| Top US diplomat makes secret Iraq trip amid Iran tensions Posted: 07 May 2019 03:42 PM PDT  BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a lightning visit Tuesday to Baghdad aimed at showing support for the Iraqi government as the United States has been picking up intelligence that Iran is threatening American interests in the Middle East.
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| 1 dead, 8 injured in shooting at Denver STEM school; 2 students in custody Posted: 07 May 2019 09:56 PM PDT  Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the two suspects, one adult male and one juvenile male, both students at the school, are in custody.
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| Trump Asserts Executive Privilege over Mueller Report as House Prepares to Hold Barr in Contempt Posted: 08 May 2019 08:11 AM PDT  President Trump on Wednesday asserted executive privilege over the unredacted Mueller report, just moments before the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance a contempt resolution against Attorney General William Barr due to his refusal to turn over the full report.Citing Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler's "blatant abuse of power," the White House said the president "has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege."The contempt resolution passed the Judiciary Committee 22–12 along party lines, and the full House is expected to vote on it Wednesday afternoon. Moments before the contempt vote, Nadler announced that the president had taken the "dramatic step" of asserting executive privilege."The Department's decision reflects President Trump's blanket defiance of Congress's constitutionally mandated duties," Nadler said in a statement. "In the coming days, I expect that Congress will have no choice but to confront the behavior of this lawless Administration. The Committee will also take a hard look at the officials who are enabling this cover up."Barr sent a letter to Trump Wednesday morning asking that he assert executive privilege over the full Mueller report and the evidence underlying it in order to protect sensitive grand-jury information and evidence related to other ongoing criminal probes."The Committee therefore demands all of the Special Counsel's investigative files, which consist of millions of pages of classified and unclassified documents bearing upon more than two dozen criminal cases and investigations, many of which are ongoing," Barr's letter reads. "These materials include law enforcement information, information about sensitive intelligence sources and methods and grand jury information that the department is prohibited from disclosing by law."Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused Nadler of rushing through the oversight process and demanding the full unredacted report because he and his colleagues cannot accept that Mueller's findings do not further their partisan interests."I ask you to recognize that craven and insincere politics yield anemic dividends for Americans who have asked us to legislate," Collins said. "As I have told you on multiple occasions and proved at last week's pharmaceuticals markup, I stand ready to work with you to promote solutions. I will not, though, become a bystander as you assail the attorney general and this committee. Our democracy deserves better."
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| Apple’s new iPhone 11R design just leaked for the first time Posted: 08 May 2019 06:26 AM PDT  Apple's next-generation iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max smartphones have been leaking like crazy lately. We've gotten all sorts of detail from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the most accurate Apple insider in the world, and it's obviously safe to say that the info he shared is accurate. Then we saw the actual designs leak courtesy of CAD files that were stolen from the Foxconn factory where Apple's new iPhone models will be manufactured. These new renders basically confirmed everything we had heard, that the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will look just like the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, but they'll have a new triple-lens camera arrays on the back of each phone.The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max are Apple's flagship smartphones for 2019, so they're obviously the most talked about models right now. When it comes to popularity and sales, however, it's practically guaranteed that the third new 2019 iPhone model will top both of the flagships. The iPhone 11R, or whatever Apple ends up calling it, is expected to be priced in line with the current iPhone XR, just as Apple's iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max are seen carrying the same price tags as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max do now. With pricing that soars as high as $1,500, it's no wonder that the iPhone XR outsells its flagship counterparts.Just like the iPhone 11 and 11 Max, the iPhone 11R will apparently also get a minor design refresh in 2019. And now, a new leak seemingly shows us Apple's final iPhone 11R design for the first time.Twitter user OnLeaks is the often the source of unreleased smartphone renders based on CAD files that have been stolen from computers at Foxconn's factory. Since they're based on files that come straight from the entity tasked with building all of these smartphones, these renders almost always end up being accurate depictions of unreleased handsets. OnLeaks is once again the source of these new renders, and they were shared in partnership with an Indian gadget blog called Pricebaba.As you can see in the render above, the front of the iPhone 11R appears completely unchanged as compared to the iPhone XR. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, of course, since the exact same thing can be said of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max. And as is the case with the iPhone 11 and 11 Max, the back of the iPhone 11R is also the same aside from one huge difference.Apple's mid-range iPhone 11R is not expected to have the same triple-lens rear camera as its pricier counterparts, but it seemingly will have a similar square camera bump. This is in line with earlier rumors we've heard. Rather than housing three lenses, an LED flash, and a rear-facing microphone, the camera bump on the iPhone 11R will hold two lenses along with the flash and mic.A video showcasing the leaked iPhone 11R design is embedded below, and more renders can be found on Pricebaba.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xetWpPkPmLA
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| South Africa's ruling ANC in 10 dates Posted: 08 May 2019 03:00 AM PDT  The African National Congress (ANC) led the struggle that toppled apartheid in 1994 and has ruled South Africa ever since, remaining the most popular party despite a series of scandals. The South African Native National Congress was founded in 1912 in response to discrimination against blacks in the then-Union of South Africa, established two years earlier through the merger of white-run colonies and territories. The movement changed its name to ANC in 1923.
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| Jake Paul: Woman suspects she was drugged at party hosted by YouTube star Posted: 07 May 2019 07:14 AM PDT  The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating a complaint from a woman who suspects that she was drugged at a party at YouTube star Jake Paul's home.Police received a report from the woman Sunday night, following a birthday party Mr Paul hosted for rapper Desiigner's on Saturday. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that detectives were looking into the alleged incident. "On Sunday, May 5, 2019, the Malibu Lost Hills Sheriff's Station was made aware of a possible single occurrence of unwillful impairment related to a party attended on May 4, 2019," the spokesperson said. "Detectives are in the beginning stages of information gathering for the incident. The Sheriff's Department treats allegations such as these seriously, and will use all known resources to investigate."A police official said that Police Station 68 responded to three separate calls regarding Mr Paul's home on Saturday night.He confirmed that at least two calls were for a "sick person" and that two people were transported to a local hospital in the early hours of the morning.A third visit to the house was in response to a noise complaint after a guest "jumped onto another person's property and scared an elderly woman, who fell down."The Daily Mail reports that a mother in a private Facebook group warned other parents that her daughter had been "drugged" at the same party."The house was a mansion filled with young people," the parent wrote in a post shared on social media. "She ended up in the hospital with eight other girls who had been drugged and ended up at West Hills Hospital incoherent. Something was put in their drinks."Mr Paul, 22, posted several snippets of the party on Instagram, as did his guests. The Independent has reached out to representatives for Mr Paul for comment.
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| Sri Lanka's post-attacks nightlife loses fizz Posted: 07 May 2019 04:09 AM PDT  Before jihadi bombers targeted Sri Lanka in deadly Easter attacks, Rangana Wijesuriya used to party until the small hours in the pulsating restaurants, bars and clubs of downtown Colombo. Sri Lanka remains on high alert after bombers targeted three hotels and churches in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group. The pedestrianised Park Street Mews used to be heaving, its many bars and chic restaurants the place to be seen for Sri Lanka's party set, plus a few tourists.
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| Ford plans to take medical transport venture nationwide Posted: 07 May 2019 11:30 AM PDT ![Ford plans to take medical transport venture nationwide]( "Ford plans to take medical transport venture nationwide") Ford Motor Co plans to expand its GoRide medical transportation service to 40 cities nationwide over the next four years, moving into Ohio and Florida this year and other large states by 2020, the company said on Tuesday. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has been testing various ways to grow beyond its traditional business of building and selling cars and trucks, aiming to compete with technology industry startups such as Uber Technologies Inc for a share of money spent on transportation as a service. GoRide uses Ford Transit and Transit Connect vans to give rides to people who need medical care but do not need an ambulance.
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| France suggests sanctions could be reimposed if Iran reneges on nuke deal Posted: 07 May 2019 03:00 PM PDT  International sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal, sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday, after Tehran said it would scale back its compliance a year after Washington pulled out.
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| Iran Sets 60-Day Nuclear Countdown Unless Europe Delivers Trade Posted: 08 May 2019 07:35 AM PDT  The move is likely to inflame tensions with President Donald Trump's administration, which walked away from the landmark nuclear deal a year ago and imposed strict sanctions that squeezed Iran's economy, triggered a currency collapse and ushered in shortages of consumer goods. Iran's appeal was addressed to European signatories to the agreement, which are struggling to reconcile Trump's hardline stance on Iran with their promise to continue trading and engaging with the energy-rich nation. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded cautiously to Iran's announcement.
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| Third parent pleads guilty in college admissions scandal: This one paid $400K to get son into Georgetown Posted: 07 May 2019 01:56 PM PDT  Stephen Semprevivo pleaded guilty Tuesday to paying $400,000 to Rick Singer to get his son into Georgetown University, part of a nationwide scandal.
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| Ex-White House lawyer defies House subpoena for Mueller docs Posted: 07 May 2019 08:46 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A former White House lawyer defied a congressional subpoena Tuesday, setting the Trump administration on course for another collision with the Democratic-led House over its pursuit of documents related to the Russia investigation.
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| The Next-Gen Honda Fit Debuts This October—but Will It Come to the U.S.? Posted: 08 May 2019 11:36 AM PDT  The new Fit will offer a new hybrid drivetrain, but what we still don't know is when-or if-it will come to America.
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| Planes, toys and tourism: What is US-China trade made of? Posted: 07 May 2019 09:14 AM PDT  China is the third-largest export market for US goods after Canada and Mexico. The United States and Europe together are by far the largest buyers of Chinese goods. In 2018, the United States recorded a trade deficit of $378.7 billion with China -- a 12.8 percent increase from the prior year.
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| China's Luckin Coffee Is More 7-11 Than Starbucks — And That Could Be a Big Problem Posted: 08 May 2019 07:51 AM PDT  The high-tech Chinese coffee company is brewing up an IPO — but can it compete?
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| These Brunch Cocktails Are What Your Mom Really Wants For Mother's Day Posted: 07 May 2019 11:44 AM PDT |
| B-52 bombers to be part of U.S. forces sent to Middle East over Iran concerns Posted: 07 May 2019 03:04 PM PDT  The U.S. military said on Tuesday that B-52 bombers will be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats from Iran to U.S. forces there. White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East. Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said that the bomber task force would consist of B-52 bombers.
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| Southwest Airlines updates family boarding policy after same-sex couple claims discrimination Posted: 08 May 2019 09:39 AM PDT ![Southwest Airlines updates family boarding policy after same-sex couple claims discrimination]( "Southwest Airlines updates family boarding policy after same-sex couple claims discrimination") Two men said they were stopped with their three young children and the children's grandmother during family boarding on a flight to Fort Lauderdale.
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| Mueller’s Preposterous Rationale for Tainting the President with ‘Obstruction’ Allegations Posted: 08 May 2019 07:51 AM PDT  In gross violation of Justice Department policy and constitutional norms, a prosecutor neither charges nor recommends charges against a suspect, but proceeds to smear him by publishing 200 pages of obstruction allegations. Asked to explain why he did it, the prosecutor says he was just trying to protect the suspect from being smeared.This is the upshot of the Mueller report's Volume II. It might be thought campy if the suspect weren't the president of the United States and the stakes weren't so high.The smear-but-don't-charge outcome is the result of two wrongs: (1) Mueller's dizzying application of Justice Department guidance, written by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), holding that a president may not be indicted while he is in office; and (2) the media-Democrat complex's demand that only laws they like -- those that serve their anti-Trump political purposes -- be enforced.On the matter of the OLC guidance, the Mueller report exhibits the same sleight-of-hand that I detailed in Monday's column regarding its account of the George Papadopoulos saga -- in which Mueller obscures the fact that the FBI's counterintelligence investigation ("Crossfire Hurricane") was opened on the false pretense that a Russian agent named Joseph Mifsud confided to Trump adviser Papadopoulos that Russia had thousands of Clinton emails, which Papadopoulos told Australian diplomat Alexander Downer the Kremlin planned to publish in a manner timed to damage Clinton for Trump's benefit. To the contrary, if you wade through the fine print of Mueller's report, you learn that Mifsud was not a Russian agent; there's a good chance he did not tell Papadopoulos anything about emails; in relating to Downer that Russia might have damaging information on Clinton, Papadopoulos said nothing about emails or about Russia trying to help Trump; but, two months after they spoke and the hacked DNC emails were published, Downer (in consultation with the Obama State Department) leapt to the overwrought conclusions that Papadopoulos must have been referring to those emails (he wasn't) and that Russia and the Trump campaign must be collaborating to undermine the election (they weren't).The narrative head fakes and legal mumbo-jumbo make you wonder what's going on here. Who is running this show, Mueller -- or some of his notoriously aggressive staffers, recruited from the Obama Justice Department and private practice stints representing the Clintons?On the matter of the OLC guidance, if you can follow his reasoning, the special counsel twists himself into the position that it would have been unfairly prejudicial to Trump to recommend charges when the president would not have been able to defend himself in a judicial proceeding -- but, somehow, it was perfectly fair to Trump for Mueller to publish his evidence in a document manifestly written for exploitation by congressional Democrats and the media.Flaws in the OLC Guidance For what it's worth, I have always thought the OLC guidance is wrong. I do not believe the Framers intended to insulate a sitting president from indictment.The Constitution presumes that the check on a rogue president will be impeachment. It elaborates, however, that impeachment is no impediment to indictment. Further, the Constitution does not say that indictment must await either impeachment or other departure from office. (Article I, Section 3, says a "party convicted" of impeachment is liable to court prosecution, but this does not necessarily mean prosecution may occur only after a president either has been convicted in a Senate impeachment trial, or his term otherwise ends.)While there was significant discussion of impeachment when the Constitution was being drafted in 1787 (I outlined much of it in Faithless Execution), I doubt the Framers gave much thought to the timing of a president's indictment. There were no federal prosecutors to speak of at the time (there was no Justice Department until 1870 and no FBI until 1908), and the federal Constitution would not have barred action by state prosecutors. The Constitution presumes it is Congress's job to check a wayward president -- and not a job to be delegated to a prosecutor.More to the point, it makes no sense that a president should be spared indictment under seal. This is how the Justice Department routinely deals with cases in which (a) a crime must be charged to prevent the statute of limitations from lapsing, but (b) the indictment should not be publicized for some good policy reason (usually, because the accused is at large and, if put on notice, could flee and destroy evidence). The OLC guidance's objective is simply to delay prosecution in deference to the chief executive's weighty responsibilities; it is not supposed to put the president above the law by giving him a statute-of-limitations defense that would not be available to the rest of us.Consequently, if there is a truly serious offense and enough evidence to support prosecution, a president should be indicted under seal (i.e., under court-supervised secrecy). Then the indictment could be unsealed once a president is out of office, and the criminal case could proceed in the normal course.Whether I am right or wrong about this, it is indisputable that we are talking only about timing. The OLC guidance does not say a president may never be indicted; just that he can't be indicted while serving.Indefensible Decision Not to Decide That means the OLC guidance should be irrelevant to the prosecutor investigating the case. Even if we stipulate, for argument's sake, that a president may not be indicted in the here and now, he may still be prosecuted for any indictable offense at some future point. Therefore, someone must decide if there is a crime worth charging. That someone, obviously, is the prosecutor assigned to investigate the case. Since there is no bar on investigating a sitting president, it makes no sense to refrain from making the prosecution judgment -- to charge or not to charge -- until later (potentially, years later) when witnesses' memories have faded and evidence has gone stale or missing.If there is sufficient evidence, then it is the prosecutor's job to recommend indictment. The question of whether the OLC guidance should then be invoked to delay indictment should then be up to the attorney general. The guidance should not burden the prosecutor's analysis of whether there is an indictable case.Yet Mueller chose not to see it that way. His thinking on the matter, it appears, was muddled, evolving over a few weeks' time as he groped for a way to rationalize his failure to make a decision about whether obstruction should be charged.In recent Senate testimony, Attorney General Bill Barr related that he and his staff met with the Mueller team a couple of weeks before the report was completed. Mueller surprised them with the news that he would not be resolving the obstruction question. When asked to explain, Mueller said his rationale for this non-decision was not yet fully developed -- such temporizing, of course, is often the sign of handwringing as one tries to rationalize a determination one knows is wrong. Nevertheless, Barr reports that Mueller was emphatic that the OLC guidance was not what drove his decision to abdicate.Yet when we finally saw the Mueller report, we found that the obstruction volume begins with a discussion of the OLC guidance. It is, by turns, vaporous and preposterous. It is no wonder Barr has said he does not know exactly what Mueller was thinking.Here's my take.Mueller deduces that the guidance (a) prohibits indictment in order to avoid a public charge that would undermine the capacity of a president to govern, but (b) permits investigation with an eye toward post-presidency prosecution. The special counsel pretends that this gives him "fairness concerns" over the president's due-process rights: If, after a thorough investigation, a prosecutor made a judgment that the president had committed a crime but did not charge him, Mueller reasons that the poor president would bear all the stigma of a criminal accusation but would have no opportunity to clear his name in formal court proceedings. That is, the OLC guidance denies him his day in court.Mind you: Mueller says this as a précis to pouring out over 200 pages' worth of obstruction evidence -- and, implying that this evidence is quite serious indeed, he is at pains to tell you he will not "exonerate" the president, even though he hasn't charged him. That is, Mueller's report is designed to taint the president when he does not have the constitutional protections of a criminal defendant -- exactly the thing Mueller claimed to be avoiding by not making a decision on obstruction.Of course, there would be no such danger if the report had been kept confidential, as federal regulations require. There would be no such danger if Mueller had simply done his job, made the required binary decision about whether or not the evidence supported indictment, and left the application of the OLC guidance to the attorney general. And there would be no such danger if the OLC guidance provided for a sealed indictment, such that the question of whether prosecution is warranted could be resolved now, and the timing of prosecution could be tabled -- for the president sake, and the country's -- until the end of Trump's term (or terms).This would have had no bearing on Congress's ability to consider impeachment.It would also have allowed for internal Justice Department deliberation over the law of obstruction. Right now, the report has been publicized when it should not have been. Moreover, Attorney General Barr had to know that if he had tinkered with the report's legal analysis, this would have resulted in cries that he was protecting the president, so he had to stay his hand. As a result, the Mueller report's construction of federal obstruction law appears to stand as a definitive Justice Department position, even though Mueller's interpretation is controversial -- the attorney general has indicated that he and the deputy attorney general have disagreements with it; I suspect OLC would have qualms, too.A live debate over the correct construction of unsettled law, or its novel application, is something the Justice Department is supposed to sort out internally before publicizing a voluminous set of allegations. Here, the special counsel's legal argument almost surely does not reflect the Justice Department's position.But the politics have landed us in the place, not the law. Democrats and their echo chamber have insisted that Mueller must write a report because the special-counsel regulations require one. Yet the same regulations require the report to be confidential: just between the special counsel and the attorney general, to resemble how charging decisions are always made in the Justice Department -- non-publicly, by prosecutors and their supervisors. If Barr had followed those supposedly binding federal regulations, House Democrats would already have impeached him -- just as they now ridiculously propose to hold him in contempt for redacting from Mueller's report grand-jury information he is legally obligated by congressional statute to withhold.The closer you look at this fiasco, the worse it seems.
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| The 2021 Ford F-150, Spied Testing, Looks Pretty Evolutionary Posted: 08 May 2019 01:20 PM PDT  The new F-150 looks pretty much like the old F-150-a wildly popular traditional pickup truck, just like God and Henry Ford intended.
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| Cinnabun Cake, Mimosa Fruit Salad, and More Breakfast-In-Bed Recipes Your Mom Will Love Posted: 07 May 2019 02:48 PM PDT |
| US to send hospital ship to help with Venezuelan refugees Posted: 07 May 2019 05:00 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy hospital ship will embark on another humanitarian mission to help countries cope with an influx of Venezuelans fleeing a deep economic and political crisis, the Trump administration announced Tuesday.
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| Google bucks soaring smartphone prices with new Pixel Posted: 07 May 2019 07:46 PM PDT  Google bucked the soaring smartphone price trend Tuesday, unveiling a high-performance Pixel handset aimed at the middle of the market as part of a wide-ranging pitch to developers of its new hardware, software and privacy efforts. The Pixel 3a phone, which includes many of the artificial intelligence features of its flagship devices, is priced from $399, executives said as Google opened its annual I/O developers conference near its headquarters in the Silicon Valley city of Mountain View. "There has been a troubling trend of high-end phones getting more expensive," Google head of hardware Rick Osterloh said.
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| Early F-150 Lightning Up For Auction With GT40 Cylinder Heads Posted: 08 May 2019 11:40 AM PDT  This 1993 Lightning comes in black and looks ready for both the builders merchant and the drag strip. Out of all the names seen on special production vehicles over the years, Lightning has to be one of the coolest. In 1993, Ford decided to drop their first performance orientated truck, the F-150 Lightning, like the one featured here by GAA Classic Cars.
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| EU-Iran trade vehicle unlikely to meet anti-money-laundering norms: U.S. Posted: 07 May 2019 10:19 AM PDT  France, Britain and Germany have set up the special purpose vehicle called Instex, a conduit for barter-based trade with Iran, in an effort to protect at least some of Iran's economy from sweeping U.S. sanctions and keep alive a big-power nuclear deal that Washington is about to quit. The three European Union members have been trying to get Iran to keep its commitments under the deal to cut back its nuclear program - which Washington distrusts - by helping it to circumvent the trade sanctions that Washington has reimposed.
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| Beware: This new robocall scam could cost you big time Posted: 07 May 2019 06:03 PM PDT  It seems that robocallers have have begun to evolve a bit, as media coverage brings increased scrutiny and potential regulatory action in response to their practices. Now that consumers are starting to get wise to the barrage of robocalls and the myriad spam calls that flood their phones on the daily, robocallers have increasingly found themselves less able to trick unsuspecting consumers into actually answering their phones and engaging with them. Which is why they've moved on to a new strategy -- the one-ring call.It's a significant enough move on their part that the Federal Communications Commission has already decided to issue a warning to consumers about this new tactic, hoping you'll be able to avoid it. So what is it, exactly?Just like the name implies, the idea is for the robocaller to let the phone ring just once. Hoping that you'll have heard it, and your curiosity will overtake you enough to want to call back and ask whether someone just called you from this number. (Narrator: Don't do it.)Anecdotally, many people have started reporting this scam as seeming to originate from Sierra Leone, given the frequency of calls that include Sierra Leone's 232 country code in their number. The FCC's warning specifically mentions other calls coming from Mauritania, in Africa."These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number," the FCC's warning explains. It goes on to note that "News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona."Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer."In order to help fight back, the FCC is recommending consumers file a complaint with the FCC (by visiting www.fcc.gov/complaints) if you get one of these calls. Another thing you can do, if you never make international calls, is to consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls. All of this is, of course, in addition to not returning these calls in the first place if you get them.The fact that robocallers are evolving is certainly worth keeping an eye on, because the problem remains a particularly acute one across the US. One that regulatory action has so far seemed completely ineffective in making a dent in. A recent estimate from YouMail, for example, estimated that US consumers were hit with about 4.9 billion robocalls just in April alone.
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| Forgot about Mother's Day? These gifts are on sale. Posted: 07 May 2019 02:00 AM PDT  Let's face it: You're not going to nab that coveted "Son/Daughter of the Year" title by showing up to Mother's Day brunch with a body lotion gift basket you bought at Walgreens 20 minutes earlier. Luckily, even the most chronic procrastinators can score a thoughtful gift for Mom if they know where to find some eleventh-hour bargains.Below, we've rounded up five last-minute (but still awesome) deals on flowers, wine delivery services, and more -- enough to ensure you don't get written out of the will, at least. Teleflora Mother's Day CreditSure, it's a little predictable, but you can't go wrong with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. With this deal from Teleflora, you can take your pick from dozens of stunning flower arrangements that have been handcrafted by local florists. Once you've made your selection, it'll be delivered speedily in an elegant vase (not a plain old box) right to your mom's doorstep.Get $40 in Teleflora credits for just $18 -- a savings of 55%. Image: Teleflora $40 Teleflora Mother's Day credit -- $18 See Details Florists.com Mother's Day SpecialFlorists.com is offering its own special Mother's Day promotion with 50% off your choice of credit value. Same-day delivery is available on all of its flowers, plants, gift baskets, and fruit bouquets. Plus, you've got the option of adding a balloon or chocolates to your order to truly make Mom's day. Get $30 in credits for $15 or $40 in credits for $20. Image: florists.com Florists.com credit -- 50% off See Details Personalized socksThere's a good chance she'll never wear them out of the house, but your mom will definitely get a kick out of these silly personalized socks featuring her favorite person's (or pet's) face. Simply visit the Lovimals website and upload a photo of said face. Their in-house art team will then fine-tune the design and have it printed on your choice of blue, green, red, or pink suede-feel socks. Snag a pair for just $22.49 -- 25% off the original retail price of $29.99. Image: lovimals Personalized socks -- $22.49 See Details Winc Wine DeliveryFor a gift that's a surefire hit this Mother's Day, look no further than a wine subscription service. The quality blends offered by Winc are handpicked by wine gurus based on your mom's individual taste and shipped right to her front door along with flavor notes, vineyard backstories, and food pairing ideas. Get your mom her first four bottles of wine from Winc for only $26 -- a 50% discount on the usual price of $52. (That's less than $7 a bottle, FWIW.) Image: winc Winc Wine Delivery -- four bottles for $26 See Details Wine AwesomenessAnother solid pick as far as wine delivery services go, Wine Awesomeness is like an at-home version of a fancy wine club. With this limited-time deal, your mom gets three creatively curated bottles of vino inspired by a specific region or theme, plus a magazine packed with tasting notes, recipe pairings, and playlist suggestions -- all delivered straight to her doorstep each month. A $45 value, you can get your mom's first Wine Awesomeness box for only $30 -- a 33% savings. Image: wine awesomeness Wine Awesomeness box -- $30 See Details
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| House Democrat to decide Thursday on going to court for Trump tax returns: Politico Posted: 08 May 2019 03:37 PM PDT  U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal said he expected to decide on Thursday whether to go to court to seek President Donald Trump's tax returns, Politico reported. Neal, a Democrat, told Politico on Wednesday he plans to meet with House of Representatives lawyers and then make a final decision whether to bring a lawsuit against Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who on Monday rejected the committee's request for six years of Trump's individual and business tax returns.
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| Growing up in Windsor: what will life be like for baby Sussex? Posted: 07 May 2019 11:00 PM PDT  Only once Meghan has merged from the post birth fog, will she discover quite what a good move she has made to Windsor. She might be sleep deprived and sore and living in a building site but within a few miles of Frogmore, her newly renovated "forever home" is everything a new mother could need from organic supermarkets and luxury spas to Buggy Fit classes and cafes serving proper coffee. "New mums want to stay in touch with reality and get back into their favourite dresses and round here there are loads of stylish, outdoorsy ways of doing it," explains Sue Barnes of Lavender Green Flowers, a Windsor local who regularly does the flowers at events at the Royal palaces. Plus, Heathrow is only a short drive away – easy for when granny Doria flies in to help and, in case of emergencies, the Peter Jones nursery department is only 22 miles up the M4. There will presumably be times when Meghan will crave the bustle of city life but Barnes insists Windsor is a playground for new mums. "I can imagine them taking the baby on a slipper boat down the Thames with a picnic," she says. "Or he will play polo at Coworth Park while she relaxes in the spa and the baby sleeps in the crèche. Round here you can also attend society events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show with your baby in tow, which Meghan will appreciate." If the Duchess is open to making new friends there will also be plenty of kindred spirits to hang out with, says local mother and parenting blogger Jodie Humphries. "It's so easy for new mums to make friends around here as many have, like Meghan, moved out of the Royal Borough for a better quality of life," she says. "We arrive as strangers but form strong friendships through local baby and toddler groups. It's really helpful to have a set of friends who are all experiencing similar things at the same time." The question is: will Meghan flit between Frogmore and five-star spa hotels – or brave the Windsor playgroups? Windsor's Buggy Fit crowd meets weekly on the Long Walk - but will Meghan join them? Meghan's guide to being a new mum in Windsor The post birth boot camp Meghan has installed a gym and yoga studio at Frogmore, and will presumably ship in private trainers to come to the house – maybe Chloe Hodgson, who takes the pilates classes at Soho Farmhouse, or Notting Hill-based postnatal yoga guru Tara Lee. She might also take ballet barre and legs, bums and tums classes at the Cliveden Club, the private members club and gym attached to the five-star hotel where she stayed the night before her wedding. And then there are Her Majesty's horses to canter around the Great Park – great for toning the post birth core. She would do well, though, according to Humphries, to pull down her baseball cap and mingle in with the Buggy Fit crowd, which meets weekly on the Long Walk, a few minutes from Frogmore. For this she will need to ditch the traditional royal pram in favour of a sporty buggy such as a BOB Revolution Flex or, if it's twins, a Bugaboo Donkey. The new mum friends Her friends the Clooneys live 20 minutes away at Sonning – Amal's twins are now nearly two, so she can teach Meg the basics – and Elton John and his two children live in Old Windsor. Anna Friel is also a local Windsor mum and over at Henley-on Thames, mother-of-four Sascha Wrottesley, whose father Urs Schwarzenbach is a local polo patron and is a great mate of Prince Charles, will be able to introduce Meghan to the local polo mums. Meanwhile in Virginia Water are pop star Jessica Taylor, who is married to Kevin Pietersen, and TV presenter Kirstie Gallagher both with two children. If she's prepared to brave the local baby classes, however (see below), she will meet a raft of other local mums, and can bond over coffee and cake in the cafe at the Windsor Farmshop or on breezy walks in the Great Park. We'd say unlikely, but the option is at least there. The baby classes There is so much on offer for babies around Windsor that Meghan could risk over stimulating Baby Sussex: baby massage in Maidenhead , Hartbeeps sensory sessions in Windsor and two soft plays, the Jelly Lounge and the Little Gym in Windsor. For older babies Humphries recommends Concertini, live concerts for babies at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead. "My little boy went to his first concert when he was around six months," she says. Perhaps most appropriate for Meghan will be Yoga Babes at the Positivity Centre next to Cliveden. "It's postnatal exercises for mum and groovy moves to nursery rhymes for baby," Humphries explains. Me time When Meghan wants to escape the house for some 'me time', she should stroll to the Savill garden in Windsor Great Park, says Humphries, which has a great café and stunning scenery. Cliveden will undoubtedly become another favourite with its spa café serving healthy meals and tranquil sitting areas. There is no shortage of baby classes in Windsor Credit: Paul Edwards/PA Wire Not only do they do lovely afternoon teas and two-hour restorative flotation therapies (£185), there is also a playground in the National Trust estate for when the baby gets a bit older too. She might bump in to Cliveden regulars Poppy Delevigne and Gabby Logan. Date night Once they feel up to it they will be able book a discreet table at numerous fancy restaurants near Frogmore – the Fat Duck and Royal Oak are 15 minutes away at Bray and both the Waterside Inn and Skindles can be accessed by boat. "Or the Barn at Coworth Park, is relaxed chic and serves amazing food and is out of the spotlight," says local parenting blogger Melanie Kentish. Brad Pitt has stayed at Coworth and it was where former Dr Who star Matt Smith introduced his girlfriend Lily James to polo. The Sussexes also have a sentimental connection as Harry stayed here on the eve of their wedding. Family outings There will surely be family picnics on the lawns at Guards Polo, where Harry regularly plays and cream teas at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, a favourite with the Pony Club set including dressage star Laura Tomlinson, Harry's cousins Lady Louise Windsor and Zara Tindall – her youngest, Lena, will be a partner in crime for Baby Sussex – and Jessica Springsteen, Bruce's champion showjumper daughter. "It's smart but also very family orientated," Barnes says. And then there's Henley Royal Regatta, where Harry can catch up with his "wet bob" school chums. Harry might also suggest they go Carters Steam Fair, a traditional fairground, where he rode on the dodgems as a child. "It's a great place to go if he wanted to show Meghan some British traditions," Humphries says. School stress It may feel like much too soon to be talking schools but places are coveted at Asquith Nursery - one of the best nurseries in Windsor, according to Kentish, while Puddleduck Preschool, which has a similar vibe to Westacre Montessori, the small nursery on the Sandringham Estate where Prince George began his school days is also highly sought after. Another Montessori option is Children of the World Montessori School, which has small class sizes and a large playground. Royal baby Sussex | Read more Little Sussex might go on to Upton House where Fergie and Andrew sent their girls or Bishopsgate prep, at the entrance to Windsor Park, which is popular with local yummy mummies. Perhaps the most obvious choice, though, is St George's, at the foot of Windsor Castle, founded in 1348 to educate the choristers of the chapel where the Sussexes were married. And then of course there's Harry's alma mater, Eton, just across the river – although Meghan might put her foot down at that. Mothers help If Baby Sussex starts making her life difficult she could call up Hummingbird Home Staff, which provides local maternity nurses, night nannies and sleep trainers. Of course leading baby experts from across Britain will also be on hand to dash to the Duchesses side: miracle breastfeeding consultant Clare Byam Cook, for example, and Magic Sleep Fairy Alison Scott-Wright. Lady Sophie Windsor, who is married to Harry's cousin Lord Fredrick Windsor, might suggest she consults sleep counsellor Andrea Grace, who helped with her children's sleep issues. Newsletter Promotion - Royal Appointment - in article Beating the baby blues Even for new mums like Meghan, with a luxury home and an entourage, motherhood can be lonely. "The key is to have realistic expectations and to surround yourself with people that make you feel confident," Humphries says. Parenting podcasts are a good way to feel connected during solitary night feeds or lonely days at home; Marina Fogle's Parenthood is a good one, as is Motherkind – or Scummy Mummies if Meghan is feeling less than perfect. And there's nothing like a good catch up with an old friend – or a new one. "Thankfully there is a great sense of community within Windsor," Kentish says. "Which wards off the loneliness that being a new mum can bring."
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| Australian republicans send cheeky congrats to Harry and Meghan Posted: 06 May 2019 06:44 PM PDT  Australians campaigning to end the former colony's allegiance to the British monarchy "warmly" congratulated Harry and Meghan on Tuesday on the birth of their son. Australians voted to keep the British monarch as their head of state in a 1999 referendum, but the opposition Labor party has vowed to hold a new plebiscite on the issue if they win national elections on May 18, as opinion polls predict. Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a supporter of the monarchy, tweeted "huge congratulations" to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their baby son was born overnight.
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| Markets Right Now: Late selling leaves stocks slightly lower Posted: 08 May 2019 01:11 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):
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| France suggests sanctions could be reimposed if Iran reneges on deal Posted: 07 May 2019 04:05 PM PDT  The U.S. military said on Tuesday that B-52 bombers would be part of additional forces being sent to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats from Iran to U.S. forces there. Iran dismissed announcement of a U.S. aircraft carrier deployment as old news, recycled for psychological warfare, and said it would soon announce plans to roll back some of its commitments under the 2015 deal. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Iran's neighbor Iraq on Tuesday and met with the Iraqi prime minister after telling reporters Washington was concerned about Iraqi sovereignty because of increasing Iranian activity.
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| Tempur-Pedic introduces bed-in-a-box mattress: Tempur-Cloud debuts Posted: 07 May 2019 06:30 AM PDT ![Tempur-Pedic introduces bed-in-a-box mattress: Tempur-Cloud debuts]( "Tempur-Pedic introduces bed-in-a-box mattress: Tempur-Cloud debuts") Tempur Pedic is entering the battle for the best bed bed-in-a-box introducing mattresses that will compete with brands like Casper and Leesa.
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| 'The FBI doesn't spy': Comey slams Barr for spying claim, 'misleading' Mueller summary Posted: 08 May 2019 12:14 PM PDT  "We investigated a very serious allegation that Americans might be hooked up with the Russian effort to attack our democracy," Comey said Wednesday.
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| Crazy sale slashes the Alexa enabled Roomba 671 to its lowest price ever, today only Posted: 07 May 2019 04:54 AM PDT ![Crazy sale slashes the Alexa enabled Roomba 671 to its lowest price ever, today only]( "Crazy sale slashes the Alexa enabled Roomba 671 to its lowest price ever, today only") You probably didn't wake up this morning thinking to yourself, "today is the day I'm finally going to buy a robot vacuum!" You should be thinking that to yourself right now though, because Amazon is running a one-day sale that is definitely too good to pass up. The iRobot Roomba 671 Robot Vacuum is a well-reviewed model with all the bells and whistles you want in a Roomba, and it also has Wi-Fi connectivity and Alexa support. It's a bargain at its full retail price of $350, but Amazon's Gold Box deal on Tuesday slashes the price all the way down to just $229.99. That's a crazy deal for this model, so grab one while you can!Here are the highlights from the product page: * 3-Stage Cleaning System and Dual Multi-Surface Brushes pick up everything from small particles to large debris * Patented Dirt Detect sensors alert Roomba to work harder on concentrated areas of dirt, such as high-traffic zones of your home * Full suite of intelligent sensors guide the robot under and around furniture to help thoroughly clean your floors * Edge-Sweeping Brush is specially designed at a 27-degree angle to sweep debris away from edges and corners * Clean and schedule from anywhere with the iRobot HOME App; compatible with Alexa and the Google Assistant * Runs for up to 90 minutes before automatically docking and recharging * Featuring these other Roomba robot essentials - Wi-Fi Connectivity, Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head, Works on Carpets and Hard Floors * Box Content: 1 Home Base Charging Station, 1 North American Line Cord * iRobot does not the quality or authenticity of products purchased from non-authorized resellers on , and they are not eligible for or replacement from iRobot
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| Kamala Harris' bill seeks to ease burden on public defenders Posted: 08 May 2019 02:13 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California is introducing legislation, including a $250 million grant program, to ease the burden on public defenders around the country.
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| Venezuela's Guaido says intelligence agents have detained his deputy Posted: 08 May 2019 05:33 PM PDT ![Venezuela's Guaido says intelligence agents have detained his deputy]( "Venezuela's Guaido says intelligence agents have detained his deputy") Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Wednesday that intelligence agents had detained his deputy, the first arrest of a lawmaker since Guaido tried to spark a military uprising last week to bring down President Nicolas Maduro's government. Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which Guaido heads, said on Twitter that agents from the SEBIN intelligence agency were using a tow truck to drag his vehicle, with him inside, to one of their Caracas bases. On Tuesday, Venezuela's pro-Maduro Constituent Assembly ruled to strip Zambrano, and six other lawmakers, of their parliamentary immunity to allow their future prosecution.
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| California Police Release Body Camera Footage of Officer Body Slamming Woman Posted: 07 May 2019 08:31 PM PDT  Eight videos were released by the Rio Vista Police Department from a traffic stop that resulted in an officer body slamming a woman over the weekend.
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| Watermelon Sangria, Summer Shandy Punch, and More Big-Batch Cocktail Recipes Posted: 07 May 2019 03:10 PM PDT |
| China Threatens Retaliation as Trump Touts Chances of Deal Posted: 08 May 2019 12:41 PM PDT  The U.S. and China sent conflicting signals over trade, with President Donald Trump expressing optimism about the prospect of a deal and Beijing warning that it will retaliate if the U.S. follows through on a threat to hike tariffs. Trump said Wednesday that China indicated it hopes to "make a deal" when senior Chinese officials visit Washington for negotiations Thursday and Friday. The U.S. has said it will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent from 10 percent on Friday at 12:01 a.m. New York-time.
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| Google launches Israel programme to help startups grow globally Posted: 07 May 2019 03:04 AM PDT  Alphabet Inc's Google said on Tuesday it has launched a four-month programme in Israel to help startups grow globally using its experts and tools. The Google Startup Growth Lab Programme has picked eight companies, after a pilot was completed in 2018. "This is a programme for startups that are beginning their growth period or have growth challenges," Lior Noy, startup growth lead at Google, told Reuters.
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| James Holzhauer's 'Jeopardy!' winning streak has fueled a (continued) ratings streak Posted: 07 May 2019 11:54 AM PDT  James Holzhauer's impressive run on "Jeopardy!" has fueled renewed interest – and ratings – for the syndicated quiz show.
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| SanDisk’s most popular memory cards start at just $6 right now on Amazon Posted: 07 May 2019 06:03 AM PDT ![SanDisk's most popular memory cards start at just $6 right now on Amazon]( "SanDisk's most popular memory cards start at just $6 right now on Amazon") Look, if you're in need of microSD cards in pretty much any size, today is definitely the day you should buy them. Why? Because Amazon is running a big sale on SanDisk digital storage that slashes prices of a bunch of different sizes to all-time lows. 16GB cards cost $5.77 in the sale, but definitely don't buy one because 32GB cards are somehow only $7! 64GB cards are an absolute steal at $11.75, and $19.95 for 128GB cards matches the lowest price ever. 200GB cards cost $32.48, 256GB cards are down to $37.99, and you can get a massive 400GB card for $73 and change. What are you waiting for!?Here are the highlights from the product page: * to 400GB (1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.) to store even more hours of Full HD video (Approximations; results and Full HD (1920x1080) video support may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors.) * Class 10 for Full HD video recording and playback (Full HD (1920x1080) video support may vary based upon host device, file attributes, and other factors.) * Up to 100MB/s transfer read speed (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors.) lets you move up to 1200 photos in a minute (Based on 4.1GB transfer of photos (avg. file 3.5MB) with USB 3.0 reader. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors.) * Load apps faster with A1-rated performance (Results may vary based on host device, app type and other factors.) * Ideal for Android smartphones and tablets, and MIL cameras.Form Factor:microSDXC * SanDisk Memory Zone app for easy file management (Download and Installation Required) * 10-year limited manufacturer warranty
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| Post-apartheid South Africa is world's most unequal country Posted: 07 May 2019 09:01 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Perhaps nowhere in today's South Africa is the country's inequality on more dramatic display than in the neighboring Johannesburg suburbs of Sandton and Alexandra.
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