| Pelosi on Trump's insults: 'I'm done with him' Posted: 11 Jun 2019 08:45 AM PDT  "I don't care what you ask," the House speaker said in a live interview Tuesday. "I'm not going to talk about him anymore."
|
| Rep. Omar filed joint tax returns before she married husband Posted: 12 Jun 2019 09:57 AM PDT  Minnesota campaign finance officials said last week that Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar misused campaign funds in violation of state rules. Q: What did Omar do wrong? A: The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board said Thursday that Omar and her husband, Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, filed joint tax returns for 2014 and 2015 — before they were actually married and while Omar was legally wed to another man.
|
| Was North Korean leader Kim's slain half brother a CIA source? Posted: 11 Jun 2019 10:07 AM PDT  Kim Jong Nam, the slain half brother of North Korea's leader, met on several occasions with CIA operatives, the Wall Street Journal reports.
|
| Michael Flynn’s New Lawyer Is an Anti-Mueller Conspiracy Monger Posted: 12 Jun 2019 10:48 AM PDT  REUTERSMichael Flynn has a new lawyer, and she has spent an awful lot of time publishing Russia investigation conspiracy theories.That new attorney, Sidney Powell, has used her website and various social-media platforms to also argue that Flynn should withdraw his guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his conversations with a Russian diplomat. Special counsel attorney Andrew Weissman is another particular target of Powell's social media ire. She has accused him of "prosecutorial terrorist tactics" and called him the "lead villain" of her book, Licensed to Lie. The book, published in 2014, heavily criticized Weissman's role in the Justice Department's prosecution of Arthur Andersen LLP and Merrill Lynch. But her ire isn't confined to just Weissmann: Powell has referred to the entirety of the special counsel's office as "creeps on a mission" and registered a website in that name to publish her thoughts on the Russia investigation. She's pushed a conspiracy theory that "Mueller may have been kept informed during the Clinton email investigation" and that the former special counsel "may be the 'insurance policy' [former FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page] refer to in the event Trump was elected."On her website, Powell also wrote that she expects former Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr, who spoke with Trump dossier author Christopher Steele when the Russia investigation began in 2016, "to be in the cross-hairs of a criminal investigation"—but did not specify why.'You Keep Telling Me That': How Michael Flynn Kissed Up to Russia's AmbassadorPowell has spent much of her time on social media tweeting hashtag-filled links to her book at prominent conservative pundits and Russia investigation skeptics, as well as Flynn and his son Michael Flynn Jr.In March of 2018, Powell questioned whether Flynn's lawyers "pursue[d] a vigorous defense" and said wrote that "I'd bet he will realize later he needs new lawyers."She tagged Flynn and his son in tweets of her Daily Caller article urging the former national security advisor to withdraw his guilty plea on charges that he lied to the FBI about his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak. In the article, Powell argued that Flynn should withdraw his plea because the special counsel's office had "destroyed or is suppressing" evidence in the case.Since the release of the special counsel's report and Attorney General William Barr's decision not to pursue obstruction charges against President Trump, conservative pundits like Sean Hannity have urged Flynn to change his plea and fight the charges against him. Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI in Dec. 2017. He's expected to cooperate in the Virginia trial of his former business partner, Bijan Kian, on charges that he failed to register as a foreign agent in connection with alleged lobbying work he and Flynn performed on behalf of the Turkish government. 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.
|
| Protesters gather in Hong Kong ahead of extradition bill debate Posted: 11 Jun 2019 05:14 PM PDT  Large crowds of protesters gathered in central Hong Kong early Wednesday as the city braced for another mass rally in a show of strength against the government over a divisive plan to allow extraditions to China. Thousands of mostly young people and students began grouping in a park near the government offices ahead of a planned debate on the bill Wednesday, with large numbers of police in riot gear surrounding the official building. Many are fearful the proposed law will tangle people in the mainland's opaque courts and hammer Hong Kong's reputation as an international business hub.
|
| The U.S. Military Just Inked a Massive New F-35 Deal Posted: 11 Jun 2019 06:00 PM PDT  The Block 4 software suite for the F-35 includes 53 improvements to advanced air- and ground-based threats. None of the changes will affect the exterior of the jet.The Defense Department and Lockheed Martin have reached a tentative agreement on the next lot of F-35s, with options for a multi-year buy worth about $34 billion for 478 aircraft total, including foreign partners and customers.As reported by Air Force Magazine, the agreement covers production Lot 12, with options for Lots 13 and 14. The first lot will include 157 aircraft, according to a Pentagon statement. The "framework" of the deal would lower the cost of an F-35A to $80 million in Lot 13, a year earlier than initially planned. Under Lot 11, the aircraft cost $89.2 million each."This is a historic milestone for the F-35 enterprise, and marks the largest procurement in the history of the department," Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Ellen Lord said in a statement.
|
| Graham on whether or not the FISA court was lied to Posted: 11 Jun 2019 06:50 PM PDT  Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Lindsey Graham on verifiability of Steele dossier and the FISA abuse scandal on 'Hannity.'
|
| FAA says has no timetable for Boeing 737 MAX's return to service Posted: 12 Jun 2019 07:55 AM PDT  FAA spokesman Greg Martin said the agency has "no timetable" for allowing the 737 MAX to resume flying and will act "only when it is safe to return to service". Bloomberg reported earlier that the troubled 737 MAX aircraft will be back in the air by December, citing a top Federal Aviation Administration safety official. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and has not given a timeline on when the planes would be back in service.
|
| View Photos of the 1993 Mazda Autozam AZ-1, 1993 Nissan Skyline GTS-25, and 1993 Toyota Mark II Tourer V Posted: 12 Jun 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| Trump erupts after polls say he would lose to every major Democrat in 2020: ‘They don’t even exist’ Posted: 12 Jun 2019 05:44 AM PDT  Donald Trump has claimed a wave of new polling from the 2020 presidential campaign season is fake after recent surveys showed every major Democrat vying for the White House besting the president in the upcoming election. "The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today," the president began in a series of Wednesday morning tweets. "There new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers).""The Fake (Corrupt) News Media said they had a leak into polling done by my campaign which, by the way and despite the phony and never ending Witch Hunt, are the best numbers WE have ever had," he continued, addressing reports from Tuesday that said he had instructed his aides to deny internal polling data that showed former Vice President Joe Biden beating him in 2020. "They reported Fake numbers that they made up & don't even exist," Mr Trump wrote. "WE WILL WIN AGAIN!"The president's comments came after a Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed head-to-head matchups against him and several leading 2020 Democrats. Mr Trump trailed Mr Biden — the clear frontrunner thus far in the Democratic primaries — by a whopping 13 per cent, while Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and others all held strong advantages as well. His remarks also came after a New York Times story looked at internal polling conducted by Tony Fabrizio across 17 states, reportedly showing Mr Trump trailing the former vice president in several key states for his re-election. > The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today. Thank goodness we can fight back on Social Media. Their new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers). Had it in 2016, but this is worse.....> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) > > June 12, 2019Despite his claims of "fake polling," a vast range of surveys conducted by a variety of news organisations, polling groups and universities show the president losing against his top opponents time and time again.In fact, Mr Trump even falls behind Mr Biden in the deeply red state of Texas, where another Quinnipiac University poll conducted last week showed the former vice president four points ahead of him. Shortly after posting the tweets about alleged false polling, Mr Trump retweeted his post from Monday touting a 50 per cent approval rating according to Rasmussen. The remarks also arrived a day after Mr Trump and Mr Biden held duelling rallies in Iowa, in which the president referred to Mr Biden as a "dummy" and the former vice president referred to Mr Trump as an "existential threat."
|
| US Catholic bishops convene to confront sex-abuse crisis Posted: 11 Jun 2019 02:28 PM PDT  How the bishops confront the problem "will determine in many ways the future vibrancy of the church and whether or not trust in your leadership can be restored," Francesco Cesareo, an academic who chairs a national sex-abuse review board set up by the bishops, said as the four-day gathering began. Key proposals on the agenda call for compassionate pastoral care for abuse victims, a new abuse reporting system, and a larger role for lay experts in holding bishops accountable. Votes on the proposals are expected on Wednesday and Thursday. The deliberations will be guided by a new law that Pope Francis issued on May 9.
|
| 'No nexus to terror': Helicopter crashes onto roof of New York City high rise; pilot dead Posted: 10 Jun 2019 07:35 PM PDT  A helicopter crashed onto the roof of a building on 7th Avenue in New York on Monday, killing the pilot, the city Fire Department said.
|
| Syria says air defence downs Israeli missiles Posted: 12 Jun 2019 01:01 AM PDT  Syrian air defence shot down Israeli missiles targeting the south of the country Wednesday, state media said, as a monitor reported positions of the regime's Lebanese ally Hezbollah had been hit. SANA also accused Israel of conducting an "electronic war" and "jamming" Syrian radar. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes had targeted positions of the Hezbollah Shiite movement in two locations, but without causing any casualties.
|
| A furious Jon Stewart tells Congress to support 9/11 first responders: 'It's an embarrassment' Posted: 11 Jun 2019 12:40 PM PDT  The former host of "The Daily Show" wins praise from members of the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution.
|
| France's Le Pen faces trial over Twitter images of Islamic State atrocities Posted: 12 Jun 2019 11:01 AM PDT  French far-right politician and former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will face trial over publishing images of Islamic State atrocities on Twitter in December 2015, a judicial source said on Wednesday. Lawyers for Le Pen could not be reached for comment. Le Pen has said before that legal proceedings against her are a form of political interference.
|
| The 2020 Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Makes the Velar Go as Well as it Looks Posted: 12 Jun 2019 10:00 AM PDT  Some fine tuning and additional V-8 power turn the Range Rover Velar into a refined hot rod.
|
| North Korea Demands U.S. Cease ‘Hostile Policy’ as One-Year Anniversary of Summit Deal Approaches Posted: 11 Jun 2019 07:48 AM PDT  On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the historic first summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump, North Korean state news agency KCNA upped tensions between the two countries, demanding Tuesday that the U.S. "withdraw its hostile policy" toward the state or face the disintegration of an agreement reached at the summit.In a press release, KCNA warned that the four-point agreement the two leaders signed last year "is in danger of being a blank sheet of paper because the U.S. is turning a blind eye to its implementation.""The arrogant and unilateral U.S. policy will never work on the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] which values sovereignty," the release stated. "Now is the time for the U.S. to withdraw its hostile policy concerning the DPRK."It was not immediately clear what specific U.S. policy changes the North Korean government hoped to effect. The agreement reached at last year's summit included pledges to foster a new relationship between North Korea and the U.S., establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, work toward denuclearizing North Korea, and repatriate the remains of deceased U.S. soldiers in North Korea. But talks at a follow-up summit in February broke down when North Korea demanded total sanctions relief and the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while the U.S. continued to insist that the North completely dismantle its nuclear program.Last month, North Korea made its first missile tests since November 2017. The tests had tapered off after the initial summit between Trump and Kim last year, but have ramped back up as negotiations began to falter thereafter."I think Chairman Kim would like to make a deal and I'd like to make a deal with him," Trump said last week.
|
| $1.6B pipeline proposed to move North Dakota crude oil Posted: 11 Jun 2019 05:50 PM PDT ![$1.6B pipeline proposed to move North Dakota crude oil]( "$1.6B pipeline proposed to move North Dakota crude oil") Two companies are proposing a $1.6 billion pipeline to move North Dakota crude oil, making it the biggest such project to move oil out of the state since the Dakota Access pipeline that sparked violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement in 2016 and 2017. Houston-based Phillips 66 and Casper, Wyoming-based Bridger Pipeline announced the joint venture called Liberty Pipeline on Monday. It's designed to move 350,000 barrels of oil daily — the bulk of which from western North Dakota's oil patch — to the nation's biggest storage terminal in Cushing, Oklahoma.
|
| We Can Now Show You What Boeing's F-35 Would Have Looked Like Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:00 PM PDT  One of the main reasons why Lockheed Martin's design was selected over Boeing's was because the X-32's direct lift system—which uses engine thrust to lift the aircraft—is prone to pop stalls. That's a phenomenon where hot exhaust gases are reingested into the engine causing a power loss. There were also questions as to whether the engine would be powerful enough to lift a fully operational F-32—the prototype had to have parts removed to ensure it would fly. It probably didn't help Boeing's case that it had to redesign the X-32 to meet the modified JSF requirements. An operational F-32 had a very different configuration from the X-32.On October 26, 2001, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Lockheed Martin's X-35 had won the Joint Strike Fighter contest over Boeing's X-32.(This first appeared in late 2015.)The win secured Lockheed's future as the manufacturer for all of America's fifth-generation fighter platforms. But Lockheed's resultant F-35 has suffered myriad delay, technical glitches, unrecoverable technical shortfalls and massive cost overruns. Already the largest ever defense program with an estimated price tag of $233 billion in 2001 for a total of 2,866 aircraft, the F-35 program is now estimated to cost more than $391 billion for 2,457 jets, according to the Government Accountability Office.
|
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB SUV with 7 seats targets families Posted: 11 Jun 2019 08:00 AM PDT  Just a couple of months after the concept version was shown off at Auto Shanghai 2019, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the production model of the GLB, the newest member of the company's compact SUV lineup.
|
| House Dems Abandon Bid to Axe Ban on Federal Abortion Funding from Spending Bill Posted: 11 Jun 2019 01:05 PM PDT  Progressive Democrats have backed down from their push to scrap the decades-old ban on federal funding for abortions in a $190 billion budget bill.The House Rules Committee on Monday night prevented the so-called Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of taxpayer funds for abortions, from being removed from the appropriations bill convering the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services.Currently, the Hyde Amendment bars federal funding for abortions except in circumstances when the mother's life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The measure proposed by Representative Ayanna Pressley and other Democrats would "ensure" abortion coverage for people using federal health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children's Health Insurance Program."As a response to the coordinated attacks on abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, the Congresswoman believes that she and her colleagues must use every tool and tactic available to fight for reproductive justice," said Pressley's communications director."I think we don't have the votes that we need," said Representative Pramila Jayapal, a sponsor of the measure. "It's frustrating. I actually think the country is with us. It's a political issue that is being used for political gain and it shouldn't be because it's a personal issue and it's a constitutional issue."House rules ordinarily do not allow measures like this one that set into motion new policies to be introduced in spending bills without a waiver, a rarity that Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to grant."It is the law of the land right now, and I don't see that there's an opportunity to get rid of it with the current occupant of the White House and this U.S. Senate," Pelosi said Tuesday, adding that she does not support the Hyde Amendment herself."Let me be clear on the Hyde Amendment: I would repeal it tomorrow," said Representative Katherine Clark, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus. However, she added that an attempt to repeal it in this spending bill would become "a focal point that could collapse everything in the Labor-H bill that is so good for American families."
|
| Ford recalls 1.2 million Explorer SUVs for potential steering problem Posted: 12 Jun 2019 07:18 AM PDT  Ford Motor Co said on Wednesday it is recalling 1.2 million Explorer sport utility vehicles in the United States for a potential suspension defect that could lead to reduced steering control. The second largest U.S. automaker said the recall covers 2011-2017 model year Explorers that could experience a fractured rear suspension toe link that could increase the risk of a crash. Ford said one customer reported hitting a curb when the toe link broke but it not aware of any reports of injury.
|
| Stranger Accused of Breaking into Family's Apartment to Take Little Girl Posted: 11 Jun 2019 09:05 AM PDT  Indiana police arrested a man accused of breaking into an apartment and trying to take a little girl.
|
| Toothpaste firm up for auction on Chinese shopping portal Posted: 11 Jun 2019 11:45 PM PDT  A toothpaste company has been put up for auction on e-commerce giant Alibaba's Taobao, an immensely popular shopping portal in China which sells everything from mundane household items to jumbo jets. Tianqi toothpaste, a household name in China, and its manufacturer Guangxi Aoqili were listed for auction on Tuesday at a starting price of 163.24 million yuan ($23.6 million). The package on offer included 57 trademarks related to Tianqi, industrial real estate and production equipment, according to the auction notice, which did not explain why the company was being sold or why Taobao was chosen for the transaction.
|
| Trump says he wants to run against Biden: 'He's the weakest mentally' Posted: 11 Jun 2019 11:06 AM PDT  In what could be a preview of the 2020 general election matchup, President Trump unloaded on former Vice President Joe Biden, calling the current Democratic frontrunner a "loser" who has lost a step.
|
| Photos of the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur Sedan Posted: 11 Jun 2019 04:00 AM PDT |
| Delta flew 41 fifth graders after a canceled flight left group stranded in Oklahoma Posted: 11 Jun 2019 09:18 AM PDT ![Delta flew 41 fifth graders after a canceled flight left group stranded in Oklahoma]( "Delta flew 41 fifth graders after a canceled flight left group stranded in Oklahoma") Delta Air Lines came to the rescue after a group of Oklahoma students were stuck at an airport on their way to D.C. after their flight was canceled.
|
| The Latest: Japanese leader seeks to cool US-Iran tensions Posted: 12 Jun 2019 01:29 PM PDT  The leader of Japan is visiting Iran to warn that an "accidental conflict" could be sparked amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered that message just hours after Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels attacked an airport in Saudi Arabia, wounding 26 people. Abe's trip is the highest-level effort yet to de-escalate the crisis as Tehran appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers.
|
| NASA wants to commercialize the International Space Station, and make heaps of cash doing it Posted: 10 Jun 2019 07:05 PM PDT  NASA has big plans for its immediate future, including missions to Mars and of course the Moon 2024 effort that was completely unaccounted for in the most recent federal budget. When it comes to science, funding can be hard to come by, and many of NASA's projects are pricey.So, in the hopes of generating additional revenue that it can then use for its own scientific research efforts, NASA just announced a new effort to embrace commercial interests and open up the International Space Station to private business. New opportunities for commercial visits to the ISS are expected to come swiftly, with pricing already being hashed out.At present, NASA doesn't have the cash it needs to make it to the Moon in 2024. The agency was recently given a mandate from the current administration to return humans to the lunar surface within five years, and despite how shortsighted that request was, NASA has been doing its best to generate support for the cause. Lawmakers have yet to allocate the additional funds NASA requested to make the mission a reality, and it's unclear when (or if) that might occur.So, with its wallet lighter than ever, NASA will now sell access to the ISS, an orbiting laboratory where companies can conduct their own research without needing NASA astronauts to do it for them.Here's NASA's own description of its decision to commercialize the space station:> This effort is intended to broaden the scope of commercial activity on the space station beyond the ISS National Lab mandate, which is limited to research and development. A new NASA directive will enable commercial manufacturing and production and allow both NASA and private astronauts to conduct new commercial activities aboard the orbiting laboratory. The directive also sets prices for industry use of U.S. government resources on the space station for commercial and marketing activities.NASA says it's limiting its own "allocation of crew resources and cargo capability" in order to make room for private companies. This includes "90 hours of crew time and 175 kg of cargo launch capability" that it will now sell to whoever is willing to pay.At present, NASA envisions at least two "short-duration private astronaut missions" to the ISS each year. Everything about the missions will be privately funded and will follow NASA's guidelines for its Commercial Crew Program.
|
| Illinois Governor Signs Bill Scrapping Third-Trimester Abortion Restrictions Posted: 12 Jun 2019 12:25 PM PDT  Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed a wide-ranging bill protecting abortion rights in the state.The Reproductive Health Act states that "a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this state" and that an individual has a "fundamental right" to abortion."If you believe in standing up for women's fundamental rights, Illinois is a beacon of hope in the heart of this nation," Pritzker said before signing the law. "We trust women."The measure "ensures that women's rights in Illinois do not hinge on the fate of Roe v. Wade or the whims of an increasingly conservative Supreme Court in Washington," he added.The bill passed the Illinois House 64 to 50 and last month passed the Illinois Senate 34 to 20. While advocates have described it as simply codifying current law in Illinois, critics have charged that it dramatically loosens the state's abortion restrictions.The bill scraps a requirement that a second physician sign off on an abortion performed after viability (around 24 weeks) and permits the procedure for the "health of the patient," which includes "all factors that are relevant to the patient's health and well-being, including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, psychological, and familial health and age."The law also repeals Illinois's Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, although that procedure, usually performed extremely late in a pregnancy, is still prohibited by federal law. Certain non-doctor medical professionals would be permitted to perform abortions under the law, and all health insurers would be required to cover the procedure.The Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based pro-life law firm, accused the state of "legalizing the death penalty, with no possibility of appeal, for viable unborn preemies" in passing the law. The group's vice president, Peter Breen, a former Illinois representative, called the bill "the most radical sweeping pro-abortion measure in America" and said it "makes Illinois an abortion destination for the country.""Americans of every political persuasion are appalled by these attempts to expand abortion on demand through the moment of birth and even infanticide, and that in turn is driving pro-life momentum around the country," said Jill Stanek, the Susan B. Anthony List's national campaign chairwoman, in a statement.
|
| Exclusive: Top Japanese chip gear firm to honor U.S. blacklist of Chinese firms - executive Posted: 10 Jun 2019 11:13 PM PDT  Japan's Tokyo Electron, the world's No.3 supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, will not supply to Chinese clients blacklisted by Washington, a senior company executive told Reuters. The decision shows how Washington's effort to bar sales of technology to Chinese firms, including Huawei Technologies, is ensnaring non-American firms that are not obliged to follow U.S. law. China, which is locked in a crippling trade war with the United States, is pushing to build its semiconductor industry to reduce its reliance on U.S., Japanese and European suppliers for chip-making machinery.
|
| Flag-burning during Pride Month prompts reflection on nation's rise in hate crimes Posted: 11 Jun 2019 05:07 AM PDT  Police efforts to respond with empathy to victims of hate crimes break with a history of brutality, discrimination by law enforcement nationwide.
|
| Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand: survey Posted: 10 Jun 2019 09:21 PM PDT  US retail giant Amazon has moved past hi-tech titans Apple and Google to become the world's most valuable brand, a key survey showed Tuesday. The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report. Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google -- which slid from first to third place with Apple holding on to the second spot.
|
| Trump lashes out at polls that show 2020 re-election bid in trouble Posted: 12 Jun 2019 09:32 AM PDT  President revived attacks on the media and denied a report his campaign's polling found him in a weak position across 17 statesFollow the latest in US politics – live A poll released on Tuesday by Quinnipiac University showed Donald Trump trailing six Democratic contenders by between five and 13 points among 1,214 registered voters polled nationwide. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at new polling results showing the president in deep trouble as he mounts his 2020 re-election bid. A day after a survey found at least six Democratic presidential candidates would defeat Trump in a head-to-head election matchup, the president revived his attacks on the media while dismissing the numbers as, in his view, "fake polling". "The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today. Thank goodness we can fight back on Social Media," Trump tweeted. "Their new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers). Had it in 2016, but this is worse…" Trump went on to deny a report in the New York Times that his campaign's own internal polling found him in a weak position across 17 states. "The Fake (Corrupt) News Media said they had a leak into polling done by my campaign which, by the way and despite the phony and never ending Witch Hunt, are the best numbers WE have ever had," Trump wrote. "They reported Fake numbers that they made up & don't even exist. WE WILL WIN AGAIN!" The pair of tweets followed a devastating poll released on Tuesday by Quinnipiac University, which showed Trump trailing six Democratic contenders by between five and 13 points among 1,214 registered voters polled nationwide. Former vice-president Joe Biden held the strongest advantage over Trump, polling at 13 points above him, followed by the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders at nine points. Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren led Trump by seven and eight points respectively, and even the South Bend mayor, Pete Buttigieg, and the New Jersey senator Cory Booker – both of whom rank among the lesser-known Democratic candidates – each came in five points ahead of Trump. The results echoed other national and swing state polls spelling difficulty for Trump as he builds his case for a second term before the American public. Pollsters warn that it is far too early to draw any sweeping conclusions from the findings at this stage. Although the surveys are designed to reflect the temperature of the electorate in this moment, the mood can quickly change. Most Americans are not yet tuned into the 2020 election, and they are only just getting to know some of the candidates in the Democratic field. Pollsters were also rattled by the 2016 election, when surveys consistently favored Hillary Clinton in key battleground states. Despite Clinton's lead over Trump in most pre-election polls, voters previously regarded as undecided turned out in droves and swung for Trump in the final days. Their turnout was higher than projected and some had not told pollsters they supported the controversial candidate. The Quinnipiac poll suggested Trump could stand to benefit from 70% of Americans saying the economy is "excellent" or "good". "The Trump bump to 42% job approval is nothing to sniff at. It's one point shy of the best Quinnipiac University survey number ever for President Trump," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll. Trump and Biden are engaged in an escalating war of words, offering a preview of a hypothetical general election contest if Biden wins the nomination next year. Trump has publicly questioned Biden's mental fitness and reportedly instructed his aides to deny that his campaign's internal polling showed him trailing Biden in many must-win states. Trump nonetheless insisted he was not concerned, telling reporters on Tuesday: "I think he's the weakest mentally … The others have much more energy. "I'd rather run against, I think, Biden than anybody."
|
| Mother of 5 slain children asks for mercy for ex-husband Posted: 11 Jun 2019 01:13 PM PDT  The mother of five children who were killed by their father stunned a South Carolina courtroom on Tuesday by asking the jury to spare her ex-husband's life.
|
| The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB Crossover Is like a G-Wagen Emoji Posted: 10 Jun 2019 07:00 PM PDT  Benz's newest offering is a compact SUV with G-class styling and up to seven seats.
|
| The Latest: Freed US resident blasts Iran over detention Posted: 11 Jun 2019 08:23 AM PDT  In his first statements following his release, Nizar Zakka, an internet freedom advocate who was arrested in 2015, says he is more determined than ever to fight for freedom of expression. Zakka's release comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. after America's withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. There has been speculation that his release is part of a wider deal between the U.S. and Iran.
|
| The moon’s largest crater is hiding something huge, but astronomers aren’t quite sure what Posted: 12 Jun 2019 10:20 AM PDT ![The moon's largest crater is hiding something huge, but astronomers aren't quite sure what]( "The moon's largest crater is hiding something huge, but astronomers aren't quite sure what") The mass is five times the size of Hawaii's Big Island and buried underneath the South Pole-Aitkin basin – the moon's largest crater.
|
| Hundreds of North Korean public execution sites identified by rights group Posted: 10 Jun 2019 09:43 PM PDT  North Korea conducts public executions to incite fear among the public, a rights group said on Tuesday in a report pinpointing at least 323 sites used by the government for capital punishment. The report by the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) is the result of four years of research and interviews with more than 600 North Korean defectors living outside the country. "Public executions are to remind people of particular policy positions that the state has," said TJWG research director Sarah A. Son. "But the second and more powerful reason is it instills a culture of fear among ordinary people." Purged members of the elite have been among those executed in public, such as leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013. But the most common charges leveled against the condemned ranged from "stealing copper and livestock" to, less commonly, "anti-state" activities and illegally crossing into China, the group said. The survey of 610 North Korean defectors living in South Korea, included 19 reports of more than 10 people being executed at the same time. Crowds, often of hundreds of people, and sometimes a 1,000 or more, would gather. The youngest person to witness a public execution was 7 years old, the group said. South Korean protesters and North Korean defectors hold portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a rally urging the United States to discuss North Korean human rights issues Credit: AP The group found that 35 reports of public executions came from one particular river bank, with executions taking place at the unidentified location every decade since 1960s. Six of the executions were by hanging and 29 by firing squad, the group said. Reuters was unable to independently confirm any of the accounts in the report. The group said 83 percent of a sample of 84 surveyed people had witnessed a public execution at some time, but it did not give specific data on how common such executions may be. Nor did it say if they were getting more or less frequent. The group warned that the survey sample based on the testimony of defectors, was not necessarily representative. For example, a disproportionate number of the respondents come from northern provinces with the greatest access to the Chinese border for people trying to defect. Some reports of executions in North Korea have turned out to be untrue, with officials who had been reported as being executed later reappearing. This month, there have been media reports about the execution of officials involved in nuclear talks with the United States, which collapsed in February at a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump last week appeared to cast doubt on the news reports about the executions. "I don't know if the reports are correct," Trump said. "They like to blame Kim Jong Un immediately." North Korean state media has made no comment.
|
| Ford Motor opens research center in Tel Aviv Posted: 12 Jun 2019 01:14 AM PDT  Ford Motor Co on Wednesday opened a research center in Tel Aviv, joining a growing number of major automakers and suppliers setting up shop in the Israeli tech hub as they race to develop self-driving cars. With spiraling development costs for autonomous and connected cars in recent years, Ford and other carmakers have sought alliances and outside investors. The Tel Aviv lab will focus on technologies in connectivity, sensors, automated-systems research, in-vehicle monitoring and cyber security.
|
| These smart LED bulbs are just as good as $50 Philips Hue bulbs, and they’re down to $13 Posted: 11 Jun 2019 04:54 AM PDT  If you've been following the BGR Deals team for a while, you've likely heard about MagicLight WiFi Smart Light Bulbs before. We've been recommending them for more than a year as a more affordable alternative to $50 Philips Hue color smart bulbs, and they typically sell for between $15 and $17. Today is definitely the day to stock up on them though, because Amazon is offering them for just $12.99 a piece! That's an all-time low, and it won't last very long.Here's more info from the product page: * ✔ Compatible with Alexa & Google Assistant: Voice Control your MagicLight WiFi light bulb with your Amazon Echo or Echo Dot and Google Home Assistant * ✔ Works with IFTTT: DIY Your WiFi Light Bulb Depending on Various Events by Connecting it to IFTTT * ✔ Works with iOS/Android: Personalize Your WiFI Smart Lights to Match Your Mood, Control Your Smart WiFi Lights Bulb Remotely When You are not at Home * ✔ Various Scene Modes: Color Palette, Group Control, Sunlight, Music Mode, Timer, Sunrise, Sunset, Dimmable, MIC Function, DIY Mode, Scene Mode, Energy Saving...... * ✔ Application: This is a WiFi enabled light bulb, no hub required. Multiple lighting patterns, suitable for a showcase, residential, office, hotel, shop, exhibition room, landscaping, indoor, home etc.
|
| Mexico launches committee to implement US migration deal Posted: 11 Jun 2019 10:01 AM PDT  Mexico said Tuesday it has launched a committee to implement its deal with the United States on curbing undocumented migration in return for a reprieve from President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador named Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard -- his point man for the negotiations in Washington that produced Friday's deal -- as the top official on the committee. It will also include the military commander for the southern border state of Chiapas and high-level labor, social welfare and prison officials.
|
| Dallas crane collapse victim identified as 29-year-old woman Posted: 10 Jun 2019 08:16 PM PDT  Residents in North Texas began to come to grips Monday with the widespread damage left after a sudden thunderstorm bearing near hurricane-strength winds rolled through the area and collapsed a crane onto an apartment complex, killing one person and injuring five others. Wind gusts measuring as high as 71 mph (114 kph) blew out the windows of high-rise buildings and tore trees apart, taking power and telephone lines with them, especially in Dallas and its northern suburbs. Kiersten Symone Smith, 29, was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the Dallas County Medical Examiners' office, after the construction crane smashed into a five-story building near downtown.
|
| New Aston Martin DBX SUV Details Revealed by Preproduction Prototype Posted: 12 Jun 2019 12:20 PM PDT  A new set of images gives us our best look yet at Aston Martin's upcoming crossover.
|
| Britain won't get a better Brexit deal, German minister tells Conservatives Posted: 11 Jun 2019 03:15 AM PDT  The European Union and its member states will not be prepared to renegotiate the Brexit deal agreed between London and Brussels whoever the next British Prime Minister is, Germany's Europe Minister Michael Roth said on Tuesday. Roth said that the candidates vying to succeed Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister would do well to bear this in mind when making campaign pledges. "The EU and its member states cannot be blackmailed," Roth told Reuters.
|
