| Immigration advocates denounce DHS plan to implement Trump executive orders Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:48 PM PST  Immigration policy experts lashed out Tuesday at the Department of Homeland Security's plan to implement President Trump's executive orders on immigration. "In my many years of practicing immigration law, I have not seen a mass deportation blueprint like this one," Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that advocates for the rights of low-income immigrant families, said in a conference call with reporters. In two memos issued Tuesday, DHS Secretary John Kelly laid out sweeping new guidance for officers tasked with carrying out the president's immigration policies.
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| Once Renowned Surgeon Sentenced to Life Behind Bars for Intentionally Maiming Patients Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:31 PM PST  Christopher Duntsch once billed himself as the best neurosurgeon in all of Dallas.
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| North Korea downplays impact of China coal ban Posted: 21 Feb 2017 05:31 AM PST  A North Korean state economic official sought Tuesday to play down the impact of China's shock announcement that it was suspending coal imports from the country for the rest of the year. The move, which came shortly after another missile launch by Pyongyang and the assassination of its leader's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur, would go much further than the latest UN sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear and missile programmes. China is the North's sole major ally and by far its biggest trading partner, with coal the biggest component of its purchases -– according to figures from Chinese Customs it imported more than 22 million tonnes last year, worth nearly $1.2 billion.
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| Hillary Clinton Finally Stepped in to Advise President Trump Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:06 PM PST  After months of passive tweets, Hillary Clinton finally called on POTUS speak out against anti-Semitic attacks. President Trump employed Breitbart News chairman, Steven Bannon, as chief Whitehouse strategist, leading some to believe he's encouraging anti-Semitic behavior.
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| Ex-Hong Kong leader jailed in fall from 'such a height' Posted: 22 Feb 2017 02:49 AM PST ![Ex-Hong Kong leader jailed in fall from 'such a height']( "Ex-Hong Kong leader jailed in fall from 'such a height'") By Venus Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) - Former Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang was jailed for 20 months on Wednesday for misconduct in public office, making him the most senior city official to serve time behind bars in a ruling some said reaffirmed the financial hub's vaunted rule of law. The sentence brings an ignominious end to what had been a long and stellar career for Tsang before and after the 1997 handover to Chinese control, service that saw him knighted by the outgoing British colonial rulers. "Never in my judicial career have I seen a man falling from such a height," said High Court justice Andrew Chan in passing sentence.
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| Azerbaijan’s President Makes His Wife Second in Command Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:00 AM PST  Autocratic relationship goals.
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| The Latest: Russian UN diplomat's death needs further study Posted: 21 Feb 2017 10:04 AM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the death of Russia's ambassador to the United Nations (all times local):
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| Resistance Report: More than 1 million sign White House petition for Trump’s tax returns, breaking record Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:56 AM PST  President Trump has taken to saying that no one cares about his taxes. White House petitions need to draw more than 100,000 signatures within 30 days to be considered for an official response from the White House.
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| SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship just had to abort its supply run mission Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:58 AM PST 
SpaceX made headlines earlier this week when its Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched and then performed a perfect vertical landing. Today's SpaceX news isn't nearly as cheerful, as the Dragon cargo ship that was placed into orbit by the rocket has been forced to make an emergency abort before it reached the International Space Station, delaying the delivery of supplies to astronauts aboard the craft.
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/834336113884012544 The Dragon capsule, which is unmanned and guided entirely by remote commands, experienced a software glitch that produced a faulty value in its navigation calculations. The Dragon was less than a mile from the ISS when the capsule's software cried foul and, according to a NASA spokesperson, the SpaceX craft "did exactly what it was designed to do" by breaking off its approach. According to both SpaceX and NASA, the crew of the ISS was never in any real danger, and the capsule itself is said to be "in excellent shape." SpaceX and NASA appear to be chalking up the erroneous data as a fluke. https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/834346217853194243 The capsule is carrying 5,500lbs of supplies for the astronauts on board the International Space Station, and this is SpaceX's tenth cargo run in service of NASA. The supplies will still make it to their destination, however, as SpaceX is planning on making another attempt at delivery Thursday morning. The 24-hour delay in supply delivery won't spell doom for anyone on board the space station, and "will not adversely impact" any of the biological materials or experiments housed within the Dragon.
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| Bodies of 74 migrants wash up on Libya beach Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:41 PM PST  The bodies of 74 migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe have washed up on a beach west of the Libyan capital, the Red Crescent said Tuesday. Residents of the village of Harcha, outside Zawiya, 45 kilometres (30 miles) from Tripoli, alerted the emergency services after finding a wrecked boat on the beach with bodies inside, the Red Crescent said. "We don't have an appropriate vehicle to transport the bodies or a cemetery for unidentified bodies to bury them in," the group said.
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| Le Pen aide charged in 'fake jobs' scandal: judicial source Posted: 22 Feb 2017 11:13 AM PST  Paris (AFP) - The personal assistant of French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was charged Wednesday in a scandal over "fake jobs" at the European Parliament, a judicial source said.
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| British suicide bomber in Iraq had won compensation for Guantanamo stay Posted: 22 Feb 2017 10:12 AM PST ![British suicide bomber in Iraq had won compensation for Guantanamo stay]( "British suicide bomber in Iraq had won compensation for Guantanamo stay") By Guy Faulconbridge and Ali Abdelaty LONDON/CAIRO (Reuters) - An Islamic State suicide bomber from Britain who blew himself up in an attack on Iraqi forces this week had been given compensation for his detention in the Guantanamo Bay military prison, Western security sources said on Wednesday. Islamic State militants said Abu-Zakariya al-Britani, a British citizen who was originally known as Ronald Fiddler and then cast himself as Jamal Udeen al-Harith, detonated a car bomb at an Iraqi army base southwest of Mosul this week.
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| These are the world's best beaches 2017: TripAdvisor Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:46 AM PST  If there's one single beach that leaves visitors enamored, recharged and inspired, it's Baia do Sancho in Brazil, which captured the title of world's best beach by TripAdvisor travelers for a third time.
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| David Cassidy Has Dementia: Here's What That Means Posted: 22 Feb 2017 07:01 AM PST  Actor and singer David Cassidy recently revealed he has dementia, but what exactly does this term mean? Cassidy, who is 66, told People magazine on Monday (Feb. 20) that he has dementia, and will stop touring as a musician because of his diagnosis. The actor also said that both his mother and grandfather suffered from dementia.
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| Police Reluctant To Help Trump In Deportations Posted: 22 Feb 2017 08:39 AM PST  "We have not been approached nor would we be interested in participating in this program," one police official said.
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| College Board tightens SAT exam security, but key risk remains Posted: 22 Feb 2017 02:05 PM PST ![College Board tightens SAT exam security, but key risk remains]( "College Board tightens SAT exam security, but key risk remains") The New York-based College Board said the steps include reducing the number of times the test is given outside the United States and increasing the auditing of test centers. As Reuters reported last year, the College Board has failed to stop a widespread and known security problem. Asian test-preparation companies are gathering questions and reading passages from past SAT exams, and then giving their clients that material to practice upon.
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| Apple 'spaceship' headquarters readies for boarding Posted: 22 Feb 2017 10:33 AM PST  Apple on Wednesday announced that workers will start boarding its futuristic new "spaceship" campus in Silicon Valley in April, fulfilling a vision set out by late founder Steve Jobs. The process of moving more than 12,000 people to a new campus that Jobs envisioned as a "center for creativity and collaboration" was expected to continue late into the year. A theater on the new Apple Park campus was named in honor of Jobs, who would have turned 62 on February 24.
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| In photos: TV show and movie-inspired bars and restaurants around the world Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:00 AM PST |
| DC-based for decades, Apollo 11 capsule to go on road trip Posted: 22 Feb 2017 09:41 AM PST  CHANTILLY, Va. (AP) — The Apollo 11 command module, which traveled more than 950,000 miles to take Americans to the moon and back in 1969, is going on a road trip, leaving the Smithsonian for the first time in more than four decades.
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| Virginia governor vetoes bill defunding Planned Parenthood Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:25 PM PST ![Virginia governor vetoes bill defunding Planned Parenthood]( "Virginia governor vetoes bill defunding Planned Parenthood") Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have blocked funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and other health services. McAuliffe, a Democrat, said the measure would harm thousands of Virginians who relied on Planned Parenthood healthcare services and programs. "Attempts to restrict women's access to health care will impede the goal of making Virginia the best place to live, work, and run a business," he said in a statement.
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| Did Murdered Indiana Teens Capture the Voice of Their Killer? Posted: 22 Feb 2017 01:13 PM PST  A voice can be heard saying "down the hill" on a recording on Liberty German's cell phone.
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| Texas to feral pigs: It's time for the 'hog apocalypse' to begin Posted: 22 Feb 2017 07:33 AM PST  Texas has a new plan for its 2.5 million feral hogs: total annihilation. Sid Miller, the state's agriculture commissioner, just approved a pesticide — called "Kaput Feral Hog Lure" — for statewide use. "The 'hog apocalypse' may finally be on the horizon," Miller said in a statement on Tuesday. SEE ALSO: First human-pig chimeras created, sparking hopes for transplantable organs — and debate "This solution is long overdue," he added. "Wild hogs have caused extensive damage to Texas lands and loss of income for many, many years." Texas's agriculture commission estimates that feral hogs cause $52 million in damage each year to agricultural businesses by tearing up crops and pastures, knocking down fences and ruining equipment. The so-called hog lure is derived from warfarin, a blood-thinning agent that's also used to kill rats and mice in homes and buildings. Animals don't die immediately from eating the odorless, tasteless chemical. That would be too kind. Instead, they keep eating it until the anti-clotting properties cause them to bleed to death internally. This week, Miller approved a rule change in the Texas Administrative Code that allows landowners and agricultural producers to use Kaput — essentially warfarin-laced pellets — to keep feral hogs off their property. Not on my watch, hogs. Image: mark thompson/Getty Images Proponents of the hog toxicant, including the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service, say it's an effective tool because it's only strong enough to kill the swine, and not other wildlife populations or livestock. In January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered Kaput's hog bait under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, a move that made the product available for general use. Still, environmentalists and hog hunters alike staunchly oppose using warfarin to stamp out Texas's feral pig problem. Pigs poop, after all, and other animals could ingest the warfarin along the way. Some Texans hunt the pigs for sport and food, and they're worried about eating poisoned swine. "For Texas to introduce a poison into the equation is a bad decision in our opinion and could likely contaminate humans who unknowingly process and eat feral hogs," the Texas Hog Hunters Association said in a Change.org petition to block the rule change. MIke and his big ole boar from yesterday. Lamar county Texas https://t.co/jQoS5JbtnQ pic.twitter.com/2SeAKs7zbh — TX Hog Hunters Assn. (@texashoghunters) February 14, 2017 Louisiana might become the next state to use Kaput to quell its feral hog population, which worries state wildlife veterinarian Jim LaCour. He said local black bears and raccoons could easily lift the lid to the cages containing the warfarin-laced pellets. "We do have very serious concerns about non-target species," LaCour told the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. "When the hogs eat, they're going to drop crumbs on the outside, where small rodents can get them and not only intoxicate themselves but also birds of prey that eat them. Since the poison will be on the landscape for weeks on end, the chances of these birds eating multiple affected animals is pretty good," he told the newspaper. The pesticide's manufacturer, Scimetrics Ltd. Corp., assures the pesticide is safe for humans and wildlife — just not for feral pigs.
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| Plane carrying 5 people hits Australian shopping mall Posted: 20 Feb 2017 09:59 PM PST  MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five people were believed killed when a light plane crashed in flames into a shopping mall on Tuesday in the Australian city of Melbourne, officials said.
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| 'Making a Murderer' prosecutor on what he would have done differently in the Steven Avery investigation Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:52 PM PST  Ken Kratz, the former special prosecutor in the murder trials of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, spoke to Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga about his new book, "Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What 'Making a Murderer' Gets Wrong.' When asked if he regrets having local investigators' involved in the case while they were also being sued by Avery, he said, "You can look back, and would I have rather now had somebody else? Sure." He noted that the resources available at the time made that very difficult, and that they were not the only officers involved.
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| Far-right firebrand quits Breitbart over pedophilia remarks Posted: 21 Feb 2017 04:26 PM PST  Serial provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative firebrand and staunch fan of President Donald Trump, resigned Tuesday from the right-wing news site Breitbart amid a storm triggered by comments in which he seems to condone pedophilia. The 32-year-old Briton had already lost a book deal and a speaking engagement after a video was leaked on Twitter over the weekend in which he defends men having sex with children as young as 13. Facing the media at a news conference in New York -- after a 24-hour furor he described as "humiliating" -- Yiannopoulos announced he was stepping down as tech editor for the conservative US site.
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| China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:22 AM PST ![China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea]( "China opposes U.S. naval patrols in South China Sea") China said on Tuesday it opposed action by other countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation that undermined its sovereignty, after a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group began patrols in the contested South China Sea. The U.S. navy said the strike group, including the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson, began "routine operations" in the South China Sea on Saturday amid growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway. "China always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight all countries enjoy under international law," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing.
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| United Airlines enters basic economy fare wars in the US Posted: 22 Feb 2017 03:36 AM PST  Airfare wars are heating up in the US, with United Airlines the latest carrier to launch a basic economy fare in response to the low-cost competition.
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| Possible 'Hidden Chamber' in King Tut's Tomb Invites More Secretive Scans Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:20 AM PST  A group of archaeologists has said the tomb of Tutankhamun may hold a hidden chamber containing the tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Now, a physicist plans to lead a team conducting another series of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scans as a last-ditch effort to find Nefertiti's burial site. In this method, high-frequency radio waves bounce off the ground and off of walls, and the reflected signals can reveal hidden treasures, or empty chambers.This is the third time that this method has been used in Tutankhamun's tomb and it is unclear how the new scans will be different than the others.
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| Woman Arrested After Doing Cartwheels During Field Sobriety Test: Cops Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:56 AM PST  Bryelle Marshall, 23, was arrested and charged with battery, aggravated DWI, and for an expired license plate.
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| Apple says new California headquarters to open in April Posted: 22 Feb 2017 10:31 AM PST ![Apple says new California headquarters to open in April]( "Apple says new California headquarters to open in April") (Reuters) - Apple's sprawling new campus, dubbed "Apple Park," will open in April, the iPhone maker said on Wednesday. Although the first wave of employees will begin moving into the new Cupertino, California, headquarters this spring, it will take about six months for all of the 12,000-plus workers to make the transition, Apple said. Apple also said the 1,000-seat theatre at its futuristic headquarters will be named for its late co-founder, Steve Jobs, who helped design the 175-acre campus before his death in 2011.
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| Russia's ambassador to United Nations falls ill, dies at 64 Posted: 20 Feb 2017 06:42 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, a veteran diplomat known as a potent, savvy yet personable voice for his country's interests who could both spar and get along with his Western counterparts, died suddenly Monday after falling ill in his office at Russia's U.N. mission.
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| Shark kills bodyboarder on Reunion island Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:32 AM PST  Saint-André (France) (AFP) - A 26-year-old man bodyboarding off of Reunion island was killed by a shark on Tuesday, local officials said, in the latest attack in the waters of the Indian Ocean holiday destination. It was the 20th recorded shark attack on the island since 2011, eight of which have been fatal, despite efforts by local authorities to install nets and warn locals and tourists about the dangers. The man, a former shark spotter from the island once employed by the local surfing association, was pronounced dead after the shark bit through a major artery in his leg off the eastern coast near Saint-Andre.
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| Suicide bombers hit court in Pakistan, at least four killed - police Posted: 21 Feb 2017 12:54 AM PST  Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claim responsibility for suicide attack in Pakistan's northwestern town of Charsadda, killing at least four.
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| On The Eve Of Its Repeal, Are Voters Starting To Like Obamacare More? Posted: 22 Feb 2017 06:31 AM PST  A new poll showed increasingly favorable views of the Affordable Care Act.
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| Cyprus's Anastasiades says regrets Akinci's decision not to attend talks Posted: 22 Feb 2017 03:32 AM PST ![Cyprus's Anastasiades says regrets Akinci's decision not to attend talks]( "Cyprus's Anastasiades says regrets Akinci's decision not to attend talks") Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed regret on Wednesday over the decision of Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci not to attend scheduled peace talks on Thursday. "I am ready to continue the dialogue at any time," Anastasiades wrote on Twitter. Greek Cypriot officials earlier reported Akinci had pulled out of Thursday's peace talks, ongoing for almost two years.
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| The Latest: Charges say teen boys planned to rob, kill girl Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:42 PM PST ![The Latest: Charges say teen boys planned to rob, kill girl]( "The Latest: Charges say teen boys planned to rob, kill girl") LOGAN, Utah (AP) — The Latest on two 16-year-old boys charged with shooting a girl in the head (all times local):
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| 10 fascinating facts about the Washington Monument Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:45 AM PST  The iconic Washington Monument is celebrating its 132nd birthday today. Learn how it took 40 years to complete the project, and the surprising connections it has to the Pope, Abraham Lincoln, and the Constitution.
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| Administration lifts transgender student bathroom guidance Posted: 22 Feb 2017 05:48 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday ended federal protection for transgender students that allowed them to use public school bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identities.
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| Denmark extends S.Korea 'Rasputin' daughter's detention Posted: 22 Feb 2017 03:29 AM PST  A Danish court extended Wednesday for another month the detention of the daughter of Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the centre of a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of South Korea's president. Chung Yoo-Ra, the 20-year-old daughter of the woman dubbed South Korea's "Rasputin", is one of the figures in the influence-peddling scandal that sparked massive street protests demanding the removal of President Park Geun-Hye. Chung was detained in Denmark on January 1 for overstaying her visa, after South Korean authorities issued a warrant for her arrest.
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| For over three years, Kim murder suspect lived mystery life in Malaysia Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:24 AM PST ![For over three years, Kim murder suspect lived mystery life in Malaysia]( "For over three years, Kim murder suspect lived mystery life in Malaysia") Chong Ah Kow said he facilitated Ri's working visa by stating in supporting documents that he was a product development manager in the company's IT department earning 5,500 ringgit ($1,230) per month. "It was just a formality, just documents, I never paid him," Chong, a Malaysian, said in an interview.
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| Trump comments put focus on Sweden's embrace of immigrants Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:05 PM PST  HELSINKI (AP) — When a riot broke out in a predominantly immigrant Stockholm suburb this week, the biggest surprise for many Swedes was that a police officer found it necessary to fire his gun.
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| The very first Apple Watch Series 3 details may have just leaked Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:36 AM PST 
The Apple Watch Series 2 was a modest but welcome improvement over the original Apple wearable, but with stiff competition from Samsung and LG, it's already extremely clear that the next iteration of the Apple Watch will need to be pretty impressive in order to set it apart. Thanks to a new report from Digitimes, we now have an idea — an extremely vague one, admittedly — of how Apple is approaching the Apple Watch Series 3.
The report, which focuses on supplier TPK Holding, reveals that Apple is abandoning the glass panel technology that it has used for the Apple Watch thus far in favor of something new. "In order to return to profitability, TPK will focus on 3D sensor-based touch panels for smartphones with OLED displays in 2017 and give up production of touch panels for Apple Watch, the sources noted," Digitimes explains. "Considering cost and yield rates, Apple will adopt G/F (glass-film) touch solution in place of TOL for new Apple Watch and have Taiwan-based General Interface Solution or Hong Kong-based Biel Crystal Manufactory produce the G/F touch panels, with shipments to begin in the second half of 2017, the sources indicated." The report also indicated that the curved glass display of the Apple Watch caused major headaches for TPK in the manufacturing process, and that the company reported a loss due to the difficulties. Rumors have pointed to the Apple Watch Series 3 arriving in fall of 2017, which fits well with the report's claim that the new glass-film touch panels will begin shipping in the second half of the year.
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