| Trump budget previews campaign agenda of reruns Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:20 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Frustrated by a divided Congress and rifts within his own party, President Donald Trump is giving little indication in his latest budget proposal of any new policy ambitions for the coming two, or six, years.
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| Jaguar claws Arizona woman who climbed zoo barrier to take selfie Posted: 11 Mar 2019 02:25 AM PDT  A jaguar clawed an Arizona woman after she climbed into its enclosure at the Wildlife World Zoo in order to take a selfie. Mobile phone video of the incident showed at least one gash on the woman's left forearm as she writhed on the ground in pain on Saturday. "I hear this young girl screaming: 'Help, help, help' ... and the jaguar has clasped its claws outside the cage around her hand and into her flesh," witness Adam Wilkerson told Fox 10 television. The zoo has said that the animal will not be put down. Mr Wilkerson's mother distracted the jaguar by pushing a water bottle through the cage, and Mr Wilkerson said he pulled the woman away. Cellphone video later showed the animal chewing on a plastic water bottle. The identity of the woman, in her 30s, was being withheld, said Shawn Gilleland, a spokesman for Rural Metro Fire, the agency that responded to the incident. She was taken to a hospital and treated, then later returned to the zoo to apologize, Gilleland said. "She wanted to take a selfie or a picture of the animal, and she put her arm close enough to the cage that the cat was able to reach her," Gilleland said. The zoo's statement said the female jaguar never left its enclosure, and that the incident was being fully investigated. "We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar," the zoo said on Twitter, responding to public concerns the animal might be put down. The barrier surrounds the entire exhibit, creating a buffer of several metres from the enclosure, zoo spokeswoman Kristy Morcom told Fox 10 "There is climbing involved. It's not something that is easily done," Morcom said. "These are wild animals and those barriers are put there for a reason."
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| Malaysia court frees woman in North Korea murder case Posted: 11 Mar 2019 06:07 AM PDT  An Indonesian woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader's half-brother was freed Monday after Malaysian prosecutors dropped a murder charge against her, in a shock decision that delighted her friends and family. Siti Aisyah smiled as she was ushered into a car outside the court, where she had been on trial for a year and a half alongside a Vietnamese woman for the 2017 murder of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur airport. Indonesian officials mounted a major diplomatic effort to free Aisyah, which included pressure from the president.
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| Tank Terror: Why the U.S. Army's 'New' M1 Abrams Tank Is A Monster on the Battlefield Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:55 AM PDT  Russia and China won't like this one bit.
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| Georgetown Law student among 157 victims of Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:21 PM PDT  People from at least 35 countries were killed in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash, including eight Americans.
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| With shrouded faces, Islamic State fighters stand guard over final enclave Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:19 AM PDT  Thousands of people - many of them the wives of Islamic State fighters and their children - have been streaming out of the besieged enclave at Baghouz for weeks, forcing the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to delay an assault on the last vestige of the jihadists' territorial rule. Reuters TV footage of the Islamic State-controlled frontline shows armed militants, most with only their eyes visible, supervising the evacuations from a scrubby patch of agricultural land scattered with vehicles and a few buildings. The SDF has said the fighters staying put through waves of evacuations are the most hardened foreign militants, wanted by governments around the world, who are likely to fight to the death.
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| Severe turbulence leaves 30 passengers injured on Turkish Airlines flight to New York: ‘I saw blood all over’ Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:42 AM PDT  Severe turbulence left 30 people injured and many passengers fearing for their lives on a flight from Istanbul to New York. Dozens of ambulances were called to New York's John F Kennedy international airport after those on board the Turkish Airlines flight were tossed around the plane cabin during the unanticipated episode around 45 minutes before landing. Passengers said the turbulence was not announced and some people were not wearing their seatbelts at the time.
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| Here Come the Robot Submarines: Meet Boeing's 4 Huge Robotic Subs Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:28 AM PDT  What can they do?
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| Democrats: Milwaukee convention choice shows party values Posted: 11 Mar 2019 03:27 PM PDT  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee will host the 2020 Democratic National Convention, party leaders announced Monday, highlighting the battleground state of Wisconsin that helped elect President Donald Trump and now will launch an opponent who could oust him.
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| US sanctions against Venezuela scaring off banks Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:39 AM PST  As the United States has quickly ratcheted up sanctions against Venezuela to pressure Nicolas Maduro, bankers say they are shying away from doing even legitimate business with the crisis-wracked oil-producing country for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. The sanctions target a growing list of individuals and companies linked to the Maduro regime -- including state oil company PDVSA, the lifeblood of the Caribbean nation's crumbling economy.
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| Florida woman accused of shooting boyfriend for snoring too loud Posted: 11 Mar 2019 07:12 AM PDT  A woman in Florida is accused of trying to kill her boyfriend with a shotgun after an argument over his snoring.
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| Plane makes emergency landing after suspected fire, passengers evacuated Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:49 PM PDT  Air Transat Flight 942 was on its way from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when it reported a possible fire in the cargo hold and was diverted to Newark.
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| Pompeo blames Russia, Cuba for Venezuelan crisis Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:55 PM PDT  "This story is not complete without acknowledging the central role Cuba and Russia have played and continue to play in undermining the democratic dreams of the Venezuelan people and their welfare," Pompeo told reporters. "Moscow, like Havana, continues to provide political cover to the Maduro regime, while pressuring countries to disregard the democratic legitimacy of the interim president Guaido," he added. The Trump administration has taken several steps in recent weeks to ratchet up pressure on Maduro and bolster Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries as interim president.
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| View 2019 Volvo V60 T5 Momentum Photos Posted: 11 Mar 2019 02:15 PM PDT |
| Dozens protest statue in defeated Syria cradle of uprising Posted: 10 Mar 2019 12:59 PM PDT  Dozens of people demonstrated Sunday in the defeated cradle of Syria's uprising against a statue of the late father of the president being reinstated eight years after protesters demolished it. President Bashar al-Assad's forces secured full control of Daraa from rebels in July, in a massive blow to the country's ill-fated revolt that erupted in the southern city. "We protested in a number of streets... denouncing a statue of Hafez al-Assad being erected in the centre of Daraa," a protester told AFP.
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| How to stay cool under pressure, according to Barack Obama Posted: 11 Mar 2019 09:59 AM PDT  Former President Barack Obama shared his secrets on how he was able to remain calm and level-headed under immense pressure throughout his presidency while speaking at a tech conference this week. The 44th President of the United States told attendees in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday that there some truth to his nickname "no drama Obama," despite admitting he would still be ridden with fear over making a mistake. It wasn't until his second term did Mr Obama experienced a "shedding of fear" that he said helped him perform better.
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| Modern policing: Algorithm helps NYPD spot crime patterns Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:24 AM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — When a syringe-wielding drill thief tried sticking up a Home Depot near Yankee Stadium, police figured out quickly that it wasn't a one-off. A man had also used a syringe a few weeks earlier while stealing a drill at another Home Depot 7 miles (11 kilometers) south in Manhattan.
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| Deficits don't matter in Donald Trump's budget Posted: 11 Mar 2019 05:03 PM PDT  President's proposal would add $4.8 trillion in debt over next five years, as Republicans and Democrats race to not make America great again: Our view
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| UN mourns after 21 staff killed in Ethiopia plane crash Posted: 11 Mar 2019 10:36 AM PDT  Flags flew at half-staff at the United Nations on Monday after 21 UN employees were killed in an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said marked a "sad day" for the world body. Guterres led delegates at the opening of the annual gathering on women's rights at the General Assembly in observing a moment of silence in honor of the victims. "A global tragedy has hit close to home — and the United Nations is united in grief," he said at the Commission on the Status of Women.
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| Venezuela plunged into darkness for fourth consecutive day as country teeters on brink Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:57 AM PDT  Sunday was the fourth day since Venezuela's power system went down, plunging most of the country, including Caracas, the capital, into sporadic darkness and dampening hopes of imminent resolution to a devastating blackout that has brought the country to the verge of social implosion. "We're going to arrive at a moment when we're going to eat each other," said Zuly González, 40, a resident of Caracas' Chacao neighbourhood. Venezuela has been devastated for years by hyperinflation and a failing economy that has led millions to flee.
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| Kremlin says it's not Putin's place to answer Briton whose mother died in poisoning Posted: 11 Mar 2019 05:03 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin will not reply to a letter from the son of a woman killed by a suspected Russian nerve agent near the English city of Salisbury last year because Russia's ambassador to Britain has already done so, the Kremlin said on Monday. Ewan Hope called on Putin in a letter publicized by the Daily Mirror earlier this month to allow Britain to question two Russian nationals London suspects of trying to murder former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter last year. Hope's mother, Dawn Sturgess, died after coming into contact with the same nerve agent used in the attack, which her partner found in a discarded perfume bottle, police said.
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| Mic Drop, Nuclear Submarine Style: The U.S. Navy Surfaced Three of These Subs To Warn China Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:00 AM PDT  "In July 2010, three SSGNs surfaced nearly simultaneously in Western Pacific and Indian Ocean waters, allegedly to signal U.S. displeasure over Chinese missile tests in the East China Sea."
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| Sajid Javid insists death of Shamima Begum's baby is her sole responsibility Posted: 11 Mar 2019 07:03 AM PDT  Shamima Begum bears sole responsibility for the death of her newborn son, the Home Secretary has said. Sajid Javid rejected arguments from both Conservative and Labour MPs that Britain could have helped save the jihadi bride's child, who was a British citizen. Taking questions on the case in the Commons, he warned those who expressed doubts about the threat posed by Miss Begum: "No one should make a judgment on the threat of foreign terrorist fighter poses based on their gender." He insisted there was no way officials could have provided any assistance to the baby because of the lack of consular presence in Syria, despite several MPs noting that many journalists, medics and aid agencies managed to travel "backwards and forwards to these camps all the time". Miss Begum, 19, who fled the family home in Bethnal Green, east London, to join Islamic State in Syria four years ago, is currently living at the Roj refugee camp on the Iraqi border. Her son, Jarrah, who was not yet three weeks old, was buried at the camp last week after he contracted a lung infection. Sajid Javid revoked Shamima Begum's British citizenship Credit: Kirsty O'Connor/PA He was her third child to die within five months, the older two, aged 18 months and nine months, dying of malnutrition and illness, respectively, in November and January. Her family has urged the Home Office to urgently reconsider its decision to revoke her citizenship as an "act of mercy". The formal request, sent yesterday (MON), warned that Miss Begum was "extremely unlikely" to be in a fit state to make rational decisions and expressed renewed concern for her health and safety. But Mr Javid made it clear he was sticking by his decision, despite many questions concerning Britain's responsibility to its citizens and the repercussions of leaving them to languish in refugee camps. Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, asked why he deemed the teenage mother more dangerous to Britain than the hundreds of foreign fighters who have already been allowed to return. The letter sent to the Home Office "Nobody on this side of the House condones what Shamima Begum did, the choices she made, the things she said," she said. "If it was his 19-year-old daughter, however badly she had behaved, however reprehensible or near-criminal her choices would he want her to bury three babies in the course of a year?" Mr Javid replied: "The death of any British child, even those children born to a foreign terrorist fighter, of course is a tragedy. But the only person responsible for the death of that child is the foreign terrorist fighter." He suggested he would review and "modernise" treason laws that determine maximum sentences for convicted terrorist fighters.
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| Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts of lying to Chicago police Posted: 11 Mar 2019 11:33 AM PDT ![Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts of lying to Chicago police]( "Actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 counts of lying to Chicago police") (This March 8 story has been refiled to correct amount of alleged payment by Smollett to $3,500 instead of $35,000 in paragraph 8) By Suzannah Gonzales CHICAGO (Reuters) - Television actor Jussie Smollett, arrested last month on a single charge of perpetrating a hate-crime hoax, has been newly indicted on 16 felony counts of falsely reporting to police that he was assaulted by two strangers shouting racist and homophobic slurs. The indictment, returned by a Cook County grand jury on Thursday and made public on Friday, greatly expands on the legal jeopardy faced by Smollett, whose story of being attacked in Chicago by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn suspicion since it first surfaced in late January. Smollett, 36, who is black and openly gay and plays a gay musician on the Fox network hip-hop drama "Empire," was charged last month in a single-count criminal complaint with making a false report to police, defined under Illinois law as a form of disorderly conduct.
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| With 18 Canadians dead, Trudeau calls Ethiopia crash 'devastating' Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:21 PM PDT  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday deplored the "devastating news" that 18 Canadian nationals were among the 157 people killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner. "Devastating news from Ethiopia this morning," Trudeau said on Twitter.
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| Emily Ratajkowski and husband are apparently rent deadbeats and nightmare neighbors, according to their landlord Posted: 11 Mar 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Millionaire movie-maker Sebastian Bear-McClard and model Emily Ratajkowski are apparently rent deadbeats and nightmare neighbors, according to their landlord Antoni Ghosh.
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| Ford patents attachable entertainment system for cargo bed viewing Posted: 11 Mar 2019 10:11 AM PDT  Ford was recently granted a patent for a portable entertainment system that features a pull-down screen that can be mounted in the bed of a pickup. Basically, the entertainment system would be comprised of two main components: one crossbar mount placed right behind the truck's cabin which supports a roll-down screen facing towards the bed and a second crossbar mount placed further down the bed towards its rear that supports a video projector for the display and two flanking speakers. A couple years ago, Hitch Theaters tried to bring a similar truck entertainment system into the world, but their Kickstarter campaign failed to earn enough funding to make the system a reality.
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| Tibet supporters in India mark 60 years since uprising Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:10 AM PDT  Huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama's temple in India Sunday to commemorate 60 years since the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that drove the spiritual leader into exile. Supporters of the 83-year-old peace icon chanted and prayed at the Buddhist shrine in mountainous Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing a deadly Chinese crackdown in Tibet in 1959. Devotees in the Indian hill station the Dalai Lama has called home for six decades waved Tibet's colourful "snow lion" flag, which China has outlawed as a symbol of separatism.
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| Trump condemned for budget cutting welfare while boosting spending for border wall and military: ‘This is for the billionaire class’ Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:57 PM PDT  Donald Trump has been accused of proposing a budget for the "military industrial complex and the billionaire class", after the White House released details of a plan that would cut spending on welfare and education while boosting money for the military and a border wall. The $4.7 trillion (£3.5 trillion) budget proposal, which is all but certain to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and once again put the president on a collision course with congress over his demand for a border fence, called for an overhaul of Medicare, Medicaid and other expensive social programmes. It was a similar demand – rejected by Democrats – that recently led to a five-week government shutdown after the president refused to agree a spending plan that did not include such a measure.
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| The Latest: US-backed Syrian fighters to resume attack on IS Posted: 10 Mar 2019 08:25 AM PDT ![The Latest: US-backed Syrian fighters to resume attack on IS]( "The Latest: US-backed Syrian fighters to resume attack on IS") OUTSIDE BAGHOUZ, Syria (AP) — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
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| Tornadoes cause damage in south; no injuries reported Posted: 09 Mar 2019 06:52 PM PST ![Tornadoes cause damage in south; no injuries reported]( "Tornadoes cause damage in south; no injuries reported") Two powerful winter storms threatened strong winds, heavy snow and even blizzard conditions in the north; hail, possible tornadoes in the South.
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| Best Tech Deals in March 2019 Posted: 11 Mar 2019 08:35 AM PDT  Amazon Deals | Walmart Deals | Apple Deals | TV Deals | Gaming Deals | Laptop Deals | iPhone DealsThe countdown to spring is underway and now's a great time to update your arsenal of gadgets for the new season. With new products making their way to store shelves, retailers are offering end-of-season clearance sales on everything from laptops to gaming consoles. Whether you're upgrading to a 4K Smart TV or purchasing your first smart device, here are the best tech deals in March. Amazon Hardware DealsAmazon is currently offering many of its branded devices at holiday pricing. * All-new Kindle Paperwhite for $99.99 ($30 off) [NEW] * Echo 2nd Generation for $74.99 ($25 off) * All-new Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle for $139.97 ($50 off) * Blink XT Home Security Camera System for $184 ($46 off) * All-New Fire HD 8 Tablet w/ Show Mode Charging Dock for $109.98 ($10 off) * iHome iAV2 V2 Speaker w/ Echo Input Bundle for $67 ($18 off) * Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet 2-Pack for $150 ($50 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition for $34.99 ($35 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire 7 Kids Edition for $129.98 ($40 off) * Echo Dot Kids Edition + Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $149.98 ($50 off) * All-New Echo Plus with Hue Smart Bulb for $149.99 ($15 off) * All-New Echo Dot (2-Pack) for $90 ($10 off) Top Tech Deals Right Now * HP Pavilion X360 15.6-inch 2-in-1 Laptop for $399 ($200 off) [NEW] * SanDisk 500GB Extreme External SSD for $89.99 ($80 off) [NEW] * Jabra Elite Active 65t True Wireless Earbuds for $159.99 ($30 off) [NEW] * Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2018, Wi-Fi, 64GB) for $749 ($50 off) * Soundcore Life 2 Over-Ear Headphones for $54.99 ($25 off) * Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Headphones for $140 ($40 off) * Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones for $89.99 ($110 off) * Lenovo Ideapad 320 Laptop for $289 ($110 off) TV Deals * Samsung 58-inch 4K UHD Smart LED TV for $448 ($202 off) [NEW] * TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Roku Smart TV for $419.99 ($279 off) * Samsung 55-inch QLED 4K UHD 6 Series Smart TV for $768 ($731 off) * JVC 65-inch 4K UHD HDR Smart LED TV for $499.99 ($350 off) * Hisense 43-inch FHD Roku Smart TV for $189.99 ($100 off) Tech Under $50 * Choetech Multi Plug Power Strip for $7 ($8 off) [NEW] * HP DeskJet 2652 Wireless All-in-One Printer for $39 ($20 off) * Anker PowerWave Wireless Car Charger for $35.99 ($10 off via code, "TOMS2551") * Anker PowerCore 20100 Power Bank for $39.99 ($10 off via code, "TOMSBPC2") * Anker USB Type C Nylon Cable (2-Pack) for $8.79 ($2 off via code, "TM873CAB") * Anker Powerline+ II Lightning Cable for $19.99 ($5 off via code, "TM8454CA") * Anker 24W Dual USB Car Charger for $9.99 ($2 off via code, "TOMSCC23") * Anker 6-Port USB Wall Charger for $26 ($7 off via code, "TOMSWC63") Smartwatch Deals * Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 42mm) for $229 ($80 off) [NEW] * Fitbit Charge 2 for $116 ($34 off) * Fitbit Alta HR Activity Tracker for $94 ($36 off) * Samsung Gear Sport Smartwatch for $190 ($111 off) * Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 44mm) for $415 ($15 off) * Sony Version 1 Smartwatch for $69.90 ($80 off) * Amazfit Pace Smartwatch for $129.99 ($30 off) * Garmin Vivofit 3 Activity Tracker for $58 ($45 off) * Garmin Approach X40 Activity Tracker for $174 ($76 off) Phones * Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Unlocked for $649 ($251 off) [NEW] * Google Pixel 3XL Unlocked for $799 ($100 off) [NEW] * Razer Phone 2 Unlocked for $499 ($300 off) also at Razer * Samsung Galaxy S9+ Unlocked for $639 ($200 off) * Samsung Galaxy S9 Unlocked for $525 ($195 off) * Up to $400 Best Buy Gift Card with iPhone trade-in Cameras * Fujifilm X-T20 Mirrorless Digital Camera for $789 ($211 off) [PRICE DROP] * Panasonic Lumix GX85 Mirrorless Camera for $498 ($502 off) * Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Instant Camera for $99.99 ($80 off) * Nikon D3500 18-55mm VR Lens DSLR Camera for $397 ($100 off) * Canon PowerShot SX530 Digital Camera for $249 ($130 off) Games and Consoles * Nintendo Switch Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Bundle for $329.99 ($34 off) [NEW] * Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS4 or Xbox One for $40 ($20 off) also at Amazon and Best Buy * Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4 for $35 ($25 off) also at Amazon * Call of Duty: Black Ops for PS4 for $35 ($25 off) * Call of Duty: Black Ops for Xbox One for $37 ($23 off) also at Amazon * Xbox One X 1TB PUBG Console Bundle for $370 ($130 off) * Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4 for $15 ($45 off) * Nintendo Switch with 35 eShop Credit for $299.99 ($35 off) also at Amazon and Best Buy * Xbox One S 1TB Forza Horizon 4 Console Bundle for $199 ($100 off)
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| No majority in British parliament for second Brexit referendum: Reuters analysis Posted: 11 Mar 2019 01:07 AM PDT  Britain is due to leave the European Union at the end of this month, and with parliament yet to approve Prime Minister Theresa May's exit deal, calls for a second referendum to break the deadlock, often dubbed a 'people's vote', have intensified. Last month, the opposition Labour Party broke new ground for one of the major parties by saying it would support a new referendum on May's deal after parliament defeated its alternative Brexit plan. Labour's position could face its first test on Tuesday when May's deal is brought back to parliament.
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| New R. Kelly sex abuse tape discovered: lawyer Posted: 10 Mar 2019 02:36 PM PDT  Kelly is currently on bail after being accused of sexually abusing four women, including three teenagers, between May 1998 and January 2010. The latest discovery was announced by lawyer Gloria Allred at a press conference where she told journalists it was found by couple Gary and Sallie Dennis in a box of old VHS cassettes at their home. Neither Allred nor Dennis elaborated on how the tape came to be in the couple's possession.
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| Alibaba strikes $700m deal to gain stronghold in China's delivery sector Posted: 11 Mar 2019 05:19 AM PDT  Alibaba's plans to dominate China's delivery sector received a boost after the e-commerce giant struck a $693m (£530m) deal with courier company STO Express. The investment will see Alibaba take a 14pc stake in STO, which it has called "one of the top five express delivery companies in China". Alibaba has backed a string of domestic businesses specialising in logistics and delivery, including YTO Express Group, Best Inc and ZTO Express, which it led a $1.4bn investment in back in 2018. The company's drive to expand its courier operations comes as Alibaba attempts to boost the spending of Chinese consumers shopping online and create jobs in an industry increasingly being prioritised by Beijing. Last year, during Alibaba's shopping extravaganza Singles' Day, the company's delivery platform Cainiao tallied over 1bn delivery orders and generated more than $30bn within 24 hours as Chinese consumers took to the event. In 2018, more than 50bn parcels were delivered across the country. Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA Alibaba predicts daily delivery volumes will increase as China expects to see a surge in the number of people occupying its middle class. The company is also attempting to bring more brick and mortar stores online in rural China through its "New Retail" strategy, helping them to become digital. "We will deepen our existing collaboration with STO in technology, last-mile delivery across China and New Retail logistics," the company said. "This investment is a step forward in our pursuit of the goal of 24-hour-delivery anywhere in China and 72 hours globally." It comes as Xi Jinping's regime has highlighted the logistics sector as a key area of growth for the country amid an economic slowdown in China. Logistics currently makes up around 15pc of the country's GDP. In the three months to December 2018, Alibaba saw its monthly active users on retail marketplaces – such as Tmall and Taobao – reach 699m, rising by 33m from September.
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| Design Talk Series, Michael Menn Honored with Award, and More News This Week Posted: 11 Mar 2019 11:57 AM PDT  Here's what you need to know
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| Kevin McCarthy reacts to Ilhan Omar controversy Posted: 09 Mar 2019 06:31 PM PST  House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy addresses the controversy over Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic statements and the watered-down anti-hate resolution that House Democrats put forward in response.
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| The Latest: EU chief says new Brexit deal is 'best possible' Posted: 11 Mar 2019 04:15 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — The Latest on talks about Britain's departure from the European Union (all times local):
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| Tesla backtracks on store closures, plans top-end price rise Posted: 11 Mar 2019 06:33 AM PDT  Electric carmaker Tesla Inc backed off its plan to close all of its U.S. stores in a blog post https://www.tesla.com/en_NZ/blog/update-tesla-stores-and-pricing?redirect=no and instead will raise prices of its high-end vehicles by about 3 percent on average, as it strives for profitability. "Over the past two weeks we have been closely evaluating every single Tesla retail location, and we have decided to keep significantly more stores open than previously announced," the electric carmaker said. "As a result Tesla will need to raise vehicle prices by about 3 percent on average worldwide." Separately, Chief Executive Officer Musk has until the end of the day on Monday to explain why he should not be held in contempt for recent tweets that U.S. securities regulators say violated a September fraud settlement.
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| 'A cop on the beat': Elizabeth Warren defends plan to break up tech giants Posted: 10 Mar 2019 11:12 AM PDT  In echo of 2020 attacks from Trump, Massachusetts senator faces question about being 'labeled as a socialist' Elizabeth Warren speaks at the South by Southwest conference and festivals in Austin, Texas. Photograph: Sergio Flores/Reuters Presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren, who called this week for the break-up of America's biggest tech companies, was challenged on her capitalist credentials on Sunday. The exchange offered a preview of how Democratic presidential candidates might handle Donald Trump's campaign strategy of stoking fears about "socialism" in attacks on his challengers. Asked on CBS' Face the Nation if she might properly be described as a capitalist, Warren, a former Republican who has done pioneering academic work in the area of consumer debt, said: "Yeah." "I believe in markets," the Massachusetts Democrat said. "Markets that work. Markets that have a cop on the beat and have real rules and everybody follows them." Interviewer Ed O'Keefe followed up: "So if you get labeled as a socialist–" "Well," the senator replied, "it's just wrong." It is unclear if the "socialist" charge will gain traction with voters in a negative way as the election approaches. In Gallup polling last year, 57% of Democrats said they held a positive view of socialism, compared with 47% who said the same for capitalism. It should also be noted that 6% of all poll respondents defined socialism as "being social". There is no doubt, however, that Trump intends to paint his opponents red. "We are born free, and we will stay safe," he said in his state of the union address last month. "Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country." Two weeks later, Trump told an audience in El Paso, Texas: "The Democrats have never been more outside of the mainstream. They're becoming the party of socialism, late-term abortion, open borders and crime." Warren, who among the emerging Democratic field has unique experience in designing protections for consumers against predatory lenders, credit card companies and abusive banking practices, has drawn fire for years from Republicans concerned for the wellbeing of the financial industry. As a candidate for president, the Massachusetts senator has proposed an "ultra-millionaire tax" on the country's 75,000 richest families, universal childcare and "a new era of strong antitrust enforcement". Most of her proposals would fit comfortably in the campaign platforms of her fellow Democratic contenders. But her proposal to break up tech giants Amazon, Facebook and Google has attracted a burst of attention – and attacks. Asked about Warren's plan on CNN's Face the Nation, Washington state governor Jay Inslee described a need "to protect Americans in this new economy" but declined to join Warren in her call for a tech breakup. Amazon is based in Seattle. Warren's call could have some bipartisan appeal. Writing in the Guardian on Sunday, Clinton labor secretary Robert Reich said support for breaking up the tech giants was bipartisan. He quoted the Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, who told him: "Every day brings some creepy new revelation about these companies' behaviors. Of course the public is going to want there to be action to defend their rights. It's only natural." Warren speaks much more directly to the issue. Explaining her proposal at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, she drew a baseball analogy. "You can be an umpire – a platform – or you can own teams," she said. "But you can't be an umpire and own one of the teams that's in the game." On Sunday, Warren declined to turn her proposal into the argument over "isms" that Trump is spoiling for. "I believe in a level playing field," Warren told CBS. "And as long as we've got that then we will get the best out of markets because it means the people who come up with great ideas, who work hard are the ones who will prosper, not simply those who were born into wealth." Rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also appeared at SXSW. Speaking on Saturday night, the New York congresswoman said that because "capitalism is an ideology of capital" and "the most important thing is the concentration of capital and to seek and maximize profit", to her, "capitalism is irredeemable". The remark was duly seized upon on the right.
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| This Is the Story of the Fallen Thunderbird Pilot Who Helped 'Captain Marvel' Soar Posted: 11 Mar 2019 05:27 AM PDT  Thunderbirds pilot Maj. Stephen "Cajun" Del Bagno, one of the many Air Force personnel enlisted to consult on the portrayal of Captain Carol Danvers' aviation chops, was killed in an April 2018 crash at the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis Air Force Base just a week after consulting on the movie, according to Air Force Times.
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