| Trump's New Hampshire struggle: Voters feeling 'Trumpgret' Posted: 15 Aug 2019 03:11 AM PDT  When Chad Johansen voted for Donald Trump in 2016, he hoped he was picking someone who could help small-business owners compete with bigger companies. The Republican president has done little to address health care issues for a small employer, he said, and the Manchester man remains on edge about how Trump's tariffs could affect his business, which employs fewer than 10 people. "The president's supposed to be the face of the United States of America," said Johansen, who voted for Democrat Barack Obama in 2012.
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| China's Tencent sorry for saying typhoon killed 'nearly everyone' Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:49 PM PDT  Chinese internet giant Tencent has been forced to apologise after its video team reported that a typhoon had wiped out the entire population of a province in east China that is home to nearly 100 million people. Typhoon Lekima hit the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Shandong and Anhui over the weekend, forcing more than two million residents to flee. China's official news agency Xinhua said late Tuesday that at least 49 people were killed with dozens still missing.
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| UPDATE 8-Jeffrey Epstein autopsy report shows broken neck -sources Posted: 14 Aug 2019 11:25 PM PDT ![UPDATE 8-Jeffrey Epstein autopsy report shows broken neck -sources]( "UPDATE 8-Jeffrey Epstein autopsy report shows broken neck -sources") NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - An autopsy of the financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in an apparent suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, found his neck had been broken in several places, according to two law enforcement sources. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in New York City on Saturday. The circumstances of the multi-millionaire's death are under investigation, and it was unclear when a report of the autopsy would be made public.
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| The black hole at the center of our galaxy just lit up twice as bright as ever. Who knows why Posted: 14 Aug 2019 12:09 PM PDT  Astronomers observing the black hole at the center of our galaxy watched it light up with "unprecedented brightness." And they aren't sure why.
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| Here's Everything We Know So Far About Storm Area 51's 'Alienstock' Festival Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:48 AM PDT  "They can't stop us from gathering and celebrating aliens!"
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| India is controlling people in Kashmir with an elaborate maze of razor wire that changes configuration several times a day Posted: 14 Aug 2019 03:29 AM PDT  India voted to strip the Jammu and Kashmir state of its special status, blocking phone and internet access and introducing a curfew and riot police.
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| With Brexit looming, the future of Ireland is at stake Posted: 15 Aug 2019 05:38 AM PDT  It would be one of the great ironies of history if the U.K. departure from the EU actually led to the end of its occupation of Northern Ireland.
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| London teen lost at Malaysian resort died from ulcer bleed Posted: 15 Aug 2019 12:50 AM PDT  Malaysian police said Thursday there were no signs of foul play in the death of a 15-year-old London girl who mysteriously disappeared from a nature resort, with an autopsy showing she succumbed to intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress. Nora Anne Quoirin's body was discovered Tuesday beside a small stream about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) from the Dusun eco-resort after she disappeared from her family's resort cottage on Aug. 4. Negeri Sembilan state police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop said the autopsy found no evidence the teenager had been abducted or raped.
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| Trump Linking Trade to Hong Kong Risks Playing Into Xi's Hands Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:12 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. President Donald Trump linked Hong Kong's unrest to talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a move that could reinforce Beijing's efforts to blame the U.S. for increasingly violent protests in the Asian financial hub.In a flurry of tweets Wednesday, Trump defended his tariffs decisions, praised Xi and urged the Chinese president to "humanely" resolve the protests that have gripped Hong Kong for more than two months. He ended the posts with an apparent overture to Xi -- writing "Personal meeting?" -- without clarifying whether he was suggesting another summit."Of course China wants to make a trade deal," Trump wrote. "Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!"The White House had no immediate comment on the tweets, which were posted hours after U.S. equities plunged as a Treasury yield curve inverted, heightening fears of a recession. The trade dispute with China has contributed to the rising anxiety, which arrived at a difficult time for Trump, who has based his re-election strategy on a robust economy.The remarks on Hong Kong signaled a shift by the U.S. president, who has expressed sympathy for Chinese views of the protests, even as demonstrators wave American flags and other administration officials defend their right to freedom of expression. Earlier this month, he described the protests as "riots" and suggested that the U.S. would stay out of an issue that was "between Hong Kong and China."Even suggesting a link between the trade dispute and unrest in the former British colony will feed suspicions in Beijing that the U.S. was seeking to leverage China's domestic crisis as part of broader strategy to check its rise. China has in recent weeks attempted to paint the U.S. as a "black hand" behind the protests, with a front-page commentary in the Communist Party's People Daily newspaper saying Thursday that such forces were trying to foment a "color revolution.""The men at the top in Beijing know that the 'black hand' theory is nonsense," said Perry Link, editor of the "Tiananmen Papers" and a professor at the University of California, Riverside. "But will they grab the remark to try to strengthen their deception of the Chinese people? Of course they will."China's foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to a faxed request for comment Thursday. Asked Wednesday about an earlier Hong Kong tweet by Trump, the ministry said: "Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. We again urge the U.S. to immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs."It's not the first time Trump has piled seemingly unrelated issues into his trade dispute with Xi, tying it to North Korea nuclear talks and extradition proceedings against a top executive at the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. His administration has also ratcheted up military support for Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, since the trade war began last year.By linking trade to human rights, Trump would be attempting to succeed where others such as President Bill Clinton failed. David Zweig, a professor of social science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said he imagined members of China's ruling Politburo "sitting around a table all howling, laughing" at Trump's suggestion."He's got enough trouble cutting a trade deal and now he's going to add a new human rights criteria to it?," Zweig said. "Xi Jinping's not going to engage him on this. He wouldn't talk to him at the G-20 -- he said Hong Kong is off the table. Why is it going to be on the table now? That will fly nowhere. It's ridiculous."Nonetheless, the comments were cheered in online forums popular among Hong Kong protesters. Demonstrators have courted U.S. support, with some bringing American flags and MAGA hats to recent rallies. U.S. lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Marco Rubio, have urged action to support protesters.Under a U.S. law, Trump has the power to rescind Hong Kong's status as a preferential trading partner -- essentially turning the Asian financial hub into just another Chinese city. Such a seismic shift would be an almost unthinkable escalation of the U.S.-China trade war."To some extent, he's giving pressure to China," said a protester, who wanted to be known only as C. Lee, adding that he saw Trump's tweets as a win for Hong Kong demonstrators. "It's a good thing as long as we keep getting international attention."Trump's comments feed into the Communist Party's efforts to blame its internal problems on "hostile foreign forces." Chinese officials have in recent weeks called the protest violence the "creation of the U.S.," citing statements by American officials and their meetings with Hong Kong activists, as well as "U.S. faces" at rallies.Blaming Hong Kong's protests on foreign interference not only helps make them less attractive to potential sympathizers on the mainland, it could help provide Beijing a justification should it decide to intervene militarily. Trump further stoked those fears with an earlier tweet saying that U.S. intelligence was monitoring Chinese troop movements near the Hong Kong border and urging everyone to be "calm and safe."Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the president's messaging on Hong Kong has been too "confusing and contradictory" to be effective with China."They won't accept any linkage in this case," Glaser said. "I suspect they'll ignore it."(Adds protester's comment in 14th paragraph.)\--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs and Natalie Lung.To contact the reporters on this story: John Harney in Washington at jharney2@bloomberg.net;Kevin Hamlin in Beijing at khamlin@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, ;Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| China's Troubled Aircraft Carrier Proves Why It's So Hard To Build Them Posted: 14 Aug 2019 06:35 AM PDT  Carriers are complicated and expensive things to build.
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| Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out in public for the first time since 2016 Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:50 PM PDT  British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was spotted in Los Angeles on Monday, photographed reading a book on the history of the CIA at a popular fast food restaurant. The 57-year-old's whereabouts have been the subject of intense attention since the unsealing last week of court documents alleging she played a key role in assisting Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of young girls. That attention has only heightened with Epstein's death on Saturday, in jail awaiting trial. Two days after her former lover's death she was seen in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, sitting outside with her dog, at a branch of In-N-Out Burger. She posed for a photograph when a man, described by The New York Post as being a regular at the chain, recognised her. Ghislaine Maxwell, photographed in 2010 at a gala in New York, was a familiar face on the party circuit until she left the city in 2016 "He's at In-N-Out every single day," a source told the paper. "He went up to her and asked, 'Are you who I think you are?' "She replied, 'Yes, I am.'" Miss Maxwell then reportedly told an onlooker: "Well, I guess this is the last time I'll be eating here!" The source said that Miss Maxwell was reading a book called The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives and seemed resigned to having her picture taken. "She was perfectly friendly, very lovely," the source said. Miss Maxwell has not been pictured in public since 2016, when she sold her mansion in New York City and disappeared from view. Asked how the photographer knew who Miss Maxwell was, the source said: "If you've had the TV on, you know who she is, how could you miss her?" Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2000 Miss Maxwell was reported on Wednesday to have been spending time at a secluded mansion in Manchester-By-The-Sea, in Massachusetts. The owner of the house, Scott Borgerson, said on Wednesday that she was not at his home, and denied that the pair were dating. Miss Maxwell was never seen at the property. On Thursday the New York Post published the photograph, taken three days previously. It was unclear whether she remained in the city or had moved on. Miss Maxwell has never been charged with any crime, and has always denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's sexual abuses. However, prosecutors in New York and lawyers for the accusers are said to be keen to speak to her for questioning, as the conspiracy case into Epstein's network continues. Protesters outside court in New York on July 8 - the day Epstein was charged William Barr, the US attorney general, said he was "livid" at Epstein's suicide, and issued a blunt warning to his associates. "Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein," he said. "Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it." Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was overseeing the charges Epstein faced when he died, added that his team's "investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing."
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| Ohio lawmaker proposes using seized fentanyl in executions Posted: 14 Aug 2019 04:54 PM PDT  An Ohio lawmaker says he has the solution to the state's problem securing execution drugs: use fentanyl seized by police instead.
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| Syria regime forces inch closer to key jihadist-held town: monitor Posted: 15 Aug 2019 08:38 AM PDT  Syrian regime forces captured a string of insurgent-held villages in northwest Syria on Thursday, inching closer to a key jihadist-run town in the Idlib region, a war monitor said. Over the past week, pro-regime fighters have advanced on the southern edges of Idlib province, controlled by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On Thursday, regime loyalists stood just three kilometres (1.8 miles) away from the key town of Khan Sheikhun, after capturing five villages to the northwest overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
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| Russian pilots land plane in cornfield, earn Kremlin praise Posted: 14 Aug 2019 09:58 PM PDT  Two Russian pilots safely landed an airliner carrying 233 people in a cornfield outside Moscow after striking a flock of birds, prompting the Kremlin to hail them as heroes who will receive top state awards. Russians have said it was a miracle that no one was killed when the Ural Airlines Airbus 321 came down in a field southeast of Moscow with its landing gear up after hitting a passing flock of gulls, disrupting the plane's engines. State television said the incident was being dubbed the "miracle over Ramensk", the name of the district near Moscow where the plane came down around one kilometer (0.62 miles) from Zhukovsky International Airport.
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| In Kashmir's main city, only a few celebrate India's Independence Day Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:40 AM PDT  India tightened security on Thursday in disputed Kashmir, sealing off many roads with barbed wire in the main city of Srinagar, as government officials and security forces held an Independence Day parade attended by only a few local people. Streets were empty outside the Sher-i-Kashmir cricket stadium, where the event was held, with most residents of the city keeping indoors as a travel and communications blockade in Indian-controlled Kashmir entered its 11th day. India's crackdown followed a decision to strip the mainly Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir of the right to set some of its own laws, a move that has prompted sporadic protests in the past week.
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| The Latest: Philly police: Gunman had AR-15, handgun Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:53 AM PDT  Philadelphia's police commissioner says a gunman who barricaded himself in a rowhouse and exchanged gunfire with police for hours had a military-style AR-15 and a handgun. Richard Ross told reporters Thursday that police still do not have access to the crime scene because tear gas was used there, so he is not sure if there were other weapons. Philadelphia's top federal prosecutor says the shooting of six police officers during a 7 1/2-hour standoff was precipitated by a disrespect for law enforcement that the city's district attorney is championing.
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| ‘Absolute Amateur Hour’: Team Trump Mangles Messages to Iran Posted: 14 Aug 2019 01:46 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/GettyThe Trump administration keeps sending conflicting and contradictory messages to Iran about its terms for new negotiations, multiple U.S and European officials tell The Daily Beast. And the ensuing chaos has vexed the president, complicated diplomatic efforts for American allies abroad, and utterly baffled policymakers at home. "Absolute amateur hour," said one former senior administration official, who was involved with the internal squabbles.For several months, the United States has been actively attempting to pass messages, via allies, to the Iranians in an effort to move closer to beginning formal diplomatic talks with Tehran. However, diverging opinions within the Trump administration are foiling the nascent diplomatic process, according to two current U.S. officials and another source with direct knowledge of the matter. The dissent is straining foreign intermediaries who are working as go-betweens between Washington and Tehran. They say they are fed up with receiving mixed messages from Donald Trump's team.The State Department did not respond to a request for comment for this story. But a senior administration official told The Daily Beast, "The Administration is completely aligned in this approach. The President has been clear, he is open to meeting with Iran's leadership to work out an agreement and give Iran the future it deserves." There have been long-standing reports on internal tensions between the president and some of his senior officials, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, on how hawkishly to approach the Iranian regime. In June, as The Daily Beast reported at the time, Trump had privately urged his cabinet members and top aides to cool it with their tough talk on possible war with Iran, despite the attacks on tanker ships in the Gulf of Oman that the administration had pinned on Tehran.The latest mixed messages and instructions have included at times wildly differing details on preconditions the U.S. would demand for official sit-downs between the two countries, and varying proposals for the length of time for which the Americans would consider suspending economic sanctions on Iranians, these sources said. U.S. officials, European officials, and individuals involved in the disparate talks between the U.S. and Iran told The Daily Beast that top Trump administration national security officials are divided about what to put on the table when it comes to negotiating with Tehran, including whether to ease a select set of sanctions, keep them in place, or suspend them altogether. The tensions stem, in part, from President Trump's desire to consider a new deal while some of his advisers are more reluctant to do so, according to two European officials and three individuals associated with brokering talks between Washington and Tehran. Generally, Trump has been more amenable to suspending sanctions for a greater amount of time as talks progress. However, national security and State Department officials have repeatedly advised the president, as well as representatives of allied countries, to demand stricter timelines for possible sanctions relief.The U.S. has for more than a year conducted talks with the Iranians, leaning on mediators such as Oman, Switzerland, Japan, Iraq and France, according to two individuals involved in the behind-closed-door conversations. But the conflicting messages have been particularly bothersome to one go-between in particular—France. Trump has expressed different views to the French, compared to those offered by his National Security Council and the State Department, on how to handle overtures to Tehran. In the meantime, the French have been caught in the middle.Why Would Iran Start a Tanker War?"The French are justifiably anxious about whether they are getting clear and authoritative directives from the U.S," said one former senior State Department official. "There is no policy process for Iran. So of course the French are getting mixed messages. It's not surprising that the administration says 'Macron please do this' and then to disavow that same instruction."The clashing messages are also causing headaches inside the upper echelons of the Trump administration. They've annoyed the president on multiple occasions in recent months, according to a source who's been in the room when those tensions have been discussed at the White House. One source noted that the president had instructed subordinates several weeks ago to clear up the confusion and knock it off with the diplomatic discord.In a public culmination of his frustrations, the president tweeted last week that the French should not try to speak for the U.S. in conversations it conducts with Iran."Iran is in serious financial trouble. They want desperately to talk to the U.S., but are given mixed signals from all of those purporting to represent us, including President Macron of France," the president posted to Twitter on August 8. "I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself. No one is authorized in any way, shape, or form, to represent us!"The tweet confused not only French officials, but American officials, as well, who said they now fear the U.S. has ostracized a strategic partner it was actively trying to win over when it came to Iran.Of course, the president's mercurial approach has complicated Iran policy before. In June, Trump approved (then abruptly called off) military strikes on the Islamic republic that could have killed upwards of 100 people. The back and forth comes as the Trump administration has also sought outside counsel on what a new Iran deal could potentially look like. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), nowadays a top Trump confidant and ally on Capitol Hill, has been working closely with administration officials who focus on Middle East policy to determine possible alternatives to President Barack Obama's Iran nuke deal. Part of this effort includes the Republican senator fielding ideas from foreign officials and others.Why Trump Wants the Ayatollah's CashGraham is doing this with Trump's full knowledge, and the senator told The Daily Beast that the president was receptive to the push. But even this effort is in part defined by the cognitive dissonance driving Trump's thinking on Iran.Graham's involvement comes at a time when Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, another Republican who regularly advises Trump, is working behind the scenes, with the president's blessing, as an informal diplomatic emissary to Iran. And the two men are unlikely to get on the same page on Iran. According to those who've spoken to Trump about each GOP lawmaker, the president has repeatedly joked about all the foreign nations Graham wants the U.S. military to invade, and conversely has lauded Paul as a peacenik who "won't let [us]" start "World War III."It is unclear if Trump will even try to get the two to work in tandem on Iran policy. When asked this month if he was coordinating with Paul, Graham chuckled and simply replied, "No," adding, "I'm not sure what he's doing."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| China Refuses to Allow U.S. Warships to Make Port Calls in Hong Kong Posted: 14 Aug 2019 02:35 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- China has refused port visits to Hong Kong by two U.S. warships amid continued trade tensions and diplomatic spats between the two sides over pro-democracy protests in the Asian financial hub.The Chinese government denied permission for the USS Green Bay and the USS Lake Erie to visit Hong Kong in the coming weeks, Commander Nate Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said. The Green Bay is an amphibious transport dock while the Lake Erie is guided-missile cruiser."The U.S. Navy has a long track record of successful port visits to Hong Kong, and we expect them to continue," Christensen said. "We refer you to the Chinese government for further information about why they denied the request."China's foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the country has always approved port visits by U.S. warships "case by case, on the basis of sovereignty principles and specific situations," without elaborating. The move comes as the U.S. and China spar in a protracted trade war and American lawmakers criticize the Hong Kong police's tactics against demonstrators who have protested for more than two months. China has accused the U.S. of instigating protesters to violence, citing communications between American officials and activists -- a claim Washington denies.President Donald Trump said in a tweet Tuesday that reports from U.S. intelligence agencies show the Chinese government is moving troops to its border with Hong Kong, stoking fears of a possible intervention. "Everyone should be calm and safe!" Trump said, without providing details about when he received the information.Beijing last refused a U.S. naval port call to the former British colony in September, when it denied a visit to the amphibious assault ship the USS Wasp days after Washington sanction the Chinese military over Russian arms purchases.(Updates with Chinese response in fourth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Wendy Hu.To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life Posted: 15 Aug 2019 09:43 AM PDT ![In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life]( "In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life") Officer Wende Kerl, who shot and killed Danquirs Franklin on March 25th in a Burger King in West Charlotte, will not be charged. I believe that's good news for us all.
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| GOP candidate drops out of congressional race after calling himself a 'white nationalist' Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:20 AM PDT  "I said I was a proud white nationalist," he in a video announcing his exit from the congressional race while wearing a red Trump hat.
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| 2 Palestinians in knife attack on Israel police, one shot dead: officials Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:51 AM PDT  Two Palestinian youths attacked Israeli police with knives in Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday before being shot by officers, leaving one of the assailants dead, officials said. Israeli police said an officer was moderately wounded and that the two assailants were shot. The Palestinian health ministry said one was killed, while Israel's Shaare Tzedek hospital said the second was left in critical condition.
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| Trump administration reverses decision to use 'cyanide bombs' to kill wild animals Posted: 15 Aug 2019 03:53 PM PDT  The poison-filled traps are used by the federal government to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals for farmers and ranchersA grizzly bear and her cub walk near Pelican Creek in Yellowstone national park, Wyoming. Last year, Wildlife Services killed more than 1.5 million native wild animals across the country, including bears. Photograph: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter sustained public outcry, the Trump administration has voided its decision to reauthorize controversial cyanide traps for killing wildlife.The traps, which are known as M-44s and dubbed "cyanide bombs" by critics, are spring-loaded devices that emit a spray of sodium cyanide to kill their targets. The traps are most frequently used by Wildlife Services, a little-known federal agency inside the United States Department of Agriculture, to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals at the behest of private agriculture operators.Last year, Wildlife Services killed more than 1.5 million native wild animals across the country, including bears, wolves, birds and more. Roughly 6,500 of these deaths were caused by M-44 traps."I am announcing a withdrawal of EPA's interim registration review decision on sodium cyanide, the compound used in M-44 devices to control wild predators," Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, announced in a public statement. "This issue warrants further analysis and additional discussions by EPA with the registrants of this predacide."In an announcement last week, the EPA said that it had authorized government officials to continue using M-44s on an interim basis. The decision sparked fury among wildlife advocates and others, who decried the decision as a reckless threat to humans and the environment. M-44s, which are deployed on public and private land across the US, have led in the past to the inadvertent deaths of endangered species and domestic pets. They have even harmed humans, including a teenage boy who was poisoned by an M-44 in Pocatello, Idaho, in 2017.Brooks Fahy, the executive director of Predator Defense, a wildlife group that is a leading opponent of M-44 traps, said the EPA's announcement was a welcome reversal."Obviously somebody at EPA is paying attention to the public's concerns about cyanide bombs," Fahy said in a statement. "It would appear they're responding to public outrage over the interim decision from last week. Our phone has been ringing off the hook from concerned citizens regarding their greenlight to continue using these horrific devices. We'll have to see how this plays out."
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| 'I'm sorry, bro': Accused robber begs with armed guard and gets shot Posted: 14 Aug 2019 09:07 PM PDT  A video captures the moment the suspect stumbles on the ground and begs with the armed security guard.
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| Federal appeals court grants Texas inmate stay of execution Posted: 14 Aug 2019 07:32 PM PDT  A federal appeals court granted a stay of execution Wednesday to a Texas inmate just one day before he was scheduled to die for the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman during a carjacking in Houston. In an 18-page opinion filed Thursday, a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that under recent case law and intellectual disability standards, Dexter Johnson is sufficiently impaired intellectually to disqualify him for Thursday's execution. The Supreme Court in 2002 barred execution of mentally disabled people but has given states some discretion to decide how to determine intellectual disability.
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| U.N. Security Council to meet on Friday on India's moves in Kashmir Posted: 15 Aug 2019 07:23 AM PDT  The U.N. Security Council is due to meet behind closed-doors on Friday at the request of China and Pakistan to discuss India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, diplomats said. The Himalayan region has long been a flashpoint in ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan. Any action by the 15-member council is unlikely as the United States traditionally backs India and China supports Pakistan.
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| U.S. Blacklists China Nuclear Firms Accused of Aiding Military Posted: 14 Aug 2019 08:14 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. added four Chinese nuclear entities to a trade blacklist, accusing them of helping to acquire advanced U.S. technology for military use in China.China General Nuclear Power Group and its subsidiaries China General Nuclear Power Corp., or CGNPC, China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co., and Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute Co. were added to the so-called Entity List, according to a Federal Register notice published Wednesday.The move comes after a crackdown on U.S. exports of civilian nuclear components and materials in recent years. In 2016 the Department of Justice accused China General Nuclear Power, the country's largest nuclear group, of an espionage plot dating back to the 1990s to steal US technology. The Pentagon has also warned over China's plans to introduce floating nuclear power plants on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea.In October last year the Trump administration also announced that it was imposing further restrictions on exports of nuclear-related U.S. technology to China to "prevent China's illegal diversion of U.S. civil nuclear technology for military or other unauthorized purposes."The move follows a similar block against telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co., as well as five Chinese tech companies involved in the country's super-computing efforts, that have aggravated the year-long trade war between China and the U.S. The sides are set to resume face-to-face talks in early September.The notice on Wednesday added 17 entities to a trade blacklist, including groups located in Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Georgia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the U.K. All of them are being put on the list for "acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," it said.The blacklisting designation bars American companies from doing business with the entities unless they are given special U.S. government approval.'Diversion to Military'The Chinese nuclear firms "engaged in or enabled efforts to acquire advanced U.S. nuclear technology and material for diversion to military uses in China," according to the notice.A call to China's embassy in Washington outside regular business hours, as well as a fax to the foreign ministry in Beijing, went unanswered. An official for CGNPC in Beijing said that the company is aware of the news and the impact on its development would be "controllable."Nuclear EspionageThe Justice Department won a guilty plea in 2017 from an engineer charged with illegally helping China General Nuclear Power procure technology in the U.S., including for the design of so-called Small Modular Reactors, which can have military applications. In 2014, the U.S. accused five Chinese military officials with stealing trade secrets, including nuclear reactor technology from Westinghouse Electric Co.China General Nuclear is also a key partner in the U.K., working with France's Electricite de France SA to build the nearly 20 billion pound ($24 billion) Hinkley Point C project. In 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May delayed a final decision on the development amid speculation that it would give Beijing access to the nation's power system.\--With assistance from Feifei Shen.To contact the reporters on this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi in Singapore at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net;Shawn Donnan in Washington at sdonnan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Margaret Collins at mcollins45@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Jeffrey BlackFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Woman calls cops to say her car is stolen — as she speeds away from them, Iowa cops say Posted: 15 Aug 2019 01:51 PM PDT  A woman called 911 to report her car was stolen – while she was leading cops on a chase in the same car, police say.
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| 8 Amazing Species That Were Saved by the Endangered Species Act Posted: 14 Aug 2019 07:20 AM PDT |
| Police officer kills himself, the 9th NYPD death by suicide this year Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:28 AM PDT  An off-duty veteran New York city police officer killed himself, becoming the ninth police officer to die by suicide this year, authorities said.
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| A Princess Cruises passenger died after falling overboard, and investigators are reportedly trying to figure out if she was murdered Posted: 15 Aug 2019 08:07 AM PDT  The woman fell from the 11th deck of the Sun Princess cruise ship and died on Friday, the Taiwanese news agency CNA reported.
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| Trump blames mass shootings on mentally ill, calls for more mental institutions Posted: 15 Aug 2019 02:38 PM PDT  President Donald Trump said on Thursday he supports meaningful background checks for gun buyers, but he told reporters that those responsible for recent mass shootings were mentally ill and the United States should build more mental institutions. The president is under pressure to curb gun violence following mass shootings that killed dozens of people this month in Texas and Ohio.
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| Portland mayor decries violence, hatred ahead of rally Posted: 14 Aug 2019 04:56 PM PDT  Mayor Ted Wheeler spoke at a rally with other leaders ahead of the event Saturday, which is also expected to bring out anti-fascist protesters. The weekend event is being organized by a member of the Proud Boys, which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Also expected at the Saturday event are members of the American Guard, Three Percenters, Oathkeepers and Daily Stormers.
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| Kids go missing for hours as bus driver takes ‘wrong turns,’ Kansas City parents say Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:09 AM PDT  A Kansas City school bus was hours late dropping off children on the first day of school, leaving parents to wonder, "Are my kids OK?"
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| Franco-Irish girl's family mourn 'unbearable' loss as autopsy performed Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:15 AM PDT  Malaysian authorities on Wednesday conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of a Franco-Irish teen found in the jungle after she disappeared from a resort, as her family mourned the "unbearable" loss.
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| Behind Nate Silver’s war with The New York Times Posted: 15 Aug 2019 02:05 AM PDT ![Behind Nate Silver's war with The New York Times]( "Behind Nate Silver's war with The New York Times") The paper's onetime data guru can't stop kicking his ex-employer for its 2020 polling analysis and supposed capitulation to Trump.
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| Armed forces in Kashmir are detaining children and molesting women and girls amid a state-wide blackout, report claims Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:12 AM PDT  The report, published Wednesday, was compiled from conversations with hundreds of Kashmiris after India cancelled their political autonomy.
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| Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:24 AM PDT ![Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation]( "Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation") Communist-run Cuba has imposed price controls on goods and services ranging from lemons and pork to haircuts and taxi fares in what it says is an effort to tame inflation as it increases state wages and pensions. On Thursday, prices in Havana were set for some basic foods such as beans, pork, lemons, bananas, onions and cabbage. In recent weeks, regional authorities have slapped price controls on taxi fares, beverages and haircuts, among other items.
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| Widows sue over troopers' deaths in helicopter crash Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:43 AM PDT  The widows of two Virginia state troopers killed in a helicopter crash the day of a violent white nationalist rally have sued the state and others over their husbands' deaths, alleging the aircraft was not properly maintained or repaired. Amanda Bates and Karen Cullen filed wrongful death lawsuits Monday. H. Jay Cullen and Berke M.M. Bates were aboard the Bell 407 single-engine helicopter on Aug. 12, 2017, to provide video surveillance of public demonstrations in Charlottesville.
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| 1983 Pontiac Firebird Found In Lake 30 Years After Its Theft Posted: 14 Aug 2019 08:03 PM PDT  Ran when parked.Not all automotive reunions have happy endings, but at least the owner of this stolen 1983 Pontiac Firebird might soon know the fate of his or her former car. The Cobb County Police Department reported that last week, a car was found to be partially submerged in a small lake, and today the Firebird was exhumed from its muddy, watery grave.With help from the Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT), Cobb County Fire Department and Cobb County Department of Transportation, the Cobb County police posted pictures of the car being pulled from the water. Few details are known about the car, but it was discovered while Mirror Lake, about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, was being drained for repairs.Members of the neighborhood's homeowner's association had found the car and contacted police. Divers went down to investigate and found out that the car was reported stolen back in 1989. Only the roof of the car was visible with the rest of the Firebird being covered by and filled with mud.Few details are known about the car, but it was confirmed that this '83 Firebird was stolen 30 years ago. There is no windshield or side windows and the entire hood is covered with a thick layer of mud,and the rear suspension seems to be bottomed out suggesting that the interior is also filled with mud. As such, it's highly unlikely that much, if any, of this car is salvageable. The most impressive thing is that the tires still appear to be inflated. Unlike a certain 1972 Opel GT, which sat above sea level for the same amount of time this car was submerged, there's little hope for this theft-recovered Firebird. Source: AJC.com via Cobb County Police Department Read More... * Muscle Cars Stolen From CT Farm * Mystery Surrounds Stolen 1991 Ford Mustang GT Barn Find
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| Trump Panics, Rushes Into Xi’s Arms Posted: 14 Aug 2019 08:38 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It only took a small taste of what a U.S. recession might be like for President Donald Trump to suggest that he wants a trade deal with China after all.The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 800 points in its worst rout of the year after the gap between the two-year and 10-year Treasury yields turned negative for the first time since 2007. An inverted yield curve has preceded the last seven recessions in the U.S.Ever sensitive to stock movements, the president tried to calm the markets after the close. Abandoning his hawkish trade rhetoric, Trump extended an olive branch to Chinese President Xi Jinping in a series of tweets, calling him a "great leader" and a "good man." He ended his posts with "Personal meeting?," without specifying whether he was proposing a summit.The question is how Xi will respond to Trump's overture. Who's more desperate for a trade deal right now? Consider where China and the U.S. are in their respective business cycles. Since the trade war started, American consumers have sat tight and enjoyed their prosperity – just as Trump has boasted. China's economy, by contrast, has been having a much tougher time. In the past year and a half, Beijing has had to deal with all sorts of credit issues that could escalate into a wider economic crisis.Examples abound. Last year, regulators changed margin-financing rules as the stock market suffered one of the world's worst routs. The declines stemmed partly from listed companies pledging shares as collateral to secure short-term bank financing. This spring, the People's Bank of China undertook the first commercial bank seizure in two decades and was forced to calm ensuing jitters in the interbank market. Meanwhile, Beijing has had to deal with periodic peer-to-peer lending crises and bond defaults by state-affiliated entities. That might sound bad, but it helps China now. If a fireman has to put out fires every day for a year, he gets more proficient. That's where Beijing is now.The same can't be said of the U.S.. The slide in its sovereign long-term bond yields – a measure of investor confidence – has been fast and furious. Just two weeks ago, when Federal Reverse Chairman Jerome Powell described the U.S. rate cut as a " mid-cycle adjustment," the gap between the 2-year and 10-year bond yields was still 21 basis points. On Thursday morning in Asia, the 30-year yield, which more reflects traders' view of the overall health of the economy rather than the depth of the current easing cycle, fell to a record low below 2%. To be sure, China's economy is slowing: Industrial output growth is at its weakest since 2002. But digging deep into the data, the picture that emerges is of a government that's measured and confident. For instance, some of the weakness in the July data reflected moves to rein in shadow financing and restart property deleveraging. If Beijing wants better-looking industrial output numbers, it just needs to reopen the liquidity taps – as we saw in the first quarter.On Thursday, the PBOC was showing no signs of panic. The central bank rolled over 383 billion yuan ($54 billion) of medium-term facility loans with interest rates unchanged. While the world's largest central banks are racing toward zero rates, the PBOC has been sitting on the sidelines, saving its firepower for later.China's system has its advantages when it comes to economic management, as I've written. The ability of ministries to co-ordinate their policy responses means China can practice the ultimate in modern monetary theory, which is probably what the U.S. needs right now to restore its yield curve.So while Trump may think his olive branch is a big deal, the message to Washington is: Don't think you've got China on the ropes. Xi was panicking a year ago; he can afford to wait now. To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 7-year-old walking dog is dragged into stranger’s car — but she escapes, Texas cops say Posted: 15 Aug 2019 07:09 AM PDT  A man has been arrested and a young girl is safe thanks to her quick thinking, police say.
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