| Congressman defends posting fake Obama photo: 'No one said this wasn't photoshopped' Posted: 06 Jan 2020 02:17 PM PST  Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., stood by his decision Monday to post a fake photograph of former President Barack Obama shaking hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani despite the fact that the two men never met in person.
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| Kosovo arrests Iran supporter over comments after Soleimani's death Posted: 07 Jan 2020 11:01 AM PST  Kosovo police arrested a woman on Tuesday accused of inciting terrorist acts for social media comments against the United States over the killing of Iranian Commander Qassem Soleimani. Police said that Ikballe Berisha Huduti, the founder of a now defunct pro-Islamic organization called Kur'ani, was arrested following an order from the prosecution and she will remain in detention for 48 hours awaiting a court decision. Huduti wrote comments on her private Facebook page criticizing Washington after the U.S. forces killed Soleimani on Friday.
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| Official quits amid charges he paid women to give up babies Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:49 PM PST  An elected official in metro Phoenix resigned Tuesday, months after being charged with running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the U.S. The resignation of Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen came after leaders in the one of the nation's most populous counties suspended and pressured him to resign after his arrest nearly three months ago. The county's governing board voted in late December to start the process of removing Petersen, who also works as an adoption attorney.
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| This is how the US and Iran rank among the world's 25 most powerful militaries Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:48 PM PST  Comparing the power of conventional military forces is complicated. But an annual ranking does just that — and these are the 25 most powerful.
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| Australian bushfire cloud visible in Chile and Argentina Posted: 06 Jan 2020 02:20 PM PST  The cloud of smoke caused by raging bushfires in Australia has been spotted more than 12,000 kilometers (7,400 miles) away in Chile and Argentina, weather authorities in the South American countries said on Monday.
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| Venezuela: Maduro opponents storm parliament to reinstall Guaidó as leader Posted: 07 Jan 2020 10:25 AM PST  * Juan Guaidó sworn in for second term as caretaker leader * Maduro attempted to seize control of parliament on SundayVenezuela's increasingly byzantine political meltdown took its latest turn on Tuesday as opponents of authoritarian president Nicolás Maduro stormed the country's parliament to reinstall Juan Guaidó as their leader.Troops loyal to Maduro had surrounded the palm-dotted national assembly compound in Caracas in a bid to keep Guaidó and his supporters out after the president's attempt to seize control of the parliament on Sunday.But in frantic scenes that spread rapidly on social media, Guaidó and his backers were filmed physically forcing their way into the 19th-century capitol to cheers of "Viva Venezuela!"> En la unión de los venezolanos está la fuerza para salir de la dictadura. > > Entramos al hemiciclo a cumplir con nuestro deber, no con la violencia, sino con la fuerza de la razón y la mayoría. > > Unidos, organizados y con firmeza, es posible. 100diputados ANLegítimaConVzla pic.twitter.com/6S1mjuE0LF> > — Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) January 7, 2020Outside, pro-government thugs attacked and robbed Venezuelan and European journalists, including one correspondent from Spain's El País.Inside, Guaidó was sworn in for a second term as Venezuela's caretaker leader, even though the auditorium's electricity had been cut."In the name of those who have no voice, of the mothers who weep in the distance, of the teachers who are battling and the nurses and the students, of the political prisoners … in the name of Venezuela, I vow to fulfill the duties of interim president," said Guaidó, who is recognized by more than 50 governments including the United States and United Kingdom but boasts little concrete power.Guaidó's wife, Fabiana Rosales, tweeted: "Now the struggle goes on, together with all Venezuelans we will rescue our country from dictatorship."The new decade has started with a bang in Venezuela, with Guaidó's stuttering year-long campaign to topple Maduro suddenly reinvigorated by this week's events.Even the leftwing governments of Argentina and Mexico were critical of Maduro's attempt to take over Venezuela's parliament on Sunday, with Argentina's new foreign minister warning such actions would condemn Hugo Chávez's heir to "international isolation".Vanessa Neumann, Guaidó's envoy to London, said she was convinced Maduro's maneuver had backfired by reuniting Venezuela's opposition behind her leader."Guaidó emerges stronger from all of this," Neumann insisted. "He has more legitimacy even than he did in 2019."Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela specialist at the Washington Office on Latin America, said Tuesday's storming of the legislature represented "a clear symbolic victory" for Guaidó."But I don't think this fundamentally alters the equation," he added."The main problem for the opposition for the last two years has been how to get their democratic legitimacy to translate into real power on the ground. Unless Guaidó is able to get the masses into the streets in a way he hasn't been able to for almost a year I don't see much changing in the short term."The coming weeks could prove crucial for Guaidó, who shot to prominence last January after using his position as national assembly president to declare himself Venezuela's rightful interim leader.This Friday is the first anniversary of Maduro's swearing-in, an event many western governments boycotted because of suspicions he stole the 2018 presidential election. 23 January marks a year since Guaidó publicly declared himself president.Ramsey said both sides would exploit those politically charged dates to pose as the "clear victors in this conflict"."But the truth is that this is increasingly looking like a stalemate," he said. "The only way forward is for the mainstream opposition and the regime to hash out the details of some kind of electoral way forwards [towards presidential elections]."Later on Tuesday, Guaidó summoned fresh protests for Friday, Saturday and next Tuesday when he urged "all of Venezuela" to demonstrate outside the national assembly. "It is time to rise up and rise up with strength," he said.
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| Gangs allegedly run Mississippi prison where inmates were killed Posted: 06 Jan 2020 09:56 PM PST  Almost half the roughly 1,300 corrections positions in three major facilities in Mississippi remain unfilled.
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| Biden Makes a Surge in Iowa After Early Stumbles Left Him Behind Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has energized his once-sagging operation in Iowa and is making a late surge from behind, yet a crowded field still leaves the contest in the crucial state wide open.Democrats say there are still a sizable number of voters in the party's first nominating contest who remain undecided or not firmly committed. The candidates' closing arguments between now and the Feb. 3 caucuses could make all the difference.Biden, the national front-runner, and the other top three candidates — Pete Buttigieg, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — are bunched at the top of the polls.Warren, who entered the fall as the clear front-runner, has seen her momentum stall while Buttigieg rose. Sanders, who has consistently polled in the top tier, has focused his campaign's effort on trying to expand his voter base, and Iowa Democrats say a historically large caucus turnout could bode well for him."There's no clarity, that's for sure," said J.D. Scholten, a Democrat looking to unseat Republican U.S. Representative Steve King in Iowa's Fourth Congressional District.Scholten, who narrowly lost to King in the heavily Republican district in 2018 and has not endorsed a presidential candidate, said a lot of voters he's met have narrowed down their list, but have yet to commit.After a strong debate performance last month in Los Angeles, Senator Amy Klobuchar has also seen her stock rise, and her focus on rural Iowa, including the parts that border her home state of Minnesota could position her for a strong finish.Biden's fortunes started to change late last year.He had promised Iowans that they'd be sick of seeing him, but instead they largely noticed his absence. He spent less time in the state than other top-polling candidates through September and October – generally spending parts of one or two days at only one or two events, leaving little time for lengthy meet-and-greets on rope lines or at coffee shops.His team's operations were getting low marks, too, with many party insiders across the state saying they saw its efforts as decidedly anemic."I'd be surprised if Biden wins," said Bret Nilles, chairman of the Linn County Democratic Party. "But that could change in a month."Biden aides point to his eight-day, 18-county bus tour in late fall as the turning point. He traveled across northern Iowa, stopping in small towns that few major candidates visit. He showed greater dedication to the state – though he did make quick trips out of state to raise money in New York and Chicago – and hasn't stopped since. He spent 11 days in Iowa in December, more than any other candidate, and spent the first days of January there."It's safe to say that we definitely feel that things are moving in the right direction here," deputy campaign manager Pete Kavanaugh said in an interview in Cedar Rapids. "We're playing here hard. He's going to be here a lot in January. We've continued to staff up and build up the organization."Biden's campaign expects that it will have spent $4 million on paid media across digital, broadcast and cable television and social media between Nov. 1 and Feb. 3.Kavanaugh's own role in Iowa is evidence of just how seriously the campaign is taking the state. Though he's a veteran of multiple presidential cycles in New Hampshire, he and other senior campaign staff are spending more time there while also overseeing Biden's efforts in other states.Biden has also appealed to Iowans' pride in often choosing the ultimate Democratic nominee. "You look beyond not just what it is in Iowa that you want but you look at what is needed in order to be able to win," he said last week in Independence.The new tactics have drawn in key Democratic leaders in the state, who can provide crucial organizing support and indicate confidence in Biden's operation. He snagged the endorsement of Representative Abby Finkenauer, one of the youngest members of Congress who flipped a Republican-held seat in the 2018 midterm elections. And others in the Iowa Democratic establishment have started to coalesce around Biden.The escalating tensions with Iran after a U.S. strike last week killed General Qassem Soleimani has also reshuffled the dynamic of the race, with the top candidates trying to assert themselves as the best potential commander in chief. Biden, who has made foreign policy a staple of his career and candidacy, has urged voters to elect someone prepared to lead on the world stage.Sanders, meanwhile, has touted his opposition to the Iraq war and military spending. Buttigieg has emphasized his service as a Naval intelligence officer and his deployment to Afghanistan, saying he understands the personal toll of foreign policy decisions.Des Moines resident Jill Padgett, 32, didn't caucus in 2016 but plans to do so in February because "this is the one I care the most about." She's torn between Biden and Warren but said she feels herself edging closer to Biden.A mother of two daughters, Padgett said she wants to see a woman become president and likes Warren's big ideas. But she thinks she'll ultimately go with Biden because "he can unify the nation and is a safe candidate in my mind."Shaping the NarrativeWith fewer than 50 delegates up for grabs in the state, however, the results from the Iowa caucuses will do more to shape the narrative around the campaign than effect the overall number of delegates needed to secure the nomination.For Warren, Buttigieg and Klobuchar, a top finish in the state is crucial to their candidacies, and finishing below the top three could seriously damage their campaigns. Biden and Sanders could burnish their electability arguments by winning the caucuses, but Biden's deep support in South Carolina and Sanders' massive financial haul will give them more leeway after the caucuses."It's kind of historically unique to have four candidates bunched up" at the top of the polls, Kavanaugh said. "I don't think our plans will change based on the daily fluidity of the polls."To contact the reporters on this story: Jennifer Epstein in Independence, Iowa at jepstein32@bloomberg.net;Tyler Pager in Nashua, New Hampshire at tpager1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| CNN Settles Lawsuit Brought by Covington Catholic Student Nicholas Sandmann Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:12 PM PST  CNN agreed on Tuesday to settle a lawsuit brought by Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann.Sandmann sought $275 million from CNN over its coverage of the confrontation he and his classmates had with an elderly Native American man while visiting Washington, D.C., on a school trip in January of last year. The amount of the settlement was not made public during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Covington on Tuesday, according to a local Fox affiliate."CNN brought down the full force of its corporate power, influence, and wealth on Nicholas by falsely attacking, vilifying, and bullying him despite the fact that he was a minor child," reads the suit, which was filed in March 2019.Sandmann and his family still have lawsuits pending against NBC Universal and the Washington Post over their coverage of the incident. The Sandmann family sought a combined $800 million in damages from CNN, the Post, and NBC Universal."This case will be tried not one minute earlier or later than when it is ready," Sandmann's attorney Lin Wood said of the remaining lawsuits.Numerous national media outlets painted Sandmann and his classmates as menacing — and in some cases racist — after an edited video emerged of Sandmann smiling, inches away from the face of Nathan Phillips, an elderly Native American man, while attending the March for Life on the National Mall. A more complete video of the encounter, which emerged later, showed that Phillips had approached the Covington students and begun drumming in their faces, prompting them to respond with school chants.The lawsuit filed by Sandmann's attorneys in the Eastern District of Kentucky claimed that 53 statements included in CNN's coverage of the incident were defamatory. One such statement, included in a CNN opinion piece, accused the students of acting with "racist disrespect" towards Phillips. Meanwhile, Bakari Sellers, a CNN contributor, publicly mused about assaulting the 16-year-old Sandmann, and HBO host Bill Maher called him a "little prick."CNN filed a motion to dismiss the suit in May on the grounds that accusations of racism are not actionable in defamation cases because the allegation can't be proven true or false. They similarly argued they could not be held liable for uncorroborated claims that Sandmann and his classmates chanted "build the wall" during the encounter.It is not defamatory to say the Covington students "expressed support for the President or that he echoed a signature slogan of a major political party," CNN's motion to dismiss claims.An investigation conducted by an outside firm contracted by the Diocese of Covington found "no evidence that the students performed a 'Build the wall' chant" and that Phillips's account of the incident "contain some inconsistencies" that could not be explored because investigators were unable to reach him.Phillips initially claimed that the boys approached him but later admitted that he walked into their group after a video emerged disproving his initial claim. According to his second account, Phillips was attempting to defuse a confrontation between the students and a group of Black Hebrew Israelites, who can be heard on video shouting racial and homophobic slurs at the boys.Roger J. Foys, the bishop of Covington, celebrated the report as a vindication of the students. "Our students were placed in a situation that was at once bizarre and even threatening," he said in a statement. "Their reaction to the situation was, given the circumstances, expected and one might even say laudatory."
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| Netanyahu Distances From Soleimani Slaying, Says Israel Shouldn’t Be ‘Dragged’ Into It: Report Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:59 AM PST  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump's closest ally on the international stage, is walking on a tightrope in crafting his reaction to the American strike against Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.On Sunday, for public consumption, Netanyahu issued a statement of praise, but restrained himself from the usual flourishes he indulges in when congratulating Trump, such as accompanying videos.In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu said, "Qassem Soleimani brought about the death of many American citizens and many other innocents in recent decades and at present. Soleimani initiated, planned and carried out many terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East and beyond."President Trump is deserving of all esteem for taking determined, strong and quick action. I would like to reiterate—Israel fully stands alongside the US in the just struggle for security, peace and self-defense."And that was it.Netanyahu is in the thorniest moment of his turbulent, three-decade long career in politics. He is running for re-election after having failed to form a coalition government in two elections held in 2019. Last November, he became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be accused of crimes, when he was indicted on three separate counts of corruption. In the fight for his political life, Netanyahu took the unprecedented step of requesting parliamentary immunity last Thursday.Israel has previously been the target of terror attacks attributed to Iran, including the bombing of its embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992, and several attacks in other countries in the past decade.While the foreign ministry put all its embassies on high alert immediately following the assassination of Soleimani, the last thing Netanyahu wants is for Israelis to suspect the danger from Iran has grown since the 2018 American withdrawal from Syria, which Netanyahu championed and celebrated.Two leaks from his security cabinet meeting on Monday helped sustain this aim, despite Iranian troops' entrenchment along Israel's northern border with Syria in recent years.On Monday, as the meeting ended, several ministers transmitted Netanyahu's declaration distancing Israel from the Soleimani hit. "The assassination of Soleimani isn't an Israeli event but an American event. We were not involved and should not be dragged into it," he said, according to Israeli news outlets.Simultaneously, journalists were told that security and intelligence officials who briefed the security cabinet told ministers there was no imminent threat of Iranian attacks against Israel following the Soleimani assassination.With one exception, regarding the Kurds fighting in Syria after the withdrawal of American troops, Netanyahu has never distanced himself from Trump, though his thoughts about Iran have occasionally slipped out.Last November, speaking at a graduation ceremony for army officers, he said, "Iran's brazenness in the region is increasing and even getting stronger in light of the absence of a response."At the same time, Israel's Channel 13 news reported that some weeks earlier, in a closed-door meeting, Netanyahu told cabinet members he believed Trump would not act against Iran until the 2020 elections were behind him. 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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| Man charged with hate crimes in beating of 70-year-old woman Posted: 07 Jan 2020 11:11 AM PST |
| Meet America's B-25G Bomber: The Plane That Used A Tank Cannon To Destroy Enemy Warships Posted: 06 Jan 2020 08:00 AM PST  When the U.S. Army Air Force procured the B-25G Mitchell, it had a very different mission in mind—sinking ships at sea.
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| Strike against Iran could cause issues with North Korea Posted: 07 Jan 2020 09:29 AM PST  The U.S. strike that killed Iran's top military commander may have had an indirect casualty: a diplomatic solution to denuclearizing North Korea.
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| California has sued tech billionaire Vinod Khosla over beach access, reviving a decade-long legal battle Posted: 06 Jan 2020 06:06 PM PST  The billionaire tech investor has previously said he regretted buying the beach, but will continue defending his property rights
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| How many women in Puerto Rico must die before there's change? Women are done waiting. Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:15 AM PST  Feminist groups in Puerto Rico are demanding that their government take violence against women seriously. But that's just the beginning.
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| 'Our Work Is Helping People Find Happiness.' Meet the Leftist Nuns Helping Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border Posted: 07 Jan 2020 11:12 AM PST  Priests and bishops have condemned the Trump administration's immigration policy, but it's the nuns—mostly middle-aged or elderly women—who have actually built a mass movement at the border.
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| U.S. briefs NATO over Iran strike, avoids European criticism Posted: 06 Jan 2020 09:36 AM PST  All members of the Atlantic alliance stood behind the United States in the Middle East after it briefed NATO on its drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday. Speaking after a rare NATO meeting on Iran and Iraq in which the United States briefed its allies about last Friday's drone strike, Stoltenberg also called for a de-escalation of tensions, echoing the statements of some European leaders.
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| Police, Secret Service mum after new incident at Mar-a-Lago Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:50 PM PST  There was an unspecified incident involving the Secret Service at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, but authorities would not say Tuesday what happened — the latest in a series of incidents at the club since the president took office three years ago. Palm Beach police records show officers were called to Mar-a-Lago on Monday night to assist the Secret Service but most of the report is redacted, including the name of the individual who was contacted. Police spokesman Michael Ogrodnick said the Secret Service is the lead investigative agency in the matter and his department has no comment.
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| Did A Russian Built Submarine 'Sink' A U.S. Navy Sub Back in 2015? Posted: 06 Jan 2020 10:55 PM PST  How could that be?
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| 40 suspects in Mexico Mormon massacre: lawyer Posted: 07 Jan 2020 01:25 PM PST  Mexican authorities believe at least 40 people were involved in killing nine Mormon women and children in the north of the country in November, a lawyer for one of the families said Tuesday. The three women and six children from a breakaway Mormon community with dual US-Mexican nationality were on a remote road in a lawless region between the states of Chihuahua and Sonora when gunmen attacked their cars, a crime that sparked outrage on both sides of the border.
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| Republican John James Out-Raises Incumbent Dem Gary Peters by $1 Million in Fourth Quarter of Michigan Senate Race Posted: 07 Jan 2020 10:16 AM PST  Republican Senate candidate John James out-raised incumbent Gary Peters (D., Mich.) for the second straight quarter, further tightening an already competitive race for a vulnerable Senate seat.James's campaign said it raised $3.5 million in the fourth quarter, $1 million more than Peters in the same time frame, securing a higher margin than James's $600k advantage in the third quarter. While Peters' campaign says it has $8 million in cash on hand, a poll last month showed James surging to a narrow lead in the race, and Peters' job disapproval rating increasing to 7 percent.In a December interview, Peters seemed to endorse the Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution, saying "I believe we can" when asked if the U.S. can realistically transition the economy to zero-net emissions by 2050."We have to push the technology as aggressively as we can," the senator said. ". . . We should look at this as an economic opportunity to drive our economy while also doing the right thing for the environment."Peters, who voted "present" when the resolution was brought to the Senate floor for a vote in March, said a month later that he backed certain aspects of the Green New Deal, but remained vague on what specifically attracted him, save for one specific detail."There's no question we're going to need to make a massive effort to deal with this issue [climate change], and there are many aspects of the Green New Deal I support, particularly when it comes to retrofitting buildings," Peters said at the time.
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| 'Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated': US Army general says he's still alive after terrorist attack in Kenya Posted: 06 Jan 2020 12:41 PM PST  "This is yet another example of the lies, propaganda and fake news," US Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a statement.
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| Titanic wave of star-forming gases found in Milky Way Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:58 PM PST |
| Dangerous snow squalls to hamper travel conditions in Northeast Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:27 AM PST  The first several hours of a brief burst of cold air will lead to an outbreak of lake-effect snow and snow squalls from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast from late Tuesday night to Wednesday night. A dangerous quick freeze-up will accompany and follow the snow."This setup looks to be similar to that of Dec. 18, where flurries and snow squalls wandered well away from the Great Lakes region and reached New York City," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. Pedestrians observe a snow squall in Times Square Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) For a time during Tuesday night in the Midwest and Wednesday in the Northeast, a couple of snow squalls have the potential to travel hundreds of miles downwind of the Great Lakes. This means that portions of Interstate 70 in eastern Ohio; I-76 and I-80 in Pennsylvania; and part of I-95 in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and New England could be affected.The weather may be clear and roads dry one minute, then the next minute snow may be coming down at a fast pace, with slippery road conditions the next. Conditions like this in the past have contributed to deadly accidents and multiple-vehicle pileups including in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.While far from the heaviest lake-effect snow that can fall during early January, a few inches of snow can accumulate in parts of northern Michigan, northwestern Pennsylvania and western, central and northern New York state.An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches is expected, where the bands of snow persist downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario.Portions of Interstate 75, I-79, I-86 and I-90 will fall within the bands of lake-effect snow. Motorists traveling through the portions of the states aforementioned should be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions that include poor visibility and snow-covered roads.While far from how cold it can can get this time of the year, the combination of the cold air, wind and other factors will make for harsh conditions from Wednesday to Thursday from the Great Lakes to the central Appalachians, mid-Atlantic and New England. Plunging temperatures can cause roads to become icy in a matter of minutes. People who headed out to work, school or the store with few problems may have blinding snow and icy roads on the trip home.AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures can dip to 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the actual temperature when factoring in the blustery conditions. RealFeel® Temperatures will dip below zero over the upper Great Lakes, northern New York state and northern New England, and the single digits, teens and 20s farther south over the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic."The period from Wednesday to Thursday is likely to bring the first day with below-average temperatures since Dec. 21, 2019 in the Northeast," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines.On Dec. 21, normal high temperatures ranged from the upper 20s in northern Maine and northern Michigan to the upper 30s over the Ohio Valley and the upper 40s over the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay region.During the middle of this week, average high temperatures typically range from near 20 in northern Maine and the middle 20s in northern Michigan to the middle 30s over the Ohio Valley and the middle 40s over southeastern Virginia.On Wednesday, highs are forecast to be in the lower teens in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to the middle 20s in Detroit and near 30 in Pittsburgh.The core of the cold will settle over the Northeast on Thursday. Highs on Thursday are expected to range from the lower teens in Caribou, Maine, to the middle 30s in New York City and the middle 40s over southeastern Virginia.Temperatures are forecast to rebound late this week and may challenge record-high levels in a dramatic turnaround by early this weekend.Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Romania's Aegis Ashore Is Now Online and Can Shoot Down Enemy Missiles Posted: 07 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST  Aimed at Iran or Russia?
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| Passengers flying between the UK and India endured a nightmarish 36-hour delay as their airline plotted a new route because of US-Iran tensions Posted: 07 Jan 2020 07:21 AM PST  TUI flyers between London Gatwick and Goa were reportedly told restrictions were in place due to 'recent political issues in the Middle East.'
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| NASA, Boeing probe software glitch that stopped astronaut capsule from reaching space station Posted: 07 Jan 2020 03:26 PM PST  Boeing Co's (BA.N) CST-100 Starliner astronaut capsule had a successful launch for its first unmanned test mission, but what has been described as an automated timer error prevented the spacecraft from attaining the correct orbit for it to rendezvous and dock with the space station. The U.S. space agency is forming an investigative team to determine what caused the timer glitch and "any other software issues," NASA said. NASA said it was weighing whether to make Boeing repeat the test, which would likely cost tens of millions of dollars and add further delay, to show it can dock at the station successfully.
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| U.S. implements agreement to send Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala Posted: 06 Jan 2020 11:25 AM PST  Mexicans seeking asylum in the United States could be sent to Guatemala under a bilateral agreement signed by the Central American nation last year, according to documents sent to U.S. asylum officers in recent days and seen by Reuters.
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| The 'most prolific rapist' in UK history was known by his friends as bubbly and cheerful Posted: 07 Jan 2020 04:11 PM PST  Reynhard Sinaga lured victims with a place to stay for the night, as many were intoxicated, while others had lost their cell phones or credit cards.
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| Trump Wavers Over Impeachment Trial With Bolton Offer Now in Mix Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:05 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is wavering over how he wants his impeachment trial in the Senate to unfold, people familiar with his thinking said, but an offer by his former top national security aide to testify challenged Republican plans for a quick proceeding.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave no indication that John Bolton's willingness to testify was putting pressure on him to yield to Democrats' demands for additional witness testimony. At least one GOP senator expressed an interest in hearing from Bolton but didn't back a subpoena.The terms of a trial are crucial to how the case ultimately is perceived by voters before the November elections, and even Republicans haven't agreed on how to proceed, though McConnell has early support from key moderates. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is withholding the articles of impeachment approved last month by the House as a way to influence terms of the trial.Trump and other Republicans have been pressing for a swift resolution -- either a trial or a dismissal, citing a need for the president to focus on other matters such as fallout from the U.S. killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. However the trial unfolds, the chances the GOP-led Senate would remove Trump from office are remote.Trial or DismissalTrump's thinking on Senate proceedings remains fluid, according to the people, who asked for anonymity to describe the president's private comments. As he returned to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, the president said he either wants a trial or a dismissal."I would personally be very happy with a trial, but I would live with a trial or a motion to dismiss," Trump said. The next morning, he underscored the urgency for some kind of resolution in a series of tweets on impeachment, saying: "Get this done."Trump hasn't decided if he'd allow top aides or former officials to testify or if he wants witnesses at all, three people familiar with the matter said. The president considers the impeachment trial to be McConnell's process, two of them said.Yet the president has expressed interest in hearing from at least one witness: The whistle-blower whose complaint triggered the congressional inquiry that resulted in his impeachment. Democrats staunchly oppose that effort, saying the person's anonymity must be preserved.Complicating CalculationsBolton's announcement that he would testify, if subpoenaed, may complicate Republicans' calculations. Bolton earlier refused to testify before the House, at the direction of the White House, and if the Senate GOP shows no interest in his testimony, party leaders would be forced to explain why they don't want a top aide offering first-hand details to appear.Some Republicans already are offering a rationale."My construction of our constitutional duties is to try the articles of impeachment that are delivered, not to try and tease out new articles by receiving testimony," said Senator Todd Young of Indiana.But Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah said that "of course" he'd like to hear from Bolton, though he didn't indicate whether he'd vote with Democrats to call him as a witness.It's unclear whether Bolton's testimony would help or hurt the president. The former national security adviser was one of the central figures in White House conversations about Ukraine that led to Trump's impeachment.Private ConversationsBolton could potentially offer testimony about what Trump said privately during his effort to force Ukraine to probe former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. He would be the most senior Trump White House aid to testify in impeachment proceedings.As the wrangling over how to move forward continues, Trump raised $46 million in the fourth quarter, a record for him that Campaign Manager Brad Parscale attributed to backlash over impeachment.McConnell so far appears to be waiting for Pelosi to send impeachment articles to the Senate to decide how to proceed.McConnell said Friday he wants to copy rules that governed former President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. Those set parameters for the early stages of the proceedings, though not later ones, including witnesses, he said."We should address mid-trial questions such as witnesses after briefs, opening arguments, senator questions and other relevant motions," McConnell said.No Republican senator has opposed McConnell's position, indicating he will probably have enough votes to adopt the Clinton rules and punt on the question of calling witnesses. Susan Collins of Maine backed McConnell and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said the Senate must first get the articles of impeachment from the House.'Disguised Trap'Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said McConnell's "proposal to vote on witnesses and documents later is nothing more than a poorly disguised trap."Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri on Monday introduced a resolution that would empower the Senate to dismiss the case if they don't receive articles of impeachment within 25 days of a House vote. Ten fellow Republicans co-sponsored the resolution, which is unlikely to pass.McConnell said Friday that "we can't hold a trial without the articles. The Senate's own rules don't provide for that." Changing the Senate rules would take 67 votes. Republicans control just 53 votes in the chamber.Trump has expressed confidence in how the Senate GOP will handle impeachment."Republicans are fighting tough, it's good," he said last week at a campaign event.\--With assistance from Nick Wadhams, Erik Wasson, Steven T. Dennis, Laura Litvan and Jennifer A. Dlouhy.To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Wingrove in Washington at jwingrove4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, John HarneyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Monks at Saint Anselm clash with college board over power Posted: 06 Jan 2020 11:42 AM PST  Monks at a Catholic college in New Hampshire faced off in court Monday against the school's board of trustees in a dispute over an effort to limit the the monks' power — a move some worry could lead to increased secularization. A judge heard motions in Hillsborough Superior Court related to a lawsuit filed against the Saint Anselm College board last year. The unusual clash was set in motion when the board moved to take away the monks' ability to amend the school's bylaws.
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| Power-starved Ethiopia rallies around Nile dam as Egypt dispute simmers Posted: 06 Jan 2020 07:03 PM PST  Cell phone batteries constantly dying, health centres bereft of modern equipment, a dependence on flashlights after sundown -- Kafule Yigzaw experienced all these struggles and more growing up without electricity in rural Ethiopia. "Our country has a huge problem with electricity," Kafule, 22, told AFP recently while taking a break from reinforcing steel pipes that will funnel water from the Blue Nile River to one of the dam's 13 turbines. Across Ethiopia, poor farmers and rich businessmen eagerly await the more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity officials say it will ultimately provide.
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| NTSB: Witness saw Louisiana plane level out before crash Posted: 07 Jan 2020 12:49 PM PST  A witness said a plane that crashed in south Louisiana had leveled out its wings before it hit trees and transmission lines and crashed in a fiery heap, according to a preliminary investigation issued Tuesday by federal investigators. The report by the National Transportation Safety Board did not give a cause for the Dec. 28 plane crash that killed five people on their way to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
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| Where Does Admiral Yamamoto Go to Get His Apology? Posted: 06 Jan 2020 03:30 AM PST  Before there was Qasem Soleimani, there was Admiral Yamamoto.In 1943, the U.S. targeted the exceptionally skilled Japanese commander and killed him in what constituted a precision attack for the time — with the P-38G Lightnings that intercepted him midair playing the role of the MQ-9 Reaper.If it was wrong to kill Soleimani, it was wrong to kill Yamamoto — just as barbaric and illegal, just as damnable an "assassination."Of course, no celebrities back in World War II apologized to Imperial Japan, as actress Rose McGowan did to Iran after the killing of Soleimani in a now-semi-retracted sentiment. There wasn't a debate about the operation's legality. Members of the opposition party didn't call it an assassination. No former sports star — and corporate brand ambassador — condemned it as a lamentable instance of American militarism.Indeed, if he's being consistent, Colin Kaepernick must view the killing of Yamamoto as yet another example of American authorities seeking to control and destroy the bodies of nonwhite men.Obviously, the targeted killings of Soleimani and Yamamoto aren't exactly parallel. We were in a declared war with Japan, a conflict on a much larger scale than that with Iran. But both men were commanders of enemy forces actively engaged in killing Americans, and both were taken out in a combat theater. Both of the targeted killings were fully justified legally and morally.What were considered the advantages of going after Yamamoto resemble those of hitting Soleimani.Like Soleimani, Yamamoto was vulnerable because he was on the move, on a visit to Japanese units. We intercepted a Japanese signal revealing his imminent whereabouts, on the periphery of the range of U.S. aircraft. Admiral Chester Nimitz made the call to target him.As Donald A. Davis notes in his book Lightning Strike, the fact that Yamamoto, who carried out the Pearl Harbor attack, was responsible for the deaths of so many Americans motivated us to go after him. "The blood of thousands of American and Allied soldiers, sailors, and airmen had been spilled because of Yamamoto," he writes, "and here was an opportunity to eliminate him."The motive here wasn't subtle. The strike at Yamamoto was dubbed Operation Vengeance.The centrality of Yamamoto to the enemy war effort also played a role. "Yamamoto was the beating heart of the Japanese navy," Davis continues. "In his own country, he was seen as embodying the unwavering Bushido fighting spirit."It was hoped that his loss would stagger Tokyo, and so it did — after an amazing feat of U.S. airmanship downed Yamamoto's plane, which crashed in the jungle on the island of Bougainville.There was some worry when considering whether to kill him that Yamamoto's successor might be even more formidable. But it was brushed aside. Nimitz asked his exceptional intelligence officer, Edwin Layton, if he was confident that were none better who could replace Yamamoto. "Absolutely none," Layton replied, according to his later account. "Absolutely none."A comment at the outset of the Yamamoto operation could just as easily have applied to the Soleimani operation:"TALLYHO X LET'S GET THE BASTARD."
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| From 'Middle-Class Joe' to millionaire: Joe Biden is worth an estimated $9 million. Here's a look at the lifestyle, finances, and real-estate portfolio of one of the leading Democratic presidential candidates. Posted: 07 Jan 2020 06:07 AM PST  Leading candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination Joe Biden came into most of his wealth after leaving the vice presidency in 2017.
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| Stephen Colbert Blasts Trump’s ‘Tragically Ill-Conceived’ Move Toward War With Iran Posted: 06 Jan 2020 06:25 PM PST  After wishing his viewers a Happy New Year and telling them how happy he was to be back on the air after a two-week holiday break, Stephen Colbert got right to the "momentous, world-shaking events" that "everybody's talking about." "The 77th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony!" the Late Show host exclaimed, proceeding to gush over the "dazzling night of glitz and glamor and God help us we might be going to war with Iran!" From there, he highlighted "all the stars" who showed up in Hollywood "as we inch closer to yet another tragically ill-conceived military conflict," including Salma Hayek, "whose Gucci dress featured a neckline that didn't leave much to the imagination, unless you're imagining an endless quagmire in the Middle East!" Seth Meyers Exposes 'Self-Serving Hypocrite' Fox News Host Ainsley Earhardt"This is it, folks," Colbert continued. "This is what's been keeping you up at night for the last three years. It wasn't the baggy suits. It wasn't 'covfefe.' It was his ability to wage war with no understanding of the consequences." It was only then that the host explained the reason he was so "on edge" during his first new show of 2020: Trump's decision to kill top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. "Now, cards on the table, I don't know if what Trump did was a good idea or a bad idea," he said. "But I do know that it's a big idea. And Iran is very upset about it." And now Trump has threatened to strike 52 Iranian cultural sites if the conflict escalates, one for each of the 52 American hostages held by Iran decades ago. "He's still mad about the Iranian hostage crisis?" Colbert asked. "What's next on his 1980s agenda? 'I'm also targeting the top four Iranian generals. One for each of the Three Men and a Baby. Six different regions, one for each side of a Rubik's Cube. And I've officially changed the launch codes to 867-5309." Ricky Gervais' Golden Globes Monologue Mocks Hollywood's Jeffrey Epstein TiesRead 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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| India court orders execution of convicts for 2012 deadly rape on Jan. 22 Posted: 07 Jan 2020 07:46 AM PST  Four men sentenced to death for the gang rape and murder of a woman on a New Delhi bus in an attack that sent shockwaves across the world will be hanged on Jan. 22, an Indian court ruled on Tuesday. The four men were convicted in 2013 of the rape, torture and murder of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student in a case that triggered large protests in India. The attack prompted India to enact tough new laws against sexual violence, including the death penalty for rape in some cases, but implementation has been poor and the attacks have shown no signs of let-up.
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| Think War In Iran Is Likely? World War III Could As Easily Occur In One Of These Places Posted: 06 Jan 2020 09:00 PM PST  The world is a dangerous place.
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| Pompeo rebuffs Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell's pleas to run for Kansas Senate seat Posted: 06 Jan 2020 04:33 PM PST  The secretary of State had been toying with a Senate bid for months. His decision to forgo a political run comes amid increased tensions with Iran.
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| Third OU student alleges sexual misconduct by ex-official Posted: 07 Jan 2020 09:42 AM PST |
| France and EU ready to respond to US threat of new tariffs Posted: 07 Jan 2020 02:15 AM PST  France has warned it will retaliate with the full backing of the European Union if the United States imposes tariffs on up to $2.4 billion worth of French products, including Champagne, Roquefort cheese, handbags, and lipstick. The U.S. is considering 100% tariffs on some French goods in response to France's decision to tax the local digital business of major tech companies like Google and Facebook. With a decision on the tariffs expected in coming days, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire met Tuesday with EU trade chief Phil Hogan in Paris.
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| These 5 Air Forces Control The World's Skies Posted: 06 Jan 2020 07:30 PM PST  Don't violate their air space.
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| American families are paying a hidden $8,000 'poll tax' to cover their healthcare costs, 2 economists argue Posted: 07 Jan 2020 10:31 AM PST  Two Princeton economists say that American families pay an exorbitant amount of money to access healthcare in the US compared to other countries.
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