum wage, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has come out with a caustic report on the consequences of the policy.The report confirms what even liberal economists caution: A $15 minimum wage would "risk undesirable and unintended consequences" and lead to a survival-of-the-fittest labor market, where only the highest-skilled workers come out on top. Democrats are under the illusion that the government can force employers to artificially increase wages with no adverse consequences for American workers. But that's like saying the government could double families' mortgage and rent payments without any consequence.Here are six ways this new report exposes the minimum wage proposal as bad policy.1\. It would be a job-killer.The Congressional Budget Office report estimated that a $15 minimum wage would lead to 1.3 million lost jobs by the year 2025, with job losses rising over time due to compounding negative impacts.The exact number of job losses are highly uncertain, but the report says losses would most likely range between zero and 3.7 million, with a not-insignificant chance that losses could exceed 3.7 million.A 2011 Heritage Foundation estimate was even bleaker. It estimated a $15 minimum wage would lead to 7 million lost jobs.
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| View Photos of the 2019 Porsche Cayenne S Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Drug gangs behind Sri Lanka Easter bombings, president claims Posted: 14 Jul 2019 05:58 PM PDT  International drug syndicates orchestrated Sri Lanka's deadly Easter Sunday bombings, the country's leader claimed Monday, despite earlier blaming the attacks on Islamists. The statement comes amid a nationwide narcotics crackdown, with President Maithripala Sirisena aiming to reintroduce capital punishment for drug offences. Authorities have said local jihadist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were responsible for the suicide bombings in churches and hotels that killed at least 258 people in April.
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| Man 'shot polar bear and left its body outside his home for five months' Posted: 15 Jul 2019 03:29 AM PDT  A man has been charged with killing a polar bear and leaving the body to rot outside his home in Alaska for five months.Christopher Gordon, 35, allegedly shot the animal dead when it ventured into his front yard to try and eat some butchered whale meat.He then failed to report the polar bear carcass or attempt to "harvest" it for food between December 2018 and May this year.Gordon also allowed the bear to be covered with snow, which resulted in one of its legs being ripped off by a passing snowplough.Finally, on 22 May, he burned the carcass at the village dump in Kaktovik.He is now facing up to one year in prison and a $100,000 (£80,000) fine if convicted of the federal crime of "knowingly taking a polar bear in a manner unlawful under the Marine Mammal Protection Act".Prosecutors say that the killing of the bear was not done in legal self defence and that he "left the harvestable remains to waste"."Gordon allegedly left butchered whale meat outside in front of his yard of his residence for a substantial period of time, which attracted polar bear, as well as other animals to his front yard," said federal prosecutor Ryan Tansey."He then allegedly shot and killed the polar bear because it was trying to eat the improperly stored whale meat."Gordon has also been charged with the state offence of wasteful taking of a marine animal.The investigation was carried out by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.Gordon declined to comment about the case and is scheduled to appear in court in Fairbanks in August.Kaktovik, with a population of just over 250, has experienced increasing encroachment by polar bears in recent years due to the disappearing Arctic sea ice.As a result it has become a popular tourist destination, with more than 2,000 people visiting the village during 2017."These bears are getting used to people," said council member Mike Gallagher. "They're domesticated."Additional reporting by Associated Press
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| This revolutionary Galaxy S11 design could succeed where the Galaxy Fold failed Posted: 15 Jul 2019 01:45 PM PDT  With the release of the Galaxy S10 earlier this year, Samsung made its biggest leap forward in terms of design since the launch of the Galaxy S6 edge in 2015. From the phone's Infinity-O display to its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to its triple rear camera, it quickly became one of the most advanced smartphones on the market. But if newly-discovered patents are any indication, Samsung has even bigger plans in store for its 2020 flagship.Over the weekend, Dutch technology blog LetsGoDigital shared images from a Samsung design patent which shows off a phone with an expandable display. The patent was filed late last year, approved this May, and then published on June 24th. As it often does, LetsGoDigital went to the trouble of mocking up the device.We covered the patent early on Monday, but what's most fascinating about this phone, which could be a new flagship device or an evolution of the Galaxy Fold, is that Samsung's earliest attempt at a new mobile form factor has been an unmitigated disaster. Samsung had initially planned to launch its game-changing Galaxy Fold smartphone in April, but three months later, we still don't have a release date. The Galaxy Fold will eventually be available for purchase, but at least in terms of marketing, the damage has been done.As you can see in the images scattered throughout this article (which, again, are mockups created by LetsGoDigital and almost certainly not indicative of a final product), the hole punch on the display is about the same size as on the Galaxy S10+, seemingly to account for an additional front-facing camera. It has also shifted over to the center of the display, while the triple rear camera array on the back of the phone has moved to the top-right corner.As for the expandable screen, it's unclear exactly how it would function, but it would increase the size of the display by 50%. Providing it is more sturdy than the foldable screen of the Galaxy Fold, it could be a more viable solution to giving consumers more display without making the phone itself any larger.The key here is that, unlike the Galaxy Fold, this device looks like a standard, modern smartphone when the screen has not been expanded. The same can't be said for the Galaxy Fold, which features an uncomfortably small display on the front of the device and a massive, awkward cut-out on the inner display.Whether or not the device pictured in this patent ever sees the light of day remains to be seen, but Samsung will likely be at Mobile World Congress once again in 2020, which means there's a slim chance we could be introduced to the company's first expandable smartphone in February or March of next year.
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| Macron Doubles Down on Demand for EU Reform Before New Expansion Posted: 15 Jul 2019 10:51 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron stuck to his demand for deep reforms in the European Union before it accepts new members, telling biggest candidate Serbia that premature entry would benefit no one.Leaders across the Balkans have expressed frustration at what they say is stalling by the EU over when they can become part of the world's biggest trading bloc. While most member are wary of taking in new members, Balkan leaders are struggling to explain the delay to their 18 million citizens who see entry as a guarantee toward higher pay and less corruption.Concerns flared two weeks ago when, after a marathon session of wrangling over who will take the EU's top jobs, Macron said there would be no further enlargement unless "deep reform" of the EU happens first. During a visit to Serbia Monday, where he met President Aleksandar Vucic, Macron again said that "Serbia is destined to join" but that expanding the bloc without changing the way it makes decisions would cause problems for everyone."Entering too quickly wouldn't be good for Serbia, nor would it be for the EU," Macron said, adding that even setting an entry timetable could backfire. "We must not lock ourselves in to a calaendar with a date, because if we fail it would be seen as a failure."The last country to become an EU member was Croatia, in 2013. Outgoing Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the earliest that any of the six remaining aspirants would be able to join is around 2025.For Serbia, the biggest hurdle is resolving relations with Kosovo. Backed by Russia and China, it refuses to recognize its neighbor's unilaterally declared independence since 2008 and has blocked its efforts to join the United Nations and other international organizations.EU-mediated talks between Serbia and Kosovo all but collapsed last year when the latter imposed punitive 100% tax on products from Serbia and from Bosnia-Herzegovina, retaliating for Serb lobbying against its international recognition. Kosovo has ignored calls from EU states to lift the barrier.Vucic said he expected France's help "in the search for a compromise." He also said that Serbia embraced the changes that it had committed to as part of EU entry."For us, it's important to reform ourselves, to do our part of the work, for the sake of our people to do good and that our economy makes progress."Macron's visit followed France-based Vinci Airports venture into Serbia with a 25-year concession for Aerodrom Nikola Tesla, while a unit of Suez Groupe SAS won an equally long contract in Belgrade, the capital. Alstom SA is also vying to build a subway in Belgrade, where the two first lines may cost $4.5 billion.To contact the reporters on this story: Misha Savic in Belgrade at msavic2@bloomberg.net;Gordana Filipovic in Belgrade at gfilipovic@bloomberg.net;Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Irina Vilcu at isavu@bloomberg.net, ;Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Michael WinfreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| People are canceling their Amazon Prime memberships to support the worker protests — here's how to cancel yours (AMZN) Posted: 15 Jul 2019 11:58 AM PDT  You can't cancel your Amazon Prime membership in just one click — there are four steps to follow. Here's how to do it.
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| Some Iranian women take off hijabs as hard-liners push back Posted: 15 Jul 2019 04:54 AM PDT  The simple act of walking has become a display of defiance for a young Iranian woman who often moves in Tehran's streets without a compulsory headscarf, or hijab. With every step, she risks harassment or even arrest by Iran's morality police whose job is to enforce the strict dress code imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The hijab debate has further polarized Iranians at a time when the country is buckling under unprecedented U.S. sanctions imposed since the Trump administration pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers last year.
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| Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounces Trump comments about leaving the US Posted: 15 Jul 2019 06:58 AM PDT  President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed a group of Democratic congresswomen of color as foreign-born troublemakers who should go back to the "broken and crime infested places from which they came," ignoring the fact that the women are American citizens and all but one was born in the U.S.
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| Trump may face more court battles over giving citizenship data to states Posted: 15 Jul 2019 03:11 AM PDT  Trump dropped the effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census on Thursday following a recent defeat in the U.S. Supreme Court. Instead, he ordered other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration, to provide relevant data.
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| Police officer who killed Ethiopian-Israeli released on bail Posted: 15 Jul 2019 07:03 AM PDT  A police officer who shot dead a 19-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli, sparking nationwide protests, was freed on bail from house arrest on Monday, Israel's justice ministry said. The officer, who was off-duty and said he felt his life was in danger at the time of the June 30 shooting, will be subject to a series of restrictions while the investigation continues. The bail amount was not made public by the ministry following the closed-door court hearing over the shooting of Solomon Teka in Kiryat Haim near the northern port city of Haifa.
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| How a Modified Iraqi Falcon 50 Business Jet Nearly Destroyed a US Frigate Posted: 14 Jul 2019 02:00 AM PDT  Following a series of training flights, on the morning of May 17, 1987 Suzanna's crew received the order to load two Exocets and then transfer to Wanda AB for an operation over the Persian Gulf.All through 1985 and early 1986, director of the Iraqi Air Force (IrAF) Intelligence Department, Brigadier-General Mudher al-Farhan, was collecting intelligence about the work of the Iranian tanker-shuttle ('shuttle tankers' were oil tankers equipped with upgrade fire-fighting equipment operated by specially trained crews, they made way in convoys of four ships escorted by warships of the Islamic Republic if Iran Navy). Every day at 1800hrs, he would brief Major-General Sha'ban about related developments.
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| Police: A 69-year-old Arizona woman is missing in California's Mojave Desert without supplies, cellphone Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:12 PM PDT  Authorities in California are searching for Barbara Thomas, a 69-year-old woman who went missing while hiking in the Mojave Desert.
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| Brand new Apple Watches start at all-time low of $169 in this unprecedented Prime Day blowout Posted: 15 Jul 2019 04:20 AM PDT  Once upon a time, it was almost impossible to find decent deals on popular Apple products. Apple never really let its retail partners offer big discounts, and its own sales at Apple stores were pathetic, typically involving gift cards when items were purchased at full price. Well, those days are looooooong gone and Prime Day 2019 is proof!Brand new Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple Watch Series 4 models are being blown out on Amazon at all-time low prices, and we can't even believe how good these deals are. The $279 Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm) is down to just $169, and the larger 42mm version that's normally $309 is on sale for only $199. If you want an Apple Watch Series 4 instead, the GPS models are $349 for the 40mm version and $379 for the 44mm model, while GPS + Cellular Apple Watch Series 4 models are $424 for the 40mm version and $479 for the 44mm version. These are all all-time low prices on Amazon, so definitely grab one while you can! Apple Watch Series 3 * GPS * Optical heart sensor * Digital Crown * S3 with dual-core processor * Accelerometer and gyroscope * Swim proof * watchOS 5 * Aluminum case Apple Watch Series 4 * GPS + Cellular * Over 30% larger display * Electrical and optical heart sensors * ECG app * Digital Crown with haptic feedback * 50% louder speaker * S4 SiP with faster 64-bit dual-core processor
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| Jeremy Corbyn Faces a Crisis of His Own Making Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:36 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- As Britain's Conservative Party tears itself apart over Brexit, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn might be expected to be enjoying a big lead in the opinion polls.Instead, the opposition is embroiled in a crisis every bit as deep as that facing the embattled government. At the European election, the Labour party put in its worst national performance in almost a century. A recent poll by YouGov put the party in fourth place, trailing not only the Conservatives but the Brexit Party and Liberal Democrats, too.Corbyn, a lifelong euroskeptic socialist, has been reluctant to oppose Brexit, leaving the party unable to capitalize on the unpopularity of leaving the European Union. At the same time, his party has been dogged by allegations of anti-Semitism – a scandal that has prompted lawmakers and supporters to resign in disgust.Given the continued impasse in parliament over Brexit, an early general election is no longer a remote possibility. Many Labour supporters are wondering if Corbyn is best-placed to lead his party into a vote – especially if his opponent is Boris Johnson instead of the more wooden Theresa May. He may, though, be almost impossible to dislodge.Labour has struggled to find a policy on Brexit that doesn't alienate at least part of its base: Most of the party's MPs represent leave-voting constituencies, yet the majority of Labour voters wanted to remain in the EU.The policy of "constructive ambiguity," in which Labour both promised to deliver on the Brexit referendum and leave all options open, had been an attempt to bridge this divide. But the grim opinion polls have finally forced Corbyn to take a position. Many disaffected Labor voters are lending their support, at least temporarily, to the remain-supporting Liberal Democrats.Pushed by the five largest Labour-affiliated unions last week, Corbyn has pledged to hold a second referendum on any Brexit put forward by a Tory government. In that scenario, Corbyn's party would campaign to remain in the EU. But if Labour were to get elected, the leader won't say what the party would do. This about-face feels too little, too late.Corbyn's problems run deeper than just Brexit; they go to questions of trust and competence. Back in May, Britain's Equality and Human Rights Commission began an investigation into anti-Semitism in the Labour party. Last week, the BBC's Panorama program broadcast an hour-long investigation into the issue. The party claimed it was a hatchet job, but viewers will draw their own conclusions from the chilling testimonies of party insiders who claimed that anti-Semitism isn't only rife, but institutionalized. Following the program, a group of leading Jewish intellectuals published a letter saying the party faces "a taint of international, historic shame." It's hard for Labour to be credible on any other issue if it can't move beyond this one.It's not hard to see why this issue has dogged Corbyn since he became leader. He has, at times in his political career, seemed more interested in Palestinian causes than British voters; his presence at a wreath-laying ceremony in Tunisia in 2014 (in which individuals believed to have been behind the 1972 Munich Olympic killings were also honored) offended and infuriated many.The persistence of the anti-Semitism charges suggest either he has very limited real control over his party or he has cared too little. Removing him, however, would be difficult.Corbyn faced down a leadership challenge after the Brexit referendum, where at least part of the blame for the result was laid at the feet of a leader who had barely bothered to campaign for his party's Remain position. He brushed aside resignations from his shadow cabinet and a non-binding no-confidence vote that saw 172 Labour MPs vote against him to only 40 in favor.While Corbyn has come under increasing criticism from within the parliamentary party (including from Deputy Leader Tom Watson), anyone seeking to challenge him needs the support of 20% of Labour MPs to be nominated. Even if a challenger cleared that hurdle, beating Corbyn in a vote of party members would be an even bigger ask.Corbyn has remade the party in his image after becoming leader, building up the membership with loyalists from the Momentum group, a powerful left-wing grassroots movement that is increasingly independent and aggressive. On Friday, the group announced a nationwide campaign to oust Labour MPs that don't meet with its approval and replace them with local activists.That is the heart of the Labour crisis: Its moderate parliamentary party is at odds with its hard-left base of members and socialist affiliates. These latter groups hold the leader's fate in their hand, but aren't representative of the wider voting public. The party has always been a broad church, but that unity presupposes a leader who can appeal across the various divides in a way Corbyn hasn't.Corbyn's politics of grievance may have worked well against May – at the 2017 election, Labour saw its largest increase in vote share since 1945. They might have worked well against May again; but against Johnson's message of exuberant optimism, they risk looking dour and defeatist.For all Corbyn's shortcomings, the party looks to be stuck with him. Just as the Brexit party has benefited from the turmoil in the Conservative party, so the Liberal Democrats are likely to benefit from Labour's crisis of leadership.To contact the author of this story: Therese Raphael at traphael4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Edward Evans at eevans3@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Therese Raphael writes editorials on European politics and economics for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Venice, the Great Barrier Reef, and other World Heritage Sites are threatened by rising seas, massive storms, and extreme heat. Take a look at the damage. Posted: 15 Jul 2019 06:21 AM PDT  Vulnerable landmarks include the Great Barrier Reef, Statue of Liberty, and the entire city of Venice, Italy.
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| Biden cancer nonprofit suspends operations indefinitely Posted: 15 Jul 2019 10:26 AM PDT  A nonprofit foundation set up by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden that relied on health care world partnerships to speed a cure for cancer has suspended its operations, it announced Monday. The Biden Cancer Initiative's sudden move to cease its activities comes two years after it was founded in 2017 by the former vice president and his wife, Jill, as a philanthropic extension of Biden's stewardship of the White House Cancer Moonshot program. Biden, who on Monday was detailing his health care plan , headed the Obama administration effort to accelerate a cancer cure in tribute to his son Beau, who died of the disease in 2015.
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| Marshall Plan for Central America would restore hope, end migrant border crisis Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:00 AM PDT  Food is essential for solving the migrant crisis in Central America. We need a new Marshall Plan to restore hope and stability in the region.
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| Trump Goes on Unhinged Rant Defending Racist Tweets: ‘If You Don’t Like It Here, You Can Leave’ Posted: 15 Jul 2019 11:29 AM PDT  Leah Millis/ReutersPresident Trump publicly defended the racist tweets he posted against several congresswomen of color, launching into a lengthy tirade while speaking Monday at a "Made in America" event at the White House.At one point, the president said he doesn't mind that white nationalists found common cause with his xenophobic remarks because "many people agree with me.""They're complaining all the time," Trump opened up his tirade against Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the four women of color known as The Squad, who have taken him to task over his immigration policies—specifically the inhumane conditions at migrant detention centers. "Very simply, you can leave. You can leave right now. Come back if you want, don't come back, that's okay too. But if you're not happy, you can leave," Trump said Monday, reiterating his tweets over the weekend telling the congresswomen to "go back" to the countries they came from. "They can leave, and you know what? I'm sure that there will be many people that won't miss them," Trump added.It is unclear where the president wants the lawmakers to return to, as all four of the women are United States citizens, and three of the four women were born stateside.Trump Is a Racist. If You Still Support Him, So Are You.During his rant on Monday, the president singled out Rep. Omar, falsely claiming the Muslim congresswoman supports Al Qaeda, and referenced remarks she made about the importance of the Council on American-Islamic Relations after 9/11 that became conservative kindling earlier this year. The president also implied that because Omar, a naturalized citizen, came to the U.S. as a refugee, she does not have the right to represent her adopted country. "In one case you have somebody who comes from Somalia—which is a failed government, a failed state—who left Somalia, who ultimately came here and now is a congresswoman, who's never happy," Trump said, referring to Omar. He additionally accused Omar of hating Jewish people and attacked Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for working against Amazon in its desire to build its second headquarters in her native New York City.Asked by Fox News reporter John Roberts whether it concerns him that "many people saw that tweet as racist and that white nationalist groups are finding common cause with you on that point," Trump said: "It doesn't concern me because many people agree with me."Trump also made reference of his loyal supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who earlier Monday backed the president's racist tweets on Fox & Friends, calling the congresswomen in question "communists." "I'm saying that they're socialists definitely," the president said. "As to whether or not they're communists, I would think they might be." However, Trump appeared to miss the point of Graham's minor criticism of his tweets, in which the senator implored Trump to "aim higher... focus on their policies.""I disagree with Lindsey. These are congressmen. What am I supposed to do, wait for senators? No. So I disagree with Lindsey on that... he said 'aim higher,' shoot higher. What am I going to do, wait until we get somebody else in a higher position, higher office? These are people that hate our country. They hate our country. They hate it, I think, with a passion."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Jeffrey Epstein accused of paying $350,000 to potential witnesses in underage sex case Posted: 14 Jul 2019 12:15 AM PDT  Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall street financier charged with underage sex offences, has been accused of paying $350,000 to possible co-conspirators to stop them testifying against him. Prosecutors in New York said the money was to "influence" the unnamed people, and was paid within the last year. In court documents prosecutors said: "This course of action, and in particular its timing, suggests the defendant was attempting to further influence co-conspirators who might provide information against him in light of the recently re-emerging evaluations." They claimed Epstein made two payments, one for $100,000 and another for $250,000, to the two people. Epstein, 66, was charged Monday in New York with 2 offences including sex trafficking of minors. He could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have accused him of sexually exploiting dozens of underage teenage girls at his homes in Manhattan, and Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005. Some were allegedly as young as 14. On Friday, Alex Acosta resigned as US Labor Secretary amid a backlash over the 2009 secret plea deal. Mr Acosta with Donald Trump Credit: Rex Mr Acosta, who at the time was a prosecutor in Florida, negotiated the plea deal under which Epstein served only 13 months in a county jail after pleading guilty to a single charge of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The first payment to a suspected co-conspirator was made a few days after details of the secret 2009 plea deal were made public by the Miami Herald last November. Prosecutors revealed the payments as part of their argument why Epstein should be kept in jail until his trial. They said he had a history of manipulation of witnesses, The documents also said Mr Epstein was worth at least $500 million, and posed a "tremendous risk of flight." Meanwhile, speculation mounted about Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands. Details emerged of a bizarre temple structure with a gold dome. And a former employee told Bloomberg News there was a steel safe subject to a level of security that suggested it "contained much more than just money."
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| China detains Canadian citizen on drugs charges Posted: 15 Jul 2019 03:01 AM PDT  A Canadian citizen detained in China is being held on drug-related offences, Beijing said Monday, at a time of tense relations between the two countries. News of the latest arrest comes amid a diplomatic crisis sparked by the detention of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer for Chinese tech giant Huawei, in Vancouver on a US extradition bid. "The Shandong Provincial Public Security Bureau recently seized a drug-related case involving foreign students," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing.
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| 15+ Chicken Casseroles To Spice Up Weeknight Dinners Without Much Work Posted: 15 Jul 2019 02:44 PM PDT |
| I Went to a Socialism Conference. Here Are 6 Shocking Things I Learned. Posted: 15 Jul 2019 05:02 AM PDT  While you were enjoying your Fourth of July weekend, I was attending a national conference on socialism.Why? Because socialism is having its moment on the left.Since there's often confusion as to what socialism really is, I decided to attend the Socialism 2019 conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend.The conference, which had the tag line "No Borders, No Bosses, No Binaries," contained a cross-section of the most pertinent hard-left thought in America. Among the sponsors were the Democratic Socialists of America and Jacobin, a quarterly socialist magazine.The walls of the various conference rooms were adorned with posters of Karl Marx and various depictions of socialist thinkers and causes. Most of the conference attendees appeared to be white, but identity politics were a major theme throughout—especially in regard to gender.At the registration desk, attendees were given the option of attaching a "preferred pronoun" sticker on their name tags.In addition, the multiple-occupancy men's and women's restrooms were relabeled as "gender neutral," and men and women were using both. Interestingly enough, the signs above the doors were still labeled with the traditional "men's" and "women's" signs until they were covered over with home-made labels.One of the paper labels read: "This bathroom has been liberated from the gender binary!"While the panelists and attendees were certainly radical, and often expressed contempt for the Democratic Party establishment, it was nevertheless clear how seamlessly they blended traditional Marxist thought with the agenda of what's becoming the mainstream left.
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