| What happens to the articles of impeachment now? Posted: 19 Dec 2019 02:34 PM PST  What does it mean to withhold articles of impeachment? A trial cannot begin until those articles of impeachment are delivered by the House to the Senate. How are the articles of impeachment transmitted from the House to the Senate? Why are Democrats delaying sending the articles?
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| Film documents Honduran family’s struggle to find asylum in U.S. Posted: 20 Dec 2019 02:38 PM PST  In "Towards the North," viewers get an intimate look into the daily battles of asylum seekers from Central America through the eyes of Nelly and her daughter, Joseline.
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| Iowa Woman Ran Down Teen With Car Because She Was ‘Mexican’: Police Posted: 20 Dec 2019 09:44 AM PST  An Iowa woman has admitted to authorities that she intentionally hit a teenage girl with her car because she was "Mexican," police said Friday.Nicole Marie Poole Franklin, 42, was charged Thursday near Des Moines with attempted murder after allegedly running down a 14-year-old as she walked to Indian Hills Junior High School on Dec. 9 and then fleeing the scene, the Clive Police Department said. Franklin is being held at the Polk County Jail."Franklin told investigators that she ran the girl over because she was, in her words, 'a Mexican,'" Clive Chief of Police Michael Venema said in a Friday press conference."She went on to make a number of derogatory statements about Latinos to the investigators."Suspect in 3 Louisiana Black Church Fires Charged With Hate CrimesAuthorities said at 5 p.m., Franklin drove her 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee onto the sidewalk near the middle school, where the girl was walking "on the way to an activity."Franklin then "ran the girl over" before she allegedly fled the scene. Authorities eventually identified the woman after asking for the public's help, reviewing surveillance video, and speaking to the victim, Venema said. The girl, who has not been identified, suffered "numerous injuries" that were serious, authorities said. After spending several days at a hospital, she was able to return to school a week after the incident, a school representative said Friday.About fifteen minutes later, Franklin was arrested at a Conoco gas station in West Des Moines after allegedly throwing items at an employee and calling several people by a racial slur, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Des Moines Register.Franklin was arrested and charged with assault, operating under the influence, theft and public intoxication, authorities said. After identifying Franklin's vehicle, police interviewed her at the Polk County Jail on Thursday, where she being held for the gas-station assault. During the interview, Venema said, "not only did Franklin admit to being the driver of the car that struck this girl, but also that she had done so intentionally." Franklin then proceeded to admit the incident was racially fueled, he said. American Moms and Kids Massacred in Mexican Ambush That Killed at Least 9"I want to say, in the strongest terms possible, that there is no place in our community—or any other—for this type of hatred and violence," he said. "We are committed to stand by and support this family and work diligently with them to seek justice."The police chief declined to provide further details into Franklin's motive or her police interview because "we still need to prosecute this case," but stated the teen's family was "surprised and shocked" to learn the woman "targeted their daughter and intentionally try to cause harm.""They were appropriately updated," Venema said, adding he was also horrified to hear the hit-and-run was an "intentional act," even after years of working in law enforcement. It is not immediately known if Franklin and the teenage girl previously knew each other.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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| Sarah Sanders mocks Biden for imitating stutter, then apologizes Posted: 19 Dec 2019 11:14 PM PST  "I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about," Sanders tweeted, and then later deleted.
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| Death toll in attack on Moscow security officers rises to 2 Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:46 AM PST  The death toll in the shooting outside the Moscow headquarters of Russia's main security agency has risen to two, officials said Friday as investigators pressed to uncover the assailant's motives. The Investigative Committee, the nation's top state investigative agency, identified the attacker as 39-year-old Yevgeny Manyurov, who lived in Moscow's suburbs. It said Manyurov opened fire Thursday just outside the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, killing one security officer and badly wounding another, who later died in a hospital.
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| Democrats Aim Strong Words Against China Over Hong Kong, Uighurs Posted: 19 Dec 2019 07:58 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidates took aim at China on Thursday, with Joe Biden saying that ethnic Uighur Muslims are being kept in "concentration camps" and calling for sanctions against the world's second-largest economy.During the party's debate in Los Angeles, several of the seven 2020 contenders on stage challenged Beijing over its treatment of Muslim minority populations in its western Xinjiang region and its handling of protests in Hong Kong."We have to make it clear: This is as far as you go China," said Biden, who served as vice president under Barack Obama.China is looming large as a topic in the 2020 campaign. President Donald Trump just reached an interim deal with Beijing that would avoid a further escalation for now of the countries' almost two-year trade war. Yet analysts are skeptical that much more progress can be made entering the U.S. election year, and the Democratic contenders on Thursday highlighted human-rights questions that have inflamed tensions with the U.S.Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said the U.S. and its allies should look to isolate China if it did anything against Hong Kong protesters akin to the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square.'Frenemy'"If they perpetrate a repeat of anything like Tiananmen Square, when it comes to Hong Kong, they will be isolated from the free world, and we will lead that isolation diplomatically and economically," Buttigieg said. He added that all options should be on the table, including social and economic tools like a possible boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.Billionaire investor Tom Steyer said the U.S. should form a coalition to "push back" on China but added that America shouldn't be trying to be the "world's policeman." Instead, China should be treated as a "frenemy," he said.Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, noting that he has family in Hong Kong, said the rivalry between the U.S. and China is one that "we have to win." He said the Chinese are already way ahead of the U.S. on technology, while adding that authorities banned face masks in Hong Kong because they interfere with artificial intelligence that uses facial recognition to identify protesters.Hong Kong protesters have largely ignored the mask ban, which a court voided last month. The local government is appealing the decision.(Michael Bloomberg is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, but didn't take part in the debate. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)To contact the reporter on this story: Rachel Adams-Heard in Houston at radamsheard@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net, ;Simon Casey at scasey4@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten KateFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| NZealand to close gun buyback sparked by mosque shootings Posted: 19 Dec 2019 06:16 PM PST  A key element of the ban was a buyback scheme accompanied by an amnesty, giving gun owners a payment and a guarantee of "no questions asked" when they handed in weapons deemed illegal under new laws. "There will be no extension -– anyone prosecuted may lose their firearms licence and could face a penalty of up to five years imprisonment," police said. Gun control advocates say the scheme has succeeded despite opposition from some firearms owners, who they accuse of adopting hardline tactics similar to the US National Rifle Association (NRA).
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| Durham Scrutinizing Former CIA Director Brennan’s Role in Russia Investigation Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:01 AM PST  Federal prosecutor John Durham, tasked with probing the Russia investigation into the Trump 2016 campaign by Attorney General William Barr, is scrutinizing what role former CIA director John Brennan played in the investigation, the New York Times reported Thursday.Durham has requested various documents from the CIA including Brennan's emails and call logs, according to the Times. The prosecutor is looking into what Brennan knew of the Steele dossier, how the dossier was received by the agency, and whether Brennan conferred with former FBI director James Comey regarding it.Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that the dossier played a "central and essential" role in the FISA application to surveil Trump-campaign adviser Carter Page. In his report released earlier this month, Horowitz also confirmed that the FBI did not inform the court that the dossier, which some in the CIA believed amounted to an "internet rumor," was commissioned by the Hillary Clinton campaign, and was never independently verified by the bureau.Durham is also trying to discover if Brennan privately contradicted any public testimony he made regarding the Russia investigation.On Wednesday Barr confirmed on Fox News that Durham's investigation was casting a wide net by looking at several aspects of the Russia investigation."He's not just looking at the FBI, he's looking at other agencies, and departments, and also private actors, so it's a much broader investigation," Barr said. Durham "is looking at all the conduct both before and after the election."Durham upgraded the investigation from an administrative review to a criminal probe in October but it's unclear what, if any, criminal acts he's uncovered.
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| The Radical Designs of the Australian Architect Peter Stutchbury Posted: 20 Dec 2019 08:24 AM PST |
| Pelosi's risky strategy to withhold impeachment from Senate roils Washington Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:38 AM PST  Democrats want to put pressure on Republican senators over the issue of calling witnesses in a Senate impeachment trial, and they are looking to create friction between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggled Thursday to explain what her plan is in delaying sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
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| Erdogan says Turkey will retaliate against possible U.S. sanctions Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:50 AM PST  Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Friday that Ankara would retaliate against potential U.S. sanctions over its purchase of Russian defense systems and a natural gas pipeline. U.S. Congress has moved to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of S-400 defense systems from Russia and related to Russia's TurkStream pipeline, which will carry Russian gas to Turkey. Asked about the various sanctions against Ankara, Erdogan repeated that the S-400 deal was already completed.
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| Video shows final moments before toddler's fatal cruise ship fall Posted: 20 Dec 2019 01:33 PM PST  Security footage of toddler Chloe Wiegand's death on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship is a major part in two pending court cases.
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| Sarah Sanders Apologizes to Joe Biden After Mocking Him for Stuttering at Democratic Debate Posted: 19 Dec 2019 08:04 PM PST  Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took to Twitter on Thursday night to mock former Vice President Joe Biden for emulating a stutter during the Democratic presidential debate. Biden, who grew up with a speech impediment that he has admittedly spent his whole life overcoming, recalled how a little kid had come up to him saying "I can't talk," mimicking the child's stutter."I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about. DemDebate," Sanders posted to Twitter moments later. After receiving swift and overwhelming backlash for ridiculing Biden and other stutterers, Sanders attempted to pretend the jab wasn't about stuttering: "To be clear was not trying to make fun of anyone with a speech impediment. Simply pointing out I can't follow much of anything Biden is talking about," she wrote.Biden's official Twitter account, meanwhile, fired back at Sanders with his own statement after leaving the debate stage."I've worked my whole life to overcome a stutter," he said. "And it's my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It's called empathy. Look it up."The former Trump flack eventually deleted her original tweet and replied to Biden: "I actually didn't know that about you and that is commendable. I apologize and should have made my point respectfully."How Joe Biden Inspired This Reporter to Confront His StutterRead 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 doesn’t answer question about whether he’ll apologize to Rep. Dingell Posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:28 PM PST  During a press conference, President Trump didn't answer a question from a reporter on whether he'll apologize to Rep. Dingell after he made a comment on her late husband.
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| Spain rocked by rulings that renew questions over Catalonia Posted: 19 Dec 2019 01:29 AM PST  Spain was thrown into turmoil on Thursday by court rulings that could undermine Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's hopes of forming a new government and force fresh elections in the region of Catalonia. In a potentially stinging reversal for Spanish justice authorities, the European Union's top court ruled that a former Catalán official serving a prison sentence for his role in a banned independence referendum two years ago had the right to parliamentary immunity when he was on trial. A court in Spain, meanwhile, found that Catalonia's current president, Quim Torra, is unfit to hold office for 18 months for disobeying the country's electoral board, a decision likely to lead to more elections in a region riven by protests.
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| ‘Worst’ of Hong Kong Protests ‘Probably’ Over, Carrie Lam Adviser Says Posted: 19 Dec 2019 07:07 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The worst of Hong Kong's months-long pro-democracy protests might now be over, a top adviser to Hong Kong's leader said, as the city experiences a lull in demonstrations after local elections in late November and ahead of the Christmas holiday.Although occasional, smaller protests are still likely to break out from time to time, large scale confrontations between radical demonstrators and riot police may have tailed off, according to Bernard Chan, convener of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's Executive Council."I actually think the worst is probably over," Chan said in a phone interview Friday. "But I don't think we're going to get rid of all the sporadic types of protests. I don't think it would be over so soon. It may take a little while. But I think the larger scale ones, hopefully, we might not see that -- but who knows."At the same time, Chan said Lam's administration was still unwilling to entertain any of the protesters' additional demands, including calls to hold an independent commission of inquiry into the unrest.Landslide VictoryHong Kong has seen more than six months of increasingly violent protests that began in opposition to a proposed bill allowing extradition to mainland China but expanded to include calls for greater democracy in the former British colony. The unrest has battered the city's economy and led to a steep drop in tourist arrivals and retail sales.In recent months, protesters have thrown petrol bombs and fired arrows at riot cops, who have responded by arresting more than 6,000 protesters and firing more than 10,000 tear gas rounds, as well as using rubber bullets and a water cannon.However, after pro-democracy politicians won a landslide victory against pro-government rivals in recent local elections on Nov. 24, there has been a lull in the scale and frequency of the violence, although there have still been protests."With the district council election outcome, maybe some people will be more willing to say, 'Let's see what the government can do to change things,'" Chan said. "Maybe they're hoping that these newly elected members can do the job, rather than go out into the streets."Big ConfrontationsStill, Chan's comments differ starkly from the predictions of the city's pro-democracy opposition, who said a massive, mostly peaceful march on Dec. 8 -- with an estimated 800,000 people -- show that the movement has staying power and will continue protesting in the new year."We will soldier on," opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo told Bloomberg News earlier this month. "This may last for the generations to come."In December alone, police have fired tear gas at a large crowd marching on the Kowloon side of the city's harbor, while some demonstrators blocked roads and set fire to a subway. The city also canceled a New Year's Eve fireworks show over security concerns, and there are more pro-democracy protests planned leading up to Christmas.But recent weeks haven't seen a repeat of the type of violence common throughout the summer and well into November, when Hong Kong protesters regularly shut down parts of the city, engaged in running street battles with police, blocked major arterial roads and congregated behind barricades at fortified university campuses across the city."I don't think we expect them to be completely gone, so they will be there, the question is whether there will be any very big scale type of confrontations," Chan said. "Maybe not. Though, we just don't know."To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| New Jersey Governor Signs Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Get Driver’s Licenses Posted: 20 Dec 2019 07:43 AM PST  New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.The bill will allow those living in New Jersey who are unable to prove they are legal residents to obtain permits, "standard" driver's licenses, and "Real ID" cards. The measure was passed by the state legislature this week."Expanding access to driver's licenses is critical for the safety of New Jerseyans and a step toward building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all," the governor said in a statement. "Allowing residents the opportunity to obtain driver's licenses regardless of their immigration status will decrease the number of uninsured drivers and increase safety on our roads."The new type of license for undocumented residents will be available by January, 2021 at the latest. The documentation required to obtain the licenses is yet to be determined, but applicants will have to prove their identity, age, and residency in New Jersey. Applicants will not be allowed to obtain a commercial driver's license or drive school buses.The bill also mandates that New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission must provide translators for applicants who do not speak English.MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton said granting driver's license to undocumented immigrants will also help prevent the "break-up of families.""Those who pass our driver testing and meet our strict identity requirements will be able to drive to work, school, doctor's appointments, and other activities, without risking the break-up of their families," she said.The bill makes New Jersey the 14th state to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. New York's law granting the licenses went into effect this week after a legal challenge fell flat.
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| The mystery of MH370 remains more than 5 years later — here are all the theories, dead ends, and unanswered questions from the most bizarre airline disaster of the century Posted: 20 Dec 2019 04:47 AM PST  Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. Mystery has swirled since.
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| Impeaching Donald Trump is not enough. The case for conviction Posted: 19 Dec 2019 08:41 AM PST  The US Senate must show America, and the world, that there are consequences for presidents who abuse their powerDonald Trump has been impeached. For the sake of American democracy and national security, the Senate must convict and remove him from office.The articles of impeachment make a powerful and clear case: The president abused his power, extorting Ukraine to help Trump's campaign by fabricating smears about his potential political opponent and withholding US assistance from Ukraine until the campaign help was received. Then, when the House of Representatives began investigating the president's actions, the president engaged in obstruction of Congress by ordering the executive branch not to comply with congressional subpoenas.The facts – as made clear by the record of the call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, witness testimony, and the evidence compiled by the House intelligence and judiciary committees – indisputably back up the accusations made in the articles.And while the impeachment is focused on Trump's actions on Ukraine, the reasons why he must be convicted and removed from office go far beyond this incident. As the articles of impeachment state: "President Trump … has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office …" Ukraine was not Trump's first attempt to get foreign help for his campaign; it was "consistent with President Trump's previous invitations of foreign interference in United States elections."> Trump's scheme is to get foreign countries to help his re-election campaign, and if he gets away with it, he will undermine the upcoming electionFirst was Russia. Let's recall: Trump aided the efforts of a foreign power – Russia – to attack and undermine America's 2016 election in order to help himself win; Trump publicly asked Russia to hack the emails of his campaign opponent, which Russia did later that very day; Trump's campaign met with Russian representatives to receive dirt on Hillary Clinton; and then Trump repeatedly obstructed the investigation into the collusion. Special counsel Robert Mueller outlined it all in his report.While Mueller was finalizing his investigation, Trump and his associates were in the midst of an effort to extort Ukraine into smearing Trump's potential political rival, former vice-president Joe Biden. The day after Mueller testified before Congress, Trump asked Zelenskiy for a "favor" to smear Biden and resuscitate a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 election. Trump enlisted US government officials to pressure Ukraine by withholding US military assistance and a White House meeting with the new Ukrainian president until Ukraine announced an investigation that would help Trump.Then, in the midst of the Ukraine scandal, Trump asked China to help his campaign by investigating Biden. Turns out Trump may have been asking China for this help for a while, with one report stating that Trump discussed Biden with Chinese president Xi Jinping and an informal Trump adviseor on China claiming that he discussed the issue with Chinese officials. You heard that right: the president of the United States also asked perhaps America's greatest geopolitical competitor to help his re-election campaign.While asking for campaign help from foreigners is against the law – and a grave abuse of power – it is part of Trump's playbook. If the Senate does not convict and remove him from office, he is likely to continue doing it, just as he has continued doing it during the impeachment process – Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, visited Ukraine again this month to continue the attempt to get foreign campaign help for Trump.This impeachment process is not just about Trump's abuse of power – it's also about preserving the integrity of the 2020 election. Trump's scheme is to get foreign countries to help his re-election campaign, and if he gets away with it, he will undermine the upcoming election. The House judiciary committee's impeachment report makes clear that Trump's actions undercut the very fundamentals of American democracy: "Foreign interference in the American political system was among the gravest dangers feared by the founders of our Nation and the Framers of our Constitution." And if Trump gets away with this, what will stop other politicians from soliciting foreign help?Not convicting Trump would be devastating for our national security. More than once Trump has sold out America for personal gain and shown that he is willing to keep doing it. Trump's actions are an open invitation to America's adversaries to attempt to erode US national security for the price of advancing Trump's personal interests.Key members of the congressional GOP seem to have made their decision to stick by Trump no matter how great his sins. And perhaps the outcome of a trial is a foregone conclusion. But even if the trial does not end in conviction, it can achieve many things: it can make clear to the American people how dangerous Trump's actions are; it can reveal further information about Trump's misdeeds by demanding testimony from acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security adviser John Bolton, or information about the involvement of two indicted individuals, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, in the Ukraine scandal; and it can force senators to decide whether they are loyal to a single man or to the constitution and the public interest.Most of all, a Senate trial will show that there are consequences for presidents who abuse their power. Even if he is not removed from office, a trial can help instill some faith that the foundations of our democracy are not completely broken and send a signal to the world that America is fighting back against those who would undermine it from within.
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| U.S. Navy bans TikTok from government-issued mobile devices Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:31 PM PST  A bulletin issued by the Navy on Tuesday showed up on a Facebook page serving military members, saying users of government issued mobile devices who had TikTok and did not remove the app would be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet. The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to "address existing and emerging threats". TikTok did not return a request for comment.
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| Philippines' Duterte won't answer to ICC over drugs deaths Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:55 AM PST  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte dared the International Criminal Court on Friday to jail him or hang him over alleged extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs but said he would refuse to cooperate with foreigners if put on trial.
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| The Texas ex-police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson in her own home has been indicted on a murder charge Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:40 PM PST  Atatiana Jefferson had been playing video games with her nephew on October 12 when the officer, Aaron Dean, shot her through her bedroom window.
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| 'A very cruel act': At least 15 horses were shot and killed in Kentucky, police say Posted: 20 Dec 2019 04:11 AM PST  Authorities are investigating after at least 15 horses were reportedly found fatally shot Tuesday near a strip mining site in Eastern Kentucky.
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| Sri Lankan leader says he became victim in abduction claim Posted: 19 Dec 2019 04:38 AM PST ![Sri Lankan leader says he became victim in abduction claim]( "Sri Lankan leader says he became victim in abduction claim") Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said Thursday that he has become the victim in the alleged abduction of a Swiss Embassy employee who was reportedly threatened and sexually abused to disclose embassy-related information. Rajapaksa said reports of the alleged abduction appeared in foreign media before the facts were established, and critics accused his government of carrying it out. "It is very clear that it is a planned thing to discredit me and the government," he said.
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| 9 Stylish Bar Carts to Keep the Party Moving and Grooving Posted: 20 Dec 2019 05:00 AM PST |
| The Upgraded AC-130 Is the Ultimate Gunship Posted: 19 Dec 2019 06:30 PM PST  ISIS already knows how deadly the gunship is.
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| A Navy SEAL admiral was so troubled by Trump's revoking security clearances that he dictated his fiery column while on a remote vacation Posted: 20 Dec 2019 01:47 PM PST  US Navy Adm. McRaven learned Trump had revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance during his vacation in Colorado.
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| Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV Posted: 19 Dec 2019 03:20 AM PST ![Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV]( "Saudi concert stabbing suspect took orders from al Qaeda in Yemen: state TV") A man arrested for stabbing three performers at a live show in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh last month was operating under orders from al Qaeda in Yemen, state television said on Thursday without citing evidence. The Nov. 11 attack occurred at King Abdullah Park, one of several venues hosting a months-long entertainment festival as part of government efforts to open up Saudi society and diversify its economy away from oil. It sparked fears of a potentially violent backlash in the ultra-conservative Muslim country against social reforms implemented by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including ending bans on women driving, gender segregation and public entertainment.
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| Hundreds of Chinese held in Philippine online gaming crackdown Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:32 AM PST  The Philippines said Friday it has detained hundreds of Chinese workers in a continuing crackdown against unlicensed online gaming businesses catering to mainland customers. A total of 342 Chinese without working visas were arrested on Thursday in a raid of a Manila-based POGO outfit operating without a permit from the gaming regulator, according to the immigration service. "We had reason to suspect that the company is a front for illegal cyber activities and investment scams," Fortunato Manahan, intelligence chief of the immigration service, said in a statement.
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| Atmospheric river expected to slam West Coast Posted: 19 Dec 2019 12:29 AM PST  For most, dreams of a white Christmas will remain just that.
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| Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:35 AM PST ![Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital]( "Nurses defend Ohio doctor charged in deaths at hospital") Ten former colleagues of an Ohio hospital doctor who pleaded not guilty to murder in 25 patients' deaths are coming to his defense in a new lawsuit. The action was brought Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court by nine nurses and a pharmacist once employed by Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, NBC News reported. In it, the former employees argue that the hospital wrongfully terminated and defamed Dr. William Husel.
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| Trump's food stamp cuts begin soon – and black Americans to be hardest hit Posted: 19 Dec 2019 09:15 AM PST  New work requirements are set to throw 700,000 people off Snap benefits, with African Americans to be particularly hard hitAs Kyle Waide visited the Atlanta community food bank recently, where he is CEO, he ran into a woman who had recently lost her administrative job at a university. She was looking for work, she told him, but it was hard to find. She was struggling to get by.Though she had food stamp benefits, she still needed to visit Waide's food bank until she landed a new job, she added, because she had a home and a child to pay for. With her job gone, she said, she needed all the extra help she could get to feed her family.Thousands in Atlanta like her are already struggling to make ends meet, even before the Trump administration scales back benefits to low-income Americans to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (Snap) as food stamps are known. Approximately 700,000 Americans will soon lose their benefits as the government tightens the regulations around stable work requirements for recipients, stretching the already scarce resources of the communities that Waide's operation helps.Those communities are often African American, raising the prospect that Trump's move will put extra stress on minority families. Approximately one in three households using Snap benefits are African American. In general, African American households are more likely to experience food insecurity, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In 2016, Snap helped more than 13 million African American households put food on the table, according to data from the US agriculture department's fiscal year 2016 Snap Households Characteristic data.Waide stresses the importance of Snap even as his food bank provides more than 63m meals to more than 750,000 Georgians annually. Snap, he says, provides 12 times the amount of assistance that food banks do nationwide."[Snap] is a very important source of nutrition for families, kids and seniors in our community," he says. Annually, the food bank helps 10,000 residents of the state enroll for or renew Snap benefits.Alex Camardelle, senior policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, says many of the 100,000 Georgians who are thought to be affected by the coming change will be African American."We're concerned that high levels of unemployment in certain areas of the state, despite an overall improvement in the unemployment numbers, is going to disproportionately impact black Georgians," he says.Black Georgians, he adds, have an unemployment rate in the state that could be triple that of white residents, often because of additional barriers they face, like where they live, access to transportation and the difficulty of finding a job in a mandated period of time.Waide echoes the sentiment. "Poverty and hunger disproportionately affect people of color. These are going to be low-income folks in rural communities who are economically vulnerable by definition," he said. "When they can't eat, they can't get over other hurdles."Rural households experience more struggle with food security, according to the Food Research and Action Center, compared with households in metro areas. Food insecurity is also twice as high among African American households compared with white households, in rural communities or not.The average Georgian on Snap benefits remains approximately eight months before cycling out of the program as they get back to some sort of stability, Waide explains, just as the program intends. The myth of anyone perpetually staying on government benefits just is not true, he says.When the change to the work requirement takes place in April next year, Waide is confident the food bank will see a high demand to try to make up for the shortfall.Last year, he points out, his food bank stepped in when a government shutdown left thousands of federal workers in Atlanta without pay."We mobilized our network and donors to distribute hundreds of thousands of meals. And we'll do the same here, this time," he said.
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| That’s What a Good Presidential Debate Looks Like Posted: 19 Dec 2019 10:06 PM PST  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The big winners in the latest Democratic debate were coherence and sanity. With only seven candidates on stage, and a mostly strong performance from the Politico/PBS panel of journalists, this was a contest that really worked in terms of sparking good discussions on policy and allowing confrontations between the candidates that were their choice, not the result of moderators picking fights.I suspect the five plausible nominees on the platform — Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — all feel that they did what they came to do. As usual, it's anyone's guess what Democrats watching, especially in Iowa and New Hampshire, believe. And, as usual, how the debate will affect anything (if at all) will be determined in large part by how the media interpret what happened and which clips get the most mileage. For Klobuchar, the candidate with the most on the line, being one of seven certainly appeared to help. At the very least, she was easy to notice — second among the candidates with just under 20 minutes of speaking time, narrowly trailing Sanders and edging Buttigieg and Warren.For voters who are just tuning in, even those who say they have a favorite candidate already, Klobuchar very much seemed like one of the handful of possible choices — and for someone at around 3% in the national polls, that's the best she can hope for. She's good at these debates, and this time she had a chance to show it.Most notably, when the first big fight of the night broke out between Buttigieg and Warren, Klobuchar (at least as I saw it) won decisively by being the peacemaker and then pivoting to a policy point. On the other hand, I'm not sure how well her subsequent attack on Buttigieg went over; she praised the legislative successes she and the others have had in Congress compared to his lack of similar experience. (Congress-loving political scientists in my Twitter feed enjoyed it, but there aren't too many Congress-lovers among Democratic voters or any other larger group, as far as I can tell). Again, what effect that will have on the polls and on Democratic Party actors is hard to predict.That goes for all of them. Buttigieg, who has surged in Iowa polls, took the most attacks. Warren had several strong moments, as she normally does. What does all of that mean to Buttigieg's momentum and Warren's recent dip? Wait for the polls. Sanders did what he always does, which at this point shouldn't change anyone's mind.Biden? As several people have pointed out, he didn't receive much in the way of direct attacks, and only once, with Sanders over health care, did he really engage in a heated squabble. Biden leads in the national polls, and is within range of the lead in Iowa and New Hampshire. He has a solid lead in high-profile endorsements.The former vice president didn't talk as much as the others, leading only outsiders Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer, but unlike previous debates, he avoided trademark gaffes, awkward moments, and outdated references (at least, I didn't notice any). It's not clear how strong his lead really is, but if all he needs to do is not mess up, he certainly achieved that. Whether anyone was paying attention the week before Christmas and the day after Donald Trump was impeached is an open question. If Democrats tuned in, the discussion of policy by candidates comfortable talking about any number of issues, and doing so without insulting recently dead members of Congress, was probably a welcome change. It was also a contrast with the largely repetitive and rarely eloquent House consideration of impeachment. That likely makes it even harder for the eight candidates who didn't receive invitations this time to qualify for the next one. This was, however, the last debate where short-term effects for the leading candidates won't really matter much. (Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg Opinion parent company Bloomberg L.P., is also seeking the nomination.) The next debate, on Jan. 14, will have the Iowa caucuses right around the corner Feb. 3. Democratic voters, at least those in the early states, will be paying attention. And soon afterward, there won't be seven candidates still running, whether they're on the stage or not.To contact the author of this story: Jonathan Bernstein at jbernstein62@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Patrick McDowell at pmcdowell10@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| British Aircraft Carriers Could Soon Be Sailing In The U.S. Navy Posted: 19 Dec 2019 10:00 PM PST  Britain needs cash.
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| Trump will ‘absolutely’ designate Mexican cartels like CJNG as terrorists. Will it help? Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:20 AM PST  President Donald Trump will "absolutely" designate Mexican cartels as terrorists, which could fray already strained U.S.-Mexico relations.
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| A floating nuclear power plant that activists dubbed 'Chernobyl on ice' has started producing electricity in Russia. Here's what it looks like. Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:01 AM PST  The plant sailed 3,100 miles to a remote area in northern Russia in the fall. But environmentalists say floating nuclear plants are risky.
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| Six killed as India endures bloodiest day of protests since 'anti-Muslim' citizenship law implemented Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:17 PM PST  Police in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh confirmed six people were killed on Friday during protests against a new 'anti-Muslim' citizenship law, the bloodiest day since demonstrations erupted nine days ago. Protests again raged across much of northern India with people chanting for the prime minister to be removed at Delhi's Jama Masjid mosque. Mobile internet has been cut in Uttar Pradesh and it also remains blocked in the southern state of Karnataka after two protesters died in Mangalore. In total, 15 people have died in clashes while police have detained thousands of protesters and civil rights activists across India. A video has gone viral on social media of the arrest of historian Ramchandra Guha, the biographer of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi. Muslims took to the streets en masse after Friday prayers and vowed to demonstrate until Narendra Modi - the prime minister and leader of the ruling Hindu-nationalist BJP - withdraws the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. "We will fight till this law is rolled back. We will not back down," said protester Shamim Qureishi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of suppressing India's 193 million Muslim population since winning a second term in May Credit: Prakash Singh/AFP Delhi witnessed large protests in Daryaganj while students from Jamia Millia Islamia University held a peaceful demonstration and gave police roses. A student organisation has claimed over 40 minors are being held without charge in Daryaganj police station. Angry crowds threw stones at police in the cities of Ferozabad, Muzaffarnagar and Ghaziabad while police fired tear gas in the city of Kanpur to restrain protesters. The Citizenship Amendment Act will offer citizenship to followers of six religions – including Christians, Sikhs and Hindus – from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, but not Muslims. It is the latest in a string of actions taken by the Modi government against India's Muslim population. In August, the autonomous status enjoyed by the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked while it was announced 1.9 million people in Assam – largely Muslims – would be detained and deported as part of a new National Register of Citizens.
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| Trudeau: U.S. should not finalize China trade deal unless detained Canadians are released Posted: 19 Dec 2019 03:18 PM PST  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that the U.S. government should not finalize a trade deal with China unless the pact also secures the release of two Canadians detained by Beijing.
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| DHS watchdog finds no wrongdoing in deaths of 2 migrant kids Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:52 PM PST  The Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog found no wrongdoing or misconduct by immigration officials in the deaths of two migrant children last December. The Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security released two brief statements Friday evening on the deaths of Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin, who died Dec. 8, and Felipe Gómez Alonzo, who died Dec. 24. Border crossings have since declined in recent months following major crackdowns.
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| Can the US Navy make lemonade out of LCS lemons? Posted: 20 Dec 2019 06:31 AM PST  As more littoral combat ships join the fleet, questions linger about how the vessel type will fit into a fight with China.
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| Philippine Ex-Politicians Found Guilty In 2009 Massacre Posted: 19 Dec 2019 12:11 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Two senior members of one of southern Philippines' most powerful political clans have been found guilty of the world's single deadliest attack on journalists, 10 years after 58 people, including 32 members of the media, were shot to death and buried in a shallow grave.Nearly 30 suspects, including the two main accused -- former mayor Andal "Datu Unsay" Ampatuan Jr and his brother, Zaldy -- were sentenced by a local court to up to 40 years in prison for having "acted as principals" in the crime, according to a copy of the decision posted on the Supreme Court website. Fifteen others were sentenced to up to 10 years in jail for being accessories to the crime.More than 50 defendants were acquitted, as their alleged involvement in the crime were not proven beyond reasonable doubt, according to the decision. The court also ordered that damages be paid to the victims' families.The Ampatuan brothers pleaded not guilty to the murder charges when the trial began in 2010, with their defense focusing on the supposed lack of evidence directly linking them to the massacre.Prosecutors say the massacre, allegedly carried out by the Ampatuan's private army on a convoy that included opposition politician Esmael Mangudadatu's wife and sisters, was connected to provincial elections.One of the worst incidents of election violence in the Philippines' history, the Nov. 23 2009 massacre followed decades of escalating clan violence, entrenched corruption and political kickbacks. Key members of the Ampatuan family, including Andal Ampatuan Jr and his father, the Maguindanao Governor, Andal Ampatuan Sr, who has since died, were charged and removed from their posts.Clan PoliticsPresident Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said the ruling should be respected, and that the government will work for the protection of journalists. "While the promulgation of judgment in the case is done, the narrative on the protection of media workers is far from over."The guilty verdict will have a "dampening effect" on clan feuds in southern Philippines, said Francisco Lara, sociology lecturer at the University of the Philippines who specializes in political economy of conflict and has written about the Maguindanao massacre. "This is going to be a critical juncture in our history," he said.It will also have an impact on the dynamics between the state and clans, Lara said. "The clans will see that there's a possibility of getting justice from the center, so it weakens them. They will realize that justice can be rendered not just by clans, but by the state."Still, 80 suspects are still at large, and at least 50 of those were close security detail for Andal Ampatuan Jr, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. Since the trial started in 2010, victims' families and media groups have reported harassment and threats, forcing the family of one of the journalist victims to seek asylum abroad."This verdict should prompt the country's political leaders to finally act to end state support for "private armies" and militias that promotes the political warlordism that gave rise to the Ampatuans," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday.(Updates with details on verdict, Duterte statement)To contact the reporters on this story: Ruth Pollard in New Delhi at rpollard2@bloomberg.net;Andreo Calonzo in Manila at acalonzo1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Muneeza NaqviFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| U.S. lawmakers head home amid impasse over Trump impeachment trial Posted: 20 Dec 2019 03:17 AM PST  U.S. lawmakers who control the fate of President Donald Trump left Washington for a holiday break on Friday with no agreement over how they will handle the Senate trial to consider his impeachment charges in January. Trump, a Republican, stands little chance of being convicted and removed from office by the Republican-controlled Senate, which will weigh the two impeachment charges that were passed on Wednesday by the Democratic-led House of Representatives. Republicans and Democrats are at loggerheads over how the trial will play out.
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| A woman who gets $500 a month, no strings attached, reveals what it's like to be one of the few people in the US to get a basic income Posted: 20 Dec 2019 10:40 AM PST  A 61-year-old resident of Stockton, California, says her basic income helps pay for medical expenses. She's also saving up to visit her sick sister.
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| Official: Gun sanctuary resolutions have 'no legal effect' Posted: 20 Dec 2019 12:35 PM PST  Resolutions passed by local governments declaring themselves "Second Amendment Sanctuaries" have "no legal effect," Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said Friday. Since Democrats won majorities in the state Senate and House of Delegates in November, more than 100 cities, towns and counties have passed such resolutions, vowing to oppose any new gun laws they believe violate the Second Amendment. On Friday, Herring issued an advisory opinion on the resolutions.
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