| Andrew Yang Cautions Democrats against Focusing on Impeachment during Presidential Campaign Posted: 04 Nov 2019 06:36 AM PST  Andrew Yang urged Democrats on Sunday not to focus on the impeachment of President Trump during the presidential campaign."I am for impeachment, but the fact is when we're talking about Donald Trump, we are not presenting a new way forward and a positive vision for the country that Americans will get excited about," Yang said during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press."That's the only way we're going to win in 2020, and that's the only way we're actually going to start actually solving the problems that got him elected," Yang continued. "Even when we're talking about impeaching Donald Trump, we're talking about Donald Trump and we are losing."Yang, an entrepreneur best known for his trademark universal basic income proposal, is currently sitting at 2.7 percent nationally in the Democratic primaries according to RealClearPolitics polling average.Former San Fransisco mayor Willie Brown has also cautioned Democrats against highlighting the impeachment inquiry during the primary. In a column for the San Fransisco Chronicle, Brown argued that the House vote on October 31 to formalize impeachment proceedings may have actually helped the president."If anything, the vote solidified Trump's hold on power," wrote Brown. "There were zero GOP defections, meaning we have zero drama heading into the public phase of impeachment. Everyone is pretty much in the same lanes they've been in since the Russian-collusion investigation, the obstruction of justice investigation and every other investigation."The resolution to impeach President Trump passed 232-196 with every House Republican and two Democrats voting against it.The House is conducting its impeachment inquiry into whether Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to coerce the opening of an investigation into corruption allegations against Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
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| A woman was impaled by a metal pole while riding in the passenger seat of a car, but somehow miraculously survived Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:39 PM PST  A large piece of metal fell off the back of a big rig truck and burst through the woman's car, piercing her leg and pinning her to her seat.
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| Persons of interest identified in deaths of New Hampshire couple found buried on Texas beach Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:05 AM PST  Bodies of the New Hampshire couple were found buried on a South Texas beach. Police said persons of interest have
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| Brazil's Bolsonaro says 'worst is yet to come' on oil spill Posted: 03 Nov 2019 06:59 PM PST  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday that "the worst is yet to come" with an oil spill that has affected more than 200 beaches on the country's coast. "What came so far and what was collected is a small amount of what was spilled," Bolsonaro said in an interview with Record television. Oil slicks have been appearing for three months off the coast of northeast Brazil and fouling beaches along a 2,000 kilometer (1,250 mile) area of Brazil's most celebrated shoreline.
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| Assistant scoutmaster charged with sexually abusing boy, 12 Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:15 PM PST  An assistant scoutmaster on Long Island has been charged with sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy at several Boy Scouts of America retreats and meetings. Nassau County police arrested 26-year-old Jonathan Spohrer at his home in North Bellmore on Thursday after an extensive investigation, the department said. Police said Spohrer abused the boy during Boy Scouts retreats at several locations in New York state from January through November of 2018.
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| Meet The Vietnam Fighter Aces That Terrorized U.S. Pilots Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:30 AM PST  Immortalized in history.
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| Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:37 AM PST ![Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia]( "Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia") Several thousand demonstrators banged on kitchen pots and chanted "Catalonia has no king!" on Monday in protest against a visit by the Spanish royal family to the capital of the region that has been hit by weeks of separatist protests. Attended by King Felipe, his wife Queen Letizia and two daughters, the venue of the Princess of Girona young talent awards ceremony in Barcelona was heavily guarded by police who had installed heavy fences and blocked vans one of the city's main thoroughfares with vans. Some protesters burned pictures of the king.
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| Rudy Giuliani accused Biden of interfering in a Ukrainian investigation for political gain. Giuliani may have done exactly that in 2017. Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:13 PM PST  The events that took place in 2017 bear striking similarities to what President Trump and Rudy Giuliani did in Ukraine this year.
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| California fires, rising seas: Millions of climate refugees will dwarf Dust Bowl by 2100 Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:38 AM PST  An environmental crisis in the early 1900s created 'Dust Bowl refugees.' Today's climate crisis is much bigger and will last for decades, not years.
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| China’s Xi Backs Lam’s Leadership Amid Hong Kong Protest Chaos Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:55 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- China President Xi Jinping has backed the leadership of Hong Kong's embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam after five months of pro-democracy protests that have roiled the city, saying he has a high degree of trust in her.During a face-to-face meeting in Shanghai on Monday, Xi told Lam that she had led the Hong Kong government in stabilizing the situation and put in a lot of hard work amid the unrest, according to a report from China's official Xinhua News Agency.Xi told Lam, who was in Shanghai to attend the China International Import Expo, that he demanded unswerving efforts to stop and punish violent activities in accordance with the law to safeguard the well-being of the general public in Hong Kong. After she delivered a report to the president on the situation, Xi said that ending violence and chaos and restoring order remained the most important tasks in the city.Beijing-appointed Lam remains in the job after denying media reports that the Chinese government was planning her removal after her administration failed to quell months of increasingly violent unrest.Her introduction of legislation that would allow extraditions to mainland China sparked the months of protests against Beijing's tightening grip over the former British colony, which continue even after the bill was withdrawn.To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Isabel ReynoldsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Fox News' Sean Hannity denies claim he spoke with Mike Pompeo about Ukraine following release of testimony Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:03 PM PST  Ex-Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch testified she was told Mike Pompeo or someone in his "inner circle" planned to call Fox News' Sean Hannity.
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| The Latest: Supreme Court denies stay in SD execution Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:41 PM PST  The execution of a South Dakota man will proceed Monday night after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected three appeals to delay his execution. Charles Russell Rhines was supposed to be executed at 1:30 p.m. on Monday for the slaying of 22-year-old Donnivan Schaeffer at a Rapid City doughnut shop. The Department of Corrections said they would begin moving forward with the execution at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
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| A Freak Radioactive Refueling Accident Killed This Russian Submarine Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST  The radiation still lingers to this day.
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| California illegal pot seizures top $1.5 billion in value Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:05 PM PST  Authorities seized more than $1.5 billion worth of illegally grown marijuana plants in California this year — an amount an industry expert said is roughly equal to the state's entire legal market — as part of an annual eradication program, officials said Monday. The raids netted more than 950,000 plants from nearly 350 growing operation sites this year through the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting program, an effort known as CAMP that dates to 1983 and is considered the nation's largest illegal marijuana eradication program. Consumers are projected to spend $3.1 billion in California's legal cannabis industry and $8.1 billion in the illicit market this year, according to a report from industry advisers Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.
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| China is reportedly sending men to sleep in the same beds as Uighur Muslim women Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:01 AM PST  Chinese men assigned to monitor the homes of Uighur women whose husbands are in prison camps frequently sleep in the same bed with the women, Radio Free Asia reported last week.
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| Every Mid-Engined Sports Car—Including a Few You Might Afford! Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST |
| Lev Parnas Changes Course, Now Willing to Comply with Impeachment Probe Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:30 PM PST  Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani who was arrested last month on charges of violating campaign-finance law and has emerged as a central player in the events that led the House to open a presidential-impeachment inquiry, has changed course and will now comply with the inquiry, according to his lawyer."We will honor and not avoid the committee's requests to the extent they are legally proper, while scrupulously protecting Mr. Parnas' privileges including that of the Fifth Amendment," Parnas's lawyer Joseph Bondy told Reuters.Parnas was subpoenaed by the House on the same day that he and his business partner, Igor Fruman, were charged with illegally disguising donations to Republican candidates "for the purpose of gaining influence with politicians so as to advance their own personal financial interests and the political interests of Ukrainian government officials." Their deadline to comply was set for October 16, which passed with neither testifying.Parnas's reversal comes the same day of the release of the House testimony of Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine, who complied with a subpoena and testified on October 11, a day after Parnas and Fruman were arrested. In her testimony, Yovanovitch alleges that the two men, in coordination with Giuliani, were key forces behind her eventual ouster."There were two individuals from Florida, Mr. Parnas and Mr Fruman, who were working with Mayor Giuliani, and that they had set up the meetings for Mr. Giuliani with [former Ukrainian prosecutor] Mr. Lutsenko," Yovanovitch said. "And that they were interested in having a different ambassador at post, I guess for — because they wanted to have business dealings in Ukraine, or additional business dealings."
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| 'It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:30 PM PST !['It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling]( "'It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling") Hundreds of people protested in Spain's capital on Monday against a court ruling last week that cleared five men of gang-raping a 14-year-old girl and instead found them guilty of the lesser charge of sexual abuse. Barcelona's High Court sentenced the five on Thursday to 10 to 12 years in prison, saying the 2016 assault was not rape because the victim, who was drunk and unconscious, could neither "agree to (nor) oppose the sexual relations". A similar ruling in the so-called Wolfpack case sparked mass protests across Spain last year over chauvinism and sexual abuse and it was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court in June.
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| Five wounded as knife attack caps day of Hong Kong political chaos Posted: 03 Nov 2019 07:48 AM PST  A man went on a knife rampage in Hong Kong late Sunday leaving at least five people wounded, including a local pro-democracy politician who had his ear bitten off, capping another chaotic day of political unrest in the city. The violence was less sustained than Saturday when police and protesters fought hours of cat and mouse battles after thousands took the streets for an unsanctioned march. Live footage showed Andrew Chiu, a local pro-democracy councillor, having his ear bitten off after trying to subdue the attacker, while a second man was seen unconscious in a growing pool of blood as bystanders desperately tried to stem wounds to his back.
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| Impeachment inquiry: Ambassador Yovanovitch says she was told to tweet support of Trump Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:39 PM PST  The House released hundreds of pages of testimony from former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and former State Department aide Michael McKinley.
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| Microsoft's Japanese Division Switched to a 4-Day Workweek — Then Productivity Skyrocketed Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:37 AM PST  Japan has been struggling with some of the world's longest working hours
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| Confirmed: China Still Insists It Won't Use Nuclear Weapons First in a War Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST  A good thing too.
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| Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:18 PM PST ![Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria]( "Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria") Little is known about the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Turkish official said the 65-year-old known as Rasmiya Awad is suspected of being affiliated with the extremist group. The area is part of the region administered by Turkey after it carried out a military incursion to chase away IS militants and Kurdish fighters starting 2016.
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| Turkey's Erdogan may call off a visit to Washington next week in protest Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:29 AM PST  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may call off a visit to Washington next week in protest of votes in the House of Representatives to recognize mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey, three Turkish officials said.
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| Fox News Host Steve Hilton Accuses Colleague Marie Harf of ‘Covering Up the Corruption’ of Bidens Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:57 AM PST  Daytime talk show Outnumbered became extremely tense, heated, and personal on Monday when Fox News host Steve Hilton accused Fox contributor and former State Department spokesperson Marie Harf of engaging in a cover-up of former Vice President Joe Biden's "corruption" in Ukraine.Moments after House committees released transcripts of the closed-door testimony of two impeachment witnesses, Hilton—who served as the lone male co-host of the Fox News female-centric panel show—went full "Deep State" conspiracy theorist, insisting that the intelligence bureaucracy is "protecting Joe Biden."Embracing Trumpworld's narrative that Biden pushed for a Ukrainian prosecutor to be ousted in order to disappear charges against the company his son worked for, Hilton baselessly alleged that Biden and former Secretary of State John Kerry were both involved in corruption."The only real corruption allegation is against Joe Biden," Hilton declared. "He supervised Ukraine policy, supervised billions of dollars of aid that went from the U.S. Taxpayer to Ukraine. Much of that went to a gas company paying his son. How much money did Joe Biden channel to his son's business?"He went on to accuse Kerry of "channeling money to Ukraine," calling on Ukraine to look into the former senator. And then Hilton finished his rant by claiming that Kerry's former aide used a position at Burisma to funnel more money to U.S. lawmakers in an effort to shape foreign policy—an accusation that prompted Harf to jump in."There's no evidence that anything you said [is true], I worked at the State Department then," Harf exclaimed."Well you're covering up the corruption, too. You defend it," Hilton fired back, causing Harf, now a Democratic strategist, to shout: "Are you kidding me?!""I am on this couch with you covering the news," she added. "Please don't accuse me of covering something up.""You are," insisted Hilton, who hosts Fox's The Next Revolution. "Because you are saying there's no evidence I've just given you."As Harf once again pushed back, saying she was there at the time and there was "no evidence," Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner interjected to toss the broadcast to live coverage of remarks by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA).Later on in the show, the two would continue their debate, with Hilton wondering how much Ukrainian aid during the Obama years "ended up in the bank account of Burisma" while Harf reiterated that there was no evidence of wrongdoing and he was just "making insinuations."Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment on a Fox host accusing a colleague of corruption.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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| Kamala Harris gets coveted invite from powerful Nevada union Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:34 PM PST  Kamala Harris will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to hold a town hall with the powerful casino workers' Culinary Union in Las Vegas. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 represents bartenders, housekeepers and other workers in the city's famed casinos. The union's leaders have had private meetings with most of the presidential candidates, but Harris is the first to be invited to a town hall with the union's rank-and-file members.
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| Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque Posted: 03 Nov 2019 11:39 PM PST ![Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque]( "Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque") In the Indian town of Ayodhya, minority Muslims are feeling under siege as they await a Supreme Court ruling on a centuries-old religious dispute that has cast a shadow over their relations with the majority Hindu community. After a tangle of legal cases, the Supreme Court in August decided to hear arguments every day in an effort to resolve the dispute over what should be built on the ruins of the 16th-century Babri Masjid, destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992. The uproar over the mosque triggered some of India's deadliest riots, in which nearly 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed.
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| Iran frets as anti-government protests take hold in Iraq and Lebanon Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:22 AM PST  Protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi Shia holy city of Karbala on Sunday, as demonstrations continued to grow against Tehran's influence in the country. Crowds scaled the building's concrete barriers and tried to take down the Iranian flag and replace it with the Iraqi one before three were shot dead by security forces. Many demonstrators have accused Iran of propping up the "corrupt, inefficient" government they want to overthrow, as they have taken to the streets in the biggest mass protests since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. "I am the son of Karbala and there is no Iranian who can dictate to me," one angry protester shook his fist as he spoke to a local TV station, in a clip widely shared on social media on Monday. An Iraqi protester waves the Iraqi national flag as he stands on a concrete wall at the Iranian consulate in Karbala, Iraq Credit: REX In recent days, they have been seen burning posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which would have been unthinkable before the recent protests began last month. In the 16 years since the fall of Saddam Huseein, a Sunni Muslim, Shia neighbour Iran has emerged as a key power broker in Iraqi politics. Tehran closely backs both its Shia-led government and maintains control over a number of powerful armed groups in Iraq. Iran has reportedly stepped in to prevent the ouster of Abdel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's prime minister, which has been called for by protesters and prominent political rivals. Militias backed by Tehran have tried to help put down the rallies, which are growing in scale, deploying snipers and firing on unarmed demonstrators. More than 250 people have been killed since the protests first erupted on October 1. Iraqi demonstrators block al-Sanak bridge during the ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad Credit: Reuters In another holy city, Najaf, demonstrators changed the name of Imam Khomenei road (after the late ayatollah) to " Martyrs of October Revolution" road after those killed. Elsewhere, in Lebanon, protesters have been chanting against what they see as the meddling of both Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Mediterranean country's domestic affairs. Protests against political corruption and mismanagement have been largely secular and peaceful, however supporters of the two biggest Shia parties, Hizbollah and Amal, have attempted to quash the rallies with violence. Lebanon's government is dominated by the allies of Shia armed movement Hizbollah, through which Iran exerts significant influence. Hizbollah is part of a political bloc that won the 2018 election, giving it control over the parliament and most to lose should the government fall. Lebanese riot policemen face off with anti-protest demonstrators shouting pro-Hizbollah and Amal Movement slogans in Beirut Credit: REX Protests in Iraq and Lebanon have rattled Iran, analysts say, threatening the latter's hard-won influence on both countries. "Very clearly, Iran in both Lebanon and Iraq wants to protect the system and not allow it to fall apart," said Renad Mansour, researcher at London-based Chatham House. In both countries "it considers the demands of protesters potentially destabilising," he said.
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| Mexican cartels making 'mass quantities' of fentanyl pills: US Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:09 AM PST  US authorities warned Monday that "mass quantities" of counterfeit prescription drugs laced with the opioid fentanyl are being produced in Mexico for distribution in North America. A sample of tablets seized in the US found that 27 percent contained potentially lethal doses of fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that US authorities blame for more than 100 deaths a day in the United States.
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apologizes to man who sued her for blocking him on Twitter Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:38 PM PST  "Mr. Hikind has a First Amendment right to express his views and should not be blocked for them," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.
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| This Is How Russia Commits "Lawfare" Around The World Posted: 03 Nov 2019 03:00 PM PST  The case of Interpol provides an example.
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| FBI Investigating Theft of U.S. Biomedical Research by Scientists Linked to China Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:17 AM PST  The FBI in conjunction with the National Institute of Health is investigating the theft of U.S. biomedical research by scientists with links to China, according to the New York Times.71 institutions, including some of the top medical research facilities in the U.S., are looking into 180 individual cases of possible intellectual property theft. Almost all of the individuals under investigation are of Chinese descent, some of them naturalized American citizens.So far, 24 of those cases have been referred to the NIH inspector general with evidence of criminal activity."It seems to be hitting every discipline in biomedical research," said Dr. Michael Lauer, deputy director for extramural research at the N.I.H.Some of those under investigation have obtained Chinese patents for work owned by U.S. institutions and funded by the U.S. government, while others are suspected of duplicating U.S. research in secret laboratories in China. Redacted emails provided to the Times showed researchers apparently ferrying research items to China from the U.S."I should be able to bring the whole sets of primers to you (if I can figure out how to get a dozen tubes of frozen DNA onto an airplane)," read one email, referring to medical testing materials.In January of this year, the U.S. Justice Department charged Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei with intellectual property theft and fraud.Huawei poses a "dual threat to both our economic and national security, and the magnitude of these charges makes clear just how seriously the FBI takes this threat," FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a press conference announcing the charges.
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| Inside the Trump Administration's Fight to End Nationwide Injunctions Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:12 PM PST  In its latest battle with the courts, the Trump administration is pushing to end nationwide injunctions. Here's why.
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| South Africa Appoints New Envoys in Drive to Raise $100 Billion Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:27 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed three new envoys, including two former ministers, to help with his drive to attract $100 billion in new investment.Former Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has been appointed to drive investment in the oil and gas industry, South Africa's Presidency said in a statement on Monday. Derek Hanekom, the ex-trade and industry minister, will have a similar remit in the tourism industry, alongside Elizabeth Thabethe, the current deputy tourism minister.South Africa is scheduled to hold an investment conference in Johannesburg from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7.Ramaphosa has also established an investment and infrastructure office, to be headed by former Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, the presidency said.To contact the reporter on this story: Alastair Reed in Edinburgh at areed12@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Vernon Wessels at vwessels@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST ![Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found]( "Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found") Cyprus' president pledged on Monday to revoke any of his island republic's passports found to have been "mistakenly" granted to wealthy overseas investors under a controversial cash-for-citizenship program. Nicos Anastasiades said errors may have been made in granting such so-called "golden passports" under an earlier, laxer version of the program. "We have to admit mistakes" over some "blatant" instances where passports shouldn't have been issued, Anastasiades told reporters.
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| FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:00 AM PST ![FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles]( "FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles") After years on the street, Kimberly Decoursey spends her nights at a Los Angeles temporary housing site called the Hollywood Studio Club. Decoursey, 37, who grew up in foster homes, considers the friends who have shared her struggles on the streets of Los Angeles to be her family. "A lot of them would give their right arm to be inside," Decoursey said of her comrades inhabiting grimy tents pitched on dirt patches in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
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| Owner remains hopeful after Kincade Fire destroys his winery Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:33 AM PST  Coming home after wildfire evacuations is a relief for some families, but can spell complete heartbreak for others. Some residents are returning home after California's largest evacuation in history to find their home and belongings have turned to ashes.Fires ignited across California and were fanned by strong winds last week -- the blazes threatened expensive Los Angeles area homes and the Getty Center, swept through agricultural land, closed the 405 Freeway, and almost burned down a presidential library.Even though firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish multiple fires, they weren't able to protect everyone's homes and businesses.Ken Wilson, the owner of Soda Rock Winery, bought the winery in 2000 and served patrons local wine for 19 years until the exploding Kincade Fire threatened his business.As of Monday morning, the Kincade Fire has charred more than 77,000 acres of land in Sonoma County, which is located right in the heart of California wine country, since it first ignited on Oct. 23, 2019. It is 80 percent contained. Ken Wilson standing in front of what used to be Soda Rock WineryAccuWeather Photo/Bill Wadell) Wilson returned from the mandatory evacuation to find his winery in ruins."Those steel beams originally came off a bridge, I think in Dry Creek Valley in the 1800s, and you can see they're all twisted and bent, so it got pretty hot in there," Wilson told AccuWeather Reporter Bill Wadell in an interview. Soda Rock Winery distilled to ashes after the Kincade Fire destroyed his business in Healdsburg, California. "A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it for many years so it's hard to imagine all of those years going away," Wilson said.However, Wilson is looking at the glass as half full, despite all of his losses. The flames spared his vineyards, and much of the inventory of wine is stored off-site and is still good to sell. Also, he is thankful his employees are OK. Soda Rock Winery before the Kincade fire turned it to dust. "I imagine things will get better around here also with the fires. I think that maybe we will have different management in place," Wilson said."We left in our pajamas and that was it," Bernadette Laos told AccuWeather reporter Bill Wadell in an interview. Laos and her husband, Justo, had heeded evacuation warnings as the Kincade Fire approached.When mandatory evacuations were lifted, Laos said she hesitated to return home to see the destruction. But when they did return, they found the fire had decimated their home near Geyserville, California, and they began sifting through charred possessions.It took hours of searching and some help from friends, but Laos told Waldell they were able to salvage jewelry -- and her husband's wedding ring. A friend of Bernadette Laos displays jewelry salvaged from her home that was destroyed by the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) "I'm still in shock. There's nothing like going home," Laos said. Justo and Burnadette Laos show a photo of the home they rented that was destroyed by the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, Calif. Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Ellie Laks looked across the animal sanctuary founded on her dream to help animals and people alike. A few horses stood calmly in a pasture, waiting patiently at the gate, but thick smoke was rolling in over the mountains. The Tick Fire was rapidly approaching."It's moving very, very fast," Laks said, a few flames visible from over the mountains. The orange-brown smoke blotted out most of the sky.With the power out, Laks took to Twitter to call for help in evacuating the 100 or so animals that called the sanctuary home as the Tick Fire crept over the mountainside."The Gentle Barn is home to animals who have nowhere else to go because they're too old, too sick, too lame or too scared to be adoptable," Laks told AccuWeather in a phone interview.Dogs, birds, cows, sheep, pigs and other animals that called the sanctuary home were loaded up and driven off to about four different locations. Even a few oddballs like Earl the emu and King the llama had found a new temporary refuge.Problems with the evacuation arose, however, when animals such as Zeus, an old, 750-pound pig, physically couldn't step up into a trailer to evacuate. Pigs typically live to 4 to 5 years old, according to The Gentle Barn. Zeus is still kicking at 12 years of age.The sanctuary also had concerns for one of their older cows, who they feared would have a fatal slip trying to step into the trailer.And then there was Zoe.The Belgian draft horse had put on the brakes at the door of the trailer, refusing to leave her home."There was nothing wrong with her," Laks said. "There's nothing physically challenging for her, she just didn't want to, and how are you going to make a 2,500-pound horse do anything?"From the afternoon until midnight, Laks, staff and volunteers worked to load the animals that they could into trucks and trailers. They crated the chickens and turkeys, led the goats by leashes and their horns and carried the sheep before loading the horses and cattle into the remaining trailers. The volunteers that didn't have trailers and couldn't lead the animals lined the street at the edge of the five acres, armed with fire extinguishers, jackets, and blankets trying to put out approaching flames.Weighing their options with the winds starting to ease up, the decision was made to keep animals like Zeus, Zoe and a potbelly pig, named Jellie, at the sanctuary while staying up for the rest of the night to keep an eye on the progress of the flames.The animals made it safely through the night, but the sanctuary owner said they are praying for the winds to die down and end the threat for flames to spread toward the refuge for the animals.The Tick Fire has been 100 percent contained after it burned 4,615 acres in Los Angeles County over the course of 10 days. The fire claimed 22 structures and damaged another 27.
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| Romania parliament gives green light to minority liberal govt Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:02 AM PST  Romania's pro-European liberals on Monday succeeded in getting parliamentary approval to form the next government, ending months of political uncertainty and paving the way for the new prime minister to appoint an EU commissioner. The EU member's previous left-wing government -- besieged by protests over controversial judicial reforms and a perceived failure to fight corruption -- collapsed in a no-confidence vote last month. President Klaus Iohannis then tasked Ludovic Orban, chief of the National Liberal Party (PNL), to form a new government, but his proposed minority line-up needed parliamentary approval.
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| After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:58 AM PST ![After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car]( "After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car") Darlene Quinn, 60, had her car break down and couldn't afford to fix it, so she walked home from work. Co-workers and strangers rallied to help her.
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| NASA probe provides insight on solar system's distinct boundary Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:27 PM PST  The journey of NASA's dauntless Voyager 2 spacecraft through our solar system's farthest reaches has given scientists new insight into a poorly understood distant frontier: the unexpectedly distinct boundary marking where the sun's energetic influence ends and interstellar space begins.
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| North Korea is Missing Its Best Chance for a Deal in a Generation Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:39 AM PST  For a brief moment, North Korea enjoys a dovish, pro-engagement presidency from both its traditional major opponents. If Pyongyang wants a deal, now is the time to go for it.
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| 40 distressing photos show glaciers disappearing around the world Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:49 AM PST  The future of glaciers around the world is shaky. Here are photos showing some of the glaciers that might not be around for much longer.
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| Afghan Pols’ Secret Dubai Mansions Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:54 AM PST  Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg via GettyBy Jessica PurkissLeaked documents have unmasked senior Afghan officials and their families as recent owners of luxury offshore property in Dubai, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism can reveal.Included in the documents seen by the Bureau are relatives of two former presidents, a presidential candidate whose brother was reported to have flown into the UAE with more than $50 million in cash, and a senior intelligence official whose father was implicated in involvement with the transfer of large sums of money from Afghanistan.Holding property overseas is not illegal and does not in itself imply any wrongdoing. But concerns have been mounting generally about alleged corruption among some senior Afghan officials. Few, if any, of the properties appear to have been declared on official registers, as is required by Afghanistan's often ignored and broadly ineffective anti-corruption rules.The evidence of luxury property ownership in Dubai raises concerns that merit further investigation, according to a leading anti-corruption charity."It's too easy for officials to buy property in Dubai with anonymity," said Maira Matini, from Transparency International. "There's no information available that would help detect wrongdoing. There needs to be more transparency.Afghanistan's Cycle of Corruption"This doesn't mean that those officials are corrupt," she added. "However, it does raise red flags and needs to be investigated by the authorities."Over the past twenty years, Afghanistan has been rocked by numerous corruption scandals, some of which have gone to the very top. From wartime contracts to unchecked foreign aid and CIA suitcases full of cash funneled to favored politicians and warlords, corruption has proved a stubborn problem to solve. The U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction has said: "While Afghanistan undoubtedly had a corruption problem prior to 2001, U.S. and coalition spending acted as gasoline thrown on an already burning fire."Despite numerous initiatives, critics have lambasted government programs to tackle corruption, with one calling them "cosmetic."The reputation of the Afghan government has ramifications for the country as a whole. Last month the U.S. announced it would cut $160 million in aid, accusing Afghanistan of failing to fight corruption—only a week before the country's presidential elections began. It is rare for Washington to withhold direct funding from Kabul, which relies heavily on its support.The Bureau's findings are based on a leak of property data in Dubai, first obtained by the U.S. non-profit C4ADS and shared with the Bureau by Finance Uncovered and OCCRP. The Bureau then cross-referenced this data against official and public records to corroborate the findings.The minister for parliamentary affairs was listed as the owner of an apartment in the Amwaj development.GettyThe results shed light on assets held in the usually secretive emirate. The Bureau found numerous Afghan officials and relatives have recently owned property in Dubai, including members of prominent political families that have been linked to some of Afghanistan's biggest corruption scandals.One leading Afghan found to have owned property in Dubai is Ahmad Wali Massoud, who is currently running for president. A leaked diplomatic cable alleged that in October 2009, his brother Ahmad Zia Massoud, then the vice-president of Afghanistan, flew into the UAE with $52 million in cash.Also in the records was Adib Ahmad Fahim, a senior intelligence official. His late father, General Mohammed Qasim Fahim, another former vice-president, was identified as the part owner of Pamir Airways in a U.S. diplomatic cable. The airline was believed to have ferried money to Dubai hidden in airplane food trays. Fahim's uncle Haseen was also a major shareholder in Kabul bank, which was at the centre of a massive scandal over millions of dollars allegedly given out in suspect insider loans before it collapsed in 2010.Ghulam Farooq Wardak, the state minister for parliamentary affairs, appears in the records with his wife. They recently owned two properties in exclusive areas of Dubai, including one on Jumeirah beach.Wardak was previously Afghanistan's education minister, and his successor in the post raised concerns over possible corruption at the ministry. An investigation ordered by President Ashraf Ghani is said to have found evidence of embezzlement within the ministry and inaccurate data records on the number of schools that diverted money from donors.Two members of Afghanistan's parliament appear in the list. Saleh Mohammad Lala Gul and Feda Mohammad Ulfat, who are father and son, owned a villa in the springs and another in the Jumeirah Park area. Both are flashy residences with features such as man-made lakes and swimming pools.Saleh Mohammad Lala Gul and his son Feda Mohammad Ulfat, both Afghan MPs, were recorded as owners of a home in the Jumeirah Park area.GettyClose relatives of two former presidents also appear in the list. One is Fatima Rabbani, whose late father, Burhanuddin Rabbani, led Afghanistan in the late 1990s. Her brother was, until this week, a foreign affairs minister. She runs various businesses in Dubai, including an upmarket restaurant and a business selling luxury products with the niece of another person in the records, former Afghan ambassador to Jordan, Sayed Mohammad Gailani.The other is Mahmood Karzai, the brother of the former president Hamid Karzai. He was also a shareholder of Kabul bank and, alongside Fahim's uncle, there have been concerns that he sought to use his closeness to the very top of Afghanistan's leadership to assist in protecting the bank from greater scrutiny.In an email, Mahmood Karzai confirmed ownership of a property in Dubai and said he had lived in the country since 2007. He denied any wrongdoing or corruption, and said he had attempted to sue the private investigation firm Kroll for a report it wrote alleging misconduct on his part in Afghanistan.None of the other people named in the records responded to multiple requests for comment in English, Dari or Pashto.Afghan law appears to require people in positions of authority – known as "politically exposed persons"—to publicly declare their assets and source of funds, as well as those of their close relatives. Few, if any, of the individuals named in the leaked Dubai documents appear to have declared such assets, but experts say the laws are not fit for purpose, and contain many loopholes that could allow someone to not disclose an asset without breaching the rules.Fatima Rabbani, the daughter of Afghanistan's former president, was listed as owning a property in the Fairooz development.GettySayed Ikram Afzali, the director of anti-corruption organization Integrity Watch Afghanistan, said the disclosure system had proved useless."The asset forms are largely incomplete, the data published is inconsistent and not verified, and even at times contradictory. You could say it's a useless system," he said. "It's an ineffective system and it's not meant to be effective. It's a system the government is following to keep international donors happy."I doubt that the Afghan government means to achieve anything through this process, aside from ticking a box to keep the international community happy," Afzali added.Anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan have a checkered history. President Karzai attempted to clamp down on corruption, partly in efforts to please international partners, setting up an anti-corruption office in 2008 whose duties included registering the assets of public officials. The office was quickly mired in controversy—after damning criticism of its first attempts, Karzai appointed a new head, choosing an official who had been previously accused of election fraud.That office was eventually shut down, and there have been successive attempts to get Afghan officials to register their assets. Stronger legislation was introduced in 2017, but years on, asset registration for officials is seen as a failure.The body in charge of the current register has been placed under the office of the president, raising concerns from anti-corruption activists. Questions have been raised over its independence: its latest director, Naheed Esar, has recently been appointed the new deputy foreign minister.Sarah Chayes, an anti-corruption expert who has advised the U.S. military in Afghanistan, said the Afghanistan needed to work on tackling corruption and rebuilding trust in its ruling class in a root and branch way."Corruption in Afghanistan is systemic. It is perpetrated by networks," she said."For years I heard comments from my neighbors like: 'The Taliban shakes us down at night, and the government shakes us down in the daytime.'" Chayes added: "The difference is, the government is supposed to be upholding the law, but is violating it."Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| NYPD commissioner's exit: 'Right time' after tense summer Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:28 PM PST  New York City's police commissioner, who has found himself caught at times between loyalty to his officers and demands from the public and politicians for greater police accountability, announced Monday that he is retiring. James O'Neill said he will leave for a private sector job in December, a little more than three years after he took charge of the nation's largest police department. Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea will succeed him, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
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| China says no promise 'fatigue' on opening its economy Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:17 AM PST ![China says no promise 'fatigue' on opening its economy]( "China says no promise 'fatigue' on opening its economy") There is no promise "fatigue" about China's efforts to open its economy to foreign businesses, the government said on Monday on the eve of week-long import fair, after the European Union said China needed to make rapid and substantial improvements. The EU, China's largest trading partner, said last week ahead of the Shanghai fair that there was a risk of "promise fatigue", urging China to show "more ambition and genuine effort towards rebalancing and a level playing field". China has long been dogged by allegations of unfair trade practices, from forced tech transfers to protectionist market entry policies.
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| PG&E CEO Causes Outrage After Saying Struggling California Residents’ Houses Are ‘Still There’ Because of Blackouts Posted: 03 Nov 2019 12:25 PM PST  California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been vocal in his criticism of PG&E
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| Gay man on US death row appeals for stay of execution, citing jury prejudice Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:47 AM PST  A death row inmate due to be executed in South Dakota on Monday has made a last-minute appeal for clemency, saying jurors at his trial were prejudiced against him because he is gay. Charles Rhines, 63, was scheduled to die by lethal injection later Monday, 27 years after killing an employee in a shop he was robbing in the rural state in the center of the country. As the execution loomed, his lawyers launched a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court demanding that it reopen the case on the basis of testimony from witnesses who claim Rhines did not receive a fair trial.
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| Iran announces nuke deal violations 40 years after U.S. Embassy takeover, hostage crisis Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:23 PM PST  The announcement of new nuclear deal violations comes as Iran marks the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and ensuing hostage crisis.
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