| 63 Percent Of Americans Believe Donald Trump Tried To Obstruct Russia Probe Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:36 PM PST  A new poll has found that 63 percent of Americans believe President Donald Trump has tried to "impede or obstruct" the investigations into Russian interference in the U.S. election and possible links between Trump's campaign and the Kremlin.
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| Mystery swirls around powerful North Korea official as Hwang Pyong-so remains missing Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:55 PM PST  A North Korean official widely deemed as the nation's second most powerful figure has been missing for some time, raising speculation that he has been executed.
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| Canadian billionaire couple found dead in their home Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:05 AM PST  Canadian police are investigating the mysterious deaths of Barry Sherman, founder of Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc, and his wife, Honey, one of the nation's wealthiest couples whose bodies were found in their mansion on Friday.
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| When The Fire Comes And There's No Home To Evacuate And Nowhere To Go Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:45 AM PST  In some parts of Santa Barbara County, the Thomas fire has caused apocalyptic scenes.
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| NBC WSJ Poll: Democratic favorability highest since 2008 Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:10 PM PST  In a new poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal, President Trump's approval sits at the lowest level for any president at this point in time.
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| Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:49 PM PST ![Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions]( "Lawsuit: 2 immigrant teens in US custody can't get abortions") WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is blocking two pregnant teens in the country illegally and being held in federal custody from obtaining abortions, the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday, a repeat of the situation that led to a high-profile court fight earlier this year.
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| This Cat Named D-O-G Helps Train Pups To Be Service Dogs Posted: 16 Dec 2017 03:12 PM PST  Not many cats get to have a career as a dog trainer, but one Missouri feline is doing just that.
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| Female Congressional Candidate Quits Race Over Sexual Harassment Allegations Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:13 AM PST  Andrea Ramsey is accused of sexually harassing a male subordinate in 2005
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| GOP 'civil war' in primaries will lose them midterms: Democrat senator Posted: 17 Dec 2017 05:05 AM PST  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair joins "This Week" after Democrat Doug Jones' victory in Alabama.
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| Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials Posted: 17 Dec 2017 06:37 AM PST ![Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials]( "Landslides kill 26 in storm-hit Philippine province: local officials") At least 26 people were killed while several residents were missing in an island province in central Philippines after tropical storm Kai-tak brought heavy rains that triggered landslides, local authorities and media said on Sunday. Kai-tak cut power supplies in many areas, forced the cancellation of several flights, stranded more than 15,000 people in various ports in the region and prompted nearly 88,000 people to seek shelter in evacuation centers. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Biliran island said 26 residents had died, but the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has yet to make any official announcement about fatalities.
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| Trump administration prohibits CDC from using certain words Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:05 AM PST  According to a Washington Post report, the Trump administration is banning the Center for Disease Control from using certain words in their official documents including fetus, transgender and diversity.
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| Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday Posted: 16 Dec 2017 04:35 PM PST ![Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday]( "Cake for 'joyful' pope on his 81st birthday") Pope Francis celebrated his 81st birthday Sunday with a hero cake and a message urging the world -- and children in particular -- to join in the holiday mood and be joyful. The Argentine pontiff thanked the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer as they sang happy birthday, and was expected to slice into his birthday cake after lunch. The artist -- whose real name is Mauro Pallotta -- famously depicted Francis as Superman in 2014 and has since begun supporting Vatican charitable projects by selling T-shirts bearing the flying pope.
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| Santa’s workshop comes to life in Brooklyn, New York Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:12 AM PST  Fifty years ago, Lou Nasti gained fame when he built a robot that landed him on the front page of the New York Times. Now his skill can be seen in his detailed animatronic Christmas workshop in Brooklyn, New York and on display all around the world.
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| End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene Posted: 17 Dec 2017 12:55 PM PST ![End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene]( "End of days comes for Ohio man's 'zombie Nativity' scene") CINCINNATI (AP) — A ghoulish holiday tradition outside of Cincinnati will soon come to a close after an Ohio man said he won't put up his "zombie Nativity" scene after this year.
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| Progressive Groups Want Doug Jones To Throw Caution To The Wind Posted: 16 Dec 2017 11:03 AM PST  Through a unique confluence of events, Democrat Doug Jones managed to defy the deeply Republican leanings of Alabama and win a special election on Tuesday to represent the state in the Senate.
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| Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:35 AM PST ![Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park]( "Third Sea Lion Attack in a Week Prompts Swimming Ban at San Francisco Park") "I haven't had a single sea lion or wildlife attack like this."
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| US admits to running secret UFO programme Posted: 17 Dec 2017 10:31 AM PST  The Pentagon ran a secretive five year program to investigate UFO sightings, spending $22 million before it was shut down due to cost, it has been revealed. For the first time, the Department of Defense has acknowledged the existence of the mysterious Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program run from an office in a quiet corner of its sprawling headquarters. There, between 2007 and 2012, a team of researchers working with experts in Nevada probed reports of alien life form and strange sightings over the US skies - a real life versions of the hit TV show The X Files. The enterprise was the passion project of Harry Reid, the retired Senate Majority leader. "I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going," Mr. Reid said in an interview with the New York Times who first reported the story. "I think it's one of the good things I did in my congressional service. I've done something that no one has done before." Stock image of a UFO However, although some of the unit's work remains classified, it is not thought any convincing evidence of extraterristrials was discovered. "If anyone says they have the answers now, they're fooling themselves, Mr Reid said We do not know." But, he added: "we have to start someplace." Documents show how the unit, working with a Las Vegas aerospace company run by Mr Reid's long time friend Robert Bigelow, investigated sightings of aircraft moving at high speeds with no signs of propulsion or that hovered mysteriously. Officials with the program also studied videos of encounters between unknown objects and American military aircraft including one released in August of a white oval object, about the size of a commercial plane, chased by two US Navy fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Nimitz off the coast of San Diego in 2004. Yet in 2012, the program was seemingly wound up to the frustration of many. Visitors to the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico examine a glass-encased alien prop used in the movie "Roswell" Thomas Crosson, a Pentagon spokesman said:"It was determined that there were other, higher priority issues that merited funding, and it was in the best interest of the DoD (Department of Defence) to make a change." Some say the shadowy work continues despite the funding being cut off. Fornmer military intelligence official, Luis Elizondo, who led the unit, claims he continued his research and continued to work from his office in teh Pentagon until October when he resigned in protest at what he descirbed as excessive secrecy and internal opposition. In his resignation letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis, he reportedly wrote: "Why aren't we spending more time and effort on this issue?" U.F.O.s have been repeatedly investigated over the decades in the United States, including by the American military. In 1947, the Air Force began a series of studies that investigated more than 12,000 claimed U.F.O. sightings before it was officially ended in 1969. The project, which included a study code-named Project Blue Book, started in 1952, concluded that most sightings involved stars, clouds, conventional aircraft or spy planes, although 701 remained unexplained. Robert C. Seamans Jr., the secretary of the Air Force at the time, said in a memorandum announcing the end of Project Blue Book that it "no longer can be justified either on the ground of national security or in the interest of science."
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| Trump defends $1.5 trillion tax cut bill Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:03 AM PST  "This will mostly benefit the middle class and jobs," Pres. Trump told reporters before departing for Camp David on Saturday.
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| On the trail of London's serial cat killer Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:51 PM PST  In what has become a grim ritual, Tony Jenkins examines the mutilated remains of a domestic cat -- and says the south London serial killer has struck once again. Nobody is surprised when Jenkins, the co-founder of Snarl, a local animal rescue and rehabilitation shelter, arrives at a veterinary surgery to confirm the grisly find. In the last two years, Snarl has identified more than 400 suspected victims: mostly cats, but also some foxes and rabbits.
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| The Vatican Bans Sales of Saints' Body Parts in Updated Relic Rules Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:37 AM PST  The new rules govern how body parts and cremated remains are to be handled
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| Plan released for dividing money to Vegas shooting victims Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:36 PM PST  LAS VEGAS (AP) — A plan that will be used to divide donations for victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting was finalized Friday with a significant change that allows injured people who were not hospitalized to seek some of the money.
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| Amid Sexual Harassment Probe, Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen Won't Seek Re-Election Posted: 16 Dec 2017 02:18 PM PST  Democratic Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen said on Saturday he won't seek re-election in 2018 just one day after the House Ethics Committee said it would investigate allegations of sexual harassment from two women.
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| France Promises To 'Defend Net Neutrality' In Wake Of FCC Vote In U.S. Posted: 17 Dec 2017 07:40 AM PST  In the aftermath of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's vote to repeal net neutrality last week, the French government has spoken up in support of a free and open internet.
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| Second bitcoin futures debut could lure volume to wild market Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:04 PM PST ![Second bitcoin futures debut could lure volume to wild market]( "Second bitcoin futures debut could lure volume to wild market") Bitcoin investors expect futures volumes to perk up when CME Group Inc, the world's largest derivatives exchange operator, launches its own contract to wager on the cryptocurrency on Sunday. The second U.S. bitcoin futures launch is seen as another step towards big institutional investors warming up to a volatile asset that had until recently been accessible only via largely unregulated markets. Like the futures contract launched last week by rival Cboe Global Markets, CME's will be cash settled.
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| Hundreds of People Fell Sick on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Posted: 17 Dec 2017 09:28 AM PST  Some passengers told local media they were happy to get off the ship
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| British diplomat found dead in Lebanon Posted: 17 Dec 2017 09:05 AM PST  A young British embassy worker has been found murdered in the Lebanese capital Beirut after reportedly being strangled and reportedly sexually assaulted. Rebecca Dykes, 30, from London, who had been working for the Department for International Development, was killed after leaving a bar with friends on Friday night. She had been out in the lively Gemmayzeh neighbourhood of Beirut for the farewell party of a colleague at the British embassy and had left just before midnight with a friend. The two then parted ways, leaving Miss Dykes to either walk or take a taxi to her home five minutes away. She had not been drinking as she had an early flight to catch home early the next morning for the Christmas holidays. She was abducted some time after and killed. Her body was found dumped on the Metn highway several miles away. Police sources told the Telegraph the first autopsy revealed the cause of death as strangulation, however a second postmortem examination is to be carried out later. They said they did not believe the attack to be politically motivated. One friend told the Telegraph: "It's horrific. We had no idea what happened to her until we got a call today to go to the police station to give statements." Miss Dykes had been working in Beirut as the programme and policy manager for the Department for International Development since January 2017. Beirut killing She had worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2010, previously on Libya and Iraq. She is thought to have grown up in Hong Kong, but attended Malvern St James Girls boarding school in Worcestershire before later studying anthropology at Manchester University and International Security and Global Governance from Birkbeck, University of London. Friends described her as "warm" and "clever". "She was just finding her feet in Beirut, she was just getting to know the city," on said. Miss Dykes spoke fluent Mandarin having worked as a teacher in China and Hong Kong for four years prior to joining the Foreign Office. In a statement her family said: "We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened." Hugo Shorter, the British ambassador to Lebanon, said: "The whole embassy is deeply shocked, saddened by this news. My thoughts are with Becky's family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss. "We're providing consular support to her family and working very closely with Lebanese authorities who are conducting police investigation." A spokesman for the Department for International Development where she worked said: "Our thoughts are with Becky's family and friends at this very upsetting time. "There is now a police investigation and the FCO (Foreign Office) is providing consular support to Becky's family and working with the local authorities." Such incidents are rare in Beirut, despite the fragile security situation in the country. Since the end of the country's 15-year civil war in 1990, Lebanon has become more stable. It saw record numbers of tourists this year and attracts increasing numbers of holidaymakers looking to enjoy its Mediterranean beaches and hot climate.
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| Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump From Rolling Back Birth Control Coverage Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:01 PM PST  BREAKING: Pennsylvania won a nationwide injunction stopping President Trump's order that eliminated women's guaranteed access to contraceptive care.
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| Argentina navy chief sacked over sub tragedy Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:50 PM PST  Argentina dismissed its naval chief on Saturday, the most high-profile officer to be fired a month after a submarine went missing with 44 crew members on board. It's a political decision," a navy officer told AFP on condition of anonymity about the decision to remove Admiral Marcelo Srur during an ongoing investigation into the sub's disappearance. Srur is the fifth senior officer to have been relieved of his functions so far over the ARA San Juan's disappearance.
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| Police Investigating Possible Link Between Skeletal Remains Found in a Shed & 3 Missing Brothers Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:30 PM PST  Michigan police are investigating whether the partial remains of three children found in the shed of a rental home in Missoula, Montana, could belong to brothers missing for almost decade
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| In sex assault laws, definition of consent varies widely Posted: 16 Dec 2017 05:47 PM PST  For two months now, as accusations of sexual misconduct have piled up against Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced mogul has responded over and over again: "Any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied."
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| The Myth That Urbanization Means Prosperity Posted: 16 Dec 2017 05:00 AM PST  When it comes to cities and urbanization, it is generally thought that bigger is better. But a pair of recent studies suggests that although industrialized nations may have benefited from larger cities, the same is not true for the rapidly urbanizing areas of the developing world. In these parts of the globe, there really might be such a thing as too much urbanization, too quickly.
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| Mexican Senate keeps military in policing role Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:37 PM PST  MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's Congress approved a law Friday that would give the military a legal framework to act as police, despite unanimous objections from human rights groups.
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| Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:20 PM PST ![Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple]( "Canadian police probe 'suspicious' deaths of billionaire couple") By Chris Helgren TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian police said they were investigating the mysterious deaths of Barry Sherman, founder of Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc, and his wife, Honey, one of the nation's wealthiest couples whose bodies were found in their mansion on Friday. Police said they learned of the deaths after responding to a midday (1700 GMT) medical call at the Sherman's home in an affluent section of northeast Toronto. "The circumstances of their death appear suspicious and we are treating it that way," said Constable David Hopkinson.
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| Being A Facebook Wallflower Isn't Good For You, The Social Site Says Posted: 15 Dec 2017 06:20 PM PST  Passively reading Facebook posts — without posting messages or responding to comments — makes users feel bad about themselves, some studies have discovered.
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| Cow Escapes Live Nativity Scene Twice and Wanders the Streets of Philadelphia Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:44 AM PST  Stormy was returned after two adventures on snowy downtown streets
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| Slipping from America: Why the U.S. Needs Middle East Ambassadors Now Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:38 PM PST  The lack of ambassadors in the Middle East is even more striking when one considers the importance of the countries from which they are absent. The Trump administration's decision to relocate the American embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has increased the focus on America's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, particularly when it comes to the role of American embassies and the State Department in conducting foreign policy.
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| Venezuela government, opposition hold new round of talks Posted: 15 Dec 2017 07:16 PM PST  Venezuela's government and opposition concluded a new round of talks Friday in an effort to bridge deep and entrenched differences to find a way to end the dire political and economic crisis tearing apart their country. After eight hours of discussions at the foreign ministry in Santo Domingo, the two sides agreed to resume negotiations on January 11, Dominican President Danilo Medina announced. It will be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers on January 12.
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| A Mysterious Charity is Giving Away $86 Million in Bitcoin Posted: 16 Dec 2017 07:39 PM PST  It involves pineapples. Kind of.
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| Ex-wife of Lorenzen Wright charged with murder in 2010 death Posted: 16 Dec 2017 12:56 PM PST  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The ex-wife of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has been charged in his slaying, more than seven years after his body was found in a field in his hometown of Memphis.
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| Bodies of Canadian Billionaire and His Wife Found in Their Home in Apparently 'Suspicious' Death Posted: 16 Dec 2017 10:15 AM PST  A Canadian billionaire and his wife were found dead in their Toronto home, under conditions which the police have called "suspicious," according to multiple reports
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| Conservative ex-President Pinera easily wins Chile election Posted: 17 Dec 2017 05:41 PM PST  SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Billionaire former President Sebastian Pinera easily won Chile's presidential runoff election Sunday, moving the world's top-copper producing country back to the right in the footsteps of other Latin American nations.
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| U.S., Russian, Japanese crew blasts off for space station Posted: 16 Dec 2017 11:41 PM PST ![U.S., Russian, Japanese crew blasts off for space station]( "U.S., Russian, Japanese crew blasts off for space station") (Reuters) - A trio of U.S. and Japanese astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut blasted off from Kazakhstan on Sunday for a two-day trip to the International Space Station, a NASA TV broadcast showed.
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| Alyssa Milano Educates Matt Damon After His Horrid Response On Sexual Misconduct Posted: 15 Dec 2017 08:12 PM PST  Actress Alyssa Milano taught a master class on the problems of sexual misconduct Friday night.
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| Check Out This Model S Wagon Rendering Posted: 16 Dec 2017 09:14 AM PST  One collector has commissioned his own custom Tesla wagon. Here's what it'll look like.
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| Russia and NATO: Headed for a Missile Arms Race in Europe? Posted: 17 Dec 2017 05:36 AM PST  The NATO alliance is urging Moscow to return to compliance with the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces bilateral U.S.-Russia treaty, which bans land-based missiles that have ranges between 500km and 5,500km. "Allies have identified a Russian missile system that raises serious concerns," reads a statement from the alliance.
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| US Congress set for historic 2018 election as more women than ever run for office Posted: 16 Dec 2017 08:38 AM PST  More women than ever before are running for the US Congress next year in an apparent backlash to Donald Trump's presidency. Some 374 female candidates are seeking seats in the House of Representatives - smashing the previous high of 298 in 2012 – and 42 are trying to reach the Senate. Much of the surge comes from Democratic women seeking to unseat Republican incumbents after Hillary Clinton failed to become the first female president last year. First-time candidates have cited Mr Trump's "attacks on women" and his behaviour in office as reasons for throwing their hat into the political ring. There are hopes of recreating the so-called "Year of the Woman" in 1992, when scandal in Washington DC and a national debate about sexism triggered a jump in the number of congresswomen. The number of women running for Congress has been rising over recent years, but 2018 looks set to see a dramatic jump. Donald Trump, right, and Theresa May Credit: MATT DUNHAM/AFP/Getty Images One of those women seeking to make history is Mikie Sherrill, a former navy pilot and mother of four hoping to represent the 11th district of New Jersey. After almost a decade in the military and a stint as a government lawyer, Ms Sherrill decided it was the time to enter politics after watching the Trump presidency with alarm. "Most of my life I've spent working for the Government. I really felt like with this president we're seeing attacks on institutions of our democracy in ways we've never seen before," she told The Sunday Telegraph. "I'm concerned about his treatment of POWs [prisoners of war], of gold-star families, his attacks on women, his attacks on minorities, the federal court system, the 'Muslim ban'. "You name it. He has spent his time attacking everything I've supported. I felt very affronted." Ms Sherrill's family life – she has daughters aged 12 and 5 and sons aged 10 and 8 – gave her pause for thought as she considered a career on Capitol Hill. But she decided with her husband Jason Hedberg that taking on Mr Trump's agenda in Congress would actually protect her children. "With any job I've had there have always been concerns about balancing my job and my family life. But my friends and I joke that there's no such thing as work-life balance. You're always trying to find it, it's the unattainable goal," Ms Sherrill said. "Having four kids and being as concerned as I am about the future of this country, I felt like it was something I had to do for them." The race will not be easy. Her opponent, the Republican congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, has held the seat for 27 years. However support has been slipping for Republican presidential candidates, from John McCain winning the district by 9 per cent in 2008 to Mr Trump doing so by less than 1 per cent last year, which brings hope. The numbers, crunched by researchers at Center for American Women and Politics, part of Rutgers University, do suggest something historic is on the way. Professor Kelly Dittmar, who has worked on the project, suspects the backlash against Mr Trump's victory last year has played a part. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, had hoped to become the first female US president Credit: AFP/Getty Images "We cannot definitely speak to the motivation of each of these female candidates. But the anecdotal stories and evidence that we have … indicates that women have been energised to respond to this president and this administration," she says. "In particular, they have expressed both anger and discontent at the president's behavior and rhetoric as well as the policies his administration has put forward." Other research suggests similar. The president of Emily's List, the largest national organization devoted to electing female candidates, recently said more than 22,000 women had reached out about running since Mr Trump's election. That compares to just 1,000 women in the 10 months before the election. For Professor Dittmar, the trend is part of a wider phenomenon. "Look at the energy of women protesting and activism in the 'women's march' [last year], the women speaking out against sexual harassment and abuse," she says. "These are all indicators that women are both feeling empowered and motivated that this is a moment of urgency for them to have a seat at the table."
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| Taiwan steel firm behind toxic dump in Vietnam fined again Posted: 16 Dec 2017 11:06 PM PST  A Taiwanese steel firm behind a toxic spill that killed tonnes of fish in central Vietnam last year was fined for a second time for illegally burying "harmful" waste, official sources said Sunday. The deadly dump from Formosa's $11 billion steel plant in Ha Tinh province sparked one of the country's worst environmental catastrophes, decimating livelihoods along swathes of coastline and prompting months of rare protests in the authoritarian country. The firm was initially fined $500 million for pouring toxic chemicals -- including cyanide -- into the ocean in April 2016, and has now been ordered to pay an additional $25,000 on separate charges of burying harmful solid waste in the ground, according to the official Cong Ly newspaper.
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