| Florida Billboard Slams NRA As 'Terrorist Organization' Posted: 04 Mar 2018 05:39 PM PST  The message was funded by the Mad Dog PAC, which sponsors billboards across the nation calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment and attacking the nation's largest gun lobby and select Republican politicians. The PAC is headed by Claude Taylor, a former staff member in Bill Clinton's White House. "With the GOP majority in the House and in the Senate, the NRA makes impossible any meaningful, common-sense gun reform.
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| Report claims Russia influenced Trump's rejection of Romney as secretary of state Posted: 05 Mar 2018 07:00 AM PST  A shocking memo authored by former spy Christopher Steele has recently come to light that reveals potential Kremlin influence over Donald Trump's decision-making in the months leading up to his assuming the Oval Office and U.S. presidency. A lengthy New Yorker profile on the ex-MI6 operative delves into both Steele's past and current dealings with congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election. One specific excerpt from the piece is raising eyebrows, and that surrounds a Russian source that claims the Kremlin had specific recommendations for who then President-elect Trump chose as his secretary of state.
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| Angus King: 'Not Much of a Relationship' Between Senate and House Intel Committees Posted: 03 Mar 2018 10:41 PM PST  Independent Senator Angus King (Maine) appeared on Meet the Press in an exclusive interview to talk about reports that the House Intelligence Committee has leaked information about the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation.
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| Syria's Assad says Ghouta operation will continue Posted: 04 Mar 2018 11:08 AM PST ![Syria's Assad says Ghouta operation will continue]( "Syria's Assad says Ghouta operation will continue") Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that a military operation against the eastern Ghouta area near Damascus would continue and in parallel civilians would be allowed to leave the rebel-held area. The progress achieved yesterday and the day before in Ghouta by the Syrian Arab Army was made during this truce," Assad said in broadcast comments to journalists. "Therefore we must continue with the operation in parallel with opening the way for civilians to leave." He was referring to a daily humanitarian ceasefire called by Russia from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (0700 GMT to 1200 GMT), which the United States has dismissed as "a joke".
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| Philando Castile Charity Covers Entire School District's Lunch Debt Posted: 03 Mar 2018 07:03 PM PST  Two years after he was fatally shot by a police officer in Minnesota, Philando Castile is still helping students afford lunch. A charity created in Castile's honor has paid off the lunch debt for every student in the 56 schools in the St. Paul Public School District, including the school where Castile worked as a cafeteria supervisor. Castile had worked as a cafeteria supervisor at the J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul for two years at the time he was killed.
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| Winter storm could bring blizzard conditions to northern US Posted: 04 Mar 2018 10:33 AM PST  A new weather system is developing as many recover from nor'easter.
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| 227-year-old tree planted by George Washington pulled down by wind Posted: 04 Mar 2018 07:44 AM PST  Extreme winds have toppled a tree, believed to be well over two centuries old, that was planted by former US president George Washington on his Mount Vernon estate. The 227-year-old Canadian hemlock which collapsed on Friday was planted by the founding father and first American president back in 1791. Mount Vernon announced the tree had fallen over on its Facebook page on Friday evening.
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| U.S. embassy in Ankara says will be closed on Monday due to security threat Posted: 04 Mar 2018 12:52 PM PST  The U.S. embassy in Turkey's capital Ankara will be closed to the public on Monday due to a security threat and only emergency services will be provided, it said in a statement on Sunday. The embassy advised U.S. citizens in Turkey to avoid large crowds and the embassy building and to be aware of their own security when visiting popular tourist sites and crowded places. Visa interviews and other routine services will be cancelled on Monday, the embassy said, adding that it would make an announcement when it is ready to reopen.
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| Nine of the Coolest Test Mules Posted: 05 Mar 2018 09:30 AM PST |
| Sen. Thad Cochran Announces Resignation, Citing Health Concerns Posted: 05 Mar 2018 01:54 PM PST  Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) announced on Monday that he will be resigning from the Senate because of health issues.
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| McDonough: Mitch McConnell watered down Obama's Russia response Posted: 03 Mar 2018 09:52 PM PST  In an exclusive interview on Meet the Press, Obama White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough tells Chuck Todd that Sen. Mitch McConnell watered down a statement about Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.
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| Report: Mexican man assumed American identity for 37 years Posted: 04 Mar 2018 12:14 PM PST ![Report: Mexican man assumed American identity for 37 years]( "Report: Mexican man assumed American identity for 37 years") SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Mexican man who was deported twice and had a history of arrests was able to assume the identity of an American citizen and receive more than $360,000 in government benefits for nearly four decades, California court records show.
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| 37 Photos That Show How Hilariously Bad Little Kids Are At Hiding Posted: 05 Mar 2018 09:39 AM PST  Playing hide-and-seek is a beloved childhood tradition, but over the years, it seems kids haven't gotten any better at hiding.
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| Wilbur Ross: 'I Have No Reason to Think' Trump's Going to Change His Mind on Trade Posted: 03 Mar 2018 10:33 PM PST  Commerce Secretary Wibur Ross tells Chuck Todd that President Trump will make the final decision on any trade tariffs.
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| Can Texas Democrats really turn the Lone Star State blue? Posted: 03 Mar 2018 09:51 PM PST  Turning the Lone Star State into a battleground may seem far-fetched for Democrats, but in 2016 Hillary Clinton came closer to winning Texas than Iowa.
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| Japan car giants team up to build hydrogen stations Posted: 04 Mar 2018 11:38 PM PST  Top Japanese carmakers said on Monday they were teaming up to nearly double the amount of hydrogen stations in Japan, as the car-mad country seeks to head off competition from China and Germany. Toyota, Nissan and Honda formed a joint venture with major gas and energy companies, including French industrial gases company Air Liquide, to build 80 new hydrogen stations in the next four years, to add to the 101 stations currently in Japan. "At this stage, we believe there is significant space for cooperation, rather than searching for areas of competition," Shigeki Terashi, Toyota executive vice president told reporters.
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| MIT study that found low pay for Uber drivers to be revisited Posted: 03 Mar 2018 09:28 PM PST  The study, by the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, found that drivers' median pretax profit was $3.37 per hour, using results from a survey of more than 1,100 workers of the ride hailing companies. Uber and other companies have defended their business models saying their drivers enjoy the flexibility of their work and on average earn more than the minimum wage, but have lost a series of court cases on the issue. Khosrowshahi criticized the MIT study in a tweet on Friday as "Mathematically Incompetent Theories (at least as it pertains to ride-sharing)," and linked to a response by Uber chief economist Jonathan Hall that challenged the study's methodology.
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| Why Putin Is Obsessed with America's Missile Defense Posted: 03 Mar 2018 06:19 PM PST  Practically all of the nuclear weapons systems mentioned in Putin's speech, old and new, were justified as a response to the steady buildup of U.S. missile defense since it withdrew from the ABM Treaty. In a speech before Russia's Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin unveiled several new nuclear-weapons systems.
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| Full Angus King: Use a 'Scalpel, Not a Chainsaw' When It Comes to Tariffs Posted: 03 Mar 2018 10:26 PM PST  In an exclusive interview on Meet the Press, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) talks to Chuck Todd about President Trump's tariff announcement, and reports that the House Intelligence Committee is leaking news from the Senate Committee.
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| Syrian troops advance in rebel-held region near capital Posted: 04 Mar 2018 01:35 PM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed Sunday to continue with a military offensive in a rebel-held region near the capital, as troops and allied militias captured a number of villages and towns in the largest advance since a wide-scale operation began last month.
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| Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra And Salma Hayek Proclaim 'A New Path Forward' Posted: 05 Mar 2018 05:47 AM PST  Three of Harvey Weinstein's most outspoken accusers introduced a powerful video montage Sunday at the Oscars that featured a diverse group of this year's nominees calling for more inclusion in Hollywood. Actresses Annabella Sciorra, Ashley Judd and Salma Hayek praised Hollywood's shakeup as the Me Too movement gained strength in the last year, and acknowledged there was more work to be done. "This year, many spoke their truth, and the journey ahead is long, but slowly a new path has emerged," said Sciorra, referencing sexual misconduct allegations against powerful players in Hollywood.
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| Man dies at party after allegedly being shot in chest by friend while wearing bulletproof vest Posted: 05 Mar 2018 07:11 AM PST  A man wearing a bulletproof vest died after he was shot in the chest by a friend at a party. Jason Griffin, a friend of the victim whose name has not been released, has been charged with manslaughter, police in Houston, Texas confirmed.
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| Helen Mirren Took A Tequila Shot On The Oscars Red Carpet Like The Queen She Is Posted: 05 Mar 2018 06:41 AM PST  Helen Mirren is a boss.
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| Fayetteville police searching for 2 kids abducted by mother Posted: 05 Mar 2018 06:36 AM PST  Fayetteville police are asking for help to find two kids who were abducted by their mother on Sunday.
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| Endangered Sumatran tiger falls victim to brutal killing spree Posted: 05 Mar 2018 03:42 AM PST  A critically endangered Sumatran tiger was brutally killed in Indonesia on Sunday, the latest victim of a killing spree targeting near-extinct species that has alarmed conservationists. Police on Borneo island arrested at least two people in two separate incidents this year in which an orangutan had been decapitated and another had been shot more than 130 times with an air rifle.
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| Uncertain future for 'Dreamer' immigrants as deadline passes Posted: 05 Mar 2018 11:34 AM PST  The hopes of hundreds of thousands of "Dreamers" were on hold Monday as lawmakers missed an initial deadline for resolving the fate of immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that shields nearly 700,000 of the immigrants from deportation was supposed to expire on March 5, six months after President Donald Trump announced he was ending it. Both those developments have taken the pressure off lawmakers.
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| China's president Xi increases military budget ahead of ruler-for-life vote Posted: 05 Mar 2018 01:51 AM PST  China is to increase military spending by 8.1 percent this year as the world's biggest army expands its global reach and continues to modernise. Beijing's defence budget is the largest in three years and comes as the Asian giant becomes increasingly assertive under president Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader is set to clear the way for him to rule for life at the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament, which meets this week. The increase of China's defence budget to 1.1 trillion yuan (£125 billion) was announced on the opening day of the political gathering on Monday. It compares with a seven percent increase last year and 7.6 percent in 2016, which marked the first time in six years that spending growth had not risen into double figures. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers his work report during the opening session of the National People's Congress Credit: AFP Li Keqiang, the prime minister, told NPC delegates: "We will stick to the Chinese path in strengthening our armed forces, advance all aspects of military training and war preparedness." China has cut 300,000 troops from its forces, leaving it with an army of around two million solders. But the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is undergoing a rapid modernisation drive. It is preparing to launch its second aircraft carrier and has been developing stealth jets and advanced missiles. China has angered rivals such as Vietnam and the Philippines with what observers see as its growing militarisation of the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. Washington has also expressed alarm at China's building of artificial islands in the disputed waters. China last year opened its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, a strategic location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal. Chinese Air Force conducts drill to improve operation capability.#china#AirForce#militaryhttps://t.co/Y2kL3e3Lngpic.twitter.com/cP6RQWGDHo— CCTV+ (@CCTV_Plus) March 3, 2018 Beijing regularly announced double digit growth in military spending over two decades from the early 1990s as it steadily built up its once backward army. Observers said a stalling economy caused officials to rein in spending over the last three years. China has the world's second largest defence budget, but it remains only about a quarter of what the United States spends on its military. Mr Trump last year said he intended to increase US military spending by ten percent to $603 (£491 billion). The US total is about nine times that of Russia, who have the third biggest military budget. Protests in China over Xi Jinping's power play The arms budget in Britain – the world's fourth biggest defence spender according to some analysts – is expected to edge up 1.2 percent to $51.8bn (£37.5) in 2018. In 2016 the Conservatives pledged to boost spending by 0.5 percent and keep it at two percent of GDP. China only spends about 1.3 percent of its GDP on its military, whereas the US spends about 3.3 percent. The prospect of President Xi's theoretically limitless rule has rattled foreign powers, but delegates at the NPC have expressed enthusiasm. "If a good leader comes into power, we should let him remain in that leadership position forever. In this way, there is continuity. It's great!", said Zhang Donghe, a delegate from the gritty, industrial province of Hebei, which surrounds Beijing. Additional reporting by Christine Wei
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| Jordan Peele Wears Deer Pin In Tribute To Symbolism In 'Get Out' At Oscars Posted: 04 Mar 2018 07:39 PM PST  Jordan Peele paid tribute to his directorial debut "Get Out" in a subtle way at the Oscars. On the red carpet Sunday night, he wore a golden pin shaped like deer antlers — a symbolic motif throughout his film.
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| The Latest: Report: 2nd person dies as snow hits California Posted: 03 Mar 2018 07:33 PM PST  MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on snowstorms in the mountains of California (all times local):
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| Chris Christie Slams 'Some Of The Really Awful People Inside The White House' Posted: 04 Mar 2018 07:38 PM PST  In an interview with the New York Times, Christie defended White House counselor Kellyanne Conway by attacking her coworkers. In a separate interview, he also said White House advisors Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner ― Trump's daughter and son-in-law ― might be fired by now in any other administration.
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| German security service probes acid attack on energy CFO Posted: 04 Mar 2018 04:30 PM PST  Germany's domestic security service is investigating an acid attack on a manager of an energy company that has been in conflict with environmental protesters, police said Monday. Two unidentified males on Sunday hurled acid at the face of Bernhard Guenther, 51, chief financial officer with Essen-based company Innogy, the renewables subsidiary of energy giant RWE, said police. Bild daily reported that the attackers used sulphuric acid, badly injuring the victim's face and eyes, as he was walking back from a bakery though a park close to his home in Haan near Duesseldorf.
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| Kobe Bryant, The Basketball Player, Just Won An Oscar Posted: 04 Mar 2018 07:53 PM PST  Bryant was the executive producer of the six-minute short, which was based on the poem the former NBA star wrote for The Players' Tribune in 2015 announcing his retirement. During his acceptance speech, Bryant dropped a subtle dig at Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who recently told NBA players LeBron James and Kevin Durant to "shut up and dribble" after they criticized President Donald Trump in a video on YouTube.
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| U.N. inquiry blames Congo's ADF rebels for deadly attack on peacekeepers Posted: 04 Mar 2018 11:41 PM PST  A Congo-based Ugandan rebel group is to blame for three attacks on United Nations peacekeepers, including one in December that killed 15 Tanzanian troops, the United Nations said on Friday. The Dec. 8 attack, which also killed five Congolese soldiers and wounded another 53 peacekeepers, on a U.N. base in the Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled eastern borderlands came amid a rising wave of violence in the mineral-rich area. A special U.N. inquiry also looked at two other attacks on Tanzanian peacekeepers, on Sept. 16 and Oct. 7, 2017.
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| Trump on China's Xi: Maybe US could have a president for life someday Posted: 04 Mar 2018 04:29 AM PST  The US president applauded Xi Jinping's bid to usher China back into an era of a one man dictatorship - hailing the world leader as "great" and praising the fact he now holds office "for life". China's most powerful leader in a generation, who took power in 2012, had been expected to rule until 2023. Mr Xi will attempt to use an annual meeting of China's parliament, which starts on Monday morning, to change the Chinese constitution to scrap presidential term limits.
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| South Korean envoys in historic trip to North, meet Kim Posted: 05 Mar 2018 06:25 AM PST  The most senior South Koreans to travel to North Korea for more than a decade met leader Kim Jong Un Monday, a Seoul official said, the latest step in an Olympics-driven rapprochement on the divided peninsula. The delegation, representing the South's President Moon Jae-in, is pushing for talks between the nuclear-armed regime and the United States, after Kim sent his sister Kim Yo Jong to the Winter Games in the South. "Chairman Kim Jong Un is currently hosting a dinner for the special envoys," Moon's spokesman told a press briefing Monday evening, Yonhap news agency reported.
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| Michigan man cleared of murder now fights for compensation Posted: 04 Mar 2018 07:47 AM PST  DETROIT (AP) — David Gavitt spent 26 years in prison for the deaths of his wife and two daughters before a prosecutor agreed that the evidence behind his arson conviction was no longer credible. The case helped inspire a Michigan law aimed at compensating the wrongfully convicted.
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| Volkswagen's I.D. Vizzion Sedan Concept Identifies, Attempts to Codify Driverless Future Posted: 05 Mar 2018 11:45 AM PST  The future looks large and electric.
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| China keeps growth target at 6.5 percent, stays focused on financial risks Posted: 04 Mar 2018 09:58 PM PST  By Kevin Yao and Sue-Lin Wong BEIJING (Reuters) - China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5 percent this year, the same as in 2017, while pressing ahead with its campaign to reduce risks in the financial system, Premier Li Keqiang said Monday. The goal was kept unchanged even though the economy grew 6.9 percent last year and exceeded the government's target. Sources previously told Reuters that China will maintain its growth target at "around 6.5 percent".
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| Building super testifies nanny accused of murdering young children on Upper West Side had 'eyes of the devil' Posted: 05 Mar 2018 02:45 PM PST  Yoselyn Ortega, 55, is charged with stabbing 6-year-old Lulu and 2-year-old Leo Krim to death in their Upper West Side apartment in 2012.
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| Family friend: Son of parents slain in dorm a 'good kid' Posted: 04 Mar 2018 01:12 PM PST  DETROIT (AP) — A suburban Chicago couple whose 19-year-old son allegedly shot them to death at his college dormitory in Michigan raised him and their two other children well, a family friend said Sunday.
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| Bruising Qualcomm-Broadcom battle heads for showdown Posted: 03 Mar 2018 07:04 PM PST  With a potential for the biggest-ever deal in the tech sector at stake, Qualcomm shareholders will have their say on a hostile bid for the US mobile chip giant by Singapore-based rival Broadcom. Qualcomm shareholders at an annual gathering Tuesday will get to vote whether to replace six of the California company's 11 board members with candidates backed by Broadcom, essentially endorsing the deal estimated to be worth $117 billion. Qualcomm's board on Thursday sent a letter to shareholders urging them to re-elect its current members, making a statement against Broadcom's offer.
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| Moscow says U.S. trying to interfere in Russian election: RIA Posted: 05 Mar 2018 03:21 AM PST  Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday that Moscow had evidence that the United States was trying to interfere in the Russian presidential election, the RIA news agency quoted him as saying. Russia holds a presidential election on March 18, which polls show incumbent Vladimir Putin should comfortably win. The Interfax news agency cited Ryabkov as saying that the United States was trying to sow chaos in Russia and that U.S. sanctions were aimed at destabilizing Russia.
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| Google plans $2.6bn New York expansion as tech execs claim 'Silicon Valley is over' Posted: 05 Mar 2018 09:29 AM PST  Google is said to be close to signing a $2.4bn deal to establish an East Coast base in New York City, the latest in a series of moves by tech firms who believe Silicon Valley's best days may be "over". If it goes ahead, Google would be among a number of tech companies that are looking to expand their New York footprint. Concerns about the soaring cost of living in San Francisco, and worried that innovation may be accelerating faster in other parts fo the country, a number of firms are looking to New York and other cities.
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| 2019 Mercedes-AMG C43 Sedan: More Muscle for the Middle C Posted: 05 Mar 2018 01:00 AM PST  Goodbye, glitzy grille. Hello, horsepower.
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