| Guatemalan mother brings AOC to tears with account of harrowing conditions at border detention facilities Posted: 10 Jul 2019 03:56 PM PDT  A Guatemalan migrant recounts the death of her baby after entering the United States and being detained.
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| Iran's Military Vows Retaliation for U.K. Seizing Oil Tanker Posted: 09 Jul 2019 12:54 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Iran's military vowed to retaliate against the seizure by British Royal Marines of an oil tanker loaded with the Islamic Republic's crude off the coast of Gibraltar last week."It will be reciprocated, at a suitable time and in a suitable place," Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff for Iran's armed forces, was quoted as saying by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.The warning highlights mounting risks to shipping in a region that exports about a third of all seaborne petroleum. BP Plc is keeping an oil carrier empty inside the Persian Gulf, close to Saudi Arabia, rather than risk its seizure by Iran, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. Six tankers have been attacked since early May, with the U.S. blaming Iran for the incidents, a charge Tehran denies.The tanker seized by Gibraltar with the help of Royal Marines -- the Grace 1 -- was arrested on the grounds it was taking crude to a sanctioned Syrian company, according to the British overseas territory on Spain's southern tip. Iran said the tanker was in international waters, not headed to Syria, and described the U.K.'s actions as piracy.Insurance costs soared in the aftermath of the tanker attacks and some owners initially became wary of sailing to the region.Tensions escalated since the U.S. exited an international nuclear accord with Iran then resumed -- and escalated -- sanctions against nation. The Persian Gulf country has responded by suspending some of its commitments as part of the accord not to develop nuclear activities that it says are for are civilian purposes.(Updates with context about BP oil tanker in third paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ladane Nasseri in Dubai at lnasseri@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Alaric Nightingale, Brian WingfieldFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| China demands US cancel arms sale to Taiwan Posted: 09 Jul 2019 02:48 PM PDT  China demanded Tuesday that the United States "immediately cancel" a potential sale of $2.2 billion in arms to self-ruled Taiwan, including battle tanks and anti-aircraft missiles, adding fuel to tensions between the two powers. The US later shrugged off China's complaints, responding that the equipment would contribute to "peace and stability" in Asia. The sale would be the first transfer of big-ticket US military gear to the democratically-governed island in decades, and comes as ties between Washington and Beijing are already strained by their trade war.
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| Tourist says she was raped, thrown off resort balcony in Dominican Republic Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:21 AM PDT  A New York City woman claims she was raped and thrown off a second-floorbalcony in the Dominican Republic last month, according to WABC
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| Indiana family 'in shock' after toddler dies following 11-story fall from cruise ship Posted: 09 Jul 2019 06:43 AM PDT  The 1-year-old daughter of an Indiana police officer, slipped from her grandfather's arms Sunday while their ship was docked in San Juan.
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| Saudi princess tried in absentia for alleged Paris beating Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:58 AM PDT  The only daughter of Saudi Arabia's King Salman was put on trial in absentia Tuesday in Paris for allegedly ordering her bodyguard to strike a plumber she suspected of taking photos and video at the Saudi royal family's apartment in the French capital. Prosecutors allege Princess Hessa bint Salman became enraged when she saw the plumber allegedly capturing her image, fearing the pictures could be used to harm her as the Saudi monarch's daughter due to her country's conservative traditions. The princess' lawyer said she was not present because correspondence was sent to the Paris address, not to the royal palace in Saudi Arabia.
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| Freshman Rep. Veronica Escobar reports death threats over asylum story Posted: 09 Jul 2019 05:19 PM PDT  Texas Democrat says federal authorities looking into threats against her, her family and aides
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| New York City LGBT Bar Owner’s ‘Relief’ as Rainbow Flag Burning Suspect Is Caught Posted: 09 Jul 2019 03:51 PM PDT  Tim Teeman/The Daily BeastAlexi Minko, the owner of the Alibi Lounge, New York City's only black-owned LGBTQ bar, said it was "a huge relief" that the NYPD had arrested a suspect Tuesday night for the burning of the bar's rainbow flags.The NYPD's arrest in the much-publicized case followed the burning of three of the Alibi Lounge's rainbow flags outside its Harlem entrance—two on May 31 at the beginning of Pride month and one sometime between Sunday night and early Monday morning.Police arrested Tyresse Singleton, 20, of Manhattan, in connection with both incidents. He is charged with two counts each of criminal mischief as a hate crime and arson. It was not clear if an attorney had been assigned to his case. He was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan criminal court Tuesday night.Stonewall 50: Don't Forget the Black & Brown LGBTQ Struggle"It brings a sense of resolution," Minko told The Daily Beast of the arrest, "and serves as a cautionary tale to anyone thinking of doing something similar not only to us, but to anyone who thinks of targeting anyone else for reasons of gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. It is also a reminder that we live in a civilized world and more often than not you get the resolution you deserve. We're really relieved to put this behind us and just move forward." Dermot Shea, the NYPD's chief of detectives, announced via Twitter late Tuesday afternoon that cops had apprehended a suspect. The suspect had been apprehended thanks to a Crimestoppers tip. The NYPD had released footage of both incidents to encourage witnesses to come forward.On Monday evening, when The Daily Beast visited the Alibi Lounge, Minko had kept a beady eye on who was outside, and who was coming in past the rainbow flag flanking its entrance.Minko opened the bar just over three years ago (on June 24, 2016), and said he had experienced no homophobia during that time. The flag burnings shocked him—and made him determined to stay open "and stay proud." The incidents attracted considerable media coverage: on Monday night, news crews from NBC and ABC's New York stations stopped by for interviews. Governor Andrew Cuomo had directed the state police hate crimes unit to assist the NYPD in its investigation.Inside the bar on Monday night, Nina Kennedy and April Gibson, who just produced an 'It's World Pride' Club Mix, had come to the bar from the East Village to show their support. Kennedy told The Daily Beast, "I'm outraged. It's really shocking that this happened in Harlem, where black people are supposed to feel safe. We shouldn't have to deal with this crap up here."Gibson added: "We came to be bodies-in-the-chairs tonight, to show our support, and say, 'Yes, we are here.' It is important that there are LGBTQ spaces in all areas of the city, because we are everywhere and we need to be able to feel supported, loved, and welcome no matter where we are."Alibi Lounge's title of the only black-owned LGBTQ bar in New York City, "is one we unfortunately inherited after Club Langston closed last year," said Minko. Like the latter, Alibi serves a predominantly black LGBTQ clientele, although Minko emphasizes: "We are all inclusive. You can be purple as long as your credit card goes through."Other customers, who asked not to be named as they sipped their drinks, said they had been disgusted to hear about the flag burnings, and also wanted to come and show their support.Minko was at the bar when the first incident happened, and heard about the second from staff on duty on Sunday night.New York City Police Department"The first time it happened, my first feelings were around how surreal it looked," Minko told The Daily Beast. "It was raining that night. I first saw only one flag burning and thought it must be an accident involving lighting a cigarette. Then I saw the second flag burning, and the flames were crazy."The flags are a symbol of Pride, and for the first few minutes I wondered, was this for real? Was it an accident? Was it supposed to be a joke that someone found funny? Then I saw the footage the next day, and saw how malicious it was, how calculated. The person took his time to light both flags on fire. I got angry obviously, and a bit disappointed in humanity."Tim Teeman/The Daily BeastThe May 31 incident happened close to the anniversary of the Pulse mass shooting, Minko added. The act of seeing the arson had been traumatizing, and made Minko ask himself what would have stopped the perpetrator from coming into the bar itself.However, his anger lessened with the "level of support and love" he had received from the community. The NYPD had been "brilliant" too, and checked on the bar every night afterwards.Then it happened again. Barman Lucca Martini was shocked to see the flames. "I don't know why anyone would do such a thing," he said."It's absolutely surreal," said Minko. 'I just thought, 'Not again.' And so we have put another rainbow flag out there, to say 'We will not be intimidated, we will not give in.' Of course you start to worry. This has happened twice in five weeks. You have no idea what lies behind such things. Is it the same person or different people? Are they trying to send a message to you? Are they coming back? I feel responsible for every person who walks through that door. I feel a lot of emotions, and they're not good ones."Cole Knapper, LGBTQ chairperson for Al Sharpton's National Action Network, was also at the bar Monday night and "absolutely shocked" by the attacks. "This is such a great neighborhood—so warm and accepting. Alibi has been here, without incident, for three years. We need to send the message, 'This is not Harlem. This is not who we are, and it will absolutely not to be tolerated.' "Harlem keeps getting more diverse and better. If this turns out to be an act of homophobia, it would shock me, but would point to areas where we need improvement in the neighborhood and our cultural competency as a neighborhood. We'll learn and grow from this.""This sort of terrorism, because that is what it is, has to stop," Carmen Neely, president of Harlem Pride, and co-chair of the Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition, told The Daily Beast. "Burning the flag itself is one thing, and it what it represents. For it to have happened a second time is absolutely untenable and egregious." The two incidents had bookended a successful Pride month, Neely noted, "and for this to happen in our neighborhood is absolutely ridiculous. We don't usually have any problems. I'm sure where this is coming from or who it could be or why. It's very much out of the blue."Harlem Pride and the Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition plan to present Minko with new rainbow flags to put up.Minko said he was determined to focus his energy positively, rather than on the offender. "Whatever his problem is, it's between him or them and the justice system. People are coming to the bar to show support. The positive impact this nonsense has had is that it's woken up the community. It reminds people we are still vulnerable, and the way to be less vulnerable is to band together. "It's a heinous act, a criminal act, and it is not to be tolerated or excused. It has to be called out for what it is—a hate crime. I gave birth to this bar, it's like someone harming my child. I'm very defensive and protective of this place."A lawyer in his earlier professional life, it had been Minko's dream to own his own business. A bar seemed a good idea, "because I don't have many skills apart from getting people drunk and making sure people have a good time."The warm and witty Minko was determined to keep this philosophy uppermost."You've got to get back on the horse and keep going. We can't give into our fears, otherwise we LGBTQ people wouldn't be where we are today. We've got to move forward. Here at Alibi we stand proud, we stand tall, and we're not going anywhere. This bar is staying open." He laughed. "The rent needs to be paid before the end of the week. Right now there's no other option! Over the last few weeks I've seen the pride, happiness, joy, and love that we are receiving from the community, and I hope that we are sending it back into the community."Asked what he wanted to let the public know following the arrest of the suspect, Minko laughed again. "That we're open seven days a week from 5pm to 4am." The recommended cocktail at Alibi Lounge, he added, was the "Elegance Is an Attitude."If you have information, call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782); or via the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.Additional reporting: Pervaiz ShallwaniRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Exclusive: The true origins of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. A Yahoo News investigation. Posted: 09 Jul 2019 03:00 AM PDT  In the summer of 2016, Russian intelligence agents secretly planted a fake report claiming that Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was gunned down by a squad of assassins working for Hillary Clinton, giving rise to a notorious conspiracy theory that captivated conservative activists and was later promoted from inside President Trump's White House, a Yahoo News investigation has found.
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| ‘Middle Class Joe’ Biden’s Income Surged to $15 Million in Two Years Posted: 09 Jul 2019 02:37 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Democratic front-runner Joe Biden is building his presidential campaign around the middle class values he shares with his core voters. Now he may need to convince them he's still one of them.New financial disclosures show that Biden has become a multimillionaire in the two years since he left the Obama administration. The former vice president and his wife, Jill, earned more than $15.6 million in 2017 and 2018, according to tax returns for those years released by his campaign on Tuesday.Their net worth is between $2.2 million and $8 million, according to a separate financial disclosure filed Tuesday that doesn't include their real estate holdings. By contrast, Biden's disclosure with the federal Office of Government Ethics for 2016, his last year at the White House, showed the couple's assets were worth between $303,000 and $1 million and they had liabilities between $560,000 and $1.2 million.Biden's change in fortunes could provide rich fodder for his rivals for the Democratic nomination, many of whom are already trying to portray the 76-year-old as an out-of-touch member of the Washington elite. The wealth is also likely to open up a new line of attack by Republicans and President Donald Trump, eager to tear down his reputation as "middle class Joe."The bulk of the Bidens' new income came from payments for the memoirs they've each written, as well as speaking engagements.Speaking EngagementsBiden also filed a disclosure form with the Federal Election Commission that details 47 paid speaking engagements in 2017 through early 2019 for which he was paid as much as $181,000 each. Most speaking fees were paid by universities and theaters or entertainment companies such as Live Nation Worldwide Inc. and CAA Premium Experience.Hillary Clinton, the former Obama secretary of state and 2016 Democratic nominee, faced attacks throughout her campaign for speaking behind closed doors to banks and other financial services companies. Biden did not do any corporate speaking engagements, and his campaign said that all speeches were open to the public and that more than half were also open to press coverage.The Bidens donated $275,796 -- about 6% -- of their more than $4.5 million in income in 2018, according to their tax returns. A year earlier, when the Bidens reported more than $11 million in income, they donated more than $1 million, more than 9% of their total earnings.The Bidens paid $3.7 million in federal income taxes in 2017 and $1.5 million in 2018. Their state and local taxes totaled $736,613 in 2017 and $344,944 in 2018.Joe Biden's income in 2017 and 2018 also included about $400,000 annually from the University of Pennsylvania for his role as Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor. Jill Biden took in slightly more than $90,000 each year for her professorship at Northern Virginia Community College.In addition to a long-held home in the Wilmington, Delaware, area, the Bidens bought a house in Rehoboth Beach for $2.7 million in 2017.\--With assistance from Laura Davison and Bill Allison.To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Epstein in Washington at jepstein32@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Max Berley, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S. Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:00 PM PDT ![EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S.]( "EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S.") Iran's release last month of Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese businessman with U.S. permanent residency, after four years in prison was meant as an opening for U.S.-Iranian talks, according to three Western sources familiar with the issue. The gesture, however, was not enough for Washington, which did not pursue it. "It was a missed opportunity," one U.S. source said of Zakka's June 11 release and the U.S. decision not to pursue talks.
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| 'We proceeded appropriately': Acosta defends role in controversial Jeffrey Epstein plea deal Posted: 10 Jul 2019 02:33 PM PDT  Embattled Labor Secretary Alex Acosta defended his role in negotiating a plea agreement a decade ago with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
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| Plan by Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez to declare climate emergency Posted: 09 Jul 2019 07:13 PM PDT  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are teaming up on a measure that would designate climate change as an emergency, and they have won early support from one of Sanders' fellow Democratic presidential candidates. The legislation introduced Tuesday night in the House is designed to highlight Democrats' focus on global warming and push back on President Donald Trump, who has declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is competing with Sanders for the support of liberal voters in the presidential primary, plans to sign onto the resolution when it's introduced in the Senate, according to a spokeswoman.
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| McConnell cites Obama in reparations debate: 'We both are the descendants of slave owners' Posted: 09 Jul 2019 12:55 PM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responds to reports that his great-great-grandfathers owned slaves.
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| Ridgecrest earthquake: Authorities investigating possible earthquake-related death after man found pinned under car in Nevada Posted: 10 Jul 2019 01:46 AM PDT  Authorities in Nevada are investigating a possible earthquake-related death after a man was found pinned under a car.
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| Judge who said teenager who filmed himself raping girl 'deserves leniency because he's from a good family’ gets death threats Posted: 10 Jul 2019 07:53 AM PDT  A New Jersey judge who said a teenage boy accused of rape should get leniency because he came from a "good family" has received threats amid a ferocious backlash against his ruling.James Troiano denied a request in 2018 for a 16-year-old boy accused of raping an intoxicated 16-year-old girl to be tried as an adult.The Monmouth County Superior Court Judge said the defendant "comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well."The teenage boy was accused of recording himself sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl and sending the video to friends with the caption "when your first time is rape." Mr Troiano's decision, which surfaced last week, sparked a fierce response and has been viewed as evidence the US legal system is two-tier and has different rules for those who are privileged. The 69-year-old, who has spent almost three decades on the bench, and his family are now receiving death threats and there have been a number of calls for him to resign, reports the New York Times.Mr Troiano and his family have received multiple threatening emails and calls, according to a source who spoke to the publication.One email reportedly told the judge that should be raped by a man "stronger than you".A Change.org petition calls for the NJ State Assembly to impeach the judge and a protest is scheduled to take place at Monmouth County Superior Court later this week.The threats come as politicians and members of the public call for Mr Troiano to be disbarred, including from Democratic presidential hopeful Cory Booker. The New Jersey senator said: "Not only should this judge no longer serve - as he is clearly incapable of properly fulfilling his duties - but across the country, we must call out bad actors in the system, exposing their biases, and show women and survivors that we will doggedly pursue justice on their behalf".The teenager is accused of raping a girl, who has been referred to under the alias of Mary in court documents, in a basement during a house party in 2017.Court documents say Mary was intoxicated, slurring her words and stumbling as she walked into the basement with the teenager. They say she suffered bruising and hand prints from others slapping her on her backside, which she told her mother about the next day.Court documents say the accused teen allegedly recorded the assault and shared it with friends – adding that the girl's bare torso is exposed and her head is repeatedly banged against a wall in the recording.Mary and her family chose to press charges months later when the defendant carried on sharing the clip, despite the girl asking him to stop. Family court proceedings are usually closed to the public but some of Mr Troiano's remarks - taken from a 65-page transcript of his sealed decision - were revealed when an appeals court decision surfaced.The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court reversed Mr Troiano's decision in June - sending the case back down for further judgment.
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| Trump blasts 'foolish' UK PM May and her 'wacky' envoy over leaked memos Posted: 09 Jul 2019 05:23 AM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at "foolish" British Prime Minister Theresa May and her "wacky" Washington ambassador on Tuesday, stepping up a tirade against a close ally whose envoy had branded his administration inept. May has given her full support to Kim Darroch after he described Trump's administration as "dysfunctional" and "inept" in memos that were leaked to a British newspaper on Sunday. While ministers and May's spokesman have stated the leaked cables were only a partial reflection of Darroch's assessments and did not reflect the government's views, they have infuriated Trump, who fired off a second series of scathing tweets.
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| The Limits of the Alliance Between China and Russia Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:58 AM PDT  China's President Xi Jinping recently visited Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a Russian economic forum that hosts various important global economic players, to discuss "the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole." He was also there to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the two countries' bilateral ties by holding talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.Although it was Xi's first trip to Russia in 2019, the visit to Russia came at a time of tensions between China and the United States on multiple fronts. These include tensions over trade, technology, and freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. And, due to its tensions with Russia on some regional and strategic stability issues, the current U.S. administration has called both China and Russia "revisionist powers" that seek to challenge the preponderance of the United States. This comes at a time when China and Russia are closer to each other "than any time in the history of their relationship." Although it is not the determinant factor, the current U.S. posture towards both China and Russia could contribute to their rapidly growing partnership.
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| $3.7 million in cash discovered in abandoned boat in Puerto Rico, Border Patrol says Posted: 09 Jul 2019 01:25 PM PDT  Authorities followed a boat to the island's coast and found five duffel bags containing $3.7 million in cash.
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| Another Woman Has Come Forward Alleging Jeffrey Epstein Sexually Assaulted Her When She Was 15 Years Old Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:26 AM PDT  "I was terrified and I was telling him to stop, 'please stop.'"
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| Iran, Russia pour scorn on US moves at UN nuclear watchdog Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:13 AM PDT  Iran and Russia on Wednesday poured scorn on America's call for Tehran to adhere to limits in a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, at a special meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog. The meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was requested by the US after it was confirmed last week that Iran had exceeded the stockpile of enriched uranium permitted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The US Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna Jackie Wolcott told the meeting that Iran was engaged in "nuclear extortion".
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| German leader Merkel seen shaking for 3rd time in a month Posted: 10 Jul 2019 05:20 AM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel's body shook visibly at a public event for the third time in less than a month on Wednesday, but the longtime leader insisted that there's nothing to worry about. Merkel shook as she stood at a military honors ceremony alongside Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne outside the chancellery in Berlin, listening to the two countries' national anthems. The first incident happened in near-identical circumstances as she stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a military honors ceremony.
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| Tucker Carlson: Ilhan Omar Is ‘Living Proof’ Our Immigration Laws Are ‘Dangerous’ Posted: 09 Jul 2019 07:11 PM PDT  Fox News host Tucker Carlson ended his primetime program on Tuesday night by taking aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), claiming the Somalia-born congresswoman despises America and is "living proof" that America's immigration policies are "dangerous."Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in the House of Representatives, has long been targeted by Carlson, who has devoted numerous segments to calling the progressive lawmaker "ungrateful" and a "symbol of America's failed immigration policies."This time, however, the Fox News star took his anti-Omar stance even further."Ilhan Omar has an awful lot to be grateful for, but she isn't grateful, not at all," Carlson said. "After everything America has done for Omar and for her family, she hates this country more than ever."Referencing a recent Washington Post profile on the freshman representative, the conservative commentator said the piece showed that Omar was "enraged" by America and that she has "undisguised contempt for the United States and for its people.""That should worry you, and not just because Omar is now a sitting member of Congress," Carlson warned his viewers. "Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country."The anti-immigration host went on to claim that the immigration system is now "undermining" the country because "some of the very people we try hardest to help have come to hate us passionately."Stating that it is possibly American citizens' fault for not having the self-confidence to "make them assimilate," Carlson then wondered if the "problem is deeper than that—maybe we are importing people from places whose values are simply antithetical to ours."After insisting that current immigration is "unsustainable" and that no country can "expect to survive" when it imports "large numbers of people who hate it," Carlson took one final parting shot at Omar."So, be grateful for Ilhan Omar, annoying as she is," he concluded. "She's a living fire alarm, a warning to the rest of us that we better change our immigration system immediately, or else."The Minnesota lawmaker, meanwhile, has been the at the receiving end of death threats almost since she first entered Congress, largely due to right-wing attacks that have then been amplified by members of Congress and the president.Shortly after the segment aired, Omar took to Twitter to fire back at the Fox News host."Not gonna lie, it's kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress," she wrote. "No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect. They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman!"Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:29 AM PDT ![Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say]( "Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say") The tape also showed the suspect picking her nose and putting her hands in the ice cream.
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| Joe Biden releases tax statements, earned more than $15M in two years since leaving White House Posted: 10 Jul 2019 05:27 AM PDT  Joe Biden is releasing his presidential tax returns and financial disclosure, showing that he earned more than $15 million in the last two years.
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| U.K. Ambassador to U.S. Resigns After Leaked Comments Infuriated Trump Posted: 10 Jul 2019 04:22 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Britain's ambassador to the U.S. dramatically resigned after leaked comments in which he criticized the Trump White House sparked a major diplomatic row between the transatlantic allies.President Donald Trump decided to freeze out Kim Darroch, saying he would no longer deal with the man who had called his administration "inept" and "uniquely dysfunctional."In a statement released by the U.K. government, Darroch announced he would quit after a "difficult" few days. "The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like," he said.The episode dominated political debate in the U.K., and put pressure on Boris Johnson, who is likely to succeed Theresa May as prime minister in two weeks' time. Johnson, a former foreign secretary and direct boss of Darroch, refused to back him during a televised debate Tuesday.His lack of support was a trigger for Darroch in deciding to quit, according to a Foreign Office official. Johnson would not commit to keeping Darroch in his job, in sharp contrast to the endorsements and support the ambassador received from May and other senior politicians, including Johnson's leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, the current Foreign Secretary and Darroch's direct boss.Hunt hit back at Trump on Tuesday, saying the president's outburst had been "disrespectful and wrong."Darroch's resignation follows a sustained attack from Trump, who on Tuesday described the ambassador as a "pompous fool.""Since the leak of official documents from this Embassy, there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador. I want to put an end to that speculation," Darroch said. "Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year, I believe in the current circumstances the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador."New EnvoyA spokesman for the U.K. Foreign Office said Darroch would stay on until a new ambassador takes over, although a caretaker envoy could be appointed to allow him to leave the Washington post sooner."I have told him that it is a matter of great regret that he has felt it necessary to leave his position as ambassador in Washington," May told Parliament Wednesday. "The whole cabinet rightly gave its full support to Sir Kim."May said all officials need to be confident "to give full and frank advice" and urged MPs to "reflect on the importance of defending our values and principles, particularly when they are under pressure." That sounded like a veiled criticism of both Trump, for his attacks, and Johnson -- May's long-term rival -- for his refusal to back the diplomat.Darroch has worked for the Foreign Office since 1976, holding diplomatic posts all around the world. He acted as national security adviser before taking on the role as U.K. ambassador to the U.S. in 2016.For Johnson, there is a risk that Darroch's departure could rebound on him. Wednesday's newspapers featured headlines accusing Johnson of betraying his country by failing to support the diplomat.'Under a Bus'Alan Duncan, a minister in the Foreign Office, said Johnson had thrown Darroch "under a bus" by refusing to back him during Tuesday's TV debate. "The respect held for Boris Johnson has taken a serious nose-dive today," Duncan told the BBC.Chancellor Philip Hammond, also a former foreign secretary, suggested Johnson should have stood up for Darroch. "I would have felt the obligation to stand up for a first-class civil servant who's done nothing wrong -- Kim Darroch has done nothing wrong in this," he told ITV's "Peston" show.A spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party described Johnson as Trump's "patsy."Meanwhile, the head of the U.K.'s diplomatic service, Simon McDonald, said that whoever leaked the cables would be pursued "with all the means at our disposal," adding that he fears more leaks are coming. He told MPs there was no evidence of a hack, but that it hadn't been ruled out of the investigation.On a campaign visit to a pub in London, Johnson tried to play down his role in the diplomat's resignation. "My view is it's wrong to drag civil servants into the political arena," he said.\--With assistance from Alex Morales.To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Ross in London at tross54@bloomberg.net;Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas PennyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Death of man under vehicle believed due to California quake -officials Posted: 09 Jul 2019 11:43 PM PDT ![Death of man under vehicle believed due to California quake -officials]( "Death of man under vehicle believed due to California quake -officials") A Nevada man found dead and pinned underneath his Jeep is believed to have been a victim of one of the recent earthquakes in southern California that ranked among the most severe in two decades, sheriff's officials said on Wednesday. An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 shook the remote town of Ridgecrest in the Mojave desert on Friday, 1-1/2 days after one of 6.4 magnitude, both of which were felt as far as Los Angeles and Las Vegas. "This is what we believe is an earthquake-related death," said Sgt. Adam Tippetts of the Nye County Sheriff's office, but the man's name was not released, pending notification of his family.
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| Border arrests dropped sharply in June Posted: 10 Jul 2019 12:29 PM PDT  Border Patrol arrested roughly 95,000 migrants in June, according to figures released Wednesday by Customs and Border Protection.
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| Colorful self-made billionaire H. Ross Perot dies at 89 Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:00 AM PDT  H. Ross Perot, the colorful, self-made Texas billionaire who rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty and twice mounted outsider campaigns for president, has died. Perot, whose 19% of the vote in 1992 stands among the best showings by an independent candidate in the past century, died early Tuesday at his home in Dallas surrounded by his family, said the spokesman, James Fuller. As a boy in Texarkana, Texas, Perot delivered newspapers from the back of a pony.
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| Ilhan Omar responds to Tucker Carlson's rant about her: 'Racist fool' Posted: 10 Jul 2019 10:25 AM PDT  After cable news host Tucker Carlson claimed Representative Ilhan Omar "hates" America and is "dangerous to this country", Ms Omar responded by calling the pundit a "racist fool".During a segment on his Fox News show titled "Dems want you to believe America is an awful place", Mr Carlson cited the freshman representative as an example of how modern immigration laws have become harmful to America.Mr Carlson said: "Virtually every public statement she makes accuses Americans of bigotry and racism. This is an immoral country, she says. She has undisguised contempt for the United States and for its people." "That should worry you, and not just because Omar is now a sitting member of Congress. Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country. A system designed to strengthen America is instead undermining it."Mr Carlson mentioned a recent profile of Ms Omar in the Washington Post, saying that Ms Omar believes America has "failed to live up to its founding ideals, a place that had disappointed her and so many immigrants, refugees and minorities like her."The pundit continued, claiming: "After everything that America has done for Omar, and for her family, she hates this country more than ever."He also pondered if "maybe we are importing people from places who are simply antithetical to ours."Ms Omar was born in war-torn Somalia, and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before arriving in the United States at 12. Now, at 37, she serves in the House of Representatives as one of the first Muslim women elected to congress.The politician responded via Twitter soon after the segment aired, saying: "Not gonna lie, it's kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress", adding two crying emojis. Ms Omar continued: "No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect. They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman!"
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| Hurricane watch issued in Louisiana as tropical system gains strength in Gulf of Mexico Posted: 10 Jul 2019 04:10 PM PDT  The second storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to form Wednesday or Thursday along the Gulf Coast.
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| Donald Trump defends Acosta role in plea deal involving accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein Posted: 10 Jul 2019 01:45 PM PDT  President Donald Trump defended Labor Secretary Alex Acosta amid calls for his resignation over his role in cutting a plea deal with Jeffrey Epstein.
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| Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:25 PM PDT ![Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers]( "Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers") Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican border city known for high rates of violence, received its first foreign migrants from the United States on Tuesday as part of a program begun in January, U.S. and Mexican officials said. The group of 10 people - including Central Americans, Venezuelans and Cubans - crossed into the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas via Nuevo Laredo's border bridge, a source from the National Institute of Migration told Reuters.
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| Israel's Forgotten Battle Against North Korean MiG-21s Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The North Korean MiG-21 squadron was based at Bir Arida to defend Egypt's south. During the Yom Kippur War the Israeli Air Force (IAF) actually faced an Arab coalition, rather than the Egyptian Air Force in the south and the Syrian Air Force in the north. Fighter squadrons from Algeria, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea deployed to Egypt prior to October 1973. The North Korean MiG-21 squadron was based at Bir Arida to defend Egypt's south. The North Korean MiG-21 pilots did not engage Israeli aircraft until Dec. 6, 1973.(This first appeared earlier in 2019.)That day two Kurnass pairs from two squadrons, 69 and 119, were scrambled to the Gulf of Suez sector. The pairs were teamed together, with the 69 pair (Shadmi-Gur, Shpitzer-Ofer) leading the 119 pair. Meir Gur recalls in Shlomo Aloni & Zvi Avidror book Hammers Israel's Long-Range Heavy Bomber Arm: The Story of 69 Squadron:
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| 10 Best Vehicles for Tackling the Apocalypse Posted: 09 Jul 2019 12:25 PM PDT |
| Protesters unmoved as Hong Kong leader says China extradition bill 'dead' Posted: 09 Jul 2019 02:23 AM PDT  Hong Kong's embattled pro-Beijing leader on Tuesday said a China extradition bill that sparked unprecedented political unrest "is dead" -- but protesters immediately dismissed her comments, threatening more mass rallies. The rallies were sparked by a draft law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, but they have morphed into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory. In a city unaccustomed to such upheaval, police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets while the parliament has been trashed by protesters -- as Beijing's authority faces its most serious challenge since Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.
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| Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure Posted: 09 Jul 2019 01:03 PM PDT ![Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure]( "Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure") (Bloomberg) -- Bipartisan efforts to lower drug prices in Washington have not prevented drugmakers from going about their business and raising drug prices, according to Wells Fargo & Co.In fact, analysts at the firm found that pharmaceutical companies are getting aggressive in their price hikes again. Wells Fargo's analysis of Wolters Kluwer PriceRx data found that companies have raised medicine costs by 27% on average last month, with a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd hiking the price for a generic anti-diuretic by 909%. Closely held Epic Pharma LLC came second on the list of top increases, jacking up prices on two versions of its drug by 399%. Merck & Co., Fresenius SE, Novartis AG's Sandoz, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. were also on the list.Wells Fargo found there were more price increases in June overall compared with the previous month. Drug companies have raised the cost of 106 medicines compared to 101 in May, analyst David Maris said in a note."To us it appears now that the criticism from politicians and the President has quieted down, companies are more aggressively and broadly pursuing drug price increases again," he said. "We are not so confident that the lull in criticism will continue and could foresee more negative headlines in the coming months."Maris notes that wholesaler acquisition cost prices do not reflect rebates or discounts.\--With assistance from Michelle Fay Cortez.To contact the reporter on this story: Tatiana Darie in New York at tdarie1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Catherine Larkin at clarkin4@bloomberg.net, Jeremy R. CookeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The first all-electric Mini will be available in September, starting at around €35,000 Posted: 10 Jul 2019 02:09 AM PDT  Mini has unveiled its very first all-electric series model, the Cooper SE, a few weeks before its public debut at the International Motor Show in Germany, which will take place in Frankfurt from September 12 to 22, 2019. The Mini Cooper SE, guaranteed CO2 emission-free, was derived from the concept-car of the same name, which was shown in Frankfurt in 2017. The Mini Cooper SE features the same engine as the BMW i3S: an electric motor with 135 kW (181 hp).
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| Ookla: AT&T once again has the fastest wireless network in the US Posted: 09 Jul 2019 04:37 PM PDT  AT&T is back on top as the fastest wireless network in America, according to new results released Tuesday from Ookla, the maker of the popular Speedtest utility.However, there are a number of familiar qualifiers that need to be pointed out as soon as that result is mentioned. First, the results only measure a snapshot of a moment in time -- in this case, Q1-Q2 2019. Also, Ookla's results are generated via crowd-sourced testing, which has limitations compared to roadtests. Which isn't to say that either is the best or even that either one will give you an unimpeachable result. It's just that, as with most measurements of quality, there are important caveats to be aware of.Here are the results for the first half of 2019: Speedtest Intelligence data revealed the AT&T was the fastest wireless operator in the US, with a Speed Score of 32.91. That's up 45.1% over the same period in 2018. T-Mobile was the second-fastest, with a score of 30.94 (up 9.4% year-over-year), while Verizon came in third, with a score of 29.45 (up 9.5%). Interestingly, Sprint came in last, with a score of 28.15 -- but it showed the second-largest YoY improvement (36.8%).T-Mobile released this statement from its CTO Neville Ray in the wake of the release of the results: > The carriers want us to believe there's a trade-off between network quality and price, but these studies show that's not true any longer. T-Mobile's network is the only one to provide meaningful performance in every category, going toe-to-toe with the big guys while they fluctuate wildly from one measure to the next.During the test period, Ookla says over 4.1 million unique mobile user devices were used to perform more than 11.5 million consumer-initiated cellular network tests on Speedtest apps. Ookla analyzed those tests to determine the mobile operators with the fastest and most consistent networks across the country -- and which offers the best access to LTE.Another thing to keep in mind with results like this is that the "fastest" network does not mean the "best" network. Ookla's data is just that -- one more data point to use in drawing more comprehensive conclusions that require additional inputs. Roadtests, as opposed to speed tests, generate valuable (and more consistent) data, though they have their critics, too. The choice of where in the country the handsets are actually driven around can certainly impact the roadtest results -- again, all of which is to say that there are caveats and qualifications aplenty regarding studies and results like this.
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| Two active-duty Marines accused of smuggling migrants from Mexico 'for financial gain' Posted: 10 Jul 2019 12:59 PM PDT ![Two active-duty Marines accused of smuggling migrants from Mexico 'for financial gain']( "Two active-duty Marines accused of smuggling migrants from Mexico 'for financial gain'") Lance Cpls. Byron Darnell Law II and David Salazar-Quintero, both active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, were arrested by Border Patrol agents.
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| Sri Lanka police chief, ex-defense secretary released on bail in Easter attacks case Posted: 09 Jul 2019 06:20 AM PDT  Sri Lanka's police chief and former defense secretary were released on bail on Tuesday, a week after they were arrested over allegations that they failed to prevent the Easter Day bomb attacks that killed more than 250 people. Colombo magistrates' court granted their release and will hear the case on July 22, Anuja Premaratne, who is representing both the accused, told Reuters. The Criminal Investigation Department last week arrested Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando while they were both receiving treatment in hospital.
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