| Trump says lawyer Emmet Flood leaving in June Posted: 01 Jun 2019 01:50 PM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a member of his legal team, Emmet Flood, will leave his post later this month after helping him handle the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. "Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th. Trump has been restructuring his legal team as he shifts from dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe to battling Democratic-led investigations in the U.S. Congress.
|
| Riyadh rallies allies against Tehran at Mecca summits Posted: 31 May 2019 03:22 AM PDT  Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division". Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.
|
| I was let go as substitute teacher because I corrected my students' grammar Posted: 01 Jun 2019 04:00 AM PDT ![I was let go as substitute teacher because I corrected my students' grammar]( "I was let go as substitute teacher because I corrected my students' grammar") What students apparently objected to was me handing back their papers, hectoring them about language errors.
|
| Sherpas on Everest: ‘This Is a Sacred Mountain. We Need to Respect It.’ Posted: 31 May 2019 03:51 PM PDT  Eleven deaths. Dangerously long lines to reach the summit. Piles of garbage. Melting ice revealing the tombs of frozen bodies.Those are the images from Mount Everest this climbing season, triggering calls for new restrictions on who can ascend the world's tallest peak.The Sherpas, an ethnic group from the Himalayan region near Everest, have been watching as the mountain they revere—and which is a source of work for many of them—slips further away from sanctity with each passing year. Dr. Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, a cultural anthropologist now based in Seattle, tells The Daily Beast she believes there is a way for the sacred mountain and the mountaineers to co-exist. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
|
| Jussie Smollett: Possible deal was in the works a month before charges dropped, documents show Posted: 31 May 2019 07:59 AM PDT  New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.Smollett was charged in March with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Police contend the black and openly gay actor allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity.Prosecutors dropped charges on 26 March without Smollett admitting guilt. Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision. Smollett has maintained his innocence. The approximately 460 pages of new documents show that detectives investigating Smollett's allegations were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with the Empire actor could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors. "They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County State's Attorney's office on 28 February that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on 7 March. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service". The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served. However, he didn't directly criticise prosecutors."My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney," Johnson said. "That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation." The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was "an affront to prosecutors across the state" as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a "substantial number of overtime hours."Additional reporting by agencies
|
| Virginia Beach shooting suspect DeWayne Craddock worked for city for 15 years Posted: 01 Jun 2019 12:55 PM PDT  Officials in Virginia Beach said they would name DeWayne Craddock only once and will not refer to him again.
|
| GoFundMe border wall construction back in motion after New Mexico city lifts cease-and-desist Posted: 31 May 2019 04:35 AM PDT  Construction was halted Tuesday, but quickly began again Thursday after the group got the go-ahead from the city of Sunland Park, New Mexico.
|
| Stone Was Like ‘Uncle Roger,’ Miller Testifies to Grand Jury Posted: 31 May 2019 12:18 PM PDT  Prosecutors focused their examination on Miller's relationship with Stone and Stone's connection to WikiLeaks founder Assange, Miller's attorney Paul Kamenar told reporters after the proceeding. Stone was indicted by the grand jury in January on charges of lying to Congress about communications with Assange, obstruction and witness tampering.
|
| Warren grilled on Native American ancestry claims: 'You're kind of like the original Rachel Dolezal' Posted: 31 May 2019 08:41 AM PDT  Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asked to explain how she learned about her Native American ancestry.
|
| UPDATE 4-U.S.-China set to clash at security summit despite "constructive" talks Posted: 31 May 2019 04:01 AM PDT ![UPDATE 4-U.S.-China set to clash at security summit despite "constructive" talks]( "UPDATE 4-U.S.-China set to clash at security summit despite \"constructive\" talks") Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs held "constructive" talks on Friday but were expected to clash over China's growing global security role at a weekend Asia security summit. A U.S. military report on the Indo-Pacific region, to be released on Saturday alongside a speech by acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, sharply criticizes Beijing's security policies, according to a draft seen by Reuters. The United States and China are locked in an escalating trade war and are at odds over a range of issues from the disputed South China Sea to democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory and to be taken by force if needed.
|
| S. Korean survivors recall chaos after Budapest boat sinking Posted: 31 May 2019 01:58 AM PDT  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean survivors of a tour boat which sank in Budapest say they barely managed to grab onto a drifting lifeboat while watching in horror as others around them struggled in the dark, rainy waters, shouting for help.
|
| Barr: Counter-intelligence Probe of Trump Campaign Crossed ‘Serious Red Line’ Posted: 31 May 2019 08:15 AM PDT  Attorney General William Barr said Friday that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign "crossed" a "serious red line" and should be "carefully looked at.""The use of foreign intelligence capabilities and counterintelligence capabilities against an American political campaign to me is unprecedented and it's a serious red line that's been crossed," Barr said in an interview with CBS.The attorney general is currently investigating the origins of the probe to determine whether the U.S. intelligence community's surveillance of the Trump campaign was warranted. He has expressed skepticism about the explanations for some of the investigative actions taken.During testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, Barr stated that "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign, angering Democratic lawmakers."I guess it's become a dirty word somehow," Barr told CBS. "I think there is nothing wrong with spying. The question is always whether it is authorized by law.""There were counterintelligence activities undertaken against the Trump campaign, And I'm not saying there was not a basis for it, that it was legitimate, but I want to see what that basis was and make sure it was legitimate," he added.The New York Times reported that the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a research assistant to ask former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos whether the campaign was working with Russia. Papadopoulos was told by a Maltese professor in early 2016 that Russia had damaging information on Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, but said he told the undercover agent he had "nothing to do with Russia.""Republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences, and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state," Barr remarked. "That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official."FBI director Chris Wray said earlier this month that he had seen no evidence that the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign.
|
| Pompeo Tells Germany to Tackle China or Lose Data Sharing Posted: 31 May 2019 05:25 AM PDT  Speaking in Berlin Friday, Pompeo urged Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to "lead in taking action against Chinese corruption, espionage and unfair trade practices" and said the U.S. may have to change its "behavior" regarding intelligence sharing. China is a "national security risk" to western democracies and the challenge is far wider than the threat posed by the use in communications networks of equipment made by Huawei Technologies Co., Pompeo said at a news conference after talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. "We want to make sure the information doesn't end up in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, it's pretty straightforward," Pompeo said.
|
| Iran's stocks of nuclear materials still within limits: IAEA Posted: 31 May 2019 08:28 AM PDT  Iran's stocks of key nuclear materials have increased but are still within the limits set by a 2015 deal with world powers, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on the matter said Friday. Despite an announcement from Iran earlier this month that it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water, stocks of both did not exceed the ceilings set in the 2015 agreement, the report said. As of May 26, Iran had 125.2 metric tonnes of heavy water, an increase of 0.4 tonnes on February but still under the 130-tonne limit.
|
| UPDATE 1-Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Wilders says Twitter blocks his account Posted: 31 May 2019 03:52 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Wilders says Twitter blocks his account]( "UPDATE 1-Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Wilders says Twitter blocks his account") Dutch far-right politician and anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders said on Friday that Twitter had temporarily blocked his account following remarks he made about a political rival. Wilders, who cannot easily appear in public due to threats against him by Islamists, relies heavily on Twitter to communicate with his supporters. "Twitter often tolerates death threats against me, but not a factual tweet by me about a colleague.
|
| Mastermind's accountant agrees to plead guilty in college admissions scandal Posted: 31 May 2019 04:34 PM PDT  The bookkeeper for Rick Singer, the ringleader of the college admissions bribery scandal, has agreed to plead guilty to charges and cooperate.
|
| Trump’s Mexico tariff plan divides Republicans Posted: 31 May 2019 03:43 PM PDT  President Trump's latest effort to crack down on migration at the southern border by imposing punitive tariffs on Mexican goods appears to be driving a wedge between the White House and some of Trump's biggest supporters in the Senate — including immigration hard-liners who ordinarily back him on border security issues. Among Senate Republicans, only Lindsey Graham of South Carolina publicly backed the tariff plan. "I support nearly every one of President Trump's immigration policies, but this is not one of them," Sen. Chuck Grassley said Thursday evening, shortly after the White House announced its new tariff tactic.
|
| UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted Posted: 01 Jun 2019 07:35 AM PDT ![UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted]( "UPDATE 2-China to probe FedEx after Huawei says parcels diverted") China will investigate whether FedEx Corp
|
| Inflatable 'Tank Man' in Taiwan marks Tiananmen protests Posted: 01 Jun 2019 12:42 AM PDT  TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — An artist has erected an inflatable display in Taiwan's capital to mark an iconic moment in the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.
|
| Can Netanyahu Solidify the Right in Israel's New Elections? Posted: 31 May 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Israeli politicians negotiated until midnight on May 29 before deciding to dissolve the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and hold new elections. In a momentous decision for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009, the country will vote in September, just months after April elections were held. It could be a defeat for the powerful Israeli leader, but it also represents another attempt to cling to power and outmaneuver his rivals.Israel faces challenges in the region which make its political instability at home a pressing concern. First among Jerusalem's concerns is the rise and influence of Iran. Iran's allies in the Syrian regime, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia paramilitaries in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen all stridently oppose Israel. Hassan Nasrallah, speaking at an annual celebration of Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, said his movement would lead efforts to oppose both the U.S. peace plan and Israel's presence in the West Bank. Yemen's Houthis curse Jews and Israel in their official slogan. Shia militias in Iraq, such as Kata'ib Hezbollah and the Badr Organization, regularly claim that they are opposed to the United States and Israel, the latter of which they tend to blame for recent tensions between the United States and Iran.
|
| Hezbollah chief warns any war against Iran would engulf region Posted: 31 May 2019 03:05 PM PDT  The head of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah warned on Friday that if there was a war against Iran the whole Middle East region would "erupt", amid escalating US-Iranian tensions. US President Donald "Trump, his administration, and his intelligence know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders", Hassan Nasrallah said. "Any war on Iran will mean the whole region will erupt," said the head of the Iran-backed movement in a televised speech, explaining that such a war was therefore unlikely.
|
| Summit fever: Everest's budget climbing boom puts Indians most at risk Posted: 30 May 2019 11:58 PM PDT ![Summit fever: Everest's budget climbing boom puts Indians most at risk]( "Summit fever: Everest's budget climbing boom puts Indians most at risk") KOLKATA/KATHMANDU, May 31 (Reuters) - Earlier this month Dipankar Ghosh, a 52-year-old Indian photographer, scaled the world's fifth-highest peak, the snow-capped Mount Makalu. After being separated from the rest of his team in bad weather, he collapsed and died along with Narayan Singh, an officer in the Indian army, according to his tour operator. "Dipankar personified mountains," said his brother, Goutam, sitting by the coffin after it returned to the family's home in Kolkata, the state capital of India's West Bengal, on Wednesday.
|
| Pope braves rain-soaked mountain roads for Transylvania Mass Posted: 01 Jun 2019 03:14 PM PDT  MIERCUREA CIUC, Romania (AP) — Pope Francis braved a rain-soaked, twisting drive through the mountains of Transylvania on Saturday to visit Romania's most famous shrine, urging Romanian and ethnic Hungarian faithful to work together for their future.
|
| 2020 Vision: Where every candidate stands on Trump's impeachment Posted: 31 May 2019 11:33 AM PDT  Following special counsel Robert Mueller's public statement, more Democratic presidential hopefuls are calling on Congress to act.
|
| China fights back against the Huawei ban with a blacklist of its own Posted: 31 May 2019 05:08 PM PDT  The Trump administration delivered a massive blow to Huawei a few days ago, placing the biggest China's smartphone maker on the US Commerce Department "Entity List" that bans the sale of Huawei products in the country. The US government also banned the Chinese vendor from importing technology made in the US, which covers anything from chips and other components from companies like Intel and Qualcomm to software like Android and Windows.Other international companies have also cut ties with Huawei temporarily, including chip-maker ARM, whose silicon designs are the basis of most mobile chips used in Huawei designs. All this prompted the Chinese government to create its own blacklist, which it's currently referring to as the "Unreliable Entity List."China announced its list on Friday, saying that it will add any foreign firms and individuals who do not play nice with Chinese companies, namely Huawei."Foreign enterprises, organizations or individuals that do not comply with market rules, deviate from a contract's spirit or impose blockades or stop supplies to Chinese enterprises for non-commercial purposes, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, will be included on a list of 'unreliable entities'," Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said, per HongKongFP.The official did not say what companies are on the list, adding that they will be announced at a later date."Some foreign entities have violated normal market rules and the spirit of their contracts for non-commercial purposes, blockading and cutting off supplies and taking other discriminatory actions against Chinese companies damaging their legitimate rights and interests, and endangering China's national security and national interests," Gao said, according to state-owned Global Times.China's response seems to escalate trade-war tensions, but in reality, there's probably little that China can do to whatever companies end up on its list. That's because the most important US tech companies that may qualify for that list are in a co-dependency relationship with China. Intel and Qualcomm processors are needed and used by many Chinese smartphone makers. Google, meanwhile, doesn't have a presence in China, so the risk is small. Microsoft's Windows is also a critical operating system, one that China can hardly do without. If there's one company China could punish, it's probably Apple, but Apple doesn't have a business relationship with Huawei. Not to mention that China also needs Apple's business just as much as Apple needs China.If anything, China is trying to do whatever it can to deescalate the conflict and reach some common ground, as the ban on Huawei will have a severe impact on the smartphone vendor's bottom line, and even on its ability to conduct business in other markets.
|
| Wall St Week Ahead-Struggles of transport stocks transmit caution to market Posted: 31 May 2019 01:29 PM PDT ![Wall St Week Ahead-Struggles of transport stocks transmit caution to market]( "Wall St Week Ahead-Struggles of transport stocks transmit caution to market") Add this to worries about Wall Street: The index of planes, trains and trucking companies, considered an important stock barometer of the U.S. economy's health, is struggling. The Dow Jones Transportation Average swooned 10.2% in May, a far steeper decline than that of the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the S&P 500. For analysts who closely watch the transports, this could be a sign of deeper market stress.
|
| In a time when life seems to be going off the rails, remember modern life is extraordinary Posted: 01 Jun 2019 03:00 AM PDT  In 2019, the news can be depressing, but the small and ordinary miracles of the modern world should prompt us to pause and be grateful.
|
| Why Is Russia Turning Its Su-57 Stealth Fighter Into A Ship-Killer? Posted: 31 May 2019 08:30 PM PDT  Russia is designing an anti-ship missile for its Su-57 stealth fighter.But is hunting ships the best mission for such an advanced aircraft?Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko made the announcement while visiting the Detal Design Bureau, which is developing a new anti-ship missile, according to Russian news agency TASS."Today the enterprise is working on developing an active homing warhead for the promising anti-ship missile that is planned to be carried by the Su-57 fighter as well," Krivoruchko said."A working meeting was held on the premises of the Detal Design Bureau to discuss the issue of signing a contract with Tactical Missiles Corporation on acquiring the entire range of air-launched weapons for the Su-57 fighter jets," TASS said.The Su-57 is Russia's equivalent of the U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. A Mach 2 aircraft capable of air superiority and ground-strike missions, it is Russia's first stealth plane, and probably the most sophisticated aircraft in the Russian arsenal. It also has a long and troubled history stretching back more than a decade, due to technical issues and even more because of financial considerations. Estimates have ranged from $40 million to $156 million per plane—a figure that earlier made the Russian Air Force cancel mass production and buy just a handful of aircraft. Russia now has about a dozen Su-57s, which have flown a few missions over Syria.
|
| The 2019 Mercedes-AMG CLS53 in Photos Posted: 31 May 2019 06:19 AM PDT |
| 'Dangerous overcrowding' in US migrant facilities: government report Posted: 31 May 2019 12:56 PM PDT  A US Department of Homeland Security report warned Friday of "dangerous overcrowding" in El Paso, Texas facilities for holding just-arrived migrants, with rooms packed with more than five times the number authorized. The report by the DHS inspector general said the health and security of both migrants and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials is under threat by squeezing people into holding rooms designed for a fraction of their numbers. "We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety not just of the detainees, but also DHS agents and officers," the report said.
|
| Principal: I accidentally plagiarized Ashton Kutcher speech Posted: 31 May 2019 03:00 PM PDT  PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia principal accused of plagiarizing Ashton Kutcher in an address to his school's graduating class says he didn't mean to use someone else's work.
|
| Missouri abortion clinic to stay open for now after court order Posted: 31 May 2019 04:06 AM PDT  Missouri's only abortion clinic will stay open at least a few more days after a judge on Friday granted a request by Planned Parenthood for a temporary restraining order, allowing the facility to keep operating until a hearing on Tuesday. Planned Parenthood sued Missouri this week after state health officials said the license for Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was in jeopardy, meaning the clinic could have closed at midnight unless the judge granted the request for a temporary restraining order.
|
| Merkel rebukes Trump politics in Harvard commencement speech: 'Tear down walls of ignorance' Posted: 31 May 2019 11:36 AM PDT  Without saying the president by name, German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed the policies and worldview of Donald Trump's presidency.
|
| Waive your yearly Amex fee and snag 80,000 bonus Delta miles with this limited-time offer Posted: 31 May 2019 08:35 PM PDT  One of the great things about Delta's co-branded rewards cards is that they can offer something all at once that a semi-frequent flyer might be hard-pressed to accumulate otherwise. We're talking, of course, about frequent-flyer miles -- or, in the case of the limited-time offer Delta just kicked off for its main cards, the sizable welcome bonuses that in a couple of instances can be as high as 80,000 bonus miles.Through July 2, the six Delta co-branded cards that are issued by American Express which we talk about below offer an impressive range of bonus miles when certain spending requirements are met. The cards include both personal and business Delta Amex cards, and for anyone who's been watching the increasingly frequent award sales Delta unveils but doesn't have enough SkyMiles in your account -- read on, because according to The Points Guy these are among the highest welcome bonus offers seen on the Delta cards. Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express and Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American ExpressOn the entry-level side of the spectrum, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express is offering 60,000 miles if you're a new cardholder who spends $2,000 in the first three months. Make a Delta purchase within that time, and you'll also score a $50 statement credit. The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express, meanwhile, has a sweeter offer -- 70,000 miles after you spend $4,000 in the first three months, plus that same $50 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first three months.Both cards waive the $95 annual fee during the first year, in addition to offering cardholders a first bag checked free on Delta flights, as well as priority boarding and 20% off of inflight purchases on Delta.The bonus miles look all the more impressive when you consider the valuation from The Points Guy of $720 for 60,000 SkyMiles and $840 for 70,000. Meaning, the bonus -- when viewed in the context of some of Delta's recent award sales -- could be enough for several round-trip domestic airfares. Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express and Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American ExpressOne step up annual fee- and benefits-wise, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express has sweetened its welcome offer to 75,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles, or MQMs, for new cardholders who spend at least $3,000 in the first three months of card ownership. Make a Delta purchase within the first three months, and there will also be a $100 statement credit. The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express, meanwhile, is offering 80,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months, plus a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first 3 months.Both versions of the Platinum Delta Amex come with a $195 annual fee that, unfortunately, can't be waived in year one. To take some of the sting out of that fact, the cards at least offer additional benefits like an annual companion certificate that can be used for travel in the main cabin. Owning a Platinum Delta Amex also helps you rack up MQMs toward Delta elite status, with 5,000 MQMs you earn from the welcome bonus as well as 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 redeemable miles once you spend $25,000 with the card in a calendar year. Additionally, you'll pick up another 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 redeemable miles after you spend $50,000 in a calendar year. Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express and Delta Reserve® for Business Credit CardThe top-of-the-line personal credit card in this lineup is the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express. Like the Platinum Delta Amex, it comes with the possibility of earning 75,000 SkyMiles and 5,000 MQMs as long as you meet the spending requirement of $5,000 in the first three months. The Delta Reserve® for Business Credit Card from American Express, meanwhile, is offering 80,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $6,000 in the first 3 months.Both cards come with a $450 annual fee, but with that price you get the most benefits. Things like complimentary Delta Sky Club access when you're flying Delta, and the ability to have up to two guests accompany you at a discounted rate of only $29 per person. The Delta Reserve also offers you the ability to earn MQMs toward Delta elite status by meeting spending thresholds. Spend $30,000 with the card during a calendar year, and you'll earn 15,000 MQMs as well as 15,000 redeemable miles. Spend $60,000 in a calendar year, and you can tack on another 15,000 in both of those categories. The verdictWhile it's true that the valuation from The Points Guy puts Delta SkyMiles on the lower end of the scale when ranking the offerings from major US airlines, things are in fact changing. Delta has, for example, started to offer more frequent award sales, with more destinations and cabins available at discounted prices.This also isn't the first time Delta Amex credit cards have offered elevated welcome bonuses, but this time around the offer is definitely looking more attractive than ever.
|
| Bacon-Wrapped Pickles, Caprese Bites, and More Must-Try Appetizers Posted: 31 May 2019 08:45 AM PDT |
| Could Taiwan Halt an Invasion by China? Posted: 01 Jun 2019 01:49 AM PDT  The Taiwan question has long been in a thorn in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) side. In the decades following the Shanghai communiqué, the CCP's core strategic approach to Taiwan was to bide their time while building up national strength. As Deng Xiaoping famously proclaimed, the People's Republic of China (PRC) can wait 100 years to reunify with Taiwan (also known as Republic of China, or ROC) if necessary.Today's CCP appears to be operating within a much shorter time frame, however. With China's rise to great power status, Beijing wields unprecedented economic leverage over Taiwan and is increasingly comfortable with flexing its military muscle overseas. XI Jingping is "losing patience" with the defiant island off his southeastern coast, which continues to rebuff Chinese reunification schemes premised on what Xi calls a "one country, two systems" approach.
|
| Younger voters continued to outstrip turnout by boomers and seniors in 2018 Posted: 31 May 2019 09:55 AM PDT  Young voters turned out to vote for the 2018 midterm elections at record-breaking numbers.
|
| 2019 Toyota Corolla Posted: 31 May 2019 09:48 AM PDT  Corolla Review, Pricing and Specs
|
| 4 accused of sexually assaulting child while producing porn in New Jersey Posted: 31 May 2019 04:39 AM PDT  Four suspects involved in a pornography production company in New Jersey are accused of aggravated sexual assault and endangering a 7-year-old child.
|
| Explosions rock Syria's northern city of Raqqa, killing 10 Posted: 01 Jun 2019 02:53 PM PDT ![Explosions rock Syria's northern city of Raqqa, killing 10]( "Explosions rock Syria's northern city of Raqqa, killing 10") BEIRUT (AP) — Two explosions killed 10 people in Raqqa Saturday in the latest attacks to hit the city in northern Syria, opposition activists reported.
|
| UPDATE 1-Comcast says no interest in acquiring divested spectrum from Sprint, T-Mobile deal Posted: 31 May 2019 09:37 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Comcast says no interest in acquiring divested spectrum from Sprint, T-Mobile deal]( "UPDATE 1-Comcast says no interest in acquiring divested spectrum from Sprint, T-Mobile deal") U.S. cable operator Comcast Corp has no interest in acquiring divested spectrum from the Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc transaction, the company said on Friday. Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Comcast and Charter Communications Inc were in discussions with U.S. regulators to buy wireless spectrum. T-Mobile and Sprint were considering divesting spectrum back to the government, which would then sell it to help establish a fourth carrier.
|
| Despite Trump Threats, AMLO Halved Mexico Migration Spending Posted: 31 May 2019 02:44 PM PDT  The cuts come amid an influx of undocumented migrants from Central America, which prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to threaten Mexico with a 5% tariff on all goods if it doesn't stop them from crossing the U.S. border. The combination of steep budget cuts and soaring immigration has overwhelmed the INM, which needs more funding to operate properly, said Rodolfo Cruz Pineiro, director of the population studies department at Mexico's Northern Border College in Tijuana.
|
| Kitsch and confidence at Huawei HQ despite US pressure Posted: 31 May 2019 03:59 AM PDT  Emblazoned across a wall at Huawei headquarters is a motto that appears to sum up the attitude of the huge Chinese telecom company toward its multiplying challenges: "Success requires friends. "We don't believe it.
|
| Jimmy Kimmel Grills Nancy Pelosi on Trump Impeachment: ‘Why Not?’ Posted: 31 May 2019 02:51 AM PDT  ABC"How's it going in Washington? Anything interesting happening?" cracked Jimmy Kimmel. "I'm really happy to be here," Nancy Pelosi replied with a wink and a smile. The Democratic Speaker of the House joined the comedian on his late-night program Thursday night just one day after Robert Mueller delivered an impromptu press conference where he asserted, "If we had had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime we would have said so"—once again punting to Congress. After asserting her Golden State Warriors' fandom, and the fact that she has a signed Draymond Green jersey that she won at auction ("because every team needs somebody like that"), the House Speaker got into the whole Mueller mess, with Kimmel questioning why Pelosi hasn't pushed for Trump to be impeached like many of her Democratic colleagues, including presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. "We've been on that path for a while, and when we do get to where we're going, we're going to be ready," said Pelosi. "You have to remember, we've only had the [congressional] majority…since this year, and the first month government was shutdown." "We have to be ready," she added. "Our Founders, in the darkest days of the Revolution, they said, 'The times have found us.' Well, I think right now the times have found us. We have a defiance of the Constitution of the United States, and so when we go down this path, we have to be ready, and it has to be clear to the American people, and we have to hope that it'll be clear to the Republicans in the United States Senate." When Kimmel joked that we've "been on this path" since the '70s, Pelosi held her ground. "We're on a path to getting information. The public deserves to know the truth—the facts—and so, when you go down a path like impeachment, which is very divisive—it could divide the country—let me put it this way: we understand our oaths of office, to defend the Constitution of the United States. Apparently, the president does not understand his oath of office. He doesn't honor the oath to protect and defend. We know our responsibility, but again, because it is divisive, we have to try to bring people together." Jimmy Kimmel Doesn't Want to 'Appeal' to Trump Fans: 'I Don't Think That World Exists Anymore'"I probably have a better idea as to what the president has to be held accountable for than anyone," Pelosi asserted. "The only person who knows better than I do…is the president of the United States. He knows. He knows what his violations have been." After some more back-and-forth, Pelosi laid out why she believes that Trump wants the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives to file articles of impeachment: so that it'll be shot down by the Republican-controlled Senate. "[Here's] why I think the president wants us to impeach him," Pelosi explained. "He knows it's not a good idea to be impeached, but the silver lining for him is, then he believes that he would be exonerated by the United States Senate, and there's a school of thought that says, if the Senate acquits you, why bring up charges against him in the private sector when he's no longer president? So when we go through with our case, it's got to be ironclad."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
|
