| Right-wing protesters, 'antifa' clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon Posted: 30 Jun 2019 12:49 PM PDT ![Right-wing protesters, 'antifa' clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon]( "Right-wing protesters, 'antifa' clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon") Order was restored to the streets of Portland, Oregon, after protests that clogged streets, crippled public transit and left at least 8 people hurt.
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| Lawyers make closing arguments in U.S. Navy SEAL's war crimes trial Posted: 01 Jul 2019 03:02 AM PDT  Attorneys for both sides in the war crimes trial of a U.S. Navy SEAL delivered closing arguments on Monday, with prosecutors saying the defendant's own words prove his guilt, and the defense countering there was no physical evidence to support the charges. A seven-member jury was expected later on Monday or Tuesday to begin deliberating the fate of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, in a court-martial that has drawn White House interest. The 39-year-old platoon leader is charged with committing the premeditated murder of a captured Islamic State fighter, brought to Gallagher's outpost for medical treatment, by repeatedly stabbing the teenage prisoner in the neck with a custom-made knife.
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| How America's F-22s (Now Near Iran) Could Strike If War Breaks Out Posted: 30 Jun 2019 08:00 AM PDT  Taken on Jun. 27, 2019 the pictures in this post show U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptors arriving at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The Raptors are deployed to Qatar for the first time in order to defend American forces and interests in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.The USAF did not give the total number of F-22s deployed, but a handout picture showed at least five the warplanes over the base.The F-22 movement comes a week after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) shot down a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the drone was in its airspace, but Washington claims it was over international waters.
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| Ocasio-Cortez: Ivanka Trump is not a 'qualified diplomat' Posted: 30 Jun 2019 08:29 AM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sharply criticized the White House on Saturday night after video emerged of an awkward Ivanka Trump moment at the G-20 summit.
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| Hunt for pet-eating python as 9ft snake goes on the loose in Cambridge Posted: 30 Jun 2019 10:04 AM PDT  Rabbit and chicken owners in Cambridge have been warned to be vigilant following the escape of a nine-foot reticulated python. The non-venomous snake is unlikely to pose a threat to human life but could make small animals like rabbits and chickens its prey. Police in Cambridgeshire received reports that a snake had been spotted near Lovell Road in Cambridge. In the early hours of Sunday morning officers attended the area but failed to spot the animal. The snake's owners have been located and provided police with details on the animal. Steve Allain, chairman of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Amphibian and Reptile Group said the escaped reptile poses a threat to rabbits, chickens and potentially dogs and cats but added that the latter two pets are more like to be able to defend themselves if attacked. Mr Allain said the threat posed depends on when the animal last ate. "We don't when it last fed or how hungry it is or how determined it is to find a meal," Mr Allain said. Mr Allain said the "snake could be anywhere" and would be easier to locate during the colder winter months when it would seek warmth. "With the hot weather this weekend, it will be comfortable in most places. During the winter, the first place you would look would be in and around cars where they seek the warmth of the engine." An Indonesian woman was swallowed by a 23-foot reticulated python last year but Mr Allain said this smaller creature does not pose a similar threat. The RSPCA advised anyone that encounters the creature not to approach it. "If anyone finds a snake they believe is non-native the RSPCA's advice is to keep a safe distance, monitor the snake and call the charity's helpline on 0300 1234 999," a spokeswoman said. Reticulated pythons are the world's longest snake, native to south-east Asia and can grow up to 31.5 feet, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. They are not venomous. In May, Cambridgeshire Constabulary found a large orange and black striped corn snake out and about. "Road policing officers got a bit of a shock this morning when they came across thissss snake in the grass on Arbury Road in Cambridge," police said on Twitter. The snake was taken to a wildlife centre in Stretham. Anyone who sees the latest snake is asked to notify police on 101.
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| The American Medical Association Is Taking a More Aggressive Approach on Abortion Legislation Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:00 AM PDT  The doctors' group, is taking an assertive stance arguing that North Dakota's laws interfere with doctor-patient relationships.
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| Israel will be destroyed in half an hour if America attacks Iran: senior Iranian MP Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:17 AM PDT  Israel will be destroyed in half an hour if the United States attacks Iran, a senior Iranian parliamentarian said on Monday, according to the semiofficial Mehr news agency.
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| Civil Rights Watchdogs Say Facebook Is Still Failing on White Supremacy Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:48 AM PDT  David McNew/Getty ImagesSome civil rights watchdogs say Facebook's "Civil Rights Audit," which recommends a crackdown on white nationalism and related ideologies, is a step in the right direction but doesn't go far enough.On Sunday, Facebook released a progress report about its ongoing internal investigation into how the company handles civil rights issues on the platform. With contributions from more than 90 civil liberties organizations, the report suggests a blueprint for how Facebook can fix its spotty record on racism, discrimination, and voter intimidation. The progress report also addresses Facebook's current policy on white nationalist content, which civil rights leaders have criticized as insufficient. If Facebook wants to clean up the site, it will have to take on the report's recommendations and more, those experts say."I think they've been trying to play in this gray area for far too long and that's come back to haunt them," Henry Fernandez, member of the digital civil rights coalition Change the Terms, told The Daily Beast. Fernandez was referring to Facebook's often-inconsistent approach to racist content.A 2018 Motherboard investigation found that while Facebook prohibited discussion of "white supremacy," it allowed discussion of "white nationalism" and "white separatism," both of which are racist ideologies stemming from white supremacy.This year, after a broad backlash about its insufficient policy, Facebook banned explicit discussion of white nationalism and white separatism. Still, the company declined to take immediate action on white nationalist posts that didn't explicitly use the term. (Facebook said the coded language was too difficult to detect and remove.)The half-step against white nationalism meant that prominent white nationalists could continue posting. A week after Facebook announced its ban on white nationalism, it refused to pull a white nationalist video by Canadian hate-monger Faith Goldy. At the time, a Facebook spokesperson told HuffPost that the video did not promote white nationalism but was merely a discussion about ethnicity. (Facebook banned Goldy and several neo-Nazis the following week.)Facebook's frequent reversals have led some civil rights groups to accuse it of making up its policies on the fly."The burden still remains on victimized community members to report content and hope that the company will address the problem," Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group said in a statement on Facebook's civil rights audit. "Facebook's piecemeal approach to these issues will not result in long-term solutions, and the time has come for the company to honor its commitment to fix these problems."Fernandez said he suspected Facebook hadn't studied its subject matter closely enough."I think the teams they put together lacked the expertise and the diversity to understand and articulate why there is no distinction between white nationalism, white separatism, and white supremacy," he said.He pointed to revelations this week that Customs and Border Patrol agents had used Facebook groups to disparage immigrants and Latina congresswomen. The new civil rights audit called Facebook's definition of white nationalism "too narrow" and suggested Facebook take action against all white nationalist content, even if it doesn't use the term explicitly.The audit also announced the creation of an internal Civil Rights Task Force, comprised of senior Facebook execs, which will meet monthly. But if the task force is to make real changes, it needs more than monthly meetings of C-suite executives, Fernandez said."The problem is, what they're saying they'll now have—a committee chaired by Sheryl Sandberg and then a couple outside consultants meeting monthly—seems pretty thin compared to the scale of problems they have," he said. "I think they need to figure out how they're going to embed that civil rights structure much more deeply in the organization." Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| How to Display the American Flag Correctly on Your Car or Motorcycle Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:00 AM PDT |
| Civilians among 15 dead in Israeli strikes in Syria: monitor Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:20 AM PDT  Israeli air strikes in Syria left nine mostly foreign pro-regime fighters and six civilians including three children dead, a Britain-based war monitor said Monday. The raids near Damascus and in Homs province late Sunday killed the fighters, but it was not immediately clear exactly how the civilians died -- whether in the strikes or in the aftermath, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It said the strikes hit several Iranian positions near Damascus and targeted a research centre and a military airport west of the city of Homs where the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah and Iranians are deployed.
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| Trump nepotism attacked after 'out-of-her-depth' Ivanka given key summit role Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:32 AM PDT  * Experts say first daughter's presence reflects gravely on US * Opinion: Laugh at Ivanka – to take her seriously is frighteningIvanka Trump with national security adviser John Bolton in South Korea on Sunday. On stage later, Donald Trump introduced his daughter and said: 'She's going to steal the show.' Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersDonald Trump has been accused of taking nepotism to alarming new depths after giving his daughter, Ivanka, a prominent role in meetings with the G20 and Kim Jong-un.On Saturday, the French government released a video from the G20 summit in Osaka that showed Ivanka awkwardly interjecting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister, Theresa May, Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau and IMF director Christine Lagarde, whose icy expression spoke volumes. During the summit, Ivanka was also included in photographs of a group of leaders.A day later, Trump's 37-year-old daughter became one of the few Americans to set foot inside North Korea as her father held nuclear talks with Kim in the demilitarised zone. The first daughter described the event as "surreal".Then, addressing US forces stationed in South Korea, Donald Trump invited Ivanka on stage and promised: "She's going to steal the show."Such brazenly dynastic displays caused concern among foreign policy experts who, noting Ivanka's complete lack of diplomatic experience or training, warned of lasting damage to America's credibility.Ned Price, former special assistant to Barack Obama for national security affairs, said: "It's one thing for Trump to have his relatives around him in the White House as personal consigliere, especially if they do have the calming influence that's been reported. But it's quite another for his daughter to represent the United States of America in the presence of world leaders.> It reflects poorly on Ivanka Trump that she lacks the self-awareness to recognise how out of her depth she is> > Ned Price"It reflects poorly on Trump that he would place her in that context and poorly on Ivanka Trump that she lacks the self-awareness to recognise how out of her depth she is."Price, now director of policy and communications at National Security Action, a thinktank, added: "Above all it reflects poorly on the United States that we're too often represented by unelected officials without any relevant qualifications."Ivanka is listed on the official White House website as "adviser to the president", focusing on the "education and economic empowerment of women and their families". This has included several foreign trips, often promoted on her Instagram account.Her husband, Jared Kushner, is no less influential, and recently unveiled part of a widely derided Middle East peace plan at a conference in Bahrain that was boycotted by Palestinian officials. The couple moved from New York to Washington to join the administration, with Ivanka eventually closing her clothing business.Several leaders brought their spouses to the G20, but in the absence of Melania, Donald Trump brought his daughter instead. Speaking at one session, she said the world economy would get a boost of up to $28tn by 2025 if women were on an equal economic footing. Ivanka even released video in which she looked self-conscious as she summarised meetings and used words such as "deliverables".But it was the footage of her conversation with world leaders that triggered a tsunami of online parodies.May can be heard saying: "As soon as you charge them with that economic aspect of it, a lot of people start listening who otherwise wouldn't listen."Ivanka then chips in: "And the same with the defence side of it, in terms of the whole business that's been, sort of, male-dominated."Lagarde's head jerks to the left. She looks irritated.Democrats seized on the incident. Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is running for president, said: "This is your reminder that Ivanka Trump has no foreign policy or diplomacy experience. The American people deserve to be represented by a qualified diplomat, not the president's daughter."Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: "Being someone's daughter actually isn't a career qualification. It hurts our diplomatic standing when the president phones it in [and] the world moves on."Trump drew his own sharp criticism over the weekend for his ostentatiously cosy relations with Kim, Vladimir Putin and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, suspected of involvement in the death and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who lived in the US and wrote for the Washington Post. Trump's unorthodox approaches to trade, Iran, Israel and European allies have also received withering censure.Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, said: "The fact that Trump would let his own daughter, who has no training and no basis for participating in diplomatic events, [go to the G20] epitomises the Trump administration's amateurish approach to foreign policy."He's very obviously thumbing his nose at protocol and decades of norms."The Trump family business has drawn comparisons to a constitutional monarchy. Trump told the Atlantic earlier this year: "If [Ivanka] ever wanted to run for president. I think she'd be very, very hard to beat."Ivanka's brothers, Donald Jr and Eric, have become outspoken defenders of their father and are set to play leading roles in the 2020 election.Jordan Libowitz, communications director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (Crew) in Washington, said: "It is questionable what Ivanka Trump was doing at the G20 summit, but it is also questionable what she does in the White House."She takes a very prominent public role without defined duties or qualifications further than being the president's daughter."More troubling is the fact that she continues to own significant problematic assets, from which she makes millions of dollars – including a share of the Trump hotel in Washington, which has become a haven for people looking to influence the Trump administration."
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| Russia's Killer Su-57 Stealth Fighter and S-400 Headed to a NATO Member? Posted: 29 Jun 2019 09:30 PM PDT  On May 18 2019, Erdogan stated that not only was the S-400 purchase a "done deal"—but that Turkey would engage in "joint production of the S-500 after." The S-500 is an even more advanced Russian SAM system.Amongst a host of factors behind the downward spiraling relations between Turkey and its NATO allies, one of increasing consequence is Turkey's contravention of U.S. sanctions on Russia when it signed in 2017 a $2.5 billion deal to purchase advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.Turkish president Recep Erdogan has stood by the deal, even as U.S. lawmakers are threatening to ban the delivery of the 120 advanced F-35 stealth jets Turkey has ordered, and expel Turkish companies from the program entirely.(This first appeared earlier in June 2019.)Currently, the S-400s are due to arrive in July 2019 and become operational in September. Meanwhile, the U.S. has frozen F-35-related shipments to Turkey since April.
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| 43-year-old El Salvador migrant dies in US border custody Posted: 29 Jun 2019 06:39 PM PDT  A 43-year-old El Salvadoran man who crossed into the U.S. with his daughter collapsed at a border station and later died at a hospital, officials said Saturday. The man had been held about a week at the Rio Grande Valley central processing center in McAllen, Texas, according to a law enforcement official. The daughter was still in U.S. Border Patrol custody, but officials had requested an expedited transfer to a shelter run by the agency that manages children who cross the border alone, the official said.
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| The new and improved Gay Street sign is all over NYC Pride Twitter Posted: 30 Jun 2019 11:37 AM PDT  This year the New York City Pride March marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riot, and the parade is bigger and more colorful than ever. As the march makes its way to Greenwich Village, one street sign in particular is popping up on social media as a symbol of 2019's much-needed focus on inclusion in the queer community. It's pure coincidence that Gay Street intersects with Christopher Street right near the Stonewall Inn -- the "Gay" of Gay Street is a family name -- but its location on the parade route makes it prime real estate for a statement on what pride means in 2019. Take a look:> The famous Gay Street sign, representing a wide spectrum of gender expression. Near Christopher Park in Greenwich Village, NYCPride pic.twitter.com/8vTUJKsr50> > -- ken ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴ (@kensadahiro) June 29, 2019The sign was one of many changes made around the city to celebrate Pride Month. > For the LGBT folks in the city today, I hope you all know that New York City will always stand with you. Enjoy PrideNYC today!!!! pic.twitter.com/FKpz1tEXQx> > -- Craig Anderson (@canderson1989) June 30, 2019The temporary changes to the Gay Street sign were part of an "Acceptance Matters" campaign by MasterCard, which raises questions about the place of corporations in New York's Pride Month celebrations. This particular installation seems to be popular on social media, however, for its reminder that every element of the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to feel proud of their identity. WATCH: 'History repeats itself': LGBTQ elders discuss how Stonewall impacted their organizing during the AIDS crisis
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| Two killed in accident at Shell Auger platform in Gulf of Mexico Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:53 AM PDT ![Two killed in accident at Shell Auger platform in Gulf of Mexico]( "Two killed in accident at Shell Auger platform in Gulf of Mexico") "One other non-life-threatening injury was sustained and that individual is being treated at a nearby hospital," Shell said in an emailed statement. A Shell employee and a contractor with Danos Inc, an oilfield services provider, were killed during a routine test of a lifeboat launch and retrieval capabilities at the platform located 214 miles south of New Orleans, the statement said. The platform remains in operation, Shell said.
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| With Kavanaugh in Place, Supreme Court Takes Bumpy Right Turn Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The arrivals of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court stoked liberal fears that bedrock precedents on divisive issues including abortion and federal regulatory power were in danger.That may still be true. But the term that ended last week showed that the road to fulfilling long-held conservative goals will feature some speed bumps.In the first term since Kavanaugh succeeded swing vote Anthony Kennedy, conservatives won a major ruling that shielded partisan gerrymanders from constitutional challenges. They also triumphed on property rights and the death penalty.Those victories were offset by a decision that, for now, stopped the Trump administration from asking about citizenship on the 2020 census. Another ruling preserved some of the power of federal agencies, and the court has refused so far to take up an abortion case.The court is undoubtedly more conservative with President Donald Trump's two appointees on the bench. As the nation moves into a long and contentious election season, the court's move to the right will give Trump fuel to fire up his base and Democrats fodder for making the court a major campaign issue of their own.Conservative WinsBut the just-finished term underscores the limits to that shift, or at least to its speed."There were major leaps -- for example, blessing partisan gerrymandering in federal court," said Tom Goldstein, a Washington lawyer who founded scotusblog.com, which tracks the court. "But in other cases, the conservatives were content to just advance the law methodically."In a term in which 21 rulings were decided by a single vote -- representing almost a third of the docket -- the conservatives formed a 5-4 majority only seven times.Some of those rulings were big ones, though, particularly the decision last week that said the Constitution doesn't let judges throw out voting maps for being too partisan. That ruling gave state lawmakers a new license to draw maps aimed at maximizing their own political advantage. It could bolster Republicans in the 2020 elections.Precedents OverturnedThe conservatives -- Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito -- also ruled that people could go directly to federal court to claim that a government regulation unconstitutionally took private property without compensation.That was one of two decisions that explicitly overturned a precedent. A 1985 ruling had required property owners to press their claims first in state court, a potentially less hospitable forum.Dissenting Justice Elena Kagan said the ruling "smashes a hundred-plus years of legal rulings to smithereens," a contention Roberts disputed in his majority opinion.The five conservatives were also in the majority in a 5-4 ruling that let Missouri give a lethal injection to a convicted murderer who said his rare medical condition means he would probably choke on his own blood.Let's Stick TogetherConservatives got a bigger majority, 7-2, for a ruling that let a 40-foot cross remain as a World War I memorial in a Maryland intersection. Alito's opinion for the court was narrow, noting that the monument is almost a century old and leaving open the possibility that newer religious displays might be judged differently.Disagreements among the conservatives tempered their ability to shift the law. Each of the five joined the liberal wing -- Justices Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor -- at least once in a 5-4 or 5-3 ruling. The liberals won 10 cases in which they stuck together and were joined by a single conservative justice.Some of those rulings were narrow, better characterized as fending off conservative victories than pushing the law to the left. The liberals joined with Roberts to reaffirm a 1997 ruling that often requires judges to defer to an agency on the meaning of ambiguous regulations.That opinion limited the circumstances in which courts should yield to agencies -- so much so that Gorsuch said in dissent that the 1997 precedent had become a "paper tiger" and predicted it would eventually be overturned.Citizenship QuestionThe liberals also aligned with Roberts to put on hold the Trump administration's effort to add a citizenship question to the decennial census. Although Roberts agreed with the administration and his fellow conservatives on a number of points, he diverged enough to put in the plan in doubt.Roberts and the liberals said the administration's explanation for the move was "contrived." The Commerce Department now has a chance to provide better justification but will be racing the clock. The administration previously said the questionnaire needed to be finalized by June 30."This term showed that it is not impossible to secure progressive victories in this court," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center. "But make no mistake, the Roberts court is deeply conservative and we saw several seeds planted" that she said "could bear fruit for an extreme conservative agenda in terms to come."Libertarian GorsuchGorsuch joined the liberals four times, twice in criminal cases. He wrote the majority opinion striking down a provision that increased sentences for some people convicted of carrying a firearm during a violent crime, saying it was unconstitutionally vague.The ruling drew a sharp dissent from Kavanaugh, who called it a "serious mistake." He said it "will make it harder to prosecute violent gun crimes in the future."Gorsuch has inherited the role of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, whom he succeeded, as the court's civil libertarian in criminal cases, said Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston."Like Scalia, Gorsuch's opinions are not driven by empathy for those who break the law," Blackman said. "Rather, he is generally skeptical of the federal government's powers to deprive people of life, liberty and property."Antitrust CaseThe firearms case wasn't the only one that divided the two Trump appointees. Kavanaugh joined the liberals in an antitrust decision forcing Apple Inc. to defend against claims that it artificially inflated prices at its App Store. Gorsuch dissented with his fellow conservatives.The two Trump appointees agreed 70% of the time, identical to Kavanaugh's agreement level with Breyer and Kagan, according to statistics compiled by scotusblog.com.But both "flexed their conservative bona fides" this term, said Leah Litman, a constitutional law professor at the University of Michigan.. They "willingly agreed to overturn several longstanding precedents in areas ranging from constitutional rights to administrative law."That left Roberts controlling the court on its most important decisions."This is now, truly, the Roberts court," said Kannon Shanmugam, an appellate lawyer at Paul Weiss in Washington. "While the court's general direction was not consistent, the chief justice played a pivotal role in the most important decisions."To contact the reporter on this story: Greg Stohr in Washington at gstohr@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asséo, Ros KrasnyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The 2021 Ram Dakota Mid-Size Pickup Could Be the Jeep Gladiator's Cheaper Cousin Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT  Ram already confirmed that a mid-size truck is in the works, and this is what we know about it so far.
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| Japan restricts exports to South Korea over wartime labour row Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:31 AM PDT  Japan on Monday imposed restrictions on exports used by South Korea's chip and smartphone companies, ramping up long-simmering tensions between the US allies over the use of forced labour during World War Two. Seoul quickly hit back, saying the measures violated international law and threatening to raise the issue at the World Trade Organisation. The move raises the stakes in a protracted dispute over South Korean court rulings requiring Japanese firms to compensate victims of a wartime forced labour policy.
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| U.S. stocks end higher Monday after China trade truce, S&P 500 hits new record closing Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:11 PM PDT  Stocks finished higher after the White House agreed to resume trade talks with China.
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| 'Racist and vile': Democrats unite after Trump Jr. shares post questioning Kamala Harris's race Posted: 30 Jun 2019 06:13 AM PDT  The primary rivals of Sen. Kamala Harris came to her defense over the weekend, pushing back against a claim fueled by Donald Trump Jr. that she isn't an "American black."
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| Sad: Iran's Kowsar Jet Is Just an Old Copy of an F-5F Posted: 01 Jul 2019 07:06 AM PDT  Iran is currently under economic and diplomatic pressure from a raft of sanctions reimposed by the U.S. earlier this month, and the unveiling could be seen as a bid to show self-sufficiency and military might in the face of that pressure.Iran says its new Kowsar fighter jet has flown. President Hassan Rouhani was on scene to see the jet – which is a carbon copy of the American F-5F – undergoing flight trials.Test flights of the Kowsar, took place on Aug. 21, 2018 on the eve of the National Day of the Defense Industry, according to semi-official Mehr News Agency. It was unclear whether the jet's first public display flight has yet taken place.The Kowsar can be used for "short aerial support missions" and is equipped with systems that "promote precision targeting," according to state media.Rouhani called on the Iranian military to strengthen their readiness in the face of enemy threats in a speech during Tuesday's defense show."When we say we are ready for defense, it means that we seek the establishment of sustainable peace," Rouhani said.
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| Judge: Rep. Duncan Hunter's trial can detail alleged affairs Posted: 01 Jul 2019 05:40 PM PDT  Jurors can hear evidence of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter's alleged extramarital affairs when they consider charges the California Republican looted campaign cash to finance vacations, golf outings and other personal expenses, a judge said Monday. Prosecutors revealed salacious details about the married congressman's lifestyle in court filings last week, saying he used campaign money to illegally finance a string of romantic relationships with lobbyists and congressional aides. U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan said the allegations were relevant to whether campaign money was spent illegally and spoke to motive and intent.
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| Top Selling Cars From Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:18 AM PDT  It was a big weekend for Barrett-Jackson!As we reported on Friday, the last front engine, C7 Chevrolet Corvette crossed the auction block at Barrett-Jackson and received a staggering $2.7 million bid, but it wasn't the only car in Mohegan Sun in Connecticut worth watching. The docket represented a diverse group of cars, and six of the ten sold set new auction records for the company. "We're so appreciative of all our guests, sponsors and exhibitors who contributed to this auction and made it such an extraordinary event," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "Thanks to everyone's participation and efforts, we hit incredible milestones as we wrote new pages in automotive history. Chief among those was a new charity auction record set by the last-built C7 Corvette. This special moment closed an era for Corvette and also raised critical support for our nation's heroes. We built so much momentum this year in Scottsdale, Palm Beach and the Northeast that we can't wait to top it off in Las Vegas this October."Overall, 545 vehicles were sold for a total of $21.8 million, with an almost unheard of 100-percent sell through rate. In addition, 470 pieces of automobila sold, bringing the total sales up to over $24 million. The top 10 from the Northeast Auction are:Last-Built 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Lot 3001) - $2.7 million (charity vehicle) 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster (Lot 671) - $280,500 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Yenko/SC Stage II Convertible Serial 1 (Lot 663) - $258,500* 1954 Buick Special Custom Coupe "G54" (Lot 694) - $220,000* 1969 Ford Bronco Custom SUV (Lot 669) - $203,500* 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition (Lot 665) - $187,000 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Custom 6X6 (Lot 654) - $181,500* 1997 Toyota Supra Anniversary Edition (Lot 711) - $176,000* 2017 Dodge Viper GTC ACR (Lot 664) - $172,700 2014 Ferrari California Convertible (Lot 673) - $170,500* 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda Resto-Mod (Lot 685) - $165,000 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 (Lot 667) - $165,000 *An asterisk represents a Barrett-Jackson auction record. "Collector cars are the heart and soul of everything we do," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "But we've gone a step further to create an immersive lifestyle experience around the auction that's unmatched in this great hobby. We offered terrific symposiums led by top automotive experts and hands-on exhibits. For the first time since its introduction, Ford offered select rides to the public in the adrenaline-pumping Ford GT supercar. Only at Barrett-Jackson can you drive home the car of your dreams, rub shoulders with industry legends and make memories that will last a lifetime." Read More... Barrett-Jackson Consigns the Vault Portfolio For Northeast Auction David Maxwell Collection At Barrett-Jackson's Northeast Auction
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| Freak hailstorm hits Guadalajara, Mexico, swallowing buildings and cars Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:56 AM PDT  People woke up Sunday morning to more than three feet of ice after a heavy hailstorm swept through the region.
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| Errant missile from Syria-Israel clash lands on Cyprus Posted: 30 Jun 2019 07:10 PM PDT  An errant missile struck Cyprus early on Monday, skimming the densely populated capital Nicosia and crashing on a mountainside in what authorities described as a spillover from strikes between Israel and Syria. The explosion occurred around 1 a.m. (2200 GMT Sunday) in the region of Tashkent, also known as Vouno, some 20 kms (12 miles) northeast of Nicosia, with the impact starting a fire and heard for miles around. An Israeli air strike was underway against Syria at the time.
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| After high arsenic reports, Keurig Dr Pepper pulls bottled water sold at Target, Walmart Posted: 30 Jun 2019 02:19 PM PDT  All bottles of unflavored Peñafiel mineral spring water are part of a voluntary withdrawal, Keurig Dr Pepper said in a statement Friday.
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| Former White House Officials Say President Trump 'Is Lying' Over Claims Obama Tried to Meet With Kim Jong Un Posted: 30 Jun 2019 12:22 PM PDT  "I was there for all eight years. Obama never sought a meeting with Kim Jong Un"
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| Portland police clash with protesters and make ‘cement milkshake’ claim Posted: 30 Jun 2019 04:32 AM PDT  Left- and rightwing demonstrators marched again in Oregon, leading to blocked traffic and skirmishes with law enforcementPolice use pepper spray as multiple groups protest in downtown Portland. Photograph: Dave Killen/APPolice declared a civil disturbance in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday afternoon, after a day of duelling political protests culminated in brawls and standoffs between demonstrators and law enforcement.By 3pm more than 400 leftwing marchers had blocked traffic in parts of downtown. Demonstrators occupied streets adjacent to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where police repeatedly warned them to disperse. Some were involved in altercations with officers in riot gear who deployed pepper spray and made three arrests. Others clashed intermittently with rightwing protesters.The leftwing march evolved from an early afternoon rally in a downtown park organized as a counter-protest to two rightwing events. The rally organized by local group PopMob began as a vegan milkshake-themed rally and dance party, in response to rallies announced by the Proud Boys and by a group led by Haley Adams, a local rightwing figure. Adams' event attracted around 25 people.Milkshakes, recently used around the world as a symbolic weapon against prominent figures on the far right, became a theme of the day. Portland police claimed without offering evidence that some milkshake cups had been filled with quick-drying cement.Actual milkshakes were used by leftwing protesters. A videographer and editor for the rightwing magazine Quillette, Andy Ngo, had one dumped on him early in the day.Another incident involving Ngo captured attention, particularly on the right. Widely shared video taken by the Oregonian journalist Jim Ryan appeared to show Ngo being hit by counter-protesters and sprayed with silly string. Ryan tweeted: "Didn't see how this started, but Ngo got roughed up."Ngo said he had been attacked and hospitalised, and posted to social media pictures of apparent facial abrasions. With significant backing from rightwing media and political figures, by late Saturday a crowdfunding website for Ngo had raised more than $60,000.Notable by his absence on Saturday was the local rightwing figurehead Joey Gibson, who had announced that he would be leading a second amendment rights rally in Goldendale, Washington.After a violent incident at a Portland bar, Cider Riot, after May Day celebrations, Gibson was the subject of a million dollar lawsuit brought by the bar's owners. He has made videos asking viewers to donate to a crowdfunding campaign, to cover his legal expenses.
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| These Tasty 4th of July Appetizers Will Get the Party Started Posted: 01 Jul 2019 10:25 AM PDT |
| Georgia Supreme Court orders review of slain baby case Posted: 01 Jul 2019 09:34 AM PDT ![Georgia Supreme Court orders review of slain baby case]( "Georgia Supreme Court orders review of slain baby case") The Georgia Supreme Court has ordered a trial judge to review whether a teenager was properly sentenced to life without parole after he was convicted of fatally shooting a baby in the face. De'Marquise Kareem Elkins was 17 when the baby was slain in his stroller during a failed street robbery on March 21, 2013. Police said Elkins shot 13-month-old Antonio Santiago between the eyes after the boy's mother refused to hand over her purse when she was threatened while walking in coastal Brunswick, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Savannah.
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| This sneaky kitten is a terrible and adorable little stalker Posted: 30 Jun 2019 01:48 PM PDT  Cats are natural predators. They can't help but hunt and stalk. This one just happens to be exceedingly bad at it.The 8-week-old kitten in question belongs to Twitter user @_TakivaBreanna. Her baby cat has developed a habit of hiding just behind a wall whenever she knows her human is approaching and then leaping out at just the right moment to surprise her much larger prey.That's the apparent intent, anyway. The execution... could be better. See for yourself.> My 8 week old kitten started doing this thing to where she will know i'm about to come in the room and she will hide by the bathroom door and jump out to scare me when i'm walking up. just thought I'd share this cuteness pic.twitter.com/SOz1ckGGpr> > -- BAE (@_TakivaBreanna) June 30, 2019Listen, Tiny Cat. You have to be smarter about this. When your human sees you peering out from behind the wall, that means she knows you're lying in wait. Your efforts to scurry into position at the last minute don't really help, given that you've already been spotted.Let's also talk about that pounce. What the eff, my little feline friend? You didn't jump forward at your prey; you jumped sideways, swinging your paws pointlessly through empty air. You shouldn't be hunting your person, let's be clear. But you're never going to catch any prey at all if you think that pounce is effective.What I'm saying is: cat better, little kitty. And don't hunt your person! You'll learn. You have a mama who loves you. She's already turned you into an internet star. We can't wait to see what you'll do next. WATCH: Your cat can achieve ultimate chill with this portable hammock
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| Poll: Joe Biden loses support after Democratic presidential debate Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:33 AM PDT  Democratic presidential rivals gain as former Vice President Joe Biden slips.
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| Mexicans hail Paris designer amid cultural appropriation row Posted: 30 Jun 2019 11:30 AM PDT  Italian designer Maurizio Galante gave a lesson Sunday in how to take inspiration from indigenous cultures without being accused of cultural appropriation. With the fashion world shaken this month by the Mexican government threatening legal against New York-based label Carolina Herrera for "ripping off" native designs, Galante gave Mexican artisans top billing in his Paris haute couture show. The courtier worked with Mexico's top fashion institute and makers in 18 parts of the country on a collection which picked up on the ongoing sartorial dance between Aztec, Mayan and other native cultures and Europe.
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| UPDATE 4-Taiwan's president to visit U.S. in July, angering China Posted: 30 Jun 2019 08:16 PM PDT ![UPDATE 4-Taiwan's president to visit U.S. in July, angering China]( "UPDATE 4-Taiwan's president to visit U.S. in July, angering China") Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will spend four nights in the United States in July while visiting Caribbean diplomatic allies, her government said on Monday, angering China, which urged Washington not to allow her to visit. China says self-ruled Taiwan is merely a Chinese province with no right to state-to-state relations, calling it the most sensitive and important issue in ties with the United States, which has no formal ties with Taipei, but is its chief diplomatic backer and supplier of arms.
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| Some 2020 Democrats spoke in Spanish during their first debate. Was it 'Hispandering'? Posted: 30 Jun 2019 01:51 PM PDT  Young Latinos are one of the fastest growing populations in the country, and will likely be key voters in 2020. Trump's stance on immigration issues has thrust Latino voters into the political spotlight.
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| Which Employers Offer Student Loan Repayment? Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:46 AM PDT ![Which Employers Offer Student Loan Repayment?]( "Which Employers Offer Student Loan Repayment?") Student loan debt can make it difficult for graduates to achieve their financial goals. In some cases, young professionals may be forced to choose between paying off student debt or saving for retirement at a time when it's essential to start doing the latter. Some employers provide student loan repayment assistance as an employee benefit.
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| Pro-lifers, beware: Overturning Roe could threaten privacy rights in unpredictable ways Posted: 30 Jun 2019 04:23 AM PDT  If the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, it could dramatically endanger the right to privacy in surprising areas totally unrelated to abortion.
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| Girl recalls poor care in Texas border station Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:19 AM PDT  For almost two weeks, a 12-year-old migrant girl said she and her 6-year-old sister were held inside a Border Patrol station in Texas where they slept on the floor and some children were locked away when they cried for their parents. El Paso, Texas, attorney Taylor Levy, who worked with the girl's family, said she and her sister were separated from their aunt when they arrived in the U.S. on May 23. The children, from Central America, were put in the Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, Levy said.
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| The Wildest, Craziest Paint Jobs Available in 2019 Posted: 01 Jul 2019 04:32 PM PDT |
| Man freed after 17 years in prison when newly examined fingerprints prove his innocence Posted: 01 Jul 2019 03:04 AM PDT  A man who spent 17 years behind bars for an armed robbery he did not commit has finally been freed after new fingerprint evidence proved his innocence.Royal Clark Jr walked out of a Louisiana jail last week the day after his 41st birthday. He was convicted of the crime on his 25th birthday, back in 2002."I don't know what to say," a tearful Mr Clark told reporters and crowds of well-wishers.There were times he had abandoned any hope he might be released from his 49-year sentence, he admitted."I'm not going to sit here and lie and tell you I didn't," he said, when asked if he given up. "[But] I can't let anger direct me. I can't let my past be my future."Mr Clark was arrested after an armed robbery at a Burger King in 2001. The only evidence against him was an employee of the restaurant, who incorrectly identified Mr Clark as the robber.But a team of lawyers at the Innocence Project New Orleans pressed the courts to re-examine fingerprints found at the scene, which when run through a state database proved to belong to another man, Jessie Perry, who had already been convicted of other robberies."As district attorney, my obligation to seek justice does not end upon conviction," the local district attorney Paul Connick said in a statement."When the evidence reveals an individual was wrongfully convicted, my office will take action to correct that injustice."Outside the jail Mr Clark's son, also called Royal, spoke about the absence of his father from his life.Royal Clark III was only a baby when his father was locked up. "My mama couldn't always be there for me. She had to work," he said, his father's arm draped over his shoulder.Tears streamed down his father's face. "He was supposed to be there to teach me."Kia Hall Hayes, from the Innocence Project, said the miscarriage of justice showed how unreliable eyewitness testimony could be."His case serves as another example of the unreliability of eyewitness identification evidence, the importance of judges allowing juries all the tools they need to assess the evidence accurately, and the danger of relying exclusively on such evidence to take away someone's liberty," she said.Mr Clark is the second person to be exonerated in Louisiana based on fingerprint evidence this year.In March, Archie Williams was freed after serving 36 years for a rape once the authorities had finally agreed to run fingerprint evidence through an updated state database.The Innocence Project said the state should now create a legal right for prisoners to access such databases where it could clear their names.But in Mr Clark's case, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said they were only able to re-test the fingerprint evidence from the Burger King holdup because of new techniques, which were not available back in 2002.
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| It’s not too late to get popular Alexa and Google enabled Wi-Fi smart plugs for under $7 each Posted: 01 Jul 2019 08:21 AM PDT ![It's not too late to get popular Alexa and Google enabled Wi-Fi smart plugs for under $7 each]( "It's not too late to get popular Alexa and Google enabled Wi-Fi smart plugs for under $7 each") Isn't it awesome how you can control all of your smart devices from an app or even with your voice? Well now all your dumb devices can have the same great functionality thanks to the advent of Wi-Fi smart plugs. Plug your fans, lamps, coffee maker and more into the wall through one of these little plugs and you'll instantly add app control as well as voice control thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant support. The possibilities are endless -- I even have my outdoor landscape lights connected to a smart plug and it's awesome. If you want to get in on the action, today is the perfect day to do it. Clip the $6 coupon on the product page and you can pick up a 4-pack of popular Etekcity Smart Plugs for just $26.99. That's only $6.75 a piece, when the same thing from big brands can cost as much as $30 each!Here are the highlights from the product page: * COMPATIBILITY: Works flawlessly with Alexa, Google Assistant & IFTTT. No hub required. Requires a secured 2. 4 Ghz WiFi network, Android 4. 3 or above & iOS 8 or above. * UNLIMITED SMART CONTROL: Wherever you are, turn on/off home electronics. Manage unlimited electronic appliances - one electronic appliance per smart plug. One VeSync app can handle unlimited Etekcity smart essentials. * FEATURES: Set countdown timer, create schedules, track energy usage, schedule lamps and lights by sunrise and sunset or share devices with family members. Get full access to your smart plug via VeSync app. * EASY SETUP: Plug in the smart plug, download VeSync app and follow the in-app instruction. * SAFETY ENSURED: ETL listed and FCC certified. Adopted 5VA flame retardant material, built with overheat, overcurrent and surge protection. Etekcity offers 2-year buyer Warranty and lifetime support. NOTE: A secured 2. 4 GHz WiFi network is required.
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| Giant Beijing airport set to open on eve of China's 70th birthday Posted: 29 Jun 2019 10:40 PM PDT  Beijing is set to open an eye-catching multi-billion dollar airport resembling a massive shining starfish, to accommodate soaring air traffic in China and celebrate the Communist government's 70th anniversary in power. Work on the Beijing Daxing International Airport officially ended on schedule Sunday, ready for a September 30 inauguration -- on the eve of the anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic on October 1, 1949 by Mao Zedong. Celebrations of that event will see President Xi Jinping reviewing a huge military parade through the centre of Beijing, with the opening of the futuristic hub a fitting embodiment of the "Chinese dream" he has offered his fellow citizens.
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| Trump criticized Kamala Harris at the G20, breaking a silence. Is it a new strategy? Posted: 30 Jun 2019 08:26 AM PDT  Donald Trump has avoided trash-talking California Sen. Kamala Harris, but that may change after her performance in the Democratic presidential debate.
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| FDA ties three deaths to Edwards Lifesciences' recalled heart devices Posted: 01 Jul 2019 01:16 PM PDT ![FDA ties three deaths to Edwards Lifesciences' recalled heart devices]( "FDA ties three deaths to Edwards Lifesciences' recalled heart devices") The agency said the company's voluntary recall of its IntraClude intra-aortic occlusion device in May has now been classified by the FDA as Class I. Class I recall is the strictest form of recall issued by the FDA, where use of faulty devices may cause serious injury or death. The FDA said that recall affects more than 750 devices in the United States.
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