| St. Louis couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters back Trump at RNC Posted: 24 Aug 2020 06:57 PM PDT  Mark and Patty McCloskey told the Republican National Convention Monday that the Democratic Party is being driven by an out-of-control "mob" — and in Joe Biden's America, they're coming for you too.
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| Sydney Sutherland: Suspect in death knew victim and joined search party Facebook group Posted: 24 Aug 2020 02:40 PM PDT  The farmer accused of killing Arkansas resident Sydney Sutherland was known to the victim and joined a Facebook group dedicated to finding her after she went missing.Sutherland was last seen running on State Highway 18, near Newport, Arkansas, on Wednesday, and the 25-year-old's body was found on Friday following a two day search involving helicopters and K-9 units, according to the Daily Mail.
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| RNC Speaker Cancelled After Boosting QAnon Conspiracy Theory About Jewish Plot to Enslave the World Posted: 25 Aug 2020 03:43 PM PDT  One of the speakers for the second night of the Republican National Convention was pulled from the program after The Daily Beast surfaced a tweet from her, earlier in the day, urging her followers to investigate a supposed Jewish plot to enslave the world."Do yourself a favor and read this thread," Mary Ann Mendoza, who is a member of the Trump campaign's advisory board, tweeted to her more than 40,000 followers Tuesday morning.> Do yourself a favor and read this thread. https://t.co/BfxVokBE3k> > — Angel Mom Mary Ann Mendoza��TEXT EMPOWER TO 88022 (@mamendoza480) August 25, 2020Mendoza, an "angel mom," was scheduled to speak Tuesday about her son's 2014 death at the hands of a drunk driver who was in the country illegally. But a Republican source familiar with the programming said the speech had been cancelled amid uproar over her tweet.Hours earlier, Mendoza had linked to a lengthy thread from a QAnon conspiracy theorist that laid out a fevered, anti-Semitic view of the world. In its telling, the Rothschilds—a famous Jewish banking family from Germany—created a plot to terrorize non-Jewish "goyim," with purported details of their scheme that included plans to "make the goyim destroy each other" and "rob the goyim of their landed properties." Fox Regular Claims George Soros 'Controls a Very Large Part' of the State DepartmentDrawing on more than a century's worth of anti-Semitic hoaxes and smears, the thread claimed that malevolent Jewish forces in the banking industry are out to enslave non-Jews and promote world wars. Riddled with QAnon references, the thread from Twitter user @WarNuse claimed that the Titanic had been sunk to protect the Federal Reserve, and that every president between John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump was a "slave president" in the thrall of a global cabal. The thread also promoted "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," an anti-Semitic hoax popular in Nazi Germany, and claimed that its allegations about a Jewish plot to control the world are real. "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is not a fabrication," the thread that Mendoza shared reads. "And, it certainly is not anti-semetic (sic) to point out this fact." After The Daily Beast published this article, Mendoza deleted her tweet and tweeted an apology "for not paying attention to the intent of the whole message." While Mendoza had initially urged her followers to read the thread, she claimed on Tuesday evening that she had not read all of the posts in the thread."That does not reflect my feelings or personal thoughts whatsoever," Mendoza tweeted.Though her speech was cancelled, the Mendoza episode is just the latest example of a convention speaker with a checkered background. As the Republican festivities enter their second night, several scheduled speakers have already been exposed for holding bizarre beliefs. Public school teacher Rebecca Friedrichs, who spoke at the convention on Monday, has claimed that public schools use their curricula to "groom" children for sexual predators like Jeffrey Epstein. On Tuesday, Vice reported that anti-abortion activist and convention speaker Abby Johnson praised the idea of police racially profiling her biracial son as "smart." "Statistically, my brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons," Johnson said in a video. Mendoza's tweet urging her followers to check out the anti-Semitic thread came on the eve of her Republican convention appearance. While the thread includes extensive anti-Semitism and references to QAnon, it also alleges that Hillary Clinton is a "Satanic High Priestess" and that Barack Obama's Washington home smells like sulfur — a reference to the idea, popular with InfoWars host Alex Jones, that Obama somehow smells like sulfur because he's connected to the devil and Hell.The Trump campaign and Mendoza didn't respond to requests for comment. Mendoza is also on the advisory board of We Build the Wall, the privately funded border wall effort whose leaders, including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, were recently indicted for fraud.In addition to the thread she encouraged people to read, Mendoza also has posted her own tweets that push conspiracy theories about Democratic billionaire George Soros. One tweet from June 2019 claimed that Soros was pushing for more immigration to install a "one world government.""These are the violent types of people that SOROS, the ROTHCHILDS (sic) and the United Nations have NO problem using as pawns and uprooting them and bringing them to the USA to accomplish their ONE WORLD GOVT!" Mendoza tweeted.Mendoza has alleged that public health advice advocating for mask-wearing are using the "Soros playbook," and claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's lead infectious disease expert, is paid by Soros.In a Sept. 2019 tweet, Mendoza called Soros, a Holocaust survivor, a "Nazi." "This Nazi is still at it & the progressives love him for it," she wrote. 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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| Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University: What we know Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:26 AM PDT  Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. went back and forth over resigning Monday.
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| 20,000 coronavirus cases in Boston stemmed from a single conference in February, researchers say Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:46 AM PDT  Researchers have connected a "viral forest fire" in Boston to a single biotechnology conference back in February, The Boston Globe reports.Scientists originally attributed 99 coronavirus cases in the Boston area to meeting of international biotech leaders at Biogen's annual conference. But in new research released Tuesday that has yet to be peer reviewed, three scientists revised their estimates to suggest 20,000 cases in the Boston area actually came from the event at a Marriott hotel.Three scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, along with more than 50 other researchers, isolated coronavirus cases from 772 local patients to track where they came from. Of those patients, 289, or more than a third, had a strain of virus traceable to the conference. From there, the scientists extrapolated that "tens of thousands" of people were likely infected after people from around the world mixed at the late February conference. And as of July 1, the conference would've been responsible for 40 percent of coronavirus cases in the Boston area, WBUR notes.The study doesn't mention Biogen by name, but Biogen still responded to the study with a statement and did not dispute its findings. "We never would have knowingly put anyone at risk," Biogen said, noting that the conference happened before much was known about the coronavirus, and saying it "took steps to limit the spread" even before knowing if workers who got sick had COVID-19.More stories from theweek.com Biden campaign tries to dunk on the Republican National Convention by parodying Simon & Garfunkel Black Monday for the religious right Donald Trump Jr. reportedly thinks his dad is going to lose in November
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| Thousands told to evacuate Gulf Coast as Hurricane Laura nears Posted: 25 Aug 2020 03:27 PM PDT  Storms Laura and Marco have already ripped through the Caribbean, killing at least 20 people.
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| Bahamas Paradise settles, will pay crew $875,000 for months of work without wages Posted: 25 Aug 2020 09:06 AM PDT  Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line crew members may finally get paid after months of working without wages on the company's Florida-based ships.
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| More than 100 nudists test positive for the coronavirus after visiting France's 'Naked City' Posted: 25 Aug 2020 10:21 AM PDT  Ninety-five nudists tested positive at nudist resort Cap d'Agde in France and an additional 50 tested positive after returning home.
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| 'Obvious lie after obvious lie': Biden campaign blasts RNC as 'incoherent charade' Posted: 25 Aug 2020 03:10 PM PDT  The Democratic nominee shared media fact-checks on the GOP convention on health care, crime and COVID-19.
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| Judge sides with prosecutors over treatment of Epstein's pal Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:00 PM PDT |
| Wife of Miami police officer dies after being trapped in his patrol car for hours Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:35 AM PDT  A Miami police officer's wife died after becoming trapped in the back of his patrol vehicle for several hours during a hot afternoon, police said Monday.
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| Donna Brazile accuses Fox News pundit of ignoring ‘400 years’ of racism in tense exchange about 2020 election Posted: 25 Aug 2020 04:02 PM PDT  Former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile accused conservative commentator Tammy Bruce of ignoring "400 years" of racism in the US, during a tense exchange about November's presidential election.The pair were being interviewed about the first night of the Republican National Convention by host Brian Kilmeade during Fox and Friends on Tuesday, when the conservative pundit praised president Donald Trump.
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| Pence helped secure 2nd term with Trump by reportedly remaining 'relentlessly positive' on coronavirus Posted: 24 Aug 2020 08:39 AM PDT  How did Vice President Mike Pence secure President Trump's trust in a historically tumultuous administration? Very, very carefully.Over the past four years, Pence has done everything he can to avoid blocking Trump's spotlight, allies and administration officials tell The Washington Post. That "durable and close" relationship secured Pence's spot on Trump's 2020 ticket, one Pence ally said — but also reportedly came at the expense of the advice Pence delivered Trump on coronavirus.As the head of America's COVID-19 response, Pence has delivered "detailed instructions for governors about how they can request federal resources and assistance," and "gone out of his way to compliment" them in a very un-Trumpian manner, the Post writes. But some aides also say Pence has "painted a 'relentlessly positive' picture" of the virus to Trump, perhaps harming his coronavirus response, the Post continues. Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Post that Pence always gave Trump an "optimistic" view of the virus, but that didn't stop him from presenting "darker" news when necessary.Beyond his positive coronavirus spin, Pence's allies maintain he has never stepped beyond his current duties to imply he'll seek the presidency in 2024. That political future is uncertain anyway because, as one Republican operative told the Post, "Who do you talk to who's fired up for Mike Pence?" And if 2020 doesn't work out, it's even more clear Pence is headed for the "markdown bin," allies say. Read more about what's next for Pence at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com Melania Trump reportedly taped making 'disparaging' remarks about president and his children FDA chief admits he oversold COVID-19 plasma effectiveness Hurricane Laura could make landfall in Texas, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm
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| Storms Marco and Laura plough through Caribbean, killing 12 Posted: 24 Aug 2020 06:28 AM PDT  Hurricane Marco is expected to hit the US Gulf Coast on Monday and Storm Laura in the coming days.
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| North Korean leader Kim calls for prevention efforts against coronavirus, looming typhoon: KCNA Posted: 25 Aug 2020 03:35 PM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for prevention efforts against the novel coronavirus and a typhoon, state news agency KCNA said on Wednesday. An enlarged meeting of the politburo of the Workers Party took place amid a pandemic that is putting additional pressure on the North Korean economy, battered by recent border closures and flood damage. The meeting assessed "some defects in the state emergency anti-epidemic work for checking the inroads of the malignant virus", KCNA said in a statement.
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| Hillary Clinton Urges Biden Not to Concede ‘Under Any Circumstances’ in November Election Posted: 25 Aug 2020 06:53 AM PDT  After suffering a loss in the 2016 presidential election herself, Hillary Clinton is warning 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden not to concede "under any circumstances" in the upcoming election to avoid falling victim to Republican efforts to disrupt the vote count.In an interview with The Circus on Showtime, the former secretary of state accused Republicans of trying to "mess up" absentee balloting to gain "a narrow advantage in the electoral college." She claimed that in Wisconsin's primary in April, Republicans "did everything they could to mess up voting." "But because courts had ordered absentee ballots to be counted if they were postmarked on election day, Democrats actually won some important races there," she said. While Republicans had pushed back against Democratic governor Tony Evers' proposal to mail almost every voter in the state an absentee ballot application, more than 80 percent of GOP members in the Wisconsin Legislature voted by mail in April. Wisconsin Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald said in May that he opposed mailing people absentee ballot applications because the voter list had not been "cleaned up" to remove people who shouldn't be on there, primarily because they moved."Wisconsin has online registration, excuse-free absentee voting, early in-person voting, and Election Day registration, making it easier to vote in Wisconsin than most other states," Fitzgerald, who ultimately voted absentee in April himself, said.> Hillary Clinton has some advice for Joe Biden: Don't concede in a close race.> > The 2016 nominee sits down with @jmpalmieri and @sho_thecircus to urge Dems to pay close attention to GOP strategy. pic.twitter.com/REwfLf1QjS> > -- The Recount (@therecount) August 24, 2020While Democrats have been quick to push for mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, many Republicans have warned that voting by mail can leave elections open to widespread fraud or can lead to ballots being sent to people who have died and to incorrect addresses. Republicans' skepticism has led many Democrats to accuse the GOP of voter suppression."We have to have our own teams of people to counter the force of intimidation that the Republicans and Trump are going to put outside polling places," Clinton said, urging people to become poll workers in November. She later added, "Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out and eventually I do believe he will win if we don't give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is."Earlier in the interview, Clinton also bitterly acknowledged the importance of the electoral college saying, "You can win 3 million more votes and still, you know, not get elected because of the electoral college."
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| 'I'd Like to Punch You in the Mouth.' Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro Enraged by Reporter's Question About Payments to His Wife Posted: 25 Aug 2020 02:33 AM PDT  Yet despite mounting scandals, polls suggest right-wing leader's popularity is on the rise
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| A British man is offering 'ghost ship' tours of abandoned cruise ships in the English Channel Posted: 24 Aug 2020 01:31 PM PDT  The "ghost ship tour" departs from Christchurch and treats passengers to up-close views of towering cruise ships now manned by skeleton crews.
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| A white man shot at a group of Black Lives Matter activists on a 730-mile march from Wisconsin to DC. One protester was hospitalized and demonstrators refused to leave him behind. Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:19 PM PDT  Frank Nitty, of Milwaukee, has been walking to Washington, DC for the 57th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech. On Monday a supporter was shot.
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| Jerry Falwell Jr. says he was blackmailed because of wife's affair Posted: 24 Aug 2020 09:28 AM PDT  Jerry Falwell Jr., currently on a leave of absence as the leader of evangelical Liberty University, has released a statement saying that he is seeking help for the "emotional toll" from an affair his wife had with a man who he says later threatened his family.
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| The Trump campaign: Re-elect the president because he is presiding over hellish chaos Posted: 24 Aug 2020 07:22 PM PDT  During the first night of the Republican National Convention, the party leaned heavily into apocalyptic scaremongering about a future Biden presidency. "They'll disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home, and invite MS-13 to live next door," said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). The Democrats have run Baltimore "into the ground," said Kim Klacik, a GOP nominee for Congress in Maryland. "Abandoned buildings, liquor stores on the corner, drug addicts, guns on the street, that's the normal in many neighborhoods," she added.Now, it is true there has been a moderate uptick in murders in some big American cities. The New York Times found that as of July they were up 16 percent relative to 2019 in a selection of 25 cities — though violent crime overall was down 2 percent, and overall crime was down 5.3 percent. This probably has something to do with the coronavirus pandemic, and the fact that, in many cities, police departments appear to be conducting a de facto work slowdown as collective punishment for being criticized by protesters.But the logic of the Trump campaign argument here makes no sense at all. It is true that Democrats run local governments in many big cities, but the president is the most powerful elected official in the country. It is his ostensible job to preserve law and order, and he has sweeping powers to do so. Instead, he has deliberately chosen to inflame the violence in cities like Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon with racist rhetoric and by siccing federal law enforcement on unarmed protesters.Effectively, the Trump campaign is simultaneously hysterically exaggerating the scale of the violence problem in American cities that is happening on his watch, and arguing that he should be re-elected to fight it. It's almost as though the argument is not made in good faith.More stories from theweek.com Biden campaign tries to dunk on the Republican National Convention by parodying Simon & Garfunkel Black Monday for the religious right Donald Trump Jr. reportedly thinks his dad is going to lose in November
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| Mount Rushmore climber plunges 100 feet off George Washington’s head, officials say Posted: 25 Aug 2020 10:04 AM PDT  The climber will be fined $1,500.
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| China protests at U.S. spy plane watching drills Posted: 25 Aug 2020 06:47 AM PDT |
| Postal worker stole drug shipments and sold them for ‘great profit,’ Ohio feds say Posted: 24 Aug 2020 03:51 PM PDT  Feds are seizing $100,000, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and a Polaris 3-wheel roadster
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| Carnival and coronavouchers: Brazil’s economic struggles Posted: 25 Aug 2020 05:38 PM PDT  The disruption caused by coronavirus means that Brazil's samba schools now face an uncertain future.
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| 6 days after reopening, the University of Alabama has over 500 coronavirus cases. Now the student newspaper is telling the administration: 'We won't be your PR.' Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:11 PM PDT  Since the first day of class on August 19, the University of Alabama campuses have reported 566 cases for students, faculty, and staff.
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| Lovecraft Country Is Packed With Supernatural Symbolism Posted: 25 Aug 2020 02:56 PM PDT |
| 'The forest ... is resetting': California wildfires burned hundreds of ancient redwoods, but much of the forest seems to have survived the blaze Posted: 24 Aug 2020 09:48 PM PDT  A wildfire ravaged through the historic Big Basin Redwood State Park Monday, taking down hundreds of ancient trees in a fiery blaze.
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| Sudan tells Pompeo it can't normalise Israel ties now Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:09 AM PDT  Sudan said Tuesday it cannot establish diplomatic relations with Israel for now, dashing US hopes for a speedy breakthrough during a visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
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| AP FACT CHECK: Trump, GOP distort on health care, vote fraud Posted: 24 Aug 2020 10:26 PM PDT  President Donald Trump made a dizzying array of misleading claims about voting fraud and health care as fellow Republicans opened their convention with speeches distorting the agenda of his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. Trump falsely asserted that he was the one who ensured that people with preexisting medical problems will be covered by health insurance; actually that was Democratic President Barack Obama. Several speakers accused Biden of proposing to defund police, ban fracking, take over health care and open borders — none of that true.
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| Melania Trump, Karen Pence and others photographed without masks at White House event Posted: 24 Aug 2020 12:55 PM PDT  Melania Trump has been photographed not wearing a face mask at an event at the White House, where she reportedly hugged and shook hands with multiple children.The first lady of the United States was at an event on Monday that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which allowed white American women the right to vote.
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| Canada and victims' families press Iran for answers over downed jetliner Posted: 24 Aug 2020 06:19 AM PDT  Canada and families of the victims of a downed Ukrainian jetliner are pressing Iran for additional answers, after an announcement by Tehran on Sunday provided "limited and selected information." The announcement by the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization marked the first official report on the contents of the cockpit voice and data recordings, which were sent to France for analysis in July. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has said it accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 on Jan. 8, mistaking it for a missile at a time when tensions were high between Iran and the United States.
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| 15-year-old was ‘passed off’ to men in sex-trafficking case, Kentucky police say Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:23 PM PDT  In exchange for sex, the girl received money and pets, police said.
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| 'First of Many:' Air Force Leaders Watch Flying Car Demo Posted: 24 Aug 2020 11:02 AM PDT  The Hexa is an eVTOL platform that consists of an open cockpit seat surrounded by a honeycomb of small rotors.
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| Apple's AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds on the market—and they're on sale Posted: 25 Aug 2020 10:41 AM PDT  Get the AirPods Pro, which we dubbed the best wireless earbuds on the market, at one of the lowest prices we've seen them go for—get the details.
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| Dubai company introduces colour-coded bracelets for workers to show how they want to be greeted Posted: 24 Aug 2020 08:10 AM PDT  Employers worldwide face many difficult conversations with employees on how to successfully reintegrate them back into office life, but one media company in Dubai has devised a simple solution to get around the issue of greeting your co-workers - colour-coded bracelets. As almost 100 staff return to Create Media Group, they can choose between three different colours in a traffic light system which alert their colleagues on their comfort level with being greeted. Green signifies they are comfortable with a fist bump, yellow indicates they are up for a chat, but no touching while red alerts others to keep their distance. Tom Otton, managing director of Create, told Reuters the purpose of the scheme was to give individuals autonomy in how they react to the pandemic. "In terms of personal choice... there is no easy way for people to understand where someone is coming from," Otton said. Cases of the novel coronavirus have risen sharply in the United Arab Emirates in recent days, topping 67,000. This has left some residents hesitant about returning to work. "We work in the field of photography and we meet many people, and members of my family at home are very old. I have to take all precautions," Mohammed Abu Youssef told Reuters, the company's social media manager. He has chosen to wear a yellow band, erring on the side of caution.
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| Hurricane Laura could hit the Gulf Coast as a major storm. Its sibling cyclone, Marco, made landfall there on Monday. Posted: 25 Aug 2020 11:04 AM PDT  Tropical Storm Marco made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on Monday. Hurricane Laura is gaining strength.
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| Facebook blocks Thai access to group critical of monarchy Posted: 24 Aug 2020 11:45 PM PDT  The social media giant says it's preparing legal action after being ordered to block access in Thailand.
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| Kimberly Guilfoyle's RNC speech summed up the Trump campaign's new mantra: 'Vote for Trump or Die' Posted: 25 Aug 2020 08:31 AM PDT  Guilfoyle warned voters of a nightmarish future. But for millions of Americans the nightmare is already here, and Trump is in the White House.
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| Judge won’t dismiss Lee statue lawsuit; case heads for trial Posted: 25 Aug 2020 01:33 PM PDT  A lawsuit seeking to prevent Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's administration from removing an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee can proceed, a judge ruled Tuesday, clearing the way for a trial in the fall. Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant rejected much of the state's motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of property owners along the residential boulevard where the statue is situated. The decision at least further delays Northam's plan, which he announced in early June, citing the pain felt across the country about the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer as he struggled to breathe.
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| Germany says Turkey, Greece ready for dialogue on East Med dispute Posted: 25 Aug 2020 04:24 AM PDT  Germany's top diplomat said after whirlwind meetings in Turkey and Greece on Tuesday the two were ready for dialogue to defuse an worsening dispute over energy resources in the Mediterranean, even as the NATO allies traded new barbs. Turkey and Greece vehemently disagree over natural gas reserves off Cyprus and the extent of their continental shelves. On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey both said they wanted to solve the issue through dialogue following talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, but each warned that they would continue to defend their rights in the region.
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| Three workers trapped 20 feet underground die in sewer manhole, Indiana officials say Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:50 PM PDT  The men were working at a school facility, officials say.
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| Court overturns Scott Peterson's death sentence Posted: 24 Aug 2020 11:55 AM PDT  Scott Peterson was convicted in 2004 of killing his wife and their unborn child; Anita Vogel reports.
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| Just Like Your Pup, This Dog Gear is Ready for Adventure Posted: 25 Aug 2020 03:44 PM PDT |
