| Sanders Hits Back after Co-Sponsor Harris Criticizes Medicare for All Posted: 20 Aug 2019 07:35 AM PDT  Senator Bernie Sanders hit back at Senator Kamala Harris Monday evening after Harris said at a fundraiser in the Hamptons that she has "not been comfortable" with the Medicare for All plan she cosponsored with Sanders.> I don't go to the Hamptons to raise money from billionaires. If I ever visited there, I would tell them the same thing I have said for the last 30 years: We must pass a Medicare for All system to guarantee affordable health care for all, not just for those who can afford it.> > -- Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 19, 2019Harris courted wealthy donors in the Hamptons and at Martha's Vineyard over the weekend, assuring them that, "I believe in capitalism, but capitalism is not working for most people.""I think almost every member of the United States Senate who's running for president, and many others, have signed on to a variety of plans in the Senate. And I have done the same," the California Democrat said. "I support Medicare for All. But as you may have noticed, over the course of the many months, I've not been comfortable with Bernie's plan, the Medicare-for-All plan."Harris floundered slightly earlier in her campaign on the question of whether private insurance plans would still be available under her health-care proposal. She originally said private health insurance would be eliminated but has since backtracked, saying that while she is "committed to reining in the private insurance companies," phasing out private insurance "has to happen over a period of time."Sanders is currently polling ahead of Harris but behind the front-runner, former vice president Joe Biden, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is in second place.
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| 'I am the Chosen One': Trump defends China trade war Posted: 21 Aug 2019 01:05 PM PDT  US President Donald Trump proclaimed himself "the Chosen One" Wednesday as he defended his trade war against China, indicating that it was his destiny to take on Beijing. Trump -- who had earlier approvingly retweeted a description of himself as the King of Israel -- said his predecessors had allowed the United States to be taken advantage of on trade and intellectual property and it had befallen him to undo the damage. This is a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago by a lot of other presidents," he told reporters at the White House.
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| Prosecutor: Cannibalism victim was butchered 'like you wouldn't kill a livestock animal' Posted: 21 Aug 2019 04:58 PM PDT  Joseph Oberhansley, 38, is accused of killing his estranged girlfriend and eating parts of her brain and organs in 2014.
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| The northernmost reaches of the Earth are on fire. Here's what this record-breaking hot summer looks like from space. Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:24 AM PDT  Climate change comes with a higher risk of wildfires. This summer, fires have ravaged the Arctic, and the flames can be seen from space.
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| China warns UK to stay out of its affairs after arrest of British Consul worker Posted: 21 Aug 2019 08:31 AM PDT  China warned the UK not to meddle in its affairs over Hong Kong on Wednesday after the arrest of a British Consulate official worsened already strained ties between Beijing and London. Simon Cheng, 28, a trade and investment officer at the Hong Kong consulate's Scottish Development International section, went missing on August 8 on the way back from a business event in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Britain has said it is "extremely" concerned. News of his disappearance became public on Tuesday, prompting China on Wednesday to confirm that it was holding him on allegations of violating local law, without revealing any further details. Geng Shuang, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said the case was linked to China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law, a statute pertaining to minor violations. Individuals can be held under administrative detention for as long as 15 days, which would be roughly until Friday. Mr Geng warned the UK to back away from the affairs of its former colony. "The British side has made a lot of erroneous remarks on Hong Kong," Mr Geng said, urging London "to stop pointing fingers and making accusations." "He is not a British citizen. He is a Chinese person, so this is entirely a matter of China's internal affairs," Mr Geng said of Mr Cheng. "As for Britain's comments, we've made stern representations to Britain for the series of comments and actions they've made on Hong Kong," he said. He also called on Britain to stop interfering in China's internal business. "Britain has made a series of wrong statements on Hong Kong. We again urge them to stop gesticulating and to stop fanning the flames," Mr Geng said. Activists gather outside the British Consulate-General building in Hong Kong Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty Images In a statement issued on Facebook, Mr Cheng's family said: "We feel very helpless, and are worried sick about Simon. We hope that Simon can return to Hong Kong as soon as possible." Friends of Mr Cheng, staged a rally outside the British Consulate in central Hong Kong on Wednesday urging Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister "save" the young man from a Chinese jail. "Save Simon Now! Delay No More!" they chanted. Max Chung, the rally organiser, who knew Mr Cheng from his student days at the London School of Economics, accused the UK of "failing to show due diligence" towards him. "Mr Boris Johnson, the prime minister, it's now or never!" he said. "We appeal to Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon, we urge you to save Simon. Make this your number one priority now." Michael Mo, a fellow protester, added: "England expects every man to do his duty and we expect every British politician to honour their word." The group was briefly admitted indoors to present a petition calling for the UK to express "specific measures" to protect British Nationals in Hong Kong and to issue a travel warning that British and foreign nationals in Hong Kong could be subjected to "enforced disappearance." Simon Cheng, a staff member of the British Consulate in Hong Kong, was initially reported missing Emerging from the building, Mr Chung said senior officials had assured him that they were working "full throttle" to secure Mr Cheng's freedom. However, protesters said that Mr Cheng's predicament confirmed their worst fears about arbitrary detention by China. The Hong Kong protest movement, now in its eleventh week, began over opposition to a planned extradition law that would allow suspects to be sent to trial for the first time in China's opaque justice system. "Simon's case is "white terror" to everyone in Hong Kong. Because even if you haven't voiced out your political views, you may still be considered a target, and can be arrested for no reason," said Duff Li, a protester in his twenties. Mr Cheng's disappearance has also revived fears about the safety of diplomatic personnel in China. The diplomatic and expat community has already been put on edge by the December detention of Michael Kovrig, a Hong Kong-based security analyst on leave from Canada's foreign service, and by the arrest of Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, who worked between China and North Korea. China | Read more from The Telegraph Meanwhile, Hong Kong maintained its week long uneasy calm spell on Wednesday night when thousands of protesters gathered at the Yuen Long metro station in the New Territories district on the outskirts of the city to mark one month since a vicious assault on dozens of commuters by triad gangs. Public anger remains high over the incident, in which at least 45 people were attacked by hundreds of alleged gang members wearing white shirts and wielding sticks. The police were accused of responding too late and of being slow to arrest the perpetrators. Protesters crowding the station initially stood in silence, holding one hand over their right eye to symbolise a young female medic who was hit in the face by a police bean bag shot during a demonstration and badly injured But there were tense scenes outside the station as locals hurled angry insults at riot police. "Triad cops! Why didn't you save us last month? Why are you coming now when nothing is happening?" shouted bystanders. Violence was close to flaring up when protesters pushed police back from the station entrance with fire extinguishers and closed the gates, briefly locking themselves inside. But while the elite Raptors squad lurked on standby, armed with bean bag guns and tear gas, not a shot was fired, and both sides retreated to brace for another weekend of protests as the pro-democracy movement heads into its 12th week.
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| Russia, China ask U.N. Security Council to meet Thursday over U.S. missile developments Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:20 PM PDT ![Russia, China ask U.N. Security Council to meet Thursday over U.S. missile developments]( "Russia, China ask U.N. Security Council to meet Thursday over U.S. missile developments") Russia and China have asked the United Nations Security Council to meet on Thursday over "statements by U.S. officials on their plans to develop and deploy medium-range missiles," according to the request seen by Reuters. Moscow and Beijing want to convene the 15-member council under the agenda item "threats to international peace and security" and have requested that U.N. disarmament affairs chief Izumi Nakamitsu brief the body. The Pentagon said on Monday it had tested a conventionally-configured cruise missile that hit its target after more than 500 km (310 miles) of flight, the first such test since the United States pulled out Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
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| Tucker Carlson: Elizabeth Warren Is ‘Cory Booker-Level’ White Posted: 19 Aug 2019 07:02 PM PDT  On his first night back from vacation following the firestorm of controversy he set off by claiming white supremacy is a hoax, Fox News host Tucker Carlson made another cringeworthy comment when he used an African-American senator's supposed lack of blackness to make fun of how white another senator is.During Monday night's broadcast of Tucker Carlson Tonight, Carlson welcomed on frequent guest Mark Steyn—who served as guest host while Carlson was on break—to discuss Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's public apology to tribal leaders over her Native American DNA test snafu."Like anyone who's being honest with themselves, I know that I have made mistakes. I am sorry for the harm I have caused," Warren said at the Native American Presidential Forum in Iowa on Monday. "I have listened and I have learned—a lot. And I am grateful for the many conversations that we've had together."Tucker Carlson Responds to Critics After Calling White Supremacy a Hoax: 'Calm Down'After accusing the Massachusetts senator of using her previous claims of Native American ancestry to get ahead in her career, Steyn then took the opportunity to crack a joke at her expense. "As I always say, she is the whitest white since Frosty the Snowman fell in a vat of White-Out," the conservative commentator exclaimed. "You can't get any whiter."Carlson, meanwhile, interjected by taking aim at a frequent target of his—Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who also is running for the Democratic presidential nomination."She's Cory Booker-level," the Fox News host cackled.Somewhat ironically, while Carlson was out, Steyn made similar comments about the New Jersey senator. "Meanwhile, you have someone like Cory Booker who's been to Harvard, Oxford, and Yale Law School, the three best universities on the planet, pretending he's like some homie from the hood," Steyn said on Tucker Carlson Tonight earlier this month. Fox News Guest: Cory Booker's 'Pretending He's Like Some Homie From the Hood'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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| We can't trust police to protect us from racist violence. They contribute to it Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:29 AM PDT  White nationalists pervade law enforcement. Fighting far right violence means continuing our fight for police accountabilityProtesters shout anti-Nazi chants after chasing alt-right blogger Jason Kessler from a news conference on 13 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesAs mass violence continues, many of us have become rightly afraid for the people we love. We want justice, but we also want protection.So what are the solutions we're hearing about following this month's violence? One idea we must reject is the idea of trusting law enforcement to protect us from white nationalist violence, given how much they contribute to it. If people in law enforcement want to be seen as experts on defeating white nationalism, shouldn't they have to get rid of all the white nationalists in their own ranks first?White nationalists pervade law enforcement. There is a long history of the military, police and other authorities supporting, protecting or even being members of white supremacy groups. But it's not just history. It was revealed last week that a black man in Michigan came upon KKK materials and Confederate flags in plain view while being shown a home for sale – the home of a police officer on the force for more than 20 years who shot and killed a black man in 2009 without consequence.It's a widespread pattern. As early as 2006, the FBI flagged it. Another FBI report in 2015, not covered nearly enough, indicated that "domestic terrorism investigations focused on militia extremists, white supremacist extremists, and sovereign citizen extremists often have identified active links to law enforcement officers". (And that's the FBI, which has its own history of white supremacy affinity groups.)White nationalists connect through online networks and offline groups, and openly share tactics for infiltrating and influencing police departments, border patrol, the FBI and the military. That was the case for a Virginia police officer – assigned to a high school – who was revealed to be a longtime white nationalist and served as a recruiter for Identity Evropa, one of the groups behind the Charlottesville hate rallies and violence. He was not shy about his cover. In chat messages, he "discussed ways to downplay appearances of racism, while still promoting white nationalism".Another thing many of those like him are not shy about: stoking and celebrating violence, and promoting hateful misinformation and rhetoric. The Plain View Project tracked publicly posted social media material from more than 3,500 confirmed current and retired law enforcement officers, and found that "about 1 in 5 of the current officers, and 2 in 5 of the retired officers, made public posts or comments ... displaying bias, applauding violence, scoffing at due process or using dehumanizing language". The Center for Investigative Reporting was able to identify almost 400 current and retired law enforcement officials who were members of private Facebook "Confederate, anti-Islam, misogynistic or anti-government militia" groups.We have seen racist text messages and emails among active officers revealed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and more, including among those in management with direct authority over law enforcement practices. As the Portland case proved, we must come to terms with the depth of association between senior law enforcement and white nationalist leaders and groups – people they should be investigating and thwarting, not encouraging and helping to evade justice.Neo-Nazis and white supremacists at the University of Virginia after marching through the campus with torches in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Photograph: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesIt would be naive to look at cases in which agencies have dismissed white nationalists from their ranks as an encouraging sign, whether in police departments, border patrol (an agent with a pattern of racist text messages ran over a Guatemalan migrant with a truck), the coast guard (a white nationalist aimed to "murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country"), military units (more Identity Evropa members in the Marines), or anywhere else.In truth, would the level of violence committed by law enforcement in communities of color, and at the border, even be possible if racial hatred weren't part and parcel of police culture? White nationalists in law enforcement and in many roles in government, such as prosecutors, are dangerous because they routinely abuse their power to attack and debilitate communities of color, including harassment and coercion, financial exploitation, acts of sexual and racially-targeted violence and mass incarceration – all officially sanctioned, and all celebrated as part of the larger white nationalist agenda.Within the FBI, there has been an active movement among white nationalist sympathizers to protect their own by unfoundedly targeting nonviolent black activists: inventing the idea of a black extremist threat to justify surveillance of nonviolent black activists and divert attention from truly violent white nationalist perpetrators. This policy was codified in an internal "Race Paper" that a federal court allowed to remain secret, despite a move for transparency led by my organization, Color Of Change. (And people who have spoken out about internal racism at the FBI have not been treated well.)Investigations have not yet uncovered the extent to which people in law enforcement at all levels are actually involved in white nationalist violence more directly: training and mentorship, advice and tips, offering the social validation that people of color and others are, in fact, the enemy, or offering the social validation that violence is, in fact, the answer.More stories from those who know what's happening inside law enforcement officers' lives would help.But we already know enough. We must change the incentives for law enforcement and their unions – financial, social, cultural and otherwise – that allow the denial of this threat to persist. Instead of allowing news media to praise law enforcement as problem-solvers, we must hold them to account for the harm they enable. Lawmakers across the country must also play their role: investigating the extent of the problem, and forcing a purge of white nationalists and their sympathizers from positions of power and influence – everywhere. Fighting white nationalist violence means doubling down on our fight for police accountability.
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| Trump decries 'great disloyalty' of Jews who vote for Democrats Posted: 20 Aug 2019 01:15 PM PDT  President Trump said Tuesday that Jews who voted for Democrats were either ignorant or disloyal.
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| India's ex-finance minister arrested at home in dramatic raid Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:52 PM PDT  High drama unfolded in New Delhi late Wednesday as officers from India's equivalent of the FBI scaled the walls of a former finance minister's home to arrest him on corruption charges, local media reported. Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had alerted airports to prevent Palaniappan Chidambaram, finance minister from 2004-2008 and again from 2012-2014, from leaving the country. Chidambaram, 73, earlier this week failed to secure bail and had not been seen since Tuesday, until he showed up at the headquarters of the opposition Congress party on Wednesday to proclaim his innocence.
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| Newark man faces child sex charges; mummified remains found Posted: 21 Aug 2019 02:21 PM PDT  Police responding to a call about child sexual abuse said they found mummified remains and an altar to an unknown deity in the home of a man who is now facing multiple charges. Robert Williams is scheduled for an initial court appearance Friday. According to the Essex County prosecutor's office, Newark police investigated after receiving reports that the 53-year-old Williams had been abusing a 13-year-old child for several months.
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| Farmer Behind the U.S.'s Largest Organic Food Fraud Scheme Dies by Suicide Posted: 21 Aug 2019 06:27 AM PDT  A Missouri farmer blamed for running the largest organic food fraud scheme in U.S. history has died by suicide, weeks before he was to report to federal prison to begin serving a 10-year term, a coroner said Tuesday.
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| Climate change will cripple economies regardless of countries' wealth- report Posted: 20 Aug 2019 04:41 PM PDT ![Climate change will cripple economies regardless of countries' wealth- report]( "Climate change will cripple economies regardless of countries' wealth- report") Climate change will damage the economies of countries whether they are rich or poor, hot or cold by the year 2100, economists said in a new report, dispelling the notion that impoverished, warm countries will suffer the most on a warming planet. Researchers who examined data from 174 countries over 50 years found that persistent temperature changes above or below a country's historical norm adversely affected economic growth, regardless of how warm a country is. The United States could see a 10% loss in gross domestic product (GDP) without significant policy change.
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| Daily Mail: Photo of Epstein Pal Ghislaine Maxwell at In-N-Out Was Staged Posted: 19 Aug 2019 06:05 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyThe question of where Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell is hiding out grew murkier Monday as a British newspaper claimed that a photo of her at a Los Angeles burger joint—published by a New York tabloid—was staged by her attorney.Reporters at the Daily Mail went to great lengths to debunk the supposedly candid shot: examining the photo metadata, comparing pictures of a dog named Dexter, and confirming that an image in the background appeared to be altered.Maxwell, who has been accused of procuring and grooming underage girls for Epstein, vanished from public view after he was indicted for sex trafficking—charges that were dropped after he killed himself in his jail cell.Last week, the Mail published what it has been calling a "world exclusive," a story that said Maxwell has been holed up in the Massachusetts home of her purported lover, tech entrepreneur Scott Borgerson.Jeffrey Epstein's 'Madam' Ghislaine Maxwell Spotted at In-N-Out BurgerPart of the London paper's proof was a photo of Borgerson walking a dog it said belongs to Maxwell near his Boston apartment—but it didn't get a picture of the socialite herself.The next day, the Mail's report was thrown into doubt when the New York Post published photos of Maxwell eating outside an In-N-Out Burger outlet in Universal City, California.The Post claimed that another diner had spotted Maxwell, recognized her and confirmed her identity. Maxwell was said to have told the other burger lover, "Well, I guess this is the last time I'll be eating here!"Not to be outdone, the Mail began digging into the Post picture. It examined the metadata on the photo and discovered it was tagged with the word Meadowgate, which is also the name of a firm tied to California lawyer Leah Saffian, who has represented Maxwell's brother in the past.The Mail combed through Saffian's social media accounts and concluded that her dog, Dexter, is the same canine as the one seen at Maxwell's feet in the burger photos.Jennifer Araoz Sues Ghislaine Maxwell for Alleged 'Brutal Rape' by EpsteinIn addition, the eagle-eyed Mail scribes noticed that the photo shows an ad for the new movie Good Boys on a bus shelter a short distance from the In-N-Out. But reporters who went to the scene found a poster for a hospital on that shelter—and the advertising company confirmed that had been up there since July 28.Their conclusion? "The first picture of Ghislaine Maxwell in more than three years was staged by her close friend and attorney, Leah Saffian," the Mail wrote.The Mail is sticking to its contention that Maxwell was spending time in Massachusetts, noting that her sister, Christine Maxwell, was seen by a rival newspaper checking out of a hotel in a town near Borgerson's house. Borgerson denies he is involved with Maxwell or that she is living with him.The New York Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Saffian could not be reached for comment.Maxwell has denied wrongdoing. Earlier this month, she was sued by one of Epstein's accusers, who said she facilitated her rape inside the financier's Manhattan mansion nearly 20 years ago.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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| Drivers in Idaho keep harassing busloads of immigrants' children on their way to pre-school Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:23 PM PDT  One driver reported experiencing threatening incidents with other drivers while she was driving a busload of children under the age of five.
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| Ford's "Mustang-Inspired" Mach E Electric SUV Steps Out in Prototype Form Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:30 PM PDT  Said to arrive next year, this new battery-powered crossover promises 300 miles of range and a relatively affordable starting price.
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| China could ‘render US military bases useless’ within hours of conflict in Asia, report says Posted: 20 Aug 2019 03:41 AM PDT  China's military could use missiles to overwhelm American military bases in Asia within hours, a think tank has warned.The US defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific is "in the throes of an unprecedented crisis", according to a report from the United States Studies Center, at the University of Sydney in Australia.
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| Biden confronts Fox News reporter: 'You're going to go after me no matter what' Posted: 21 Aug 2019 06:17 AM PDT  2020 Democrat Joe Biden challenges Fox News' Peter Doocy after being asked about the size of his crowds in Iowa.
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| Marianne Williamson pledges to remove Oval Office portrait of Andrew Jackson put there by Trump Posted: 20 Aug 2019 01:17 PM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson pledged to remove the portrait of former President Andrew Jackson that President Donald Trump chose to hang in the Oval Office if she is elected to be its next occupant.
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| Trial starts in case of fatal shooting over parking spot Posted: 21 Aug 2019 01:51 PM PDT  A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that a white Florida man who fatally shot an unarmed black man during a dispute over a parking space had initiated a similar confrontation just months before, while his defense attorney said the shooting was in self-defense. Prosecutor Fred Schaub said during opening statements of Michael Drejka's manslaughter trial in Clearwater that five months before he fatally shot Markeis McGlockton in July 2018, the defendant had threatened another driver about parking in a handicapped parking spot at the same convenience store. Five months later, Drejka confronted McGlockton's girlfriend for parking in a handicapped space.
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| Albania bulldozes restaurant after owner attacks tourists Posted: 21 Aug 2019 07:17 AM PDT  Albanian officials on Wednesday razed a beachfront restaurant whose owner was captured on camera attacking a car rented by Spanish tourists, as the country scrambles to clean up its reputation as a burgeoning holiday destination. The incident, filmed by the victims' tour guide from inside their vehicle, took place at the weekend in Porto-Palermo on the Ionian coast in southern Albania, a popular tourist spot. The restaurant owner, 51-year-old Mihal Kokedhima, was arrested and faces trial for "verbally assaulting a group of Spanish tourists for futile reasons", damaging their car and causing minor injuries, police said.
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| WIDER IMAGE-"I don't recommend you do this": Thailand's stealthy snake wrangler Posted: 20 Aug 2019 04:00 PM PDT ![WIDER IMAGE-"I don't recommend you do this": Thailand's stealthy snake wrangler]( "WIDER IMAGE-\"I don't recommend you do this\": Thailand's stealthy snake wrangler") In the dead of night, Thai firefighter Pinyo Pukpinyo stealthily approaches a python coiled around the rafters of a home in Bangkok, and quickly grabs its head with his bare hands. "This job makes me feel like I'm a superhero," he said.
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| The Trump-Greenland effect: Deplorable policies buried in an avalanche of absurd optics Posted: 21 Aug 2019 01:13 AM PDT  Trump's reality TV 'rivals' are never climate change, or whatever is causing declining life expectancy, or the country that attacked our elections.
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| A shark attacked a woman in Hawaii, and authorities are warning it's 'still in the area' Posted: 21 Aug 2019 07:22 AM PDT  A 27-year-old woman was bitten twice by a shark while swimming on Tuesday. She is reportedly recovering and in "good health."
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| Here's How Aliens Might See Earth Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:31 PM PDT  It looks a bit different from the pale blue dot.
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| Three migrant children die of flu in detention with US authorities refusing to give vaccines, as reports of child molesting emerge Posted: 20 Aug 2019 12:57 PM PDT  At least three migrant children being held in detention centres have died at least in part from the flu, but US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says that it does not plan on giving immigrant families it detains vaccines as winter approaches.The decision has renewed criticism of the squalid conditions in US detention centres, as further reports suggest children are being molested in some sites while in the care of the government.
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| Fox News Tried to Get Jill Abramson to Call the New York Times Biased. It Backfired. Posted: 21 Aug 2019 09:39 AM PDT  During a lengthy Fox News interview on Wednesday morning, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson repeatedly frustrated America's Newsroom anchors Sandra Smith and Jon Scott as she rebuffed their attempts to get her to criticize the paper's coverage of President Trump.In recent days, Fox News has been laser-focused on a transcript of the newspaper's recent town-hall meeting, claiming it showed current Times executive editor Dean Baquet admitting the paper switched narratives from the Russia investigation to racism in an effort to take out the president. Abramson, who has not been shy in her criticism of the paper she once ran, began the segment by immediately praising Baquet as "really doing a brilliant job" under the circumstances of Trump's presidency.Noting that Baquet is "criticized all the time by you at Fox News and by conservatives were being way too hard on Trump and being biased" against him, Abramson went on to say how impressed she was with Baquet for explaining to the staff that their job was to be "independent and to hold power accountable.""Essentially he told reporters and staffers that we started trying to cover the Trump and Russia collusion narrative and that has kind of gone away," Scott countered. "So now we are going to cover President Trump as a racist. Is that essentially what he says, would you agree with that?"The ex-Times editor did not, in fact, agree with that."No, I think you mischaracterized what he said," she replied. "What he was explaining was that the paper had been set up to cover a deep investigative story out of Washington."Abramson added: "And now they were pivoting to an election where the job of The New York Times is to be in the country figuring out how people feel and what they think. It was not telling people get ready to cover a racist administration. That was a complete mischaracterization of what he was saying. I read that transcript twice."Smith, meanwhile, tried a different tack, reading a piece of the transcript in which Baquet says they need to "regroup" following their coverage of the Russian investigation while framing it within conservative criticism."You heard some members of Congress, including Ted Cruz and others, speaking out pretty aggressively about that revealing an intentional shift in coverage from the Russia narrative to now race in covering the president, is that fair?" Smith asked."I think that's an overstatement," Abramson responded. "If you look at the totality of what Dean said it, he was urging his staff to make a pivot to cover out in the country in all America, not just in Washington, but how people are feeling to understand deeply why they elected Donald Trump in 2016 and why they may possibly do so again in 2016."Eventually, the Fox anchors shifted course and tried to get Abramson to blast the Times for changing a headline earlier this month, once again coming up empty as the former editor said the current editorial staff made the right judgment in making the alteration.As the interview came to an end, Smith threw up one final Hail Mary."I know your book writes about old-school journalism and the changing media landscape and what's missing from journalism today," the anchor said. "I will just ask you, does The New York Times fairly cover the news?Does The New York Times fairly cover President Trump?""I think it does fairly cover President Trump, who makes it very difficult to cover him," Abramson answered, adding that it is "extremely difficult" to cover a president who has reportedly said more than 10,000 lies and falsehoods since entering office.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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| Ex-VA doctor who was fired for being drunk on job charged with manslaughter in 3 veterans' deaths Posted: 21 Aug 2019 08:33 AM PDT  Robert Morris Levy was arrested and faces a grand jury indictment on manslaughter and fraud charges in connection with the death of three veterans.
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| In-Depth 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Photos Posted: 20 Aug 2019 09:59 AM PDT |
| Mexican president says government not talking with criminal gangs Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:55 AM PDT  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday said his nine-month-old administration's efforts to bring down record rates of violent crime do not include talks with criminal gangs or armed self-defense groups. On Tuesday, Mexico's interior minister told reporters the government was holding talks with "various groups" in states hard hit by violence, in response to a question about organized criminals.
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| What's the Statute of Limitations on Credit Card Debt? Posted: 20 Aug 2019 06:35 AM PDT ![What's the Statute of Limitations on Credit Card Debt?]( "What's the Statute of Limitations on Credit Card Debt?") Thanks to TV shows like "Law and Order," you might know there's a statute of limitations for criminal charges. What's not as well known, however, is that there's also a statute of limitations on debt.
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| Brexit: Boris Johnson warned US trade deal 'highly unlikely' if Ireland has hard border Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:44 PM PDT  A post-Brexit trade deal with the US would be "highly unlikely" if there is a hard border on the island of Ireland, Boris Johnson has been warned.The Congressional Friends of Ireland, a group in the US Congress which supports and promotes peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, has written to the prime minister warning that it will oppose any US-UK trade deal if it risks undermining the Good Friday Agreement.
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| NYC Rules Ease Affordable Housing Path for Undocumented Migrants Posted: 21 Aug 2019 10:43 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio is making it easier for New York City's undocumented immigrants to qualify for scarce city-subsidized affordable housing.New eligibility rules de Blasio unveiled scrap credit-rating, Social Security and taxpayer identification requirements if applicants can show 12 consecutive monthly rent payments."For too long, families without access to credit have faced barriers to the affordable housing they need," de Blasio said Wednesday. "By allowing New Yorkers to submit rental history instead of credit checks, we are creating a fairer system for all New Yorkers."The mayor's goal of creating or preserving 300,000 units of affordable housing by 2026 has been one of his signature programs, which he's touted while campaigning for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. The city's 500,000 undocumented immigrants would be able to participate in a lottery that already attracts more than 500 applicants for each available unit, said Bitta Mostofi, commissioner for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.Unlike federal housing programs that bar undocumented immigrants from applying for U.S. funded public or subsidized housing, they were never legally disqualified from city housing programs, said Margy Brown, associate commissioner for housing opportunity in the city's Department of Housing Preservation & Development. By ending credit-rating requirements, there's no need for an applicant to provide Social Security and taxpayer documents, making it easier for non-citizens to qualify, she said."We are committed to ensuring that New Yorkers across the board have equal access to affordable housing," she said.The new policy was criticized as "a really bad idea" by Howard Husock, vice president for research and publications, at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative policy research group. "People who consistently pay their bills should be rewarded for their efforts, especially when property owners are being asked to take less-than-market rent, and deserve assurance they will get paid," he said.To contact the reporter on this story: Henry Goldman in New York at hgoldman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net, Michael B. Marois, William SelwayFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US mental health staff warned not to contradict Trump after mass shootings Posted: 21 Aug 2019 03:35 AM PDT  When Donald Trump targeted mental illness as the cause of the mass shootings that killed 31 people in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, federal health officials made sure no government experts might contradict him.A Health and Human Services (HHS) directive on 5 August warned communication staffers not to post anything on social media related to mental health, violence and mass shootings without prior approval.
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| Police Arrest Two Louisiana Men in 39-Year-Old Cold Case Murder of Teen Posted: 20 Aug 2019 01:53 PM PDT  Rapides Parish Sheriff's OfficeAfter nearly four decades, Louisiana police have charged two men they believe brutally raped and murdered an 18-year-old girl before disposing of her body in the woods.Leo Laird, 64, and Gary Haymon, 54, were both charged on Monday in the death of 18-year-old Donna Gayle Brazzell, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office. The young woman's skeletal remains were found near Nichols Cemetery Road in 1980, but authorities were unable to identify them until last month.The Daring DNA Hunt That Cracked France's Gruesome Cold Case"These cases never, ever leave a policeman's mind," Officer William Earl Hilton, who was first assigned the case, told KBLA. "They prey on you all the time. Especially cases like this that you never solve."Authorities declined to elaborate on what evidence led to Laird and Haymon's arrest, but said "sufficient probable cause was established." Both men have been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and aggravated kidnapping.The mystery began on November 5, 1980, when the sheriff's office responded to a call about "skeletal remains found in a wooded area" near Nichols Cemetery Road. Working alongside Louisiana State University's Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons, investigators were able to determine that the remains, which were likely in the woods for at least two months, belonged to a female victim between the ages of 16 and 21. The lab also created a DNA profile and a facial sketch of the victim but were still unable to make a positive identification. In 2014, the sheriff's office "received information in reference to the case" that led them to name Laird and Haymon as suspects. It remains unclear what new evidence pointed to the two men.Vatican to Open Tombs in Hunt for Teen Missing for 30 YearsThe sketch of the victim proved key to cracking the case five years later, when a woman contacted authorities claiming the picture resembled her long lost granddaughter. After a DNA comparison last month, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to the woman's relative, Donna Gayle Brazzell.Laird, who would have been in his 20s at the time of the alleged murder, was arrested on August 14 and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. He is currently being held on a $1 million bold. Haymon is already serving a 49-year prison sentence for second-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, and public bribery, authorities said. While he was originally set for release in 2047, authorities said arrangements "are in place to have Haymon booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center in reference to his new charges."Quadriplegic Charged in Cold-Case Murder of Bay Area MomRead 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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| US has half a million fewer jobs than believed after big government revision Posted: 21 Aug 2019 04:22 PM PDT  There were 501,000 fewer jobs created from April 2018 to March 2019. Jobs in retail, hospitality and professional services were revised down sharply.
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| Space telescope offers rare glimpse of Earth-sized rocky exoplanet Posted: 19 Aug 2019 06:06 PM PDT |
| Hong Kong police in standoff with protesters after sit-in Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:38 PM PDT  Near the end of the event, the police began what they called a "dispersal operation, using minimum force" after some protesters blocked roads and flashed laser pointers at officers. Police with riot shields faced off at the station entrance against a group of remaining protesters, who sprayed a firehose and spread soap on the floor to slow a police approach, while piling up trash bins, a wheelchair and umbrellas in a makeshift blockade. The station's entrance shutters were lowered, barricading the protesters inside.
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| This Crock-Pot Spaghetti Is the Fuss-Free Pasta You Need Tonight Posted: 21 Aug 2019 02:30 PM PDT |
| Luntz: ‘I was wrong’ on climate change Posted: 21 Aug 2019 09:11 AM PDT  Luntz urged Democrats to "personalize, individualize and humanize" the impacts of climate change
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| Carrie Symonds 'barred from entering the US over Somaliland trip' Posted: 20 Aug 2019 03:59 PM PDT  Boris Johnson's girlfriend, Carrie Symonds, has been barred from visiting the US. She had applied for permission to go to the US in the next few days as part of her job with environmental group Oceana but the request was blocked by the American authorities, the Daily Mail reported. The situation could prove embarrassing for the Prime Minister, who is expected to meet US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in France which begins on Saturday. The problem with Ms Symonds' travel plans could be linked to a trip to Somaliland last year. The US does not recognise Somaliland as an independent country, instead viewing it as part of Somalia. Applicants under the electronic system for travel authorisation (Esta) visa waiver programme, which allows Britons to spend up to 90 days in the US, are asked whether they have visited Somalia since March 2011. Ms Symonds visited Somaliland last year with her friend Nimco Ali, a campaigner against female genital mutilation. Following the reports of Ms Symonds' travel difficulties, Ms Ali said on Twitter: "Somaliland is Africa's best kept Secret, it's my birth place and it's stunning. "For 28 years without international assistance we have rebuilt our Country and are the only democracy in the Horn of Africa. I am happy to personally show anyone around the land I was sourced from." Ms Symonds has no official role in Downing Street and no taxpayer-funded support, although she has been pictured at functions in Number 10 with Mr Johnson. Downing Street declined to comment. Ayan Mahamoud, Head of the Somaliland Mission to the UK said, the country is an "independent, peaceful and stable" nation often wrongly confused with neighbours Somalia. She said: "We have a longstanding and positive relationship with the UK Government, and we have been proud to host members of the Government within the last 12 months, numerous Members of Parliament, and thousands of tourists from the UK every year. "We continue to call on the UK Government to support our calls for international recognition and to support Somaliland as we seek to overturn the damaging and unjustified travel restrictions unfairly imposed on our citizens by the US Government."
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| US Marine Alexander Curry-Fishtorn, 22, charged in connection with kidnapping Crown Point teen Posted: 20 Aug 2019 08:10 PM PDT  A man has been charged in the kidnapping of a Northwest Indiana teenager who was the subject of an Amber Alert last weekend.
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| Neo-Nazi arrested over threat to exterminate Hispanics said 'I thank God every day Trump is president' Posted: 20 Aug 2019 10:58 AM PDT  A man arrested by the FBI on suspicion of threatening to kill Hispanic people in Miami allegedly wrote that he thanked God every day that Donald Trump was president.Eric Lin, 35, made a series of threats against the Hispanic community in the Miami area before being arrested in Seattle.
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