| Breonna Taylor’s ex-boyfriend offered plea deal if he would claim Taylor was part of ‘organized crime syndicate’ Posted: 31 Aug 2020 01:35 PM PDT  Breonna Taylor's ex-boyfriend was offered a plea deal if he would claim that she was part of an "organized crime syndicate." Jamarcus Glover, Taylor's ex-boyfriend and the focus of the no-knock raid which took her life, pled not guilty to drug charges Friday.
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| Trump, Portland mayor blame each other after deadly shooting Posted: 30 Aug 2020 02:30 AM PDT  The mayor of Portland, Oregon, and President Donald Trump engaged in a real-time argument Sunday as the president sent a flurry of critical tweets about Ted Wheeler as the mayor was holding a press conference about the fatal shooting of a right-wing supporter in his city the night before. After Trump called Wheeler, a Democrat, a "fool" and blamed him for allowing violence to proliferate in the liberal city, the visibly angry mayor lashed out at the president, addressing him in the first person through the TV cameras. Donald Trump and Ted Wheeler working together to help move this country forward.
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| 75-year-old Buffalo man shoved by police speaks out on incident after month in hospital Posted: 31 Aug 2020 09:15 AM PDT  Martin Gugino, 75, was shoved to the ground by Buffalo police in June, and the incident drew wide criticism. Now Gugino tells his side.
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| Russian opposition activist hospitalised after attack outside his home Posted: 31 Aug 2020 05:24 AM PDT  A 22-year-old Russian opposition activist has been hospitalised after what supporters said was a vicious attack by two men outside his house in Moscow. Yegor Zhukov, who came to prominence last year when he was arrested and tried over opposition protests, posted pictures of his bruised and bloody face to social media following the attack. He was taken to hospital for an MRI scan which showed he had "fortunately managed to avoid serious injuries or internal bleeding," a spokesman said. The activist "remained calm and even joked about what happened," his team said in a social media post, adding that he was allowed home following tests.
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| Soldier who made ‘vile’ Holocaust joke to 3 million TikTok followers punished, Army says Posted: 31 Aug 2020 04:48 PM PDT  "He wrote: 'For legal reasons this is a joke.' ... Would he look into the eyes of Survivors liberated by @USArmy and tell them this?" the Auschwitz Memorial Museum said in a tweet.
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| Hong Kong protests: The flashpoints in a year of anger Posted: 31 Aug 2020 12:51 AM PDT  A few defining moments in the city's dramatic year are under the spotlight as arrests gather pace.
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| You Can’t Be Pro-Life Unless You Oppose Abortion Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:30 AM PDT  Election times in non-pandemic years can bring out some of the best and the worst of America. Both parties, in their convention productions, were maybe a mix of both. The aspirational, inspirational moments are the best, which, of course, may be a bit too much of a promise about what electing one ticket to the White House could ever possibly do. At the same time, they are important reminders that policy isn't mere ideological adherence -- it affects human lives, family lives. It's important, noble work. In campaign season, it can become harder to remember it isn't everything, though.We don't get our meaning from politics, politics is a necessary exercise -- our vote and our engagement in politics is one way we live out our civic responsibilities. Politics is not a never-ending reality-TV show for our entertainment or distraction. It's not religion. As Sister Deidre Byrne put it during her Republican Convention segment, there's such a thing as eternal life, and this life -- including politics -- should be part of our expressions of gratitude for our very lives and part of how we express hope for something greater. Anything inconsistent with that journey should have no place in politics.This leads us to abortion. There's a lot of dismissal of "single-issue voters" these days. Believe me, I see it in my inbox. That makes an assumption that isn't a given -- not everyone who is opposed to abortion is planning on voting for Donald Trump. There are debates about whether voting for someone other than Trump is a cop-out -- "blood on your hands" some on the right will argue. But set that debate aside for a moment: In recent weeks I've expressed my disappointment in Joe Biden. The Democrats have refused to give an option to people who consider abortion the preeminent human-rights issue. For that, I have been told I am a "so-called" pro-lifer.I actually agree with all those who insist that pro-life needs to mean more than defending the life of the unborn -- we as individuals and as a society must do all that we can to make life plausible, to ensure that single mothers and families have a fighting chance. We can't look away from the children in foster care who will never have a shot if someone doesn't give them the love of a family. Absolutely, pro-life should mean more than opposition to abortion. And anyone who has been around the pro-life movement has seen that it so often is people full of love for a mom who just needs some confidence and resources -- people walking with her, and, yes, for more than nine months.The other day, a Catholic priest responded to one of my columns mentioning Joe Biden and abortion. He explained that he considers Biden pro-life and that he's voting for him. Here's the problem with that: While I'm with the priest and believe that we absolutely must help vulnerable children in all kinds of situations, you can't be pro-life and adhere to the extremist abortion policies of the Democratic Party.There's a reason that the Democrats didn't talk much about abortion during their convention -- because that's not the pitch they want to make to people. The vast majority of Americans want to see some restrictions on abortion, they don't see abortion as a good, but they want women in desperate situations to have options. "There but by the grace of God go I." But like other words we use in our politics, the word "pro-life" is drained of meaning if it means contrary things -- if "pro-life" means that you can claim to be personally opposed to abortion but publicly supportive of it through all nine months of pregnancy, and even to the moments after a baby is born, having survived an abortion attempt. Democrats' current abortion stance is a radical expansion of abortion. Just look to Andrew Cuomo for an example of that. A supposed leading light of Democratic politics expanded legal abortion in a state that was already considered the abortion capital of the country, and he celebrated it by lighting up the Empire State in pink neon. And he is lauded despite his decision that caused so many COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes in the state.The Democratic Party has chosen to double down on the death of innocents. That is what abortion is: It is a law that says the unborn can be treated as inconvenient and thrown away. The value of that human life is determined by the mother under the influence of the circumstances and pressures she finds around her. That they have to use euphemisms to make it attractive exposes the underlying rot.I have hopes that in a non-election year, people who call themselves pro-life and those who choose the pro-choice label can work together on foster care and adoption and paid family leave and other issues that we can agree on that are not the A-word. I'd like to see a day when fewer people consider themselves pro-choice, because they see the pregnancy help centers and communities who truly live the Beatitudes and help women and anyone in need. In the meantime, let's not lose our heads -- or our souls -- over an election. There's more to life, there's more to do.Essential to that, too, though, is honesty: The Republicans are far from perfect, to say the least. And the Democrats refuse to stand for the vulnerable unborn. It's a lie to call them pro-life and an abdication of responsibility not to insist on something better.This column is based on one available through Andrews McMeel Universal's Newspaper Enterprise Association.
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| Joe Biden blames Trump for violence in Democrat-run cities Posted: 31 Aug 2020 02:28 AM PDT  Democratic strategist Anthony Tall and Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund chairman Jenny Beth Martin respond.
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| Leaked email reveals CVS district leader instructed pharmacy staff not to tell patients their medications were filled by someone who tested positive for COVID-19 Posted: 31 Aug 2020 11:00 AM PDT  A CVS technician said a district leader threatened to fire staff if they told patients their medications were filled by a COVID-positive worker.
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| It’s a busy week in the Atlantic, but no tropical waves threaten the U.S. currently Posted: 31 Aug 2020 07:36 AM PDT  Even for the busiest predicted hurricane season on record, the Atlantic basin is packed this week.
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| New report deepens mystery around Trump’s sudden and suspicious visit to Walter Reed hospital Posted: 31 Aug 2020 02:40 PM PDT  Vice President Mike Pence was reportedly prepared to take over the presidential duties
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| The alt-right group Patriot Prayer, associated with a man killed in the Portland protests, has a history of provoking left-wing groups: 'This was just a matter of time' Posted: 31 Aug 2020 10:31 AM PDT  An Anti-Defamation League researcher fears that Aaron Danielson's killing will spur more bloodshed between right- and left-wing groups.
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| Cheng Lei: Australian anchor on Chinese TV detained in China Posted: 31 Aug 2020 01:18 PM PDT  Cheng Lei, an Australian citizen, worked as a news presenter for government-run CGTN in Beijing.
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| Indiana Congressman introduces bill to ban protest 'thugs' from receiving unemployment aid Posted: 31 Aug 2020 09:53 AM PDT  U.S. Rep. Jim Banks introduced a bill that would ban people from receiving unemployment aid if convicted of a federal offense related to protests.
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| Key air monitors offline after Laura hits Louisiana gas hub Posted: 30 Aug 2020 11:13 AM PDT  Hazardous emissions from a chlorine plant fire, abruptly shuttered oil and gas refineries and still-to-be assessed plant damage are seeping into the air after Hurricane Laura, regulators say, but some key state and federal monitors to alert the public of air dangers remain offline in Louisiana. While the chlorine fire was being monitored as a potential health threat, Louisiana environmental spokesman Greg Langley says he knows of no other major industrial health risks from the storm in the state. With dozens of petroleum, petrochemical and other industrial sites, Louisiana is home to communities with some of the nation's highest cancer risks, according to Environmental Protection Agency rankings.
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| Tesla Model S on autopilot slammed into a police car because the driver was watching a movie on his phone, authorities say Posted: 31 Aug 2020 07:31 AM PDT  Nobody was injured in the crash, and the doctor behind the wheel of the Tesla was charged with two crimes.
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| Relatives of MH17 crash to seek damages from suspects, lawyers say Posted: 31 Aug 2020 06:09 AM PDT  More than 300 relatives of victims who died when a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane was shot down in 2014 will seek unspecified damages from four suspects being tried in the Netherlands, lawyers representing family members said on Monday. The suspects - three Russians and a Ukrainian - are being tried for murder and shooting down the passenger plane over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people onboard. The four men remain at large and only one has legal representation in the trial, which is being conducted at a courtroom near Amsterdam.
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| Democrats may subpoena Trump’s intel chief after he abruptly halts election security briefings Posted: 31 Aug 2020 12:10 PM PDT  Rep. Adam Schiff says administration is trying to "hide" the truth about Russian meddling to help Trump campaign
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| 'Mic drop' for Kushner during his UAE arrival Posted: 31 Aug 2020 06:52 AM PDT 
Senior U.S. and Israeli officials landed in the United Arab Emirates on Monday on a historic trip to finalize a pact marking open relations between Israel and the Gulf state, and told Palestinians it was now time for them to negotiate peace. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner added on arrival that Washington could maintain Israel's military edge while advancing its ties to the UAE, the Arab world's second largest economy and a regional power.
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| Japan country profile Posted: 31 Aug 2020 08:44 AM PDT  Provides an overview of Japan, including key events and facts about this earthquake-prone country on the western rim of the Pacific.
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| An LA teacher said she and her daughter had to flee their home after she received threats for wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt to class Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:22 AM PDT  On the first day of school, the English teacher in Los Angeles wore a shirt that read, "I can't breathe," a message associated with the BLM movement.
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| UN labor body: Qatar 'dismantles' kafala employment system Posted: 30 Aug 2020 05:42 AM PDT  New labor rules in the energy-rich nation of Qatar "effectively dismantles" the country's long-criticized "kafala" employment system, a U.N. labor body said Sunday. The International Labor Organization said as of now, migrant workers can change jobs before the end of their contracts without obtaining the permission of their current employers. Qatar also has adopted a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals ($275) for workers, which will take effect some six months after the law is published in the country's official gazette, the ILO said.
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| Zoom's stock soars as it reports blockbuster earnings with 355% revenue growth Posted: 31 Aug 2020 01:26 PM PDT  Zoom once again beat Wall Street expectations, blowing past estimates and reporting 355% revenue growth year-over-year.
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| Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:10 AM PDT  High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say. CanSino Biologics' <6185.HK> vaccine, approved for military use in China, is a modified form of adenovirus type 5, or Ad5. The company is in talks to get emergency approval in several countries before completing large-scale trials, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
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| Trump says shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse "was in very big trouble" Posted: 31 Aug 2020 02:57 PM PDT  The president's news conference followed Democratic nominee Joe Biden's speech on violence in American cities.
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| Schools are more segregated than 30 years ago. Here's what's driving the change. Posted: 31 Aug 2020 05:18 AM PDT  School integration programs once broke down barriers. Today, white and Black students in cities like Minneapolis are growing up apart.
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| Venezuela's Maduro pardons opposition lawmakers Posted: 31 Aug 2020 02:48 PM PDT  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday pardoned more than 100 lawmakers and associates of opposition leader Juan Guaido "in the interests of promoting national reconciliation," the government said.
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| Sharp rise in Chinese coercive diplomacy in 2020, says new report Posted: 31 Aug 2020 01:51 AM PDT  The Chinese Communist Party is increasingly resorting to the use of coercive diplomacy, taking advantage of the lack of a coordinated pushback from like-minded governments, according to a new report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The study analyses 152 cases of the CCP's use of coercive diplomacy across 28 countries, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and in East Asia over the past decade, and concludes that governments need to counter its "divide-and-conquer" tactics through a joint strategy via multilateral institutions. "Our dataset suggests the CCP has begun to use coercive diplomacy far more actively. We found a sharp increase from 2018 onwards," said Fergus Hanson, Emilia Currey and Tracy Beattie, the ASPI authors, in a statement. "In the first eight months of 2020 we found 34 cases of coercive diplomacy, which equates to more than half of the number recorded in 2019. Unless states can come up with a better strategy to resist coercive diplomacy, we can expect this trend to continue."
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| Letters to the Editor: California's blackouts prove it: We still need oil and gas for energy Posted: 30 Aug 2020 03:00 AM PDT  California's leaders need to set aside ideology and admit that in the near term, the state still needs fossil fuels to prevent blackouts.
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| Kentucky AG has received ballistics in Breonna Taylor case Posted: 30 Aug 2020 09:40 AM PDT  Kentucky's attorney general has received a long-awaited FBI ballistics report in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Attorney General Daniel Cameron tweeted Sunday that there is additional analysis needed now that the report is in his hands, and there would be no announcement on the investigation this week. "We continue to work diligently to follow the facts and complete the investigation," Cameron tweeted.
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| Hawaii to require visitors to fill out online 'Safe Travels' form before travel Posted: 31 Aug 2020 12:08 PM PDT  Beginning Tuesday, Hawaii will require all visitors to fill out a "Safe Travels" application, including health and contact information, before travel.
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| Arkansas sheriff who was secretly recorded using racial slurs reluctantly resigned and insisted he's not racist Posted: 30 Aug 2020 02:32 PM PDT  An Arkansas sheriff who was secretly recorded using racial slurs reluctantly resigned on Friday after saying that he was "by no means a racist."
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| Philippines extends partial coronavirus curbs in Manila until Sept. 30 Posted: 31 Aug 2020 10:09 AM PDT  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday partial restrictions in and around the capital Manila will be kept for another month starting Sept. 1 to tackle a rising number of coronavirus cases and further expand hospital capacity. Duterte announced the decision in a late night televised address after the health ministry reported another 3,446 new cases of the coronavirus and 38 fatalities that day, taking its total count to 220,819 cases with 3,558 deaths. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the daily reported cases "remains high," citing a need to intensify anti-COVID-19 measures to slow the infection rate, which is the highest in Southeast Asia.
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| Leaked memo: White House counsel pushed to downgrade Kushner’s clearance over "serious" concerns Posted: 31 Aug 2020 09:30 AM PDT  Don McGahn wrote that an FBI background check raised "serious additional concerns" about Kushner's clearance
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| Two licensed pilots with families identified as the men killed in Broward plane crash Posted: 31 Aug 2020 11:42 AM PDT |
| Walesa warns Poles against populism on 40th Solidarity anniversary Posted: 31 Aug 2020 05:55 AM PDT  Poland's anti-communist icon Lech Walesa on Monday warned against populism as his deeply divided country marked 40 years since a landmark deal gave rise to the freedom-fighting Solidarity trade union.
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| Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly allowed in person legal visit despite coronavirus lockdown Posted: 30 Aug 2020 10:46 AM PDT  Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly been allowed an in-person visit by her legal team in what is believed to be the first permitted in a New York City federal jail during the pandemic lockdown. According to the New York Daily News, Maxwell, who is facing six criminal charges, was allowed to hold a face to face meeting at Sunset Park's Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Friday morning. All involved reportedly wore masks during the meeting. Other inmates, who have been in lockdown since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, have had neither family, nor legal visits. Maxwell has been held on remand for less than two months. "I'm incredulous really that she was the first one when there are those of us who have been waiting for nearly six months to have an in-person visit with our clients," Susan Marcus, a lawyer representing detainees in the centre, told the paper.
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| DHS calls on Portland to 'step up' after shooting Posted: 30 Aug 2020 12:51 PM PDT 
A day after one person was shot dead in Portland, Oregon amid reported clashes between Trump supporters and counter protesters... Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf - appearing on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday - cast blame on local leaders - who he said have allowed it. "What we've seen in Portland is almost three months, three months of allowing individuals to come in, night after night and set fire to government buildings...We have over 74- over 90 arrests, 74 different criminal citations that the FBI is pursuing against individuals. We need Portland to step up, bring this violence to a close, and I think you'll see a lot of this go away." Appearing on another Sunday show - Wolf said "All options continue to be on the table" to resolve the protests in Portland - including sending in federal law enforcement assistance. Sounds of gunfire were heard in Portland on Saturday night - according to officials - amid violent protest happening downtown, but police did not immediately link the shooting to the protests. Demonstrations against racism and police brutality have swept the United States since the death of George Floyd in May and have gripped Portland every night for nearly three months following Floyd's death. This comes as President Donald Trump, who has billed himself a 'law and order' president, is expected to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday. That's the Midwestern city where protests erupted last week after a Black man was shot in the back by a white police officer. Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes says the state does not need a visit from Trump, after what he told CNN was a nominating convention last week centered around "creating more division" and "animosity" in Kenosha.
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| Ethiopia seeks US clarification on reported aid cut over dam Posted: 31 Aug 2020 05:53 AM PDT |
| Paul Rusesabagina: Hotel Rwanda film hero arrested Posted: 31 Aug 2020 05:39 AM PDT  Paul Rusesabagina's efforts to save people during the Rwanda genocide were depicted in a film.
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| Decommissioned Navy Warship Blasted and Sunk in Pacific Exercise Posted: 31 Aug 2020 10:50 AM PDT  Ships and aircraft from ten nations participating the exercise sank the amphibious cargo ship in a live-fire exercise.
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