| Who won the presidential debate? What Americans say about Biden, Trump in polls Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:00 AM PDT |
| Marine fighter jet lands safely after crashing in mid-air with another plane in Southern California Posted: 30 Sep 2020 10:14 AM PDT  Jet makes emergency landing in farm field after colliding with another plane
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| The family of one of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor started an online fundraiser so he can retire early and focus on his 'safety' Posted: 30 Sep 2020 02:57 AM PDT  The family of Detective Myles Cosgrove is trying to raise $75,000 so that he can buy out the rest of his service time and retire early.
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| Singapore Airlines is turning a parked A380 superjumbo jet into a restaurant to cater to a travel-hungry population Posted: 30 Sep 2020 02:16 PM PDT  Singapore Airlines' fleet of Airbus A380s is now turning into a tourist attraction as the pandemic has rendered the long-range jets obsolete.
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| Democrats postpone House vote on COVID-19 stimulus bill to give more time for negotiations Posted: 30 Sep 2020 02:54 PM PDT  The pared-down version of the legislation passed by House Democrats in May will likely pass the House, but will face opposition in the GOP-led Senate.
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| North Carolina senate candidate commits grievous sin: confusing grilling for barbecuing Posted: 29 Sep 2020 01:56 PM PDT  You've got to hand it to North Carolina — they have some truly scrumptious scandals down in the Tar Heel State.Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham found himself in hot water on Monday night after tweeting a photo of himself standing next to a gas grill, spatula in hand as he apparently readied hot dogs and hamburgers. "There's nothing better than BBQ — except for winning this Senate seat, of course," he wrote as a caption.> There's nothing better than BBQ—except for winning this Senate seat, of course. pic.twitter.com/oEsDXIZ5O2> > — Cal Cunningham (@CalforNC) September 28, 2020But North Carolinians quickly took issue with the fact that "the tweet itself appears to suggest, wrongly, that barbecue can be made on a gas grill, or worse, that grilling falls within the realm of barbecue," explains the Raleigh-based News & Observer. Sure enough, Cunningham was soon the target of many angry foodies online:> My dude, folks are not going to think you really have a whole hog on that tiny grill. And I know you are not referring to cooking hotdogs & burgers as "BBQ." > > It may behoove you to issue a statement on NC barbecue forthwith. You can thank me later.> > — Aylett "What's your voting plan?" Colston (@EveryVoiceNC) September 29, 2020> This is Dukakis in a tank bad in North Carolina. Why. https://t.co/POTba6FIot> > — Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) September 29, 2020Sure enough, the North Carolina GOP even issued a statement, slamming Cunningham by writing, "In North Carolina, we have Eastern BBQ and Western BBQ but neither involves a spatula, hot dog buns or gas grills. Cunningham is an elitist trial lawyer, and this BBQ gaffe demonstrates that he is out of touch with North Carolina voters who actually know what North Carolina BBQ is."Cunningham, a native of Lexington, quickly backtracked, telling The News & Observer that he would never mix up grilling with barbecuing. "No self-respecting son of Lexington would ever do that," he emphasized, claiming he'd only used the term because he was showing off his new campaign swag, an apron which reads — perhaps now rather audaciously — "Ambassador for North Carolina BBQ."More stories from theweek.com The worst presidential debate of all time Undecided voters describe Trump as a 'crackhead,' 'arrogant' in post-debate focus group Trump pummels Biden — and America
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| Chinese rail stations and airports swamped during holiday, raising fears of fresh Covid outbreak Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:36 AM PDT  People have begun swarming into China's rail stations and airports as the country where the coronavirus pandemic emerged enters into its first major public holiday week after lockdowns began easing, potentially raising the risk of new infections. Nearly half of the country's 1.4 billion people are expected to hit the road during China's "Golden Week," kicking off on Oct 1 as the nation celebrates its founding anniversary. Chinese authorities have relaxed some travel restrictions as the number of daily infections have begun dropping significantly. About 30 people were confirmed with the coronavirus through Tuesday this week, a figure that could rise given increased movement of people over the holiday. As such pandemic precautions remain in place, including detailed contact tracing via mobile phone apps that allow users to flash a green, yellow or red code – a health contagion profile that determines whether someone might pose an infection risk.
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| She escaped N.Korea, but 'raped' by South's spies Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:31 AM PDT 
She ran away from her home in North Korea six years ago to find a safe haven in the South. But it was after meeting a South Korean spy, she says, that another nightmare began. Lee, who we're only identifying by her last name to protect her identity, was raped by the man -- according to the defector and prosecutors. "I was mad at myself, I should have defended or fought with a knife, but I was just unable to fight back when they did that to me." She may not be alone. More than 72% of North Koreans resettled in the South are women and at least a quarter of them encountered sexual violence in the South, but less than 10% sought help, the gender equality ministry found in a 2017 survey. In Lee's case, the suspected abuser called himself Dr Seong. She says he was a mysterious man, and like a father figure to help her start a new life. Seong paid her for info. She had previously worked at a military institute in the north. He also helped her reconnect with her brother, who was detained by secret police in North Korea. But eventually Seong and a colleague, identified by the name Kim, began to sexually abuse her. She says it lasted a year and a half and she was pressed to get two abortions and suffered severe distress. "After all, they were the first people that I trusted, respected and relied upon here in the South." Military prosecutors this month indicted the two men, a lieutenant colonel and a master sergeant with charges of sexual assault and rape. But both men have denied rape, according to the chief military prosecutor. They are said to say it was consensual. Lee's lawyer, Jeon Su-mi, blames the system for enabling agents to take advantage of vulnerable defectors. "The women can't say no, they have to obey and have to go out at midnight if they are requested to. The South Korean surveillance system on North Korean defectors has absolute power like God, even if they are just government employees here." Defectors have complained recently that the government of President Moon Jae-in, who has made improving ties with North Korea a priority, is failing to provide refuge by ignoring rights, stifling political activity and deporting some escapees.
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| Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah dies in US hospital at 91 Posted: 29 Sep 2020 12:20 PM PDT  Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, architect of the nation's modern foreign policy and mediator in some of the worst crises to grip the Gulf, died on Tuesday at the age of 91.
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| Fact check: Biden says 1 in 1,000 Black Americans have died from COVID-19. Is it true? Posted: 30 Sep 2020 12:27 PM PDT  "... And if he doesn't do something quickly by the end of the year, one in 500 will have been killed."
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| Accused Gangster Charged With Ambush Shooting of L.A. Deputies Posted: 30 Sep 2020 11:09 AM PDT  After a three-week manhunt, a Los Angeles man was arrested and charged Wednesday with attempting to murder two sheriff's deputies who were ambushed as they sat in their car.Deonte Lee Murray, 36, is facing two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and possession of a firearm for allegedly walking up to the squad car parked outside a Metro station on Sept. 12 and opening fire, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday."They became victims of a violent crime for one reason: They wear a badge," L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a press conference.'Cowardly': Video Shows Gunman Ambushing Two L.A. Deputies in Patrol CarMurray, who faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, was recently charged with attempted murder for a carjacking in Compton two weeks before the shooting. He allegedly used the stolen car as a getaway vehicle in the ambush.He faces further charges of being part of a criminal street gang, discharging a rifle inflicting great bodily injury, and personal use of a rifle in the carjacking incident.The two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, identified in media reports as 31-year-old Claudia Apolinar and a 24-year-old man, were sitting in their car in Compton when Murray allegedly approached the front passenger side and opened fire.A security video showed a man in dark clothing approaching the patrol car before raising his handgun and firing several rounds through the window. One deputy is then seen emerging from the car and stumbling for several seconds."Despite being critically injured, deputies valiantly cared for each other's wounds and safety, communicated their location and plight to others and tactically prepared for another attack," the sheriff's department said in an earlier statement, adding that the suspect fled the scene in dark a Mercedes-Benz.Apolinar was shot in the jaw while her partner was shot in the head—and both are now at home recovering.The shooting was seized on by President Donald Trump, who claimed it was part of ongoing attacks on law enforcement by anti-police brutality protesters.While authorities on Wednesday wouldn't comment on Murray's motive, Kent Wegener, captain of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, said the 36-year-old "obviously hates policemen and he wants them dead, not specifically.""These acts and that day, I will not forget it, and it represents the worst in humanity, and it shocked the whole nation," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva added during the press conference. "And that evening I said we'll find this man, and I can report today we have found our suspect.""That worst of humanity was followed by the best of humanity," he added. "Our entire department rallied together."Murray was charged earlier this month over the Sept. 1 carjacking. He allegedly confronted another man in Compton, shot him in the leg then stole his car. He was found and arrested on Sept. 15 after a lengthy standoff in Lynwood. Speculation was rife after the Sept. 15 standoff that Murray was the same person who had ambushed the deputies, although officials said at the time that he wasn't. On Wednesday, however, Wegener said authorities later learned the car Murray used to flee the scene of the ambush on Sept. 12 was the same car he'd stolen two weeks prior in the carjacking. A ghost gun used in the shooting was recovered by investigators in Compton.Murray is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, where prosecutors are recommending bail be set at $6.15 million.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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| People with irregular or unusually long menstrual cycles may have a higher risk of dying young Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:00 PM PDT  Menstruation hormone disruptions may be linked to risk of dying from cardiovascular illness, higher chance of other health problems, says a new study
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| 'It was painful. And triggering': Why Ibram X. Kendi, psychologists say debate could be traumatizing Posted: 30 Sep 2020 05:11 PM PDT  Viewers and mental health experts likened the spectacle to a dysfunctional family or an abusive relationship.
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| Rep. Katie Porter eviscerates pharma CEO with a brutal math lesson about his $13 million salary Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:51 PM PDT  Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) never wastes an opportunity to roast a CEO.On Wednesday, three pharmaceutical executives, including former Celgene CEO Mark Alles, testified on drug pricing for the House Oversight Committee. While at the company, Alles saw a massive increase in the price of the cancer drug Revlimid -- and Porter broke down just what it got Alles in return.Porter started her takedown by asking Alles if he knew what a Revlimid pill cost in 2005: $215, she reminded him with the help of a whiteboard. And by the time Alles left the company late last year, after its sale to Bristol-Myers Squibb, a single Revlimid pill cost $763. "Did the drug get substantially more effective in that time? Did cancer patients need fewer pills?" Porter questioned, trying to figure out why Celgene upped the price. Alles answered by saying Revlimid proved effective in more patients. "So you discovered more patients who might benefit from paying $763 a pill?" Porter rhetorically responded, outlining how the average senior in her district couldn't even afford one pill.Porter then moved on to tear apart the $13 million Alles made in 2017 as Celgene's CEO. "It's 200 times the average American's income and 360 times what the average senior makes on Social Security," Porter noted. She then reminded Alles just how he made "half a million dollars, personally, just by tripling the price of Revlimid." "The drug didn't get any better, the cancer patients didn't get any better, you just got better at making money," Porter concluded. Watch her questioning below. > Half a million dollars.> > That's the bonus a Big Pharma CEO got for hiking the price of ONE cancer treatment drug.> > How many patients lost their lives because they couldn't afford this medicine? Here's our conversation: pic.twitter.com/mkke6y9tnw> > -- Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) September 30, 2020More stories from theweek.com Rockets reportedly hit Iraqi base where U.S. troops are located Trump pummels Biden — and America Marvel casts newcomer in the role of its 1st Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel
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| Top US infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci calls some of Fox News' primetime coverage of the coronavirus pandemic 'outlandish' Posted: 29 Sep 2020 10:36 PM PDT  Fauci said that with some reporters, "anything that I would say they'll distort a bit," adding, "I'm not sure there's anything I can do about that."
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| China Accelerates Its Crackdown on Foreign Journalists Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:30 AM PDT  These days, foreign journalists are facing unprecedented challenges in China.A March report from the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) finds that in 2019, "82% of [foreign] reporters [in China] experienced interference or harassment or violence while reporting. . . . 43% said digital/physical surveillance affected reporting. And 70% reported interviews cancelled due to actions taken by Chinese authorities." The FCCC also finds that Chinese authorities continue to restrict foreign journalists' access to certain parts of China, including Xinjiang, where millions of Uighur Muslims languish in internment camps. The most striking finding of the report, however, is that not even a single foreign journalist said working conditions in China had improved from 2018 to 2019.It seems that this state of affairs has only gotten worse in 2020. Just this week, the Washington Post's Anna Fifield published a story about the difficulties she'd faced as a foreign reporter in China. "Reporting in China increasingly feels like reporting in North Korea," she tweeted. Beijing has expelled around 17 foreign journalists this year, including 15 Americans, and is threatening to expel more. Chinese authorities also continue to punish some foreign journalists by refusing to renew their visas.In August, Cheng Lei, an Australian citizen of Chinese descent who worked for the state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN), was detained by Chinese authorities. No charges were filed, and Cheng simply "disappeared." China's foreign ministry waited until early September to announce that she was suspected of "criminal activity endangering China's national security." Her family and friends still do not know her whereabouts, and it is unclear if she has any legal representation.The Chinese Foreign Ministry's announcement of Cheng's detention came after the Australian government was forced to mount a frantic mission to extricate the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review's (AFR) Mike Smith from the country. Both had been questioned by Chinese authorities regarding their dealings with Cheng, and both sought help from the Australian consulate. They were allowed to leave China only after a five-day diplomatic standoff. Birtles's former boss, the ex-ABC China bureau chief Matthew Carney, recently disclosed the threats and interrogations that he and his family, including his 14-year-old daughter, had to endure from Chinese authorities back in 2018, which eventually led them to leave the country, too.Early this month, a Los Angeles Times reporter was detained by Chinese police in Inner Mongolia while investigating the central government's push to teach Mongolian children key curriculums in Mandarin rather than Mongolian. Many parents and students have been protesting that effort, which they view as Beijing's latest attempt to erase their cultural identity. The Times reporter said plainclothes men "took her to a police station, where she was interrogated and separated from her belongings, despite identifying herself as an accredited journalist. She was not allowed to call the U.S. Embassy; one officer grabbed her throat with both hands and pushed her into a cell."Beijing's treatment of foreign journalists is appalling. But surprisingly, this wasn't always the case. In fact, for decades, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) welcomed foreign journalists when it found them to be of use in helping achieve its strategic policy goals.The most famous example of this phenomenon was American journalist Edgar Snow. In the 1930s, Snow visited the CCP's stronghold in the Chinese countryside and interviewed its leaders, including Mao Zedong. Back then, the People's Liberation Army was no more than a ragtag bunch of poorly fed, ill-equipped guerrilla fighters. Mao was dismissed by the ruling Nationalist Party as a "bandit," and he was virtually unknown to the West. Mao recognized the help that Snow could provide in solving that problem. He granted Snow access that was unavailable to any Chinese journalist and charmed the American. Snow, who was somewhat naive and ideologically left-leaning, fell for Mao's charisma. Mao asked that the texts of Snow's interviews be translated from English back to Chinese so he could "correct any inaccuracies" prior to the publication, and Snow granted him his wish.The final output was Snow's 1937 book, Red Star Over China, which presented Mao as a great leader who was candid, thoughtful, and funny. It described the goal of the Communist revolution as the creation of a new China that would be egalitarian and democratic. Nowhere did it mention Mao's brutal purge of a rival faction within the Communist Party, which ended with the arrest of over 100 party members and the execution of more than a dozen. The purge was an early indication of Mao's ruthlessness in quashing dissent, and there would be many more like it to come.Unfortunately, the inaccurate portrait painted by Snow's book cast Mao and the Communists in such a positive light that it won them many domestic and international supporters. This, in turn, set a precedent. Recognizing the propaganda value that Snow had provided, Mao invited him back to China several more times over the next three-plus decades. Each time, he manipulated Snow into serving as his mouthpiece for domestic and international audiences.After Mao's death, a succession of Chinese Communist Party leaders followed the same template, welcoming foreign journalists to China as the regime launched its campaign of economic reform and opened up to the rest of the world. These leaders recognized that they needed the foreign press to tell stories about China, and sure enough, the resulting stories helped attract badly needed foreign investment and tourism to boost the country's economy.In a country where corruption is rampant and justice is whatever local authorities say it is, many Chinese people have come to believe that the fastest way to get their grievances heard and resolved is through reporting by journalists, especially foreign journalists. As Yuan Yang, the Financial Times's deputy Beijing bureau chief, has noted, "Sometimes it is not the coverage itself, but the mere appearance of a foreign journalist on the scene, that gets officials to start listening intently to their problems."Sadly, even that means of getting authorities' attention is increasingly being closed off by China's current leader, Xi Jinping, who demands absolute loyalty from all corners of China including the media. Unlike his predecessors, Xi doesn't see foreign media as a friend or a useful tool, but rather as a threat to the narratives advanced by his propaganda and an obstacle to his goal of building a new, China-centric world order. Especially after the coronavirus outbreak, Xi has needed an obedient media to tell a story of Chinese success under his leadership, which has only increased his incentive to keep a tight leash on critical reporting.Xi seems to believe that China is now wealthy, powerful, and resourceful enough that it no longer needs the prestige that foreign media outlets once lent it; state media can tell the stories he wants told both at home and abroad. Since Xi doesn't see foreign journalists as useful to his own strategic objectives, Chinese authorities have intensified their attacks on foreign journalists. If any informed observer had any remaining doubts about the true nature of the Chinese regime, this crackdown should have dispelled them.
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| Wave of small earthquakes hits California just days after previous wave Posted: 30 Sep 2020 12:44 PM PDT  Latest wave comes just days after earlier set of Calaveras fault tremors
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| U.S. Senate's McConnell condemns white supremacists 'in the strongest possible way' Posted: 30 Sep 2020 11:52 AM PDT  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday that he condemns white supremacists in the "strongest possible way." McConnell had been asked about President Donald Trump's deflection of an opportunity to condemn white supremacists during Tuesday's presidential debate.
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| Florida martial arts school billed taxpayers over $350,000 for ‘ghost’ kids, state says Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:23 AM PDT  Funded by public grants, the United Martial Arts Academy in Homestead offered an array of self-defense training, including the "Tiny Tigers" and "Little Dragon" courses for kids.
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| Hathras gang rape: India victim's death sparks outrage Posted: 29 Sep 2020 05:33 AM PDT  The 19-year-old woman died after fighting for her life in a hospital for two weeks.
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| Sonic boom heard in Paris and suburbs caused by fighter jet breaking sound barrier Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:08 AM PDT  A loud blast heard throughout Paris on Wednesday briefly caused panic as edgy residents feared a bombing five days after a terrorist attack outside the former offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. The noise was caused by a sonic boom as a military jet broke the speed of sound, police said. Pierre Duclos, who was in a café around the corner from the site of the attack on Friday when the explosion-like noise was heard, said: "Everyone looked at each other and a few people got up and went outside. For a while, we thought another terrorist attack was coming and we were all shocked. Some people asked the café owner to close and lock the door. I was here on Friday and frankly I was really worried again today.
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| Despite hopeful speculation, Biden campaign says remaining debates are still on Posted: 29 Sep 2020 10:25 PM PDT  At the end of Tuesday night's raucous presidential debate, cable news hosts and pundits immediately began speculating on whether it would be the only one held this year, but Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaign quickly dashed that dream.Many thought Tuesday's debate was an unmitigated disaster, as Trump routinely interrupted Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. CNN's Wolf Blitzer, for example, called it an "embarrassment for the United States" and wondered whether the next two debates would be canceled.During a phone call with reporters, Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager, said he is "going to show up" at the next debate, scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. Biden wants to "continue speaking directly to the American people," Bedingfield said, and is looking forward to the debate's town hall format, with the nominees taking questions from undecided voters."There is an open question here based on what we saw from Donald Trump tonight," Bedingfield said. "Is he going to try to bully actual voters? Is he going to insult his way through the next debate? Joe Biden's going to show up. ... We'll see if [Trump] decides to show up in Miami next month." Biden is also planning on attending the third debate set for Oct. 22 in Nashville, Bedingfield confirmed. "We are going to the debates, guys," she said. "We don't know how many different ways we can say it. Yes, we are going to the debates."More stories from theweek.com Rockets reportedly hit Iraqi base where U.S. troops are located Trump pummels Biden — and America Marvel casts newcomer in the role of its 1st Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel
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| 'What is Google Fiber?': Everything you need to know about Google's high-speed internet service Posted: 30 Sep 2020 11:50 AM PDT  Google Fiber is a high-speed internet service that Google is currently deploying in 18 cities across the US. Here's what you need to know about it.
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| Fire on Navy Cruiser Antietam Injures 13 in Philippine Sea Posted: 29 Sep 2020 05:15 PM PDT  The fire is the fourth to break out on a Navy ship in recent months.
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| Doctor ‘snubbed for trying to tell Trumps to wear masks at debate' Posted: 30 Sep 2020 10:09 AM PDT  Melania also took off mask once she sat down
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| Voters react to first 2020 presidential debate Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:07 AM PDT  The latest CBS News Battleground Tracker polls show how Americans are responding to the first presidential debate. CBS News Elections and Surveys Director Anthony Salvanto joined CBSN's Elaine Quijano on "Red and Blue" to discuss the results.
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| Father and son chase and shoot at two teens riding ATVs, Mississippi police say Posted: 30 Sep 2020 04:44 PM PDT  Police are looking into possible hate crime charges
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| High road at Chilling: India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China Posted: 29 Sep 2020 01:58 AM PDT  Ligen Eliyas deftly turns the excavator's hydraulic arm to push a huge boulder into the Zanskar river below in a cloud of dust, clearing another bit of land for a strategic highway that India is hurriedly building near the Chinese border. The construction site near the hamlet of Chilling in the Ladakh region is around 250 km (150 miles) west of the area where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in the most serious confrontation in decades.
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| Biden Staffer Suggests ‘Intolerant’ Views of Orthodox Catholics, Jews, Muslims Should Disqualify Them from Supreme Court Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:31 AM PDT  A staffer on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign on Monday suggested that Orthodox Catholics, Jews and Muslims should not be allowed to serve on the Supreme Court because of their "intolerant" beliefs.The comments came during a Twitter conversation between Biden campaign deputy data director Nikitha Rai and Brookings Institute senior fellow Shadi Hamid in which Rai attacked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's Catholic beliefs. A search for Rai's Twitter account now yields a message saying, "This account doesn't exist."Hamid had responded to a tweet that said Barrett was a trustee at a Catholic school that opposed same-sex marriage as homosexual acts are "at odds with Scripture." Hamid replied, "Wait, why is this news? Isn't this the standard position for any orthodox Catholic?" "Unfortunately yes," Rai said. When Hamid pointed out that Orthodox Muslims and Jews generally hold the same view, Rai said, "True. I'd heavily prefer views like that not be elevated to SCOTUS, but unfortunately our current culture is relatively intolerant. It will be awhile before those types of beliefs are so taboo that they're disqualifiers."> Here's a @JoeBiden staffer saying that orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Judaism should be made "taboo" and driven from the public sphere. Beneath all the talk of "interfaith" and "pluralism," this is what they really believe. pic.twitter.com/PrN8S1qaLG> > -- Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) September 29, 2020The former vice president often touts his Catholic faith on the campaign trail, though critics note that some of Biden's positions — such as his support for abortion and same-sex marriage — stand in opposition to Catholic teachings.Barrett's faith has been widely scrutinized in the media as "extreme" and cult-like since the president announced he would nominate the 48-year-old Notre Dame professor to fill the vacancy on the Court left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Barrett, a former clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, has been attacked for her faith for years now, beginning with her 2017 confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee when Democrats questioned whether her Catholicism should disqualify her from being a judge."Why is it that so many of us on this side have this very uncomfortable feeling that dogma and law are two different things, and I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different," Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) said at the time."The conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you," Feinstein added. "And that's of concern."
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| Plan to solve Florida's non-existent protest problem is pure 'mini-Trump' Posted: 30 Sep 2020 03:00 AM PDT  Governor Ron DeSantis wants to crack down on demonstrators to distract from a disastrous pandemic response, critics sayFor many who heard Ron DeSantis outline his proposed "Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting Act" it was a head-scratcher.Why would Florida's Republican governor suddenly be pushing severe penalties on protesters in a state that escaped the disorder of summer Black Lives Matter gatherings elsewhere? Why threaten to withhold state money from municipalities that defund police even as Florida cities including Miami and Tampa were actually increasing law enforcement spending?To Democrats, civil rights advocates, voters' groups and others who have studied the behavior of a politician they see as a mini-Donald Trump, the governor's solving of problems that appear not to exist was no mystery.A strong law-and-order pitch to voters in the key swing state just weeks before a presidential election deflected attention from a botched response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 14,000 in Florida, they say. And it echoed the fearmongering tactics employed on a national scale that Trump believes will win him a second term in the White House."He doesn't want us to address his terrible track record so he's using law and order as an election stunt to distract and scare voters," said Anna Eskamani, a Democratic state representative for Orlando."It's a complete act [and] Governor DeSantis is taking a page from Trump's playbook."Eskamani and her colleagues see the DeSantis proposals, which the governor said he wants passed by the state legislature as early as November, as "fear-based legislation" and an assault on first amendment rights.They include a six-month prison sentence for anybody striking or throwing objects at law enforcement officers and designate gatherings of seven or more people resulting in injury or property damage as unlawful. Additionally, any driver who injures or kills a person during such a gathering will not be held liable – raising the prospect of almost legalizing vehicular attacks on protests."We already have laws on the books against violent acts. And calls for racial justice in Florida have been overwhelmingly peaceful," Eskamani said. "I know, I have marched in protest alongside others. Anyone who dares to hit someone or break property, they are arrested."The controversy came in a busy week for the election in Florida during which mail-in voting began and polls showed Trump virtually tied with his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, after trailing all year.DeSantis drew criticism for announcing on Friday that he was removing most remaining coronavirus restrictions even though the state is still a hotspot. Also capturing attention was an escalating spat between DeSantis's administration and Michael Bloomberg, the Democratic former presidential candidate who provided $16m to pay off court fees and fines of convicted felons so they could vote."Timing is everything in politics and they must have seen the same polling showing up in ABC that law and order was number three issue in this election after the economy and Covid," said Susan MacManus, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Florida."Older people don't like unsettling times, the riots and the violence. On top of some of the other things that are happening, it could be just unsettling enough to cause some of those who were going to vote for Biden to come back home and vote for Trump," she added.DeSantis himself acknowledged his manifesto was not built on anything that had taken place in the state."We have seen attacks on law enforcement, we've seen disorder and tumult in many cities. I will not allow this kind of violence to occur here in Florida," he said during a press conference in Winter Haven, at which he was flanked by senior state Republicans and law enforcement officials.Equality advocates are particularly outraged at the loosely defined clause removing criminal liability from drivers "fleeing for safety from a mob"."[It] would protect individuals who injure protesters with their vehicles just three years after Heather Heyer, an anti-racism activist, was murdered when a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia," said Andrea Mercado, executive director of the political organising group New Florida Majority.Some local government officials, meanwhile, decry the governor's threat to hold back state money from municipalities perceived to have "defunded" police."It seeks to bully local governments from reallocating law enforcement budgets and seeking reforms like we're trying to do," said Sabrina Javellana, vice-mayor of Hallandale Beach."Sanctions only hurt the people he is purporting to help. Many crimes are committed out of poverty. If we can reduce poverty we can reduce crime."Shevrin Jones, a Democratic state senator-elect, said DeSantis was guilty of "blatant overreach" by seeking to criminalize protests."I am confident that all Floridians, white, black, brown, will see this for what it is, a desperate violation of our constitutional rights just ahead of a critical election in which every single vote counts," he said."We're going to fight this tooth and nail. You've just declared war on our civil rights. We're prepared to strap up our boots and in the spirit of John Lewis get in some good trouble."
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| Space Force Now Has an Official Uniform Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:57 PM PDT  The U.S. Space Force members will wear the Operational Camouflage Pattern as the official service duty uniform.
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| 4th person killed in devastating California wildfire Posted: 30 Sep 2020 07:54 AM PDT  Flames devoured swaths of brush and trees in Northern California on Wednesday amid unseasonably hot and dry weather. Officials said wind-whipped flames led two firefighters to deploy the emergency fire shelters they carry. The firefighters were assigned to the Glass fire burning in wine country north of San Francisco Sunday when gusty off-shore winds fanned the fire, prompting them to deploy their fire shelters after flames overwhelmed them.
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| 'Did I dream Herman Cain's death?': Trump slammed for claiming campaign rallies don't spread coronavirus Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:55 AM PDT  Tuesday's clash was first of three debates
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| She tried to board a flight barefoot in Miami, airline says. Then came the meltdown Posted: 30 Sep 2020 12:52 PM PDT  Another day, another public meltdown. But this latest melee wasn't over masks.
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| Turkey begins developing its first surface-to-surface, laser-guided missile Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:46 AM PDT  The missile is expected to complement Turkey's unarmed TB2 Akinci drone fleet.
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| A creepy presidential debate ad shows a deepfake of Putin telling Americans they're ruining their own democracy Posted: 29 Sep 2020 09:50 AM PDT  In an ad campaign from non-profit RepresentUs, deepfakes of Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin warn Americans that they're ruining their own democracy.
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| MQ-9 Reaper Drone Flies with Double Hellfire Missiles in New Test Posted: 30 Sep 2020 11:36 AM PDT  A new software update on the MQ-9 Reaper allows the hunter-killer drone to carry eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.
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| AccuWeather's 2020-2021 US winter forecast Posted: 30 Sep 2020 09:22 AM PDT  With fall underway, AccuWeather's long-range forecasters are now looking ahead to winter. As Lincoln Riddle reports, it could be an early start to the season for many.
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| Trump's abrasive debate behavior may have worsened his relationship with female voters Posted: 30 Sep 2020 05:50 AM PDT  During the debate, Trump spoke to Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace more than he spoke to the American people and that's not going to cut it.
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| 'Women in military, bad idea': Mike Pence’s most controversial comments about women Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:39 PM PDT  Mr Pence has a long history of making eyebrow-raising comments about women
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| 'Utter devastation': Three dead as multiple wildfires in California explode in size Posted: 28 Sep 2020 10:37 PM PDT  "This was pretty devastating," one official said. "Just literally hundreds and hundreds of homes devastated with nothing standing."
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| People with this name can get a free flight to Florida on Frontier Airlines Posted: 30 Sep 2020 06:20 AM PDT  The eligible flights are in October, the airline said.
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| Fact check: Picture of 'Black Lives Matter protesters' attacking a white man is misleading Posted: 30 Sep 2020 01:47 PM PDT  The event where the picture was taken was not a Black Lives Matter protest, USA TODAY found. It was an event in St. Louis involving a statue.
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