| 63 Percent Of Americans Believe Donald Trump Tried To Obstruct Russia Probe Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:36 PM PST  A new poll has found that 63 percent of Americans believe President Donald Trump has tried to "impede or obstruct" the investigations into Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible links between Trump's campaign and the Kremlin.
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| Mystery swirls around powerful North Korea official as Hwang Pyong-so remains missing Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:55 PM PST  A North Korean official widely deemed as the nation's second most powerful figure has been missing for some time, raising speculation that he has been executed.
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| NBC WSJ Poll: Democratic favorability highest since 2008 Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:10 PM PST  In a new poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal, President Trump's approval sits at the lowest level for any president at this point in time.
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| Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:49 PM PST ![Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions]( "Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions") WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is blocking two pregnant teens in the country illegally and being held in federal custody from obtaining abortions, the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday, a repeat of the situation that led to a high-profile court fight earlier this year.
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| Deadly California wildfire continues to grow despite wind slowing down Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:56 PM PST  Calming winds Friday gave firefighters a chance to gain ground against a huge wildfire in coastal mountains northwest of Los Angeles but the blaze continued to surge west, endangering thousands of homes, as forecasts called for a renewal of gusty winds. The so-called Thomas Fire, the fourth-largest in California history, was 35 percent contained Friday night after sweeping across 400 square miles (about 1,036 sq. kilometers) of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties since it erupted Dec. 4. Between Thursday night and Friday morning, the blaze claimed another 3,000 acres as it fed on brush and timber killed by California's long drought or a week of hot, dry weather. Santa Barbara has had only a tiny amount of rain since Oct. 1, the start of the new water year, and is more than 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) below normal to date. California wildfires cause thousands to flee, in pictures Firefighters continued to carve firebreaks above the communities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland and Montecito and state fire officials said evacuations would be called as needed as flames advanced. The fire already has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, including well over 700 homes, and threatens 18,000 more structures. Another focus of firefighting was on the eastern flank in canyons where a state firefighter was killed Thursday near the agricultural town of Fillmore. The death of Cory Iverson, 32, was announced by Chief Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection but he released no information about the circumstances, citing an ongoing investigation by an accident review team. Iverson was an engineer with a strike team from the San Diego area and had been with Cal Fire since 2009. He is survived by his wife, who is pregnant, and a 2-year-old daughter, as well as his parents and other family. The National Weather Service forecast extreme fire danger or "red flag" conditions through at least Saturday evening, with winds gusting to 40 mph in the Santa Barbara County mountains where the fire is burning. Firefighters were facing first northerly "sundowner" winds through the night that could turn into northeasterly Santa Ana winds, driving the flames in another direction. Everything about the fire was massive, from a footprint larger than that of many cities to the sheer scale of destruction that cremated entire neighborhoods or the legions attacking it: more than 8,000 firefighters from nearly a dozen states, aided by 32 helicopters and 78 bulldozers. Firefighting costs were approaching $89 million. Meanwhile, firefighters continued to deal with the loss of their own. All 17 of the firefighters on Cory Iverson's five-engine strike team were pulled off the fire lines after his death. Fires continue to rage Credit: Mike Eliason/AP On Thursday night, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean called for a moment of silence during a meeting for Fillmore residents. "As I was up in the canyon and I watched his fire brethren remove his flag-draped body from the canyon in the hills above where we sit right here, I couldn't help but think about his pregnant wife and his young daughter who will never see their husband and father again," Dean said. It was the second death linked to the fire. The body of a 70-year-old woman was found in a crashed car on an evacuation route last week.
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| This Cat Named D-O-G Helps Train Pups To Be Service Dogs Posted: 16 Dec 2017 03:12 PM PST  Not many cats get to have a career as a dog trainer, but one Missouri feline is doing just that.
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| Female Congressional Candidate Quits Race Over Sexual Harassment Allegations Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:13 AM PST  Andrea Ramsey is accused of sexually harassing a male subordinate in 2005
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| GOP 'civil war' in primaries will lose them midterms: Democrat senator Posted: 17 Dec 2017 05:05 AM PST  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair joins "This Week" after Democrat Doug Jones' victory in Alabama.
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| Trump defends $1.5 trillion tax cut bill Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:03 AM PST  "This will mostly benefit the middle class and jobs," Pres. Trump told reporters before departing for Camp David on Saturday.
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| Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday Posted: 16 Dec 2017 04:35 PM PST ![Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday]( "Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday") Pope Francis celebrated his 81st birthday Sunday with a hero cake and a message urging the world -- and children in particular -- to join in the holiday mood and be joyful. The Argentine pontiff thanked the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer as they sang happy birthday, and was expected to slice into his birthday cake after lunch. The artist -- whose real name is Mauro Pallotta -- famously depicted Francis as Superman in 2014 and has since begun supporting Vatican charitable projects by selling T-shirts bearing the flying pope.
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| Santa’s workshop comes to life in Brooklyn, New York Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:12 AM PST  Fifty years ago, Lou Nasti gained fame when he built a robot that landed him on the front page of the New York Times. Now his skill can be seen in his detailed animatronic Christmas workshop in Brooklyn, New York and on display all around the world.
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| Amid Sexual Harassment Probe, Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen Won't Seek Re-Election Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:18 PM PST  Democratic Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen said on Saturday he won't seek re-election in 2018 just one day after the House Ethics Committee said it would investigate allegations of sexual harassment from two women.
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| British embassy worker found murdered in Lebanon: official Posted: 17 Dec 2017 10:08 AM PST ![British embassy worker found murdered in Lebanon: official]( "British embassy worker found murdered in Lebanon: official") A British woman employed at the UK embassy in Lebanon has been found murdered, a senior official said Sunday, adding that the crime did not appear to be political. According to her social media profiles, she was employed by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
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| Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials Posted: 17 Dec 2017 06:37 AM PST ![Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials]( "Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials") At least 26 people were killed while several residents were missing in an island province in central Philippines after tropical storm Kai-tak brought heavy rains that triggered landslides, local authorities and media said on Sunday. Kai-tak cut power supplies in many areas, forced the cancellation of several flights, stranded more than 15,000 people in various ports in the region and prompted nearly 88,000 people to seek shelter in evacuation centers. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Biliran island said 26 residents had died, but the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has yet to make any official announcement about fatalities.
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| Plan released for dividing money to Vegas shooting victims Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:36 PM PST  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A plan that will be used to divide donations for victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting was finalized Friday with a significant change that allows injured people who were not hospitalized to seek some of the money.
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| Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:35 AM PST ![Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park]( "Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park") "I haven't had a single sea lion or wildlife attack like this."
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| France Promises To 'Defend Net Neutrality' In Wake Of FCC Vote In U.S. Posted: 17 Dec 2017 07:40 AM PST  In the aftermath of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's vote to repeal net neutrality last week, the French government has spoken up in support of a free and open internet.
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| Trump administration prohibits CDC from using certain words Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:05 AM PST  According to a Washington Post report, the Trump administration is banning the Center for Disease Control from using certain words in their official documents including fetus, transgender and diversity.
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| Merry Christmas, Losers! Baldwin's Trump Boasts 'Greatest Year' On The Planet On 'SNL' Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:36 PM PST  The "Saturday Night Live" gang gathered in the ersatz White House for the last show before Christmas while "all natural, all American coal" burned in the fireplace, noted Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump.
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| Bodies of Canadian Billionaire and His Wife Found in Their Home in Apparently 'Suspicious' Death Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:15 AM PST  A Canadian billionaire and his wife were found dead in their Toronto home, under conditions which the police have called "suspicious," according to multiple reports
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| On the trail of London's serial cat killer Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:51 PM PST  In what has become a grim ritual, Tony Jenkins examines the mutilated remains of a domestic cat -- and says the south London serial killer has struck once again. Nobody is surprised when Jenkins, the co-founder of Snarl, a local animal rescue and rehabilitation shelter, arrives at a veterinary surgery to confirm the grisly find. In the last two years, Snarl has identified more than 400 suspected victims: mostly cats, but also some foxes and rabbits.
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| Does Pentagon still have a UFO program? The answer is a bit mysterious Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:18 PM PST ![Does Pentagon still have a UFO program? The answer is a bit mysterious]( "Does Pentagon still have a UFO program? The answer is a bit mysterious") The Pentagon acknowledged on Saturday that its long-secret UFO investigation program ended in 2012, when U.S. defense officials shifted attention and funding to other priorities. The New York Times reported on Saturday that the hush-hush program, tasked with investigating sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, ran from 2007 to 2012 with $22 million in annual funding secretly tucked away in U.S. Defense Department budgets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
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| End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene Posted: 17 Dec 2017 12:55 PM PST ![End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene]( "End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene") CINCINNATI (AP) — A ghoulish holiday tradition outside of Cincinnati will soon come to a close after an Ohio man said he won't put up his "zombie Nativity" scene after this year.
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| The Vatican Bans Sales of Saints' Body Parts in Updated Relic Rules Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:37 AM PST  The new rules govern how body parts and cremated remains are to be handled
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| Argentina navy chief sacked over sub tragedy Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:50 PM PST  Argentina dismissed its naval chief on Saturday, the most high-profile officer to be fired a month after a submarine went missing with 44 crew members on board. It's a political decision," a navy officer told AFP on condition of anonymity about the decision to remove Admiral Marcelo Srur during an ongoing investigation into the sub's disappearance. Srur is the fifth senior officer to have been relieved of his functions so far over the ARA San Juan's disappearance.
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| Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump From Rolling Back Birth Control Coverage Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:01 PM PST  BREAKING: Pennsylvania won a nationwide injunction stopping President Trump's order that eliminated women's guaranteed access to contraceptive care.
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| Hundreds of People Fell Sick on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Posted: 17 Dec 2017 09:28 AM PST  Some passengers told local media they were happy to get off the ship
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| In sex assault laws, definition of consent varies widely Posted: 16 Dec 2017 05:47 PM PST  For two months now, as accusations of sexual misconduct have piled up against Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced mogul has responded over and over again: "Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied."
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| Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:20 PM PST ![Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple]( "Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple") By Chris Helgren TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian police said they were investigating the mysterious deaths of Barry Sherman, founder of Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc, and his wife, Honey, one of the nation's wealthiest couples whose bodies were found in their mansion on Friday. Police said they learned of the deaths after responding to a midday (1700 GMT) medical call at the Sherman's home in an affluent section of northeast Toronto. "The circumstances of their death appear suspicious and we are treating it that way," said Constable David Hopkinson.
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| Russia and NATO: Headed for a Missile Arms Race in Europe? Posted: 17 Dec 2017 05:36 AM PST  The NATO alliance is urging Moscow to return to compliance with the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces bilateral U.S.-Russia treaty, which bans land-based missiles that have ranges between 500km and 5,500km. "Allies have identified a Russian missile system that raises serious concerns," reads a statement from the alliance.
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| The Myth That Urbanization Means Prosperity Posted: 16 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  When it comes to cities and urbanization, it is generally thought that bigger is better. But a pair of recent studies suggests that although industrialized nations may have benefited from larger cities, the same is not true for the rapidly urbanizing areas of the developing world. In these parts of the globe, there really might be such a thing as too much urbanization, too quickly.
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| A Mysterious Charity is Giving Away $86 Million in Bitcoin Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:39 PM PST  It involves pineapples. Kind of.
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| Being A Facebook Wallflower Isn't Good For You, The Social Site Says Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:20 PM PST  Passively reading Facebook posts — without posting messages or responding to comments — makes users feel bad about themselves, some studies have discovered.
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| Venezuela government, opposition hold new round of talks Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:16 PM PST  Venezuela's government and opposition concluded a new round of talks Friday in an effort to bridge deep and entrenched differences to find a way to end the dire political and economic crisis tearing apart their country. After eight hours of discussions at the foreign ministry in Santo Domingo, the two sides agreed to resume negotiations on January 11, Dominican President Danilo Medina announced. It will be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers on January 12.
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| Mexican Senate keeps military in policing role Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:37 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Congress approved a law Friday that would give the military a legal framework to act as police, despite unanimous objections from human rights groups.
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| Cow Escapes Live Nativity Scene Twice and Wanders the Streets of Philadelphia Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:44 AM PST  Stormy was returned after two adventures on snowy downtown streets
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| Billionaire founder of Canada drug firm in 'suspicious' death Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:29 AM PST  Canada's global pharmaceutical giant Apotex has confirmed the death of its billionaire founder Barry Sherman, after police reported two "suspicious" deaths at the couple's upscale Toronto home. Police did not identify the victims, who were found on Friday, but Canadian media named them as Sherman and his wife Honey, prominent Canadians whose deaths sparked an outpouring of grief among the country's political elite. "We've been informed of the tragic news that Barry and Honey Sherman have unexpectedly passed away," said the Twitter account of Apotex, which Sherman founded in 1974.
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| Minnesota governor defends police shooting investigators Posted: 16 Dec 2017 12:09 PM PST ![Minnesota governor defends police shooting investigators]( "Minnesota governor defends police shooting investigators") MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton defended the state agency that investigates police shootings after a prosecutor criticized the investigation into the death of an Australian woman who was killed by an officer after she called police to report a possible assault.
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| Palestinian billionaire Masri detained in Saudi Arabia: sources Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:27 AM PST ![Palestinian billionaire Masri detained in Saudi Arabia: sources]( "Palestinian billionaire Masri detained in Saudi Arabia: sources") By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Sabih al-Masri, Jordan's most influential businessman and the chairman of its largest lender Arab Bank, was detained in Saudi Arabia for questioning after a business trip to Riyadh, family sources and friends said on Saturday. Masri's detention, which follows the biggest purge of the Saudi kingdom's affluent elite in its modern history, has sent shockwaves through business circles in Jordan and the Palestinian territories, where the billionaire has major investments. A Saudi citizen of Palestinian origin, Masri was detained last Tuesday hours before he was planning to leave after he chaired meetings of companies he owns, according to the sources.
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| Alyssa Milano Educates Matt Damon After His Horrid Response On Sexual Misconduct Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:12 PM PST  Actress Alyssa Milano taught a master class on the problems of sexual misconduct Friday night.
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| Check Out This Model S Wagon Rendering Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:14 AM PST  One collector has commissioned his own custom Tesla wagon. Here's what it'll look like.
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| Omarosa's exit highlights lack of diversity at Trump White House Posted: 17 Dec 2017 03:00 AM PST  Without Manigault-Newman, Trump appears to have no black senior advisers in public-facing White House roles. The departure of the former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Newman from the White House this week has placed the lack of diversity in Donald Trump's administration under renewed scrutiny. Manigault-Newman, the highest-ranking black person to work in the West Wing under Trump, abruptly left her post as a special assistant to the president on Wednesday.
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| Taiwan steel firm behind toxic dump in Vietnam fined again Posted: 16 Dec 2017 11:06 PM PST  A Taiwanese steel firm behind a toxic spill that killed tonnes of fish in central Vietnam last year was fined for a second time for illegally burying "harmful" waste, official sources said Sunday. The deadly dump from Formosa's $11 billion steel plant in Ha Tinh province sparked one of the country's worst environmental catastrophes, decimating livelihoods along swathes of coastline and prompting months of rare protests in the authoritarian country. The firm was initially fined $500 million for pouring toxic chemicals -- including cyanide -- into the ocean in April 2016, and has now been ordered to pay an additional $25,000 on separate charges of burying harmful solid waste in the ground, according to the official Cong Ly newspaper.
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| The Latest: South Africa leader doesn't endorse a successor Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:39 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The Latest on South Africa's ruling party meeting (all times local):
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| Neuroscience Has a Lot To Learn from Buddhism Posted: 17 Dec 2017 01:50 AM PST ![Neuroscience Has a Lot To Learn from Buddhism]( "Neuroscience Has a Lot To Learn from Buddhism") Can training the mind make us more attentive, altruistic, and serene? Can we learn to manage our disturbing emotions in an optimal way? What are the transformations that occur in the brain when we practice meditation? In a new book titled Beyond the Self, two friends—Matthieu Ricard, who left a career as a molecular biologist to become a Buddhist monk in Nepal, and Wolf Singer, a distinguished neuroscientist—engage in an unusually well-matched conversation about meditation and the brain. Below is a condensed and edited excerpt.
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| Uber Driver Accused of Raping 16-Year-Old Passenger Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:58 AM PST ![Uber Driver Accused of Raping 16-Year-Old Passenger]( "Uber Driver Accused of Raping 16-Year-Old Passenger") Police fear there may be other victims
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