| Cory Booker Calls On Donald Trump To Resign Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations Posted: 10 Dec 2017 08:50 AM PST  Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is calling on President Donald Trump to resign over the more than a dozen sexual misconduct allegations against him.
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| California's Wildfires This Year Have Been Breaking Records Posted: 09 Dec 2017 06:21 AM PST  California has experienced one of the worst years on record for wildfires.
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| Travel troubles: snow cancels flights along the East Coast Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:01 AM PST  Atlanta's airport -- the nation's busiest -- experienced the bulk of today's travel troubles after an unexpected blast of winter weather headed southeast.
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| 2 suspects in Hawaii vacation rental home killing in custody Posted: 08 Dec 2017 06:06 PM PST  HONOLULU (AP) — A man and woman remained in custody Friday after they were arrested on suspicion of killing a woman in a Hawaii vacation rental home.
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| U.S. Surgeon General reveals plans to put an end to the opioid epidemic Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:29 AM PST  In his first televised interview since taking office, Surgeon General Jerome Adams tells NBC News Medical Correspondent Dr. John Torres that he wants to get Naloxone, a medicine that reverses opioid overdoses, "in the hands of more people."
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| Thousands march in Tel Aviv to protest against corruption and Netanyahu government Posted: 09 Dec 2017 03:48 PM PST  Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday for the second consecutive week against government corruption and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under criminal investigation over allegations of abuse of office. Police estimated the number of demonstrators at about 10,000 and they followed last Saturday's demonstration, which was by far the largest of the recent weekly anti-corruption protests when an estimated 20,000 people participated. The protests have been sparked by corruption allegations against Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing. The four-term leader is suspected of involvement in two cases. The first involves receiving gifts from wealthy businessmen and the second involves negotiating a deal with a newspaper owner for better coverage in return for curbs on a rival daily. Israelis take part in a demonstration under the name "March of Shame" to protest against government corruption and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Credit: Jack Guez/AFP If charged, he would come under heavy pressure to resign or could call an election to test whether he still had a mandate to govern. Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party said in a Facebook post that the protest was a left-wing demonstration. It called on all Israelis to back their prime minister as he defends Israel against international criticism following U.S. President Donald Trump's acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Instead of uniting with all the people behind Jerusalem and showing the world a unified front, the left cannot contain itself and it prefers to create division," part of the statement said. Over weeks of demonstrations, protesters have identified themselves as supporting both left- and right-wing parties. On Saturday they held banners reading: "Neither left, nor right (we demand) integrity," "We are fed up with corrupt (politicians)" and "Sweep the corrupt away."
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| Shelter life wears on California evacuees awaiting word on homes Posted: 09 Dec 2017 12:36 AM PST ![Shelter life wears on California evacuees awaiting word on homes]( "Shelter life wears on California evacuees awaiting word on homes") By Alex Dobuzinskis VENTURA, Calif. (Reuters) - California wildfire evacuee Richard Seabold once spent a month in the South Pole, so he knows something about surviving in tough conditions. Life in an emergency shelter, however, has been particularly hard, the 83-year-old said on Friday as he gripped a Styrofoam cup of coffee and sat next to his cot in a warehouse in the coastal city of Ventura. "I used to live and work at the South Pole, and it was much nicer than here," the military veteran said with a smile, wearing a cap that read "Navy Support Force Antarctica." Seabold and his 91-year-old wife, Yvonne, are among more than 200 people staying at the shelter at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
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| China Is Now Making Some of the Most Powerful Guns on the Planet Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:56 PM PST  Like the rest of China's military revolution over the past quarter century, its small-arms revolution is a remarkable achievement. China's People's Liberation Army has traditionally relied on foreign and Communist bloc weapons manufactured in China under license—or not. Now, however, as the PLA undergoes an unprecedented modernization, a new generation of locally designed and manufactured light weaponry is arming China's armed forces, from handguns to light machine guns.
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| California Governor Says Trump Is Courting The 'Wrath Of God' By Ignoring Climate Change Posted: 08 Dec 2017 08:47 PM PST  California Governor Jerry Brown criticizes President Trump for climate change position as California Burns.
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| Fox News Corrects Story Claiming Roy Moore Accuser ‘Forged’ Candidate’s Signature Posted: 09 Dec 2017 12:49 PM PST  Fox News updated a story that erroneously claimed one of Roy Moore's accusers had "forged" evidence she'd presented to bolster her claim against him.
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| Opera student raises $40,000 in performance for college tuition Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:09 AM PST  Drew Anthony raised enough money in a single opera performance to pay for a year of college tuition. After hearing his story, several prestigious universities have tapped him for spots at their school.
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| Jessica Alba Celebrates Her Baby Shower in Chic Theme Party Posted: 10 Dec 2017 12:08 PM PST  Jessica Alba hosted a tea-party themed baby shower as she celebrated the upcoming birth of her third child with husband Cash Warren.
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| Winds whip California fires as they spread south Posted: 09 Dec 2017 01:01 AM PST  Thousands of firefighters battled raging wildfires in California on Saturday that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee the Los Angeles area, as well as outbreaks closer to San Diego. Nearly 700 structures including multi-million dollar mansions have been destroyed by wildfires raging on six different fronts, but despite the intensity of the blazes, authorities have reported only one fatality. Herman was relieved to find her home in Murrieta, east of Los Angeles, still intact.
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| Major Injuries After Bus Overturns On San Francisco Highway Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:35 AM PST  A charter bus carrying 29 people overturned Friday night on a San Francisco highway, causing major injuries and backing up traffic in the city for hours.
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| 3 people arrested in firebomb attack on Swedish synagogue Posted: 10 Dec 2017 05:50 AM PST  HELSINKI (AP) — Three people have been arrested for allegedly throwing firebombs at a synagogue in the Swedish city of Goteborg, the second anti-Jewish attack in the Nordic nation in two days. Jewish groups condemned the attacks as "unconscionable" and demanded that authorities take action.
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| Ukrainian author of Manafort op-ed says sought input to avoid errors Posted: 09 Dec 2017 01:50 PM PST  By Pavel Polityuk KIEV (Reuters) - The author of an article that U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller believes Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort ghost-wrote in violation of a gag order said on Saturday he had sought input on the op-ed before publishing to avoid errors. On Friday, Mueller unveiled evidence against Manafort to convince a judge that he wrote the article to improve his public image. Manafort is facing charges as part of an investigation into accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
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| Tim Scott: Republicans Exploring How to Handle 'High-Tax States' Posted: 09 Dec 2017 11:05 PM PST  In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) tells Chuck Todd that Republicans are trying to "sweeten the SALT" changes in the tax bill.
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| North Korea Renews 'Dotard' Insult For Donald Trump Over Jerusalem Move Posted: 09 Dec 2017 07:38 AM PST  North Korea reignited its feud with President Donald Trump on Saturday.
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| 46 Racehorses Killed In Southern California Wildfire Tragedy Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:08 PM PST  At least 46 racehorses at a training center in San Diego County were killed by flames or smoke inhalation in a particularly heartbreaking result of the fires raging through southern California.
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| Serial Killer, Who Murdered 7 People, Confesses to More Slayings Posted: 10 Dec 2017 07:27 AM PST  He wrote an eight page letter to a local newspaper.
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| The polar bear in this video is dying from starvation. Fortunately, most aren't...yet Posted: 08 Dec 2017 06:13 PM PST  After landing on Baffin Island, Canada, wildlife photographer and environmental activist Paul Nicklen captured video of a frail polar bear — dying and foaming from the mouth — as the weak animal collapsed to the ground. The bear will soon be dead — if it isn't already. On Dec. 5, Nicklen posted the grim video to his Instagram account, and since then, it's been stirring emotions around the web. Polar bears are, for better or worse, a symbolic species when it comes to global warming, and many are seeing this video as a new warning sign. Fortunately, however, the condition of this bear is not representative of most polar bear populations — at least not yet. SEE ALSO: Trump shrank 2 national monuments by nearly 2 million acres. He can't do that to Yellowstone. There are 19 different populations of polar bears in the expansive Arctic. The dwindling sea ice here — which these predators need to hunt fat-rich seals — is now affecting different groups of bears in different ways. "It's tough to see a disturbing image like that and not feel sympathy for the animal," U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) polar bear biologist Todd Atwood said in an interview. "It's also tough to see an isolated image extrapolated to some kind of population level effect." The actual cause of the bear's death will remain unknown, but Atwood doubts there's one specific cause. "It's probably a combination of things — it could be an old animal — but it also could be that if it's still on land, that there's not enough sea ice," he said. My entire @Sea_Legacy team was pushing through their tears and emotions while documenting this dying polar bear. It's a soul-crushing scene that still haunts me, but I know we need to share both the beautiful and the heartbreaking if we are going to break down the walls of apathy. This is what starvation looks like. The muscles atrophy. No energy. It's a slow, painful death. When scientists say polar bears will be extinct in the next 100 years, I think of the global population of 25,000 bears dying in this manner. There is no band aid solution. There was no saving this individual bear. People think that we can put platforms in the ocean or we can feed the odd starving bear. The simple truth is this—if the Earth continues to warm, we will lose bears and entire polar ecosystems. This large male bear was not old, and he certainly died within hours or days of this moment. But there are solutions. We must reduce our carbon footprint, eat the right food, stop cutting down our forests, and begin putting the Earth—our home—first. Please join us at @sea_legacy as we search for and implement solutions for the oceans and the animals that rely on them—including us humans. Thank you your support in keeping my @sea_legacy team in the field. With @CristinaMittermeier #turningthetide with @Sea_Legacy #bethechange #nature #naturelovers This video is exclusively managed by Caters News. To license or use in a commercial player please contact info@catersnews.com or call +44 121 616 1100 / +1 646 380 1615" A post shared by Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) on Dec 5, 2017 at 8:52am PST After posting the video, Nicklen told National Geographic that "when scientists say bears are going extinct, I want people to realize what it looks like. Bears are going to starve to death. This is what a starving bear looks like." But while the threat to polar bears is real, all is not yet dire for the Arctic predators. "It's worth noting that there are some subpopulations that are believed to be stable," said Atwood. Polar bears are listed as a threatened species in the United States, which means that while they're not yet on the brink of extinction, they "are likely to be at the brink in the near future," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which maintains the list. For polar bear populations that are struggling, it's often due to a lack of sea ice. Polar bears can't hunt seals on the open water. "So as the open water season gets longer, there's association between the length of the open water seas and body conditions — body conditions decline," Atwood said. But this isn't the full story. The physical condition of polar bears is also dependent upon how much fish is available for seals. So in places with more fish and seals — places that are more "biologically productive" — there will be more food for bears, and they're likely to be better fed. Unless, of course, there's no sea ice there, either. There is a clear solution to polar bears' vulnerability — and you undoubtedly know it well: Humanity's commitment to limit global warming, which is caused by fossil fuel emissions. These heat-trapping gases warm both the oceans and the air, resulting in vastly diminished sea ice, particularly in the summer and fall. "This requires changing our behaviors relative to our carbon footprint," Atwood said. WATCH: The world's tallest mammal is now threatened with extinction
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| The Latest: US congratulates Iraq on end of war against IS Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:35 AM PST  BAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on developments in Iraq (all times local):
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| Priest who used to be KKK member apologizes 40 years later Posted: 09 Dec 2017 02:11 PM PST  ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A former Ku Klux Klan member who burned a cross on a black couple's lawn 40 years ago, before becoming a Roman Catholic priest, has finally written his victims an apology.
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| Japanese man kills wife and priestess sister with sword in bizarre family feud: media Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:01 PM PST ![Japanese man kills wife and priestess sister with sword in bizarre family feud: media]( "Japanese man kills wife and priestess sister with sword in bizarre family feud: media") A Japanese man wielding a sword killed his sister, a Shinto priestess, on the grounds of a Tokyo shrine, then stabbed his wife to death before committing suicide, police and media said. Police declined to comment on a motive for Thursday's killings or the family feud. Shigenaga Tomioka, 56, attacked Nagako Tomioka, 58, chief priestess of the Tomioka Hachimangu shrine, as she got out of a car.
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| Trump has no authority “to give away Jerusalem to an occupying power,” Palestinian official says Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:04 AM PST  Palestinian leaders are vowing to snub the White House following President Trump's decision Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
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| Montreal Is Ending Its Ban On Pit Bulls Posted: 09 Dec 2017 02:30 PM PST  A ban on pit bull-type dogs in Montreal that's been slammed by animal protection groups will be rolled back later this month.
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| Hannibal Buress Arrested For Disorderly Intoxication In Miami Posted: 10 Dec 2017 12:53 PM PST  Hannibal Buress was arrested in Miami on Saturday on charges of disorderly intoxication, People reported.
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| Alabama talk radio hosts give local take on Senate election Posted: 10 Dec 2017 07:31 AM PST  Matt Murphy and Andrea Lindenberg, who host the most-listened-to political news program in Alabama, join "This Week."
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| Ancient Tombs Dating Back 3,500 Years Discovered in Egypt's Luxor Posted: 09 Dec 2017 06:47 AM PST  The latest discovery in the city famed for its temples and tombs
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| Teng bong! Minority languages on the rise in Singapore Posted: 09 Dec 2017 08:12 PM PST  Kevin Martens Wong reels off sentences in Kristang, which is among several minority languages in Singapore enjoying a new lease of life after a decades-long drive to encourage the use of English and Mandarin. A former British colonial trading post that has long been a melting pot of different cultures, Singapore has an ethnically diverse population whose ancestors mostly came from across Asia, principally China, India and the Malay archipelago. On independence in 1965, Singaporeans spoke an array of tongues.
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| Racial dispute at beloved bakery roils liberal college town Posted: 10 Dec 2017 06:54 AM PST  OBERLIN, Ohio (AP) — Students at Oberlin College have long enjoyed pastries, bagels and chocolates from Gibson's Bakery, a century-old, family-owned business near campus. That sweet relationship has turned bitter amid hotly disputed accusations of racism, roiling a school and town long known for their liberal politics.
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| We Now Have Evidence Russia Seems Pleased with Its Military in Syria Posted: 10 Dec 2017 04:43 AM PST  In the final days of November 2017, the Russian High Command reshuffled several positions, most notably both the Eastern and Central Military Districts received new commanders. Immediately striking is the fact that Alexander Lapin, the new Central Military District commander, is a Lieutenant General (in Russia, this is a two-star rank) whereas all the other military districts are commanded by Colonel Generals (three-stars), including General Lapin's predecessor. The new commander in the Eastern Military District, Col. Gen. Alexander Zhuravlyov, was the commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Syria from July to December 2016.
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| 6 Ideas For A Truly Radical Tax System Instead Of Trump's Tax Plan For The Wealthy Posted: 09 Dec 2017 06:16 AM PST  It was billed as radical tax reform ― reducing taxes for the middle class and closing loopholes for the rich ― but the Republicans have come under serious fire for offering the biggest breaks to companies and the wealthy.
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| Uber agrees to settle US lawsuit filed by India rape victim Posted: 08 Dec 2017 07:57 PM PST  Uber Technologies Inc and a woman who accused top executives of improperly obtaining her medical records after a company driver raped her in India have agreed to settle a civil lawsuit the woman filed against Uber in June, according to a U.S. federal court filing on Friday. The Uber driver was convicted of the rape, which occurred in Delhi in 2014, in a criminal case in India. He was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison. The Indian woman had previously settled a civil U.S. lawsuit against Uber in 2015, but sued the company again in a San Francisco federal court saying that shortly after the incident, a U.S. Uber executive "met with Delhi police and intentionally obtained plaintiff's confidential medical records." Uber kept a copy of those records, the lawsuit said. The woman was living in the United States when she filed the lawsuit. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court document. A spokesman for San Francisco-based Uber declined to comment. An attorney for the woman could not immediately be reached for comment. The settlement comes as new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who took the top job in August, is seeking to put several scandals behind the company following eight years of CEO Travis Kalanick's pugnacious leadership, which led to rule-breaking around the world. The lawsuit cited several media reports that said Kalanick and others doubted the victim's account of her ordeal. "Uber executives duplicitously and publicly decried the rape, expressing sympathy for plaintiff, and shock and regret at the violent attack, while privately speculating, as outlandish as it is, that she had colluded with a rival company to harm Uber's business," the lawsuit said. A source with knowledge of the matter previously told Reuters that Kalanick had told other Uber executives he believed the incident had been staged by Indian ride-services rival Ola. In a prior statement, while Kalanick was CEO, Uber said: "No one should have to go through a horrific experience like this, and we're truly sorry that she's had to relive it." A spokesman for Kalanick was not immediately available for comment on Friday. Uber's actions have led to a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice of whether managers violated U.S. bribery laws, specifically the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the company said in June. The Justice Department did not say on what country or countries the investigation centered on. Bloomberg said it focused on activity in at least five Asian countries. Uber has also notified U.S. authorities about payments made by Uber staff to police officers in Indonesia, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Uber previously hired law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP to investigate how it obtained the medical records of the rape victim, Reuters reported in June.
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| Ranking The Best Shows On Amazon You Can Stream Right Now Posted: 09 Dec 2017 05:48 AM PST  For the weekend of Dec. 9, Streamline is recommending "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" in the Amazon top spot for the second time in a row.
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| Yemen rebels bury Saleh in closed funeral: family source Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:05 AM PST  Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, slain this week by his former rebel allies, was buried on Saturday at his home village outside Sanaa, a relative close to the family said. It was held under strictly controlled conditions. The rebels, who over the past week have consolidated control of Sanaa, allowed Saleh's son Madin and a nephew out of detention to attend the burial.
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| Ex-priest gets life in prison for 1960 parishioner slaying Posted: 08 Dec 2017 06:34 PM PST  EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — A jury on Friday sentenced an 85-year-old former priest to life in prison for the 1960 killing of a schoolteacher and former beauty queen who was a member of the parish he served.
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| UN calls on social media giants to control platforms used to lure African migrants Posted: 09 Dec 2017 12:22 AM PST  By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. migration agency called on social media giants on Friday to make it harder for people smugglers to use their platforms to lure West African migrants to Libya where they can face detention, torture, slavery or death. The smugglers often use Facebook to reach would-be migrants with false promises of jobs in Europe, International Organization for Migration (IOM) spokesman Leonard Doyle said. When migrants are tortured, video is also sometimes sent back to their families over WhatsApp, as a means of extortion, he said.
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| Top Asian News 12:34 a.m. GMT Posted: 09 Dec 2017 04:34 PM PST ![Top Asian News 12:34 a.m. GMT]( "Top Asian News 12:34 a.m. GMT") WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump's U.N. ambassador recently urged the world to sever diplomatic ties with North Korea, she was sketchy on the details: Should all embassies close? How about those providing the U.S. intelligence from the largely inscrutable country? And what of Sweden, which helps with imprisoned Americans? Nikki Haley's recent call to action underscores the challenge for the United States as it tries to advance a nonmilitary strategy for resolving the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Isolating the reclusive, totalitarian state has been a central component of the U.S. plan, even though Washington says it remains open to talks.
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| Al Franken Makes Santa's Naughty List On 'SNL,' But Roy Moore Makes The 'Registry' Posted: 09 Dec 2017 09:30 PM PST  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) December 10, 2017 "Saturday Night Live's" take on politics this week featured elf Kate McKinnon and Santa Kenan Thompson in the cold open listening to a line-up of smart kids asking about everything from opioids to Colin Kaepernick and toys — more specifically, Matt Lauer's sex toys.
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| Maria Menounos Shares Video Taken 24 Hours After Her Life-Saving Brain Surgery Posted: 08 Dec 2017 07:19 PM PST  Maria Menounos is giving fans an intimate look at her recovery six months after her life-saving brain surgery
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| Your Tax Dollars Are Being Used To Attack Patagonia Posted: 09 Dec 2017 11:07 AM PST  WASHINGTON — The House Committee on Natural Resources has joined Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's fight against Patagonia, accusing the American outdoor retailer of lying in order to sell merchandise.
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| China's 'tiger mothers' rebel against punitive homework for parents Posted: 09 Dec 2017 10:33 AM PST  Fed up with picking up the slack in terms of helping her son with his heavy school workload, 39-year-old mother, Mrs Wang, has joined millions of like-minded parents who are calling for something that China's 'tiger mothers' would have considered unthinkable only a few years ago – a break from homework. The campaign focuses on the frustrations of parents who believe they shouldn't be spending their evenings tackling arithmetic questions or reciting complex sentence structures when they could be watching a soap or reading a magazine. It was triggered by a viral post titled: "Goodness, what have I done wrong to have to do homework with my kids." After millions on views on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, parents flocked to social media to share their own stories. Since then, three Chinese provinces have issued regulations banning schools from giving out homework which would involve parents. Three years ago, Mrs Wang's family spent their life savings to move to a desirable catchment area where they could enroll their son, now aged nine, at an elite primary school that would compel him to work long hours. Like the majority of Chinese parents, she believed she was doing the best for her family by helping him attain the grades needed to enter a top secondary school. But after becoming heavily involved in helping her son meet those tough demands – usually after a ten-hour day at her busy Beijing office - Ms Wang now views the school as a source of conflict in her house and a major drain on her own time. "Sometimes all I think about when I am at work is my son's homework," said Mrs Wang, who only provided her surname. Chinese social media is full of stories from parents sharing experiences of screaming and shouting their way through homework with their offspring. One post said: "When I returned from school when I was young, my parents watched TV while I did my homework. "Now when I get home from work... I still have to do homework." Other parents told how homework-related stress had caused them serious health problems or driven them to the brink of madness. "Come homework time, the whole yard knows my howls," one said. Opposition from parents stunted previous attempts by the government to soften China's notoriously high-pressure education system. A programme dubbed 'happy education' was rolled out four years ago, but there was resistance to slashing levels of homework, which is said to be around three hours a day in China - twice the global average. Consequently, the 2013 reforms resulted in teachers facing pressure from both sides. They were being told by education officials to relax academic learning, but parents were telling them to push their children harder. The teachers responded by involving parents more in the challenging topics. However, things didn't go to plan. "It has become a vicious cycle because students submitted homework that had been polished by their parents, so teachers assigned more difficult homework," one teacher told local media. Some parents choose to send their children to one of a growing number of expensive after-school institutions where they can finish their homework before being picked up. But education chiefs are already fighting back against challenging workloads, with officials in the eastern Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and also the northern Ningxia province, ruling that homework should not become "parental homework" or be set "above the level of the curriculum or the ability of the student". Mrs Wang, meanwhile, has recently adopted a new daily regime. When she returns home from work, she instantly kicks off her shoes, makes a cup of green tea and changes into her pyjamas. She has decided that she won't let her son's academic frustrations affect the relationship she has with him, or her own work-life balance. Additional reporting by Christine Wei
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