| Trump Receives Pre-Holiday Ego Boost From His Cabinet, GOP Leaders Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:07 PM PST  WASHINGTON ― Fresh off his only major legislative victory, President Donald Trump on Wednesday basked in the adulation showered upon him by a trifecta of Cabinet members, Congressional Republican leaders and his own White House press team.
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| Eight Americans among 12 killed in Mexico bus crash Posted: 20 Dec 2017 08:17 AM PST  Officials in Mexico have begun the process of bringing charges against a driver whose bus overturned on a trip to the Mayan ruins, leaving 12 dead and another 18 injured.
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| Kim Jong Un expands his war on Christmas with new ban on singing and drinking Posted: 19 Dec 2017 06:57 PM PST  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has upped the ante in his war on Christmas with a new rule that prohibits any "gatherings that involve alcohol and singing."
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| Disney Heiress Wants You To Get Really, Really Mad About The GOP Tax Bill Posted: 21 Dec 2017 10:25 AM PST  This Disney heiress is taking a stand against the GOP tax bill — even though she's going to benefit from it pic.twitter.com/E5bmcI83mU—
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| Sea turtle found trapped in cocaine bundles worth $53m Posted: 20 Dec 2017 03:37 AM PST  A sea turtle trapped among floating cocaine bales worth $53m (£40m) has been rescued by the US Coast Guard. The boat crew discovered the large loggerhead turtle entangled in blue rope connecting bales containing 800 kilos (1,800lb) of the Class A drug in the Pacific Ocean on November 19. The US Coast Guard helps rescue a sea turtle trapped among bundles of cocaine Credit: US Coast Guard/Facebook Coast Guard Ens. Mark Krebs and his team noticed the injured sea turtle after launching a small boat to investigate a debris field. "They saw significant chaffing from the lines on his neck and flippers," said the US Coast Guard. "They briefed the commanding officer and went to work, carefully cutting the lines wrapped around the sea turtle and then eventually freeing him. "The boat crew recovered over 75-feet of line to prevent further entanglement of sea life and returned to the law enforcement mission recovering over 1,800 pounds of cocaine valued at over $53 million dollars from international waters." The struggling marine reptile was rescued during a 68-day counter drug patrol by the US Armed Forces branch in the Eastern Pacific along the Central American coast. By the end of the operation, the crew had seized a total of 6,755 kilos (14,800lb) of cocaine, 14 pounds of marijuana and arrested 24 suspected smugglers. The large sea turtle was entangled in $53m worth of cocaine Credit: US Coast Guard/Facebook The seizure was part of Operation Martillo, an international operation involving 18 countries targeting criminal organisations moving illicit cargo. In November, hundreds of dead sea turtles were found by environmental officials floating off the coast of El Salvador. The BBC series Blue Planet II recently highlighted the devastating effect plastic and human rubbish is having on the ocean.
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| Chuck Schumer Warns GOP: 'You're Messing Up America. You Could Pay Attention.' Posted: 20 Dec 2017 04:55 AM PST  "We believe you're messing up America. You could pay attention for a couple of minutes" Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asks for order during debate over GOP tax bill on Senate floor. pic.twitter.com/NeGgV28qvV— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 20, 2017
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| The Latest: Governor says Amtrak will pay derailment costs Posted: 20 Dec 2017 05:27 PM PST  DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — The Latest on the deadly Amtrak train derailment in Washington state (all times local):
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| YouTube prankster pleads guilty to fatally shooting boyfriend Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:03 PM PST  A YouTube prankster from the US state of Minnesota has admitted fatally shooting her boyfriend in a botched video stunt she hoped would go viral. Monalisa Perez, a 20-year-old mother-of-two, believed her husband Pedro Ruiz would be shielded by a thick book as she took aim from close range in front of onlookers. Perez and Ruiz, 22, were recording the stunt in June for their YouTube channel, where they published videos of their daily lives and pranks they performed.
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| Scotland Bans Traveling Circuses From Using Wild Animals In Performances Posted: 20 Dec 2017 12:10 PM PST  Scotland has banned the use of wild animals in traveling circuses, handing an important victory to animal welfare advocates.
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| Ivanka Trump surprise visit to Connecticut school prompts some parents to pull children from class Posted: 20 Dec 2017 07:05 AM PST  Ivanka Trump's surprise unannounced visit to a school in Connecticut has prompted some parents to pull their children from class. The US president's daughter addressed secondary school students at the Norwalk Early College Academy about the importance of education in the sciences, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Ms Trump, who serves as an unpaid advisor to her father, said: "To see the passion and enthusiasm for bringing real-life skills into a classroom environment, but then coupling it with real-life experience through internship, creates this really beautiful virtuous angle".
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| Saudis Say They Have Intercepted Another Rebel Missile Targeting 'Top Leadership' Posted: 19 Dec 2017 05:48 PM PST  The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels said it intercepted a missile fired over southern Riyadh on Tuesday, which the rebels said was targeting a "top leadership" meeting at the royal palace in the kingdom's capital.
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| U.S. sanctions Chechen leader, four others under Magnitsky Act Posted: 20 Dec 2017 03:07 PM PST ![U.S. sanctions Chechen leader, four others under Magnitsky Act]( "U.S. sanctions Chechen leader, four others under Magnitsky Act") By Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on five Russians and Chechens, including the head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, for alleged human rights abuses. The new sanctions blacklisted Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Treasury Department said in a statement. U.S. authorities accused Kadyrov of overseeing "an administration involved in disappearances and extrajudicial killings".
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| 40 Celebrities Sign Letter Urging Democrats To Uphold Promise To Protect Dreamers Posted: 20 Dec 2017 03:15 PM PST  A group of 40 celebrities is urging Democratic leaders to take advantage of an important opportunity to protect the thousands of undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation.
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| Official: Train brake automatically activated in fatal wreck Posted: 19 Dec 2017 08:26 PM PST  DUPONT, Wash. (AP) — Investigators are looking into whether the Amtrak engineer whose speeding train plunged off an overpass, killing at least three people, was distracted by the presence of an employee-in-training next to him in the locomotive, a federal official said Tuesday.
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| Major fire at public sauna in South Korea kills at least 29, injures dozens Posted: 21 Dec 2017 05:04 AM PST  At least 29 people were killed and 29 more were injured on Thursday in a major blaze at a building housing a sports centre and public bath in the South Korean city of Jecheon, officials said. The fire broke out around 4:00pm local time (7am GMT) and quickly engulfed the entire eight-storey building, leaving many trapped inside. Sixteen victims were found at a public sauna and two elsewhere in the building, the National Fire Agency said. Television footage showed the building consumed by flames and issuing dark plumes of smoke, as several people stood waiting to be rescued from an outdoor terrace. The fire - believed to have started in a parking lot on the first floor - has been mostly put out, but the death toll may rise further as firefighters continue to search the building, an agency spokesman said. Smoke rises from a burning building in Jecheon, South Korea Credit: YONHAP/REUTERS "The fire produced so much toxic smoke so quickly, leaving many people unable to evacuate," the spokesman said. Jecheon is in central South Korea, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southeast of the capital Seoul. President Moon Jae-In expressed regret over the accident and urged officials "utmost efforts" for rescue and search operations, his office said. The worst fire accident ever to hit the modern South Korea was an arson attack on a subway station in the southeastern city of Daegu that killed 192 people in 2003. A survivor jumps down to an air mattress as he waits for rescue from the burning building in Jecheon Credit: REUTERS
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| Teen Gets 25 Years In Mental Health Facility For 'Slender Man' Stabbing Posted: 21 Dec 2017 02:51 PM PST  A Wisconsin teenager accused of stabbing a classmate to please a fictional horror character named "Slender Man" has been ordered to receive 25 years of mental health treatment.
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| 'Law & Order' Could Have Saved Trump Judicial Pick From Colossal Flub, Says Producer Posted: 20 Dec 2017 11:53 AM PST  "Law & Order" fans might have been able to answer simple legal questions better than President Donald Trump's judicial nominee Matthew Petersen did during his confirmation hearing last week.
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| Boeing, Embraer confirm merger talks ongoing; deal not guaranteed Posted: 21 Dec 2017 02:37 PM PST  US aerospace giant Boeing and Brazil's Embraer said Thursday they were in talks on a "potential combination" but cautioned there was no guarantee of a deal. The talks ignited shares of the Brazilian company, which makes commercial, military and executive jets, despite immediate signs of opposition to the transaction in Brazil. Any deal would need to be approved by the Brazilian government.
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| U.S. House votes to avert shutdown; Senate debate next Posted: 21 Dec 2017 02:35 PM PST ![U.S. House votes to avert shutdown; Senate debate next]( "U.S. House votes to avert shutdown; Senate debate next") By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. Congress on Thursday advanced stopgap legislation to keep the federal government operating past Friday when funding expires, seeking to avert a self-inflicted disaster just before the Christmas holiday season. The House of Representatives passed a bill by a vote of 231 to 188 that would keep federal agencies humming along at current funding through Jan. 19 and prevent a shutdown that would trigger political havoc in Washington. The Senate could take up the measure on Thursday night, even as some Democrats pushed to include protections for young immigrants who entered the country illegally as children, popularly known as "Dreamers." Republicans were able to pass the bill without much Democratic support in the House, but they will need at least eight Democratic votes in the Senate.
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| The Latest: South Africa's new party leader: Graft must end Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:52 PM PST  JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The Latest on the new leader of South Africa's ruling party (all times local):
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| Thomas Fire Close To Becoming The Biggest Wildfire In California History Posted: 20 Dec 2017 04:21 PM PST  The Thomas Fire burning in Southern California is on the verge of becoming the largest blaze on state record, accomplishing a shocking feat for this time of year.
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| Pope Francis says reforming Vatican as hard as cleaning Sphinx with toothbrush Posted: 21 Dec 2017 06:54 AM PST  Pope Francis issued a stinging new critique of the Vatican's top administration on Thursday, saying "traitors" stood in the way of his reforms and made any change as hard as cleaning Egypt's Sphinx "with a toothbrush". For the fourth year running, Francis used his annual Christmas greetings to the Roman Catholic Church's central bureaucracy, or Curia, to lecture the assembled cardinals, bishops and other department heads on the need for change. "Reforming Rome is like cleaning the Sphinx of Egypt with a toothbrush," he said, quoting a 19th-century Belgian churchman. The phrase did not evoke much laughter when the pope read it in the frescoed Clementina Hall of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. Since his election as the first Latin American pope in 2013, Francis has been trying to reform the Italian-dominated Curia to bring the Church's hierarchy closer to its members, to enact financial reforms and guide it out of scandals that marked the pontificate of his predecessor, former Pope Benedict. But he has encountered resistance, particularly as some departments have been closed, merged or streamlined. In his address on Thursday, Pope Francis spoke of those "traitors of trust" Credit: AFP Francis said some in the bureaucracy - the nerve centre of the 1.2-billion-member Church and whose members are entrusted with carrying out the pope's decisions - were part of "cliques and plots". Francis called this "unbalanced and degenerate" and a "cancer that leads to a self-referential attitude". In his address on Thursday, he spoke of those "traitors of trust" who had been entrusted with carrying out reforms but "let themselves be corrupted by ambition and vainglory." When they are quietly let go, he said, "they erroneously declare themselves to be martyrs of the system ... instead of reciting a 'mea culpa'" (Latin for "my fault"). Francis did not cite any specific examples. Last June the Vatican's first auditor general resigned suddenly. He later said he was forced to step down because he had discovered irregularities but the Vatican said he had been spying on his superiors. Earlier this month, the Vatican bank's deputy director was fired under circumstances that have not been explained. In July, in a major shake-up of the Vatican administration, Francis replaced Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church. Francis said the overwhelming majority of Curia members were faithful, competent and some saintly. Later, in a separate meeting with lay Vatican employees and their families, Francis asked forgiveness for the failings of some Church officials. He spoke hours before the funeral of Cardinal Bernard Law, the ex-Archbishop of Boston who resigned in disgrace after covering up years of sexual abuse of children by priests and whose name became a byword for scandal in the Catholic Church.
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| 5-year-old Chicago boy shot in 2016 shoots himself in hand Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:44 PM PST  CHICAGO (AP) — A 5-year-old boy who was struck in the face last year by a stray bullet fired during a drive-by shooting accidentally shot himself in the hand this week with a gun his father had obtained illegally, Chicago police said Wednesday.
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| Why I Stayed At A Job Where I Was Sexually Harassed Posted: 20 Dec 2017 12:05 PM PST  With the #MeToo movement gaining in the world in which I am bringing up my teen and preteen daughters, they want answers I don't always have.
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| President Trump Threatens to Cut Funding to Countries Voting Against His Position on Jerusalem Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:22 PM PST  "We'll save a lot. We don't care," the U.S. president said
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| U.S. cancels student loan debts for 12,900 college fraud victims Posted: 20 Dec 2017 03:56 PM PST ![U.S. cancels student loan debts for 12,900 college fraud victims]( "U.S. cancels student loan debts for 12,900 college fraud victims") The U.S. Education Department on Wednesday canceled the student-loan debts of 12,900 people defrauded by defunct Corinthian Colleges, but its announcement that it will give varying amounts of debt relief in the future set off fierce criticism. For-profit higher education provider Corinthian collapsed in 2015 amid government investigations into how many of its graduates found gainful employment. An internal review released this month showed the Education Department had stopped discharging loans of former attendees of Corinthian and other failed for-profit schools once President Donald Trump took office.
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| Woman gives birth to child conceived 24 years ago Posted: 20 Dec 2017 01:52 AM PST  A 26-year-old Tennessee woman gave birth to a child who was conceived and frozen as an embryo 24 years ago.
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| 18 Cakes Perfect For Your Kids Posted: 21 Dec 2017 04:14 PM PST |
| 18 Realistic Ways To Become A Happier, More Chill Person In 2018 Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:46 AM PST  Say goodbye to 2017 ― and some of the negative emotions that came with it ― by adopting a few of these expert- and research-backed habits in the new year. Research shows that negative news can poorly affect your mental health. Experts recommend this to their patients, and do it themselves to keep their own stress under control.
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| Raul Castro to step down as Cuba's president in April 2018 Posted: 21 Dec 2017 09:22 AM PST  Cuban President Raul Castro will step down in April 2018 straight after his successor is chosen by a top governing council, according to a vote Thursday in the island state's National Assembly. The delay was necessary due to disruption caused by Hurricane Irma, which ravaged much of Cuba in September. The modification to Cuba's election calendar means general elections choosing the National Assembly's 600 members will be moved to a date yet to be decided.
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| Student Finishes College Final Exam While In Labor Posted: 20 Dec 2017 09:07 AM PST  Nayzia' Thomas' Twitter was still blowing up with interview requests and well wishes on Wednesday, because this young woman knows how to multitask.
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| Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute Posted: 20 Dec 2017 02:44 PM PST ![Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute]( "Mistrial declared for Nevada rancher who led revolt over U.S. land dispute") By John L. Smith LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in the criminal case against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and three others for their role in a 2014 armed standoff with U.S. government agents, and rebuked prosecutors for withholding evidence from the defense. Bundy, two of his sons and another man were charged with 15 counts of conspiracy, assault and other offenses stemming from the confrontation, which galvanized right-wing militia groups challenging federal authority over vast tracts of public lands in the American West. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro told federal prosecutors they had willfully violated evidence rules in failing to turn over pertinent documents to the defense, adding that "the failure is prejudicial" to ensuring a fair trial.
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| If You Want A Better Relationship In 2018, Do This Posted: 21 Dec 2017 01:19 PM PST  It's easy to get off track with your New Year's resolutions when you're the only one holding yourself accountable.
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| The Latest: Trump visits wounded service members at hospital Posted: 21 Dec 2017 04:15 PM PST  BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's visit to Walter Reed National Medical Center (all times local):
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| US aims to keep steep duties on Bombardier jets after Boeing complaint Posted: 20 Dec 2017 04:51 PM PST  The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday finalised steep anti-subsidy duties on Bombardier Inc's CSeries jets, setting up the next round of a fierce international trade dispute between the United States and Canada. The move announced by the department to impose duties of nearly 300 percent stems from a complaint by rival Boeing Co. The company claimed Bombardier had been unfairly and illegally subsidised by the Canadian government, allowing the planemaker to dump its newest jetliner in the U.S. market below cost. "Today's decision validates Boeing's complaints regarding Bombardier's pricing in the United States, pricing that has harmed our workforce and U.S. industry," Boeing said in a statement after the department decision. Delta Air Lines, the second largest U.S. carrier by passenger traffic, has an order for 75 of the 100-to-150 seat CSeries jets. The aircraft starts at $79.5 million, according to list prices, or some $5.9 billion for the total order, but carriers typically receive steep discounts. Bombardier C300 Series Poster Credit: Bombardier If imposed, the duties would more than triple the cost of a CSeries aircraft sold in the United States, based on Boeing's assertion that Delta received the planes for $20 million each, well below an estimated cost of $33 million and what Bombardier charges in Canada. The Commerce Department's penalty against Bombardier will only take effect if the lesser-known US International Trade Commission (ITC) rules in Boeing's favour, as it so far has, in its final decision expected in early 2018. In its two-part complaint, Boeing called for countervailing duties of 79.41 percent to offset what it described as harmful Canadian subsidies to Bombardier. It also identified a "dumping margin" of 80.5 percent, based on the unpublished prices at which it claims Bombardier sold the CSeries planes to Delta. The department decision follows Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' pledge to aggressively police unfairly traded imports to help shrink U.S. trade deficits. The move comes as the United States, Canada and Mexico are involved in a three-way negotiation to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The rift between the two plane makers could, however, move to a larger stage as Canada weighs a complaint to the World Trade Organization or through NAFTA regarding the dispute. At a contentious Monday hearing of the ITC, Canada warned that a positive finding of material harm to Boeing by the group could represent a possible violation of international trade agreements and prompt a formal objection. Canada earlier this month scrapped plans to buy 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets, underlining Ottawa's anger over the trade challenge. Boeing has said it considered all potential risks before deciding to launch its trade case. US-Canadian trade relations have also chilled recently over disputes over Canadian softwood lumber and U.S. milk protein products.
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| SitRep: U.S. Navy Looks to Move in Pacific, Japan Beefs Up Defenses Posted: 20 Dec 2017 04:46 AM PST  War in Ukraine gets worse, Saudi opens port in Yemen
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| ‘She’s in My Dreams’: How the Boyfriend of a N.D. Woman Killed for Their Baby Is Haunted by Her Death- HOLD FOR POST 12/21 Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:09 PM PST  Four months after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind's killing, her longtime boyfriend and father of her only child remains haunted.
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| 27 Low-Carb Breakfasts You'll Actually Want To Eat Posted: 21 Dec 2017 05:14 PM PST |
| Veterinarian Accused Of Shooting Neighbors' Dog In The Head Posted: 20 Dec 2017 10:52 AM PST  A veterinarian in Louisiana was arrested on Tuesday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after allegedly fatally shooting her neighbors' dog in the head.
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| Thomas fire mostly contained in charred California Posted: 20 Dec 2017 06:33 PM PST  Firefighters in California on Wednesday said the massive Thomas wildfire -- about the size of sprawling Los Angeles -- was about 60 percent contained but they warned strong winds were still forecast. Firefighters took advantage of weaker winds on Monday and Tuesday to battle the voracious blaze, which has already destroyed more than 1,300 structures. After the brief respite heavy winds are expected to return Wednesday to the California area plagued by a massive fire, potentially hindering the efforts of firefighters battling in an already dry climate.
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| Facebook ads that let employers target younger workers focus of U.S. lawsuit Posted: 20 Dec 2017 08:54 PM PST ![Facebook ads that let employers target younger workers focus of U.S. lawsuit]( "Facebook ads that let employers target younger workers focus of U.S. lawsuit") Companies including T-Mobile US Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Cox Communications Inc imposed age limits on who could see recruitment ads, limiting some only to people younger than 38, according to the lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco by the Communications Workers of America. "This pattern or practice of discrimination denies job opportunities to individuals who are searching for and interested in jobs, reduces the number of older workers who apply for jobs with the offending employers and employment agencies, and depresses the number of older workers who are hired," the complaint reads.
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| Tom Brokaw Says Fox News Is 'On A Jihad' To Destroy FBI's Credibility Posted: 21 Dec 2017 12:08 PM PST  Veteran broadcaster Tom Brokaw accuses Fox News of waging "a jihad" against the FBI to discredit the investigation into whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia.
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| Saudi, Lebanon diplomats caught in diplomatic tussle Posted: 20 Dec 2017 08:43 AM PST  BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and his Saudi counterpart are caught in what appears to be a diplomatic tussle over representation, with each country delaying accreditation of the other's diplomat, though both were named months ago.
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| China outcry as Taiwan arrests pro-Beijing party members accused of spying Posted: 20 Dec 2017 04:45 AM PST  China has accused Taiwanese authorities of "persecution" after four members of a pro-Beijing political party were detained in connection with a spying case. Police in Taiwan arrested Wang Ping-chung, a prominent media personality, along with three colleagues from the pro-unification New Party on Tuesday. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office released a statement saying that Mr Wang and other people of interest were being investigated on suspicion of violating the National Security Act. Taipei prosecutor Lin Chun-ting, who is leading the investigation, is also in charge of the probe into Zhou Hongxu, a Chinese student convicted in September for trying to obtain classified information and recruiting people to a spy network. According to the Taipei Times, Mr Wang was allegedly friends with Mr Zhou and played a key role in introducing him to Taiwanese government officials. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen speaks on the phone with Donald Trump Credit: Reuters Another detained member of the New Party, Lin Ming-cheng, told reporters after his release that he was questioned about the spying case and his relationship with Mr Zhou, but he denied the allegations. "It is absurd for them to make a link between Zhou and us all because they found a mention of us on Zhou's computer," Mr Lin said, according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. China's Taiwan Affairs Office praised the New Party for upholding the "one China" principle in a short statement released late on Tuesday. "Recently, the Taiwan authorities have shielded and connived with Taiwan independent splittists, and taken various moves to wantonly crack down on and persecute forces and people who uphold peaceful reunification," it said. "We strongly condemn this and are paying close attention to developments." The investigation is the second in recent months into a minority party supporting unification with the Chinese mainland, and comes amid heightened tensions between the government of self-ruled Taiwan and Beijing. Relations across the Taiwan Strait have deteriorated since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, whose ruling DPP rejects Chinese claims of sovereignty over the island of 23 million. While parties which are strongly pro-Beijing have little traction with the electorate, the majority of whom identify as Taiwanese, there are growing fears among Taipei's elite that China is seeking to undermine their country's democracy from within. In September, government agencies launched a probe into the Chinese Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), run by Chang An-lo, a former triad leader known as White Wolf, over concerns that Beijing was funding its activities. Mr Chang has denied the accusations.
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| Candy Canes Are Everywhere During Christmas. Here’s Why Posted: 20 Dec 2017 11:06 AM PST  They weren't always the most popular Christmas candy
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