| This Quiet Mueller Cooperator Has a Key Role in Trump Probe Posted: 17 Jan 2019 01:00 AM PST  Rick Gates, who spent about a decade working for Kremlin-backed political players in Ukraine, served as Donald Trump's deputy campaign manager for four months and then became the campaign's liaison to the Republican National Committee. Weeks later, he appears to have met with Mnuchin and Barrack again for an appointment marked as personal on the Treasury secretary's calendar.
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| 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says Posted: 17 Jan 2019 07:19 AM PST !['We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says]( "'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says") Ford F-150 and Super Duty surprises are in the works as Ford executives lay out plans for strengthening the company.
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| Congressional Democrats move to stop U.S. Census citizenship question Posted: 16 Jan 2019 05:59 PM PST  Democrats in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday were moving ahead with legislation to prevent the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, following a court decision this week blocking inclusion of such information. Representative Carolyn Maloney, a senior Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told reporters that she is re-introducing her bill, which was ignored by Republicans in 2017-2018 when they controlled the House of Representatives.
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| Mexican airline trolls Americans with brilliant ad Posted: 18 Jan 2019 06:53 AM PST  While the debate over immigration and a border wall between the United States and Mexico has helped grind the U.S. federal government to a halt, Mexico's national airline, AeroMexico, is trolling Americans with a new ad called "DNA Discounts." The ad features purported residents of Wharton, Texas, a town about 60 miles southwest of Houston, professing a variety of opinions about Mexico and its citizens. The ad also drops some knowledge about the long history of immigration from Mexico to the U.S., and notes that many in southern and southwestern states have a touch of Mexican DNA. Things get flipped when the airline reveals it's offering flight discounts to Americans, including those Wharton residents, based on the amount of Mexican DNA they have (i.e., 18 percent DNA equals an 18 percent discount). That certainly turns opinions around. As one recipient says, "I love discounts!" Of course, it's such a brilliant ad, it's hard to tell if those Wharton residents are real or just actors and if this whole DNA discount thing is real or satirical. Aeromexico, which has gotten political before, isn't saying much, but we've reached out for comment and will update this post when we hear back. Either way, it's a brilliant gambit that undermines the vitriol so many Americans have expressed at our neighbors to the south, and does so without ever directly mentioning the political turmoil, the wall, or even President Trump. Instead, it directs that energy at a sense of shared community, including the tagline, "There are no borders within us." Not a bad way to spread a powerful message.
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| The Latest: Falling tree kills 1 as storm lashes California Posted: 16 Jan 2019 07:41 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on California storms (all times local):
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| Apple boss Tim Cook attacks 'shadow economy' of data in call for new privacy law Posted: 17 Jan 2019 10:36 AM PST  Apple's chief executive Tim Cook has called for the US to introduce a national privacy law, attacking a "shadow economy" in which people's personal data is bought and sold without their knowledge. Mr Cook said companies should have to collect as little data as possible and make it easy for people to delete the information that is held about them. It is the latest attempt from Apple to position itself as the steward of consumers' privacy, and to draw a line between itself and companies such as Facebook and Google. Mr Cook said that people need to "win back their right to privacy" and that companies that sell data should have to register with the Federal Trade Commission, the US consumer watchdog. "I and others are calling on the US Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation - a landmark package of reforms that protect and empower the consumer," Mr Cook wrote in Time Magazine. He singled out "data brokers", companies that purchase, bundle up and sell data on individuals, such as credit reference agencies, saying that most people were unaware of how companies transact in their data. "Right now, all of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy that's largely unchecked. Let's be clear: you never signed up for that," Mr Cook wrote. The US does not have a national equivalent to the UK's Data Protection Act or the European privacy legislation, GDPR. Facebook, Amazon and Google have all said they would support a law, but failed to put forward any concrete proposals. Mr Cook said companies should aim to minimise the amount of data they collect and make it easier for people to delete or correct it. Mr Cook has played up Apple's privacy credentials in recent months, as sales of its iPhones stumble and as Google and Facebook have been embroiled in repeated data controversies. Its privacy commitment has come under scrutiny, since Apple receives billions of dollars a year from Google to be the default search engine on the iPhone. Mr Cook has defended the deal, saying the company has built in controls to limit how much users can be tracked.
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| Oxford University suspends funding from China's Huawei Posted: 17 Jan 2019 10:37 AM PST  The University of Oxford said on Thursday it has stopped accepting funding from China's Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL], the leading global supplier of telecoms network equipment, after scrutiny over the company's relationship with China's government. "Oxford University decided on January 8 this year that it will not pursue new funding opportunities with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd or its related group companies at present," the university said in a statement. "The decision has been taken in the light of public concerns raised in recent months surrounding UK partnerships with Huawei.
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| Tulsi Gabbard apologizes, again, for past antigay views Posted: 17 Jan 2019 11:53 AM PST  A week after announcing her presidential candidacy, the representative from Hawaii releases a video apology.
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| TSA officers open up about what the government shutdown is doing to their families Posted: 18 Jan 2019 07:22 AM PST  Shutdown threatens the financial security of TSA agents across the country, including at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
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| David Webb’s White Privilege Posted: 17 Jan 2019 03:30 AM PST  Areva Martin, a CNN "analyst" — whatever in hell that means anno Domini 2019 — was in the middle of a spirited exchange with the conservative talk-radio host David Webb about racial preferences in hiring. Webb argued — as conservatives of many different races argue! — that race should not be a factor in such decisions, which should be based strictly on qualifications. "That's a whole 'nother long conversation about white privilege," she sniffed.
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| AP Explains: Trump says wall will stop drugs, facts differ Posted: 17 Jan 2019 04:41 PM PST  PHOENIX (AP) — In his demands that Congress set aside $5.7 billion for a border wall, President Donald Trump has insisted that a new physical barrier would stop heroin entering the U.S. from Mexico.
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| 'Thousands' more children separated from parents at US border in 2017-18 Posted: 17 Jan 2019 07:40 PM PST  Thousands more children were forcibly separated from their parents after illegally crossing the US-Mexico border from 2017-2018 than originally admitted by President Donald Trump's administration, an official report said Thursday. The inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which was given responsibility for the children, said the total number separated under the administration's "zero-tolerance policy" toward illegal immigrants remains unknown.
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| 10 of the Kia Telluride's Coolest Design Details, from the Designer Himself Posted: 17 Jan 2019 01:50 PM PST |
| 911 callers say Jayme Closs should get $50K reward for rescuing herself Posted: 16 Jan 2019 10:24 PM PST  The Wisconsin couple who called 911 to report that Jayme Closs had been found think that Closs herself is more deserving of the $50,000 reward money.
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| Prince Philip crash: As Duke takes delivery of another Land Rover, will he be back on the road soon? Posted: 18 Jan 2019 05:50 AM PST  A replacement Land Rover, previously driven by the Duke of Edinburgh, has been delivered to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, hours after his car was involved in a horror crash. A black Land Rover Freelander was driven into Sandringham inside a delivery truck on Friday morning. The Land Rover is the same model as the one Prince Philip, 97, was driving in yesterday's crash, which also involved a Kia. It is believed to be the same car he has been seen driving near to Balmoral in September 2018, with a shared number plate. Armed police were on hand as the replacement vehicle was delivered to Sandringham, where Prince Phillip is now recovering. The delivery driver backed the Land Rover out of the van, then drove it through the gates of the Sandringham estate. The Duke was not injured in yesterday's crash, and was checked over by a doctor as a precaution. The two people in the other car involved in the crash were taken to hospital and treated for "minor injuries" and then discharged. Police supervise the unloading of the car Credit: Geoff Robinson The Land Rover driven by the Duke in the accident was towed away after the crash which saw the car overturn and the windscreen smash. Photographs appeared to show the air bags deployed, with heavy scratches down the sides of the vehicle. The accident will be "investigated and any appropriate action taken", Norfolk Constabulary has said. Norfolk Police said they were following standard procedure where a road traffic collision resulted in injuries. Eyewitness Roy Warne has described how Philip asked if "everybody else was all right" in the aftermath of an accident which saw his car "tumbling" over the road. "The driver of the Kia, a 28-year-old woman, suffered cuts to her knee while the passenger, a 45-year-old woman, sustained a broken wrist," said police in a statement. The aftermath of the crash "Both casualties were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and were discharged last night. "Police can also confirm a nine-month-old baby boy was in the Kia at the time of the incident and was uninjured. "The male driver of the Land Rover was uninjured. "Both drivers were breath tested and provided negative readings." The police are expected to take statements from the Duke, the female driver of the Kia involved in the crash and any other relevant witnesses during their investigation. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on any changes to the Duke's health, after some witnesses said the Queen's consort had been left "very, very shocked" after the accident. Yesterday, a spokesman said he suffered "no injuries". Duke of Edinburgh car crash near Sandringham Estate Asked if he held a driving licence, a spokeswoman said: "The duke has got a driving licence and follows all the usual DVLA procedures."
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| Canada dismisses China's warning of repercussions over Huawei ban Posted: 18 Jan 2019 01:38 PM PST  Canada's government on Friday dismissed China's warning of repercussions if Ottawa banned Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] from supplying equipment to 5G networks, saying it would not compromise on security. China's ambassador to Canada issued the threat on Thursday as relations between the two nations continued to deteriorate after a senior Huawei executive was arrested in Vancouver last month on a U.S. extradition warrant. China has also detained two Canadians.
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| Illinois parents get 25 years in death of boy, 6, who weighed 17 pounds when he died Posted: 17 Jan 2019 11:17 AM PST  An Illinois father and stepmother will spend decades in prison in the starvation death of their 6-year-old son, who authorities say weighed just 17 pounds when he died.
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| Celebrities Are Fighting Over the 'Keto' Diet. Here's What Science Says About How Healthy It Is Posted: 17 Jan 2019 10:04 AM PST  'I don't understand. Like, why would anybody think this is a good idea?' celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels fumed
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| Gillette Is Not Wrong Posted: 17 Jan 2019 03:30 AM PST  Is the new Gillette razor ad a radical feminist attack on masculinity — the commercial embodiment of a woke sensibility? The ad has been panned by some conservative commentators. Is it part of "a war on masculinity in America," as Todd Starnes argued on Fox News?
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| Weekend winter storm sweeping from Midwest to New England Posted: 18 Jan 2019 03:55 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — A winter storm started sweeping across the Midwest on Friday, leading to slick roads and runways, as it inched its way toward New England, where it was forecast to dump up to 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow.
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| Russia agrees for Germany, France to monitor Kerch Strait: Lavrov Posted: 18 Jan 2019 11:17 AM PST  Russia on Friday said it had agreed for France and Germany to monitor shipping traffic in the Kerch Strait following a naval confrontation between Moscow and Kiev last year. Russian ships fired on and seized three Ukrainian navy vessels in the narrow strait -- shared between Russia and Ukraine -- as the boats tried to pass from the Black Sea to the Azov Sea on November 25. President Vladimir Putin had "immediately agreed" to Berlin's request to send observers to the area, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.
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| Sen. Kennedy: Trump is willing to negotiate to end shutdown, but deal must include a border wall Posted: 18 Jan 2019 10:56 AM PST  While Republicans and President Trump are united in their desire to reopen the government, any proposal that doesn't include a border wall is as 'dead as four o'clock,' says Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, Republican member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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| The Latest: Officer to plead not guilty after man's death Posted: 18 Jan 2019 02:09 PM PST ![The Latest: Officer to plead not guilty after man's death]( "The Latest: Officer to plead not guilty after man's death") NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Latest on the criminal case against a white Nashville police officer who shot and killed an armed black man who was fleeing (all times local):
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| Friday TSA status: Long lines in Seattle, Atlanta as holiday weekend kicks off Posted: 18 Jan 2019 09:42 AM PST  The TSA said it expects a busy travel weekend due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
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| Netflix tidying guru sparks charity shop boom Posted: 18 Jan 2019 11:38 AM PST  A Netflix tidying guru has sparked a charity shop boom, as branches of Salvation Army, Scope and the British Heart Foundation have said she has led to increase in donations. It comes as decluttering expert Marie Kondo has rapidly risen to fame with her "KonMari" household organisation method, which promises to provide not only a de-cluttered house, but also a clean mind. Through her hit Netflix show she is teaching those with messy tendencies to get their homes in order by throwing out old and unwanted items to create a calmer home environment. Many people following the craze claim her various techniques have helped their mental health, and are adamant that a clean and organised home helps them feel calm. Charity shops across the country said they had seen donations of clothes double over the past few weeks since Ms Kondo's show was released on the streaming service. Marie Kondo, the author of the international best-seller, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," became famous for advising readers to transform their lives by sifting through all their belongings, one by one, embracing those that "spark joy" and bidding a fond but hasty farewell to the rest Credit: Natsuno Ichigo They say they are able to identify items which have come from people who have watched the show as they are folded according to her "signature fold", which sees items placed upright to reduce creasing. For example, according to the method socks should be lain flat as a pair, with one sock on top of the other. The toe is folded inward about an inch from the top, then into to the centre, and then in half so it stands upright. A branch manager for disability charity Scope also said she was able to recognize items donated by KonMari fans due to their immaculate presentation on arrival at the store, adding that the folding hack had led to more donations due to more space being available inside plastic sacks. The Salvation Army said that although shops usually experience an increase in donations after Christmas, shop managers had seen a larger than usual volume of donations. It comes amid a decline in charity shops across the UK with numbers down by more than 100 in first half of 2018, according to Third Sector magazine. Yorkshire and Humber was the only region that saw more charity shops open than close, it said. Charity shops have come under criticism in recent years for pricing items for middle class bargain hunters, rather than the poorest people in society who rely on cheap second hand clothing to dress themselves.
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| Lampert wins Sears bankruptcy auction with $5.2B bid Posted: 17 Jan 2019 10:32 AM PST  Sears Holdings Corp Chairman Eddie Lampert won a bankruptcy auction to buy the once iconic U.S. retailer, Sears said on Thursday.
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| Michael Cohen: What is the latest scandal and how does it impact Donald Trump? Posted: 18 Jan 2019 12:08 PM PST  Michael Cohen, a once loyal confidante of the president turned man who has done a plea deal over hush money payments made to two women on the eve of the election, is back in the news. BuzzFeed News set off a series of reverberations, when it reported that according to two federal law enforcement officials involved in an investigation, Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress about the negotiations.
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| Chevy Pulls Commercial Claiming Superior Reliability Posted: 18 Jan 2019 06:22 AM PST  A consumer group challenges the automaker's small-print disclaimer-who's right?
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| Falling tree kills man as storm lashes California Posted: 16 Jan 2019 08:43 PM PST  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A falling tree killed a man in Oakland on Wednesday as a powerful storm lashed Northern California with high winds and rain, authorities said.
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| Tour Dominic West and Catherine Fitzgerald's Historic Home Posted: 17 Jan 2019 06:00 AM PST |
| UK PM May reaches out to rivals in Brexit deadlock Posted: 16 Jan 2019 10:55 PM PST  May said she was "disappointed" by Corbyn's decision and stressed that "our door remains open". Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party (SNP) said his party would only participate if she were prepared to consider delaying Brexit, ruling out a "no deal" and the option of holding a second referendum. The prime minister is working to the tightest-possible deadline as Britain prepares to leave the bloc that for half a century defined its economic and political relations with the rest of the world.
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| Burkina Faso: Body of Canadian found days after abduction Posted: 17 Jan 2019 07:29 AM PST ![Burkina Faso: Body of Canadian found days after abduction]( "Burkina Faso: Body of Canadian found days after abduction") OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — A Canadian national has been found dead a day after reports of his kidnapping by suspected jihadists in Burkina Faso's volatile north near the Niger border, the West African nation's security ministry said Thursday.
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| Students appear to perform Nazi salute in 'sickening' photo, superintendent says Posted: 18 Jan 2019 01:53 PM PST ![Students appear to perform Nazi salute in 'sickening' photo, superintendent says]( "Students appear to perform Nazi salute in 'sickening' photo, superintendent says") High school officials in Indiana are investigating after a picture posted on social media appeared to show students using a Nazi salute.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's First House Speech Broke a C-SPAN Record. Here's What She Said Posted: 18 Jan 2019 05:49 AM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's first speech from the House floor has set a new record with C-SPAN
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| Japan Tobacco ratchets up smokeless war with new products Posted: 16 Jan 2019 09:11 PM PST  Despite commanding 60 percent of the local cigarette market, Japan Tobacco has been caught on the wrong side of the rising popularity of heat-not-burn (HNB) alternatives and has lagged in the category in its own backyard versus the Marlboro maker. Philip Morris in 2014 started selling its IQOS HNB device in Japan, which has emerged as a fertile test ground for vaping products since e-cigarettes using nicotine-laced liquid are not allowed under the country's pharmaceutical regulation. Japan Tobacco managed to roll out its vaping product, Ploom TECH, only by 2017 after repeated production delays.
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| Rudy Giuliani: 'I never said there was no collusion' with Russia Posted: 16 Jan 2019 09:40 PM PST  Rudy Giuliani, the personal lawyer of Donald Trump, insisted he "never said there was no collusion" between the president's 2016 election campaign and Russia – only that Mr Trump himself was not involved. Speaking to CNN's Chris Cuomo, the former New York mayor said he did not know if others involved in the campaign had worked with Russia. "I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or between people in the campaign," Mr Giuliani said. "I said the President of the United States," he added. "There is not a single bit of evidence the President of the United States committed the only crime you can commit here, conspiring with the Russians to hack the DNC." U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week he was "insulted" by the suggestion he might have been working for Russia Credit: AP Earlier this week, Mr Trump had insisted he "never worked for Russia" following two bombshell reports. "It's a disgrace that you even ask that question," he told reporters on the White House's South Lawn. "It's all a big fat hoax." In the first report, The New York Times said the FBI opened an investigation into whether Mr Trump was acting on Russia's behalf soon after he became president. Meanwhile, The Washington Post detailed what it said were the unusual lengths taken by Mr Trump to hide the contents of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both men's comments come as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation looms large in the background, punctuated by guilty pleas, convictions and indictments of former Trump associates. These include his former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Manafort has admitted to sharing polling data with a Russian during the 2016 presidential race, according to a court filing inadvertently made public by his lawyers. CNN reported that the intended recipients were two pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarchs. But on Wednesday, Mr Giuliani suggested that was "not collusion". "Polling data is given to everybody," he told CNN.
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| BMW unveils 2020 7 Series sedan with controversial redesign Posted: 17 Jan 2019 04:31 AM PST  While the interior design and mechanics haven't significantly changed in the latest version of the BMW 7 Series, the exterior received a serious facelift that is leaving some fans confused and a few disappointed. BMW officially unveiled the latest 7 Series luxury sedan Wednesday with a redesign that the company says gives it a "confident presence" while some onlookers are giving it a mediocre review. The focal point of the new design is the inflated, trademark 7 Series kidney grille placed on a two-inch taller front end which has grown about 40 percent since the last generation, an expansion that already hasn't been welcomed very warmly.
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| Pursuing R. Kelly: Could he end up convicted of sex crimes like Bill Cosby? Posted: 18 Jan 2019 02:53 PM PST  The R&B star is fighting multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, but could he be charged with a crime and convicted?
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| The Best Winter Sales over MLK Day Weekend Posted: 17 Jan 2019 12:30 PM PST  Get discounts on mattress, rugs, and everything in between
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| The Coolest Real-Life Lego Cars You Can Buy Posted: 17 Jan 2019 11:21 AM PST |
| Palestinian forces soldier on amid Israeli raids, US neglect Posted: 17 Jan 2019 11:13 PM PST  RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — On a cold winter's night earlier this month, a convoy of 10 Israeli armored jeeps drove into the heart of the West Bank city of Ramallah and parked in front of the Palestinian police headquarters.
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| Tunnel through an Australian mountain? No problem, says Elon Musk Posted: 16 Jan 2019 06:19 PM PST  Australia could become a test ground for another of Elon Musk's massive infrastructure projects after the maverick billionaire tweeted a "bargain" price to build a tunnel through a mountain to solve Sydney's traffic woes. Musk in 2017 made a Twitter pitch -- and followed through with the offer -- to build what was the world's biggest battery in an Australian state to solve its severe energy crisis. The entrepreneur behind electric carmaker Tesla has most recently turned his sights on tackling city traffic via low-cost tunnels created by his Boring Company, and in December unveiled a sample project near Los Angeles.
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| Iran newspapers, minister criticize US arrest of newscaster Posted: 17 Jan 2019 05:02 AM PST  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran kept up its criticism Thursday of the FBI's apparent arrest of an American anchorwoman from Iran's state-run English-language TV channel, with its foreign minister saying "she's done nothing but journalism."
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| How to Find a Real Estate Agent Posted: 18 Jan 2019 09:41 AM PST ![How to Find a Real Estate Agent]( "How to Find a Real Estate Agent") The necessary steps in the real estate process change over the years, so you might as well have someone on your side who's well-versed in the nuances and can help ensure you get the best possible deal.
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| Bid to keep U.S. sanctions on Russia's Rusal fails in Senate Posted: 16 Jan 2019 06:57 PM PST  Senators voted 57-42 to end debate on the measure, as 11 of Trump's fellow Republicans broke from party leaders to join Democrats in favor of the resolution, amid questions about Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. To keep the administration from lifting the sanctions, the measure must pass both the House and Senate and muster the two-thirds majority needed in both chambers to override an expected Trump veto. Many members of Congress have been questioning the U.S. Treasury Department's decision in December to ease sanctions imposed in April on the core businesses of Deripaska - Rusal, its parent, En+ , and power firm EuroSibEnergo - watering down the toughest penalties imposed on Russian entities since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
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| Pelosi facing backlash for telling Trump to delay his State of the Union address Posted: 16 Jan 2019 07:56 PM PST  Was Nancy Pelosi's recommendation to delay the address politically motivated? House Minority Whip Steve Scalise reacts to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments.
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| 7 dreamy Tuscan villas for rent Posted: 17 Jan 2019 05:16 AM PST ![7 dreamy Tuscan villas for rent]( "7 dreamy Tuscan villas for rent") Homebase Abroad shares some of its most alluring vacation rentals in Tuscany.
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| Government shutdown: FBI officials fear investigations being harmed by lack of funding Posted: 18 Jan 2019 04:53 AM PST  At federal law enforcement agencies from the FBI to the DEA to Customs and Border Protection and others, the frustration about having missed a pay-check last week because of the partial government shutdown is growing into fear and anger amid signs the lack of funds is affecting investigations. The government shutdown, the longest in American history, has dragged down morale across federal agencies as tens of thousands of workers are required to show up with no idea when their pay will resume. Most travel and training among the law enforcement agencies has been cancelled.
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| The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Gets More Angular Styling and a Big New Screen Posted: 17 Jan 2019 08:32 AM PST  Minor changes are coming to Hyundai's hybrid Ioniq hatchback.
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