Posts

Showing posts from June, 2019

'Every day has been hell' since 'honour killing' of Banaz Mahmod

Payzee Mahmod speaks out about her sister's murder in 2006 and a planned TV drama on the case. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Jg2G9p

Leg fat 'better than belly fat' for older women

Carrying fat on legs instead of the belly protects postmenopausal women from heart disease, a study suggests. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2FH2gI0

Childcare might become 'available only in rich areas'

MPs warn that childcare in England risks becoming accessible only to the wealthy. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Lw9a6L

DMZ diplomacy: Kim accepts Trump invite to meet at border

Image
President Donald Trump will meet Sunday with North Korea's Kim Jong Un at the Demilitarized Zone separating the North and South, a day after he issued an unprecedented invitation and expressed willingness to cross the border for what would be a history-making photo op. South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced that Kim accepted Trump's invitation to meet when the U.S. president visits the heavily fortified site at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. Trump said he looked forward to meeting with Kim, but sought to tamp down expectations, predicting it would be "very short," he said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2KQNAdI via IFTTT

Democrats divided as pressure to impeach builds: ‘What are you waiting for?’

Image
Dozens of Democrats have called for Trump impeachment proceedings in wake of Mueller’s report – but Pelosi has remained steadfast in opposing an inquiryNancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on 27 June. ‘I don’t think we should go down that path,’ she said of impeaching Trump in March. Photograph: Alex Brandon/APIn the House of Representatives the apparently frustrated Democratic congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, had one question for the leadership of her party: when would they impeach Donald Trump?“The thing that we’re struggling with is that we don’t know what we’re waiting for in terms of a caucus. And folks that are saying, ‘No, not yet. Not yet.’ OK – accepting that that’s your position, what are you waiting for?” the New York socialist said to reporters this week. “Are you waiting for some kind of revelation?”That’s a question a growing number of Democrats are asking. Dozens of Democrats on Capitol Hill, including 2020 hopefuls such as Elizabeth Warren, have called f...

Beto O'Rourke visits children at migrant housing facility downtown

Image
During his visit to Southwest Key's Casa Sunzal, O'Rourke said the children's situation is like the U.S. turning away Jewish refugees during World War II. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/300WkRQ via IFTTT

Biden and school busing: Where he stood, what it means

Image
That Joe Biden, the man picked by America's first black president as his number two, should now be suffering attacks over his record on race might seem surprising. Senator Kamala Harris, the only black woman in the Democratic presidential field, forcefully questioned Biden on his opposition in the 1970s to court-ordered busing programs aimed at integrating public schools. Harris noted, in a quavering voice, that as "a little girl in California" she was "part of the second class to integrate her public schools" in a busing program. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Jez6B3 via IFTTT

U.S. federal judge blocks use of some funds for border wall

Image
U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, but has so far proven unsuccessful at receiving congressional approval to do so. In February, the Trump administration declared a national emergency to reprogram $6.7 billion in funds that Congress had allocated for other purposes to build the wall, which groups and states including California had challenged. U.S. District Court Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California said in a pair of rulings that the Trump administration's proposal to transfer Defense Department funds intended for anti-drug activities was unlawful. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2YgXVCK via IFTTT

U.S. federal court delays adoption of healthcare rule on abortion

Image
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its opponents in a California lawsuit agreed on Friday to delay implementing a rule that would allow medical workers to decline performing abortions or other treatments on moral or religious grounds, according to a federal court filing. The move comes after President Donald Trump's administration announced the rule earlier in May. It has also championed several policies to restrict abortion both in the United States and abroad. Delegations of Authority," the measure aims to protect conscience and religious rights surrounding abortion, sterilization and assisted suicide, HHS officials have said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/300WHvX via IFTTT

What's happening in the news this week?

This week, Bonnie Tyler makes an appearance, alongside some reconstituted meat products. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2FJcIPc

Tunisia - the birthplace of the Arab Spring which lost its hope

Tunisia is seen as one of the few success stories of the Arab Spring so have so many of its people lost hope? from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2FItVZj

Medicinal cannabis: The family that changed Australia's debate

Their heartrending story shifted perceptions on medical cannabis - but, they argue, not far enough. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Xc75iK

Greek election: Why frustrated young voters are turning conservative

As Greece goes to the polls on 7 July, many young Greeks are turning from the left-wing Syriza. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Jd4NL8

Trump: If There Was a Wall, Immigrant Dad and Daughter Who Drowned ‘Would Be Saved’

Image
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersPresident Donald Trump said that if the wall along the southern border with Mexico had been built, the migrant dad and daughter who drowned this week “would be saved.”Speaking at a press conference in Osaka, Japan, where world leaders are gathered at the G20 summit, Trump took a moment to offer his take on the global shock in response to the photo of Salvadorian man Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his daughter, Valeria, who were found face down and clinging to each other in the Rio Grande river. The two were attempting to make it across the river after failing to gain asylum from U.S. authorities.“The father and the beautiful daughter who drowned... if they thought it was hard to get in, they wouldn’t be coming up,” Trump said.Trump then called for tougher border patrol policies, adding that illegal immigration is “very unfair.”“You have millions of people on line for years to get into a country. They take tests, they study... and these people have worked hard,...

Booker: Biden is 'causing a lot of frustration and even pain with his words'

Image
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., criticized 2020 presidential rival Joe Biden on Sunday, saying the former vice president was doing a poor job of healing racial divisions in the country. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xnzub2 via IFTTT

Newark Airport reopens after being shut down due to 'airport emergency'

Image
Newark Airport has reopened after it was shut down Saturday morning due to an "airport emergency." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Xjjm9Z via IFTTT

The new and improved Gay Street sign is all over NYC Pride Twitter

Image
This year the New York City Pride March marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riot, and the parade is  bigger and more colorful than ever. As the march makes its way to Greenwich Village, one street sign in particular is popping up on social media as a symbol of 2019's much-needed focus on inclusion in the queer community. It's pure coincidence that Gay Street intersects with Christopher Street right near the Stonewall Inn -- the "Gay" of Gay Street is a family name -- but its location on the parade route makes it prime real estate for a statement on what pride means in 2019. Take a look:> The famous Gay Street sign, representing a wide spectrum of gender expression. Near Christopher Park in Greenwich Village, NYCPride pic.twitter.com/8vTUJKsr50> > -- ken ┬┴┬┴┤(・_├┬┴┬┴ (@kensadahiro) June 29, 2019The sign was one of many changes made around the city to celebrate Pride Month. > For the LGBT folks in the city today, I hope you all know that New York City will a...

Undocumented immigrants should get health care, Julián Castro affirms

Image
“We're not going to let people living in this country die because they can't see a doctor.“ from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XcgfM3 via IFTTT

UPDATE 2-Fighting rages across Afghanistan as peace talks continue

Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 19 people in an attack on a government office on Saturday night, officials said, in the latest episode of violence in Afghanistan as peace talks continue to end the war. The Taliban, which rejects the election process, claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the group's fighters also killed 57 members of the Afghan security forces in the attack and captured 11 others, but Afghan officials disputed the account. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Xideih via IFTTT

Biden scrambles after slipping in Democrats' debate

Image
A wounded Joe Biden scrambled to defend his frontrunner status Friday after getting pummeled over his record on race relations at a Democratic election debate, throwing the battle for the party's nomination to challenge President Donald Trump wide open. Watching from Japan, where he was attending the G20 summit, Trump licked his chops as the 10 Democrats at the Thursday night debate in Miami veered sharply to the left on immigration, health care, taxes and the ever-emotional subject of gun ownership. Biden, vice president under still highly popular ex-president Barack Obama, came in as the favorite, polling well ahead of Trump and all Democratic rivals. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/31WilDk via IFTTT

Your iPhone will charge from 0% to 80% in under an hour with these two accessories

Image
Here's the good news: all of Apple's iPhones from 2017 and later support 18W fast charging that can charge your phone from 0% all the way up to 80% in about 55 minutes! And now for the bad news: Apple's cheaped out and didn't include a fast charger in the box with any of its iPhone models. Seriously, you can buy a $1,500 iPhone XS Max and Apple still doesn't include a fast charger in the box. Ugh. Getting the charger and cable you need from Apple to fast charge your iPhone costs about $50, which is obscene. Instead, pick up an AUKEY USB C Charger with 18W Power Delivery for $19.99 and an Anker USB C to Lightning Cable for $15.99. AUKEY USB C Charger * High-Speed Charging: Fast charge your iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, Google Pixel 2 / 2 XL, or other compatible USB-C devices that support USB Power Delivery * USB Power Delivery: Next-generation, future-proof fast charging technology that charges your USB Type-C phone or tablet at up to 18W * Compact & Portable: Extremely c...

GOP senators set to return to Oregon Capitol after prolonged walkout over cap-and-trade bill

Image
Oregon's 11 Republican senators are ending a walkout protest over climate legislation that lasted more than a week and garnered national attention. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2YkE1a2 via IFTTT

'Back on track': Trump, Xi seal trade war truce

Image
US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed trade talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as "far better than expected" and vowed to hold off on further tariffs as negotiations continue. The ceasefire that halts damaging trade frictions came after a hotly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world's top two economies on the sidelines of the G20 summit. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XaKojA via IFTTT

Apple's star designer Jony Ive to set up own firm

Image
Apple's longtime design chief Jony Ive, who played a key role in the development of the iPhone and other iconic products, is leaving the tech giant to set up his own firm, Apple said Thursday. Ive will depart later this year "to form an independent design company which will count Apple among its primary clients," Apple said in a statement. Ive will pursue "personal projects" but also continue to work closely "on a range of projects with Apple," the California tech company said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XdRP9U via IFTTT

Man charged with murder, kidnapping in case of missing Utah student Mackenzie Lueck

Image
A man has been charged in connection with the disappearance of missingUniversity of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck, CBS News reports from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XGpWqj via IFTTT

Sudan: Dying for the revolution

Meet the young protesters in Sudan prepared to die to keep the country's revolution alive. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2RHu443

'Madrid Central' protest: Thousands oppose suspension of anti-pollution plan

Protesters are calling on Madrid’s conservative mayor to reimpose strict car pollution restrictions. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2JbRTwZ

With Little to Celebrate, Mets Honor a Title-Winning Team

Image
By TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2XdK8vi

Who won the Democrats' second debate? Our panelists' verdicts

Image
A combative Democratic debate saw clashes on race and healthcare policy – and many more attacks on Trump. Our experts weigh in Kate Aronoff: Democrats – and America – need better than BidenJoe Biden has been running for president on the idea that he’s the best equipped to beat Donald Trump. Tonight’s debate shed considerable doubt on that premise. If this is how he performs against his opponents on the same side of the aisle – clinging desperately to the legacy of an administration he didn’t lead – then how do we think he’ll fare against the most talented bully in American politics?Other candidates performed impressively. Bernie Sanders had the clearest ideas on how to improve the lives of people in this country and take on vested interests hoarding wealth and power. But Kamala Harris delivered the night’s and possibly the cycle’s most powerful moment when she challenged Biden on his history of supporting racist policies and politicians. In response, he got as defensive as a grandfathe...

Planned Parenthood Can Keep Performing Abortions in Missouri, For Now

Image
A hearing commission granted an emergency stay from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2IYtfkr via IFTTT

Wide-eyed Joe Biden dodges Bernie Sanders' hand in viral debate moment

Image
In a brief, yet viral, moment during the Democratic debates Thursday, Joe Biden had a wide-eyed response and a slight dodge from Bernie Sanders' hand. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/300p7Gt via IFTTT

U.S. Supreme Court declines Alabama bid to revive abortion restriction

Image
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sidestepped a major new challenge to abortion rights by declining to hear Alabama's bid to revive a Republican-backed state law that would have effectively banned the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2KPpZdt via IFTTT

Israel and Hamas Reach Truce to Restore Quiet, Army Radio Says

(Bloomberg) -- Israel and Hamas reached a truce on Friday that would halt attacks against Israeli farmland in return for measures to ease the economic blockade on Gaza, according to a report by Israeli Army Radio.Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, would stop launching incendiary balloons that for the past year have torched thousands of acres of forest and agricultural land, and in exchange Israel would expand the enclave’s fishing zone, and return 60 confiscated boats and diesel supplies for the area’s main power plant, according to the radio station.Though the concessions made by Israel are small, they would provide some relief for Gaza and its roughly 2 million residents, who are cut off from other economies by their immediate neighbors, Israel and Egypt.To contact the reporter on this story: Yaacov Benmeleh in Tel Aviv at ybenmeleh@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Constantine Courcoulas, Taylan Bi...

Bernie Sanders claims 'ageism' after Eric Swalwell attacked him and Joe Biden in Democratic debate

Image
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77, was responding to attacks from Rep. Eric Swalwell, 38. "Judge people on the totality of who they are," he said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2X3Vp1i via IFTTT

This Is the Battle That Decided World War II (Not What You Think)

Image
While the tactical result of the battle was stunning – the U.S. sunk four Japanese fleet carriers Hiryu, Soryu, Kaga and Akagi, a heavy cruiser and destroyed 248 enemy aircraft – it is the perilous backdrop of America’s war fortunes in 1942 that make Midway’s tide-turning outcomes all the more significant.  Thursday, June 6th saw the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion at Normandy, the amphibious assault phase of Operation Neptune, or what we commonly remember as D-Day.  U.S. troops who landed at Normandy – particularly at Omaha Beach – waded ashore amidst a storm of chaos, a blizzard of machine gun fire, and a hail of plunging mortars.  Despite great confusion and casualties, at the squad level and below, the men at Omaha rallied and pressed forth with tenacity and nerve to breach sand-berms and barricades, neutralize enemy positions, and salvage their sectors.  Losses at Omaha were immense – but American resolve helped establish a foothold on the coast of Franc...

Pelosi's Aura of Democratic Unity Burst by Border Bill Drama

Image
(Bloomberg) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is known as a master legislator for her ability to hold House Democrats together in even the toughest negotiations. Yet she came up short on a crucial border funding bill this week, forced to back down amid bitter caucus infighting.The episode exposed rifts between the party’s moderate and liberal wings, denting the veneer of unity Pelosi largely maintained for the first six months of the Democratic House majority and her second speakership.While she held different Democratic factions together to negotiate an end to January’s government shutdown and tamped down calls to impeach President Donald Trump, the details of a $4.5 billion funding measure sparked bitter House floor confrontations, hallway blame-shifting and angry tweets among Democrats who felt betrayed by their colleagues.The contentious end to weeks of emotion-filled debate over the best way to help migrants housed in unsafe and in some cases deadly conditions also raises questions ab...

Indian women's heads shaved for 'resisting' rape

Image
An Indian mother and her daughter had their heads shaved and were paraded through their village after resisting an attempted rape by men including a local official, police said Friday. The world's largest democracy has an abysmal record on sexual crime against women, particularly in rural areas where the majority of the 1.3-billion population lives. Ward councillor Mohommad Khurshid forcibly entered the women's home in the eastern state of Bihar on Wednesday with other men and allegedly attempted to rape the newly married 19-year-old daughter, police told AFP. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2YnVj62 via IFTTT

Atlanta airport to expand security checkpoint

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport plans to expand a security checkpoint within the next year to help alleviate a crowded waiting area, officials said. Officials expect to open five additional lanes at the South Security Checkpoint within the next year, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . This would provide nine lanes for TSA screening near Delta Air Lines' check-in counters. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/31Xfb2a via IFTTT

'Madrid Central' protest: Thousands oppose suspension of anti-pollution plan

Protesters are calling on Madrid’s conservative mayor to reimpose strict car pollution restrictions. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2JbRTwZ

Biden responds to attack on his age: 'I'm still holding on to that torch'

Image
Rep. Eric Swalwell went after former Vice President Joe Biden in the second Democratic presidential primary debate. Swalwell said Biden, who is 76 years old, should “pass the torch.” Biden rejected the California lawmaker’s critique. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XzHuoa via IFTTT

Iraqi general, U.S. Marine dispute murder charge against Navy SEAL

Image
An Iraqi general and a U.S. Marine testifying in the murder trial of a U.S. Navy SEAL said on Thursday they never saw the platoon leader stab a wounded detainee in the neck, disputing the central allegation in the prosecution's war crimes case. A sworn deposition of Major General Abbas al-Jubouri, videotaped in San Diego earlier this month, was played for the seven-member jury on the second day of defense testimony in the court-martial of Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher. Contrary to prior testimony that Gallagher, or a medic on his team, had acted deliberately to cause the death of a helpless Islamic State fighter in their custody, Jubouri said the Navy SEALs did all they could to save the teenager's life. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ITsUzp via IFTTT

Kamala Harris Is Surging and Birtherism Is Back

Image
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyKamala Harris broke out from the other nine Democrats onstage during the second Democratic presidential primary debate on Thursday, calling on her personal experiences of racial injustice as a black woman.“As the only black person on this stage, I would like to speak on the issue of race,” Harris said.That’s when she was attacked on Twitter by a conservative provocateur for not being an “American black.” It’s a play straight out of the racist birther playbook used against Barack Obama when he ran for president a decade earlier. This time, though, those kinds of allegations don’t have to circulate for years on obscure right-wing forums before they reach a mainstream audience. On Thursday night, spammers and even one of President Trump’s sons spread the attack to millions of people within hours. Kamala Harris Shows She’s Here to Capture the CrownHarris, 54, was born in Oakland, California to a father from Jamaica and a mother from India...

Biden wounded as Democratic tensions boil over at debate

Image
For months, the 2020 Democratic campaign seemed mostly placid, even cordial. At Thursday’s presidential debate, those frictions came to the fore – and Joe Biden bore the brunt. The former vice president, 76, entered the debate as the front-runner, having led the pack of more than 20 Democratic candidates since he joined the race in April. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2X9SMei via IFTTT

Senate fails to limit Trump war powers amid Iran tensions

Image
Political unease over the White House's tough talk against Iran is reviving questions about President Donald Trump's ability to order military strikes without approval from Congress. The Senate fell short Friday, in a 50-40 vote, on an amendment to a sweeping Defense bill that would require congressional support before Trump acts. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2FG9igh via IFTTT

Pilot, resident dead when plane crashes into home in North Carolina

Image
The pilot and one occupant of the house died on the scene, while the injured person was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with serious injuries. Their identities weren't immediately released. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xkKaHg via IFTTT

US deploys F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar amid Iran tensions

Image
The US has deployed F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar for the first time, its military said Friday, adding to a buildup of US forces in the Gulf amid tensions with Iran. The Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been deployed "to defend American forces and interests," the US Air Forces Central Military Command said in a statement that did not specify how many of the hi-tech planes had been sent. A photo handout showed five of the jets flying above the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2JjsPEa via IFTTT

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Beto O'Rourke and Cory Booker's Spanish is 'humorous'

Image
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the Spanish being spoken on stage by presidential candidates including Cory Brooker and Beto O’Rourke at the first Democratic primary debate as “humorous”.The youngest ever congresswoman said there was “a lot of Spanglish in the building” as 10 presidential hopefuls sparred on policies and Donald Trump at the debate in Miami on Wednesday night.Speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after the debate, Ms Ocasio-Cortez, said:“I loved it, because, I represent the Bronx and there was a lot of Spanglish in the building.”“I thought it was humorous sometimes, at times. Especially because, sometimes, of the content of the question.”The Democratic congresswoman, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, added that she thought the candidates might start saying “I will not give you an answer to your question” in Spanish."But it was good,” she added. “I thought it was a good gesture to the fact that we are a diverse country.” Ms Ocasio-Cortez also compared the...

Supreme Court blocks plan to add citizenship question to 2020 census

Image
In a ruling with far-reaching political and economic implications, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision today that a citizenship question could not be included on the 2020 census — for now — because the Department of Justice’s explanation for seeking to add one was inadequate. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xeEJcT via IFTTT

'Liberalism Is Obsolete,' Russian President Vladimir Putin Says Amid G20 Summit

Image
He also spoke about Europe's migrant crisis and LGBTQ rights in Russia from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/322jrNN via IFTTT

Berlin Brandenburg: The airport with half a million faults

Billions over budget, years late in opening, and still being rebuilt before a single plane has landed. What's gone so wrong at the new Berlin airport? from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2ZWN29M

Japan whaling: Commercial hunts to resume despite outcry

Hunters could be back in Japanese waters from 1 July, ending a three-decade halt to commercial whaling. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2XGXy7m

Everest queues: 'This person had crampons on the wrong feet'

Tim Mosedale has climbed Everest six times and believes that whilst the queues look bad they're often not the reason people die whilst climbing. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2FCkxWT

There are calls for models wearing fake pregnancy bumps in ad campaigns to be banned

There are calls for fashion firms to stop using fake bump models, after reality star Arabella Chi was used as ASOS's maternity model despite never having been pregnant. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2XcC6Ys

Week in pictures: 22-28 June 2019

A selection of the best news photographs from around the world, taken over the past week. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Yk2215

Transgender skater fighting to compete

Maria Joaquina is 11-years-old and a prize-winning roller-skater. She is transgender and fighting to compete among girls. from BBC News - Home https://ift.tt/2Jh4puX

2020 Election Meddling by China, Iran, N. Korea Likely, Administration Officials Warn

Image
China’s government finances English-language media outlets in the United States to influence U.S. perceptions on various issues, such as trade, the senior intelligence official told reporters during a briefing on election security. Russia isn’t the only threat to election security going into 2020, as Trump administration officials say they are preparing for meddling from Iran, China, and North Korea. The federal government anticipates that Russia will again meddle in the U.S. election in 2020 through “Russian-controlled or influenced English-language media, false-flag operations, or sympathetic spokespersons,” a senior intelligence official said. China’s government finances English-language media outlets in the United States to influence U.S. perceptions on various issues, such as trade, the senior intelligence official told reporters during a briefing on election security. “No surprise to you: Iran is increasing their use of social media to promote strategic goals a...

SCOTUS Won’t Revive Alabama Law Banning Dismemberment Abortion

Image
The Supreme Court declined Friday to revive an Alabama law that would ban dismemberment abortions.The state was forced to appeal to the High Court after a lower court ruled that its 2016 Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act, which bans so-called “dilation and evacuation” abortions, violated the precedent established by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in placing an "undue burden" on abortion access.Justice Clarence Thomas was the only justice to comment on the Friday decision. In his concurring opinion, Thomas agreed that the law should not be revived on procedural grounds, but lambasted the legal "aberration" that constrained the court.“The more developed the child, the more likely an abortion will involve dismembering it,” Thomas said. “The notion that anything in the Constitution prevents States from passing laws prohibiting the dismembering of a living child is implausible. But under the ‘undue burden’ standard adopted by this court, a restriction ...

Did Biden’s debate performance help narrow polling gap between front-runner and the rest of 2020 Democratic field?

Image
Reaction and analysis from Republican strategist Ned Ryun and University of Maryland lecturer Jason Nichols. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xkdJZO via IFTTT

Sparks fly as Kamala Harris challenges Joe Biden's record on race

Image
The California senator sharply criticized the former vice president for his fond recollection of serving with two segregationist senators, and for opposing integration through busing in the 1970s. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2FDzQ1z via IFTTT

Witness could face perjury charge in Navy SEAL court-martial

Image
A witness who dropped stunning testimony at the war crimes trial of a decorated Navy SEAL by telling the court he had killed an Islamic State captive in Iraq in 2017 — not his accused platoon chief — could now face charges of perjury, according to the Navy. The Navy's legal adviser to the commander overseeing the court-martial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher notified the witness's lawyer, Brian Ferguson, in an email late Tuesday that the testimony Corey Scott gave last week could be used against him if he lied on the stand or gave a false statement. Cmdr. Tam Lawrence, Naval Special Warfare spokesperson, said Scott was granted immunity in exchange for the promise of truthful testimony. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WZHrO4 via IFTTT

Senate defeats measure to restrain Trump on Iran

Image
The U.S. Senate on Friday defeated legislation that would have barred President Donald Trump from launching an attack on Iran without first obtaining the approval of Congress, except in self-defense. The measure was defeated 50 to 40, ensuring that the measure would not get the 60 needed to pass the Republican-majority Senate as an amendment to an annual defense policy bill. Ten senators did not vote. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XBHnbA via IFTTT

China Says Its Demands for a Trade Deal With the U.S. Haven't Changed

Image
(Bloomberg) -- There’s no change to China’s conditions for making a trade deal with the U.S. as the two nations’ leaders prepare to meet this weekend, a government spokesman said.“China’s core concerns must be addressed properly,” Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said at a regular briefing in Beijing Thursday, when asked about the three demands laid out by Vice Premier Liu He in May.In order to reach an agreement the U.S. must remove all extra tariffs, set targets for Chinese purchases of goods in line with real demand and ensure that the text of the deal is “balanced” to ensure the “dignity” of both nations, according to Liu.“We hope the U.S. side could drop its wrong practices, and we can solve the problems through equal dialogue and cooperation,” Gao said.The trade teams are in contact to prepare for the meeting, and the respective negotiators had a good phone call earlier in the week, Gao said, without clarifying whether the trade teams will meet in Osaka before the leaders’...

Castro decks Beto

Image
The former Cabinet secretary and mayor had his first big moment of the 2020 campaign taking on his fellow Texan on immigration policy. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2JdX8vU via IFTTT

Family of Slain University of Utah Student Lauren McCluskey Files $56 Million Lawsuit Against School

Image
Jill McCluskey/University of UtahUniversity of Utah track star Lauren McCluskey was gunned down on campus in October, and—according to her parents—nobody has been held accountable.Now, McCluskey’s family filed a $56 million federal civil-rights lawsuit against the school on Thursday over its “repeated failure” to respond to the student-athlete’s “multiple and continuing pleas for help” in the days leading up to her death.The 21-year-old was on the phone with her mother, walking home from a Monday night class, when she was “hunted down” and shot seven times by her ex-boyfriend, the lawsuit states.“Suddenly, I heard her yell, ‘No, no, no!’ I thought she might have been in a car accident,” Jill McCluskey said at the time, reported The Salt Lake Tribune. “That was the last I heard from her.” Police later discovered her body in a parked car.The shooter, 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, killed himself hours after Lauren’s death. Her family has said that McCluskey dated Rowland—a convicted sex off...

US sanctions Maduro's son as it raises pressure on Venezuela

Image
The Trump administration on Friday announced sanctions on the son of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a move to increase pressure on family members of top officials backing the socialist leader and suspected of corruption. The action by the U.S. Treasury Department freezes any U.S. assets belonging to Nicolas Maduro Jr. and prohibits American from doing business with him. "Maduro's regime was built on fraudulent elections, and his inner circle lives in luxury off the proceeds of corruption while the Venezuelan people suffer," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2KKq1TN via IFTTT

Supreme Court declines Alabama bid to revive abortion restriction

Image
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday sidestepped a major new challenge to abortion rights by declining to hear Alabama's bid to revive a Republican-backed state law that would have effectively banned the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that struck down the 2016 law, which would have criminalized a method called dilation and evacuation that is the most common type of abortion performed during the second trimester of a pregnancy. The law in question is different than an even more strict Alabama measure signed by Republican Governor Kay Ivey in May. The new law, also facing a legal challenge, would ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XCoNzZ via IFTTT