| AOC explains why she won't go on Fox News: 'Unmitigated racism' Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:38 PM PST  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., lashed out at Fox News hours after host Tucker Carlson and a guest had criticized her climate policy proposals, while suggesting her district is "dirty" due to its immigrant population.
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| Pentagon watchdog investigating $400M border wall contract Posted: 12 Dec 2019 08:32 AM PST  The Defense Department's internal watchdog is investigating a $400 million border wall contract awarded to a firm that used multiple appearances on Fox News to push for the job. The Pentagon's inspector general sent a letter Thursday to House Homeland Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson telling him the contract awarded to North Dakota-based firm Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. would be audited. Thompson, D-Miss., asked for the review last week, in part over concerns the proposals did not meet operational requirements and prototypes came in late and over budget.
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| U.S. reaches deal in principle on trade with China: source Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:44 AM PST  The United States has reached a "phase-one" trade deal in principle with China, a source briefed on talks between the two nations said on Thursday, saying a statement from the White House was expected soon. Ahead of the meeting, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told senators that announcements were possibly "imminent" on U.S. tariffs, senior Republican Senator John Cornyn told reporters. U.S. negotiators have offered to reduce tariffs on about $375 billion in Chinese goods by 50% across the board, two people familiar with the negotiations said, and suspend tariffs on $160 billion in goods scheduled to go into effect on Sunday.
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| How an Obscure Part of the Paris Climate Agreement Could Cut Twice as Many Carbon Emissions — Or Become a 'Massive Loophole' for Polluters Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:43 AM PST  An obscure part of the Paris Climate Agreement could cut more carbon emissions — or make them worse. Here's what you need to know about controversial carbon markets.
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| To avoid 'evil' interpretation, church in Sweden removes gay mural Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:08 AM PST  Two Eves on one side of the tree, two Adams on the other, each couple openly flirting: A Swedish diocese said Wednesday it would remove a gay depiction of original sin that hung briefly as an altarpiece — but not because the Lutheran Church of Sweden had a problem with the gay couples.
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| Saudi Family of Pensacola Gunman: 'Even We Don't Know the Truth' of Motive Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:10 PM PST  AL AHSA, Saudi Arabia -- Not long before a 21-year-old Saudi Royal Air Force trainee shot and killed three American sailors Friday at a naval base in Pensacola, Florida, he called his mother and his brother back home.The trainee, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was wearing his uniform, they could see on the video call -- the uniform he had always wanted to wear as a child, when he dreamed of becoming a pilot.With his elder brother, Abdullah, he joked around on the call: "You're the eldest," Alshamrani teased, "but I'm going to get married first." Talking to his mother, he promised he would be home as soon as he finished his training. "Just a few more months," he said.What was missing was any hint of what was to come: opening fire in a classroom building at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, shooting three fatally and wounding eight more before being killed by a sheriff's deputy.Alshamrani seemed utterly normal in that last conversation, his family insisted in interviews this week in Saudi Arabia. Four days later, they are still baffled."He never had a secret, he was never hiding anything," Saeed Abdullah Alshamrani, 55, the lieutenant's father, said at the family's home in eastern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening. "It's such a mystery. Even we don't know the truth.""Are you sure he's dead?" his father asked during the interview, surrounded by several relatives, acquaintances and others whose relationship to the family was not clear. "We haven't even been given any proof of whether he's dead or alive."No motive for the shooting has been determined, although the FBI is treating it as a presumed terrorist attack. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it was suspending operational training for all of the nearly 900 Saudi military students in the United States.Among the few clues to emerge was a tweet from an account that may be connected to Alshamrani, which condemned United States foreign policy decisions in the Middle East, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online. There was also a complaint the lieutenant filed earlier this year against one of his instructors for mocking his mustache in class.But in Saudi Arabia, the American focus on possible radicalization has left family and acquaintances bewildered, forced to answer for their son and friend to other Saudis.Sensitive to Western stereotypes that often reflexively brand Muslims as terrorists, and aware that the kingdom cannot afford to lose Washington's support, many Saudis have been eager to portray the lieutenant as a monstrous outlier. A hashtag declaring that he "does not represent" Saudis has dominated Twitter in the kingdom, and the media has echoed the point."This work can only be done by a cowardly villain," Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a political scientist, wrote in the Arab News, a Saudi newspaper. "He has betrayed his country, which trusted him and spent millions on his education. Instead, he stabbed her in the back."The Saudi government is also extremely sensitive about the case, fearing it could jeopardize a relationship already frayed by criticism in Washington over the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other top officials have all condemned the shooting. Alshamrani's family has said they were questioned by government officials.In interviews, his father, brother, cousins and a family friend said that Alshamrani had always seemed content to be in the United States, working toward his longtime goal, never mentioning difficulties."Since he was a kid, he'd dreamed of being a pilot, and he worked so hard for it," said his brother, Abdullah Alshamrani. Once he arrived in the United States, "he loved it so much, really," his brother said. "He was amazed by America's military force, just really impressed by the military."The third child in a family from Tabalah, a farming town in southern Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Alshamrani grew up in Al Ahsa, not far from the Saudi Aramco compound in eastern Saudi Arabia. His father had moved there to work in the local airport, eventually rising to be a security official.The family spent summers with extended family back in Tabalah, with its date farms nestled amid the undulating desert and stark mountains. They built another house there and frequently came back for weddings and other family events. On summer evenings, with other entertainment scarce, young men like Alshamrani and his brothers and cousins would gather at rented guesthouses in the desert to play cards and watch soccer on TV late into the night.Alshamrani always seemed more serious and less boisterous than the other young men, recalled Galat bin Mitshoosh, a retired longtime detective with the local prosecutor's office in Tabalah who knows the family."I never heard anything political from Mohammed," he said. "He was quiet, just a normal guy. He might talk about sports sometimes."The Alshamranis were observant Muslims who prayed, he said, but their practice of Islam was not considered especially strict.A person familiar with the investigation in the United States has said that friends and classmates told investigators that Alshamrani seemed to have become more religious when he returned from his last visit home in February.During that visit, relatives said, he took his mother to the holy city of Mecca to perform the umrah, a type of pilgrimage that many Muslims routinely undertake. In his relatives' eyes, however, they said there was nothing to indicate his Islamic beliefs had changed or hardened. He did not seem different, they said, except that he had shaven his chin clean.Always a good student, Alshamrani cemented his place as the pride of his family when he became one of the two students picked from his air force academy class of several hundred to enter the training program in the United States on a scholarship. Saudi Arabia has sent hundreds of thousands of young students overseas to study in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States in recent years, but it was so rare for someone from rural Tabalah to study in the United States that the last young man from the town to do so before Alshamrani is locally famous."I was so proud of him. He's the role model of the family," his brother Abdullah said. "I'm the eldest son, but Mohammed is a big deal."Starting in August 2017, the Saudi government paid for him to spend a year learning English at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio before he moved to Pensacola for military training. He had already received weapons training at his academy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, the family said. But he did not appear to acquire a gun in the United States until July, when he legally purchased a Glock 45 9-millimeter handgun in late July, shortly after obtaining a state hunting license, the FBI said Tuesday.Over his years in the United States, he shared with his family pictures of himself smiling in Times Square and in uniform with one of his American trainers.A video he took in Florida showed friends splashing around in kayaks, as he laughed behind the camera. When he called home -- almost every day, his father and brother said -- he talked about traveling around the United States, hanging out with his Saudi roommate and coming home after graduation. He was counting down the months.So was his family. His father had told neighbors and friends in Tabalah that he would throw a huge graduation party for his son when the family visited next summer, according to bin Mitshoosh, the retired detective. All the men from all six of the town's tribes would be invited.When he called his family Friday, Alshamrani offered to send his brother some extra money. He promised to be home soon."I'll call you later," he told Abdullah.Only hours later, that night, would they learn the news.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Airstrikes called in as Taliban attempt to breach Bagram Air Base Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:59 PM PST  U.S. and Afghan forces were pulled into a nearly nine to 10 hour firefight after a suicide bombing targeted a medical facility that was under construction near the base, a source on the ground detailed to Military Times.
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| At least 8 people are dead after a New Zealand volcano erupted. Experts say the disaster was not predictable, despite warning signs. Posted: 11 Dec 2019 01:49 PM PST  Geologists and tourists knew that the volcano that recently erupted on New Zealand's White Island was active. It last erupted in 2016.
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| Meet the Navy's Small Warships That Help to Deter Iran Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:45 AM PST  Spunky and important little boats.
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| Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:46 PM PST ![Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines]( "Washington state seeks to ban sale of 'assault weapons,' high capacity magazines") If successful, Washington would become the seventh U.S. state to ban assault weapons, which it defines as semi-automatic rifles with at least one military feature, and the ninth to limit the capacity of ammunition magazines. "We should be making it harder for those who want to inflict mass violence and destruction upon innocent people," Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the gun-control push.
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| Russia Retaliates by Expelling Two German Diplomats Over Berlin Murder Probe Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:00 AM PST  The Russian Foreign Ministry said that it was making the move "due to the reciprocity principle"
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| Grandfather charged in girl's cruise ship death speaks out Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:00 PM PST  Salvatore "Sam" Anello said he blamed Royal Caribbean for the death of his granddaughter in an exclusive interview with CBS News.
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| Bulletproof vest did not fail in fatal shooting of Houston police officer, chief says Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:16 PM PST  Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says body armor didn't fail Sgt. Christopher Brewster, who was killed while responding to a domestic violence call
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| Flashback: Trump subpoena stonewall is most dangerous outrage. Why even have a Congress? Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:22 AM PST  The Founders anticipated our historical moment. They created the House, with 'the people' on its side, to guard against a president like Donald Trump.
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| Myanmar's suppression of the Rohingya, explained in 30 seconds Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  Myanmar's leader is appearing before the UN International Court of Justice this week to address an accusation of genocide against the Rohingya.
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| Inside the Assassination of Imperial Japanese Admiral Yamamoto Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST  A daring tale.
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| Chile: Debris believed from missing plane carrying 38 found Posted: 11 Dec 2019 09:04 AM PST  Debris believed to be from a military transport plane carrying 38 people that vanished two days ago en route to the Antarctic has been discovered in the frigid, treacherous waters between the icy continent and South America, Chile's Air Force said Wednesday. Air Force Gen. Eduardo Mosqueira said "sponge" material, possibly from the plane's fuel tank, was found floating roughly 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the place the C-130 Hercules last had radio contact. The C-130 Hercules took off Monday afternoon from a base in far-southern Chile on a regular maintenance flight for an Antarctic base.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. tests ground-launched ballistic missile after INF treaty exit Posted: 12 Dec 2019 11:03 AM PST ![UPDATE 1-U.S. tests ground-launched ballistic missile after INF treaty exit]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. tests ground-launched ballistic missile after INF treaty exit") The Pentagon on Thursday tested a conventionally configured ground-launched ballistic missile, a test that would have been prohibited under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The United States formally withdrew from the landmark 1987 INF pact with Russia in August after determining that Moscow was violating the treaty, an accusation the Kremlin has denied. It was the second test by the Pentagon that would have not been allowed under the INF treaty.
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| Mammoth field fires up Norway's oil industry Posted: 11 Dec 2019 10:16 PM PST  ON THE JOHAN SVERDRUP OIL PLATFORM IN THE NORTH SEA (Norvège) (AFP) - Under yellow metal legs stretching beneath the sea, billions of dollars lie buried. As the world tries hard to halt global warming, a huge oil field breathes new life into Norway's oil sector. "Massive!", exclaims a delighted Arne Sigve Nylund, the head of energy giant Equinor's Norway operations.
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| Scandinavian woman 'forced to withdraw rape claim' in case similar to British teen's Cyprus ordeal Posted: 12 Dec 2019 09:40 AM PST  A Scandinavian woman says she was forced by Cypriot police to withdraw a rape claim or face arrest, in a striking parallel to the case of a British teenager who was allegedly gang raped on the Mediterranean island. The Scandinavian woman said police officers questioned her aggressively for several hours after she was raped by two men outside a nightclub. The officers accused her of lying and said that if she did not withdraw the rape claim they would arrest her and send her to prison. Her account bears striking similarities to the alleged treatment of a British teenager who is on trial in Cyprus, accused of concocting a claim of gang rape by Israeli tourists in the resort town of Ayia Napa. She made the initial complaint in July but 10 days later, after being questioned without a lawyer for eight hours in a police station, signed a retraction statement. The alleged gang rape of the British teenager happened in the resort of Ayia Napa Credit: AFP On trial for public mischief, she faces up to a year in prison and a fine of €1,700 if found guilty. She has pleaded not guilty. The judge in the case is expected to hand down his verdict on December 30. The 19-year-old British woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told the trial that officers threatened to arrest her and her friends unless she retracted the claims of being gang raped by a group of young Israeli men. After reading about the Ayia Napa case, the Scandinavian woman decided to come forward with her account of similar treatment at the hands of the Cypriot police 20 years ago. It is the first time she has spoken publicly of the assault and has previously only discussed it with her doctor and her husband. Now aged 43, she was 21 when she met the men in a nightclub in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, in January 1998. They offered to give her a lift to her hotel. Instead, they raped her in a car park. "I fought for my life and thought I was going to die," she told The Telegraph. She went to the nearest police station to report the rape and was taken to a hospital for an examination. She was then taken to a police station for questioning. "The main investigator was extremely brutal and aggressive. I was in big shock so I had some difficulties remembering details. "This made him very angry. He then started accusing me of making the whole story up to receive money from my insurance company." The same allegation was made by in court by Cypriot police against the British woman. Both alleged victims said they were mystified by the accusation because they did not think that holiday insurance covered rape and had no intention of claiming any financial compensation. "I was very afraid and felt trapped in the room with them. They treated me as a big criminal. They kept me in the police station for many hours. They told me that if I didn't withdraw the rape allegation they would arrest me and send me to prison. So I did and they let me go," said the Scandinavian woman, who asked to remain anonymous. She said she was still deeply affected by the ordeal and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – just like the British teenager who is on trial. "The treatment I received from police was terrible," she said. Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the teenager in the trial Credit: AFP Michael Polak, a British lawyer representing the British woman, told The Telegraph: "This case bears remarkable similarities to the teenager's case. It raises serious questions about the investigation of rape in Cyprus and the treatment of rape complainants there." In a report in 1998, a Norwegian newspaper claimed that police on the island routinely dismissed rape claims, treating the victims as liars. The report quoted a Norwegian tour operator who said that "police never take rape claims seriously. All such claims are treated as false." "Police have a theory that tourists make such allegations so they can claim expenses for their holiday," the report said. A senior Cyprus police officer was quoted as saying: "Why rape when it's so easy to find somebody to have sex with?" At a hearing on Thursday, a Cypriot defence lawyer denied that the teenager had made up the rape complaint. Ritsa Pekri criticised police for failing to download all the social media messages sent by the Israeli men on their mobile phones and said officers failed to secure the crime scene properly. The prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there had been no rape, Ms Pekri said, calling on the court to acquit the woman. But Adamos Demosthenous, the prosecutor, insisted the British girl had accused the Israelis of raping her because she felt humiliated and ashamed after learning that she had been filmed while having sex with one of them. He called on the judge to convict her.
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| Eagle v octopus: Canadians rescue bird locked in battle with giant mollusc Posted: 12 Dec 2019 08:58 AM PST  Employees at a fish farm in Vancouver intervened when an eagle tried to eat a large octopus, resulting in a battleA bald eagle on Canada's west coast has learned that its eyes may be bigger than its stomach after it was nearly drowned by an octopus it tried to eat.After hearing shrieks coming from the water on the north-western tip of Vancouver Island, employees at a fish farm investigating the noises happened upon a bird and cephalopod locked in battle.The octopus, which had turned a deep crimson, had wound its tentacles tightly around the eagle, which was floating helplessly at the surface."At first we just watched and we didn't know if we should interfere because, you know, it's Mother Nature," said John Ilett, an employee at Mowi West Canada, told CTV News.But realizing the eagle was likely to drown, the crew ultimately decided to intervene.Ilett maneuvered a pike pole in the water to pull the octopus over to the boat. The crew managed to haul both aboard, disentangling the bird from the strong tentacles, before tossing the octopus back into the water."That was amazing. Look at the size of this [expletive]," said one worker as the octopus hovered briefly at the surface."Holy [expletive]," another worker adds as the crew laughs in disbelief.Workers said the octopus was the largest theyhad ever encountered, and probably measured more than four and a half feet across.But much larger individuals lurk in the deeps: octopuses in the region – including the giant Pacific octopus – can grow to more than 25ft in diameter.After the eagle was pried from its grasp, the octopus dove back into the depths, its colours subtly shifting from reddish to brown.The shaken eagle perched warily on a nearby log before flying off."It was a very cool situation," said Ilett. "I've been out here 20 years and that's one of the coolest things I've ever seen."
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| 'Total nonsense': Democrats rip McConnell on delaying USMCA vote until after impeachment trial Posted: 11 Dec 2019 09:15 AM PST  After weeks of blaming Democrats for delaying Trump's renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico, McConnell said he would delay it further.
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| The Air Force Wants To Reinvent The Storied SR-71 As A Hypersonic Bomber Posted: 11 Dec 2019 08:30 PM PST  And it might be unmanned.
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| Charges dropped, brothers in hemp-pot mixup look to sue NYC Posted: 11 Dec 2019 04:45 PM PST  The bust was a bust, and it could end up costing New York City some serious green. A day after prosecutors dropped criminal charges in a case spotlighting confusion over hemp, marijuana and conflicting laws, the Brooklyn brothers caught in the chaos took the first step toward suing the city and the police department. Oren and Ronen Levy filed notices of claim Wednesday, saying the "nightmare" ordeal that began with Ronen's Nov. 2 arrest and the seizure of 106 pounds (48 kilograms) of hemp plants tarnished their reputations and threatened their livelihoods selling CBD, the extract showing up lately in everything candy to coffee.
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| Wall Street hits records on news of U.S.-China trade deal Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:33 AM PST  Stocks were boosted in the morning when President Donald Trump tweeted that the United States was close to a deal ahead of Sunday, when a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods has been set to go into effect. Wall Street has focused on the new round of tariffs, hopeful they would at least be delayed as the world's two largest economies make progress on an initial trade deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> rose 220.75 points, or 0.79%, to 28,132.05, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 26.94 points, or 0.86%, to 3,168.57, and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 63.27 points, or 0.73%, to 8,717.32.
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| US calls on China not to interfere in Taiwan election Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:08 PM PST  The United States on Thursday urged China not to interfere in elections next month in Taiwan, where President Tsai Ing-wen, a critic of Beijing, is seeking a new term. David Stilwell, the top US diplomat for Asia, said that tensions between Beijing and Taipei have historically risen whenever Taiwan goes to the polls.
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| We Tasted 10 Sour Beers That Quenched Our Thirst and Made Us Pucker Up Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:56 PM PST |
| Turkey set to retaliate against any U.S. sanctions Posted: 11 Dec 2019 12:28 PM PST  Turkey said on Wednesday it would retaliate against any U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems, adding that with Britain it had agreed to speed up a joint fighter jet program to meet Turkish defense needs.
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| Texas inmate executed for killing prison supervisor in 2003 Posted: 10 Dec 2019 09:03 PM PST  A Texas inmate was executed by lethal injection Wednesday evening for killing a supervisor at a state prison shoe factory in Amarillo nearly 17 years ago. Travis Runnels, 46, was convicted of slashing the throat of 38-year-old Stanley Wiley on Jan. 29, 2003. Runnels was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
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| Republican women launch 'Conservative Squad' to take on AOC, progressives in D.C. Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:15 PM PST  Four Republican women running for Congress have launched the Conservative Squad, aimed at taking on progressives in D.C.
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| The campaign to stop Brexit is over and Britain is heading for another decade of Conservative dominance Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:25 PM PST  If borne out in the results, the official exit poll suggests the UK is heading for Brexit and at least ten more years of Conservative government
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| F-35: Would You Spend $1,500,000,000,000 On a Plane That Can't Fly? Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:26 AM PST  That's what the U.S. government did on the F-35.
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| Steve Bannon: Tucker Carlson Is Trump’s Most Influential National-Security Adviser Posted: 11 Dec 2019 07:01 PM PST  No wonder Donald Trump's third national security adviser John Bolton, along with several four-star generals and distinguished career diplomats, fled the administration with their tails between their legs."If you don't think Tucker Carlson has more influence on national security policy than many of the guys on the National Security Council, you're wrong," Stephen K. Bannon declared Wednesday tonight to a small group of wealthy Manhattan elites in a baronial Fifth Avenue apartment.Thus, at a meeting of the Common Good lecture series in the modern art-festooned living room of New York plutocrat Richard Cohen, the president's exiled former chief strategist revealed that America's global interests are being guided by a Fox News host, a favorite of white nationalists, who recently proclaimed on his primetime show that he "roots for" Russia and Vladimir Putin over the Russia-occupied fledgling democracy of Ukraine."President Trump processes information" differently than his predecessors, Bannon said by way of explaining the strange attraction of a preppy polemicist and inveterate smartass with zero foreign-policy experience. "He understands the concept that mass communication is going to overwhelm kind of what reality is, right?"Bannon went on: "So he gets—like chairmen and CEOs here—that not every person is briefed the same way. He's not gonna sit through the 500-page McKinsey [report]. He's not gonna sit there with Mayor Pete walking him through his McKinsey analysis, right? He gets his information in different ways. And he does get a lot of information from television."Bannon, who admitted his relationship with Trump is far from warm—"We're not friends," he said—claimed, among other predictions, that the impeached 45th president will be re-elected next November with 40 percent of the Hispanic vote. He called himself a Trump admirer, even though "I hated being in the White House every second of every day." But Bannon largely succeeded in what he seemed to believe was his main goal at Wednesday's event: upsetting his audience. "His second term," he said about Trump, "is going to be even more transformative than his first."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.
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| Malaysia seizes Vietnamese oil tanker that was tracked in North Korea Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:43 AM PST  KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Vietnamese oil tanker which Reuters reported visited North Korea in February has been seized by Malaysia after it was found adrift off the Malaysian coast, maritime agency officials said. Refinitiv shipping data quoted by Reuters showed the Viet Tin 01 arrived just outside the harbor of Nampo on North Korea's western coast on Feb. 25 carrying 2,000 tonnes of gasoline, shortly before talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. It was not clear whether the tanker unloaded cargo at Nampo.
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| Trump impeachment vote: Senior Republican attacks Hunter Biden’s alleged crack cocaine use Posted: 12 Dec 2019 04:44 PM PST  Thursday's House Judiciary Committee markup of articles of impeachment took an ugly turn when Florida Republican Matt Gaetz launched a personal attack on former vice president Joe Biden's youngest son.While introducing a proposed amendment to Democrats' articles of impeachment – language that would have replaced a reference to the former VP in the first article with with that of his son Hunter and a reference to Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings – Mr Gaetz took it upon himself to read from a profile of the younger Mr Biden in the New Yorker magazine, containing graphic depictions of drug use by the former vice president's youngest son.
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| 'Hangover days' for employees criticised by alcohol harm campaigners amid fears it could encourage binge drinking Posted: 12 Dec 2019 01:07 PM PST  A business offering its staff "hangover days" for when they are feeling worse for wear has been criticised by alcohol harm charities who have raised concern that the practice could encourage binge drinking. Digital Marketing firm The Audit Lab lets employees take "hangover days" to try and create a flexible, honest workplace. Company director and co-founder Lee Frame said he would "rather our employees be honest with us and tell the truth than pretend they're ill." Workers merely have to ring up their boss and say that they are simply not up to work, instead putting in a shift from either the comforts of their bed or a sofa. Lee hopes this unorthodox approach will be more attractive to the younger generation, referring to this unusual policy as a "sexed-up work from home day" designed to appeal to workers without children. Ellie Entwistle, 19, who works as a PR manager at Bolton-based The Audit Lab thoroughly enjoys the benefits of having a "hangover day". "I love the perk because it proves that my employer had trust in me, which makes me appreciate them more and means I work hard." She feels that it gives her greater control and creates a flexible work environment that considers what different age groups want in terms of flexibility. However, the "hangover days" concept has been criticised by alcohol harm charities which said the policy could lead to workers "getting trolleyed" unnecessarily. Andrew Misell, Director of Alcohol Change UK in Wales, stated "There's nothing wrong with having a drink, but knowing in advance that you're going to drink to the point where you can't get into the office the next day is a different story." These fears are also echoed by Dr Jill Miller, diversity and inclusion adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), who feels that branding "these 'hangover days' might not be helpful if it's encouraging excessive alcohol consumption." She argues that employers have a duty of care which could be compromised by any promotion of binge drinking. Elaine Hindal, chief executive officer of the charity Drinkaware said: "There should be no place for encouraging risky drinking behaviours in the workplace." Elaine also fears that this policy could alienate workers who do not drink, leading to a less inclusive workplace. "More than half of people in work say they feel there's too much pressure to drink when socialising with colleagues". Employers should be working to create a more diverse workplace rather than rewarding excessive drinking behaviours which are not only divisive but also damaging to health.
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| Pakistan charges 250 lawyers for treason in hospital assault Posted: 12 Dec 2019 02:50 AM PST  Pakistan on Thursday leveled "treason" charges against 250 lawyers who were part of a mob that stormed a hospital in the eastern city of Lahore the previous day, kicking and punching doctors and staff and trashing equipment and property, police said. Three patients at the hospital died when physicians and medical staff left them unattended for several hours, to flee and escape the mob, officials said. The mob of about 500 lawyers — apparently angered over alleged misbehavior by some of the hospital doctors toward one of their colleagues the month before — stormed the Punjab Institute of Cardiology on Wednesday, punching and beating doctors and other staff.
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| Six more bodies recovered in risky mission near New Zealand volcano; death toll at 14 Posted: 12 Dec 2019 05:08 PM PST  The volcano's continued venting previously delayed plans by authorities to recover the bodies. Scientists believe another eruption is possible.
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| Fishermen overwhelm Mexico's Gulf of California to capture endangered totoaba fish, elusive porpoises Posted: 11 Dec 2019 06:35 AM PST  A conservation group trying to protect the world's most endangered marine mammal said Monday that hundreds of fishermen massed in dozens of boats to fish illegally in Mexico's Gulf of California.
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| Saudi Arabia is quietly spending millions on a fresh lobbying effort in the US, hoping to finally put to bed Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:21 AM PST  Saudi Arabia contracted three US lobby firms in November, its first move since it was abandoned by five firms over the Khashoggi affair in late 2018.
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| Why Israel and Russia Have Built Special Urban Warfare Tanks Posted: 10 Dec 2019 07:30 PM PST  How do they work?
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| Lebanese Christian party says it won't join government on Hariri's terms Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:05 AM PST  Lebanon's largest Christian political party will not join a new government under the terms set by caretaker premier Saad al-Hariri, but will not obstruct the formation of a new cabinet, its leader said on Thursday. The position of the Free Patriotic Movement led by Gebran Bassil could ease the way to the formation of a Hariri-led government. Much will depend on whether Bassil's ally, the powerful Shi'ite Hezbollah, will consent to its main Christian ally staying out of government.
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| House Vote Tentatively Planned on Wednesday: Impeachment Update Posted: 12 Dec 2019 03:04 PM PST ![House Vote Tentatively Planned on Wednesday: Impeachment Update]( "House Vote Tentatively Planned on Wednesday: Impeachment Update") (Bloomberg) -- The House Judiciary Committee is likely to vote on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as early as Thursday. The impeachment resolution is H.Res. 755.Here are the latest developments:House Vote Tentatively Planned on Wednesday (6:01 p.m.)An impeachment vote by the full House is tentatively planned for next Wednesday, according to a Democratic leadership aide.Trump is scheduled to attend a rally that evening in Battle Creek, Michigan.The impeachment vote would come a day after the House votes on bipartisan spending bills, while the House tentatively would vote next Thursday on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, the aide said.Trump Aides Meet McConnell to Discuss Trial (3:54 p.m.)White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland said little as he left a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and White House Counsel Pat Cipillone in McConnell's office to discuss impeachment."We're having good close communication, conversation with Senate Republicans in the event the House goes ahead and actually produces articles of impeachment," Ueland said. "We're going to continue to work closely with Senate Republicans as well as other members of Congress on the questions."He said Trump "did nothing wrong" and that "the process is fatally flawed."Ueland declined repeatedly to say whether the White House wants to call witnesses during a Senate trial.White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday on Fox News that the White House would like to have "a lot of witnesses."But a number of Senate Republicans say an early consensus is building for a short impeachment trial that could see the GOP-led chamber vote on a likely acquittal of Trump without hearing from any witnesses."It's a part of good, robust, collaborative communications that we're having," Ueland said.Amendment on Hunter Biden, Burisma Rejected (3:40 p.m.)The Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment by Republican Matt Gaetz that would rewrite the abuse of power article to target Joe Biden's son Hunter and his board membership on Burisma Holdings energy company.Gaetz wanted to replace language that said Trump asked Ukraine's president to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election. The amendment was defeated on a 17-23 party-line vote.Trump Aides Meet GOP to Discuss Senate Trial (2:56 p.m.)Trump aides Eric Ueland and Pat Cipollone visited Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office at the Capitol to discuss strategy for the Senate trial. Republicans must decide how many defense witnesses the president should present, if any."This is an iterative conversation with our leadership and all members of the Senate Republican Conference," Ueland, White House director of legislative affairs, said with Cipollone, the White House counsel, at his side. "We'll keep having good conversations." -- Billy HouseDemocrats to Have Enough Votes, Leader Says (2:26 p.m.)House Democrats will have enough votes to impeach Trump, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, chairman of the House Democratic caucus and a member of the Judiciary Committee, told reporters during a break in the hearing."The articles of impeachment will pass," Jeffries said. He said he doesn't know how many Democrats will vote no.Earlier Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said House Democratic leaders aren't pushing moderate Democrats to support impeachment of the president but will allow them to vote their consciences. -- Erik WassonGOP Amendment Targets Hunter Biden, Burisma (12:45 p.m.)Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida proposed amending the abuse of power article to revise the description of Trump's request for investigations by Ukraine.Instead of saying the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, "a political opponent," and a "discredited theory" that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, Gaetz's amendment would state that Trump sought investigations of Hunter Biden and Burisma Holdings, a Ukraine energy company on whose board Hunter Biden served.Republicans contend Hunter Biden was overpaid and unqualified to serve on the board of Burisma, a company that had been widely known to be corrupt."We have the ability to show that Burisma is corrupt," Gaetz said. "We have the ability to show that Hunter Biden is corrupt. That totally exculpates the president because there is no way in the United States of America that honestly pursuing actual corruption is an impeachable offense."Republican Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin added, "the real malefactor is Hunter Biden."Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee said, "this is about distraction, distraction, distraction" from the allegations against Trump. -- Billy HouseGOP Amendment Rejected by Democrats (12:02 p.m.)The Judiciary Committee rejected, on a 17-23 party-line vote, Republican Jim Jordan's amendment that would have eliminated the first article, which accuses Trump of abusing his power.It was the first vote on an amendment after about three hours of debate. -- Billy HousePelosi Not Pushing for Democrats' Support (11:11 a.m.)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she's not pushing moderate Democrats to support impeachment of the president but is allowing them to vote their consciences.She said she has "no message to them" and told reporters "we're not whipping this legislation.""People have to come to their own decisions," Pelosi said. "I don't say anything to them." -- Daniel FlatleyTrump Tweets That Democrats 'LIE' in Debate (10:48 a.m.)Trump appears to be keeping track of the Judiciary Committee debate, as he made clear in a Twitter posting Thursday morning."Dems Veronica Escobar and Jackson Lee purposely misquoted my call" with Ukraine's president, Trump wrote on Twitter minutes after Escobar and Sheila Jackson Lee, both of Texas, spoke during the committee debate."I said I want you to do us (our Country!) a favor, not me a favor. They know that but decided to LIE in order to make a fraudulent point! Very sad," the president wrote.A rough transcript of the call released by the White House showed that Trump asked the Ukrainian president for a favor and mentioned investigations that weren't part of official U.S. foreign policy.Judiciary Committee Debates Abuse of Power (10:22 a.m.)Republican Jim Jordan proposed an amendment that would eliminate the first article, which accuses Trump of abusing his power."The call transcript shows no quid pro quo" between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during their July 25 call, said Jordan of Ohio. He said there was "no pressure, no pushing, no linkage whatsoever between assistance money and any kind of investigation."The proposed amendment set off a debate over the allegations against Trump and whether they're serious enough to warrant impeachment.Top Judiciary Committee Republican Doug Collins of Georgia said there are "no factual underpinnings for impeachment." GOP member Debbie Lesko of Arizona called the inquiry a "one-sided sham.""This president isn't even accused of a crime," said Steve Chabot, an Ohio Republican, unlike former President Bill Clinton, who was accused of perjury for lying to a grand jury about his affair with a White House intern.Democrat Eric Swalwell of California responded that the Constitution doesn't require allegations of a crime to support impeachment charges. In addition, he said, Trump's conduct overlaps with two statutory crimes: bribery and honest services fraud."The president was caught red-handed trying to pressure a foreign government to target an American citizen, said Democrat Hakeem Jeffries of New York. -- Billy HouseJudiciary Committee Nearing Historic Vote (9:03 a.m.)The Judiciary Committee opened its meeting Thursday to debate and vote on amendments to the two articles of impeachment.At the end of the day's hearing, lawmakers will be asked to vote on sending the articles to the House floor for debate and vote next week on whether to impeach the president for only the third time in U.S. history. -- Billy HouseCommittee to Debate Amendments to Articles (7 a.m.)The Judiciary Committee plans to resume considering the impeachment resolution at 9 a.m. Thursday with members being allowed to offer amendments to the two articles alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by the president.Most, if not all, of the proposed amendments are likely to come from Republicans, and the vote -- probably later in the day -- is almost guaranteed to be strictly along party lines.Each committee member gave an opening statement Wednesday night, most of which echoed the partisan positions that have taken hold since the Ukraine investigation began. At the end of the hearing on Thursday they will be asked to vote separately on each count. House leaders haven't yet said what day next week the full House will be asked to vote. -- Billy HouseCatch Up on Impeachment CoverageKey EventsThe House impeachment resolution is here. The Intelligence Committee Democrats' impeachment report is here.House Democrats proposed an impeachment resolution that accuses Trump of abusing the power of his office and keeping Congress from exercising its duty as a check on the executive branch. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his panel will prepare the resolution for a vote by the full House, probably next week.Gordon Sondland's transcript is here and here; Kurt Volker's transcript is here and here. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch's transcript is here and here; the transcript of Michael McKinley, former senior adviser to the secretary of State, is here. The transcript of Holmes, a Foreign Service officer in Kyiv, is here.The transcript of William Taylor, the top U.S. envoy to Ukraine, is here and here. State Department official George Kent's testimony is here and here. Testimony by Alexander Vindman can be found here, and the Fiona Hill transcript is here. Laura Cooper's transcript is here; Christopher Anderson's is here and Catherine Croft's is here. Jennifer Williams' transcript is here and Timothy Morrison's is here. The Philip Reeker transcript is here. Mark Sandy's is here.\--With assistance from Daniel Flatley, Erik Wasson, Steven T. Dennis, Billy House and Laura Litvan.To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Striking down Obamacare would open a path to better, more affordable health care Posted: 12 Dec 2019 10:21 AM PST  A ruling against the Affordable Care Act would not affect coverage during the appeals process. That's an opportunity to unite behind a better plan.
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