| The Latest: Gantz's party concedes defeat in Israel election Posted: 10 Apr 2019 10:12 AM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the outcome of Israeli elections (all times local):
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| Assange arrest ends years cooped up in embassy Posted: 11 Apr 2019 09:30 AM PDT  During his nearly seven years holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, devoid of sunlight, exercise and companions, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange lived like a recluse. Visibly ageing and suffering from deteriorating physical and psychological health, the 47-year-old Australian adopted a subsistence lifestyle, with just a cat for daily company. Assange sought asylum in the embassy in June 2012 after a British judge ruled he should be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault.
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| Photos of the Dodge Challenger and Charger Stars and Stripes Editions Posted: 11 Apr 2019 09:07 AM PDT |
| South Korea court strikes down abortion law in landmark ruling Posted: 11 Apr 2019 02:48 AM PDT  "The law criminalizing a woman who undergoes abortion of her own will goes beyond the minimum needed to achieve the legislative purpose and limits the right of self-determination of the woman," it said in its ruling. "I believe this ruling frees women from shackles," said Kim Su-jung, a lawyer representing the plaintiff, a doctor charged with conducting 69 illegal abortions. The ruling reflects a trend towards decriminalizing abortion, as cases of criminal punishment have fallen in recent years.
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| Ocasio-Cortez condemns college Republicans' email calling her a domestic terrorist Posted: 10 Apr 2019 06:15 PM PDT  New York congresswoman says 'uncalled for' rhetoric puts her and colleagues in dangerAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez said comments like those in the email routinely led to a 'spike in death threats'. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersA fundraising email sent by a college Republican group branding the US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a "domestic terrorist" drew a sharp rebuke from the congresswoman, who warned that similar rhetorical attacks had in the past resulted in a spike in death threats against her.An email sent on Tuesday by Tom Ferrall, chairman of the Ohio Federation of College Republicans, bore the subject line "AOC is a domestic terrorist" and asked recipients to donate to his group. Dave Levinthal, an editor at the Center for Public Integrity, on Wednesday afternoon shared a screenshot of the email on Twitter."My fellow students often tell me that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 'role model' and that America should be more like socialist Europe," the email, which appeared not to use the word "terrorist" elsewhere, read in part. It told recipients: "We need your help to stop the brainwashing!"The email fit the template for fundraising emails by similar groups."This puts me in danger every time," tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old freshman congresswoman whose outspoken progressive views, youth, nimble social media presence and all-around star power yet perhaps do not explain the extent to which she has become a bugbear for the right."Almost every time this uncalled for rhetoric gets blasted by conserv. grps," she tweeted, "we get a spike in death threats to refer to Capitol Police."> This puts me in danger every time. > > Almost every time this uncalled for rhetoric gets blasted by conserv. grps, we get a spike in death threats to refer to Capitol Police. > > Multiple ppl have been arrested trying to harm me, Ilhan, & others.@GOP, what's it going to take to stop? https://t.co/vpous77RbT> > — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 10, 2019After Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about it, the Ohio Federation of College Republicans distanced itself from the email, calling it "unauthorized" without explaining what that meant. "We apologize to Congresswoman Ocascio-Cortez [sic] for the use of unacceptable language in this email, and we do not approve of the message conveyed," the group said.Ferrall, whose name was on the email's signature line, told the Guardian in an email that his group would have no comment beyond the statement. Capitol Police told the Guardian in a statement it could not discuss how it carries out is protective responsibilities for Congress.Ocasio-Cortez's congressional district in Queens, New York, is 400 miles from the Ohio border. The bellwether state voted for Donald Trump by eight points over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
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| Reports: Alaska Airlines flight forced to land early after 'belligerent' passenger lights cigarette Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:24 AM PDT  An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to land early on Wednesday after a "belligerent" passenger lit a cigarette, according to reports.
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| A look at the winners and losers in Israel's election Posted: 10 Apr 2019 12:15 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — After a campaign widely seen as a referendum on his rule, Benjamin Netanyahu is the winner of Israel's election as he heads toward a record-setting fifth term as prime minister.
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| Buttigieg suggests Pence offered him empty praise when he came out Posted: 10 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  "People will often be polite to you in person, while advancing policies that harm you and your family," the South Bend, Ind., mayor tweeted.
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| Trump Nominee Stephen Moore Says He’ll Challenge Fed’s ‘Growth Phobiacs’ Posted: 11 Apr 2019 06:07 AM PDT  "I'm going to come with the idea -- challenge one fundamental idea that I think is endemic at the Fed, which I think is completely wrong, which is that growth causes inflation. Growth does not cause inflation," he said in an interview on Bloomberg Television on Thursday.
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| Army seizes control in Sudan as 'Butcher of Darfur' president Omar al-Bashir ousted after protests Posted: 11 Apr 2019 12:12 AM PDT  Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has been deposed by the country's military following months of demonstrations against his rule. In a televised address, Sudan's defence minister said the military would rule the country directly for a two year transition period before fresh elections. General Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibnouf, who is also a vice president and was seen as an ally of Mr Bashir, said the long-serving dictator was in a "safe place." "I announce as minister of defence the toppling of the regime and detaining its chief in a secure place," Gen Ibnouf said. He declared a three-month state of emergency and imposed a one-month 10 pm curfew. He said airspace would be closed for 24 hours and border crossings sealed until further notice. Mr Bashir is a former solider who ran a brutal dictatorship after coming to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989. He is a pariah in many countries and is also wanted by the international war crimes tribunal for atrocities in Darfur. Crowds are carrying a giant flag of Sudan as they march towards the military headquarters in Khartoum. The military is expected to make a statement following reports of President Omar al-Bashir's resignation pic.twitter.com/draKmgfS8C— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) April 11, 2019 His overthrow follows four months of nationwide protests against his 30-year rule, and there were scenes of jubilation in Khartoum on Thursday morning as rumours spread that he had been deposed. But Gen Ibnouf's early afternoon announcement will be greeted with unease by the opposition movement that has brought tens of thousands of protesters onto the streets in recent weeks. Although demonstrators had called on the army to intervene against the president, the defence minister is deeply unpopular among the opposition and widely seen as a Bashir ally. Hundreds of Sudanese protesters maintained their sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum for the fifth day in a row Credit: Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Several protesters on the streets of Khartoum told The Telegraph ahead of the announcement they would not accept him as a replacement for Bashir. Minutes before the announcement, Alaa Salah, the 22 year old woman who has become an icon of the protests, tweeted: "We are waiting for a statement by the army. We will only accept a transitional civilian government composed of the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change. No other plan will be acceptable." She later added: "The people do not want a transitional military council. Change will not happen with Bashir's entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup. We want a civilian council to head the transition." The Sudanese Professionals Association, the umbrella group of trade unions that has coordinated the protest movement, had earlier warned that it would not accept an internal military coup and called on followers to stay on the streets for a sixth night. The people do not want a transitional military council. Change will not happen with Bashir's entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup. We want a civilian council to head the transition. Sudan— Alaa Salah (@iAlaaSalah) April 11, 2019 They issued a statement vowing to remain in the streets until the "regime steps down completely and power is handed to a civilian transitional government." Demonstrations against Mr Bashir's rule initially broke out in the northeastern town of Atabara after the price of bread tripled in December. Protests quickly spread to other cities and morphed from an outpouring of indignation at economic conditions into demands for Mr Bashir to step down. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and live rounds to break up demonstrations and arrested ringleaders and even doctors who treated injured protesters. The movement culminated in massive protests in the capital, beginning on April 6, when opposition leaders called a "one million person" march towards the army's headquarters to mark the anniversary of the bloodless coup that overthrew Gaafar Nimeriy, another president who faced mass discontent. In conscious emulation of 1985, the SPA called for a sit-in outside army headquarters to call on the military to protect the demonstrators. Sudan uprising, in pictures The first sign of a rupture within the regime came when soldiers inside the compound intervened to prevent security personnel from the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) clearing the demonstration on Monday and Tuesday. Several people were killed in the clashes, which prompted fears of a wider conflict between the multiplicity of armed forces, security agencies, and militia groups Mr Bashir set up to challenge one another and consolidate his rule. Thousands sang and danced on Thursday morning when the army said on state media it would be making an important announcement, in what many took as a sign the revolution had succeeded. Later in the morning, several officials pre-empted the military and told the media that Mr Bashir had been arrested. As the morning wore on, officials said that all political prisoners would be released, but it was not clear when. Meanwhile, troops were deployed at key points around the capital and soldiers were seen entered the headquarters of Mr Bashir's Islamic Movement, the main component of the ruling National Congress Party. Some protesters surrounded and entered houses belonging to prominent Bashir allies in Khartoum, and there were unconfirmed reports of crowds storming buildings belonging to NISS. The Alliance for Freedom and Change, which has been involved in supporting the protests, urged the people "not to attack" government and private properties as they awaited the army's announcement. "We are calling on our people to control themselves and not to attack anybody or government and private properties," the Alliance for Freedom and Change said in a statement. "Anyone found doing this will be punished by law. Our revolution is peaceful."
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| Death penalty sought in case against suspected 'Golden State Killer' Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:15 PM PDT  Several district attorneys from all over California announced they will seek the death penalty if suspected Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo is convicted.
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| Woman on 'most wanted list' who taunted police on Facebook arrested after accidentally revealing location Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:41 AM PDT  Police arrested a woman after she revealed her location on Facebook while seemingly taunting authorities online. Chloe Jones was arrested in Virginia and extradited to Pennsylvania after she posted a comment on a post featuring a âmost wantedâ list with her name on it. The list, posted by the Greene County Sheriffâs Office, said she had failed to make court appearances last month over assault charges. âDo you do pick up or delivery??â she wrote on the departmentâs Facebook post, adding several laughing emojis. Ms Jones began responding to comments from other users, at one point revealing that she was allegedly at the Ruby Memorial Hospital. That discovery led officers to reportedly arresting Ms Jones before transporting the woman back to Greene County. The sheriffâs office was then sure to get the last laugh on social media. The Greene County Sheriffâs Office confirmed her arrest in an updated post, writing, âMs. Chloe Jones and her witty comments are taking a hiatus from our Facebook comments section due to the jail not having internet for her to use.ââThank you to the citizens of Greene County, Monongalia County and many others for your tips that lead to her arrest,â the post read. It remains unclear whether officers located Ms Jones at the Ruby Memorial Hospital.The Greene County Sheriffâs Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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| Former Vikings minority owner Irwin Jacobs, wife found dead in murder-suicide Posted: 11 Apr 2019 08:02 AM PDT  Former Minnesota Vikings part-owner Irwin Jacobs and his wife Alexandra werefound dead on Wednesday in what police called an apparent murder-suicide,according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune
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| European Union delays Brexit until Oct. 31, saving Britain from messy EU exit this week Posted: 11 Apr 2019 03:32 AM PDT  The extension to Oct. 31 is intended to give British Prime Minister Theresa May more time to get her Brexit deal through Parliament.
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| Amazon, Microsoft chosen to compete for Pentagon cloud computing contract Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:20 PM PDT  Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have been selected to continue competing for Pentagon cloud computing services as part of a contract that could be worth some $10 billion, the U.S. Department of Defense said on Wednesday. The contract is part of a broad modernization of Pentagon information technology systems.
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| The Latest: Gillibrand: I've gotten 2020 advice from Clinton Posted: 09 Apr 2019 07:57 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand (all times local):
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| Trump and Netanyahu make me fear for a two-state solution and Middle East peace Posted: 11 Apr 2019 01:43 PM PDT  Trump acquiescence to West Bank annexation would threaten peace prospects, democracy, shared US-Israeli values and bipartisan support for Israel.
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| Barr backs off explosive claim about FBI 'spying' on Trump campaign Posted: 10 Apr 2019 10:19 AM PDT  The U.S. attorney general briefly touched off a firestorm during a hearing on Capitol Hill, saying he believes "spying did occur" in the federal investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia.
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| Owe the IRS? Here Are Your Options. Posted: 10 Apr 2019 01:46 PM PDT  It's never good news to find out you owe taxes to Uncle Sam. It's even worse to find out you can't afford to make the payment. Tax experts say that the most important thing to do if you owe the I...
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| Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say Posted: 10 Apr 2019 10:43 PM PDT ![Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say]( "Woman crashes car after seeing a spider, New York police say") Cairo, New York Police say a woman suffered an injury in the crash. Police believe the incident occurred after she saw a spider in the drivers' area.
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| NASA’s Curiosity rover just drilled a new hole on Mars Posted: 10 Apr 2019 05:07 PM PDT  The year 2019 started off on a bittersweet note for NASA with the unfortunate demise of the incredibly trusty Opportunity rover on Mars. It was a sad day for the scientific community as a whole, but it wasn't the only rover cruising around on the Red Planet, and NASA's Curiosity rover has continued its stellar work even as it (probably) mourns the loss of its comrade.Now, continuing on its quest to learn more about the Martian landscape, Curiosity has successfully drilled another hole in a new location, securing a sample that the robot will soon analyze.In a new blog post, NASA's Curiosity team reveals the successful drilling attempt at a target that's been nicknamed "Aberlady." The rock is one of many that Curiosity has sampled since it landed on Mars way back in 2012, but the data it provides is no less important."We'll kick off the Sol 2372 plan with a short science block to analyze 2 targets with ChemCam: the inside of the drill hole (Aberlady) and a nearby bedrock target 'Mayar.' We'll also use Navcam to conduct a dust devil observation," the Curiosity team writes. "The next step in our drill campaign is to determine if we collected powdered rock sample and whether it is behaving as expected."This might seem like a normal day for Curiosity, and in many ways it is, but the fact that Curiosity is successfully drilling anything at this point is a testament to NASA ingenuity. You see, Curiosity isn't drilling things in the way that it was originally designed, and after an unexpected failure back in late 2017 NASA engineers were forced to come up with a new way for the rover to use its drill.Originally, Curiosity was designed to brace its drilling instrument against a surface using stabilizing arms before extending the drill bit. Unfortunately, the mechanism that actually extended the drill bit failed and NASA had to invent a new method. After testing various techniques, NASA ultimately commanded Curiosity to physically push the drill bit into its targets with its robotic arm, foregoing the use of the stabilizing posts.As you can see by the hole in the photo above, the new method has proved useful, and Curiosity has been able to continue its work despite the unfortunate failure.
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| Four questions on warcrimes, Sudan's Bashir and the ICC Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:06 AM PDT  Experts said Thursday the toppling of Sudanese strongman Omar al-Bashir raised the possibility of him standing trial before the Hague-based International Criminal Court, where he faces genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. Here are four key questions about Bashir and the ICC, the world's only independent tribunal set up in 2002 to try those suspected of the world's worst crimes. Why is Bashir wanted by the ICC?
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| A New Subaru Outback Is Coming Next Week and Here's What to Expect Posted: 10 Apr 2019 06:40 AM PDT  Now that the new Legacy is here, we can guess what the next-gen ruggedized wagon will be like.
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| After U.S. court strikes down policy, what happens to migrants Trump sent back to Mexico? Posted: 10 Apr 2019 05:18 AM PDT  TIJUANA, Mexico/SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - On Tuesday, seven Central American families living temporarily in Mexico appeared in a San Diego immigration court to plead for asylum in the United States. Mindful of a federal court ruling the day before that halted the Trump administration's policy of making asylum seekers wait in Mexico, the judge repeatedly asked the U.S. government lawyer what would happen to these families now. Neither the U.S. government nor the more than 1,000 people awaiting asylum hearings in Tijuana and other border cities knows what will happen next to families already returned to Mexico by the Trump administration.
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| US government 'spied' on Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, attorney general says Posted: 10 Apr 2019 11:14 AM PDT  Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign was spied on by the US government, the country's attorney general said on Wednesday, as he vowed to investigate whether rules were broken in the process. William Barr, who took up the job in February, said he would look at how the FBI and US intelligence agencies set up the Trump-Russia probe before the 2016 presidential election. "Spying did occur", Mr Barr said during a hearing on Capitol Hill, noting at another point that "spying on a political campaign is a big deal". He appeared to draw parallels with government spying on the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s, while insisting he did not know if any wronging had occurred. The comments follow intense pressure from Mr Trump to investigate the Russia probe's origins after special counsel Robert Mueller's report found no conspiracy between his campaign and the Kremlin. Donald Trump, the US president, has claimed 'complete exoneration' from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation Credit: Al Drago/Bloomberg It was unclear what "spying" Mr Barr was referring to, but Mr Trump's allies have pointed to a string of actions taken by intelligence and justice officials before the 2016 election as they claim the "deep state" was unfairly targeting the Trump campaign. One was the wiretap on Carter Page, the former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, that was applied for and approved before the 2016 election. Republicans have questioned how open US officials were with the court when seeking the wiretap. Another is the handling of a string of allegations made in a series of memos by Christopher Steele, the former British MI6 agent, about the Trump campaign's links to Russia. The FBI got hold of his so-called 'dossier' before the election. A third involved Stefan Halper, the Cambridge University academic and former Republican adviser. US media has reported that he approached Trump campaign officials on behalf of the FBI to sound them out over Russia before the election – though that has not been confirmed by the US government. Carter Page, the former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser who was wiretapped before the 2016 US election Credit: AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin During a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr Barr was asked if he thought spying occurred on the Trump campaign from the US government. "I think spying did occur. Yes, I think spying did occur," Mr Barr said. He went on: "The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I'm not suggesting it wasn't adequately predicated but I would need to explore that." Mr Barr referenced rules that curb the government's ability to spy on political campaigns, saying: "I'm not suggesting that those rules were violated but I think it's important to look at that." He said that he would look into whether the FBI and US intelligence agencies acted appropriately. "I feel I have an obligation to make sure that government power is not abused," Mr Barr said. The comments reflect how quickly attention in Washington has flipped from Trump-Russia links to whether the Russia election meddling probe itself acted inappropriately. For months Trump acolytes have been framing Mr Mueller's investigation as a witch hunt and the Russia probe as a "deep state" stitch-up from officials who opposed his presidency. Supporters of the probe insist that US officials were acting appropriately and in the public interest by investigating claims over the Trump campaign's engagements with Russian-linked figures. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat congressman on the House Intelligence Committee, criticised Mr Barr for his use of the term "spying" to characterise how the FBI and justice officials had acted. "The casual suggestion by the nation's top law enforcement officer of 'spying' may please Donald Trump, who rails against a 'deep state coup,' but it strikes another destructive blow to our democratic institutions," Mr Schiff tweeted. "The hardworking men and women at the DOJ and FBI deserve better."
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| Yahoo to pay $117.5M in latest settlement of massive breach Posted: 10 Apr 2019 02:36 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nearly 200 million people who had sensitive information snatched from their Yahoo accounts will receive two years of free credit-monitoring services and other potential restitution in a legal settlement valued at $117.5 million.
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| American Airlines flight returns to JFK Airport after clipping wing Posted: 11 Apr 2019 02:15 PM PDT  The FAA says American Airlines flight 300 that was bound from New York to Los Angeles landed safely back at JFK at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.
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| Boeing faces shareholder lawsuit over 737-Max crashes Posted: 10 Apr 2019 06:20 AM PDT  Boeing is facing a shareholder lawsuit over accusations that it "put profitability and growth ahead of airplane safety and honesty."
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| Ex-White House Lawyer Greg Craig Expects Indictment, Lawyers Say Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:38 PM PDT  "This case was thoroughly investigated" by the office of the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, William Taylor and William Murphy, Craig's lawyers, said in a joint statement. "That office decided not to pursue charges against Mr. Craig.
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| 'Cured' Dalai Lama set to be discharged from hospital Friday Posted: 10 Apr 2019 07:41 PM PDT  The Dalai Lama is "doing very well" and will likely be discharged from hospital in New Delhi on Friday as he recovers from a chest infection, his spokesman told AFP on Thursday. The 83-year-old Buddhist monk and Nobel peace prize winner was admitted to the Max hospital in the Indian capital on Tuesday with what another aide described as a "light cough". Right now, we are trying to discharge him tomorrow," said Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama's personal spokesman.
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| Large dog in plane’s cockpit likely caused fatal crash, NTSB says Posted: 11 Apr 2019 08:49 AM PDT  The NTSB concluded that the cause of a June 2017 accident at Monticello Regional Airport in Iowa was the result of the pilot having a large dog as a passenger in the cockpit.
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| Sudan's long-time survivor Bashir is finally forced out Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:04 AM PDT  In an address on state television, Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf said Bashir, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1989, was under arrest in a "safe place" and a military council was now running the country. Sudanese sources said Bashir was at the presidential residence under heavy guard. Bashir, 75, was a master at playing rival factions among security services, the military, Islamists and armed tribes off against each other.
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| Donald Trump's preference for 'acting' senior officials alarms experts and allies Posted: 10 Apr 2019 03:26 PM PDT  * 15 leadership posts unfilled, including defense and interior * Congress bypassed but 'It gives me more flexibility' – TrumpDonald Trump speaks in Calexico, California, while the then homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, watches flanked by her acting successor, Kevin McAleenan. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersDonald Trump has surrounded himself with an increasing number of temporary officials in his cabinet, raising fresh concerns over the president's influence across US departments and agencies amid an absence of leadership.The resignation of the homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, on Sunday marked the latest departure of a top-level officeholder amid an unprecedented number of vacancies in the upper echelons of Trump's administration.And as 15 notable leadership posts remain unfilled, the president is showing no signs of backing away from his self-confessed preference for appointing officials in an "acting" capacity.Sign up for the US morning briefingExperts said the lack of permanent appointments, especially among cabinet officials, leaves key government functions without a clear mandate and more vulnerable to outsize influence from Trump."The impact of this lack of policy influence means, in practical terms, that policy decisions are devoid of a critical ingredient – whether career officials believe that an issue can be implemented in a particular manner," said Joel Rubin, who served in Barack Obama's administration as a deputy assistant secretary of state and is now the president of Washington Strategy Group."The result is that the policy leaders' decisions on that issue are doomed to fail for lack of thorough vetting."Nielsen's abrupt exit came amid a reported purge of the Department of Homeland Security, a focal point of Trump's ire stemming from his frustration over immigration policy.Trump subsequently named Kevin McAleenan as the acting head of the department, adding to a growing list of officials indefinitely placed in leadership roles without the approval of Congress.Months have often passed without a replacement for cabinet officials at some of the most powerful departments and agencies.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has faced widespread scrutiny amid safety concerns with the Boeing 737 Max 8, was led by an acting administrator for over a year. Trump nominated a new FAA administrator last month following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner and subsequent worldwide grounding of all Boeing 737 Max planes.Last week, Trump withdrew his nomination of Ron Vitiello as the new head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It was confirmed on Wednesday that Vitiello, who has served as the agency's acting director since June of 2018, is expected to leave his post by the end of the week as part of the reshuffling within the DHS.Trump has yet to nominate a new defense secretary, despite the fact that James Mattis, who occupied the post for the first two years of the administration, resigned in December. An acting director has been at the helm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which is tasked with emergency and disaster response, for nearly two months.The list of acting officials goes on, spanning the UN ambassador, interior secretary, budget director and commissioner of Custom and Border Protection. Even Trump's chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, was named to the post on a temporary basis.Trump has acknowledged he is in no rush to nominate permanent officials to his cabinet, stating in a February interview: "It's easier to make moves when they're acting."I sort of like 'acting'. It gives me more flexibility," Trump said."Do you understand that? I like 'acting'. So we have a few that are 'acting'. We have a great, great cabinet."Donald Trump is flanked by the acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, left, and Mick Mulvaney, his acting chief of staff, in Mar-a-Lago. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/APThe approach is not unlike how the president ran his eponymous Trump Organization, viewing himself as the sole individual in charge and constantly fixated on the notion of fealty from those working under him.But Christopher Lu, the White House cabinet secretary under Obama, said the president was misguided in his belief that "acting" officials work to his benefit."He thinks it gives him more sway, because they will bend to his will to try to curry favor," Lu said. "The truth is he's undermining his own ability to enact changes by not putting confirmed officials in these positions."If you want to change the policy direction of an agency," he added, "you really need political leadership in there."All cabinet-level positions, with the exception of the White House chief of staff, require Senate confirmation.Trump's "acting" officials have thus bypassed the scrutiny and vetting that is required of the US Congress, prompting frustration even among members of his own party."It's a lot. It's way too many," James Lankford, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, said earlier this year."You want to have confirmed individuals there, because they have a lot more authority to be able to make decisions and implement policy when you have a confirmed person in that spot."The vacancies are not limited to cabinet posts.An analysis by the Partnership for Public Service and the Washington Post found that, as of February, the White House had not made nominations for 150 out of 705 Senate-confirmed positions.The end result was "decentralized policymaking", said Matt Glassman, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.The key players in Washington were meanwhile less likely to take seriously those in temporary positions of power, he added, given the uncertainty over their future."An acting official in some ways is like a substitute teacher," Glassman said. "And substitute teachers have a tough time controlling the classroom."
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| American Airlines flight attendant 'mortified' after spilling drinks on the airline's CEO Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:51 AM PDT ![American Airlines flight attendant 'mortified' after spilling drinks on the airline's CEO]( "American Airlines flight attendant 'mortified' after spilling drinks on the airline's CEO") An American Airlines flight attendant accidentally spilled drinks on a passenger − and that passenger turned out to be American CEO Doug Parker.
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| Mark Riddell, the test-taker whiz in cheating case, expected to plead guilty in court Friday Posted: 11 Apr 2019 01:20 PM PDT  Mark Riddell, the man accused of taking tests for students in an elaborate college admissions scheme, is scheduled to appear Friday in federal court.
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| Samsung’s Galaxy A80 has one of the wildest all-screen designs we’ve ever seen Posted: 10 Apr 2019 08:15 AM PDT  After the initial wave of iPhone X copycats, Android smartphone makers realized there are other ways to make all-screen phones without replicating the notch. Chinese companies came up with smartphone designs that featured a slide-out selfie camera or a sliding rear panel that allowed them to remove the camera from the top bezels. Others added an extra display that served the same purpose, with the second screen to be used in selfie mode.Samsung stayed out of the notch race and avoided slider phones, instead unveiling the Infinity-O screen with its hole-punch camera design that can be found on the Galaxy S10 series, and more affordable Galaxy A phones. Fast-forward to April, and Samsung now has its own slider design, and it's even crazier than we expected.Samsung's new Galaxy A80, which was officially revealed on Wednesday morning, doesn't only feature a slide-out all-screen design, but it also packs a rotating camera, which means the same triple-lens shooter doubles both as the main camera and the selfie cam, depending on how you use it.Previous slider designs from Chinese handset vendors featured standalone rear and front cameras. To bring up the selfie camera, you'd either have to slide up the rear panel or activate the slide-out selfie camera by switching over to selfies in the camera app. With the A80, the rear camera will rotate towards the front for selfie cam duty whenever you need it. You can see just how seamless the transition is in this GIF:Samsung says the Galaxy A80 is a phone created for the people engaged in "the Era of Live." When users select the selfie camera, the three cameras will pop up and rotate automatically, Samsung explained in a press release.The camera module features a 48-megapixel primary lens, as well as a 3D Depth sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. That 3D depth sensor will not deliver 3D face recognition support, however. Other features include a massive 6.7-inch Full HD display with on-screen fingerprint sensor, octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 3,700 mAh battery with 25W super fast charging support, and Android 9.0 Pie.Make no mistake, the phone may feature a screen as big as the Galaxy S10 5G, but this isn't a flagship. That said, it won't be cheap for a mid-range phone either, as it'll cost €649 in Europe when it launches later this year.Because of the mechanism that slides the camera upwards, Samsung apparently had to ditch a few features you might expect from Android devices. For example, there's no microSD slot on this phone, and there's no headphone jack. The Galaxy A80 will launch on May 29th in several regions, including Europe, Asia, and Australia, and will be available in three colors: Angel Gold, Ghost White and Phantom Black.
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| Twitter CEO reveals secret to running two companies: daily meditation and eating just one meal a day Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:04 AM PDT  Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey has revealed he takes daily ice baths and eats only one meal a day in an in-depth interview about his extreme fitness routine. Appearing on a fitness podcast, the billionaire said the "biggest impact" on his mental health has been meditation but said he also does weekend-long fasts to give him the focus and energy to run two companies. The 42-year-old has been meditating for 20 years and spends an hour each morning and evening on the spiritual practice, he told the Ben Greenfield fitness podcast. He has came under fire last year for attending a 10-day meditation retreat in Burma with Twitter users accusing him of ignoring the country's human rights abuses. He later said he needed to "learn more". Mr Dorsey, who co-founded the platform Twitter and mobile payments company Square, said his daily routine includes fasting for 22 hours a day and walking the five mile commute to his office. I did my meditation at Dhamma Mahimã in Pyin Oo Lwin. This is my room. Basic. During the 10 days: no devices, reading, writing, physical excercise, music, intoxicants, meat, talking, or even eye contact with others. It's free: everything is given to meditators by charity. pic.twitter.com/OhJqXKInD3— jack (@jack) December 9, 2018 The daily walk allows him to spend time thinking or listening to podcasts. "I might look a little bit more like I'm jogging than I'm walking... I try to get as much sunlight as possible and then I begin the day 9," he said. The tech chief said skipping breakfast and lunch frees up his day and makes him more productive. His dinner usually consists of meat or fish accompanied with a salad or green vegetables, followed by some fruit or dark chocolate. "During the day, I feel so much more focused... the time back from breakfast and lunch allowed me to focus more on what my day is," he said, adding that it allows him to sleep better. Mr Dorsey said he thought he was hallucinating when he first began fasting Credit: Reuters Mr Dorsey also said he uses a sauna and ice bath for "mental clarity" every evening. He sits in a barrel sauna set at 220F degrees (104C) for 15 minutes followed by three minutes in an ice bath set at 37F degrees (2C). Rather than easing up on himself on weekends, Mr Dorsey said he has trialled 48-hour fasts from Friday to Sunday evening during which he only drinks water. "The first time I did it, like day three, I felt like I was hallucinating. It was a weird state to be in. But as I did it the next two times, it just became so apparent to me how much of our days are centered around meals and how - the experience I had was when I was fasting for much longer, how time really slowed down," he said. Profile | Jack Dorsey Earlier this week it also emerged that Mr Dorsey was received a total salary of just $1.40 from Twitter last year, a nod to its former 140-character per tweet limit. "As a testament to his commitment to and belief in Twitter's long-term value creation potential, our CEO, Jack Dorsey, declined all compensation and benefits for 2015, 2016 and 2017, and in 2018 he declined all compensation and benefits other than a salary of $1.40," a section of the company's filing stated. However, Mr Dorsey owns 2.3 per cent of the company's stock. He also made an estimated $80 million (£61 million) after taxes from selling 1.7 million shares in his second company Square, according to Forbes.
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| Hezbollah warns U.S. over sanctions against Iran and allies Posted: 10 Apr 2019 09:23 AM PDT  Lebanon's Hezbollah raised the prospect of retaliation by Iran and its allies over U.S. sanctions, saying on Wednesday that all options were on the table were Washington to take steps that "threaten our nation". Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the heavily armed Iranian-backed Shi'ite group, said the United States' move this week to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization reflected a failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Iran and its allies, which include Hezbollah, had so far made do with condemnation in response to the U.S. sanctions, said Nasrallah, before adding that this was "not a permanent and fixed policy".
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| Biden says cancer wasn't a 'priority' in the Trump White House Posted: 09 Apr 2019 07:11 PM PDT  Former Vice President Joe Biden suggested the Trump White House did not share his desire to fight cancer.
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| Big turnout for India's giant election, where Modi has an edge Posted: 11 Apr 2019 10:23 AM PDT  People trekked, rode bicycles and drove tractors to polling stations in the world's biggest democratic exercise, with nearly 900 million eligible to vote during seven phases of balloting spread over 39 days. "I've never missed my vote in my life," said Anima Saikia, a 61-year-old woman in the northeastern state of Assam, who was among early voters in the first phase. The game is in our hands right now." Boosted by a surge in nationalist fervor after February's antagonism with Pakistan, Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held the advantage going into the election, opinion polls showed.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Audi S6 Posted: 11 Apr 2019 07:45 AM PDT |
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