| Chinese fugitive: Police use drone to find man who had been on the run for 17 years Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:13 AM PDT  Police in China have managed to arrest a man they'd been hunting for 17 years, thanks to drone technology.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio reacts to Trump's 'insulting' tweet to Greta Thunberg at 2019 Global Citizen Festival Posted: 29 Sep 2019 11:09 AM PDT  Leonardo DiCaprio defended Greta Thunberg in front of 60,000 people during NYC's 2019 Global Citizen's Festival.
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| One dead, 10 missing after vessel sinks in Atlantic Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:06 AM PDT  One crew member has been found dead and 10 others are still missing after a supply vessel operated by a French oil services group sank in hurricane conditions in the Atlantic, the ship's operator said on Monday. The Luxembourg-flagged Bourbon Rhode, crewed mainly by Ukrainians, ran into difficulty in the Atlantic late last week as it ran into hurricane Lorenzo, and was later confirmed to have sunk. A major search operation was then launched for the 14 people who were on board the tug supply vessel.
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| A couple planned for a fall wedding in Washington state. A 'historic' snowstorm changed everything Posted: 30 Sep 2019 05:44 PM PDT  Sean and Brittany Tuohy were ready for a fall wedding in Spokane, Washington. A snowstorm changed their plans, but not their positive attitude.
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| Halloween prank: Oklahoma dad freaks out daughter with outrageous Area 51 costume Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:58 AM PDT  An Oklahoma dad is going viral after his daughter shared a video of his outrageous Halloween prank attempt.
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| Al Franken Faces New Sexual Harassment Allegation Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:12 AM PDT  Al Franken was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous woman on Monday, the latest in a string of misconduct allegations that forced the former Democratic Minnesota senator's resignation last year.In a piece published by New York magazine's The Cut, the woman, a current "senior staffer at a major progressive organization" came forward on condition of anonymity to accuse Franken groping her at an fundraising event in 2006 for U.S. Senator Patty Murray."At the time of the incident, I think, I'm going to go to law school. All I want to do is run for office in my home state. This created a moment of reflection," she told The Cut. " … It rocked my confidence. As I look back on my career, I am always in deputy roles and support roles."Franken resigned in July 2018 at the behest of Democratic leadership after a conservative talk radio host accused him of forcibly kissing her during a skit performed as part of a 2006 U.S.O tour.The latest allegation comes in the midst of a bit of public comeback for Franken, who on Saturday launched a weekly program on SiriusXM titled "The Al Franken Show."Franken also appeared on Conan last Thursday, during which he claimed "there were no good choices" during his ousting from the Senate in 2017 in the face of multiple sexual misconduct allegations, and said that "people who know me, know I'm not that guy."A July profile in The New Yorker revealed he regretted his decision to resign without due process, and that seven Democratic lawmakers now had qualms in the initial decision to force Franken out.One of the biggest proponents for Franken's resignation was New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary last month after struggling to raise poll numbers and donations. A New York Times article noted Gillibrand was "shunned" by many powerful party donors for her stance on Franken.
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| Gut microbes can get you drunk and damage your liver Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:23 AM PDT  In 2016, a woman who had a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit was acquitted of her DUI charge after it was discovered that she had an extremely rare condition called "auto-brewery syndrome." People with this syndrome carry microbes in their intestines that produce abnormally high levels of alcohol, which they produce when they break down sugars and carbohydrates. While auto-brewery syndrome is an extreme example, it makes one wonder: Could intestinal microbes be influencing other health or behavioral traits? Jing Yuan at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing published a new study in Cell Metabolism showing that an intestinal microbe may cause fatty liver disease by producing high levels of alcohol.
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| California man arrested after leading police on 2-hour chase through corn maze Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:50 AM PDT  A California man was caught and arrested by police Saturday morning, but not before he managed to elude them for two hours while hiding inside a corn maze.
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| Giuliani said Mike Pompeo knew he pushed Ukraine to investigate Biden Posted: 29 Sep 2019 12:58 PM PDT  Giuliani added to allegations that Trump pressured foreign officials to investigate his potential 2020 Democratic opponent for his own political gain.
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| Don't Sleep on India's Nuclear Weapons (They Could Kill Billions) Posted: 29 Sep 2019 07:21 AM PDT  India has 130 to 140 nuclear warheads—and more are coming, according to a new report. Should the world worry?
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| Saudi prince says war with Iran would gut world economy Posted: 29 Sep 2019 07:04 PM PDT  Saudi Arabia's crown prince said in an interview aired Sunday that war with Iran would devastate the global economy and he prefers a non-military solution to tensions with his regional rival. "Oil supplies will be disrupted and oil prices will jump to unimaginably high numbers that we haven't seen in our lifetimes," the prince said. The prince said a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran would be catastrophic for the world economy.
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| Iran general says destroying Israel is an 'achievable goal' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 10:18 AM PDT  The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Monday that destroying Israel has become an "achievable goal" due to his country's technological advances.
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| 10 Non-Hybrid Crossovers and SUVs That Get 30 MPG or More Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:42 PM PDT |
| This is the most popular Halloween candy in the U.S. Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:20 AM PDT  The most popular Halloween candy in America is and oldie but a goodie. And here's a hint: It comes in a ton of chocolatey flavors.
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| Trump impeachment T-shirts? Grow up, Rep. Tlaib. Removing a president is serious business. Posted: 29 Sep 2019 04:44 AM PDT  If Donald Trump is her tutor on tactics, Rashida Tlaib is doing it wrong. Neither of them serve Americans well by appealing to their coarser appetites.
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| Man had his heart shocked 34 times following heart attack: 'I'm still here' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:23 PM PDT  A 63-year-old man from Ohio who had his heart shocked 34 times is coming forward with his near-death experience to educate others
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| Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:33 AM PDT ![Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement]( "Nigerian police free 19 women and girls from Lagos 'baby factory': statement") Police in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, have freed 19 women and girls who had mostly been abducted and impregnated by captors planning to sell their babies. The girls and women, aged from 15 to 28, had been brought from all over Nigeria with promises of work, Lagos police said on Monday. "Baby factories", as such premises are widely known, are most common in parts of eastern Nigeria.
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| Donald Trump: 'We're trying to find out' the identity of whistleblower who made Ukraine complaint Posted: 30 Sep 2019 01:07 PM PDT  Donald Trump said he is still trying to learn the identity of the whistleblower whose allegations over Ukraine triggered an impeachment inquiry.
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| Russia has hidden the details of a handful of nuclear accidents since the 1950s — here's what we know about them Posted: 29 Sep 2019 06:23 AM PDT  In addition to Chernobyl, Russia has tried to hide the details of other nuclear incidents, including an explosion that killed seven people in August.
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| People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:08 PM PDT ![People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study]( "People's Views of China Are Mixed, According to Global Study") The People's Republic of China celebrates its 70th anniversary on Tuesday, and the views of the country by people around the world are mixed, according to new research by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. Negative views of China have turned most sharply turned negative in North America, Western Europe and across the Asia-Pacific, while positive views of the East Asian giant were recorded in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, according to the report, released on Monday. Overall, a median of 41% in a total of 32 countries included in the Pew Global Attitudes survey expressed a favorable opinion of China, while a median of 37% said they had an unfavorable opinion.
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| Hurricane Lorenzo now a Category 5 Posted: 29 Sep 2019 07:08 AM PDT  Lorenzo is the northernmost and easternmost recorded Category 5 hurricane on record.
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| Meghan Markle wears the chicest Everlane slingbacks while on royal tour Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:29 AM PDT  Unlike Meghan's go-to pair of Manolo Blahnik heels that cost over $600, these Everlane flat will only set you back $155.
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| Chinese ambassador: We are doing our part to combat the opioid crisis Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT  China wants to do what it can to make sure an end to this issue is reached. We must emphasize though, that this problem is not ultimately our own.
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| Ivanka Trump called 'fraud' by 'Star Wars' actor Mark Hamill after tweeting photo of son as Stormtrooper: 'You're a real jerk' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT  The First Daughter of the United States received criticism from Luke Skywalker after posting a family photo on social media.
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| Judge Allows Cop to Use ‘Castle Doctrine’ Defense in Trial for Mistaken Apartment Killing Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:34 PM PDT  The jury in the trial of Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer who is charged with murdering her neighbor in his apartment, can consider the "Castle Doctrine" as part of Guyger's defense, Judge Tammy Kemp ruled Monday, hours before final deliberations in the murder trial.The Castle Doctrine, which was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, "presumes that the use of force is reasonable and necessary when someone is unlawfully and with force entering or attempting to enter your occupied home, car, or place of business, or when someone is committing or trying to commit a crime against you."Guyger, who shot and killed Jean in his own apartment on Sept. 6, 2018, was initially charged with manslaughter, but the district attorney's office subsequently reviewed the case and indicted her on murder charges, with the implication that the shooting could not be considered manslaughter because Guyger admitted it was intentional.The shift also allowed for Guyger's defense to center its argument on the basis of "a mistake of fact," as Guyger — who was returning from a 14-hour shift — claims she accidentally took Jean's apartment to be her own, and mistakenly thought he was an intruder. Now, if jurors apply the Castle Doctrine, Guyger may walk free."If a jury believes she was telling truth that she was mistaken, that is an excuse under Texas law," defense attorney Brad Lollar told The Dallas Morning News last year in the buildup to the indictment. "By filing a manslaughter charge instead of murder, law enforcement is depriving her of defenses she would have under a murder charge."The judge also announced in the meeting with lawyers on both sides that the jury would be allowed to consider manslaughter in any potential sentencing of Guyger.
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| Trump lashes out at whistleblower and renews attack on House intelligence chair Posted: 30 Sep 2019 05:10 AM PDT  * Attorney: president's demands prompt safety concerns * Robert Reich: Trump can do more damage than NixonDonald Trump has likened the whistleblower's sources to 'spies'. Photograph: Evan Vucci/APLawyers acting for the whistleblower at the centre of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump's attempts to solicit foreign help for his re-election campaign have warned that their client's personal safety is in danger, partly as a result of the president's remarks.After they did so, Trump continued to attack the whistleblower on Twitter and also suggested the chair of the House intelligence committee be arrested for treason.Andrew Bakaj, the lead attorney for the unnamed intelligence official who sounded the alarm about Trump's conduct relating to Ukraine, expressed fears on Sunday that the whistleblower could be put "in harm's way" if his or her identity were made public.In a letter to the acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, Bakaj pointed directly at Trump's aggressive statements that he said prompted "concerns for our client's safety".The letter, first reported by 60 Minutes on CBS News, quotes Trump's comments on Thursday to staff at the US mission to the UN in New York. In his remarks, made behind closed doors but reported by the New York Times, the president made a thinly-veiled threat that showed disdain for the institutional protections afforded to whistleblowers under federal law.> This is a protected system where retaliation is not permitted, whether direct or implied> > Andrew Bakaj"I want to know who's the person who gave the whistleblower the information because that's close to a spy," Trump said. "You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart? Right? With spies and treason, right? We used to handle them a little differently than we do now."Bakaj said the indirect nature of Trump's comment in referring to the person who fed the whistleblower the information "does nothing to assuage our concerns for our client's safety". The lawyer added that individuals were also offering $50,000 rewards for information that would out the intelligence official.In an accompanying letter to senior Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate, Bakaj made an impassioned plea to the political leadership of both parties to "speak out in favor of whistleblower protection".He asked them to make clear that "this is a protected system where retaliation is not permitted, whether direct or implied. We further expect that political leaders from both parties condemn any intimidation against our client and others."The whistleblower is reviled by the White House for having filed a complaint on 12 August that exposed the president's efforts to engage the Ukraine government in digging up dirt on Joe Biden, the former vice-president who is a frontrunner to challenge Trump in next year's presidential election.Trump has responded by belittling the whistleblower, questioning his patriotism and trying to breach his anonymity.On Sunday night, Trump returned to the subject on Twitter."I deserve to meet my accuser, especially when this accuser, the so-called 'Whistleblower', represented a perfect conversation with a foreign leader in a totally inaccurate and fraudulent way," he tweeted.Trump was referring to the whistleblower's account of the 25 July conversation between the US president and his opposite number in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. A reconstructed transcript of the phone call shows that the whistleblower's account was entirely accurate.The president went there again on Monday, tweeting that: "The Fake Whistleblower complaint is not holding up. It is mostly about the call to the Ukrainian President which, in the name of transparency, I immediately released to Congress & the public. The Whistleblower knew almost nothing, its 2ND HAND description of the call is a fraud!"In fact, the whistleblower's complaint follows protocol in drawing on eyewitness accounts by direct participants.On Monday, Trump also revisited an incendiary attack, also mounted on Sunday, on Adam Schiff, the chair of the House intelligence committee who is leading the impeachment inquiry and who said on Sunday he hoped to call the whistleblower to testify as part of the proceedings in a secure and private setting.Trump accused Schiff, a Democrat, of having "illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people."At a committee hearing with acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, on Thursday, Schiff said in his introduction he would represent "the essence of what the president communicates", not providing "the exact transcribed version of the call"."It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call," Trump wrote on Monday. "Arrest for Treason?"Trump was also criticised on Sunday night by a member of his own party for quoting on Twitter a comment from Pastor Robert Jeffress on Fox News. Trump wrote: "If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal."Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger said the quote was "repugnant".Even before the latest presidential threats, lawyers working with whistleblowers had warned that Trump's belligerent language would send a chill through the intelligence services and dissuade other officials troubled about misconduct from coming forward in future.On Sunday night another of the whistleblower's legal team, Mark Zaid, said that discussions were continuing over a possible congressional meeting "but no date/time has yet been set".
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| Why the Flu Shot Cannot Give You the Flu (And Why You Should Get One Now) Posted: 28 Sep 2019 09:15 PM PDT  One of the common myths that leads people to avoid the flu shot is that they think the shot will give them the flu. But that is simply not true.
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| India defends right to buy Russian arms on US trip Posted: 30 Sep 2019 01:55 PM PDT  India's foreign minister on Monday defended his country's right to buy a missile defense system from Russia despite the threat of sanctions from the United States. On a visit to Washington, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said India was discussing the US concerns but declined to forecast the ultimate decision on the fate of the S-400 purchase from Russia. "We would not like any state to tell us what to buy or not to buy from Russia any more than we would like any state to tell us to buy or not buy from America," he said.
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| USA TODAY's Harrison Hill tells migrant stories through portraits Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:09 AM PDT  Harrison Hill, a photographer for USA TODAY, documented the migrant crisis outside LA immigration court for USA TODAY's project "The Migrants."
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| Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:58 PM PDT ![Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures]( "Coal States Urge Trump Administration to Tackle Plant Closures") (Bloomberg) -- Six coal states are pressing the Trump administration to wrap up an almost two-year inquiry into whether coal and nuclear plant retirements are threatening the electric grid.In letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which overseas U.S. power markets, utility commissioners from Alabama, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming warned that plant closures are accelerating and "bringing increased attention to grid resilience and fuel security."The appeal comes almost two years after the commission rejected a Trump administration bid to bail out money-losing coal plants, dismissing the proposal as unlawful. But the agency left the door open to future action, by opening an inquiry into whether regulatory changes are needed to keep the lights on. More than 200 comments have been filed with the commission since then, and more than a dozen coal-fired power plants have been decommissioned.Now the states hardest hit by coal's decline are asking the energy commission to finalize its review of the electric grid and, again, consider imposing market rules that could curb the closure of fossil-fuel generation.They may find a sympathetic ear in commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee, a Kentucky Republican and a longstanding champion of the coal industry who has faced criticism for pushing an ill-fated proposal to curb coal retirements by paying generators for having fuel on-site. Chatterjee has since said that the independent agency can't put its thumb on the scale to favor any one source.Chatterjee said he would address the issue of grid resilience this fall and, on Oct. 21, will co-host a University of Kentucky energy forum in the heart of coal country. Speakers include Bob Murray, the chief executive officer of coal producer Murray Energy Corp., who has repeatedly called on the Trump administration to take steps to revive the domestic coal industry.The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, which represents coal producers, said it was time for the agency to take action to "help address concerns over grid resilience as a result of the continued retirement of fuel-secure coal units across the country."To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Cunningham in Washington at scunningha10@bloomberg.net;Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net, Catherine Traywick, Reg GaleFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| As Gwyneth Paltrow celebrates her 47th birthday, here's a look at her massive net worth Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:53 AM PDT  The Academy Award-winning actress and founder of Goop turns 47 this month. Here's a look back at her career and the wealth she's amassed.
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| China's Guangzhou rides economic change but keeps traditions Posted: 30 Sep 2019 04:07 AM PDT  China's southern city of Guangzhou is at the heart of plans to link a cluster of cities in the Pearl River Delta, including Hong Kong and Macau, into a Greater Bay Area rivaling Silicon Valley and Greater Tokyo as an economic hub by 2035. Sprawling over 56,000 sq km (21,600 sq miles) with a population of more than 70 million, the Greater Bay Area is the centerpiece of a drive by China's ruling Communist Party to establish a hub of advanced manufacturing and technology.
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| Ronan Farrow's book has NBC News 'bracing for bombshells' about Matt Lauer: report Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:01 AM PDT  Journalist Ronan Farrow is gearing up for the release of his highly-anticipated new book, 'Catch and Kill,' with new claims about Matt Lauer's misconduct.
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| Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax' Posted: 30 Sep 2019 05:26 AM PDT ![Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax']( "Bernie Sanders follows up 'wealth tax' proposal with new 'income inequality tax'") After rolling out his "wealth tax" plan, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is out with another new proposal for what he's calling an "income inequality tax."The 2020 Democrat announced a proposal Monday to increase the corporate tax rate on large companies whose top-earning employee makes more than 50 times what their median employee earns, The Washington Post reports. The average S&P 500 company CEO makes 287 times more than their median employee, Vox reports.This corporate tax rate increase would apply to companies with more than $100 million in yearly revenue, with the increase starting at 0.5 percentage points and rising depending on how large the gap is. If the top employee earns more than 500 times more than the median employee, the rate increase would be 5 percent. The corporate tax rate is currently 21 percent.Sanders in an interview with the Post said it's "bad policy" for CEOs to be "making 500 or 1,000 times more than the median income worker," saying this tax would apply to "the most egregious examples." The progressive think tank that worked with Sanders' campaign on the plan described it to Vox as a "sin tax."In his announcement, Sanders calls out specific companies whose CEO makes at least 50 times more than the median worker, including Walmart, Home Depot, and Nike.This announcement comes after Sanders last week announced his "wealth tax" proposal, which went further than a similar proposal from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Under his plan, net worth above $32 million would be hit with a one percent yearly tax, which would increase up to eight percent for net worth above $10 billion, The New York Times reports. In an interview with the Times, Sanders said, "I don't think that billionaires should exist."
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| Ex-Trump official scolds president and allies for Ukraine mess Posted: 29 Sep 2019 09:14 AM PDT  President Donald Trump's former homeland security adviser said on Sunday that he was "deeply disturbed" by his former boss's attempts to solicit damaging information from Ukraine about Joe Biden, becoming one of the most vocal critics among ex-Trump officials. "Yes, I'm deeply disturbed by it, as well, and this entire mess has me frustrated, George," Tom Bossert said on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," responding to the host's citing a whistleblower complaint that said White House officials were disturbed by a call between Trump and Ukraine's president in July.
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| South Carolina dad gets the death penalty after torturing and killing his five children Posted: 30 Sep 2019 04:54 AM PDT  A South Carolina dad gets the death penalty after killing his five children. During the trial prosecutors gave the jury a favorite toy of one of the children. The toy hauntingly said, 'Boy, am I glad to see you!'
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| Why the Middle East Fears Iran's Missiles (To a Point) Posted: 28 Sep 2019 08:00 PM PDT  Iran has a history of unveiling wonder weapons that aren't so wonderful, such as "advanced" jet fighters that are actually copies of 1970s U.S. aircraft. While Iran can build missiles, their newest models seem more bravado than fact.
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| Loyalist soldiers killed, captured in major Yemen rebel attack Posted: 29 Sep 2019 01:36 PM PDT  Some 200 pro-government fighters were killed in Yemen and more than 1,000 taken prisoner in an August offensive near the Saudi border by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, a loyalist source and the rebels said Sunday. The Huthis, who are fighting a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen's long-running conflict, had claimed a mass capture of Saudi forces in the offensive, but a press conference on Sunday was short on proof. The Yemeni government source confirmed to AFP that some 200 soldiers were killed in the attack.
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| Catholic Archdiocese of New York removes all priests accused of sex abuse, report says Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:29 PM PDT  The archdiocese covers Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, along with parts of New York City and the Hudson Valley.
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| U.S. Marines Say a Moment's Confusion Caused the Fatal 2018 Air Collision Posted: 29 Sep 2019 02:09 PM PDT  The report also described the squadron as having "a command climate of general unprofessionalism and misconduct."
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| After 70 Years, Communist China Is Weaker Than It Appears Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:33 PM PDT  The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 after 69 years of tyranny and aggression. On October 1, the People's Republic of China will officially turn 70. The brutal regime of Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping has made China the world's longest surviving Communist country, and unlike the Kremlin of old, Beijing seems stronger than ever.The contrast between China today and the Soviet Union at its death could hardly be more stark. In the early 1990s, Russia's military was swiftly losing ground to American investment and innovation, forcing a global retreat of influence and power. Today, the People's Liberation Army is quickly closing the gap with the U.S. armed forces and is projecting its newfound power from the Arctic to Africa to Australasia.Communist China is also sprinting economically. It overtook Japan as the world's second-largest economy in 2011, and its GDP has nearly tripled since then. Many forecasters say it's a matter of when, not if, China overtakes the U.S. By comparison, the Soviet Union struggled to keep its economy even half as large as America's.Finally, China is markedly more oppressive than the Soviet Union at a similar age. Where the latter was weakening its control over people through perestroika and glasnost, the former has imprisoned millions of Muslim Uighurs, initiated a new crackdown on Christian worshipers, and instituted a draconian social-credit system that monitors the Chinese people's daily lives and ranks them accordingly. It even seems willing to initiate a Tiananmen Square–style crackdown on the escalating protest movement in Hong Kong.Has Communist China discovered a fountain of youth? Yes, and it's exactly where Ponce de Leon said it would be: in America.Whereas the Soviet Union largely walled itself off from its greatest adversary, literally and figuratively, China's leaders have sought to exploit America across the board for decades. China profits from U.S. financial markets; purchases cutting-edge U.S. firms; pilfers trade secrets and technology from U.S. companies, including defense contractors; and promotes a massive misinformation campaign on U.S. soil to sway policy and public opinion in its favor. Yet far from being a source of strength, Communist China's dependence on America is one of its primary weakness.Like the Soviet Union before it, China's tyranny stifles the creativity of its people. While Beijing grants some few a small amount of economic autonomy, it refuses to let the average Chinese citizen fully pursue her dreams, apply her talents, or realize her potential, preventing untold advances across every field of endeavor. There's a reason Chinese parents send their children to American universities and their cash to Western banks. China's seemingly inexorable rise requires continued access to America and the fruits of our system of free enterprise and the rule of law.This reality is coming into focus under President Trump. The administration has started to disentangle Communist China from America's economy and institutions. China's stock markets are suffering and its economy is growing at the slowest rate in nearly three decades. Additional unraveling of U.S.–China ties will likely further demonstrate the bankruptcy of the Communist economic model, and its need for external support.Beijing knows this, hence its relentless focus on tamping down trade tensions, but not national security or human-rights issues. It also benefits from the widespread belief that Communist China is here to stay, so we might as well deal with it rather than hope for a better, more democratic regime. In our organization's discussions with government leaders, prominent academics, and corporations, we have found an overwhelming belief that a change in China's government would be catastrophic. They prefer to work with the devil they know, not hope for a devil they don't.Yet the lessons of history are worth remembering. The fall of the Soviet Union ushered in a new era of freedom, prosperity, and peace in its former lands, and far beyond. A collapse of red rule in China will surely be more complicated, given its greater interaction with the world, but it stands to reason that the Communist party's loss will be the Chinese people's gain. Many others, America included, will benefit, too.Communist China is weaker than it appears. However, it's unlikely to fall unless the United States, and the rest of the free world, continue to ratchet up the pressure. The Communist ideology is a parasite that cannot survive for long on its own. This 70th anniversary is a time to realize that Communist China should never have gotten this far.
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| Homeless subway singer who mesmerized with beautiful singing voice is identified Posted: 30 Sep 2019 02:17 PM PDT  A homeless woman who captivated the world with her angelic singing voice last week has been identified.
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| A passenger filmed the engine cover coming off a United Airlines plane, which was forced to turn back to the airport Posted: 30 Sep 2019 07:08 AM PDT  United Airlines flight 293 had to turn back to Denver International Airport over what United called a "mechanical issue with one of the engines."
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| ‘We’ve been taken hostage’: African migrants stranded in Mexico after Trump's crackdown Posted: 30 Sep 2019 12:00 AM PDT  Hundreds of migrants from Africa are stuck in Tapachula because of Mexico's willingness to bow to Trump and stem the flow of migrants African migrants protest outside the Siglo XXI migrants detention center, demanding Mexican authorities to speed up visas that would enable them to cross Mexico to the US. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesNeh knew she was taking a risk when she got involved with English-language activists in mostly-Francophone Cameroon.She had no way of know that her decision would eventually force her to flee her country, fly halfway across the world and then set out on a 4,000-mile trek through dense jungle and across seven borders – only to leave her stranded in southern Mexico, where her hopes of finding safety in the US were blocked by the Mexican government's efforts to placate Donald Trump's anti-migrant rage."It is just too much," sobbed Neh,at a protest camp set up by migrants from across Africa outside the main immigration offices in the sweltering southern city of Tapachula. "We thought our suffering was almost over. And now we're stuck here, treated like the lowest citizens on earth."Not that long ago, Neh worked as a microfinance officer and lived with her husband and three children in a small town in the West of Cameroon. Earlier this year, she joined a group campaigning for anglophone independence. She insists her activism was peaceful and that she never supported rebel groups, but amid spiralling violence, she was arrested, beaten, and raped by soldiers. One night, an officer took her from her cell and told her to start running. She imagined she was about to die – but instead she ran into the arms of her husband who had paid a bribe for her freedom.Hustled into hiding, Neh was then put on a plane to Quito where she joined the growing number of migrants from around the world using Ecuador as the jumping off point for the passage north. mapThe harrowing journey requires crossing the the lawless jungles of Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, where migrants risk wild animals, raging rivers and predatory robbers .For seven days, the 37-year-old hauled herself up and down mountain slopes, hanging on tree roots. Crossing a river, she was almost swept away by the current; an insect bite paralyzed her arm. And each day, her group passed the bloated and half-eaten corpses of others who had died on the same trail.The next stage of her odyssey was more straightforward. With the help of bribes and official paperwork, Neh travelled by bus across Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. She began to dream of a new life in the US, reunited with the three children she had left behind.And then, in Mexico, everything ground to an halt. She joined hundreds of migrants from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Eritrea, Mauritania, and a smattering of other African countries who are stuck in Tapachula because of Mexico's willingness to bow to Trump and stem the flow of migrants.Until recently, African migrants were waved through Mexico by immigration officials who had no interest in stopping them. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesTrump's main target has always Central Americans who account for most of the migrant flow through Mexico. But the crackdown has caught up travelers from all around the world.Their situation has only been exacerbated by US policies. Earlier this month the US supreme court ruled that the US authorities could deny asylum to anybody who passed through another country to get there.Meanwhile, US officials have pressured Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador to accept asylum seekers from third countries, even though they are among the most dangerous countries in the world. "We have been taken hostage. We want our freedom," said José Pelé Messa, a TV presenter who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010 – first for Angola, and then Brazil, which he had left earlier this year when the security situation there made life untenable.Around him, the inhabitants of the protest camp were gearing up for another day of boredom, under the watchful eye of a group of National Guard officers in riot gear.Railings were draped with blankets and clothes sodden in the previous night's downpour. Migrants – grouped by nationality or language – pored over documents in Spanish that they couldn't read or scanned their phones for news from home. A pregnant woman prepared soup on a small wooden burner outside her tent. A couple of toddlers were using discarded plastic bottles as drums.Pelé gestured at the desultory scene: "I took my children through the jungle for this? I'm a corpse. I just haven't started rotting yet."Until recently, African migrants were waved through Mexico by immigration officials who had no interest in stopping them.But after Trump's threat of trade tariffs in May, Mexico's government scrambled to clamp down: flooding the south of the country with law enforcement, and stepping up cooperation with the US policy of sending asylum seekers back into northern Mexico while their cases are processed.For migrants from countries in Africa, who are much harder to repatriate, it has meant being kept in limbo. Photograph: Isaac Guzman/AFP/Getty ImagesFor Central Americans trying to get through southern Mexico the crackdown has brought more raids, record numbers of deportations, and greater vulnerability to criminal attacks as they are pushed into less visible routes.For migrants from countries in Africa, who are much harder to repatriate, it has meant being kept in limbo.Previously, Mexican immigration authorities had typically issued African migrants with documents ordering them to sort out their status or leave the country within 21 days. Now these documents, which had previously served as de facto transit visas, order them to leave by the southern border. "Mexico is using us as an instrument of politics to please Donald Trump," said Serge, 21, who also fled the conflict in Cameroon. "This is creating a lot of anger among us."Frustration in the camp has bubbled over several times, leading to some scuffles with the authorities. This weekend a small group of desperate Africa temporarily blocked a car carrying Filippo Grandi, the head of UNHCR who was visiting Tapachula. One pregnant woman threw herself in front of the car's wheels crying and pleading for help.Migrants are particularly angered by the perception that they are being coerced into applying for asylum in Mexico – where few feel safe and almost none want to stay."Mexico is playing games with us," said a 36-year-old engineer from Eritrea who identified himself as Mr Testahiwet. "This is the way to get to America and we want to go to America. Mexico is the wrong place to ask for asylum."Some are so desperate they have begun looking for ways to get through Mexico undetected – though their skin colour and their lack of Spanish makes this hard to do.One recent dawn, at a major crossing point on the Suchiate river, not far from Tapachula, around 10 Cameroonians clambered onto a raft made of huge inner tubes and headed towards the Guatemalan side. The migrants sat in a glum and nervous silence as they were punted across, and then piled into cars with blackened windows, presumably driven by people smugglers who had promised to get them through Mexico by another route.Back at the camp, Kelly, another English-speaking refugee from Cameroon, said she hadn't been able to speak to her children for weeks. Back home, she had been a physics teacher, but she fled her job and her home when the rebels enforced a school boycott on pain of death."You leave when you can't take it anymore. You start running, and you keep running until you can stop," she said. "We are not looking for greener pastures – we are looking for safety."
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| UPDATE 3-San Francisco tour guide charged with carrying U.S. secrets to China Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:32 AM PDT ![UPDATE 3-San Francisco tour guide charged with carrying U.S. secrets to China]( "UPDATE 3-San Francisco tour guide charged with carrying U.S. secrets to China") A San Francisco tour guide has been charged with being an agent of the Chinese government, accused of picking up U.S. national security secrets from furtive locations and delivering them cloak and dagger style to Beijing, federal prosecutors said on Monday. Xuehua Peng, also known as Edward Peng, was arrested on Friday in the San Francisco suburb of Hayward, California, and was denied bail during an initial court appearance by a U.S. magistrate judge that same day, federal prosecutors said at a Monday morning news conference. "Defendant Xuehua (Edward) Peng is charged with executing dead drops, delivering payments, and personally carrying to Beijing, China, secure digital cards containing classified information related to the national security of the United States," Anderson said.
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| Guess Who Might Want to Purchase Russia's Powerful Armata Tank? Posted: 30 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT  There are several potential customers.
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| Al-Shabaab attacks US base, EU convoy in Somalia Posted: 30 Sep 2019 11:58 AM PDT  The Al-Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on a US base in Somalia on Monday, as the European Union confirmed a separate strike against a convoy of Italian advisers. The raid on the base prompted a counter-attack by US forces who staged "two air strikes and used small arms fire targeting al-Shabaab terrorists," Major General William Gayler, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) director of operations said, adding that 10 "terrorists" died and a vehicle was destroyed.
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