| Spurred by gun violence, Amy O'Rourke will make solo campaign trail debut Posted: 03 Sep 2019 04:00 AM PDT  Amy O'Rourke, wife of presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, will step out on the campaign trail solo after previously avoiding the spotlight.
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| Florida is ready, but where is the hurricane? Posted: 03 Sep 2019 12:30 PM PDT  Houses and businesses are boarded up, bridges to barrier islands are blocked and many residents of Florida's beachside communities are long gone. "The uncertainty is a little nerve wracking," says Drew Gabrielson, clutching his trembling Chihuahua Rodney as he looks across a beach at the roughening surf. On Tuesday, Dorian began moving at five miles per hour (eight kilometers per hour), a positively jaunty pace after being stuck at a near standstill for the better part of two days as it battered the helpless Bahamas.
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| A Rift Reportedly Opens Between Hong Kong Prosecutors and Police as Protests Continue Unabated Posted: 03 Sep 2019 01:47 AM PDT  The head of the Hong Kong Court Prosecutors Association accuses police of lying, government funded broadcaster says
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| Former Navy SEAL enters Yale as a 52-year-old freshman Posted: 03 Sep 2019 03:33 AM PDT  Former Navy SEAL James Hatch says heading to class as a freshman at Yale University is just about as nerve-wracking as preparing for the uncertainty of combat. At 52 years old, Hatch does not fit the profile of the traditional Yale freshman.
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| Iran oil tanker at centre of diplomatic row with UK 'goes dark' off Syria after being released by Gibraltar Posted: 03 Sep 2019 04:48 AM PDT  The tanker at the centre of a diplomatic row between Iran and Britain "went dark" yesterday night off the coast of Syria, where it is suspected she may be delivering a controversial cargo of Iranian crude oil. The Adrian Darya 1, formally named Grace 1, would be doing so in breach of an agreement made to secure its release and threatens to become a major political embarrassment for the UK. The vessel was detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on July 4 as it was believed to be en route to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Two weeks later, Iran in retaliation seized British-flagged Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf. Gibraltar released the Adrian Darya on August 15 after receiving formal written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge its 2.1 million barrels of oil in Syria. The Stena has not been released. An aerial view shows a speedboat of Iran's Revolutionary Guard moving around the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz Credit: AP Iran changed the Grace 1's name and sold the oil, though it did not disclose the buyer. Since then it has been sailing around the Mediterranean with its load, continually changing its destination port. The US Treasury Department blacklisted the tanker on Friday, citing intelligence it was planning to deliver its crude to Syria. US Coast Guardsmen with Maritime Security Response Team East, Advanced Interdiction Team Detachment 1, during a training exercise in the Gulf Credit: Reuters Washington warned any state against assisting the ship, saying it would consider that support for a terrorist organisation, namely, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, prompting Greece to deny the Adrian permission to dock. According to TankerTrackers.com, which uses satellite tracking to record shipping movements, the vessel sent its last signal giving its position in international waters heading north towards Syria at 5.53pm local time on Monday. "It's now safe to assume she's in Syria's territorial waters," TankerTrackers.com tweeted. It is now thought to be sitting off the coast of Tartus awaiting a ship-to-ship transfer via one of a handful of Iranian-linked tankers in the region, also currently with no Automatic Identification System signals active. It is not against international law for a ship to turn her AIS off, but it is often done to try to get around sanctions. Lloyd's List Intelligence suggested two possible smaller vessels that may be involved in any transfer. Silvia 1, an Iran-flagged tanker, turned off its transponder on August 29 having entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. While Stark I, a 159,681 dwt, Iran-flagged crude tanker, took a similar route, also dropping off communication late on August 30. "The fact that Adrian Darya 1 is currently skirting the Syrian coast with its AIS offline, awaiting what the US intelligence services expect to be an imminent ship-to-ship transfer, which will ultimately see its cargo end up in Syria, is politically embarrassing for almost everyone except Iran," said Richard Meade, managing editor of Lloyd's List Intelligence. View of the Iranian oil tanker, formerly named Grace 1, anchored off Gibraltar Credit: REX The oil delivery could undermine European efforts to broker US-Iran talks. The UK, which has been pulled in opposing directions by European and American allies, has been trying to keep a diplomatic track with Tehran despite rising tensions. President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal with Tehran last year, leaving EU signatories scrambling to keep it alive. An Iranian government spokesman said on Tuesday it will "take a strong step" away from its 2015 nuclear accord if Europe cannot offer the country new terms by a deadline at the end of this week, as top Iranian diplomats travelled to France and Russia for last-minute talks. Should the Adrian offload as expected, it will raise questions as to whether the Islamic republic is acting in good faith.
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| California boat fire: Eight confirmed dead as 25 remain missing near Santa Cruz Island Posted: 02 Sep 2019 11:03 AM PDT  Four bodies have been recovered and a further four identified on the ocean floor following a fire on a diving boat off Santa Cruz Island, California.Lt Cmdr Matthew Kroll of the US Coast Guard said the bodies were found close to the wreckage of the Conception, which caught fire in the early hours while 33 passengers were asleep below deck.
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| Trump's new Mexico envoy stirs hornet's nest with Frida Kahlo jab Posted: 03 Sep 2019 07:12 AM PDT  The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico has taken aim at Mexican icon Frida Kahlo for her support of Marxism, stirring up a fierce social media debate with a tweet asking if the painter had not been aware of atrocities committed in the name of that ideology. Few Mexicans have enjoyed greater global recognition than Kahlo, who spent long periods bedridden after a traffic accident in her youth, attained international fame following her death in 1954 and became a feminist symbol in the 1970s. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Landau, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and sworn in last month, must navigate a volatile bilateral relationship.
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| Huawei Accuses U.S. of Harassing Workers, Attacking Network Posted: 03 Sep 2019 02:40 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Huawei Technologies Co. lashed out at the U.S. government Tuesday, accusing Washington of orchestrating a campaign to intimidate its employees and launching cyber-attacks to infiltrate its internal network.China's largest technology company claimed the American government had instructed law enforcement agencies to threaten and attempt to manipulate its employees. Huawei also accused the U.S. of launching attacks against its networks, the company said in a statement without saying how it obtained that information.The accusations ratchet up tensions between Huawei and the Trump administration, which has accused the networking giant of aiding Beijing in espionage and labeled it a national security risk. Washington has blacklisted the Chinese company, curbing the sales of the technology Huawei needs to make phones and telecommunications equipment."It has been using every tool at its disposal – including both judicial and administrative powers, as well as a host of other unscrupulous means – to disrupt the normal business operations of Huawei and its partners," the company said. Other measures included "instructing law enforcement to threaten, menace, coerce, entice, and incite both current and former Huawei employees to turn against the company and work for them."Representatives for the U.S. National Security Council didn't immediately respond to requests for comment outside of normal hours.Read more: Huawei Founder Sees 'Live or Die Moment' From U.S. UncertaintyHuawei has become a focal point for U.S.-Chinese tensions, regarded by some as a bargaining chip in sensitive trade negotiations. The company is grappling with an existential threat after Washington blocked it from purchasing American technology, cutting off vital supplies from Qualcomm Inc. chipsets to Google's Android operating software. The U.S. has also urged countries and companies to reject Huawei technology in their next generation of wireless networks, telling allies it could put their citizens' data at risk of espionage.Those efforts squeezed a company that had been on the cusp of dominating fifth-generation networking, the technology that will underpin future modern economies. Billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei warned in an internal memo in August his company faced a "live or die moment."The smartphone maker's statement came in response to an Aug. 30 Wall Street Journal report, which cited unidentified sources as saying the Justice Department was investigating the alleged theft of patents by Huawei. The company again denied it had ever stolen technology, then launched into a litany of accusations against the Trump administration itself. Among the claims it listed: that the U.S. was detaining shipments, denying visas, sending federal agents to employees' homes and even impersonating Huawei staff to entrap legitimate workers."We strongly condemn the malign, concerted effort by the U.S. government to discredit Huawei and curb its leadership position in the industry," the company said. "No company becomes a global leader in their field through theft."(Updates with details in Huawei's statement from the second paragraph)\--With assistance from Justin Sink.To contact the reporter on this story: Edwin Chan in Hong Kong at echan273@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Colum MurphyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Student loans: Betsy DeVos rule change means college students must fight for loan forgiveness Posted: 03 Sep 2019 08:11 AM PDT  DeVos thought it was too easy under Obama for students to get loan forgiveness if a college closed or if their degree didn't prepare them for a job.
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| Why black voters are backing two old white guys Posted: 02 Sep 2019 04:59 AM PDT  A divide among African Americans between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders has major implications for the race heading into the fall.
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| Hurricane Dorian edges 'dangerously close' to Florida after battering Bahamas Posted: 03 Sep 2019 09:48 AM PDT  * Five dead as island nation suffers 'historic tragedy' * Follow the latest live updates on Hurricane DorianRain brought on by Hurricane Dorian continues to pour in Freeport, Bahamas, on Tuesday. Photograph: Tim Aylen/APHurricane Dorian was edging "dangerously close" to the US mainland on Tuesday, after its catastrophic two-day stall over the Bahamas destroyed thousands of homes and left at least five people dead.Despite weakening to a category 2 storm with sustained winds of 110mph, Dorian remained powerful, experts warned, with the potential to deliver "life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds" from central Florida to the Carolinas.The storm's slow north-westerly crawl towards Florida finally began on Tuesday morning after a relentless 48-hour battering of the Abaco islands and Grand Bahama, causing massive destruction that the Bahamas prime minister, Hubert Minnis, said was an "historic tragedy"."The Bahamas is presently at war and being attacked by Hurricane Dorian," he told the Nassau Guardian. "And yet it has no weapon at its disposal to defend itself during such an assault by this enemy."Rescue workers, including some from the US coast guard, worked to lift stranded residents from the roofs of flooded homes. More than 20 people were airlifted to safety in New Providence island, some with serious injuries.Large areas of Grand Bahama, including the popular tourist resort of Freeport, remained under water."The reality of it all is, unfortunately, we will see more deaths. I can't see any way out of it," Marvin Dames, the Bahamas minister of national security, told reporters. He added that several of the confirmed dead were children.Millions in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina evacuated inland as Dorian, the most powerful Atlantic hurricane of modern times, began to menace the American mainland.The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said in its 11am advisory winds had dropped to almost half the speed of the 200mph gusts that pounded Abaco island at landfall on Sunday.But the size of the storm was increasing, senior hurricane specialist Dan Brown reported, with hurricane-force winds stretching 60 miles from its core and tropical storm-force winds up to 175mph.While Dorian's center is no longer predicted to make a Florida landfall, according to the NHC, the storm is still expected to deliver a powerful blow."The increasing size of Dorian's windfield along with any deviation to the left of the forecast track will bring hurricane-force winds onshore along portions of the Florida east coast," Brown said.Dorian's projected path saw it hugging the Florida coastline for the next 24 to 36 hours, close to the Florida-Georgia border by Wednesday evening and grazing the Carolinas through Thursday and Friday.The storm has been difficult to predict because of constant atmospheric changes in the Atlantic and Caribbean which left Dorian parked over Grand Bahama for so long."Somebody once told me a hurricane is like an elephant on roller-skates," severe weather expert Jim Lushine, a retired NHC forecaster, told the Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper. "It doesn't make a very sharp turn. It has to slow down tremendously before it can turn."In Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday the scene was eerily quiet, 36 hours ahead of the expected arrival of tropical storm force winds. The city, with a group of other Georgian coastal counties, was placed under an evacuation order on Monday by Governor Brian Kemp.Matthew Aylen wades through waist deep water as he is rescued during Hurricane Dorian in Freeport, Bahamas, on Tuesday. Photograph: Tim Aylen/APThe latest National Weather Service rainfall forecast indicated that the flash flood threat would increase into Wednesday along the Florida peninsula, then spread up the south-eastern and mid-Atlantic coast.In Miami, which has a large Bahamian community, volunteers and aid agencies were beginning to assemble relief supplies to send to the islands once the storm moved on.In a tweet using the hashtag bahamasstrong, Senator Marco Rubio said the government was ready to provide aid and assistance.As many as 13,000 homes in the Bahamas may have been destroyed or severely damaged, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said."It looks like they're boats on top of the water," said Rosa Knowles-Bain, 61, a resident who fled two days ago to an emergency shelter.At the White House, staff members reviewed hurricane planning with state and local officials. Donald Trump was being briefed hourly, the White House spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said.After cancelling a visit to Poland to stay in the US and "monitor" the storm, Trump played golf at his course in Virginia on Saturday and Sunday, before receiving hurricane briefings.Nine counties in Florida issued mandatory evacuations. They included parts of Duval county, home to Jacksonville, one of the two biggest cities in the state, and some areas in Palm Beach county, home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.Orlando international airport, one of the largest in Florida, ceased commercial operations at 2am on Tuesday because of the storm, it said in a statement. The airport in Fort Lauderdale planned to resume operations later on Tuesday, officials said.More than 2,300 flights were cancelled in the US as well as to and from the country. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando was planning to close at 3pm on Tuesday. * The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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| Venezuela's Guaido in FARC pledge to Bogota Posted: 03 Sep 2019 11:57 AM PDT  Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido on Tuesday offered to help neighboring Colombia track down dissident FARC rebels after Bogota accused President Nicolas Maduro of giving them a safe haven. "We are going to collaborate with the Colombian government on intelligence activities, and the detection of these groups that are operating irregularly," Guaido told reporters in Caracas. Colombia's right-wing President Ivan Duque has pledged to hunt down dissident FARC leaders who last week formally rejected a 2016 peace deal and announced a return to arms.
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| South Korean reporters grill minister nominee for 11 hours Posted: 03 Sep 2019 03:31 AM PDT  South Korean reporters have grilled President Moon Jae-in's nominee for justice minister for 11 hours over suspected ethical lapses surrounding his family that have triggered an intense political row and cut into Moon's popularity ratings. At a news conference that continued until the early hours of Tuesday, Cho Kuk, a law professor and Moon's former secretary for civil affairs, denied allegations that his daughter received special treatment in her admissions to a top university in Seoul and a medical school in Busan. Cho's news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul was abruptly arranged after his parliamentary confirmation hearing set for Monday and Tuesday fell through amid political bickering between ruling and opposition parties.
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| Tropical Storm Fernand forms in Gulf as it moves toward Mexico Posted: 03 Sep 2019 11:04 AM PDT  The low spinning in the Gulf near Mexico has intensified into a tropical storm. It is expected to move into Mexico Wednesday evening.
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| Revealed: How a secret Dutch mole aided the U.S.-Israeli Stuxnet cyberattack on Iran Posted: 02 Sep 2019 09:00 AM PDT  For years, an enduring mystery has surrounded the Stuxnet virus attack that targeted Iran's nuclear program: How did the U.S. and Israel get their malware onto computer systems at the highly secured uranium-enrichment plant?
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| Five dead as mobs burn down shops in 'anti-foreigner' riots in Johannesburg Posted: 03 Sep 2019 10:46 AM PDT  The death toll from sweeping anti-immigrant riots in Johannesburg suburbs rose to five on Tuesday as police attempted to restore order with rubber bullets. Large sections of Africa's largest and wealthiest city were deserted as tens of thousands of workers, commuters and school children stayed home to avoid violence directed at 'foreigners' from other parts of Africa. Rocks, bricks and rubber bullets lay strewn across the empty streets of Alexandra after mobs plundered the township overnight, burning and looting shops in their path. Police presence remained heavy last night after officers fired rubber bullets to disperse the last of the crowds. Many shops owned by 'foreigners' were looted on a second night of urban rioting where hundreds of people marched through the streets on Monday in an unusually large expression of anti-foreigner sentiment. A group of Zulu men residing at the Jeppe Hostel shout and wave stick during a speech given by the Police Minister General Bheki Cele in JeppesTown Credit: GUILLEM SARTORIO/AFP Such violence breaks out sporadically in South Africa where many locals blame immigrants for high unemployment, particularly in manual labour. "They beat up everyone they could see, they didn't check to see who owned the shops, whether it was a foreigner or a South African shop," said a Zimbabwe carpenter who asked not to be named. Another migrant, reluctant to say where he came from, who lives in shabby Malvern suburb close to the city centre, said: "The people are going for Nigerians as they do drugs." At least five people died, according to authorities, and about 100 were arrested since the word went around last weekend that there would be a purge on migrants this week. At least two South Africans were killed on Tuesday in a small town south of Johannesburg. A foreign national, believed to be a Somalian shopkeeper, was arrested with an unlicensed gun, according to sources close to the South African police. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday condemned the wave of xenophobic violence. Attacks on businesses run by "foreign nationals is something totally unacceptable, something that we cannot allow to happen in South Africa," Ramaphosa said in a video address diffused on Twitter. "I want it to stop immediately," said Ramaphosa, adding that there was "no justification" for the violence. President Cyril Ramaphosa said he went to the "hostels" to speak to people about the attacks. The word hostels implies to many South Africans that the people he spoke to were Zulus - who still live in impoverished ghettoes formed during South Africa's mining boom. "This violence is now mutating and taking different forms that represent themselves in a way that we do not want to see in South Africa, where communities seem to be attacking one another. We want this to stop immediately," he said. While most illegal foreigners are from African countries, such as Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Burundi, there is a steady flow of illegal nationals from Pakistan who mostly enter the country from Mozambique. South African truckers also started a nation-wide strike on Sunday to protest against the employment of foreign drivers. They staged road blockades and torched foreign-driven vehicles in various parts of the country on Monday. Police say about 200 long-haul drivers were injured or killed on the 350 mile highway between Johannesburg and port city Durban last year, while more than 2000 trucks were attacked. Bishop Paul Verryn, who allowed thousands of Zimbabwe refugees to live for more than five years in Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church, said he was approached by a group of foreign long-haul truck drivers last Saturday: "Somehow they knew violence was coming and came to tell me of their fears."
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| Cancer overtakes heart disease as biggest rich-world killer Posted: 03 Sep 2019 02:04 AM PDT  Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in wealthy countries and could become the world's biggest killer within just a few decades if current trends persist, researchers said on Tuesday. Publishing the findings of two large studies in The Lancet medical journal, the scientists said they showed evidence of a new global "epidemiologic transition" between different types of chronic disease. While cardiovascular disease remains, for now, the leading cause of mortality worldwide among middle-aged adults - accounting for 40% of all deaths - that is no longer the case in high-income countries, where cancer now kills twice as many people as heart disease, the findings showed.
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| The Electoral College isn't set in stone. Texas, Wisconsin could be next to switch sides. Posted: 03 Sep 2019 05:42 AM PDT  Even the safest Republican and Democratic states can change. We've seen dramatic reversals from California to West Virginia over the past 30 years.
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| Hurricane Dorian has killed at least 5 people in the Bahamas, including an 8-year-old boy who reportedly drowned Posted: 03 Sep 2019 02:10 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian pummeled the Bahamas this weekend, destroying houses and creating a storm surge of up to 23 feet.
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| Mexican official denies vigilante movement has reignited Posted: 02 Sep 2019 06:57 PM PDT  State and local officials in western Mexico disputed Monday whether the old vigilante "self-defense" movement has re-awakened, or whether recent confrontations are just turf battles between gangs. The 2013-2014 vigilante movement took control of large swaths of western Michoacan state, purportedly to expel the old Knights Templar drug cartel. Over the weekend, vigilantes in the town of Tepalcatepec said they had fought off a massive attack by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and posted videos showing hundreds of purported vigilante fighters and shot-up pickup trucks surrounded by bodies.
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| Pakistan grants India access to alleged spy on death row Posted: 02 Sep 2019 07:55 AM PDT  Pakistan granted consular access to an alleged Indian spy on death row Monday, sparking claims from New Delhi that the prisoner was under "extreme pressure" and unable to speak freely during the meeting. The consular visit comes weeks after the International Court of Justice in July ordered Islamabad to provide the prisoner and alleged spy -- Kulbhushan Jadhav -- with consular access but rejected India's demand he be freed. "While we await a comprehensive report, it was clear that Shri Jadhav appeared to be under extreme pressure to parrot a false narrative to bolster Pakistan's untenable claims," said India's foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar in a statement.
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| 7 fatally shot, 34 wounded in Chicago during Labor Day weekend gun violence Posted: 03 Sep 2019 01:11 PM PDT  Gun violence over the Labor Day weekend has left seven people dead and another 34 wounded in Chicago.
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| 'Bigger picture, it's climate change': Great Lakes flood ravages homes and roads Posted: 02 Sep 2019 11:00 PM PDT  Depths of lakes that hold about 90% of US's freshwater spiking to record levels, from 14in to nearly 3ft above long-term averages 'There's no doubt that we are in a region where climate change is having an impact,' said Richard B Rood, a University of Michigan professor. Photograph: Colter Peterson/APThis summer, as rain relentlessly poured down on the Great Lakes region, Detroit declared a rare state of emergency. The swollen Detroit River had spilled into the low-lying Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood – an event not seen near this scale since 1986.Volunteers sandbagged the area as the city's overwhelmed sewer system spilled raw sewage into the river, which connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Across the channel from Jefferson Chalmers, water damaged the historic boathouse on Belle Isle, a 982-acre island park that remains partly shut down because of flooding.Meanwhile, in Duluth, Minnesota, the city is rebuilding after a powerful storm over Lake Superior damaged a popular pedestrian path, eroded acres of lakefront property and ravaged infrastructure along the shore.About 800 miles to the east, floods hit Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie in two of the last three years, while Lake Michigan's historically high waters inundated parts of Chicago throughout the spring and summer months.The havoc wreaked on communities bordering the Great Lakes is a result of their water level steadily rising over the last five years and spiking to record levels this spring and summer. In 2019, the lakes' depths ranged from 14in to nearly 3ft above long-term averages, according to data from the US army corps of engineers. In June, water in the Lakes St Clair, Ontario, Superior and Erie set records for monthly mean levels, while Lake Michigan-Huron rose to 1in from its recorded peak.That is leading to widespread damage in coastal cities, eroded shorelines and beaches and many other issues. The record levels come just five years after the lakes experienced historically low levels in 2014, and climate scientists say it is clear what's fueling the drastic swing: the Earth's rising temperatures."Bigger picture, it's climate change," said Richard B Rood, a professor in the University of Michigan's department of climate and space sciences and engineering. "There's no doubt that we are in a region where climate change is having an impact."Rood said the Great Lakes basin, which holds 90% of the nation's freshwater, can expect similar shifts in the coming decades as world temperatures increase.Climate scientists say a confluence of climate crisis-related issues resulted in this year's levels. Warmer air over the Gulf of Mexico caused more evaporation, and that moisture pushed into the region during the spring and summer. Higher temperatures give the atmosphere more capacity to hold evaporated water, Rood said, which is why storms are dumping more rain than 50 years ago."When you're in wet periods, you start to get persistent, basin-wide extreme precipitation," he said.The numbers back that up. By May, Cleveland, Ohio on Lake Erie's shore saw more rainy days than any year since 1953. Muskegon, on Lake Michigan's shore, experienced 7.45in more rainfall than average throughout the first eight months, while Sault Ste Marie on Lake Superior tallied about 9in more than average for the same period. Buffalo saw 34% more rain than typical.The moisture rained down on ground and lakes already more saturated than usual because a January polar vortex brought frigid temperatures that prevented wintertime evaporation crucial to keeping water levels in check. Meanwhile, a heavy snow pack melted. pushing up levels even further."We're seeing all these things that have an effect on the water cycle converge, which is why we're having these enormous water volumes," Rood said.Though the region finally dried out a bit in August and water levels are slightly receding, the Great Lakes' fall storm season is fast approaching. Fall is a time of high winds and the agency's six-month forecast predicts levels will remain very high, thus there's a strong likelihood for even more damage this year.Coastal communities need to give the storms and fluctuating lake levels stronger consideration when building near the shoreline, said Richard Norton, an urban and regional planning professor at the University of Michigan. There's still an inclination to build as close to the water as possible, which was especially a problem as levels began dropping in the early 2000s."People want to build in the most beautiful, fragile and dangerous places, and that's challenging because of the way the lakes go up and down over time in a weird way … and it's not a good idea," Norton said.The changes have an impact on the lakes' ecosystems and natural environment, but it's a mixed bag. While erosion is an issue, the basin is resilient and has withstood similar variability in the past, said Mark Breederland, an extension director with the environmental agency Michigan Sea Grant.He said extreme fluctuations can benefit the coastal wetlands and some species, while other species, such as the endangered piping plover, face new threats. Meanwhile, the impact of continued climate change on the Great Lakes' ecosystem is still unknown, Breederland said.However, there is more certainty with water levels. Long-term, as temperature increases continue, the region will see levels "bouncing from low extreme to high extremes", Rood said, though the lakes will eventually start to disappear if temperatures aren't brought under control."If we don't mitigate our emissions … and the temperature gets to a certain level, then it does become evaporation dominant," he said.• This article was corrected on 3 September 2019 to situate Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie rather than Lake Ontario.
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| 'Bring on Brexit' says French mayor in row over Royal Marines veteran who left rowing machine up Mont Blanc Posted: 03 Sep 2019 06:54 AM PDT  ARoyal Marines veteran who attempted to climb Mont Blanc with a rowing machine on his back for charity was forced to abandon the device less than 1,500 feet from the summit, prompting a row with the local French mayor. Matthew Paul Disney attempted to scale Western Europe's highest mountain, which stands at 4,809m (15,780ft) but had to turn back on Saturday morning at 4,362m due to bad weather. The charity stunt was in aid of raising funds for Rock 2 Recovery and RMA - The Royal Marines Charity. The fitness enthusiast and global adventurer from Lancashire, left the 26-kilogramme, 2.5-metre long unbalanced Concept2 rowing machine in an emergency hut near the top. Mr Disney, 36, said he was very disappointed not to have completed the ascent with the machine, saying the the main reason was poor visibility due to bad weather. He did, however, go on to reach the top without it. Shortly after descending, he said on Facebook he intended to go back up between September 12 and 30 to retrieve the rowing machine, reach the summit and return with the equipment. However, his unfinished bid prompted a furious response from Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, which encompasses the French side of Europe's highest Alp. Matthew Paul Disney had intended to retrieve the rowing machine he left near the top of Mont Blanc but the mayor banned him Credit: Telegraph In an angry Facebook missive to Mr Disney, he wrote: "Can't wait for Brexit that you stay on your island [sic]." "I have received no apologies and even if it is for charity, it's an aberration, even more so for a soldier of her Majesty. Shameful", he later told The Daily Telegraph. The mayor said he had banned Mr Disney from going back up Mont Blanc to recover the rowing machine and would be sending a bill of €1,800 (£1,640) plus VAT to the British Embassy in Paris for the costs of his men bringing it down. Mr Disney said the mayor's Brexit comments were "very unprofessional, undiplomatic and could be seen as a mild form of racism". Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, sent an angry message to RM Disney welcoming Brexit "I wouldn't litter anywhere let alone a mountain. This is my 13th country's highest mountain with a rowing machine and 21st without a rowing machine, so I have a lot of love and passion for mountains. I would never dream of littering or making a mockery of a mountain," he told the Telegraph. Earlier this summer, Mr Disney successfully climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and the distance in-between with the Concept2 Rowing Machine on his back. Mr Disney posted a photo showing the rower neatly stored inside the hut. "As you can see in the photo, it is not litter, it is not on the top of the mountain. It is not taking up vital space," he said. Safety hut near the top of Mont Blanc where Royal Marines vet Matthew Paul Disney stored his rowing machine Credit: Telegraph He said could "understand the mayor's concern because there are a lot of foolish people". But he said, he had his climb rubber-stamped by gendarmes after showing them his "experience, skillset, my fitness level and my intention to raise awareness for two military charities, good causes for active and veterans on the brink of suicide." He questioned the decision by the gendarmes to bar him going back up to get the rowing machine as "they had allowed me to go up with it" beforehand after he showed them his plans. Mr Peillex responded: "He's not in his own home and he doesn't decide." This was just one of a string of cases of "disrespect" for the mountain, the mayor said, adding that a German climber forced his dog to the top at night this weekend after being ordered not to by police. The dog came back down alive but with "bloodied paws". The outspoken official has written to Emmanuel Macron, the French president, calling for him to pass new a new law next year to "punish all the loonies who break the rules" on the overcrowded peak, often leaving rubbish along the way. Earlier this year, two Swiss mountaineers landed a small plane less than 400 metres from the top of the famed mountain before heading for the summit with police in pursuit. The two climbers were equipped with ropes and crampons and had already started climbing towards the summit when they were intercepted by police and asked to turn back. Already threatened by global warming, such people were turning Mont Blanc into an "amusement park" where people expect to see "sea lions juggling with balls and pretty fireworks", the mayor warned. Local authorities tightened rules on ascending the "normal route" to the summit without booking at a refuge earlier this year saying overcrowding was increasing the risk of mortality.
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| Grand Bahama waterlogged in Hurricane Dorian before and after satellite photos Posted: 03 Sep 2019 12:24 PM PDT  Next-generation satellite technology capable of penetrating cloud cover shows widespread flooding from slow-moving Hurricane Dorian.
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| View Photos of 2020 BMW M4 Edition ///M Heritage Posted: 03 Sep 2019 10:15 AM PDT |
| More than 120 U.S. military construction projects to be hurt by Trump's border wall funding Posted: 03 Sep 2019 03:21 PM PDT  More than 120 U.S. military construction projects will be adversely affected as the Pentagon prepares to use $3.6 billion to help build or enhance 175 miles (282 km) of the border wall with Mexico, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in a bid to fund his promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The emergency declaration allows the Trump administration to use money from the military construction budget and the Pentagon has said it could use $3.6 billion from the budget.
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| Shattering Taliban attack in Kabul even as US deal nears Posted: 03 Sep 2019 12:12 PM PDT  The Taliban on Tuesday defended their suicide bombing against an international compound in the Afghan capital that killed at least 16 people and wounded 119, almost all local civilians, just hours after a U.S. envoy said he and the militant group had reached a deal "in principle" to end America's longest war. Angry Kabul residents whose homes were shredded in the explosion climbed over the buckled blast wall and set part of the compound, a frequent Taliban target, on fire.
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| Syrian pound at record low on black market: report Posted: 03 Sep 2019 09:32 AM PDT  The value of the Syrian pound against the dollar has fallen sharply to its lowest rate in history, an economic publication said Tuesday. On the black market on Tuesday, the pound was trading at 650 against the dollar (715 to the euro). It's "the lowest in history", Jihad Yazigi, the editor-in-chief of the Syria Report economic publication, told AFP.
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| Joshua Wong urges Taiwanese to show support for Hong Kong Posted: 03 Sep 2019 08:19 AM PDT  Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong, a central figure in the territory's ongoing mass anti-Beijing protests, urged Taiwanese people on Tuesday to hold their own demonstrations as they face growing pressure from China. "We hope that before Communist China's National Day on Oct. 1, our friends in Taiwan can express their support for Hong Kong through street protests," Wong, 22, said at a news conference in Taipei.
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| A rap legend ripped Kamala’s marriage to a white man. Then she won him over. Posted: 03 Sep 2019 02:56 PM PDT  The California senator has a ways to go to win over African American voters. This is the story of how she converted one prominent voice.
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| North Carolina court strikes down state legislative map as unconstitutional gerrymander Posted: 03 Sep 2019 01:51 PM PDT ![North Carolina court strikes down state legislative map as unconstitutional gerrymander]( "North Carolina court strikes down state legislative map as unconstitutional gerrymander") A three-judge panel in Wake County Superior Court said the state Senate and state House district lines discriminated against Democratic voters in violation of the state constitution's free elections, equal protection and free speech clauses. The decision is a victory for election reform advocates considering legal challenges to partisan gerrymandering in state courts despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year blocking such cases in federal courts. State Senate Leader Phil Berger, a Republican, criticized the case as an attempt to "game" the redistricting process but signaled lawmakers would not appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
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| Hurricane Dorian has struck the Bahamas, with Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in its path. Here is where and when it's due to strike next. Posted: 03 Sep 2019 01:45 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian's path is nearing Florida, where it is no longer projected to make landfall, but still cause 'devastating hurricane-force winds.'
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| Pete Buttigieg's husband Chasten weighs in after Trump aide touts Pence's meeting with Irish PM and partner Posted: 03 Sep 2019 05:09 AM PDT  Particularly pointed criticism came from Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of presidential candidate and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
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| All-clear for German city Hanover after WWII bomb defused Posted: 02 Sep 2019 11:03 PM PDT  More than 15,000 people evacuated from their homes in the German city of Hanover were free to return early Tuesday after city officials said an unexploded World War II bomb had been defused. Tweets less than an hour apart from the city hall reported the bomb defusal team starting work and then issuing the all-clear at 01:07 am. The unearthing of World War II era bombs is a common occurrence in Hanover, home to some 500,000 people and one of dozens of cities the Allies targeted during the conflict.
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| Brother of British woman killed by expat husband pleads with UAE judge for murder sentence Posted: 02 Sep 2019 10:26 AM PDT  The family of a murdered British woman has said Dubai will set a "dangerous" precedent if it releases her husband from prison this week, two years after he bludgeoned her to death with a hammer. Francis Matthew, 62, will fight his murder conviction on Wednesday on the grounds that his wife, Jane, provoked him during an argument at their Dubai family home. Two years into a potential 15 year sentence, his lawyers will claim she called him a "loser", which provoked the attack. Mrs Matthew's family criticised the proceedings, describing Dubai's legal system as "biased" and saying the defence was trying to "blame Jane for her own death". "The Dubai system is truly biased against Jane," said Peter Manning, brother of Mrs Matthew. In a letter seen by The Telegraph and sent to Dubai's Court of Cassation, the emirate's highest judicial body, Mr Manning said releasing Mr Matthew early would deny his sister justice. Francis was editor-at-large of Gulf News when he killed his wife, Jane, following an argument Credit: Telegraph "To excuse this crime in some way as being Jane's fault sends a clear message to husbands across the United Arab Emirates: you can kill your wife, even with a hammer, and all you have to do to escape justice is claim she 'demeaned you'," wrote Mr Manning. "This denies Jane her human right to life." He added, "It is very dangerous and completely opposite to the UAE's aim of being a modern, gender equal nation." Mr Matthew, a former Economist journalist and editor of Gulf News, hit his wife with a hammer in the early hours of the morning in June 2017 following an argument. Mr Matthew's original conviction of assault that led to death in March 2018 was upgraded to murder on appeal and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Court of Cassation overturned the conviction and a panel of judges will review the case this week. His defence will argue that he is guilty of "physical assault that led to death". If the court agrees, he could walk free with time served. Francis is appealing for a lighter conviction, arguing that Jane provoked him by calling him a 'loser' Credit: Telegraph Mrs Matthew's family said her husband picked up a hammer in his kitchen and walked to the bedroom, where Mrs Matthew was lying in bed before attacking her with intent. After killing her, he showered and went to work as editor before staging a break-in on his return that evening. "As Jane's brother I am in no doubt that this was pre-meditated murder and I confirm that I wish to see Mr Matthew convicted of pre-meditated murder and jailed appropriately," said Mr Manning. "My father and I have been frustrated with the way the Court of First Instance allowed the defence to blame Jane for her own death." It is not clear what impact the letter will have and Dubai is yet to acknowledge it."If the court was open to justice they should be less willing to erect barriers to my letter," said Mr Manning. The Foreign Office said it is supporting Mrs Matthew's family and is in touch with the relevant local authorities.
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| Amazon crisis: Warring tribes unite against Bolsonaro plans to devastate Brazil’s rainforests for cash Posted: 03 Sep 2019 04:04 AM PDT  Indigenous communities living in Amazon's Xingu river basin are reportedly putting aside long-running ethnic conflicts to unite against Jair Bolsonaro's administration.Representatives of 14 indigenous groups and four riverside reserves in the basin met in the Kubenkokre village last week.
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| Mom arrested in connection to 5-year-old's body found decaying in hidden closet in Houston Posted: 03 Sep 2019 11:44 AM PDT  Police say her mother confessed to hiding the child's body for nearly a week. She says the girl, identified as Sierra Patino, died from ingesting chemicals.
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| Ford Recalling F-150 and Other Models for Potentially Dangerous Seat Defect Posted: 03 Sep 2019 11:30 AM PDT  Nearly half a million vehicles are involved, including new and recent F-150, Super Duty, Explorer, and Expedition models.
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| Greece proposes Parthenon marbles swap, says still wants their permanent return Posted: 03 Sep 2019 04:34 AM PDT ![Greece proposes Parthenon marbles swap, says still wants their permanent return]( "Greece proposes Parthenon marbles swap, says still wants their permanent return") Greece confirmed on Tuesday its readiness to loan treasures to the British Museum in return for being able to temporarily exhibit the Parthenon marbles but also said the proposal did not alter its long-standing demand for their permanent return. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Britain's Observer newspaper on Sunday he was willing to lend important artefacts to London that "have never left Greece" in return for putting the marbles on display in Athens in 2021, when the country marks 200 years since the start of its War of Independence. Athens has repeatedly called for the permanent return of the 2,500-year-old sculptures that Britain's Lord Elgin removed from the Acropolis temple during a period when Greece was under Ottoman Turkish rule.
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| Hurricane Dorian: ‘Extremely dangerous’ storm kills five in Bahamas as Donald Trump plays golf Posted: 02 Sep 2019 09:38 AM PDT  Five people have been killed by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, the nation's prime minister has revealed, as Donald Trump spent part of the day playing golf.As the Category 4 storm pummelled the Bahamas with 233kph (145mph) winds, triggering huge damage and massive flooding, Hubert Minnis said at least five people had been killed and that more than 20 had been injured.
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| Why Kamala Harris Hasn’t Caught Fire in the Democratic 2020 Race Posted: 03 Sep 2019 01:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Kamala Harris entered the presidential race with impressive credentials -- a popular black woman with an inspiring story who hailed from a large Democratic state and drew accolades for her fiery questioning of President Donald Trump's nominees.Yet despite a shot of adrenaline after confronting front-runner Joe Biden in the first debate, she has failed to catch fire with Democratic voters who are torn between a nostalgic fondness for Biden and a revolutionary desire for Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.Harris's attempt to replicate her feat in the second debate backfired among Democrats who say she went too negative on Biden. The Californian also suffers from a perception that she lacks a deep ideological well to guide her policy ideas, in contrast to her three main rivals who are better-defined. And her past as a prosecutor has earned her supporters and detractors.Harris and Senator Cory Booker "really went after Vice President Biden -- it rebounded to their detriment that they went after Biden so much. Because it also looked like they were not just going after Biden, but they were going after the Obama legacy," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which is neutral in the primaries.Weingarten said many Democrats left the June debate thinking, "Kamala seems really feisty and let's look at her." But in the July debate they were turned off by Harris and other aggressors because "it looked like they were burning the house down, as opposed to building on what Democrats believe in."Harris surged from about 7% to 15% in averages of Democratic polls immediately after the first debate in late June, putting her in second or third place in the crowded field. But it was a sugar high — she's back to the 7% she had when summer began.For Harris, the danger is that she's another Marco Rubio. The Florida senator, too, had a potentially history-making candidacy during the Republican nomination battle in 2016 and was hailed by the party establishment as presidential timber, before he failed to translate that on the ground."Our focus is on winning the primary, not an off-year August news cycle, which is why we've spent the summer building the grassroots organizing foundation that will propel Kamala to victory in this race," Harris spokesman Ian Sams said in an email. "These races are marathons, not sprints, and Kamala is a long-distance runner."'Too Flippy-Floppy'In late July, Harris backed off her previous support for replacing private insurance with a national government plan and released a proposal that preserves the option for private plans, positioning herself ideologically between Sanders and Biden on one of the most contentious issues in the race.But rather than placating both wings, the move drew fire from all sides — the Sanders campaign accused her of going soft, Biden charged her with "double talk," and voters were left wondering what she stands for."Too flippy-floppy. I just don't like her," said Debby Fisher of Richmond, California — near Harris's hometown of Oakland — who plans to support Sanders.Suzanne Cowan of San Francisco said she soured on Harris after her change on health care."That's not my kind of candidate. Either you know what issues you support and you have the courage to stand up for them or you don't," she said. "For me she's 'I'll be in favor of whatever is trending' — and that doesn't cut it."'Her Brilliance, Her Passion'Patrick Kollar of Roy, Washington, who recently attended a Warren rally in Seattle, said he's unsure how to define Harris ideologically."That's a problem," he said. "I follow politics pretty closely and I don't know what she's about."Harris has set herself apart on culturally salient issues like immigration and gun control with far-reaching legislative proposals and executive actions to tackle two high priorities for Democratic voters. At the same time, she has downplayed ideological labels and branded herself as the "3 a.m. agenda" candidate who's focused on problems that keep Americans up at night."I lost my son to gun violence," said Lynette McElhaney of Oakland, adding that she was drawn to Harris's aggressive positions on gun control. "And critically important, she sent her staff to stand with me when my son was killed in Los Angeles."She said she supports Harris for "her mind, her brilliance, her passion, her heart."McElhaney was among the Harris volunteers who lined the halls at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting in San Francisco. They had donned "Kamala Harris for the people" T-shirts and campaign gear and chanted slogans for their candidate.Harris's past as a prosecutor — seven years as San Francisco district attorney and six years as California attorney general — is a mixed bag. Some Democrats say it's the reason she was so effective when questioning William Barr and Brett Kavanaugh, Trump's nominees for attorney general and the Supreme Court. Others say she fought too hard to achieve and sustain convictions in dubious circumstances.Rubio Redux?In some ways, Harris risks falling into the same trap that ensnared Rubio in 2016 — eloquent on the stump, adept at raising money, acceptable across the party spectrum but not loved by enough voters."Harris is trying to run in a lane very similar to what Rubio tried to do in 2016," said Alex Conant, the communications director for Rubio's presidential campaign. "They're both new faces, running as next-generation candidates against candidates that in many ways represent the past. They came into the campaign with ideological credentials but a message that would play well in the general.""It's a good strategy for coming in second," he quipped. "If you're acceptable to everyone you're not necessarily loved by anyone."Conant said the key for Harris is to pick an early state to win. Rubio split his efforts about equally in the first four states and landed several top-three finishes, but failed to win any of them."At some point you need to win somewhere," Conant said. "You need to be people's first choice."To contact the reporter on this story: Sahil Kapur in Washington at skapur39@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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