| 'Yellow vest' Libya protesters say France backs Tripoli assault Posted: 16 Apr 2019 07:47 AM PDT  Dozens of "yellow vest" protesters rallied Tuesday in the Libyan capital to denounce what they said was France's support for military strongman Khalifa Haftar who has launched an offensive on Tripoli. The demonstrators donned yellow vests in a nod to the jackets worn by anti-government protesters who have been rallying across France since November. "France must stop backing the rebel Haftar," read one sign held up by the demonstrators gathered in central Tripoli's Algiers Square.
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| Ola Bini: Wikileaks collaborator and Assange ally accused of plotting to blackmail Ecuador president faces 'threats in jail', parents say Posted: 16 Apr 2019 12:19 PM PDT  The parents of a Swedish programmer who was an early ally of Julian Assange and Wikileaks and who has now been accused of trying to blackmail Ecuador's president, is facing threats in jail, his parents have claimed.Ola Bini, 36, was arrested last Thursday in Ecuador, hours after Mr Assange was detained by police in London who entered the Ecuadorian embassy. Mr Assange was charged with skipping bail by a London judge, while the US charged him with conspiring with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to hack a US computer. Defenders of Mr Assange say the US is trying to punish the Wikileaks founder for exposing embarrassing and damaging information about Washington's actions, including the behaviour of its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.Prosecutors in Ecuador, have said they intend to charge Mr Bini, a longtime Wikileaks defender, with seeking to blackmail Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno, who turned against Mr Assange and invited the British authorities to enter the embassy last week and arrest him.On Tuesday, Mr Bini's parents, Dag Gustafsson and Gorel Bini, professed their son's innocence and said they would remain in Ecuador until he was released. "We want to say that Ola is not feeling safe, because of some threats inside," Mr Gustafsson told reporters.His wife added: "Right now, he's ok. But he's worried."Last week, Ecuador's interior minister Maria Paula Romo, told local media the Swedish coder, who has long worked with social justice groups, had been arrested for "investigative purposes"."For several years now, one of the key members of this WikiLeaks organisation and a person close to Mr Julian Assange has lived in Ecuador, and we have sufficient evidence that he has been collaborating with the destabilisation attempts against the government," she said.According to the Associated Press, she added: "It's up to the justice system to determine if he committed a crime. But we can't allow Ecuador to become a centre for piracy and spying. That period in our history is over."Ms Romo said Bini had travelled at least 12 times to meet with Assange at the London embassy. She said he was also in Venezuela earlier this year at around the same time as a close aide to Mr Moreno's former mentor turned arch enemy, Rafael Correa. Mr Correa, a former president who frequently criticised the US, had initially offered asylum to Mr Assange.
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| Notre-Dame blaze: Emmanuel Macron vows to rebuild Paris cathedral as scale of damage emerges Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:49 PM PDT  Macron launches fundraising drive to restore landmark Billionaire pledges 100 million euros (£86 million) towards effort 'Our lady of tears': How the world reacted to the Notre-Dame fire Notre-Dame blaze: Everything we know about the fire 'No words can describe the pain': how Paris was left stunned by tragedy In pictures: Notre-Dame in flames Emmanuel Macron is launching a fund-raising campaign to rebuild Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral as the national landmark continued to smoulder on Tuesday morning after being devastated by an inferno. The catastrophic blaze left a nation mourning the devastation of its cultural and historic "epicentre" and sent shockwaves around the world. Hundreds of firefighters tackled the historic blaze through the night, battling to stop it wreaking complete destruction of the treasured facade after flames torched the roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians. Meanwhile, teams raced to recover what treasures they could from the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece, which housed priceless artefacts and relics of huge religious and international significance. Read more | Notre-Dame fire The blaze, which broke out as the last crowds of tourists ended visits at around 6pm BST (7pm local time), was finally declared to be "completely under control" nearly nine hours later. "The fire is under control but not totally extinguished," French junior interior minister Laurent Nunez said early on Tuesday. Attention is beginning to turn to what may have caused the landmark, part of which was being restored, to fall victim to such a disaster. The cause of the fire was still not known and authorities were continuing their probe into how it started, Mr Nunez said. The Paris prosecutors' office said police would carry out an investigation into "involuntary destruction caused by fire", indicating authorities are treating the blaze as a tragic accident for now. Arson, including possible terror-related motives, was earlier ruled out. Visiting the scene on Monday night, Mr Macron said a national subscription would be launched to rebuild the national monument. It was reported by AFP that billionaire French fashion mogul Francois-Henri Pinault had pledged €100 million (£86 million) towards the effort. notre dame gallery "Notre-Dame is our history, our imagination, where we've lived all our great moments, and is the epicentre of our lives," Mr Macron said. The first harrowing images from within the fire-ravaged cathedral began to emerge as firefighters brought the blaze under control. A smouldering pile of what appeared to be the charred remains of the roof and spire lay smoking in front of the altar, while a cross that had escaped destruction glowed from within the gloom. 7:24AM Telegraph View: Notre-Dame can and must rise again here are few more iconic buildings in the world than the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. The fire that has ripped through the great building is not just a tragedy for France but for the whole of Europe. The church, with its familiar double towers and spire, now sadly destroyed, is a masterpiece of European medieval Gothic architecture, though modified on many occasions down the centuries. It is also a centre for worship for the Catholic faith filled with priceless artefacts, paintings and holy relics, including a piece of the true cross. These past few years have been difficult for France. The spate of terror attacks two years ago in Paris, Nice and other cities left scores dead and plunged the country into a state of emergency. In recent weeks, the centre of the French capital has been ravaged by street protests staged by the so-called gilets jaunes movement. Each weekend they have smashed up the centre of the city around the Champs Elysee, wrecking cars and shops. President Emmanuel Macron was due last night to address the French people on the outcome of the national debate he launched to address voters' concerns. Instead, he was on his way to witness his country's most cherished building engulfed in flames. Here in the UK we have seen Windsor Castle gutted by fire and parts of Hampton Court and York Minster badly damaged. As with Notre-Dame they happened while repair work was under way. Mercifully, those buildings were rebuilt though the damage to Notre-Dame may be more extensive. This is a dreadful moment for France and its people. We share their pain. Notre-Dame can and must rise again 6:38AM Christians sing prayers for burning Notre Dame
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| Peaceful protesters react to police shooting video Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:20 AM PDT  Hours after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police release body camera footage of an officer shooting an armed man last month, protesters gathered to question the department's policy and demand change. (April 16)
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| Bernie Sanders Brings a Gun to a Democratic Primary Knife Fight Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:38 AM PDT  Mark Makela/GettyIn seeking the 2020 nomination for the presidency, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had made overtures that he'd operate more firmly within the Democratic Party as the party adopted procedural reforms to accommodate his concerns. The rapprochement was always delicate. And this week it hit a major snag as the senator's presidential campaign opened fire at one of the Democratic Party's leading think tanks over a video that its editorially independent news site posted on Sanders' personal wealth. That video from ThinkProgress and the senator's response, in which he accused the Center for American Progress of bias against liberal candidates and veneration for corporate interests, exposed the lingering animus between the Sanders and the Democratic Party's actual institutions. It also raised alarm and questions as to whether Sanders was running to lead the party or to fundamentally change it. "If you always want to be an aggrieved factional candidate, then you do what they did here," said a Democratic operative who is a fan of Sanders. "It has nothing to do with the electoral context of Iowa or New Hampshire or Nevada or South Carolina. Let's go fight that battle. Voters don't care about CAP."The root of the latest blow up was a video produced by ThinkProgress noting that Sanders had stopped maligning millionaires—leaving his criticism for billionaires—when he became one himself. The news site is part of the CAP umbrella, which gave the video the veneer of a sanctioned attack. But it also claims editorial independence from the think tank, though the degree of that independence is difficult to define. Sanders' campaign was initially uncertain of how it should respond to the post. But a day after it had been up—and shared gleefully by Republican operatives—they chose to push back in a way that, Democrats said, redefined disproportionality. Over the weekend, Sanders' campaign sent a letter to the board of CAP and CAP Action Fund saying that the "counterproductive negative campaigning needs to stop." The letter referenced content written about Sanders and two close colleagues who are also in the 2020 race: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). It also explicitly called out CAP president Neera Tanden, an ally of Hillary Clinton, who has been critical of Sanders in the past but has attempted to mend bridges. Among some Democrats, there was a sense of bewilderment that the Sanders campaign had gone—as one operative put it—"nuclear" over a mere web video. One Democratic consultant sympathetic to Sanders described the video as being "like a gnat buzzing around your ear," one which should not have distracted from the candidate's Midwest tour. It also raised questions as to whether the senator was ready for the scrutiny that would come from being a frontrunning candidate, after having run as an insurgent against an ideal foil, Hillary Clinton, in 2016. "When you're leading in the polls of president of your party you should expect investigative stories to hit at least once a week and to be attacked by your opponents every day," said Ben Labolt, who served as press secretary to Barack Obama during the 2012 campaign. "An attack on something like ThinkProgress is the sign of a super-narrow-minded campaign that isn't actually thinking of how the election will be won... They have chosen an establishment force that no one outside of the Starbucks at 16th and K would recognize." But within Sanders' orbit, the pushback was seen as strategically prudent. Sanders has often bristled at personal questions that he deems irrelevant to the set of beliefs he has espoused for decades. And his attack on CAP effectively set a benchmark for the type of coverage that the his team would countenance and reinforced his brand as someone outside of typical party structures. It also undermined any notion that he was a political pushover—a suggestion that lingered for some after he muted some of his attacks on Clinton in 2016. It didn't hurt matters that some prominent, though non-establishment, Democratic figures offered Sanders their support. Tom Steyer, the liberal billionaire donor and party activist, who also serves on the board of directors for CAP issued a statement on his own saying he would use his "voice on the Center for American Progress' Board of Directors to discourage any such attacks on any candidate seeking the Democratic nomination in the future."Those close to Steyer told The Daily Beast that he released the statement without consulting with others at the organization and that it by no means suggested he was endorsing Sanders. Another CAP board member, Stacey Abrams, declined to comment. But a spokesperson for the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia directed The Daily Beast to a conciliatory statement Tanden issued on Monday afternoon, saying the video had been "overly harsh" and did "not reflect our approach to a constructive debate of the issues."That, for now, seems to have quieted the skirmish with Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir saying that the campaign looked "forward to working in a more productive manner" with CAP, "if possible." But within a few hours, Sanders was, once more, putting pressure on the press; this time on an outlet of a highly-different ideological bent than ThinkProgress. In a town hall with Fox News, the senator hit back on the suggestion that his income-inequality message was muddied by his personal wealth by directly challenging the newscasters to ask the president for his own tax rates. "I pay the taxes that I owe," he declared, "and by the way, why don't you get Donald Trump up here and ask them how much he pays in taxes?"Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
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| Pelosi: AOC’s Progressive Faction Is ‘Like Five People’ Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:19 AM PDT  House speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the progressive faction of her caucus led by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as "like five people."In a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday, Pelosi was asked whether she could unify the "self-described socialists" and the "moderates" among House Democrats."By and large, whatever orientation they came to Congress with, they know that we have to hold the center. That we have to go down the mainstream," she responded."But it doesn't look like that. It looks as if it's fractured. You have these wings– AOC, and her group on one side," interviewer Lesley Stahl continued."That's like five people," Pelosi replied."The progressive group is more than five," Stahl said."I'm a progressive," Pelosi said.Pelosi, 79, and Ocasio-Cortez, 29, have not clashed openly but have occasionally thrown shade at each other since the latter's ascension to Congress earlier this year. In February, the speaker dismissed Ocasio-Cortez's signature proposal, the Green New Deal, as the "green dream, or whatever they call it." She also referenced the freshman congresswoman's huge social-media following earlier this month during a discussion about the importance of being unified and working with the other side of the aisle."While there are people who have a large number of Twitter followers, what's important is that we have large numbers of votes on the floor of the House," Pelosi said.Pelosi has, however, also allied with Ocasio-Cortez at times. Last month, the most powerful woman in Congress tweeted out the cover of Rolling Stone showing a photo of herself, Ocasio-Cortez, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Representative Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, saying the magazine cover is "worth millions of dreams to women and girls across America."
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| Barn find 1955 Chevy Corvette Hasn't Seen Daylight In 40 Years Posted: 16 Apr 2019 11:13 AM PDT  Tucked away for 40 years, this 1955 Chevrolet Corvette looks worse-for-wear in its hiding place – but now it's out, don't even think about trying to buy it. Anyone who owns a rare classic car like a 1955 Corvette could tell you that car collectors are constantly trying to buy them up, and that's the exact reason Bob Doucette put his 1955 Corvette into hiding — that, and wanting a safe place to preserve the car.
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| 8 Killed, Dozens Injured As Strong Storms Sweep Southern U.S. Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:03 AM PDT  Three children were among the dead
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| Syria, Iran say US is waging 'economic terrorism' Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:45 AM PDT  DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria and Iran said Tuesday the United States is waging "economic terrorism" against countries that have different opinions and should pursue its aims through diplomacy instead.
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| Ex-Obama Lawyer Faces August Trial Over Lobbying Claims Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:03 AM PDT  U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson at a hearing in Washington on Monday set a tight schedule of pre-trial deadlines to accommodate Craig's and the government's stated desire to wrap up the case quickly. The charges against Craig, 74, a former lawyer at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, arose from Mueller's two-year probe. Craig is the first prominent Democrat charged, and he pleaded not guilty last week.
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| What caused the Notre-Dame fire? Everything we know so far about the Paris cathedral blaze Posted: 16 Apr 2019 05:09 AM PDT A catastrophic fire at Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral has left a nation mourning the devastation of its cultural and historic "epicentre" and sent shockwaves around the world. Hundreds of firefighters tackled the historic blaze through the night, battling to stop it wreaking complete destruction of the treasured facade after flames torched the roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians. This is what we know so far about the violent blaze: How did it start? The Paris prosecutor's office said it was treating the fire as an accident, ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives, at least for now. The fire began around 6.50 pm (5.50pm UK time). "I was not far away, I saw the smoke. At first I thought it was the Hotel-Dieu (hospital) but then I realised it was the cathedral. When I arrived, ash was beginning to fall," said Olivier De Chalus, head volunteer guide of the cathedral. Read more | Notre-Dame fire The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. It spread from the attic, and quickly across a large part of the roof. An investigation was opened for accidental destruction by fire, Paris prosecutors said. Investigators were focused on whether the fire spread from the site of ongoing reconstruction work on the roof of the cathedral, a source close to the investigation said. Construction workers were spoken to Monday evening by investigators, the department said. What was destroyed? Despite the dramatic image of the flaming cathedral, no one was killed. One firefighter was injured, among some 400 who battled the flames for hours before finally extinguishing them. At around 7.50 pm (6.50pmUK time), the cathedral's spire - one of Paris's most famous landmarks at 93 metres high - collapsed. Within a few hours, a large part of the roof had been reduced to ashes. "The fire affected two-thirds of the roof, which has collapsed, as well as the spire," said Paris fire brigade chief Jean-Claude Gallet, adding that the operation was focused on preserving the rear of the cathedral where the most valuable works are located. The flames devoured the roof's wooden frame, which is more than 100 metres in length and nicknamed "the forest". Firefighters continued working through the night to cool the building and secure the monument, as residual sparks sprinkled down from the gaping hole where the spire used to be. What survived? Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet said the structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the northern belfry. Many of the cathedral's priceless artefacts and objects of huge cultural and historical significance were also rescued. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo confirmed several of the most sacred had been saved, while culture minister Franck Riester said a others were being held under lock and key at the city hall. Merci aux @PompiersParis, aux policiers et aux agents municipaux qui ont réalisé ce soir une formidable chaîne humaine pour sauver les œuvres de NotreDame. La couronne d'épines, la tunique de Saint Louis et plusieurs autres œuvres majeures sont à présent en lieu sûr. pic.twitter.com/cbrGWCbL2N— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) April 15, 2019 Ms Hidalgo said the Crown of Thorns had been taken into safekeeping. Purported to be a relic of the wreath of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, the object was stored in the cathedral's treasury. French King Louis IX brought the relic, which is contained in an elaborate gold case, to Paris in 1238. Ms Hidalgo said the Tunic of Saint Louis had been saved. The simple garment, said to have been worn by Louis IX as he brought the Crown of Thorns to Paris, was also kept at the cathedral. Among the most famous architectural features of the Gothic masterpiece, the stained glass rose windows are treasured artworks in their own right. The three rose windows, which date back to the 13th century, adorn the north, south and west facades. One appeared to be damaged but it was oped the other two survived. Sparks and flames are seen through a stained glass window as the Notre-Dame Cathedral burns in Paris Credit: Reuters It was also hoped that the Great Organ was unharmed. With nearly 8,000 pipes, some dating back to the 1700s, Notre-Dame's master organ is one of the largest in the world. The monumental instrument, the largest in France, was fully restored in 2013 with each pipe cleaned. The fire was prevented from spreading to the bell towers. Housed in the two western towers, Notre-Dame's bells have rung out at key moments in France's history. Emmanuel, the largest bell, was lifted into the south tower in 1685 and weighs over 23 tonnes. Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Quasimodo, was the cathedral's bell-ringer. What happens now? Restoring the building will take "years of work", said the newly elected president of the Bishops' Conference of France, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort. In response to "multiple requests" the Fondation du patrimoine, a hertitage organisation, will Tuesday launch a "national collection" for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame, Anne Le Breton, deputy mayor of the French capital's 4th arrondissement, said in a statement to AFP. French President Emmanuel Macron said a "national undertaking" would be launched, and that "far beyond our borders, we will appeal to the greatest talents... who will contribute, and we will rebuild". notre dame gallery French billionaires the Pinault family have reportedly pledged more than 100 million euros (£86 million) to restore the 800-year-old cathedral, whose spire collapsed amid the flames. Francois-Henri Pinault, who is married to actress Salma Hayek, is quoted in the French media as saying he and his father, Francois, had decided to donate the money to help with the "complete reconstruction" of Notre-Dame. The younger Mr Pinault is chief executive of international luxury group Kering, which owns brands such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and is the president of French holding company Groupe Artemis, which owns the Christie's auction house. Pour que Notre-Dame puisse renaître de ses cendres nous lançons un appel international. Tous les dons reçus seront intégralement versés au chantier de restauration. ➡https://t.co/QAB3kEZRlqpic.twitter.com/XRIObHFLbW— Fondation du patrimoine (@fond_patrimoine) April 15, 2019 Meanwhile, France's Fondation du Patrimoine, a private organisation which works to protect French heritage, said it would be starting an international appeal. Across the pond, the US-based French Heritage Society said it would be establishing a restoration fund, while several appeals have already been set up on crowdfunding sites such as Go Fund Me and Just Giving.
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| The Latest: Arson ruled out in Notre Dame fire for now Posted: 15 Apr 2019 02:27 PM PDT  PARIS (AP) — The Latest on a fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (all times local):
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| Socialist Sanders' tax returns show millionaire status Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:03 PM PDT  Self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire. The senator, who routinely rails against "millionaires and billionaires" and the "rigged" economic system that protects their standing, saw his income spike on royalties from sales of his book, "Our Revolution," published shortly after his 2016 race for the Democratic nomination. According to tax returns released by the Sanders campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of $561,293 in 2018, $1,131,925 in 2017 and $1,062,626 in 2016.
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| Here's How Much the Priciest Toll Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels Cost in the United States Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:29 AM PDT |
| Donald Trump to Boeing: Fix the 737 Max and 'REBRAND the plane with a new name' Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:10 AM PDT  President Donald Trump is giving Boeing advice after the grounding of the 737 Max 8: Fix the plane, add features and rebrand it under a different name.
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| Notre-Dame's famed rose window spared but blaze harms priceless artworks Posted: 16 Apr 2019 01:15 PM PDT  Notre-Dame's famed stained-glass rose windows and most of its many religious relics appeared to have escaped the worst of Monday's inferno as well, easing fears for the fate of the vast trove of artworks in the 800-year-old gothic cathedral. Among the most cherished articles to make it out unscathed was the "Sainte Couronne" (holy crown), made of braided reed brought to France from Constantinople in the 12th century. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted a picture of heavy-set candlesticks stacked in the safety of nearby Paris City Hall.
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| Florida man attacked and killed by his cassowary, the ‘world’s most dangerous bird’ Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:12 AM PDT ![Florida man attacked and killed by his cassowary, the 'world's most dangerous bird']( "Florida man attacked and killed by his cassowary, the 'world's most dangerous bird'") A 75-year-old man in Florida was killed by a cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea.
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| Ocasio-Cortez: 'Netanyahu is a Trump-like figure' Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Ocasio-Cortez said U.S. policy toward Israel should be affected by the proposed annexation, and there are "conversations happening in our caucus."
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| Canada: police hunt hitman disguised as delivery person who shot woman Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Suspect injured woman with a crossbow in a 'premeditated, targeted' attack, police say, in November 2018Police say the bow and arrows used in the attack are designed for hunting big game like moose. Photograph: Chris Helgren/ReutersPolice in Canada are hunting a suspected hitman who they say disguised himself as a delivery person to carry out a "premeditated, targeted and isolated attack" on a woman, gravely injuring her with a crossbow.Details of a brazen murder attempt were released to the public Monday morning by police in Mississauga, Ontario. The attack on the 44-year-old woman occurred late on 7 November 2018 in an area north of Toronto.In black-and-white home surveillance footage, a man is seen carrying a large cardboard box on the victim's front porch. Dressed in a baseball cap, hooded sweatshirt and dark gloves, the man awkwardly holds the large rectangular box, which police say concealed the crossbow.After a brief conversation, he fires the weapon and flees in a dark pickup truck. The front door is seen closing as the suspect runs away.Despite her substantial injuries, the woman was able to phone emergency responders. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she has remained for months."The injuries that she sustained were absolutely devastating," Det Sgt Jim Kettles of Peel police told reporters. "It involved damage to a lot of her internal organs. She'll be in recovery phase for the rest of her life … Her life will never be the same."The woman got a "direct look" at the man who attacked her, but was unable to identify him."This was most definitely a targeted type of attack," Kettles said, adding that "the crossbow was never removed from the box" during the encounter.At the press conference, police displayed a similar crossbow and arrows to the ones used in the attack, which are designed for hunting big game like moose. The choice of weapon was meant to "inflict the maximum amount of damage possible", said police, who were able to recover one of the arrows at the scene of the crime."Comments made to the victim [by the suspect] indicate the victim was targeted and that the suspect may have carried out the attack at the request of another individual," said Supt Heather Raymor. "It is clear that this attack was meant to end the victim's life."Police have not released a motive for the attack. Kettles said the shoes and baseball hat worn by the suspect were unique – and the suspect did not conceal his face, giving investigators a number of potential clues. "We are open to anything at this point and we are looking at all possible investigative avenues," he said.
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| Stung by the IRS on Your 2018 Taxes Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:47 AM PDT  Stung by the IRS on Your 2018 Taxes? Here's How to Fix It. If your tax refund was smaller this tax season—or you're shocked at how much you owe—you're not alone. Data from the Internal Revenue S...
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| How One Man’s Deleted Tweet Launched a Worldwide Notre Dame Conspiracy Theory Posted: 16 Apr 2019 05:06 PM PDT  Nicolas Liponne/GettyAs politician J. Christopher Hale watched the Notre Dame cathedral burn on Monday from Washington, D.C., he heard from a Jesuit friend in Europe who claimed that the blaze had been deliberately set. Hale, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in Tennessee last year and writes opinion columns for Time Magazine, tweeted his friend's claim to his few thousand followers."A Jesuit friend in Paris who works in NotreDame told me cathedral staff said the fire was intentionally set," Hale wrote.Hale quickly tweeted that his friend had "zero evidence" for the claim beyond a purported conversation with cathedral staff, and he deleted the original tweet minutes later.But it only took those few minutes for his tweet to become a core piece of proof for right-wing conspiracy theorists who are convinced, without any actual evidence, that the fire was set by terrorists. With one tweet, Hale became sucked into a right-wing media machine eager to both rile up its audience and earn more traffic on social media."In retrospect, I absolutely never should have tweeted it in the first place," Hale told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. "I don't think I had the foresight about how much the worst parts of the internet will grasp for straws in their conspiracy theories." Before he deleted the post, Hale's post caught the eye of Jack Posobiec, a former promoter of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory who now works as a reporter at pro-Trump cable channel One America News. Posobiec highlighted Hale's claim that the fire had been deliberate to his own followers, which number more than 450,000. Suddenly, Hale saw Twitter users across the world citing his tweet as proof that fire was committed by terrorists. "I almost immediately said I was deleting the tweet," Hale told The Daily Beast. "It was clear to me, though, that any record of the tweet was going to be weaponized very quickly." Hale's tweet has become one of the most cited pieces of evidence for Notre Dame conspiracy theorists, even after French investigators said Tuesday that they found no evidence of arson and even though Hale was thousands of miles away from the fire when he sent his tweet. Screenshots of Hale's deleted tweet spread across Twitter. InfoWars wrote an entire article based on Hale's tweet, citing it a headline as proof that the fire was "deliberately set." Far-right activist Pamela Geller highlighted Hale's tweet on her blog in a post entitled "Notre Dame Cathedral Inferno "Intentionally Set.'" Geller's post spread on social media, earning hundreds of retweets on her Twitter account alone. Other right-wing blogs, including The American Mirror and talk radio host Michael Savage's site, also picked up and portrayed Hale's unintentional error as fact. "The tweet itself did not mention Islam whatsoever," Hale said. "But immediately it was right-wing provocateurs, Islamophobes, who used it."A day later, Hale's Twitter interactions are filled with people who see the deletion of his tweet as proof of a cover-up.'Should I use the Obama, 'It's a teachable moment?'" Hale said. "The big thing I would say is the weaponization of Twitter has evolved in such a way that no errant word, particularly in the midst of a crisis, is warranted."Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Democrats request documents on White House 'sanctuary city' idea Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:24 AM PDT  Top Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday demanded documents from the Trump administration over a White House proposal to release migrants from detention and transport them to "sanctuary cities." U.S. media reported on Thursday the administration had considered the idea, which would send migrants and asylum seekers who had crossed the U.S. border with Mexico to districts represented by Democratic lawmakers. Sanctuary cities are local jurisdictions that generally refuse to use their resources to help enforce federal immigration laws against undocumented immigrants that could lead to deportations. Since many of these jurisdictions are represented by Democrats, critics saw the plan as a way to taunt Democrats by dangling the possibility of an influx of illegal immigrants into their communities.
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| Apple and Qualcomm bury the hatchet in royalties battle royal Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:40 PM PDT  Apple and American microchip manufacturer Qualcomm said Tuesday they have agreed to "dismiss all litigation" against each other worldwide in what had been a sprawling battle over royalty payments. The news sent Qualcomm's stock price soaring more than 23 percent on Wall Street, its best one-day performance in nearly 20 years. The deal includes a six-year license agreement with the option to extend for two years, and a payment to Qualcomm from Apple, the companies said.
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| Bernie Sanders is Bernie Sanders at Fox News town hall and survives. Who's next? Anyone? Posted: 16 Apr 2019 05:22 AM PDT  Sanders won applause for Medicare for All from the group on TV. But calling Trump a 'pathological liar' won't win over the larger Fox News audience.
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| Notre Dame: Could America's historic landmarks be devastated by such a catastrophic fire? Posted: 16 Apr 2019 01:09 PM PDT  From Independence Hall to the National Cathedral, key U.S. sites are protected by sophisticated fire and safety systems.
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| Your Air Force Needs Some Firepower and Can't Get an F-35?: Check Out the Eurofighter Typhoon Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:17 AM PDT  The development of the Typhoon did not clear the field of European fighter contenders. France, with its own aviation industry and its own specialized requirements (including carrier takeoff and landing capability) and Sweden would produce their own fighters, which continue to compete with the Typhoon for export contracts. The F-35 has come to dominate the fighter acquisition plans of many European countries, sucking up money and attention that might have gone to the Typhoon.The Eurofighter Typhoon has joined the Dassault Rafale, the Saab Gripen, and the Sukhoi "Flanker" in pursuit of a growing niche in the international fighter market. These aircraft offer capabilities beyond the Generation 4 platforms developed in the 1970s, but don't carry the costs and complications of stealth. While the Eurofighter has enjoyed outstanding technical success thus far, the market niche may not be large enough to sustain production over time.(This first appeared in 2016.)Origins:
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| Macron Presides Over Rare Unity as Nation Grieves Notre Dame Posted: 16 Apr 2019 11:59 AM PDT  Macron urged haste Tuesday evening as he reiterated a vow to rebuild the 850-year-old Gothic monument, an issue that's united the French population across the political spectrum, with national parties suspending their European election campaigns and leaders from around the globe lending their support. "We will rebuild the Notre-Dame cathedral even more beautiful than it was," Macron said in a televised address to the nation.
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| Israel's president starts consultations on prime minister nomination Posted: 15 Apr 2019 11:14 AM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination seemed virtually ensured after his right-wing Likud won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the April 9 ballot, and his closest rival, Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party, conceded defeat. President Reuven Rivlin said he would announce his choice on Wednesday after meeting with all of the parties that captured seats in the 120-member Knesset. Under Israeli law, after consultations with the parties the president taps a legislator whom he believes has the best chance of forming a government, delegating 28 days, with a two-week extension if necessary, to complete the task.
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| Student Dies After Falling 40 Feet in Bell Tower at Fordham University Posted: 15 Apr 2019 12:27 PM PDT  A Fordham University student died after she fell 40 feet from the top of the school's bell tower early Sunday, according to an email sent out by the university.
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| Boeing under pressure amid canceled flights, Trump tweets Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:45 AM PDT  Boeing faces a wave of flight cancelations by US airlines and pressure from President Donald Trump to rebrand its top-selling 737 MAX aircraft, a month after the plane was grounded worldwide in the wake of deadly crashes. American and Southwest Airlines say the grounding will disrupt scheduled flights through the summer, during the peak travel season which helps generate corporate profits. American is canceling all 737 MAX flights through August 19 while Southwest, which owns the largest 737 MAX fleet, with 34 planes, is canceling them until August 5.
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| The 2020 Ford Mustang's Base Model Gets a Better Performance Package Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  This single box-check option, borrowed from the Focus RS, can take a 2.3-liter Mustang from base to race.
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| Bernie Sanders leads Joe Biden in Emerson national poll of 2020 contenders Posted: 16 Apr 2019 12:42 PM PDT  "Biden has seen his support drop. In February, he led Sanders 27% to 17%, and in March, the two were tied," said Emerson Polling's director.
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| AOC on 'Game of Thrones' finale: It'd be 'badass' if it ended in democracy Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:28 AM PDT  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., offered an optimistic view on the potential conclusion of "Game of Thrones."
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| Leak suggests the OnePlus 7 launch is less than a month away Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:05 AM PDT  OnePlus is expected to launch three new phones by the end of the quarter, including the OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, according to recent leaks. For the first time in its brief history, the Chinese smartphone maker will debut a series of devices in the spring, if these rumors are accurate.That's hardly surprising considering what the competition is up to, but also because we're finally getting 5G phones this year, and OnePlus wants to be one of the first companies on the market with a 5G device. While previous rumors claimed the new OnePlus 7 would arrive in May, we didn't have a precise release date. But now, an insider with a solid track record is back with an actual date.It turns out we're (supposedly) about a month away from the OnePlus 7 launch. Teenage leaker Ishan Agarwal, who has been posting scoops on Twitter about various phones in recent months, including the Pixel 3 and OnePlus's most recent phones, says the OnePlus 7 will launch on May 14th.https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1117378077309329408Moreover, fans looking to attend the press conference will soon be able to buy their tickets, just like last year:https://twitter.com/ishanagarwal24/status/1116989679503577089The same leaker previously said the OnePlus 7 series would launch next month, providing details about the upcoming phones, including the fact that OnePlus will launch a "Pro" version -- also a first for the company.A different leak a few days ago seemed to confirm the new all-screen design for the OnePlus 7 series. The phone will feature a slide-out selfie camera, like many other Android handsets from China, as well as a triple-lens rear camera. When it comes to specs, the phone will run on the next-gen Snapdragon flagship chip, the 855, which also powers the Galaxy S10 as well as several recent 5G phones.OnePlus's 7 Pro 5G will be its first 5G handset, with UK carrier EE expected to be OnePlus's first 5G partner.
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| Warren Has a Good Beginning for Ending Corporate-Tax Avoidance Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:30 AM PDT  The first is a basic quarterly profit and loss statement that is widely disseminated to shareholders, analysts and the media. The second is the firm's annual corporate tax filing, submitted to Uncle Sam. For companies such as Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., these two numbers can vary by tens of billions of dollars.
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| US terror label for Iran Revolutionary Guard takes effect Posted: 15 Apr 2019 08:08 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. terrorism label for Iran's Revolutionary Guard formally took effect on Monday, amid a battle between the Trump administration and some in Congress over waivers on oil and nuclear sanctions that are due to expire or be extended early next month.
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| Fire guts Paris' Notre-Dame, but structure saved from destruction Posted: 15 Apr 2019 02:40 PM PDT  As it burned into the evening, firefighters battled to prevent one of the main bell towers from collapsing. One firefighter was seriously injured - the only reported casualty. "We now believe that the two towers of Notre-Dame have been saved," Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet told reporters at the scene.
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| Mayor-elect Lightfoot says migrants welcome in Chicago Posted: 14 Apr 2019 06:26 PM PDT  President Trump says Chicago could serve as a sanctuary city for migrants.
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| View Photos of the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLB Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:42 AM PDT |
| Pete Buttigieg is making Republicans nervous: Today's talker Posted: 15 Apr 2019 09:25 AM PDT  'If social media activity is any indication, Indiana's Republican leaders are at a minimum bothered by Buttigieg,' says Suzette Hackney.
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| Boeing 737 MAX changes deemed 'operationally suitable': FAA Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:37 PM PDT  The changes US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has proposed in the wake of two deadly accidents of its top-selling 737 MAX aircraft were deemed "operationally suitable," according to a draft report released by US regulators Tuesday. Boeing has been working on a software fix for its anti-stall system following crashes in Ethiopia last month and Indonesia in October that killed nearly 350 people, both shortly after takeoff. All 737 MAX aircraft have been banned from the world's skies since days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10, and the FAA has said it will not rush to approve the proposed fixes.
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| 'In the blink of an eye': USA TODAY was there when Nipsey Hussle vigil turned to chaos Posted: 16 Apr 2019 02:33 PM PDT  USA TODAY reporter Harrison Hill was among hundreds of people gathered at a makeshift memorial for Nipsey Hussle Monday, right as it turned violent.
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| SpaceIL’s first lander crashed into the Moon, but they’re already planning a second try Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:04 PM PDT  It's been a very interesting month thus far for SpaceIL, the Israeli organization which sent the Beresheet lunar lander into space and subsequently crashed it into the Moon. Needless to say, things didn't go exactly as planned, and while the mission was a huge success in a number of ways the company would love another crack at landing a spacecraft on the Moon in a much more gentle fashion.It seems they're going to do just that. In an announcement that came very shortly after the crash-landing of the Beresheet lander, SpaceIL founder Morris Kahn announced that the group would be focusing on Beresheet 2.0.Citing all the supportive messages and outreach SpaceIL and he himself personally received after the Beresheet lander met its unfortunate fate, Kahn seemed upbeat about the prospects of landing Beresheet's successor on the lunar surface. "We're going to put it on the Moon and we're going to complete the mission," Kahn said in a video posted to Twitter.https://twitter.com/TeamSpaceIL/status/1117108316554125312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1117108316554125312&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2019%2F04%2F14%2Fafter-its-first-attempt-botched-the-landing-spaceil-commits-to-second-beresheet-lunar-mission%2FKahn said the first step will be a planning committee to suss out how Beresheet 2.0 will be developed, built, and flown. He didn't offer any specifics in regards to a timeline, but the first order of business for SpaceIL will be finding someone to help fund this newly-announced adventure.The first Beresheet mission was privately financed, and it would seem likely that SpaceIL will be hunting for funding this time around as well. What made the first mission so interesting -- aside from the fact that it was borne out of a Lunar XPrize competition that never really ended -- was that it was incredibly cheap. All told, the mission only cost a couple hundred million dollars, which is a fraction of the price of many Moon landing efforts. Finding enough donors with deep pockets for a second run would also seem doable.
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