| The Latest: Slain pregnant woman knew her alleged killer Posted: 16 May 2019 04:23 PM PDT  CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on the slaying of a pregnant Chicago woman whose baby was cut from her womb (all times local):
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| UAE says it will show restraint after tanker attacks, Iran's behavior a concern Posted: 15 May 2019 01:57 PM PDT ![UAE says it will show restraint after tanker attacks, Iran's behavior a concern]( "UAE says it will show restraint after tanker attacks, Iran's behavior a concern") Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said he would not speculate about who was behind Sunday's sabotage acts on four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, near Fujairah emirate while an investigation was under way and due to be completed within days. It is easy to throw accusations but it is a difficult situation, there are serious issues and among them is Iranian behavior," he said, mentioning concern about Iran's missiles and regional policy. France has a naval base in Abu Dhabi.
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| Top FBI officials were 'quite worried' Comey would appear to be blackmailing Trump Posted: 15 May 2019 06:29 AM PDT  Senior FBI officials were concerned then director James Comey would appear to be blackmailing then President-elect Trump – using tactics notoriously associated with J.Edgar Hoover – when he attended a fateful Jan. 6, 2017 meeting where he informed the real estate magnate about allegations he had consorted with prostitutes in Moscow, according to Jim Baker, the bureau's chief counsel at the time.
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| Polish Catholic Church expects 'wave' of child sex abuse reports after release of film on paedophilia Posted: 15 May 2019 12:54 PM PDT  Poland's Catholic Church says it is expecting a "wave" of reports of child sex abuse by priests as it struggles to cope with the impact of a new film on paedophilia in the church that has been seen by millions. The crowd-funded two-hour-long film 'Just Don't Tell Anyone' has so far had over 14 million views on YouTube in just three days, and proved to be a sensation in Poland while appearing to deliver a hammer blow to the moral credibility of the Catholic Church. The film, which hears the accounts of victims and some confessions from their abusers, has already prompted Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, the head of Poland's episcopate, to issue an apology to "all those harmed" but now the Church appears to be bracing itself for an avalanche of sexual abuse allegations. "So far Poland has not seen the huge increases in reported cases as seen in other countries," said Father Piotr Studnicki, from the Church's Centre for Child Protection, during a television interview. "But that wave is probably coming." The Catholic Church has also said that it will re-open old cases and start new investigations in response to the material shown in the documentary. Reacting to the film Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Law and Justice, Poland's governing party, said the government was preparing changes to the penal code that would introduce sentences of up to 30 years for child abuse. The film could also have an influence on the European elections later this month. Before its release Law and Justice had sought to make political capital by portraying itself as the defender of the Catholic Church and conservative values, with Mr Kaczynski even going as far to say that "anyone who raises their hand against the Church, raises their hand against Poland". But his party now risks being tainted by the scandal engulfing the Church, and opposition parties have been quick to exploit the possibility. Grzegorz Schetyna, the leader of Civic Platform, Poland's main opposition party, has already parodied his opponent's words by saying "anyone who raises their hand against children, raises their hand against Poland".
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| Prying money from NRA CEO's hands: Today's Toon Posted: 15 May 2019 04:51 PM PDT  Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.
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| India Claims It Can Track China's New J-20 Stealth Fighter Posted: 16 May 2019 02:36 AM PDT  The Indian Air Force has boasted its Su-30 Flankers have tracked J-20s on radar, but as stealth fighters often employ emitters called "Luneburg Lens" to enlarge their RCS on routine flights, and thus conceal their true capabilities, it's difficult to infer much from this either.In January 2011, the maiden flight of a large, dagger-like grey jet announced that China had developed its first stealth aircraft—the Chengdu J-20 "Mighty Dragon." Six years later, after several substantial revisions, J-20s entered operational service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force.(This first appeared several months ago.)As radar-guided missiles from fighters and ground-based launchers threaten aircraft from dozens, or even hundreds of miles away, stealth capabilities are increasingly perceived as necessary for keeping fighter pilots alive on the modern battlefield.But just how good is the J-20? And what is its intended role? After all, America's first stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk, was not even really a fighter and lacked any air-to-air capability whatsoever.
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| Six confirmed dead after Alaska floatplanes collide Posted: 15 May 2019 08:33 AM PDT  Six people are confirmed dead after two floatplanes carrying cruise ship passengers collided mid-air in Alaska, the US Coast Guard said on Wednesday. Volunteer rescuers wrapped up their search on Tuesday night once the remains of the last victim were spotted by a Coast Guard helicopter, the agency said in a statement. The dead included four Americans, one Australian and a Canadian, Princess Cruises said Wednesday.
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| Barr asks Pelosi if she's got her handcuffs after joke about locking up Trump administration members Posted: 16 May 2019 04:10 AM PDT  If Attorney General William Barr is worried about being held in contempt of Congress, he didn't show it Wednesday.At an event outside the West Front of the Capitol honouring slain law enforcement officers, Barr approached House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week joked about locking up members of the Trump administration in "a jail down in the basement of the Capitol."According to a person who witnessed the exchange, Mr Barr shook Ms Pelosi's hand and said loudly, "Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?"Ms Pelosi smiled and responded that the House sergeant at arms was present should it be necessary to arrest anyone, the person said, adding that Mr Barr "chuckled and walked away."A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The exchange comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over investigations on issues including Russian election interference, the president's financial records and his financial separation policy. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of stonewalling their requests.Last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing the full, un-redacted report from special counsel Robert Muller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the House would likely vote on that citation next month. If the chamber votes in favour, then lawmakers will have to decide whether to try to compel Barr with fines, the courts or the prospect of jail time.At a Washington Post Live event last week, Ms Pelosi joked about locking up administration officials for not complying with subpoenas – even though no jail or detention area has existed on the Capitol grounds since 1877."Let me just say that we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol," Ms Pelosi said to laughter. "But if we were arresting all of the people in the administration, we would have an overcrowded jail situation, and I'm not for that."The Washington Post
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| Former Planned Parenthood executive slams Alabama abortion restrictions: ‘Women are watching’ Posted: 16 May 2019 04:17 PM PDT  Former Planned Parenthood president and CEO Cecile Richards has a message for politicians cheering the passage of the Alabama Human Life Protection Act: "Women are watching."
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| Democrat Warren targets Pentagon contractors, calls industry corrupt Posted: 16 May 2019 08:03 AM PDT  Warren wants to limit the ability of former Pentagon officials to work for contractors or foreign governments and to make public the documents of private companies working with the Defense Department, she outlined on Thursday in a post on Medium. Warren is one of more than 20 Democrats vying for her party's nomination to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. Warren has distinguished herself in the field as the candidate with the most prolific series of policy proposals on a myriad of topics.
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| Texas Rangers to take over deadly Baytown officer-involved shooting investigation Posted: 16 May 2019 12:07 PM PDT  The Texas Rangers will take over the investigation into an officer-involved shooting that killed a woman in Baytown.
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| Pilots pushed Boeing to act after Lion Air crash: reports Posted: 14 May 2019 08:40 PM PDT  After a deadly crash in Indonesia, American Airlines pilots called a meeting to press Boeing executives for safety changes to the 737 MAX aircraft, US media reported Tuesday. The call for changes, which could have required the best-selling aircraft model to be temporarily grounded, were reported by The New York Times and CBS News after they obtained an audio recording of the November 27 meeting between the American Airlines pilots union and officials from the aircraft manufacturer. The 737 MAX 8 is currently grounded worldwide after the March crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that killed all 157 people onboard and drew scrutiny to the new Boeing model's anti-stall system, which investigators believe may have brought the jet down.
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| Trump declares national emergency over IT threats, hitting Huawei by banning foreign telecoms gear Posted: 15 May 2019 09:01 AM PDT  Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US, in a move thought to be aimed at China's Huawei.The president's move comes as tensions have flared between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is"part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation.""The President has made it clear that this Administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous, and to protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the United States," Ms Sanders continued in the statement, which was emailed to reporters.The West Wing has reportedly been considering the executive order for more than a year, but repeatedly delayed the measure for unknown reasons.While the press secretary and executive order do not mention any specific country or company by name, the measure comes amid concerns in Washington that Huawei Technologies Co Ltd — the world's largest smartphone manufacturer — could be used by the Chinese government to spy on the US and western allies. The company has repeatedly denied those allegations.Just before the executive order was signed on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during his daily briefing in Beijing that the US had been "abusing its national power" to "deliberately smear" and suppress Chinese companies."This is not honourable, nor is it just," he said.The new executive order represents something of an expansion of US policy already in place since August, when the president signed a bill that barred the US government from using Huawei equipment and goods from another Chinese company, ZTE Corp.The measure also follows after US prosecutors charged two Huawei units in Washington State with conspiring to steal T-Mobile trade secrets. The chief financial officer for the company was also charged, but for violating sanctions on Iran.Reuters contributed to this report
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| Google’s new travel portal will improve the way you plan your trips online Posted: 15 May 2019 04:06 PM PDT  Slowly but surely, Google has become a one-stop shop for everything travel related. Few sites (if any) offer a cleaner and easier approach to booking travel arrangements than Google, and now, a new travel portal for the web has made the process even easier. All you have to do to check it out is head to google.com/travel.While most of the functionality of this travel hub was previously available through Google's website, this unifies all of the various features and options into a single webpage where you can book flights and hotels, see all your upcoming trips, and scroll through all of the previous vacations and getaways from years past.This simplified hub made its way on to mobile devices more than a year ago, but if you prefer to book your trips on a bigger screen, you can now get the same experience while making travel plans on a desktop.> As you plan a trip, your research and reservations will be organized for you in Trips. As we continue to evolve Google Trips, we're making this information more accessible at google.com/travel, and in Google Search and Google Maps. We're also adding a few new features to make planning and organizing your trips easier.Building on some of the features introduced last year, Google now makes it possible to edit your trip timeline directly from the travel hub, and the ability to manually add reservations is coming in a few weeks as well. Google will also now show you the weather for all the days you are scheduled to be at a destination.Also worth noting: Hotel and restaurant reservations will be accessible in Google Maps in the coming months.
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| Huawei to challenge U.S. export sanction which it says will harm America Posted: 16 May 2019 10:07 AM PDT  The decision by the Commerce Department to add the company and 70 affiliates to its so-called Entity List bans them from buying parts and components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval.
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| The Latest: Kamala Harris open to reforming Supreme Court Posted: 15 May 2019 08:28 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Democratic presidential candidates and abortion (all times local):
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| US: Flynn described efforts to interfere with cooperation Posted: 16 May 2019 04:14 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn told the special counsel's office that people connected to the Trump administration and Congress sought to influence his cooperation with the Russia investigation, and he provided a voicemail recording of one such communication, prosecutors said in a court filing made public Thursday.
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| Guatemalan migrant toddler dies weeks after U.S. detention Posted: 15 May 2019 10:04 PM PDT ![Guatemalan migrant toddler dies weeks after U.S. detention]( "Guatemalan migrant toddler dies weeks after U.S. detention") The death comes after three Guatemalan minors died in U.S. custody since December, during the biggest surge of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border in a decade. The deaths have spurred greater criticism of the Trump administration's hardline stance on illegal immigration, as well as closer scrutiny of why some migrants from Central America travel with children on the long, dangerous road north. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala's consul in El Paso, Texas, said the boy had been detained by U.S. migration officials after entering the United States in early April with his mother near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, opposite El Paso.
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| How the U.S. Air Force Makes Sure the F-22 Raptor Dominates the Skies Posted: 15 May 2019 11:00 PM PDT  As the Air Force and Lockheed Martin move forward with weapons envelope expansions and enhancements for the F-22, there is of course a commensurate need to upgrade software and its on-board sensors to adjust to emerging future threats, industry developers explained. Ultimately, this effort will lead the Air Force to draft up requirements for new F-22 sensors, Lockheed developers said.(Washington, D.C.) The US Air Force is now integrating new weapons onto 143 F-22s to massively expand their target envelope, air-to-air attack range and lock-on-launch precision -- to preserve the widely held belief that the stealth fighter is the most advanced and dominant air-to-air fighter ever to exist.F-22s will be able to track and destroy enemy targets flying behind them, hit air targets with much greater force, precision and destructive power and include new GPS jam-resistant technologies, developers explain.Actual integration of the new, upgraded weapons -- which include the AIM-9X and AIM-120D missiles -- begins this May, according to the 2018 Air Force Annual Acquisition Report. The weapons expansion is part on an ongoing, multi-year upgrade called 3.2B during which the weapons improvements were prototyped, tested, demonstrated and validated. Now, the Air Force Report says - they are operational and ready for war.
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| How One Father Learned to Live Again After the Death of His 2-Year-Old Daughter Posted: 16 May 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Jayson Greene tells the story of his 2-year-old daughter's death and the aftermath in an affecting new memoir, 'Once More We Saw Stars.'
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| Saudi-led warplanes pound Yemen rebels after pipeline attack Posted: 16 May 2019 12:05 PM PDT  Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran. The Saudi deputy defence minister said that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in his country was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts. The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory in Yemen.
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| Man arrested in bias attack on New Jersey bus after allegedly spouting racial slurs Posted: 16 May 2019 07:34 AM PDT  Police have arrested a man they say was responsible for a hate-filled verbal assault that could have turned into a violent encounter on a Jitney bus in New Jersey.
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| Alabama Senate passes ban on abortion, with few exceptions Posted: 14 May 2019 09:55 PM PDT  MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's Senate passed a near-total ban on abortion Tuesday, sending what would be the nation's most stringent abortion law to the state's Republican governor.
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| Latest Galaxy Note 10 leak points to a massive improvement people will love Posted: 15 May 2019 12:18 PM PDT  Say what you will about Samsung, but the company's penchant for throwing everything against the wall in order to see what sticks certainly keeps things interesting. With that said, 2019 appears to be a typical year for Samsung insofar that the company released some solid devices with its S10 line while also finding itself reeling from the downright laughable Galaxy Fold fiasco.Hardly a surprise, that's how things seem to go for Samsung these days; every success is tempered by an embarrassing failure of some sort. And through it all, Samsung keeps chugging along, releasing new products with impressive frequency. Which brings us, of course, to the Galaxy Note 10, a device that will likely be unveiled sometime this coming August.The volume of Galaxy Note 10 leaks has increased quite a bit over the past few weeks, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise given Samsung's longstanding inability to keep forthcoming product details under wraps.The latest Note 10 leak centers on the device's battery. Originally brought to light via Slashleaks, a 5G variant of the Galaxy Note 10 will reportedly include a battery with a capacity of 4,300mAh. How that translates into everyday battery life remains to be seen but it's certainly encouraging, especially when the biggest battery is pair with Qualcomm's efficient Snapdragon 855 chipset. As a point of reference, the battery on the Note 9 had a capacity of 4,000mAh.As for some other rumored Note 10 specs you may have missed, the device is expected to sport an Infinity-O punch hole display, superfast charging, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. Additionally, and as we detailed a few days ago, Samsung's Note 10 lineup may also feature some compelling camera improvements, including improved zoom capabilities and better performance in low-light environments.
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| Take a Good Look at the Ford Focus ST Wagon, Because You Won't Be Able to Buy One Posted: 16 May 2019 08:14 AM PDT  Of all the versions of the Focus that us Americans don't get, this one stings the worst.
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| 2020 Democrats Warn of U.S.-Iran Risks as Trump Pressures Tehran Posted: 16 May 2019 09:34 AM PDT  "It would be an absolute disaster," said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Sanders said he was trying to rally fellow lawmakers to make it clear to President Donald Trump that he cannot involve the country in a military conflict without authorization. "The president has to understand that the Constitution mandates that it's Congress that decides when we go into war, not the president alone," Sanders said.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Most controversial statements Posted: 15 May 2019 01:41 PM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been known for her strong opinions. Here's a look back at a few of her most controversial statements.
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| 60 Cauliflower Recipes To Make The Low-Carb Life Easy Posted: 16 Aug 2017 09:46 AM PDT ![60 Cauliflower Recipes To Make The Low-Carb Life Easy]( "60 Cauliflower Recipes To Make The Low-Carb Life Easy")
Cauli is the low-carb cooking hack you need. From Delish
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| Migrants sleep on ground, rig awnings at Texas Border Patrol station Posted: 15 May 2019 04:34 PM PDT  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman Richard Pauza referred to testimony by U.S. Border Patrol chief Carla Provost when asked for comment. The Border Patrol is the law enforcement arm of the CBP. During her May 8 testimony to a U.S. Senate committee, Provost said the agency faced an "unprecedented border security and humanitarian crisis" as Central American migrant families headed north and apprehension numbers went "off the charts." U.S. border officers apprehended nearly 99,000 people crossing the U.S. southern border in April, the highest monthly figure since 2007, Provost said.
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| US stealth fighter suffers millions in damage from bird strike Posted: 16 May 2019 02:37 AM PDT  A US F-35 stealth bomber suffered millions of dollars in damage after being hit by a bird during take-off from an air base in Japan, the US Marine Corps said in a statement Wednesday. "On May 7, 2019 an F-35B with Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing aborted take-off due to a bird strike at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and safely taxied off the runway," the statement said.
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| 5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations Posted: 15 May 2019 05:33 AM PDT ![5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations]( "5 budget-friendly summer vacation destinations") These affordable summer vacation spots around the world offer everything you'd want from a fancy trip.
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| Trump declares national emergency 'over Huawei' amid accusations he is risking 'devastating' conflict with Iran Posted: 15 May 2019 03:22 PM PDT  Donald Trump has been accused of "playing a very dangerous game" with Iran and risking dragging the US into a new war in the Middle East that could have "devastating" consequences.The warning came from Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to the UK, with the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan tabling plans to send 120,000 troops to the region if needed as tensions soar between the two nations over economic sanctions and an increased American military presence in the Persian Gulf.A commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, later warned the nation is "on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy".Meanwhile, President Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US.The move – thought to be aimed at China's Huawei – comes as tensions flare between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is"part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation."In the latest US immigration news, the Trump administration is planning to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the Mexico border, the TSA said Wednesday."TSA, like all DHS components, is supporting the DHS effort to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the southwest border.TSA is in the process of soliciting volunteers to support this effort while minimising operational impact," TSA spokesman James Gregory said in a statement.The announcement came as Donald Trump spoke at the annual Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Washington DC, where he denounced illegal immigration across the US-Mexico border.Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
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| Alabama governor signs strict abortion ban into law Posted: 15 May 2019 04:37 PM PDT  U.S. abortion-rights activists had already vowed to go court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted by abortion foes aiming to provoke reconsideration of the Roe v. Wade ruling. The decision by Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican abortion opponent, to sign the measure came a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate gave final legislative approval to the abortion ban.
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| Georgetown to expel two students over U.S. college admissions bribery scandal Posted: 15 May 2019 12:32 PM PDT  The expulsions were announced several hours after one of the students, Adam Semprevivo, sued Georgetown over his treatment, including its refusal to let him transfer to another school and keep his academic credits. Georgetown did not identify the expelled students or accuse them of wrongdoing. A lawyer for Semprevivo confirmed in an interview that the 21-year-old psychology major, who just completed his junior year, was one of them.
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| NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Launches 2020 White House Run Posted: 16 May 2019 07:05 AM PDT  New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, joining a large field of 22 other candidates."As president I will take on the wealthy. I will take on the corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people," de Blasio said in his announcement video message. "Doesn't matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesn't matter what your ethnicity is. People in every part of this country felt stuck or even like they're going backwards."De Blasio reminded voters that he raised New York City's minimum wage to $15 per hour and fought to provide workers with guaranteed paid sick leave and health care. He also touted that New York sent lawyers to the border to assist undocumented immigrants in dealing with the Trump administration and took steps to fight climate change when Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement.The Democratic mayor, who is serving his second term, also did not mince words on the current president, calling President Trump a "bully" and saying he "must be stopped.""I'm a New Yorker. I've known Trump's a bully for a long time," de Blasio said. "I know how to take him on. Don't back down in the face of a bully, confront him . . . I've beaten him before and I will do it again."Trump wasted no time clapping back at the mayor of his home city, tweeting that de Blasio is the "worst mayor in the U.S.," and New York City "hates him.""He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man," the president wrote.Over three-fourths of New York City voters said de Blasio should not bother running for president, according to a Quinnipiac University poll."Bill de Blasio is a liberal extremist who wants the government to control everything from your health care to what you eat," Republican National Committee Communications director Michael Ahrens said in a statement. "Americans can rest assured that he won't win, but unfortunately his socialist policies fit right in with the rest of his comrades in the race."The new presidential candidate plans to hit the campaign trail Thursday in Iowa and will travel to South Carolina this weekend.
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