| Verdict set for Cambodians who worked for US-funded radio Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:58 AM PDT  Two Cambodian journalists charged with espionage who had worked for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia said they were hopeful they will go free after their trial concluded Friday. Rights groups have characterized the case against Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin as a flagrant attack on freedom of the press. Prosecutor Seng Heang said in his closing argument that the two had been arranging to secretly send news to Radio Free Asia after it had closed its office in the Cambodian capital in September 2017.
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| Man Stabs 2 Women in Pennsylvania, Killing 1 of Them Posted: 08 Aug 2019 12:58 PM PDT  The first woman died as a result of her wounds and the second woman, who "may have been wearing a hijab" was reported as being in "stable condition"
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| Biden in Iowa Says ‘Poor Kids’ Are Just as Smart as ‘White Kids’ Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:07 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden told a group of mostly Asian and Hispanic voters in Iowa on Thursday that "poor kids are just as bright" as white children.The former vice president, known for his verbal gaffes, made the remarks to the Asian & Latino Coalition in Des Moines, Iowa, where he's on a four-day campaign swing for the Democratic presidential nomination."We should challenge students in these schools and have advanced placement programs in these schools," Biden said. "We have this notion that somehow if you're poor, you cannot do it. Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented, as white kids." He quickly added, "Wealthy kids, black kids, Asian kids, no I really mean it, but think how we think about it.""We think how we're going to dumb it down. They can do anything anybody else can do given a shot."Biden, 76, has been criticized for his tendency to say awkward, sometimes surprising, things. When his future boss, Barack Obama, was running for president, Biden once remarked that Obama was "clean" and "articulate," a remark that raised eyebrows.The re-election campaign of President Donald Trump, under a barrage of criticism from Biden and other Democrats for what they term racist rhetoric, posted video of Biden's remark.Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said in a statement on Friday that Biden "misspoke and immediately corrected himself during a refrain he often uses," namely how to level the playing field for low-income students.She also said, incorrectly, that the video only contained the first part of Biden's sentence. She added, "And it's no coincidence this comes days after Joe Biden laid out how this president emboldens white nationalism and embraces racism."(Updates with new details about Trump video and Biden aide quote in seventh paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Emma Kinery in Washington at ekinery@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Louisiana woman reportedly told police the meth found in her body part was not hers Posted: 08 Aug 2019 04:31 PM PDT  A Louisiana woman reportedly told police she did not know where the meth - found in her groin- came from.
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| This Vodka Is Made with Radioactive Ingredients from Chernobyl Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:49 AM PDT  But it's "no more radioactive than any other vodka," distillers say.
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| US slaps Hezbollah financier with prison, $50 mn fine Posted: 08 Aug 2019 07:43 PM PDT  A Lebanese businessman designated by US authorities as an important financial supporter of Hezbollah was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit $50 million, the Justice Department said Thursday. Kassim Tajideen, 63, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to launder money as part of a scheme to evade US sanctions. "His sentencing and the $50 million forfeiture in this case are just the latest public examples of the Department of Justice's ongoing efforts to disrupt and dismantle Hezbollah and its support networks," said Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski.
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| British astrophysicist died 'instantly from fall' on Greek island Posted: 08 Aug 2019 01:57 PM PDT  The British scientist found dead at the bottom of a ravine on a Greek island died instantly from a fall, a Greek coroner said on Thursday. Natalie Christopher, 34, was discovered on Wednesday morning on the Greek island of Ikaria, which she was visiting on holiday. Miss Christopher, an astrophysicist and avid trail runner who lived in Cyprus, had set off for a run from their hotel, her boyfriend said. The area has trails along steep cliffs and ravines, and Miss Christopher was found at the bottom of a 65-foot ravine. Vangelis Kriaras, a volunteer, told local TV that rescue workers had come close the site "at least twice before", but because of its inaccessibility had failed to spot her. It was only when one volunteer walked through the gorge that her body was discovered, hidden beneath a boulder. Natalie Christopher, a British scientist based in Cyprus Nikos Karakoukis, a Greek coroner who travelled to the island from Athens, said evidence from an initial assessment of the area where Miss Christopher's body was found was "consistent with a fall from a height." He said she had suffered a head injury and died instantly. Her body was on Thursday being transported to a morgue in the Greek capital, Athens. Miss Christopher's disappearance led to a two-day manhunt across the island. Greek media reported that traces of blood had been found in the hotel room she shared with her Cypriot partner, but he explained that she had suffered a nose bleed. The forensic police examined the hotel as well as her partner's telephone. Miss Christopher was well known in Cyprus as an active sportswoman and for her involvement in several social media projects, including one - "Cyprus Girls Can" - which aims to break down barriers between Greek and Turkish youngsters on the divided island. Natalie Christopher was a keen trail runner President Nicos Anastasiades was among those who expressed sorrow, calling her death "an unjust loss of a young scientist and active citizen who had her whole life ahead of her and much to give". The incident comes a month after the murder of US molecular biologist Suzanne Eaton on Crete. The 59-year-old had been attending a conference near the city of Chania and gone out on July 2 without taking her mobile phone, the police said. Her body was found six days later in an abandoned World War II bunker. A 27-year-old farmer confessed to raping and killing Eaton, who had worked for the Max Planck Institute at Dresden University.
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| Spend more on defence or we move troops to Poland, U.S. envoy tells Germany Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:09 AM PDT ![Spend more on defence or we move troops to Poland, U.S. envoy tells Germany]( "Spend more on defence or we move troops to Poland, U.S. envoy tells Germany") An envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that Chancellor Angela Merkel's unwillingness to boost defence spending might give the United States no choice but to move American troops stationed in Germany to Poland. The comments by Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, signal Trump's impatience with Merkel's failure to raise defence spending to 2% of economic output as mandated by the NATO military alliance.
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| Virginia transgender bathroom case: Judge favors ex-student Posted: 09 Aug 2019 05:06 PM PDT  A federal judge in Virginia ruled Friday that a school board's transgender bathroom ban discriminated against a former student, Gavin Grimm, the latest in a string of decisions nationwide that favor transgender students who faced similar policies. The order issued by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen in Norfolk is a major victory for the American Civil Liberties Union and for Grimm.
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| Child pornography was found on a man's phone that was accidentally left on a bus. Authorities say his arrest may have prevented a hate crime. Posted: 09 Aug 2019 11:21 AM PDT  A federal judge ordered Wesley David Gilreath to be held without bail, arguing his actions and behavior demonstrated a threat to the community.
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| Tucker Carlson: Advertisers abandon Fox News host after he says 'white supremacy is a hoax' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 07:08 AM PDT  Advertisers are deserting Fox News' primetime host Tucker Carlson, who called white supremacy "a hoax" in the wake of a mass shooting thought to be racially motivated."The whole thing is a lie," Mr Carlson said live on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday. "It's actually not a real problem in America … This is a hoax, just like the Russia hoax. It's a conspiracy theory used to divide the country."Mr Carlson's comments came three days after a gunman suspected of writing a white supremacist manifesto referencing a "Hispanic invasion" opened fire in a Texas supermarket, killing 22 people, including eight Mexican citizens.Hours later, the hashtag FireTuckerCarlson began trending on Twitter, with thousands of people calling for consumers to boycott the show's advertisers. A Nestlé spokesperson confirmed to The Independent on Friday that the company, which placed adverts on the programme within the last three months, has no plans to do so again in the future. America's largest fast seafood chain Long John Silver confirmed to watchdog Media Matters that they would no longer be advertising on Fox News, after reportedly running adverts nearly every day in 2018. The FBI has made more than 100 arrests relating to domestic terror in 2019, already higher than the previous year's total.FBI director Christopher Wray in July attributed the majority of these cases to "white supremacist violence", but Mr Carlson dismissed such concerns on Tuesday."If you were to assemble a list, a hierarchy, of concerns or problems this country faces, where would white supremacy be on the list? Right up there with Russia probably," he said. "It's actually not a real problem in America."Mr Carlson's choice of language, previously condemned as racist and misogynistic, has cost him advertisers in the past.More than 20 companies deserted his show in December after he claimed immigration made the US "dirtier". Several more followed suit in January after he suggested that women earning more money than men was bad for society.Fox News has stuck by its presenter throughout the controversy, while watchdogs and campaigners intensified calls for his removal.By March, the number of advertisers on his programme had halved from roughly 36 to 18 per show, according to the Hollywood Reporter."We cannot and will not allow voices like Tucker Carlson to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts from the likes of Moveon.org, Media Matters and Sleeping Giants," the broadcaster said in a December statement. The Independent approached Fox for comment on Friday.Donald Trump, of whom Mr Carlson has long been an ally, was also heavily criticised after the El Paso massacre.Top Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, decried the president's recent use of racist language as emboldening white supremacists.Ms Ocasio-Cortez said the president, who in his 2016 campaign described Mexicans as "in many cases, criminals, drug dealers and rapists", was "directly responsible for what happened in El Paso", according to the New York Daily News.Mr Trump spent a tumultuous Wednesday visiting El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, where a second mass shooting also took place on Saturday.El Paso's congresswoman Veronica Escobar would not meet the president until he discussed how his "racist and hateful words and actions" had harmed her community and country, she said on Twitter.
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| Nancy Pelosi to join group of lawmakers for McAllen migrant detention facility visit Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:38 PM PDT  The visit to McAllen's facility follow a "three-day fact-finding mission to the Northern Triangles countries on the root causes of migration from Guatemala and El Salvador."
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| Hong Kong leader rules out concessions as protesters stage airport sit-in Posted: 09 Aug 2019 08:25 AM PDT  Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam on Friday ruled out concessions to "silence the violent protesters", as pro-democracy activists who have staged months of demonstrations rallied at the city's airport. Lam, whose support for a bill to allow extradition to mainland China sparked the unrest, said the economic impact threatened to be worse than the 2003 SARS outbreak or the 2008 financial crash for the city. Protesters have staged almost daily rallies and faced increasingly violent confrontations with police, prompting several countries to issue Hong Kong travel warnings for their citizens.
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| FBI releases Bruce Ohr interview reports Posted: 08 Aug 2019 08:02 PM PDT ![FBI releases Bruce Ohr interview reports]( "FBI releases Bruce Ohr interview reports") The FBI released its notes detailing a dozen interviews agents had with senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr.
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| 'I Was Scared to Death': Former Neighbor of Escaped Tennessee Inmate Speaks Out Posted: 08 Aug 2019 03:40 PM PDT  Curtis Ray Watson's lengthy criminal history in Tennessee reveals run-ins with the law that began with a conviction for driving under the influence in 1999.
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| View Every Angle of the 2020 Mini Clubman John Cooper Works Posted: 08 Aug 2019 04:59 AM PDT |
| 89-year-old Florida woman battles and kills 6-foot snake after it eats visiting birds Posted: 09 Aug 2019 10:23 AM PDT  An 89-year old Tallahassee woman killed a six-foot snake in her backyard yard after it ate most of her birds in three weeks.
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| Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:29 PM PDT ![Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties]( "Philippines to protest Chinese ships presence amid troubled ties") The Philippines will lodge a protest over the unannounced presence of two Chinese research vessels in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), one of at least three diplomatic challenges in recent weeks amid a souring of relations. The protest comes ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's planned visit to Beijing this month, during which he has promised to raise Manila's South China Sea international arbitration victory over Beijing with leader Xi Jinping, having avoided confronting the thorny issue for three years. Historically frosty bilateral relations had warmed under Duterte, but he is looking increasingly awkward in defending his controversial approach to China amid constant activity by its coastguard, navy and paramilitary fishing vessels in Philippine-controlled areas of the South China Sea.
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| Modi says Kashmir decision will rid region of 'terrorism and separatism' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:28 AM PDT  The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked the country's independence leaders yesterday as he claimed the revocation of Kashmir's autonomy fulfilled their dreams of a united India. In an historic address on live television, Mr Modi said the government's decision to scrap Article 370 of the constitution - which gave the state unique freedoms - "will rid Jammu and Kashmir of terror and separatism". The move "fulfils the dreams of Sardar Patel, BR Ambedkar [two independece leaders] and hundreds of thousands of patriots," Mr Modi said. Underlining the most dramatic constitutional change in India's 70-year history as an independent nation, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that Article 370 "benefited no one" and prevented the state from developing. "The Kashmiris who were deprived of benefits and development because of special status, will no more be left behind," he said, lamenting the deaths of 42,000 people in clashes since independence. Kashmir | Read more TV anchors noted that most Kashmiris were unable to hear the prime minister's words as they have been under lockdown for almost a week with no access to the internet or telecommunications networks. Mr Modi also said that Pakistan and militant groups based in Kashmir had historically "instigated the people of J&K; through certain agents" because of the potential ambiguity of the state's special status. But he pledged that now women, workers, "minorities" and law enforcement would all benefit from the changes and mean Kashmiris would "enjoy equal rights" to other Indians. He also promised "free and fair" state elections, increased investment in sport and a range of other benefits in a speech taken as an address to the rest of India rather than Kashmiris themselves. Information coming from Kashmir is limited, with severe travel restrictions in place especially for journalists and NGOs. In the past week around 500 politicians, activists and alleged separatists have been detained, prompting the UN Human Rights Council to say "we are deeply concerned about the situation in the region". Reports on Thursday said up to 70 "suspected terrorists" were transferred from the Kashmiri capital, Srinagar, to the city of Agra by the air force, an unprecedented move for people not even officially charged. The reaction to the law changes has transcended national borders, with India's old adversary Pakistan saying they are tantamount to human rights abuse against the majority Muslim inhbitants of the state. On Wednesday, Islamabad expelled India's top envoy and announced it would downgrade diplomatic relations. India responded by saying Kashmir was a "sovereign matter". Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted: "What should be obvious is the international community will be witnessing the genocide of the Kashmiris in IOK ["Indian Occupied Kashmir"]. Question is: Will we watch another appeasement of fascism, this time in the garb of BJP government, or will the international community have the moral courage to stop this from happening?" On Thursday an infamous Pakistani cleric said that "jihad is mandatory now" and called on Islambad to "open the border for our fighters to target Indian forces in Kashmir." Demanding the release from jail of militants in the Jaish-e-Muhammad group, Maulana Abdul Aziz told the Times "we have to respond to Indian atrocities."
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| Mourners pay final respects to Khmer Rouge 'Brother Number Two' Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:00 AM PDT  Crowds gathered for the funeral of "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea on Friday, paying their final respects to a man considered the chief ideologue of Cambodia's murderous Khmer Rouge regime. More than two million people were slaughtered under Pol Pot's Marxist reign in the 1970s in Cambodia, where deep -- and often unspoken -- cleavages remain over the legacy of the Khmer Rouge. Nuon Chea, who died Sunday in hospital at age 93, was one of Pol Pot's most trusted deputies.
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| Hannity, After Nutty de Blasio Interview, Tells Dems: Look, It’s Not So Bad! Posted: 07 Aug 2019 08:44 PM PDT  At the tail end of what can only be described as a surreal hour-long interview with New York City Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill de Blasio on Wednesday night, Fox News host Sean Hannity implored the rest of the 2020 field to come on his show, promising them: "It's not so bad!"Bad, maybe not. Strange, definitely!The New York mayor, who is both deeply unpopular in his city and flailing in Democratic polls, seemed absolutely thrilled to be on the Fox News primetime program. Beaming throughout, de Blasio couldn't appear any happier than when he was arguing with the pro-Trump host over any number of hot-button issues, such as climate change or taxes.Early on in the marathon clash, de Blasio set the stage for how the rest of the interview was going to go down. With Hannity trying to corner the mayor on the issue of health care for undocumented immigrants, de Blasio simply accused the conservative talker of playing a "charade." This wound up being a tactic de Blasio used more than once.With Hannity still hammering away at immigration, de Blasio again yelled that it was a "charade," this time telling Hannity that this is what Fox News does."Oh, my network!" Hannity exclaimed. "By the way, there are people on my network who don't like a single thing I say! What are you talking about!?""I agree you're not a monolith," the mayor replied. "But too much of the time what Fox and News Corp do is try and take people's minds off the fact they are being screwed economically by the one percent."And so it went. Back and forth the two would go, at times seemingly having the time of their lives. Hannity, who has rarely interviewed anyone outside the Trumpworld bubble over the past few years, constantly bounced between combativeness and chumminess. The mayor, meanwhile, just appeared elated that he was getting this much TV time to himself.At one point, during a conversation about New York police recently getting doused by water—which Hannity ominously described as "unidentified liquid"—the Fox News star took a few moments to recount the time that he said he nearly became a police officer.Telling de Blasio that the NYPD are his heroes and "extended family," Hannity claimed that he applied to be a New York City police officer."I got a 99 on the test—I even passed the psychological," he added. "And the physical!""Standards were lower back then," de Blasio quipped, prompting Hannity to applaud the mayor for his very good "jackass comment."After a further discussion about school diets that somehow segued into Hannity bragging about his 90-minute-a-day mixed martial arts workouts, the Fox News veteran wrapped up the night with his plea to Democrats."By the way, I have a message for all you 2020 candidates," he said. "It wasn't that bad. Come on the program, we will give you a fair shake and you can reach more people than any other show on cable."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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.
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| Biden lashes out at reporter who suggested he misquoted Trump on Charlottesville Posted: 08 Aug 2019 02:24 PM PDT  At the Iowa State Fair, the former vice president snapped at a Breitbart radio host who said he misquoted President Trump's infamous statement saying there were "very fine people on both sides" of the deadly clash between neo-Nazis and counterprotesters.
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| Roger Stone’s lawyers object to playing ‘Godfather’ clip at trial Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:02 PM PDT ![Roger Stone's lawyers object to playing 'Godfather' clip at trial]( "Roger Stone's lawyers object to playing 'Godfather' clip at trial") "Any reference to 'The Godfather' (regardless of which one) brings up a clear and unalienable connection to the Italian-American Mafia," the Stone lawyers wrote.
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| Massive Collection of Classic Cars Up For Auction In MN Posted: 09 Aug 2019 09:06 AM PDT  There's plenty of classic farm equipment available, too!The recent episode of Hagerty's The Barn Find Hunter shows how extensive collections can get with the right kind of acreage. That's exactly the case with the James Graham Collection that is going up for auction this weekend in Beardsley, Minnesota consisting of almost 200 classic cars and trucks alone not to mention almost 40 vintage tractors. Graham, an 88-year-old military veteran and Minnesota farmer, passed away late last year, and his obituary noted that he was "always interested in collecting old cars and attending car shows." That is definitely obvious is his collection, which spans almost every era (from the '20s to the early Malaise Era) and vehicle type (coupes, convertibles, sedans and trucks). Aside from a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville GXP (with just 21,000 miles!) , the newest car in this collection is a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible!This collection really has everything you could imagine from typical cars like the Mustang, '57 Chevy and Thunderbird to rarer cars from Studebaker, Nash and DeSoto. The tractors and heavy-duty trucks are just as interesting, too, including a 1938 John Deere tractor, 1946 Dodge fire truck and a 1971 Ford F800 dump truck. Just like the cars themselves, the condition of this collection varies extensively from a super-clean 1957 Chevrolet Cameo truck to cars rotting away and sunk to the rocker panels in dirt. This collection is a barn find heaven.VanDerBrink Auctions will be auctioning off the farm equipment today (August 9) and the collection of cars and trucks tomorrow, August 10. In addition to vehicles, Graham had also amassed a huge collection of die cast toys (no surprise there) as well as collector decorative plates, Jim Beam decanters and more. h/t: Inforum Read More... * Quality Over Quantity: One Man's Classic Chevrolet Car Collection * Honda Shows Off Peter Cunninghan's Car Collection
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| Immigrants lock doors, rally around children of detained Posted: 08 Aug 2019 04:28 PM PDT  Mississippi residents rallied around terrified children left with no parents and migrants locked themselves in their homes for fear of being arrested Thursday, a day after the United States' largest immigration raid in a decade. A total of 680 people were arrested in Wednesday's raids, but more than 300 had been released by Thursday morning with notices to appear before immigration judges, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox. About 270 were released after being taken to a military hangar where they had been brought, and 30 were released at the plants, Cox said.
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| Jeffrey Epstein Sent Girl to Governor and Senator for Sex, She Testified Posted: 09 Aug 2019 01:05 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Jeffrey Epstein and a friend sent an underage girl to have sex with former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell and asset manager Glenn Dubin, she testified in court documents that were made public Friday -- allegations the three deny.Virginia Giuffre, now an adult, says she was also sent to modeling executive Jean Luc Brunel and the late MIT scientist Marvin Minsky, according to parts of a 2016 deposition she gave. The testimony by Giuffre, who claims she was a "sex slave" for Epstein from 2000 to 2002, expands on her previous allegations, in court filings and tabloids, that she was forced to have sex with the U.K.'s Prince Andrew and Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz. Both men have strenuously denied those allegations.Epstein, a convicted sex offender, faces new federal criminal charges of sexually trafficking minors. None of the other men were defendants in the settled lawsuit, and they haven't been accused by authorities. But their appearance in the newly public papers adds to the list of those who could be tarnished by their apparent association with him.Richardson, in a statement, said he'd never met Giuffre, called the allegations "completely false" and said that during his limited interactions with Epstein he'd never seen him in the presence of underage girls.Mitchell said the allegation in the released documents is false. In a statement, he said he never met, spoke with or had contact with Giuffre, or knew of or suspected that Epstein had inappropriate conduct with underage girls.Dubin and his wife, Eva, called the allegations "demonstrably false and defamatory." In an emailed statement, a spokeswoman added: "The Dubins have flight records and other evidence that definitively disprove that any such events occurred."Brunel couldn't be reached for comment. A person answering the phones at his modeling agency declined to connect a Bloomberg reporter with him.In her 2015 civil lawsuit, Giuffre, a Floridian, claimed Epstein sexually abused her for two years starting in 2000, when she was 16. She said she was recruited by Epstein's friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who she says participated in the abuse. Giuffre claimed that Maxwell, daughter of the late British publisher Robert Maxwell, defamed her by publicly calling her a liar.That case settled, with a judge sealing about 2,000 pages of documents. The appeals court on Friday upheld its previous order to unseal those documents. Some that were made public immediately included emails, photographs and flight logs. Others will undergo further court review to determine what else can be released.The Giuffre deposition, parts of which were attached as exhibits to court filings, includes her testimony responding to newspaper articles about her experience -- outlining how she said she had been hired by Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort before Maxwell wooed her to work as a masseuse for Epstein. After that, Giuffre testified, Maxwell and Epstein began farming her out to powerful men.In one part of Giuffre's testimony, Maxwell's attorney asked her to "name the other politically connected and financially powerful people that Ghislaine Maxwell told you to go have sex with.""They instructed me to go to George Mitchell, Jean Luc Brunel, Bill Richardson, another prince that I don't know his name," she said. "A guy that owns a hotel, a really large hotel chain, I can't remember which hotel it was."She continued: "There was, you know, another foreign president, I can't remember his name," she said. "There's a whole bunch of them that I just -- it's hard for me to remember all of them."Later in the deposition, Giuffre was asked about details of her alleged sexual encounter with Dubin."What words did Ghislaine Maxwell tell you to go have sex with Glenn Dubin?" Maxwell's lawyer said."It was the same all the time, all right?" Giuffre responded. "They want me to go provide these men with a massage."For Richardson, Giuffre claimed, she was sent to New Mexico, according to the filing.Epstein served 13 months in jail a decade ago, much of it on work release, after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor. Giuffre has said she took legal action because she was upset by that deal and a federal non-prosecution agreement he secured around the same time.Epstein was arrested in early July and charged with trafficking teenage girls from 2002 to 2005. He has pleaded not guilty.Maxwell has long denied she was involved with Epstein's alleged sexual abuse of underage girls. She had argued the documents from the civil case should be kept under seal because of the shocking nature of the allegations. Last month, her lawyers told the appeals court that the media's "furious feeding frenzy" justified keeping the documents sealed and she asked for a rehearing by a full panel of the appeals court.Read More: Epstein's Socialite Pal Maxwell Seeks to Keep Files Sealed\--With assistance from Neil Weinberg and Katherine Burton.To contact the reporters on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net;Anders Melin in New York at amelin3@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeffrey D Grocott at jgrocott2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland Posted: 08 Aug 2019 06:13 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland]( "UPDATE 2-China issues 'red alert' as super typhoon approaches mainland") SHANGHAI/TAIPEI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - China's weather bureau issued a red alert early on Friday as super typhoon Lekima approached Zhejiang province on the eastern coast, after forcing flight cancellations in Taiwan and shutting markets and businesses on the island. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said the typhoon, the strongest since 2014, was expected to hit the mainland in early on Saturday and then turn north.
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| Hong Kong protesters produce 'laser show' over arrest of demonstrator shining pointer at police Posted: 08 Aug 2019 02:39 AM PDT  Activists in Hong Kong shined laser pointers into the sky for a unique light show to protest a student arrest, as mass anti-government demonstrations continue in the city, prompting the UK to update their travel alerts. Police and protesters have both turned to bright lights – lasers, strobe lights, flashlights – to irritate each other. The intense beams are often dappled amidst clouds of tear gas smoke shot by riot police amid violent clashes. For demonstrators, the laser pointers have also been a way to confuse surveillance cameras to interfere with facial recognition technology. On Tuesday, a student found with 10 laser pointers was arrested for possessing an "offensive weapon" which police have said can damage a person's eyes or start fires. In an amusing effort to scorn police claims, protesters cleared store shelves of laser pointers, flickering green, purple and red lasers the city's dome-shaped Space Museum. The idea was to mock the police by attempting to start a fire; no fire erupted Wednesday night. A policeman uses a speakerphone to ask residents and protesters to disperse during a protest at Sham Shui Po on Wednesday night Credit: Vincent Thian/ AP Mass demonstrations have rocked Hong Kong all summer with near-daily rallies often ending as the sky darkens with volleys of tear gas and sprays of rubber bullets. The UK updated its travel advisory for Hong Kong on Wednesday, urging visitors to "remain vigilant," noting that while most demonstrations have been peaceful, unauthorised gatherings spilling into many neighbourhoods "are met by a more rapid and more severe police response". Other countries including the US, Australia, Japan and Singapore have also issued similar travel warnings. Anti-government protesters first took to the streets against an extradition proposal that would have sent suspects to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts contributes to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. A woman uses a laser pointer beam on policemen as they face off at Sham Shui Po district Credit: Vincent Thian/ AP City leaders suspended the legislation but it wasn't enough to appease protesters, who continue to demand a formal withdrawal; the fear is a suspension leaves the door open for the government to quickly table and pass the legislation in the future. Demands have also expanded to include an independent investigation into police actions during the protests, release of protesters arrested, and direct leadership elections. For many Hong Kongers, the broad political movement is aimed at preserving the freedoms – guaranteed under a 50-year agreement when the British colony was returned to Beijing – which they feel are threatened under Chinese Communist rule. At least three police officers have undergone medical treatment after protesters shined lasers at them. "Even if the laser is not strong enough to cause injury, strong light exposure can cause flash blind," said chief superintendent John Tse.
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| Frontier Airlines will let you fly for free if you have this last name Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:21 AM PDT  Is your last name Green or Greene? If so, you've lucked out because Frontier Airlines will give you a free flight. Find out how to claim it.
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| India Has Taken Kashmir, But Winning the Hearts and Minds of Kashmiris Will be Harder Posted: 08 Aug 2019 02:37 AM PDT  'This is an attack on Indian democracy': On Aug. 5, the Indian government blocked all communication in Kashmir in a bid for greater control.
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| US State Department employee is prominent white nationalist leader, report says Posted: 08 Aug 2019 10:12 AM PDT An explosive new report says a US State Department official was the head of a Washington chapter for a white nationalist group and published extremist propaganda online. Matthew Gebert, who serves as a foreign affairs officer in the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources, actively promoted white nationalist sentiments and was a prominent member of white nationalism circles, the Southern Poverty Law Centre's Hatewatch reported Wednesday. Hatewatch said Mr Gebert often discussed the need for a country exclusively built for white people that featured a "nuclear deterrent." His wife, Anna Vuckovic, was also a blogger who published white nationalist views, according to the report. The two went by the pseudonyms "Coach Finstock" and "Wolfie James," according to the researchers' sources. They also regularly invited other white nationalists over their house in Leesburg, Virginia, Hatewatch reported. "[Whites] need a country of our own with nukes, and we will retake this thing lickety split," Mr Gebert reportedly said on a podcast last year while using his alias."That's all that we need," he added, "we need a country founded for white people with a nuclear deterrent. And you watch how the world trembles."Mr Gebert first joined the State Department as a fellow in 2013 before eventually being promoted to his current position at the Bureau of Energy Resources. In 2017, Mr Gebert said he was "prepared" to lose his career and paycheck in order to continue promoting white nationalist ideologies, according to Hatewatch. "There are bigger things than a career and a paycheck, and I don't want to lose mine," he reportedly said in a podcast at the time. "I am prepared to lose mine. Because this is the most important thing to me in my life … in tandem with my family, of course."The team of researchers at Hatewatch said they used open-source intelligence methods to connect Mr Gebert to the Twitter handles and online pseudonyms he used to reportedly promote his ideologies. His wife also reportedly shared racist sentiments while offering dating and parenting advice for white nationalists on the right-wing site The Right Stuff. It was previously reported in July 2018 that Mr Gebert donated $200 (£165) to a Republican congressional candidate in Wisconsin who was condemned for promoting anti-Semitic views on Twitter.Neither Mr Gebert nor the State Department have commented on Hatewatch's reporting.
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| Five years after Brown's death and Ferguson protests, America must commit to doing better Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:22 AM PDT  More than 1,000 blacks have died at the hands of police since 2014. Protests, push for accountability show a nation still striving for change.
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| Key airport closed as Indian state faces repeat flood crisis Posted: 09 Aug 2019 01:47 AM PDT  Floods that have killed more than 20 people forced the closure of Kochi international airport Friday as the south Indian state of Kerala confronted a second straight year of crisis level downpours. The main airport for the popular tourist state will remain closed until at least Sunday, authorities said, as rising waters took over the runways. With predictions of freak rains continuing for several days, Kerala's chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned the public that dam gates may have to be opened soon.
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| Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico Posted: 08 Aug 2019 12:25 PM PDT ![Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico]( "Nineteen bodies, some dismembered, found in southwestern Mexico") Mexican authorities said Thursday that they found 19 bodies, some dismembered, in the southwestern state of Michoacan, as the federal government seeks to combat rising violence with a new militarized police. The victims, which included three women, were found at three different locations in the drug-cartel hotbed of Uruapan, state prosecutor Adrian Lopez told reporters Thursday morning. Battles between rival criminal groups have made Michoacan one of Mexico's bloodiest states.
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| Spear fisherman attacked by shark is rescued by boat full of nurses Posted: 08 Aug 2019 11:46 AM PDT  A spear fisherman who was attacked by a shark off the coast of Florida was rescued by a passing charter yacht – which happened to be full of nurses. Mario Avila, 37, was bitten in the left arm by what he believes is a bull shark near Key Biscayne on Saturday morning. "I was diving and immediately, the shark came and attacked me. I never saw it, it came by surprise and attacked me," he said. "It came to try and figure out what I was. It came directly and attacked my arm. I automatically pushed it away with my other arm and that's when he tore up all my fingers and my chest." Those diving with Mr Avila began waving for help. Bill Baggs State Park, to where the injured diver was taken He said the shark was about 20 feet long. "I've been fishing underwater for 20 years, and all my life, I've never seen one that big," he told CBS News Miami. Kayle Evans, an employee of Hot Shot Charters, said their boat was passing and rescued the fisherman. He said the bite was so severe that the Mr Avila's arm was "mangled" and he was "just blood from arm to foot." The nurses immediately applied a tourniquet to the man's arm while Mr Evans rinsed him off with a hose. Sig Ozols, the yacht captain, said he was glad they were there to assist. "I have never seen this in 30 years of being in the business," he said. "I don't want to see it again to be honest with you." The crew then sailed with the injured diver the 20 minutes to Bill Baggs State Park, where the diver was met by paramedics and taken to hospital. "We were there for a reason, and we made it happen," said Mr Ozols. "And I hope he's OK." Mr Avila was released from hospital on Tuesday. "Scuba diving, I don't think I'll ever do again," he said. "But I'll keep fishing with a rod." Two other people were attacked by sharks in Florida on Saturday, at New Smyrna Beach near Dayton Beach. A 20-year-old woman was bitten in the hand while she was surfing, and a 21-year-old man was bitten in the right foot. On Sunday a third man, a tourist from Tennessee, was standing knee-deep in the water at the same beach when he was bitten on the foot. So far this year, nine people have been victims of shark attacks at New Smyrna Beach. The International Shark Attack File named the beach the international shark attack capital. It's estimated that anyone who has swum there has been within 10 feet of a shark.
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| Black women deserve better from Kamala Harris. Don't take our vote for granted Posted: 09 Aug 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Instead of championing real structural change, Harris prefers shallow virtue-signalling. We're waiting for more 'A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will likely comprise much of her base: black women.' Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersWhen Senator Kamala Harris announced a student loan cancellation plan over the weekend, it was roundly, and justifiably, met with disdain. Convoluted and bloated with caveats, the plan would provide $20,000 of student loan debt relief … for Pell Grant recipients…who also operate a business in a disadvantaged community … for at least three years (sarcastic ellipses mine).After pushback against her rather niche proposal, Harris clarified that the plan is part of a larger package of entrepreneurship policies, not her education policies.But a review of both the education and entrepreneurship packages on her campaign website suggests a bigger problem. A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will probably comprise much of her base: black women.Black women have more student loan debt than any other graduates in the country. Of college graduates repaying student debt, black women experience more financial difficulty than anyone else in the country. Black women are paid the least of any group of people of both high school graduates and college graduates with a bachelor's degree.The causes for these inequalities vary, but research points to wealth disparities generally, differences in family dynamics between young black and white people, and hiring discrimination. According to a report by Demos, 41% of white college-educated families, compared with 13% of black families, get an inheritance. The report adds that "black people are more likely to financially help older family members, preventing wealth accumulation and leaving them more financially vulnerable". Further, "employers persist in discriminating against black workers in hiring, in assigning more precarious employment prospects to black workers than to white workers, and in requiring more education of black workers for the same job as white workers".> A Kamala Harris presidency would be ineffectual for the demographic that will likely comprise much of her base: black womenYoung black people, and black women in particular, are keenly aware of the latter. Without the same social networks to rely on as non-black workers in the event of lay-offs and to enter fields where we have been customarily excluded, black women heed the lessons that education is the great equalizer. We are at an intersection of racial and gendered expectations to work two times harder, not just because we are black, but also because we are women who tend to be underestimated in the labor force. This creates more pressure to "professionalize" ourselves, and it's not yet proving to pay off.These vast structural hurdles in higher education and employment opportunity cannot be overcome with the sort of piecemeal economic reform Kamala Harris has recommended. By her campaign's estimate, as reported by the Cut, the limited student loan cancellation program will affect .04% of the 45 million Americans with student loan debt.Instead of championing substantial debt relief, which would significantly close the black-white wealth gap, Harris seems to prefer shallow virtue-signaling to black voters. When she's not suggesting these modest proposals, she's taking the language of candidates to her left while muddying the water of what her policies will actually do. Instead of proposing free college tuition, she refers to "debt-free" college, without specifying what that means. While saying she supports reparations, she clarifies that they won't be particular to black Americans. While taking the debate stage to suggest that she supports a single-payer Medicare for All, she later advocates a different plan that won't be single-payer.Even worse, her assertion that she has no intention to "restructure society", even though scholars argue a government-backed redistribution of wealth is necessary for racial equality, makes Harris sound more like Joe Biden than Shirley Chisholm, after whom she has fashioned herself. While she may be able to make distinctions between herself and Joe Biden on civil rights, her brand of economic moderation is in some ways more dangerous.Appealing to black women superficially, without the substance to back it, gives her enough legitimacy to win black women over while offering little in return. This leaves progressive black women in the awkward position of not critiquing her so that she gets the nomination, which becomes not critiquing her so she wins the general election, which turns into leaving her presidency unchallenged so she can govern. While protecting the career of a single black politician, black women as a whole are likely to face unabated, growing inequality.We can't afford the four years of piecemeal moderation that Kamala Harris offers, and we have the debt to prove it. * Malaika Jabali is a public policy attorney, writer and activist whose writing has appeared in Essence, Jacobin, the Intercept, Glamour and elsewhere
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| Man accused of fatally stabbing wife while she worked inside Jackson Heights hair salon Posted: 07 Aug 2019 08:37 PM PDT  Authorities say the 39-year-old suspect entered Tu S'tilo Salon Spa in Jackson Heights just before 7 p.m. and stabbed his 35-year-old wife multiple times in front of her co-workers and other customers inside.
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| India and Pakistan have been fighting over Kashmir for decades. Is this tug of war about to go nuclear? Posted: 08 Aug 2019 07:58 AM PDT  The South Asian state of Kashmir is in the middle of a fight between India and Pakistan for control over its government.
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| Indians plant 220 million trees in single day Posted: 09 Aug 2019 06:55 AM PDT  More than a million Indians planted 220 million trees on Friday in a government campaign to tackle climate change and improve the environment in the country's most populous state. Forest official Bivhas Ranjan said students, lawmakers, officials and others planted dozens of species of saplings Friday along roads, rail tracks and in forest lands in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Ranjan said the trees, including 16 fruit species, will increase forest cover in the state.
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| Trump news: President vows to release 'racism list' after being labelled 'white supremacist' by Democratic candidates Posted: 08 Aug 2019 09:26 AM PDT  Donald Trump has returned to Washington, DC, after an "amazing day" visiting the grieving communities of El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on a mission to heal divisions in the aftermath of the two devastating mass shootings that left 31 people dead over the weekend.The president was met with boos from protesters upset by his racist rhetoric and undermined his own efforts to bring consolation by angrily tweeting about the "LameStream Media" and his political rivals and enemies in the press from Air Force One, even threatening to release a "racism list" to attack Democrats.In Iowa, Democratic 2020 challenger Joe Biden accused him of "fanning the flames of white supremacy" - a sentiment later echoed by Elizabeth Warren \- prompting Mr Trump to respond on Twitter: "Sooo Boring".On Wednesday alone, three White House hopefuls — Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar — offered sweeping proposals that touch on everything from farm subsidies to rural broadband and health care. The trio of senators are among the parade of candidates who will fan out across Iowa this weekend to participate in the famed state fair and other events.The focus on rural Iowa is a mainstay of presidential politics, sending candidates on a sometimes-awkward pilgrimage to the far corners of the state that holds the first-in-the-nation caucuses. But Democrats say the chase for the heartland is especially urgent this year as the party tries to win back some voters who supported Mr Trump in 2016. A strong showing in Iowa, they say, could prove a candidate's ability to make inroads in other rural communities across the country.The challenge for Democrats is to rebuild the multiracial coalition across urban and rural areas that twice sent Barack Obama to the White House. His victory in the 2008 Iowa caucuses helped build momentum to claim the party's presidential nomination. He later carried Iowa in the 2008 and 2012 general elections while also winning states with urban centers, such as Pennsylvania and Michigan.In 2016, Mr Trump ate into that path , carrying Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.Some Democratic candidates are working to reverse those gains by offering ambitious changes to rural voters. Ms Warren's proposal on Wednesday would reshape the current farm subsidy system into a program that would break up big agribusinesses and guarantee farmers certain prices, which she said would raise farmers' incomes and save taxpayer money.Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
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| View 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S Photos Posted: 09 Aug 2019 04:59 PM PDT |
| Border Patrol Agents Shot at from Mexican Side of Rio Grande Posted: 09 Aug 2019 12:26 PM PDT  A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol boat patrolling the Rio Grande was shot at Friday morning, the agency has announced."Early this morning, agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station Marine Unit patrolling near Fronton, Texas, reported they were fired upon from the Mexican riverbank," CBP said in a statement released Friday morning. "Agents saw four subjects with automatic weapons who shot over 50 rounds at them. The boat was hit several times but no one on board was injured."Running along the Texas–Mexico border, the Rio Grande is a hotbed of illegal immigration. Smugglers routinely expose migrants to unsafe conditions in order to raft them across the river into U.S. territory. The perilous but common journey captured national attention in June after a photo emerged of a father and daughter who drowned while trying to cross the river. The photo, which went viral on social media and appeared in newspapers around the world, showed 25-year-old Oscar Ramirez face down on the river bank next to his two-year-old daughter.CBP had rescued 63 migrants from the river this year as of April 26.
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