| Why Kamala Harris Is Fading in the Democratic Primary Posted: 21 Aug 2019 03:30 AM PDT  Anew national CNN poll of the 2020 Democratic primary has some pretty brutal numbers for Kamala Harris. When CNN last polled the presidential race shortly after the first Democratic debate in June, Harris was on Joe Biden's heels, trailing just 17 percent to 22 percent. But according to the latest survey by CNN, conducted August 15 to 18, Biden has rebounded to 29 percent, while Harris has dropped all the way down to 5 percent, tied for fourth place with South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg.What went wrong for Harris?The second Democratic debate was a clear defeat for the California senator, but it's now also obvious that her June debate performance was a Pyrrhic victory.At the first debate, Harris staked everything on attacking Joe Biden's record on busing. It worked for her that night: Biden's immediate response was hapless, Harris was widely declared the winner, and she got a significant bump in the polls.But Harris's line of attack raised an obvious and problematic question for her: Would she support reinstating the policies that Biden opposed?Logically, the answer would appear to need to be "yes.""I support busing. Listen, the schools of America are as segregated, if not more segregated, today than when I was in elementary school," Harris said on June 30. "Where states fail to do their duty to ensure equality of all people and in particular where states create or pass legislation that created inequality, there's no question that the federal government has a role and a responsibility to step up."But there was a problem for Harris: Busing policies were abandoned because they were wildly unpopular, and there's no reason to think they've magically become popular. So Harris equivocated and then backtracked.That attacking Biden on busing would paint the attacker into a corner was predictable. It was in fact predicted. See, for example, the end of this article from March in National Review. (Democratic strategists: Subscribe today!)Going on the offensive and then retreating on busing made Harris seem inauthentic. And the candidate had been dogged by questions of inauthenticity since the start of her campaign because of her waffling on the issue of Medicare for All, the policy at the center of the 2020 Democratic primary.First Harris indicated at a CNN town hall that she supported abolishing private insurance, as Medicare for All proposes. Then Harris said she didn't support abolishing private insurance: She tried to hide behind the fig leaf that Medicare for All allows "supplemental insurance," while obscuring the fact that "supplemental coverage" would be legal for only a very small number of treatments not covered by Medicare for All, such as cosmetic surgery. And cosmetic-surgery insurance doesn't even exist.Harris thought she'd finally figured a way out of the Medicare for All mess in July: She introduced her own plan shortly before the Democratic debates. It tried to split the difference: She promised to transition to a single-payer plan in 10 years (as opposed to Sanders's four-year deadline). This was meant to reassure progressives that they'll get there eventually while also reassuring moderates that there will be at least two more presidential elections before the country goes through with anything crazy.Harris's provision of Medicare Advantage–type plans was also supposed to reassure moderates, but the second debate demonstrated that she still wasn't ready to respond to the fact that her plan would eventually abolish existing private health plans for everyone, and she has no serious plan for how to pay for single-payer.Then there were Joe Biden's and Representative Tulsi Gabbard's devastating attacks on Harris's record as a prosecutor at the second Democratic debate. "Biden alluded to a crime lab scandal that involved her office and resulted in more than 1,000 drug cases being dismissed. Gabbard claimed Harris 'blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until she was forced to do so.' Both of these statements are accurate," the Sacramento Bee reported after the debate.As Harris's backtracking on busing made clear, no one is seriously considering resurrecting the deeply unpopular policies of the 1970s. But criminal justice is very much a live issue in Democratic politics, and that's why the attack on Harris's record as a prosecutor has had such a greater impact than the attack on Biden's record on busing. Biden continues to do very well among African-American voters, while Harris continues to struggle.So Harris's problems go deeper than the fact that she had one good debate followed by one bad debate on matters of style. Both debates revealed she has serious weaknesses on matters of substance. And the hits keep coming on Medicare for All: On Monday, she was savaged by Bernie Sanders after it was reported that Harris told wealthy donors in the Hamptons that she was not "comfortable" with Bernie Sanders's Medicare for All bill, which she co-sponsored and supported until a few weeks ago. There are still five months left until the Iowa caucuses, but the past two months have demonstrated that Harris has deep problems that she can't paper over with some well-rehearsed, well-delivered lines in subsequent debates.
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| Beto O’Rourke: As president, I’d institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons Posted: 22 Aug 2019 04:17 PM PDT  Only America has more guns than people. Follow the lead of moms demanding action and students marching for their lives, writes candidate Beto O'Rourke
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| Six people aged 62 to 85 arrested for 'sexual activity' in woods after police surveillance operation Posted: 22 Aug 2019 02:39 AM PDT  Six people aged 62 to 85 have been arrested after police officers went into the woods to watch them having sex.The group was arrested in a conservation area in Fairfield, Connecticut, which is some 87 acres in size.
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| L.L. Bean's Huge End-of-Summer Sale Is Taking Up to 70% Off Posted: 22 Aug 2019 11:17 AM PDT |
| The NRA's Wayne LaPierre: Washington's all-powerful gun man Posted: 21 Aug 2019 09:48 PM PDT  After a surge in mass shootings and reports of scandalous spending on his own luxury needs, Wayne LaPierre's time as Washington's preeminent power-broker appeared to be up. After two shocking massacres at the beginning of August, Trump initially promised tougher gun controls, a pledge which quickly melted away after he spoke on the phone Tuesday with LaPierre. Suddenly, Trump was again a hardliner defending the most absolutist interpretation of the US Constitution's Second Amendment guarantee of firearms ownership.
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| Newt Gingrich says slavery needs to be put 'in context,' calls 1619 project a 'lie' Posted: 22 Aug 2019 08:53 AM PDT  "There were several hundred thousand white Americans who died in the Civil War in order to free the slaves," Gingrich argued.
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| Court: Electoral College members not bound by popular vote Posted: 21 Aug 2019 04:53 PM PDT  A U.S. appeals court in Denver said Electoral College members can vote for the presidential candidate of their choice and aren't bound by the popular vote in their states. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the Colorado secretary of state violated the Constitution in 2016 when he removed an elector and nullified his vote because the elector refused to cast his ballot for Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote. The ruling applies only to Colorado and five other states in the 10th Circuit: Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. will aggressively enforce sanctions over Iran tanker -State Dept official Posted: 22 Aug 2019 02:52 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-U.S. will aggressively enforce sanctions over Iran tanker -State Dept official]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. will aggressively enforce sanctions over Iran tanker -State Dept official") The United States will aggressively enforce its sanctions to prevent the private sector from assisting an Iranian oil tanker that is traveling through the Mediterranean and that Washington wants seized, a State Department official said on Thursday. "The shipping sector is on notice that we will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions," the official told Reuters days after warning countries not to allow the tanker to dock. Ship tracking data has shown the ship, Adrian Darya, formerly called Grace 1, last heading toward Greece, although Greece's prime minister said it was not heading to his country.
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| Brexit: Boris Johnson warned US trade deal 'highly unlikely' if Ireland has hard border Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:44 PM PDT  A post-Brexit trade deal with the US would be "highly unlikely" if there is a hard border on the island of Ireland, Boris Johnson has been warned.The Congressional Friends of Ireland, a group in the US Congress which supports and promotes peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, has written to the prime minister warning that it will oppose any US-UK trade deal if it risks undermining the Good Friday Agreement.
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| 2020 Chevy Bolt EV Gets More Driving Range Posted: 22 Aug 2019 06:39 AM PDT  The Bolt goes from 238 miles to 259 and leapfrogs rival EVs from Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia.
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| 2016 Ford Mustang Roush Stage 3 Is A Wild Pony Posted: 21 Aug 2019 10:58 AM PDT  Here's your chance to get a babied, one-owner Roush Mustang at no reserve.Before Ford announced the return of the Shelby GT500 for the 2020 model year, the most performance you could squeeze out of a Mustang was from the aftermarket tuning world. The 2016 Ford Mustang Roush Stage 3 is a perfect example of how far the modern Mustang can be pushed, and this gorgeous, one-owner Roush Mustang will be auctioned off at no reserve by GAA Classic Cars.The highest of the Roush tuning levels, the Stage 3 transforms the Mustang into a track car. This starts by bolting a Roush supercharger atop the Mustang's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 resulting in 670 horsepower – a significant improvement over the 435 -horsepower Mustang GT. Roush also added an active performance exhaust system, adjustable coil-over suspension, extreme-duty half shafts and 20-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance tires.Roush made sure its tuned Mustangs wouldn't be confused with a factory Mustang by giving its car a distinctive, racecar-like appearance. Since all of the Roush Mustang tuning options (RS, Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3) had similar styling modifications, that meant any unsuspecting Camaro or Challenger will get a big surprise from this 670-horsepower monster Mustang. The revised front end is far more menacing than the base Mustang GT, but these changes aren't just for style as the hood scoop, heat extractors and larger grille openings are all functional to improve the car's overall performance. Inside, the Stage 3 Roush Mustang gets billet foot pedals with the Roush logo and an eight-ball-style shift knob.This particular car is one of 28 Roush Stage 3 Mustang coupes painted in this dark gray hue, called Magnetic, and it is being auctioned off at no reserve as part of the George Shinn Collection on Saturday, November 9. The George Shinn Collection is owned by George Shinn, the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets who had started the NBA team and then moved it to New Orleans in 2002. Read More... * Rare 2010 Dodge Challenger Saleen In TorRed Goes To Auction * 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Stock Car Being Auctioned At No Reserve
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| Iran unveils home-grown missile defence system Posted: 22 Aug 2019 01:36 AM PDT  Iran unveiled its new home-grown air defence system on Thursday at a time of increased tensions with the United States. Iranian officials have previously called Bavar-373 the Islamic republic's first domestically produced long-range missile defence system. Tehran began making Bavar -- which means "believe" -- after the purchase of Russia's S-300 system was suspended in 2010 due to international sanctions.
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| Yale failed to stop professor who sexually assaulted students over decades, report says Posted: 21 Aug 2019 08:46 PM PDT ![Yale failed to stop professor who sexually assaulted students over decades, report says]( "Yale failed to stop professor who sexually assaulted students over decades, report says") A report commissioned by Yale says a professor assaulted at least five students, and an investigation in 1994 failed to stop him.
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| Climate change turns Arctic into strategic, economic hotspot Posted: 22 Aug 2019 03:16 PM PDT  From a helicopter, Greenland's brilliant white ice and dark mountains make the desolation seem to go on forever. When U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland, it was met with derision, seen as an awkward and inappropriate approach of an erstwhile ally. As melting ice opens shipping lanes and reveals incredible riches, the region is seen as a new geopolitical and economic asset, with the U.S., Russia, China and others wanting in.
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| Los Angeles County deputy sheriff hit by sniper targeting cops Posted: 21 Aug 2019 09:47 PM PDT ![Los Angeles County deputy sheriff hit by sniper targeting cops]( "Los Angeles County deputy sheriff hit by sniper targeting cops") A sniper opened fire at a Los Angeles County sheriff's station on Wednesday afternoon, wounding a deputy and sending police SWAT teams hunting for a gunman on the loose in buildings nearby. The deputy, Angel Reinosa, 21, was shot in the chest as he walked outside the Lancaster City, California, station about 2:45 p.m. (2145 GMT), headed for his car parked near the station's helicopter landing pad. Police sources told the Los Angeles Times that the bullets came from a high-velocity rifle.
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| Death row inmate who always maintained his innocence has been executed Posted: 22 Aug 2019 10:20 AM PDT  A death row inmate who always maintained his innocence has been executed for the abduction, rape and murder of a student more than 20 years ago. Larry Swearingen received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in the Texan city of Huntsville for the 1998 killing of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter.
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| Progressive Group That Backed AOC Takes Aim at Incumbents Across U.S. Posted: 22 Aug 2019 01:00 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The atmosphere at Buunni Coffee in the Bronx is thick with the aroma of roasted Ethiopian beans and anti-establishment fervor.The shop is in the Riverdale neighborhood represented for more than 30 years in the House by Democrat Eliot Engel, a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Wielding their personal laptops and cell phones, a crew of volunteers mostly in their 20s and 30s is trying to change that."Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Jamaal Bowman," begin most calls from a make-shift phone bank upstairs, introducing a progressive candidate few people in the district have ever heard of. A lot of the connections end abruptly. But occasionally, interest is piqued, and another potential voter's name is logged for the middle school principal endorsed by Justice Democrats, the progressive activist group that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a neighboring district.The group is hoping to repeat Ocasio-Cortez's stunning 2018 Democratic primary victory over Joe Crowley, who was a member of House leadership and a 20-year incumbent. Energized by that upset, the Justice Democrats who has endorsed candidates in Massachusetts, Texas and Ohio to challenge Democratic incumbents they deem as too moderate to reflect the progressive energy animating voters in solidly blue districts.It's a major 2020 headache for Pelosi. She often reminds her caucus that their House majority depends on defending and flipping swing districts where middle-of-the-road voters are turned off by progressive causes like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.Losing her incumbents to upstart challengers risks ceding crucial seats to Republicans and playing into President Donald Trump's attempt to present Ocasio-Cortez and her closest allies -- Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota -- as the face of a Democratic Party trending towards socialism.EndorsementBowman, 43, an education-reform activist from Yonkers, is one of Engel's two leading primary challengers. Another is educator Andom Ghebreghiorgis, 33, of Mount Vernon. But it was Bowman who won the endorsement of Justice Democrats, a progressive badge of honor also sought by Ghebreghiorgis and about 10 others vying for the Democratic nomination in New York's 16th Congressional District.The district is heavily Democratic and Engel, 72, has been entrenched. He handily defeated three Democratic primary challengers in 2018 with 74 percent of the vote -- and didn't even have a Republican opponent in the general election.But for Bowman and other progressives, too many Democrats in such safe districts haven't changed with the times and don't reflect the more leftward tilt of their constituents."A corporate Democrat and a paper progressive," is how Bowman dismissively described Engel.The fight for Engel's seat is but one of the tests for whether Ocasio-Cortez's surprise 2018 victory was a template for efforts to yank the party further left, which aren't limited to Justice Democrats.Engel's fellow New Yorkers such as House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Nita Lowey, Kathleen Rice, and Yvette Clark, are among those facing primary challenges, as are Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, Henry Cuellar in Texas and Minority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland.Engel's ConfidenceEngel said he wouldn't know Bowman "if I fell into him" and expressed confidence he won't lose the primary -- to anyone.He concedes that Justice Democrats "did catch lightning in a bottle" by backing the rise of Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. But he suggests the group is seriously miscalculating by "going around the country thinking they can catch lighting in a bottle again in many other places."Justice Democrats, which was founded by former staff members of the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, is trying to do just that.Along with Bowman, the organization so far this year has endorsed Jessica Cisneros to challenge Cuellar in Texas; Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in his Massachusetts primary bid against Neal; and Morgan Harper in an Ohio challenge to Representative Joyce Beatty. The group also endorsed candidates who lost their 2018 challenges to Representatives Dan Lipinski in Illinois, and William Lacy Clay in Missouri. Progressive Betsy Sweet has the group's backing in the primary vying to defeat Republican Senator Susan Collins, as well as Kara Eastman in her bid to unseat Nebraska Representative Don Bacon.'AOC' TiesThe Justice Democrats' website plays up its ties with Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of the squad, but the four freshmen aren't now openly or actively campaigning against their House colleagues. One page sells t-shirts, hoodies and tank tops touting "Ayanna & Ilhan & Rashida & Alexandria" and "Green New Deal.""We thought Jamaal had the best shot to take on someone who is difficult to beat," said Justice Democrat spokesman Waleed Shahid. He pointed to Bowman's background founding the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action, and his advocacy for equitable school funding and opposition to standardized school testing.Shahid said the group's assistance for Bowman is similar to how it is operating for other insurgent House campaigns -- aiding in his launch, helping find staff and making voter contacts. Justice Democrats will use its "pretty wide net" of small-donation contributors to provide support, he said.Bowman and Ghebreghiorgis acknowledge they have a steep, uphill battle to unseat Engel. Ghebreghiorgis said eventually one of them should drop out to prevent a split of the progressive vote.Both seize on election data reflecting that only about 7% of the district's registered voters showed up to cast ballots in the 2018 Democratic primary, and the Bronx portion of district -- which stretches to southern Westchester County -- is under-represented in the turnout.Untapped VotersThey say that suggests voters aren't engaged by Engel and that there's a lot untapped votes that could be won by a challenger."It tends to make you think there's actually a capacity to mobilize and bring people into the fold in the Bronx, who have historically not been voting," Ghebreghiorgis said.Out on the stump, Bowman touts what is becoming a familiar progressive agenda. He is for Medicare for All, free public college tuition, overhauling the criminal justice system and the Green New Deal."My opponent voted for an unjust war in Iraq, deregulating Wall Street, school privatization and building more prisons," Bowman said in his launch video. "While the very few at the top continue to build their wealth and power, the majority of us continue to struggle."At a picnic by the grassroots "Indivisible" group that began in opposition to Trump's 2016 election, Engel made a point to highlight that he has joined the call for an impeachment inquiry, which now roughly half of the 235 House Democrats want to pursue.The incumbent congressman does have some progressive bona fides and a record of liberal achievements. Kenneth Jenkins, the Westchester deputy county executive, and former president of the Yonkers branch of the NAACP, said he's been an Engel supporter for years, dating from their work together on desegregation and housing issues."People forget that Eliot was the rabble-rouser of his time," Jenkins said. "He was the renegade and the liberal."When Engel first ran for the state Assembly in a 1977 special election, he was the insurgent liberal nominee who defeated both the Democratic and Republican candidates. And in his first race for a U.S. House seat, in 1988, he beat a 10-term congressman, Mario Biaggi, who had already resigned his seat after being convicted on racketeering charges, but remained on the primary ballot.At Buunni Coffee, some of the volunteers said they hadn't met Bowman yet. But nearly all were aware he'd gotten the backing of Justice Democrats, the group famous for backing Ocasio-Cortez's 2018 candidacy.Jatnna De La Cruz, 20, a City College of New York political science student, said that "overlap with the Justice Democrats and AOC" played some role in her wanting to canvass for Bowman, but it was not the only reason.Asked what she knew about Engel, she said, "I know is he has been in Congress for 30 years."When Bowman himself arrived, he was clearly happy to find such a crew of canvassers. He said he's proud of his endorsement from the Justice Democrats: "It comes up and I bring it up, I mention it because I want people to know our ideology and where we are coming up."He also recognizes a campaign to topple an incumbent won't be built overnight."It's still early," Bowman said. "We're just working. We have our heads down. We're grinding."To contact the reporter on this story: Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Anna EdgertonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Hispanic Journalism Group Boots Fox News Over Immigrant ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric Posted: 22 Aug 2019 11:25 AM PDT  Kevin HagenA major organization for Hispanic journalists on Thursday gave Fox News the boot from its upcoming conference in response to the network's use "invasion" rhetoric when discussing immigration.Fox News was set to appear as a sponsor at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' confab next month in San Antonio, but in a letter to the group's members, NAHJ President Hugo Balta said that invitation has been revoked."The line between commentary and journalism was crossed long ago by Fox News and is no longer even in sight," wrote Balta, who is currently an MSNBC senior producer. "To accept financial support from an entity that perpetuates the spread of disinformation to the public about the Hispanic and Latino community risks the integrity and credibility of NAHJ's 35 year mission."As such, the NAHJ head wrote, the journalist org will return $16,666 in sponsorship funds back to Fox News."It is unfortunate the country's main organization for Hispanic journalists has chosen to exclude FOX News from their upcoming convention," Marsheila Hayes, Fox News's vice president of diversity and inclusion, wrote in a statement. "As the leading news network in the country, we are committed to fostering a diverse and collaborative workplace environment, and have been recognized in the industry for our advancement in this area, most notably with our multimedia reporter program. We are proud of our inclusive team and their achievements in journalism."Balta explained that the final straw was a recent segment in which Todd Starnes, a Fox News pundit with a lengthy history of racist and anti-gay comments, described immigrants as a "rampaging horde of illegal aliens" and compared them to Nazis.Balta noted that Starnes' comments closely resembled rhetoric used in a racist manifesto written by the suspected gunman who killed more than 22 people earlier this month in El Paso, Texas."Starnes brazen language is symptomatic of a culture that provides a megaphone for disinformation by those in power with agendas, including the Trump administration at the cost of the most vulnerable – immigrant communities," Balta said.Although the organization singled out Starnes, Balta said Fox News was ultimately responsible for such rhetoric. Fox News management "accorded Starnes the license to use his program to sustain and cultivate fear," Balta wrote, adding that the NAHJ repeatedly met with and talked to Fox News about segments the organization found alarming and offensive. "The latest 'regret' by Fox News is one of many where the immigrant community and by association, all Hispanics and Latinos, have been demonized by voices with high visibility due to there being little to no consequences by management," Balta said.Though Fox News will no longer appear as a sponsor at the NAHJ event, Thursday's statement said the organization would continue to engage network brass, and will revisit future sponsorship should they "demonstrate real change and a true sincerity for their partnership with our association."NAHJ joins a number of other organizations who have shunned Fox News over its pervasive anti-immigrant rhetoric. Many advertisers have boycotted purchasing time during Tucker Carlson's primetime show over xenophobic comments he has made in the past year, including describing immigrants as making America "poorer and dirtier."Fox Host Compares Migrants to Nazis: 'We've Been Invaded by a Horde'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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| Trump dismisses criticism of his dual loyalty comments: 'It's only anti-Semitic in your head' Posted: 21 Aug 2019 11:16 AM PDT  President Trump Wednesday expanded on his views about how Jews who vote for Democrats are "disloyal" and dismissed any criticism of his comments.
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| The Latest: Serial killer's execution awaits appeals ruling Posted: 22 Aug 2019 03:03 PM PDT  The scheduled execution of a Florida serial killer who targeted older gay men awaited a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on his final appeals. The high court was mulling a last-ditch appeal Thursday from 57-year-old Gary Ray Bowles, whose lawyers contended he is too intellectually disabled to be executed. Bowles was set to die by lethal injection at the Florida State prison in Starke.
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| Farmer's threat prompts U.S. Agriculture Department to pull staff from crop tour Posted: 21 Aug 2019 07:09 PM PDT  CORALVILLE, Iowa/CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it had pulled all staff from an annual crop tour after an employee was threatened, and three sources said the threat of violence was made during a phone call from an angry farmer. U.S. farmers have complained this month that a government crop report did not reflect damage from historic flooding this spring. Lance Honig, crops chief at the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, was among the USDA staffers who had to leave the privately-run Pro Farmer tour, three sources with knowledge of the situation said.
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| Immigration lawyers: We saw what's happening at the US-Mexico border. It's a tragic farce. Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:29 PM PDT  There is no due process in Mexico for asylum seekers, just endless obstacles to staying alive, finding an attorney and communicating with authorities.
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| Former Manafort deputy Rick Gates testifies against Greg Craig Posted: 22 Aug 2019 05:38 AM PDT  Rick Gates was thrust into public view in August 2017 when he and Manafort were indicted in the first case publicly brought by Mueller's office.
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| China State Media Says U.K. Consulate Worker Visited Prostitute Posted: 22 Aug 2019 05:45 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here.China detained a U.K. consulate staffer from Hong Kong for visiting a prostitute, a Chinese newspaper alleged, a new twist in a case that has raised concerns Beijing is trying to warn the British government against meddling in its former colony.Police in the border city of Shenzhen said Simon Cheng, 28, "violated the 66 article of China's law on administrative penalties for public security, which states that people who engage in prostitution or visit prostitutes shall be detained for no less than 10 days but no more than 15 days," the Communist Party's Global Times reported Thursday. Cheng's 15th day of detention is Friday.Cheng told the police not to notify his family about his detention, the newspaper said, adding that he faces a potential 5,000 yuan ($705) fine. It gave no evidence against Cheng. The UK consulate in Hong Kong did not answer a phone call seeking comment on the allegation. Cheng's girlfriend did not immediately respond to a question on the charge.Before the Global Times story was published, the consulate said it had raised the issue with authorities in China and Hong Kong and was in contact with Cheng's family and providing support.Allegations of visiting prostitutes have later proved false in other instances where Hong Kong residents have been detained in China. A Hong Kong lawmaker apologized after accusing bookseller and Communist Party critic Lee Bo of visiting prostitutes, the South China Morning Post reported in 2016.Separately, allegations of sexual impropriety have appeared alongside political corruption charges in the trials of senior Chinese politicians Bo Xilai, Zhou Yongkang and Sun Zhengcai.The Global Times said Hong Kong, Taiwanese and western media had politicized Cheng's case. "Those reports linked the incident to the current complicated situation in Hong Kong, politicized the case and highlighted his family's lack of knowledge on his whereabouts," the newspaper said.The allegation was also tweeted by the paper's editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, who's among a small number of prominent Chinese figures who comment on topics usually handled with extreme sensitivity by state agencies.China's Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that Cheng, a Hong Kong citizen, was being held in administrative detention in Shenzhen on allegations of violating local laws, but didn't specify any allegations.Cheng is employed by the U.K. Consulate General and works for Scottish Development International, which encourages firms to do business with Scotland. He failed to return home to Hong Kong from an Aug. 8 meeting in Shenzhen.His detention occurred as historic pro-democracy protests have rocked the city since early June. On Wednesday evening, a small group of protesters staged a "Save Simon Cheng" rally outside the consulate in central Hong Kong.Cheng went to Shenzhen to attend a trade fair, leaving around noon on Aug. 8, according to an account circulated by his girlfriend, Annie Li. He was on his way back to Hong Kong after 10 p.m. when he messaged Li to say "passing through" and "pray for me." He then stop communicating. The next morning, Li and Cheng's family went to the U.K. consulate, which told them to file a police report. Police launched a missing person's investigation. (Adds details on Cheng's time in Shenzhen from eleventh paragraph. An earlier version corrected to clarify that allegation against Lee Bo was made by a Hong Kong lawmaker, who later apologized.)\--With assistance from Peter Martin.To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Sheryl Tian Tong Lee in Hong Kong at slee1905@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Sharon ChenFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Giant panda Bei Bei, soon to go bye-bye, turns four in US Posted: 22 Aug 2019 09:12 AM PDT  The birthday celebration for Bei Bei -- his name is pronounced "Bay Bay" -- could be viewed live thanks to the zoo's "Panda Cam," which broadcasts scenes of the four-year-old and his siblings and parents from their enclosure round-the-clock. Bei Bei will soon be returned to China, under terms of the agreement that brought him to the US zoo on loan. Under the loan agreement, the zoo pays China $500,000 a year to support conservation efforts there, and any panda cubs born at the zoo may stay until age four, according to the Smithsonian website.
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| South Korea ramps up trade war with Japan by ending intelligence-sharing pact, potentially stripping it of vital information about North Korea Posted: 22 Aug 2019 08:34 AM PDT  The US, which shares intelligence with both countries, could also lose from the end of the General Security of Military Information Agreement.
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| Trump again says he is 'very seriously' looking to end birthright citizenship Posted: 21 Aug 2019 12:35 PM PDT  Eight months after first raising the idea, the president said his administration is again "very seriously" looking into ending the practice of conferring U.S. citizenship on anyone born in the United States.
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| Weekslong migrant standoffs in Med becoming 'new normal' Posted: 22 Aug 2019 12:43 PM PDT  A rescue ship carrying 356 people, mostly Africans, rescued in the Mediterranean off Libya is nearing two weeks at sea without being assigned a safe port to offload its traumatized passengers — a situation one charity worker decried as "the new normal" as Europe fails to devise a systematic response. It is inhumane," Jay Berger, project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders on the ship, the Ocean Viking, said by satellite phone Thursday. The Ocean Viking conducted four rescues off Libya from Aug. 9-12, and is in its 13th day without being permitted to disembark the rescued people in a safe harbor, as dictated by maritime law.
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| Interpol issues red notice for former Colombian guerrilla leader Posted: 22 Aug 2019 08:06 AM PDT  Interpol on Thursday issued a red notice for a fugitive Colombian lawmaker and former FARC rebel commander who the United States wants extradited for alleged conspiracy to export 10 tonnes of cocaine. Seuxis Paucias Hernandez - known best by his guerrilla nom de guerre Jesus Santrich - was indicted in 2017 by a U.S. grand jury, setting off a legal saga that has seen him twice arrested and released. Hernandez has denied the U.S. allegations.
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| Why are Jason Momoa and other Native Hawaiians protesting a telescope on Mauna Kea? What's at stake? Posted: 21 Aug 2019 05:55 PM PDT  Protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope at Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island have elevated issues of Native Hawaiian rights and conservation.
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| 3 Russian teen sisters on trial for killing their father, citing years of horrific abuse, put a spotlight on domestic violence in the country Posted: 22 Aug 2019 05:51 PM PDT  Krestina, Angelina, and Maria, Khachaturyan stabbed their father 36 times. Their lawyer says they suffered years of abuse, and acted in self-defense.
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| View Netflix Hyperdrive Photos Posted: 21 Aug 2019 02:33 PM PDT |
| Lone Analyst Who Cut Cathay to Sell Says He Faces Huge Pressure Posted: 22 Aug 2019 02:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The analyst who issued a report warning investors to dump shares of embattled Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. before they tumble to their lowest levels since 1998, is getting a lot of blowback after his controversial call."Never before in my 12 years of investment analyst career have I received this much pressure on a particular stock rating," Zhao Dongchen, who last week issued his inaugural report on Cathay with a "strong sell," said in an emailed response to Bloomberg queries. "Never before in my 36 years of life am I under such heavy pressure."Zhao, who's head of equity research at the investment-banking arm of state-run giant Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., issued his report as Cathay was under fire from China and facing boycotts from government-run businesses because the carrier's employees joined the anti-Beijing protests in Hong Kong. No other analyst is advising investors to sell Cathay and Zhao's HK$6 target price is more than 40% below the stock's current price."We have one of China's biggest state banks issuing an especially bearish and unusual sell recommendation on a private company in H.K. that is already the target of the Chinese state," said George Magnus, a former UBS Group AG chief economist and author of "Red Flags: Why Xi's China Is in Jeopardy." "You don't have to try hard to conclude that the interests of Chinese state banking institutions and the government are closely aligned."Since Zhao's report, which preceded the abrupt resignation of Cathay's chief executive officer, shares of Hong Kong's flag carrier have rebounded 6.1%, making it the fifth-best-performer among 64 listed global airlines tracked by Bloomberg.Meanwhile, Zhao has been facing pressure to cancel or delay interviews, change his rating or target price, and refrain from issuing research updates on Cathay since his Aug. 13 report, he said. "A lot of people" tried to persuade him to "go easy" on the company, Zhao said.Still, nobody influenced the report or its timing, and he stands by the call, Zhao said. He said that his research was independent and that people shouldn't unfairly single out Chinese banks for having state ties because so do lenders in places like the U.K. and Singapore.In his report, entitled "Less Deserved to Fly," Zhao criticized the Hong Kong carrier for potentially causing "irreversible damage" to the company's brand because of "poor crisis management" in relation to the protests. The report said that a large-scale management reshuffle would be an "upside risk" for the company."My strong sell rating is based on the difference between Cathay's stock price and our target price," he said. "Simple as that." He said he won't shy away from a "shock rating" as he believes contrarian reports to be more helpful to investors.Zhao said Cathay currently trades at a premium to other airlines in Asia, which he believes will "evaporate" because of factors ranging from the unrest in Hong Kong to the effects of the U.S.-China trade war on global commerce.Also, the airline's management team has shown a "severe lack of composure" in dealing with crises, including a recent data breach and problems with the Chinese regulator, Zhao said.So what's Zhao's advice for Cathay now?"Be a better company," he said.Cathay Pacific declined to comment.Zhao, who typically focuses on raw materials research, runs a team of 21 equity analysts covering 8 sectors at Hong Kong-based ICBC International.Zhao's primary expertise lies away from airlines, with the analyst voted number one for China energy research by Institutional Investor this year, according to ICBC. He started covering Cathay for ICBC International only in March, though he said he has kept a close watch on industries such as transportation.In 2006, when he first started out in a mutual fund, Zhao said he covered airlines for about three months. "To me, the airlines sector has never been a stranger," he said.Yet Zhao stands alone among his peers in his bearish view of Cathay. Of the 19 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, 13 have the equivalent of a buy rating and 5 have holds."Strong sell is the wrong rating on the stock at the moment," said Mark Webb, an analyst at GMT Research in London who previously covered the stock for 18 years at HSBC Holdings Plc. "Only a significant deterioration in the situation in Hong Kong would make it go significantly lower from here."Asked why Zhao appears to only assign his harshest ratings to foreign companies such as Rio Tinto Plc, Vale SA and BHP Group Ltd, while only giving buy ratings for Chinese companies such as Shandong Gold Mining Co., Zhao said:"I did just issue a strong sell rating on Cathay Pacific, didn't I? That's a Hong Kong-incorporated company, not a foreign one."To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Evelyn Yu in Shanghai at yyu263@bloomberg.net;Gregor Stuart Hunter in Hong Kong at ghunter21@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, ;Christopher Anstey at canstey@bloomberg.net, Christopher JasperFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Beijing hits back after Trudeau vows to stand up to China Posted: 22 Aug 2019 02:38 AM PDT  Beijing on Thursday accused Ottawa of worsening bilateral relations after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to stand up to China amid deepening diplomatic and trade disputes. The two countries have been locked in a feud since last December, when Canada detained top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and -- in apparent retaliation -- China detained two Canadian nationals over espionage-linked accusations. On Wednesday, Trudeau pushed back against Beijing in a speech that promised to "always defend Canadians and Canadian interests" and to not "back down".
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| Epstein's jail guards warned his cellmate 'there will be a price to pay' if he talks about Epstein's suicide, lawyer claims Posted: 21 Aug 2019 06:14 AM PDT  Bruce Barket, who represents Nicholas Tartaglione, said the Metropolitan Correctional Center told him to "shut up" about Jeffrey Epstein's suicide.
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| Trump touts quote calling him 'second coming of God' to Jews in Israel Posted: 21 Aug 2019 06:54 AM PDT  A day after saying American Jews who vote for Democrats show "great disloyalty," President Trump touted comments from a conservative radio host who said that Jews in Israel "love him" like a king or the Messiah.
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| Hannity: There has never been a better friend and ally to the state of Israel than Donald J. Trump Posted: 21 Aug 2019 07:00 PM PDT  Sean Hannity weighs in on President Trump's relationship with Israel and 'the Squad's' feud.
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| The Latest: UK says officials can't contact consulate worker Posted: 22 Aug 2019 06:13 AM PDT  The British government says officials and family members have not been able to speak with a Hong Kong consulate employee who has been detained by mainland Chinese authorities. Cheng's friends believe he was detained at a Hong Kong high-speed railway station that has been the focus of controversy because passengers go through Chinese immigration and customs inside it. The British government said it continues to "urgently seek further information" about the case.
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| A woman never returned to work after her lunch break. Police say a coworker killed her Posted: 22 Aug 2019 05:30 PM PDT ![A woman never returned to work after her lunch break. Police say a coworker killed her]( "A woman never returned to work after her lunch break. Police say a coworker killed her") Kenneth C. Saal, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Carolyn Byington, who never returned to work from a lunch break.
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