| Why Nazis And White Supremacists Are Putting The Fear In Middle Tennessee This Weekend Posted: 28 Oct 2017 07:06 AM PDT  ― In post-Charlottesville America, any large gathering of racists and fascists becomes both spectacle and specter.
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| Top GOP Lawmaker: 'I Wish Democrats Would Help' Look Into Russian Election Meddling Posted: 29 Oct 2017 12:05 PM PDT  Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) is accusing Democrats of not doing enough to help investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, which would likely come as news to many of them.
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| Barack Obama Plans To Serve America Again, This Time In The Courthouse Posted: 28 Oct 2017 07:28 AM PDT  Former President Barack Obama reportedly plans to show up for jury duty next month after being called to serve in Cook County, Illinois.
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| Funeral for late Thai king Bhumibol draws to a close Posted: 28 Oct 2017 05:59 PM PDT  A year of official mourning for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was to end Sunday after a lavish five-day funeral full of pageantry and religious ritual. Bhumibol, a beloved monarch who died last October aged 88, was cremated on Thursday after a day charged with emotion that brought the nation to a standstill. At his death he was the world's longest-serving monarch, spanning seven decades of Thailand's turbulent modern history to become its leading symbol of unity.
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| George Washington's church to remove plaque honouring first US president as monuments row takes twist Posted: 29 Oct 2017 10:23 AM PDT  The church where George Washington worshipped is removing a plaque honouring the memory of America's first president in the latest example of the way historic monuments are influencing contemporary politics. Officers at Christ Church, in Alexandria, Virginia, said it was removing the plaque for the slave-owning president along with one for a second parishioner, General Robert Lee, who rose to the head of the Confederate army during the Civil War. "The Vestry has unanimously decided that the plaques create a distraction in our worship space and may create an obstacle to our identity as a welcoming church, and an impediment to our growth and to full community with our neighbours," church officers said in a letter to the congregation following a month-long consultation period. Washington was one of the congregation's founding members in 1773, paying for pew number five, while General Lee's daughter left the church $10,000 in her will. The two plaques have hung on either side of the altar since 1870, soon after Lee's death, paid for by city residents. Workers in New Orleans prepare to remove a statue of General Robert Lee in May Credit: AP But local authorities across the US have removed a string of Confederate statues and memorials from public places in recent years. Critics say there is no place in modern America for symbols associated with racism and slavery. The issue is highly charged. One person died in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August when counter-protesters clashed with white nationalists protesting against the removal of a General Lee Statue. All are welcome. (Except George Washington.) pic.twitter.com/xy6cct4C8k— Matt Lewis (@mattklewis) October 28, 2017 The controversies prompted Donald Trump to ponder whether Washington would be targeted next. In its letter, first reported by the Republican Standard website, church officers said that times had changed. "We understand that both Washington and Lee lived in times much different than our own, and that each man, in addition to his public persona, was a complicated human being, and like all of us, a child of God," they wrote. The plaques are due to be relocated by next summer as the church decides how better to commemorate its famous worshippers.
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| Bill O'Reilly Sues Ex-Politician Who Dated One of His Accusers Posted: 28 Oct 2017 09:32 AM PDT  O'Reilly is asking for at least $5 million in damages
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| Iraq orders 24-hour truce in standoff with Kurds over Kirkuk takeover by Iraqi forces Posted: 28 Oct 2017 11:11 AM PDT ![Iraq orders 24-hour truce in standoff with Kurds over Kirkuk takeover by Iraqi forces]( "Iraq orders 24-hour truce in standoff with Kurds over Kirkuk takeover by Iraqi forces") Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi forces agree to a 24-hour truce after fighting broke out Oct. 16 when Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk.
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| Communities mark 5 years since Superstorm Sandy Posted: 29 Oct 2017 02:42 PM PDT  NEW YORK (AP) — Communities across New York and New Jersey marked the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy on Sunday, a day that ironically saw the region hit by another strong storm system containing soaking rains and strong winds.
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| The Lack Of Women Leaders Is A National Emergency Posted: 28 Oct 2017 02:45 AM PDT  There have been so many horrifying stories about male predatory behavior since the Harvey Weinstein story broke earlier this month, but one quote has truly stood out.
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| Florida Police Release Eerie New Surveillance Video In Hunt For Suspected Serial Killer Posted: 28 Oct 2017 09:27 AM PDT  Florida police have released a new surveillance video of a "person of interest" wearing a long jacket with a hood and repeatedly flipping open a cell phone in investigators' hunt for a suspected serial killer in a Tampa neighborhood.
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| Rouhani says Iran will keep producing missiles, state TV reports Posted: 29 Oct 2017 06:56 AM PDT  Iran will continue to produce missiles for its defense and does not consider that a violation of international accords, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday in a speech broadcast on state television. Rouhani spoke days after the U.S. House of Representatives voted for new sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program, part of an effort to clamp down on Tehran without immediately moving to undermine an international nuclear agreement.
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| Huge Bearded Seal Blocks Airport Runway In Alaska Posted: 29 Oct 2017 06:18 AM PDT  When airport foreman Scott Babcock went out onto the runway at Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on Monday to clear some snow, he was surprised to find a visitor waiting for him on the asphalt: a 450-pound bearded seal chilling in the milky sunshine.
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| Cops: Idaho woman intentionally drove off cliff with 3 kids Posted: 29 Oct 2017 07:28 AM PDT  An Idaho woman who drove her sport utility vehicle off a cliff and into a reservoir in a crash last year that killed her and her three young children did so deliberately, officials said Friday.
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| Donald Trump says sexual harassment claims are 'fake news' — but this is what corroborators say Posted: 29 Oct 2017 11:21 AM PDT  "All I can say is it's totally fake news. Jacqueline Alemany of CBS News:"Obviously, sexual harassment has been in the news. At least 16 women accused the president of sexually harassing them throughout the course of the campaign.
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| Mass unity rally in Barcelona Posted: 29 Oct 2017 04:05 AM PDT  Chanting "Viva Espana", thousands of protesters gathered in the Catalan capital Barcelona Sunday, furious at a move by the region's now deposed leaders to break away from Spain. "In my town, I am unable to leave my house with the Spanish flag," fumed 19-year-old student Marina Fernandez from Girona, a separatist stronghold, as a sea of protesters waved the red-and-yellow Spanish national flag. An hour before the scheduled 12:00 pm (1100 GMT) start of the pro-unity demonstration in the centre of the city of Gaudi, thousands had already gathered, chanting "Prison for Puigdemont", and "Long live Spain".
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| High winds sweep Central Europe, leave 5 dead, others hurt Posted: 29 Oct 2017 02:19 PM PDT  BERLIN (AP) — High winds knocked down trees and caused widespread travel chaos across much of Central Europe on Sunday, leaving five people dead and several injured.
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| Gruesome Discoveries at Funeral Homes Put Spotlight on Spotty Regulations Posted: 28 Oct 2017 08:15 AM PDT  Maggots wriggled along the garage floor near cardboard-boxed corpses stacked
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| They Were Homeless In California. Then The Fires Came. Posted: 28 Oct 2017 04:00 AM PDT  It's 2:00 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon and Fernando Gomez doesn't know where he and his one-year-old daughter will sleep tonight.
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| Bombs kill at least 17 people in Somali capital Mogadishu Posted: 28 Oct 2017 12:37 PM PDT  By Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Two car bombs killed at least 17 people in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police said, two weeks after a huge truck bomb killed hundreds of civilians in the city. Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attacks on Saturday. A suicide car bomb was rammed into a hotel, Nasahablod Two, about 600 meters from the presidential palace, and then armed militants stormed the building, police said.
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| These 'Fun Size' Salads May Be The Scariest Trick This Halloween Posted: 29 Oct 2017 08:19 AM PDT  What could be scarier than getting an apple or raisins this Halloween?
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| Amazon Stock Surge Makes Jeff Bezos Richest Man On Earth Posted: 27 Oct 2017 09:09 PM PDT  Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is now the richest person on the planet after a bounce in company stock value floated his net worth to a massive $93.8 billion by the end of business on Friday.
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| World War III: This is How the U.S. Military Would Have Invaded Cuba in 1962 Posted: 27 Oct 2017 06:22 PM PDT  Attention, people of Cuba: Obey the orders of the U.S. Army, or suffer the consequences. This is what the Cubans would have been told, had the United States invaded the island during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. "Resistance to the United States armed forces will be forcefully stamped out.
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| British Navy fires nine from nuclear submarine over failed drugs tests Posted: 28 Oct 2017 07:28 AM PDT  Nine British sailors assigned to a nuclear submarine have been discharged from the Royal Navy after failing compulsory drug tests, Britain's ministry of defence has confirmed. The service personnel, stationed aboard HMS Vigilant -- one of four Royal Navy submarines equipped with nuclear missiles -- were dismissed after all tested positive for an illegal substance. "We do not tolerate drugs misuse by service personnel," a Royal Navy spokesperson said.
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| The Latest: Doomed sailboat had communications failures Posted: 27 Oct 2017 07:53 PM PDT  HONOLULU (AP) — The Latest on the rescue of two women lost at sea since May (all times local):
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| One-on-one with Gov. Chris Christie Posted: 29 Oct 2017 05:10 AM PDT  New Jersey governor and former federal prosecutor Chris Christie sits down with George Stephanopoulos on "This Week."
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| Report: First Charges Filed In Mueller's Russia Probe Posted: 27 Oct 2017 05:43 PM PDT  A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., reportedly has approved the first charges in the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, CNN said Friday evening.
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| New York police officers 'charged with raping handcuffed teenager in their van' Posted: 28 Oct 2017 03:47 AM PDT  Two New York police officers have been charged with allegedly raping a handcuffed teenage girl in their van. Officers Eddie Martins and Richard Halls are accused of having sex with the 18-year-old after arresting her in south Brooklyn. Both men have been indicted on first-degree rape charges after a week-long hearing which culminated with a grand jury vote on Friday, The New York Post reported.
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| The Ivy League Has An Unexpected Friend In Donald Trump Posted: 29 Oct 2017 04:00 AM PDT  At first glance, Yale University doesn't seem like a school with much love for the current president.
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| Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City honored quake victims Posted: 29 Oct 2017 12:01 PM PDT ![Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City honored quake victims]( "Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City honored quake victims") A raised fist made of helmets, pick axes and broken rubble rolled ahead of hundreds of walking skeletons, costumed dancers and flowery floats Saturday in Mexico City's Day of the Dead parade, which this year honored the 228 capital residents killed by a Sept. 19 earthquake.
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| Why one major 'Stranger Things' star was missing at the Season 2 premiere this week Posted: 28 Oct 2017 10:11 AM PDT  One Stranger Things star was notably absent from Thursday's Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles. British actor Charlie Heaton, who plays creepy photo stalker man Jonathan Byers in the Netflix series, was barred entry to the U.S. last Saturday. SEE ALSO: Netflix is making a 'Stranger Things' after-show to feed the obsession The reason? A drug-sniffing dog reportedly picked up on something that prompted a search of Heaton's luggage, at which point authorities discovered "a small amount of cocaine," according to the Associated Press. Heaton was neither arrested nor charged, but he was barred from entering the U.S. and promptly sent back to London. It's worth noting here that the AP's report comes via an anonymous source — an official who "couldn't discuss the matter publicly." A Friday night report from People contains the same information, via an unnamed law enforcement source. That story also includes a vague statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection which lays out the federal agency's rules for handling foreign nationals in violation of controlled substance laws. It read: "A violation, conspiracy to violate or simply an attempt to violate any U.S. State, federal or any foreign government controlled substance violation renders a foreign national inadmissible to the United States." Heaton hasn't yet made any public statements on the matter, though this would explain his absence from Thursday's premiere. WATCH: Alicia Silverstone served us that '90s nostalgia by resurrecting her Cher costume
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| In Kenya, polarizing election re-run rekindles ethnic tensions Posted: 28 Oct 2017 01:18 PM PDT  By Maggie Fick MUHORONI, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenya's repeat presidential election, boycotted this week by millions, has reignited long-running tensions between ethnic communities in some areas, leading inhabitants of one small village in the west to pick up traditional arms on Saturday. In the bright green sugarcane fields where the western Nyanza region rolls toward the Nandi hills, two tribes -- the Luo and the Kalenjin -- have lived in relative peace for years. The stand-off, defused by an emergency intervention of three county governors, was a stark reminder of how easily Kenya's months-long political crisis could spark the type of ethnic violence that killed 1,200 people after a flawed 2007 vote.
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| Lions, chimps, sharks get added protection under UN convention Posted: 28 Oct 2017 07:22 AM PDT  Lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, leopards and a wide variety of sharks received added protection at a UN wildlife conference in the Philippines, organisers said Saturday. Some 34 endangered species were selected to receive heightened conservation efforts at the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) conference that just concluded in Manila. Protecting migratory species poses particular difficulties since they cross borders, including possibly moving to countries with less stringent wildlife protection systems, said Bradnee Chambers, CMS executive secretary.
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| In 1942, Japan Ordered 2 Battleships to Be Built with Huge 20-Inch Guns Posted: 27 Oct 2017 06:13 PM PDT  In January 1936 Japan announced its intention to withdraw from the London Naval Treaty, accusing both the United States and the United Kingdom of negotiating in bad faith. In the wake of this withdrawal, Japanese battleship architects threw themselves into the design of new vessels. The first class to emerge were the 18.1-inch-gun-carrying Yamatos, the largest battleships ever constructed.
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| Elon Musk Shares New Photo of the Boring Co. Tunnel Under LA Posted: 28 Oct 2017 03:00 PM PDT  The sci-fi mass transit tunnel in California is becoming a reality.
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| Russia test fired massive nuclear-capable ballistic missile called Satan 2, among three others Posted: 28 Oct 2017 08:22 AM PDT  Russia carried out a test launch of its Satan 2 nuclear missile on Thursday, which is reportedly capable of wiping out an entire country with a single strike.
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| India starts trade route to Afghanistan via Iran Posted: 29 Oct 2017 04:20 AM PDT ![India starts trade route to Afghanistan via Iran]( "India starts trade route to Afghanistan via Iran") NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Sunday shipped its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan by sea through Iran's strategic Chahbahar Port, launching a trade route bypassing longtime rival Pakistan.
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| As Russia Probe Heats Up, Conservatives Call For Special Counsel Mueller To Quit Posted: 28 Oct 2017 09:05 AM PDT  Shortly before a federal grand jury filed the first charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, conservatives were renewing their calls for the attorney to resign.
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| Iran blocks 'illegal' rally at ancient king's tomb Posted: 29 Oct 2017 08:34 AM PDT  Iranian authorities on Sunday prevented an "illegal gathering" at the tomb of ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great and arrested a number of suspects, local media reported. The Mizanonline news website said the intelligence ministry had identified members of "a counter-revolutionary group which had wanted to organise an illegal gathering under the pretext of celebrating Cyrus". Authorities in Iran last October arrested several organisers of a rally at the same site.
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| Astros Player Banned From 5 Games For Racist 'Slant-Eye' Gesture Posted: 28 Oct 2017 12:59 PM PDT  Houston Astros' first baseman Yuli Gurriel has apologized for making a racist gesture in the dugout during Friday night's Game 3 of the World Series.
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| Libyan forces order investigation into bodies found near Benghazi Posted: 28 Oct 2017 12:52 PM PDT  The head of the eastern-based Libyan National Army ordered an investigation on Saturday into the case of 36 unidentified bodies found near Benghazi two days earlier. A statement signed by Khalifa Haftar said the investigation would try to identify the victims and find out whether they had been held in authorized prisons. The finding of the bodies on Thursday night in Al-Abyar, about 70 km (45 miles) east of Benghazi, was the latest in a series of discoveries of corpses, some showing signs of torture and gunshot wounds, on territory controlled by the LNA.
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| Puerto Rico governor calls to cancel power contract with small Montana company Posted: 29 Oct 2017 12:05 PM PDT  Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rossello has called for ending the controversial contract with a small Montana company. Whitefish Energy Limited, a two-person firm that was founded only in 2015, was awarded the $300 million contract to help restore the US territory island's power grid in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Mr Rossello asked the Governing Board of the Electric Power Authority to cancel it, according to his official Twitter account.
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| Is Israel Preparing to Strike Hezbollah? Posted: 29 Oct 2017 04:14 PM PDT  Likely as a response to the effective Israeli interdiction of convoys delivering high-quality arms from Iran to Hezbollah, Tehran and Hezbollah have decided to build the capability to produce advanced weapons in Lebanon rather than ship them there. The arms set for production reportedly include precise surface-to-surface missiles that can travel long distances and inflict significant damage on Israeli forces and infrastructure, thus crossing a red line set by Israel. The latter's most preferable strategy is to halt Hezbollah's production of advanced weaponry in Lebanon by means that do not unnecessarily risk provoking a war.
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| Cooking with fire and a dip in the outdoors at the new Thames Lido Posted: 27 Oct 2017 10:00 PM PDT  'When the air is heavy, the scent of fresh bread reaches the pool, and swimmers can smell the scallops, too.' Chef Freddy Bird is describing the scallops he roasts with sweet herbs and garlic butter in his wood-fired oven, and the sourdough loaves baked on site every day for his restaurant at Bristol Lido. While plates of charred black figs with burrata drenched in date molasses, spiced flatbreads and whole roast hake are served to lunchtime tables dappled in autumn sunlight, swimmers in bright caps make gentle laps around the pool outside. Later, a group of them come in for afternoon tea, wearing warm towelling robes and slippers. 'This is a place to relax in,' says Bird. 'People quickly fall into the Lido way of life. It's infectious.' The place in question – Clifton's renovated Victorian baths, where one can swim, sauna, eat tapas and sip a glass of fino sherry, not necessarily in that order – was saved from demolition by developer Arne Ringner in 2006, but not before a wrecking ball had gone through one of its walls. I sit by the pool when the cover is taken off at 6.45am and have a coffee. It's blissChef Freddy Bird In 1850, a swim and the use of two towels cost one shilling; in the 1930s people gathered there to exercise and exchange gossip. By the time Ringner began the £2.3 million renovation project, it had been abandoned for almost 20 years, with locals campaigning against the land being turned into flats. A post shared by Lido Spa & Restaurant (@lidobristol) on Sep 6, 2017 at 4:39am PDT Now, with Bird in charge of the kitchen and general manager Mark Thwaites overseeing the spa, the Grade II*-listed building has been back in operation for nearly a decade. And this week the team celebrate the opening of their new project, Thames Lido in Reading, where the 24-degree water shimmers above the same cobalt-blue Italian tiles as Bristol's and the kitchen has at its heart another element – fire. Thames Lido has a raised, heated pool that enables diners and swimmers to be on the same level Credit: Andy Sewell At the restored King's Meadow baths, Bird coaxes perfectly roasted grouse from the ferociously hot, domed wood ovens, and chars sweetcorn on a bespoke grill whose shelves can be moved around to allow cooking over or directly on hot coals. He has been a private chef, catered for films on location, and worked at Bristol's Bordeaux Quay and at The Square in London. But it was at Moro, the restaurant run by Sam and Sam Clark, that Bird developed his passion for fire and a cuisine that draws on the dishes of Spain, north Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Chef Freddy Bird in the kitchen of the new Thames Lido Credit: Andy Sewell 'We were encouraged to eat and try everything,' he explains. 'You become more intuitive when cooking over flames and you learn not to hide the distinct flavour it brings.' Bird's menus at both lidos major on earthy Moroccan spices, fresh herbs and fire-licked vegetables, not to mention the meat he learnt to cook growing up in Bristol. 'Dad had a big vegetable garden, and kept ducks and chickens. Our snacks in front of the telly were chicken livers and fried parsnips held in newspaper.' Having helped to deliver his neighbour's lamb aged nine, Bird received his reward in the form of lamb chops. 'I built a barbecue and cooked them all straight off. I was into it from day one.' Mushrooms are foraged just hours before being cooked at the Lido Credit: Andy Sewell What Bird is not into, as it happens, is swimming. 'I love water and like surfing and sailing, but lengths and laps not so much!' Which is rather fitting since fast-paced lane swimming and tumble turns are not encouraged at the lidos. Both pools are raised above ground level – a design decision made, explains Ringner, to put those dining and having a dip on the same plane. Both have been projects of preservation. Anything worth stealing or damaging had duly been so in the 40 years the Thames Lido had been left unused, but the structure of the 1902 ladies' swimming baths was intact and Ringner has restored nearly everything, including the decorative but weatherbeaten bargeboards. 'Like many Victorian buildings, the beauty is all above eye level,' he says. Throughout the build many observers told him the pool tiles should be turquoise ('or, in the modern fashion, black') and assumed the vibrant ice-cream shades of the building's colour scheme 'must be an undercoat', but Ringner has persevered with a building that is beautiful to be inside. Opposite the barrel changing rooms with their curtains in deck-chair stripes, the restaurant's glass walls can open fully on warm days. 'I like to sit by the pool when the cover is taken off at 6.45am and have a cup of coffee,' says Bird. 'It's bliss.' With the water dulling the sounds of the city and a skyline of trees the only sign of the world outside, it's a unique experience only enhanced by the smell of just-baked bread. Thames Lido, Napier Road, Reading, RG1 8FR (0118 207 0640) Charcoal-grilled black figs, burrata, date molasses and za'atar flatbread Credit: Andy Sewell You can buy very good za'atar from Middle Eastern shops, but the difference in picking your own thyme from the garden is well worth the effort. Make as much as you like – any leftovers are great for dipping with bread and oil or sprinkled over fresh cheese at breakfast. SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS For the flatbread 25g dried yeast 375-400ml lukewarm water 600g strong white bread flour For the za'atar ratio of two-thirds dried thyme (use a dehydrator if you have one or alternatively dry in a very low oven) to one-third sumac warm, toasted sesame seeds (not to exceed a quarter of the total mix) For the figs and burrata good-quality olive oil (we use Arbequina at the restaurant), for drizzling 6-8 black figs, ideally so ripe the skins are almost desperate to burst 2 burrata 2 generous dstspn date molasses 1 tbsp chopped pistachios a pinch of pul biber (Turkish pepper flakes) METHOD Get a barbecue ready with white-hot coals – you can use a griddle pan at a stretch, but you won't get the charcoal flavour. To prepare the flatbread, sprinkle the yeast over the water and leave to bloom for 5 minutes. Then combine with the flour and salt in a food mixer on a medium speed for around 5 minutes. Set the dough aside to prove in a warm place for an hour. Combine the dried thyme and sumac for the za'atar. While the sesame seeds are still warm and have released their oil, toss with the thyme and sumac, then season with fine sea salt. Brush the grill bars of the barbecue or hot griddle pan with a little oil and char the whole figs, turning regularly until they collapse. Set aside under foil to keep warm. Divide the flatbread dough into four and roll out to about ½cm thick. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with za'atar and place the flatbread directly on the grill bars over a fierce heat, or in a dry griddle pan. As the bread starts to bubble, turn it over and cook on the other side. It will probably need no more than 45 seconds each side, depending on how hot the coals or griddle are. To serve, rip open the burrata on a platter to reveal their creamy middles and then tear over the figs. Season with fine sea salt. Drizzle with the date molasses, a little more olive oil, chopped pistachios, a touch more za'atar and a pinch of pepper flakes. Serve with the warm flatbread. Ox cheeks slow-cooked in Pedro Ximénez, with mashed potato Credit: Andy Sewell SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 2 ox cheeks, cut in half oil, for cooking 2 carrots, roughly diced 1 stick celery, roughly diced 1 large onion, roughly diced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 sprig rosemary 1 star anise 300ml Pedro Ximénez 2 litres good-quality fresh chicken stock (ideally made with a bonus pig's trotter or two) 4 Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and evenly sliced 100-150g butter cream, to loosen finely chopped chives METHOD Lightly season the ox cheeks and brown them all over with a little oil in a casserole dish. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour a little more oil into the dish and add the vegetables. Cook over a low-medium heat for about 15 minutes until soft and caramelised, then add the garlic, rosemary and star anise. After a couple more minutes, pour in the Pedro Ximénez. Make sure the ox cheeks and vegetables haven't 'caught' on the bottom while cooking – if they do, transfer everything to a new pan. Cook to reduce the Pedro Ximénez by three-quarters, then add the stock and let this reduce over a medium heat until you are left with about a third of the liquid. Check the seasoning. Pass the mixture through a sieve. Discard the vegetables, rosemary and star anise, and reserve the liquid. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Return the ox cheeks to the casserole dish and cover with the strained sauce. Place a circle of parchment on top and put the lid on. Cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours.The cheeks should be tender and ready to fall apart and the sauce beautifully glossy. If it isn't, very carefully remove the cheeks, reduce the sauce to a glossy consistency on the hob, then return the cheeks to the pan. For the mash, boil the potatoes until tender, drain and allow to steam dry in the pan. Press them through a potato ricer and stir in seriously unhealthy amounts of butter and cream. Serve the ox cheeks on top of the mash with a giant pool of sauce. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives. Roast hake, wild mushrooms, fino, parsley, garlic and jamón Credit: Andy Sewell I have a fantastic forager who picks wild mushrooms hours before we serve them in the restaurant. If you are wary of picking the wrong type, try to buy when they are in season in the UK. I use a mix of chanterelles, ceps, deceivers and parasols. SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS oil, for cooking approx 800g hake fillets (180-200g per person) 4 very large handfuls mixed wild mushrooms splash extra-virgin olive oil big knob of butter 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 spring onions, sliced 150ml fino sherry, plus a little to finish the dish (drink the rest as you cook) 100ml fresh chicken stock 2 tsp chopped chives 2 tsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 small handful jamón (serrano ham or pata negra), finely chopped METHOD Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Heat a little oil in an ovenproof pan and, when hot, add the fish skin-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes – don't be tempted to move the fish – then transfer the pan to the oven. It needs a further 6(ish) minutes. Meanwhile, in a very hot, large pan, fry the mushrooms in a little extra-virgin olive oil. You want the mushrooms to fry and colour, not stew. If necessary, cook in batches. Once coloured all over, season well with salt and black pepper, and add a little butter and the garlic. Next, add the spring onions and deglaze with the fino, cooking to reduce the liquid by two-thirds. Add the stock and reduce the liquid by about a third. Drop in a good knob of butter and agitate the pan until it has emulsified in the sauce. Throw in the chives, parsley and the jamón with a splash of fino. Serve in a shallow bowl with the fish on top.
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| Bali volcano's alert status lowered after decreased activity Posted: 29 Oct 2017 06:51 AM PDT  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities lowered the alert status of Bali's Mount Agung volcano from the highest level on Sunday, following a significant decrease in activity in recent days.
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| How Will Female Candidates Play the Woman Card in 2020? Posted: 28 Oct 2017 06:39 AM PDT  Two potential 2020 presidential candidates preview two different ways to run as a woman during a feminist revolution
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| Virginia cyclist gives President Trump's motorcade the one-finger salute Posted: 29 Oct 2017 07:17 AM PDT  A cyclist flipped off the president's motorcade multiple times as it passed her on Saturday in Virginia, departing the Trump National Golf Club. The odds that President Trump will make a statement claiming the middle finger is a sign of great respect have shifted to about 2-to-1. SEE ALSO: People are convinced Donald Trump wrote this letter bragging about Donald Trump The White House pool report on Saturday afternoon made note of the bicyclist's gesture to Trump. "POTUS's motorcade departed the Trump National Golf Club at 3.12pm, passing two pedestrians, one of whom gave a thumbs down sign. Then it overtook a female cyclist, wearing a white top and cycling helmet, who responded by giving the middle finger. The motorcade had to slow and the cyclist caught up, still offering the finger, before turning off in a different direction. Motorcade is now gathering speed and heading for DC." Meanwhile, Trump's approval rating has dropped to the lowest since he's taken office in multiple polls, including one conducted by Fox News . The president, however, has routinely dismissed approval ratings as fake news. Get another look at the cyclist flipping off the president, folks: a rare opportunity to witness fake news in the flesh. WATCH: Nissan's new concept car is unbelievable
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| Myanmar police charge foreign reporters over drone use Posted: 28 Oct 2017 11:55 PM PDT  Myanmar police have charged two foreign journalists working for Turkish state media -- along with two Burmese locals -- for allegedly breaching import laws after they flew a drone over the country's parliament. "We have opened a case against all four -- two foreigners and two Burmese. The foreigners, Lau Hon Meng from Singapore and Mok Choy Lin from Malaysia, were arrested on Friday in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw while they were on assignment for Turkish state broadcaster TRT.
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| Ranking The Best TV Shows You Can Stream Online Right Now Posted: 28 Oct 2017 05:47 AM PDT  You've got free time to kill, and you want to spend these rare moments with a TV show, but you've got a ton of options on a handful of streaming platforms.
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