| 'Humiliated': World media react to British PM's Brexit defeat Posted: 16 Jan 2019 03:36 AM PST  Britain is in "uncharted waters" after Prime Minister Theresa May was "humiliated" by the "crushing defeat" of her Brexit deal in parliament, according to scathing reactions in the British and world press on Wednesday. "May's Brexit deal dead as a dodo", Britain's biggest-selling newspaper The Sun said, with a mock-up picture of the PM as the extinct flightless bird, under the front page headline "Brextinct". The Daily Telegraph's front page read: "A complete humiliation".
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| Hottest vehicles at Detroit auto show: Shelby GT, electric SUV, Kia SUV Posted: 15 Jan 2019 09:51 AM PST  The Ford Shebly GT 500, Toyota Supra and Kia Telluride generate buzz at the Detroit auto show.
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| U.S. eyes Taiwan risk as China's military capabilities grow Posted: 15 Jan 2019 09:26 PM PST  The senior U.S. defense intelligence official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, did not predict that China's military, known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), would take such a step but said such a possibility was the top worry as China expands and modernizes its military capabilities. "The biggest concern is that ... they are getting to a point where the PLA leadership may actually tell Xi Jinping that they are confident in their capabilities," the official said, referring to China's president. Pressed on whether the official was referring to Chinese confidence in its capabilities to be able to successfully win a battle with Taiwan, the official said, "Well, specifically that would be the most concerning to me." Taiwan is only one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, including a trade war between the countries, U.S. sanctions on the Chinese military, and China's increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea.
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| The Latest: Grandfather: Suspect 'backed off from crowds' Posted: 15 Jan 2019 04:34 PM PST  BARRON, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on the kidnapping of 13-year-old Jayme Closs (all times local):
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| Who's behind the egg that broke the Instagram world record? Posted: 15 Jan 2019 11:43 AM PST  By now, you've heard about the egg, which surpassed a photo of Kylie Jenner's daughter, Stormi, on Sunday as the most-liked post on Instagram. But who did the egg? Whose dumb but ultimately successful idea was this? > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by EGG GANG (@world_record_egg) on Jan 4, 2019 at 9:05am PST Here's what we know so far: ## 1\. The egg account holder goes by "Henrietta." Henrietta is, according to a report from BuzzFeed News, a "chicken from the British countryside." ## 2\. The account holder, however, claims to live in London. "I'm an individual living in London," the account holder told The Independent earlier this week. They also revealed that they only have 400 followers on their personal Instagram account. ## 3\. The egg's name is Eugene, allegedly. In some interviews, the account holder goes by the name Eugene, bypassing the whole "Henrietta" schtick entirely. ## 4\. The person who did the egg was participating in dry January at the time. Nothing breeds creativity like suddenly not drinking. ## 5\. Fans of the egg are called the "Egg Gang." Sure. ## 6\. The egg account follows 928 accounts and two hashtags. The hashtags are #WSHH -- WorldStarHipHop -- and #FatBoySSE, who is a rapper from New Jersey. > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Supreme Patty (@supremepatty) on Jan 14, 2019 at 5:20pm PST ## 7\. Supreme Patty is a suspect. So far, the only public figure to have implied responsibility for the egg is Supreme Patty, an Instagram star who smokes hot sauce and is known for squeezing lemon juice into his own eyes. While Patty didn't claim he did the egg outright, one of his friends did say so in a TMZ interview. (This is, of course, to be taken with a lemon-sized grain of salt.) For what it's worth, we do not think Supreme Patty did the egg. It's more likely that he's just capitalizing on the big meme of the moment. He did get an egg tattoo, though, so kudos on committing to the bit. And the egg does follow him on Instagram. We've reached out to Supreme Patty and will update this post if we hear back. ## 8\. Okay, the egg account says it's not Supreme Patty. In an Instagram story posted on Tuesday, @world_record_egg claimed the TMZ story was bogus. "We're still anonymous. Fake news," they wrote. Image: Instagram So we guess it's not Supreme Patty. Stay tuned for more egg updates. This story is developing ... UPDATE: Jan. 16, 2019, 1:34 p.m. ET This story was updated to include information regarding the egg's Instagram Story as well as the hashtags it follows. ## WATCH: A teenager crashed their car doing the "Bird Box" challenge
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| Enes Kanter: Turkey 'seeking arrest' of New York Knicks player Posted: 16 Jan 2019 04:20 PM PST  Turkish prosecutors are seeking the arrest and extradition of New York Knicks enter Enes Kanter, accusing him pf being a member of an "armed terrorist group". Mr Kanter is accused of ties to Fethullah Gulen, who Turkish authorities allege is behind the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, the Daily Sabah reported. Mr Gulen has repeatedly denied any involved in the failed coup.
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| Republican congressman Steve King defiantly supports vote rebuking his own racist remarks Posted: 15 Jan 2019 03:35 PM PST  Steve King defiantly rejected what he described as an "unprecedented assault" on his freedom of speech while simultaneously supporting a resolution in Congress condemning his own racist remarks. The Iowa Republican — whose has a history of controversial rhetoric — sparked a backlash after an interview with the New York Times was published last week in which the congressman appeared to lament why language like white nationalist and white supremacist had "become offensive". Mr King took to the House floor to seemingly clarify his controversial statements before the vote.
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| Kenya Hunts Gunmen in Fatal Hotel Attack Claimed by Al-Qaeda Posted: 15 Jan 2019 01:34 PM PST  The attack on 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi began with an explosion targeting three vehicles in the parking lot and then a suicide-bombing in the foyer of a Dusit Hotels & Resorts Co. outlet, police Inspector-General Joseph Boinnet said Tuesday in a televised briefing. Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda based in neighboring Somalia, said it killed 47 people in the attack, according to Radio Andalus, a broadcaster that supports its insurgency. The group didn't say how it obtained the figure, but if its involvement was confirmed it would be the Islamists' first significant assault in Kenya since a raid on a university campus in Garissa county in April 2015 that killed at least 147 people.
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| Barr draws a line for Trump: ‘I will not be bullied’ Posted: 15 Jan 2019 11:13 AM PST  President Trump's nominee for attorney general promises that he will abide by his sense of what is right and will not be susceptible to pressure from the president or from whatever quarter.
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| LAUSD teachers strike: Thousands of educators rally in downtown Los Angeles on 2nd day of walkout Posted: 15 Jan 2019 06:00 PM PST  Thousands of LAUSD teachers took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles for a massive demonstration on the second day of their union's strike.
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| Correction: Venezuela-Maduro's Challenger story Posted: 15 Jan 2019 10:23 AM PST  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In a story Jan. 14 about the head of Venezuela's congress, The Associated Press erroneously spelled the family name of Juan Requesens.
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| 'Indefensible.' Why Republicans Finally Condemned Steve King Posted: 15 Jan 2019 07:09 PM PST  When Rep. Steve King wondered aloud when white supremacy became offensive, he crossed a line for many in the Republican Party.
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| Apple, Amazon called out for "incorrect" Taiwan, Hong Kong references Posted: 16 Jan 2019 09:28 PM PST  TAIPEI/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - One of China's top government-linked think tanks has called out Apple Inc, Amazon.com Inc and other foreign companies for not referring to Hong Kong and Taiwan as part of China in a report that provoked a stern reaction from Taipei. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said in a report this month that 66 of the world's 500 largest companies had used "incorrect labels" for Taiwan and 53 had errors in the way they referred to Hong Kong, according to China's Legal Daily newspaper.
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| Huawei boss Ren Zhengfei denies espionage allegations in rare public announcement Posted: 15 Jan 2019 05:55 AM PST  Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has broken a lengthy silence to hit back at criticism levelled at the Chinese telecoms giant by western countries in recent months, claiming that the firm is not aiding Beijing in espionage. Mr Ren, who has not spoken to the foreign press since 2015, said that his company has "never received any request from any government to provide improper information". The chief executive made the public appearance following the arrest of his daughter and Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver two months ago, who is alleged to have violated US sanctions on Iran. Huawei is the world's biggest provider of telecoms equipment and will be a key partner for companies working to build next-generation 5G mobile networks. The company has come under fresh pressure after a Huawei executive arrested in Poland was accused of spying. Huawei has since sacked the employee. The arrest comes after months of heightened scrutiny from the likes of the US, Australia, Japan and the UK, which have raised questions about the cyber security risks posed by the telecoms firm. Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA "I love my country, I support the Communist Party. But I will not do anything to harm the world," Mr Ren told journalists in Shenzhen on Tuesday. "I don't see a close connection between my personal political beliefs and the businesses of Huawei." The Huawei boss doubled-down on his defense, saying that his company does not have regular contact with the political regime and would refuse any requests from the Chinese government for sensitive information. Huawei has also found support from the Chinese government amid a backlash from western countries. During a briefing in Beijing on Monday, Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the allegations of security threats posed by Chinese companies were being used to suppress their growth in international markets. "We urge relevant parties to cease the groundless fabrications and unreasonable restrictions toward Huawei and other Chinese companies, and create a fair, good and just environment for mutual investment and normal cooperation by both sides' companies," she said. Ms Hua added that those using "security reasons to hype, obstruct or restrict" Chinese company ties with other countries would be hurting their own interests.
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| See the New 2019 McLaren 600LT Spider in Photos Posted: 16 Jan 2019 04:58 AM PST |
| American anchor for Iranian TV is arrested on visit to US Posted: 16 Jan 2019 04:22 PM PST  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A prominent American anchorwoman on Iranian state television has been arrested by the FBI during a visit to the U.S., the broadcaster reported Wednesday, and her son said she was being held in a prison, apparently as a material witness.
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| How to Avoid Common Car-Seat Installation Mistakes Posted: 16 Jan 2019 04:39 PM PST  A toddler, still strapped into a car safety seat, survived a fall out of a moving vehicle this week on a Minnesota road—providing a chilling reminder of the importance of proper car seat installa...
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| May Wins Confidence Vote and Opens Cross-Party Brexit Talks Posted: 16 Jan 2019 12:21 PM PST  U.K. leader Theresa May survived an attempt to oust her government and immediately opened talks with rival political parties in an attempt to break the Brexit deadlock, as time runs out to reach a deal. The prime minister fought off the threat of a national election and won the right to continue running the country when the House of Commons voted 325 to 306 against a motion of "no confidence" in her administration. May invited other party leaders, who back keeping much closer ties to the European Union, for talks tonight to discuss how to forge a compromise Brexit plan that Parliament can support.
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| Russia's Lavrov: We're not rubbing our hands with glee over Brexit Posted: 16 Jan 2019 03:51 AM PST  Russia's foreign minister said his country's aim was to have a strong and united European Union, whether or not Brexit happens. Rough cut (no reporter narration)
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| Pelosi tells Trump to postpone State of the Union over record-long government shutdown Posted: 16 Jan 2019 10:23 AM PST  The speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has asked Donald Trump to postpone his annual State of the Union address amid a government shutdown now into its 26th day. The move could deny the president the grandeur of the annual platform, which he is likely to use to criticise Ms Pelosi and Democrats over the shutdown. Democrats have said they will not sanction $5.7bn (£4.4bn) funding for Mr Trump's proposed border wall which the president has made a central demand for reopening the government.
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| Here’s the Note Coast Guard Members Got on Their First-Ever Day Without Pay Posted: 15 Jan 2019 02:04 PM PST  It's the first time in history that American military service members have not been paid during a shutdown
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| What Ford and Volkswagen's Tie-Up on Trucks Means for the Ranger in America Posted: 15 Jan 2019 07:06 AM PST  Ford and VW formalize an alliance to build pickups and vans, but don't expect the Amarok to make it to the U.S.
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| 40 mph mudslides, floods, blizzards, 6 feet of snow, 110 mph winds: California nightmare Posted: 16 Jan 2019 08:21 AM PST  Mudslides and flooding were closing roads in California as heavy rains and snow were forecast deep into the week.
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| Plans revealed for a massive atom smasher that dwarfs the Large Hadron Collider Posted: 16 Jan 2019 12:32 PM PST ![Plans revealed for a massive atom smasher that dwarfs the Large Hadron Collider]( "Plans revealed for a massive atom smasher that dwarfs the Large Hadron Collider") The famous Large Hadron Collider, an insanely massive particle accelerator that's helped scientists crack some of the most deeply hidden mysteries of the universe, is about to be dwarfed by an atom smasher that's much bigger and more powerful. European physicists have just unveiled their proposal for the construction of a new particle smasher that calls for a 62-mile circular collider costing roughly the equivalent of $10 billion. Plans for the so-called Future Circular Collider were revealed Tuesday in a report by officials associated with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known by its acronym of CERN. Among other things, they're proposing that the collection of 23 member nations which currently comprise CERN would likewise oversee this next-generation accelerator. An accelerator, we should note, that would be four times bigger and up to 10 times more powerful than today's Large Hadron Collider, which is part of a particle accelerator facility on the French-Swiss border and which helped scientists in 2012 confirm the existence of the so-called God particle, the Higgs boson. It's a particle that gives mass to electrons and protons, which scientists regard as a kind of building block for the world as part of their so-called Standard Model. That's a body of knowledge describing some of the most basic forces at work in the physical world. Ironically, this highly sought after class of particles can reveal such depth of understanding about the world around us -- but the particles are also so small that it takes insanely massive machines to wrench them loose, in a manner of speaking, enough for scientists to be able to study them. The way the Large Hadron Collider works involves a loop of superconducting magnets that shoot streams of protons at each other fast enough for these key particles to emerge from the impact. And among the questions scientists hope these kinds of machine can answer are things like why gravity is so weak compared to other forces. As if on cue, meanwhile, China has plans to build its own version of one of these machines. According to a report from ScienceAlert, its creation could be operational by the 2030s and present "a head start (on) the multiple collisions needed to amass the enormous bank of statistics necessary for finding flaws in the Standard Model. Japan is also taking a look at building a particle collider." The ScienceAlert report also makes clear that there's no guarantee this new collider in Europe will ever get built. The Large Hadron Collider apparently hasn't produced enough fodder for scientific discoveries yet to satisfy some officials that the need is there and investment is warranted for the development of a new collider.
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| JPMorgan misses estimates, caused by trading troubles Posted: 15 Jan 2019 11:46 AM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s fourth-quarter profits badly missed analysts' forecasts on Tuesday, caused by weakness in the bank's bond-trading business.
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| Pro Party Hosts Always Have These Candles on Hand Posted: 15 Jan 2019 03:01 PM PST |
| Nancy Pelosi asks Donald Trump to postpone State of the Union address while shutdown continues Posted: 16 Jan 2019 07:44 AM PST  Donald Trump was told to delay his State of the Union address by the most senior Democrat in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday until after the government shutdown was over. Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, wrote to Mr Trump demanding that he either push back the January 29 speech or simply submit a written version of what he wanted to say to Congress. Ms Pelosi cited security concerns, saying that the Secret Service and Homeland Security - which both help keep the event safe – had been partly "hamstrung" by the lack of funding. The move was an apparent attempt to force focus of the shutdown back onto Mr Trump while also denying the president a prominent stage from which to chastise Democrats over the impasse. Republicans appeared to reject the move, with Steve Scalise, the second most senior Republican in the House, tweeting: "This decision makes clear what we already know: Democrats are only interested in obstructing Donald Trump, not governing." Today, I wrote to @realDonaldTrump recommending that we delay the State of the Union until after government re-opens, as the @SecretService, the lead federal agency for #SOTU security, faces its 26th day without funding. https://t.co/K2oL8WGvqopic.twitter.com/g3fIlxDbbK— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 16, 2019 The procedural clash came as two separate moves from congressmen attempted to force an end to the shutdown – already longest in US history and which was due to enter its 27th day on Thursday. Some 800,000 federal government workers are affected, with around half working for free and the other half sent home without pay. A quarter of the government is impacted. Mr Trump hosted a cross-party group of House members, known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, in the White House on Wednesday in the latest attempt to break the deadlock. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, called the meeting "constructive". The US president has insisted he will sign no spending bill that would reopen the government unless it includes $5.7 billion for construction of his Mexico border wall – a key campaign pledge. In the second move, a cross-party group of US senators were circulating a letter urging Mr Trump to agree to reopen the government for 30 days, during which immigration reform can be negotiated. The Democrats, who hold the majority in the House, have refused to give Mr Trump his $5.7 billion and insist they will not talk about immigration reform until the government is back open. The letter, which was picking up signatures from Democrat and Republican senators on Wednesday, saw its backers promise to "make our best efforts" to reach a compromise in the three-week period. "This would include debating and voting on investments on the Southern border that are necessary, effective, and appropriate to accomplish that goal," it read. Ms Pelosi, a 78-year-old congresswoman from California, has been at loggerheads with Mr Trump, 72, throughout the shutdown, trading barbs and attempting to pin the blame on each other's party. Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union in 2018 Credit: Bloomberg The State of the Union address is one of the most prominent Washington events of the year, seeing a president speak to almost every member of the capital's political elite. Every congressman and senator is invited to the speech, delivered in the House, as well as Supreme Court judges, members of the president's cabinet and foreign ambassadors. Security is extremely tight, with the roads around the US Capitol closed off in the hours before the speech. A member of the president's cabinet, dubbed the "designated survivor", does not attend in case a disaster should happen. Ms Pelosi wrote in her letter: "Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government reopens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has reopened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to Congress on January 29." Should Mr Trump refuse to change the date of his speech it is unclear what will happen. Theoretically the House speaker invites the president to make the address and could rescind that invitation. But, congressional sources told The Telegraph, there is no rule or convention that dictates what should happen. It has been an informal agreement which, until now, has not been challenged.
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| Steve King: Republican congressman who defended white supremacy stripped of committee assignments Posted: 15 Jan 2019 12:49 AM PST  A senior Republican congressman has been blocked by his own party from sitting on committees after his universally condemned remarks about white supremacy. Steve King, in his ninth term representing Iowa in Washington, will not be given committee assignments for the next two years, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy said. Mr King had served on the agriculture, small business and judiciary committees in the last Congress, also chairing the judiciary's subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice.
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| What happens to the 62,500 students with special needs during Los Angeles teachers' strike? Posted: 15 Jan 2019 06:00 AM PST  The disruption triggered by the strike that began Monday in the nation's second-largest school district could set back thousands of other children with developmental disabilities who need special education and consistency, parents told USA TODAY.
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| Report: Gymboree preparing to file for bankruptcy and close all 900 of its stores Posted: 15 Jan 2019 09:07 AM PST ![Report: Gymboree preparing to file for bankruptcy and close all 900 of its stores]( "Report: Gymboree preparing to file for bankruptcy and close all 900 of its stores") Kids' clothing retailer Gymboree is reportedly filing for bankruptcy and plans to close all 900 of its stores.
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| Brexit bedlam: May's EU divorce deal crushed by 230 votes in parliament Posted: 15 Jan 2019 10:51 PM PST ![Brexit bedlam: May's EU divorce deal crushed by 230 votes in parliament]( "Brexit bedlam: May's EU divorce deal crushed by 230 votes in parliament") After parliament voted 432-202 against her deal, the worst defeat in modern British history, opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn promptly called a vote of no confidence in May's government, to be held at 1900 GMT on Wednesday. With the clock ticking down to March 29, the date set in law for Brexit, the United Kingdom is now ensnared in the deepest political crisis in half a century as it grapples with how, or even whether, to exit the European project that it joined in 1973. "... nothing about how - or even if - it intends to honor the decision the British people took in a referendum parliament decided to hold." More than 100 of May's own Conservative lawmakers - both Brexit backers and supporters of EU membership - joined forces to vote down the deal.
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| Some in GOP split with White House on Russia sanctions Posted: 15 Jan 2019 04:44 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Almost a dozen Senate Republicans broke with the White House Tuesday on Russia, voting to move forward on a resolution that would maintain sanctions on companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
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