| Venezuela's Maduro seeks to display military loyalty in political crisis Posted: 02 May 2019 08:39 AM PDT ![Venezuela's Maduro seeks to display military loyalty in political crisis]( "Venezuela's Maduro seeks to display military loyalty in political crisis") Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and key military figures made a show of unity in a television broadcast on Thursday, seeking to reject claims by the United States and the opposition that the armed forces high command was prepared to turn on him. Flanked by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and military operations chief Remigio Ceballos, Maduro said in a dawn national address posted first to social media that the armed forces were "united, cohesive and subordinate to their constitutional mandate," just two days after opposition leader Juan Guaido urged the military to join him to oust Maduro.
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| Scientology cruise ship quarantined for measles case is heading to Curacao Posted: 03 May 2019 08:18 AM PDT  A cruise ship under measles quarantine is heading to the island of Curacao, and authorities are debating how to respond.
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| Synagogue didn't get to fund security upgrades before attack Posted: 02 May 2019 06:12 PM PDT  POWAY, Calif. (AP) — Leaders at a Southern California synagogue knew they needed to increase security around their front door a year before a gunman walked through it and opened fire.
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| Man plummets off 300-foot cliff into caldera of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano Posted: 02 May 2019 01:22 PM PDT  The man allegedly climbed past a metal railing at the Steaming Bluff overlook and got extremely close to the edge before losing his footing.
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| Congressman Brings Bucket of Fried Chicken to the Committee Hearing to Troll Barr Posted: 02 May 2019 07:14 AM PDT  Rep. Cohen made a joke — but he also enjoyed his breakfast
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| AJ Freund was forced to take cold shower before death because he lied about soiling underwear: court records Posted: 03 May 2019 12:36 PM PDT  AJ Freund, the 5-year-old Illinois boy found dead last month, was punished before he died, records show. He died of blunt force head trauma.
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| College admissions scandal: Chinese family 'paid $6.5 million for spot at Stanford University’ Posted: 02 May 2019 03:27 AM PDT  The family of a Chinese student admitted to Stanford University paid $6.5m to the man at the heart of the college admissions scandal, according to reports.Yusi Zhao, also known as Molly, was admitted to Stanford in 2017 after her parents paid Newport Beach college consultant William Singer the seven-figure sum, the Los Angeles Times reported.Neither Ms Zhao nor her parents, who live in Beijing, have been charged, and it is unclear whether they are currently being investigated. Stanford University rescinded Ms Zhao's admission in April, and she is no longer a student there.The person with knowledge of the inquiry said that Ms Zhao's family was introduced to Mr Singer by Michael Wu, a financial adviser at Morgan Stanley based in Pasadena, California. A spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said that Wu had been terminated for not cooperating with an internal investigation into the matter and that the firm was cooperating with the officials. Mr Wu did not respond to a phone call.At a court hearing in March, the lead prosecutor in the admissions case, Eric S Rosen, said that Mr Singer had tried to get Ms Zhao – whom Rosen did not identify by name – recruited to the Stanford sailing team and created a false profile of her supposed sailing achievements.She was ultimately not recruited, but Mr Rosen said that she was admitted to Stanford University partly on the basis of those false credentials. He added that after Ms Zhao's admission, Mr Singer made a $500,000 donation to the Stanford sailing program.Mr Singer has pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges, for masterminding a scheme that prosecutors say included both cheating on college entrance exams and bribing coaches to recruit students who were not actually competitive athletes.The former Stanford sailing coach, John Vandemoer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering.According to Mr Rosen's comments in his plea hearing in March, Mr Vandemoer did not help Zhao's application "in any material way", but accepted other donations from Singer to his programme in exchange for agreeing to reserve recruiting spots for Mr Singer's clients.Mr Vandemoer's lawyer, Robert Fisher, declined to comment.Ms Zhao appears to have participated in a recent conference hosted by the Princeton-US China Coalition. Her biography on the group's website said she was planning to major in psychology and East Asian Studies and was interested in education policy in China. It added that she hoped to be involved in the Chinese government in the future.Ms Zhao worked during a recent summer in a biology and chemistry research lab at Harvard, under the direction of Daniel G Nocera, a professor of energy at the university. Mr Nocera said in an email that Ms Zhao was unpaid and worked for Stanford University credit.At the Stanford campus, several students seemed unfazed by the news that one of their colleagues had paid millions to be there. Tamara Morris, a 20-year-old junior studying political science and African American studies, said she was unaware of the Zhao case. Conversation about the college admissions scandal had died down in recent weeks on campus, Ms Morris said, adding that she was not particularly bothered by the news."I know how I got in," she said.New York Times
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| Trump says 'brutal repression' of Venezuelan people 'must end' Posted: 02 May 2019 09:57 AM PDT  "I'd like to begin by sending our prayers to the people of Venezuela in their righteous struggle for freedom," Trump said as he hosted a national prayer service at the White House. "The brutal repression of the Venezuelan people must end, and it must end soon," he warned.
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| Venezuela opposition figure, facing arrest warrant, says he met with generals Posted: 03 May 2019 05:56 AM PDT  Suggesting coordination continues with armed forces figures in the campaign to oust Maduro, Lopez said more "military movements" were on the way. The pre-dawn military uprising on Tuesday, urged on by opposition leader and Lopez ally Juan Guaido, failed to gain steam as security forces loyal to Maduro cracked down on demonstrators who had taken to the streets in support of Guaido. Lopez, a firebrand politician and Guaido's mentor, was arrested during a protest movement in 2014 and transferred to house arrest in 2017.
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| Hawaii volcano eruption: Recovery stalled as Hawaiians confront lava disaster 1 year later Posted: 03 May 2019 01:56 PM PDT  A year after lava began flowing in what would become Hawaii's most destructive volcano eruption in decades, thousands are still struggling to recover.
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| Scientology cruise ship quarantined off Saint Lucia over measles outbreak, says coastguard Posted: 01 May 2019 11:49 PM PDT  A cruise ship reportedly owned and operated by the Church of Scientology has been quarantined off the coast of Saint Lucia after a case of measles was diagnosed on board.The Caribbean island's health authorities barred any passengers or crew from leaving the boat while in port after learning of the measles case from "two reputable sources".Almost 300 passengers and crew are believed to be on board the vessel, with one person diagnosed with the highly infections viral illness.The boat is called Freewinds and is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology, a Saint Lucia coast guard sergeant told NBC News.The Scientology website describes Freewinds as "a 440-foot ship based in the Caribbean". It characterises the vessel as a "religious retreat ministering the most advanced level of spiritual counselling in the Scientology religion" with its home port in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao.The international vessel-monitoring website MarineTraffic.com also showed that a Panamanian-flagged passenger ship identified as SMV Freewinds docked in port near the Saint Lucia capital of Castries.Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard spent much of his time at sea on a fleet of ships during the late 1960s and early 1970s after creating his "Sea Org".Dr Merlene Frederick-James said in a video statement posted to YouTube on Tuesday that the Saint Lucian ministry of health ordered the restriction after conferring with the Pan American Health Organisation and others about the risk of exposure to islanders. Officials told NBC News the ship has been under the quarantine since Monday.In light of current measles outbreaks in the US and the highly infectious nature of the disease "we thought it prudent that we quarantine the ship", Ms Frederick-James said.The quarantine comes as the number of measles cases in the US has reached a 25-year peak with more than 700 people diagnosed as of this week, part of an international resurgence in the disease.Public health officials blame declining vaccination rates in some communities driven by misinformation about inoculation that has left those populations vulnerable to rapid spread of infection among those with no immunity to the virus.Health authorities in Los Angeles last month ordered quarantines on two university campuses after each one had reported at least one confirmed case.The vast majority of US cases have occurred in children who have not received the three-way vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), which confers immunity to the disease, officials said.Measles is spread through casual contact with the virus, which can remain infectious in the air of an enclosed space for up to two hours after it is breathed out by someone carrying the disease.The rate of transmission from an infected person to another person nearby who lacks immunity is about 90 per cent, and an infected person can be contagious for four days before showing signs of the disease.Additional reporting by Reuters
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| Jussie Smollett update: Petition to appoint special prosecutor in 'Empire' actor's case in court Thursday Posted: 02 May 2019 02:57 AM PDT  A hearing Thursday morning is expected to determine if a special prosecutor will be appointed to investigate Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's handling of the Jussie Smollett case, something Foxx does not want.
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| UNC Charlotte shooting: Grieving students hear words of encouragement and hope at vigil Posted: 01 May 2019 06:58 PM PDT  Student body President Chandler Crean told the crowd that '"no one is going through this alone," and he urged students to lift each other up.
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| Two Neutron Stars Exploded in Our Cosmic Backyard Billions of Years Ago Posted: 03 May 2019 02:22 PM PDT  And some of the remnants are still inside of us.
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| What Putin Wants with North Korea Posted: 02 May 2019 05:40 AM PDT  The Trump administration continues to pay a high price for treating Russia as an enemy. Vladimir Putin has dealt himself back into the Korea game. He could be helpful if it was worth his while. But as long as Washington undermines Moscow's interests, Putin will toss some cogs into the proverbial wheel.The collapse of the Soviet Union for a time turned Moscow into a geopolitical irrelevancy. Nowhere was that more obvious than in North Korea. The new Russian Federation recognized South Korea, earning a cascade of insults and fulminations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Pyongyang's protestations bothered the Yeltsin government not at all since the South offered better economic opportunities.Since then Putin has returned Russia to the DPRK, though cautiously and modestly, to be sure. Last week he met North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok.It was a low-key affair held on a university campus with no statement issued, very different from last year's dramatic meeting between Kim and Donald Trump in Singapore. The North Korean leader called Vladivostok a "very meaningful one-on-one exchange of opinions on issues of mutual interest and current issues," as if the two strongmen were buddies who grabbed a drink and talked sports. But Kim's latest diplomatic venture gave Russia at least a toehold in the peninsula's future.
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| House Speaker Pelosi says US attorney general lied to Congress Posted: 02 May 2019 05:01 PM PDT  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday accused the top US law-enforcement officer of committing a crime by lying to Congress, escalating the showdown between Donald Trump's administration and the Democrats investigating him. Pelosi levelled the rare charge after Attorney General Bill Barr skipped out on his scheduled testimony before a House of Representatives panel eager to probe his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Infuriated Democrats quickly threatened to censure him for contempt.
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| U.N. urges Venezuela to clarify fate of detained opposition lawmaker Posted: 03 May 2019 02:35 AM PDT  The U.N. human rights office called on Venezuela's government of Nicolas Maduro on Friday to disclose the whereabouts of opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro, who was arrested last week. Venezuela's opposition-run National Assembly said a week ago that Caro had been detained, calling the move a violation of his parliamentary immunity.
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| 40+ Fresh Summer Vegetable Recipes To Bring To Your Next Cookout Posted: 03 May 2019 12:52 PM PDT |
| Man punches woman 3 times after fender bender: Police Posted: 02 May 2019 03:20 PM PDT  The victim was using her iPad to take some photos when the suspect began to punch the victim in the kidney area, she said.
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| The 'Arya Challenge' Is the Best Game of Thrones Phenomenon in the Realm Posted: 02 May 2019 05:49 AM PDT  People are doing their best moves with a carrot, a remote control and keys
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| UPDATE 3-Pepsi withdraws Indian potato farmer lawsuits after political pressure Posted: 02 May 2019 06:45 AM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Pepsi withdraws Indian potato farmer lawsuits after political pressure]( "UPDATE 3-Pepsi withdraws Indian potato farmer lawsuits after political pressure") PepsiCo Inc has agreed to withdraw lawsuits against Indian potato farmers it alleged infringed a patent by cultivating a variety grown exclusively for its Lay's potato chips. "After discussions with the government, the company has agreed to withdraw the cases against the farmers," a PepsiCo India spokesman said on Thursday, adding that this applied to all nine. The decision comes at a particularly sensitive time in India, which is about halfway through a 39-day general election in which its rural population still has a dominant voice.
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| Four Palestinians killed in Gaza after army says soldiers wounded Posted: 03 May 2019 04:24 PM PDT  Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed by Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip Friday, authorities in the enclave said, after Israel reported two of its soldiers wounded in a shooting on the border. Two of the Palestinians were shot dead during clashes along the frontier while two fighters from Hamas, Gaza's Islamist rulers, were killed in an air strike, the health ministry in Gaza said.
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| Barr Snubs House Over Mueller as Tensions Soar After Senate Turn Posted: 01 May 2019 05:43 PM PDT  Barr is "trying to blackmail the committee," Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters Wednesday evening, saying that the executive branch doesn't get to dictate the format of the hearing. Nadler added that he may issue a subpoena for the attorney general to show up if he doesn't relent. Barr's decision not to attend the hearing dramatically escalates tensions with the Democratic-controlled committee, which has already authorized a subpoena to the Justice Department to obtain an unredacted version of Mueller's report as well as the underlying evidence.
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| Immigration officials in Texas showcase huge new tents to house migrant families Posted: 02 May 2019 04:05 PM PDT  The vast air-conditioned tent complex in the town of Donna, Texas, includes access to showers, hot meals and cots.
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| The first big Apple Watch Series 4 sale is here with all-time low prices Posted: 02 May 2019 01:07 PM PDT  Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a drill. We repeat, this is not a drill. The Apple Watch Series 4 just got its first big price discount, and there are a bunch of different models included in the sale. The Apple Watch Series 4 in Space Gray Aluminum Case with a Black Sport Band is $50 off in both 40mm and 44mm sizes, which drops the price to $349 and $379, respectively. The 40mm and 44mm models with the Black Sport Loop Band are down to the same prices. Definitely click around to see all the different models that got discounts, but do it soon because this sale definitely won't last long.Here's more from the product description: * GPS * Over 30% larger display and 50% louder speaker * Electrical and optical heart sensors * Digital Crown with haptic feedback * 50% louder speaker * S4 SiP with faster 64-bit dual-core processor * Improved accelerometer and gyroscope for fall detection * Swim proof - Water resistant upto 50 meters * watch OS 5 * Aluminum case
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| UPDATE 1-Accused gunman in North Carolina college shooting skips court appearance Posted: 02 May 2019 11:49 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Accused gunman in North Carolina college shooting skips court appearance]( "UPDATE 1-Accused gunman in North Carolina college shooting skips court appearance") A former student at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte waived his right to a court appearance on Thursday, a prosecutor said, after police say the suspect opened fire in a crowded classroom on Tuesday, killing two students and injuring four. Trystan Terrell, 22, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder after police and witnesses say he began firing a handgun in a classroom full of nearly 50 students on UNC Charlotte's campus shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The suspect was appointed a public defender and is due to appear in court for a bond hearing on May 15, an assistant district attorney for Mecklenburg County told reporters on Thursday.
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| Workers allege racism at Harley-Davidson plant in Missouri Posted: 03 May 2019 02:55 PM PDT ![Workers allege racism at Harley-Davidson plant in Missouri]( "Workers allege racism at Harley-Davidson plant in Missouri") KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Minority employees at Harley-Davidson's plant in Kansas City have been subjected to years of harassment and discrimination — including having swastikas and nooses posted in the plant, frequent racial epithets and at least one assault, several employees said at a news conference organized by the NAACP-Kansas City on Friday.
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| The BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe Is Almost Here, Will Debut In June Posted: 03 May 2019 02:06 PM PDT  The 8GC will debut in June and sit atop a growing lineup of stylish four-door coupes.
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| EU's Tusk warns of risks in rise of U.S. tech giants Posted: 03 May 2019 09:07 AM PDT  The world needs to be wary of the rise of tech giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, comparing their powers to those of countries such as China, European Council President Donald Tusk said in Warsaw on Friday. "In the East, we see the rise of those capable of controlling everyone's behavior, and in the West we've seen the rise of an uncontrolled, spontaneous empire," Tusk said in Warsaw in reference to the companies during a speech marking Constitution Day. The European Union has been in the forefront of efforts to tighten control on how social media companies handle the personal data of consumers, with rules introduced last May giving regulators the power to impose fines of up to 4 percent of global revenue for violations.
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| Surge in Anti-Semitic Attacks Has Caused a 'Sense of Emergency' Among Jews Worldwide, New Report Says Posted: 02 May 2019 05:55 AM PDT  Researchers at Tel Aviv University say anti-Semitism is rising around the world, creating a "sense of emergency" among Jews.
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| Guaido calls for protests at military bases as Maduro rallies troops Posted: 03 May 2019 01:12 AM PDT  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Thursday called for peaceful demonstrations at army bases, days after a military uprising in support of his bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro fizzled out. The latest appeal came after Maduro called on the armed forces of the crisis-wracked nation to oppose "any coup plotter", as the embattled leader dug in his heels in the face of ongoing protests and international pressure, especially from the United States. Guaido -- recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's interim president -- had on Tuesday called on the military to rise up against Maduro, and a small group heeded his call.
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| Barr’s Review of FBI ‘Spying’ on Trump Campaign Has a Wide Reach Posted: 03 May 2019 01:00 AM PDT  In a contentious hearing this week on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, Democrats accused Barr of sounding like President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. Barr told the Senate Judiciary panel that he has assembled a team to determine whether there was any improper "spying" on the Trump campaign in 2016, including whether intelligence collection began earlier than previously known and how many confidential informants the FBI used.
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| Baltimore Mayor Pugh resigns amid children's book scandal Posted: 02 May 2019 12:45 PM PDT  Following an investigation stemming from a children's book scandal, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh announced her resignation Thursday via a statement from her attorney.
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| The most popular Apple Watch model is back down to $199, its lowest price ever Posted: 02 May 2019 04:54 AM PDT  We've covered a whole lot of Apple Watch deals over the years, but one in particular has been so much more popular that anything else -- and right now, it's back in stock at its lowest price ever! It's the wonderfully sleek Apple Watch Series 3 in Space Gray Aluminum Case with a Black Sport Band, and it has never been cheaper than it is right now -- just $199 for the 38mm version. You can also bump up to the 42mm model for just $229, but it'll take a few extra days to ship. At a price like that though, it's well worth it.Here are the bullet points from the product page: * GPS * Optical heart sensor * Digital Crown * S3 with dual-core processor * Accelerometer and gyroscope * Swim proof * watchOS 5 * Aluminum case
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| One Dead After Shooting at Student Housing Complex Near North Carolina University Posted: 01 May 2019 06:59 PM PDT  Local police confirmed that one person was pronounced dead after a homicide at University Village Boulevard near the Charlotte, N.C. campus
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| Save This Rugged And Rare 1985 Jeep J10 Pioneer Posted: 03 May 2019 02:55 AM PDT  People go wild over Jeep pickup trucks, but most know nothing about this 1985 Jeep J10 Pioneer. Raleigh Classic is offering this extremely well-maintained Jeep, which is a truly exceptional find. The owner of this Jeep J10 Pioneer absolutely pampered it, keeping the truck garaged in climate-controlled environments since the day it rolled off the dealer's lot.
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| Venezuelans take to streets as uprising attempt sputters Posted: 02 May 2019 03:50 AM PDT  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans heeded opposition leader Juan Guaidó's call to fill streets around the nation Wednesday but security forces showed no sign of answering his cry for a widespread military uprising, instead dispersing crowds with tear gas as the political crisis threatened to deepen.
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| Pelosi Says Barr Lied to Congress and Trump Obstructed Justice Posted: 02 May 2019 09:44 AM PDT  "What is deadly serious about it is the attorney general of the United States of America was not telling the truth to the Congress of the United States," Pelosi said at a news conference. When asked how to respond to Barr's alleged lying, Pelosi -- who has discouraged Democrats from moving forward on impeachment, at least for the time being -- said she is deferring to the Judiciary Committee.
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| Brexit Backlash Hits Main Parties in U.K. Local Elections Posted: 03 May 2019 12:27 AM PDT  Early results in England's local elections suggested voters were turning their backs on both the main parties amid frustration over Brexit. With 111 of 248 English councils having declared their results by 8:20 a.m. Friday, Labour had lost 79 seats overall, and the Conservatives had lost 441. Prime Minister Theresa May's ruling Conservatives are paying the heaviest price at the polls for overseeing the political chaos of the U.K.'s divorce from the European Union.
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| ‘Those Are Things You Don’t Forget.’ How a Young Audrey Hepburn Helped the Dutch Resistance During World War II Posted: 03 May 2019 12:30 PM PDT  Audrey Hepburn — born May 4, 1929 — was just a teenager when she first became involved in Dutch resistance against the Nazis
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