| Mueller report: After long-awaited release, what comes next for investigations into Trump? Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:37 AM PDT  The ongoing Democrat-led Congressional investigations into Donald Trump are determined to unravel the conspiracy behind the stealing of Clinton campaign emails and the alleged part played in that incident by WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, according to diplomatic sources.The inquiry by the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee is said to be particularly focused on how the emails, as well as those of the Democratic National Committee, were hacked and made public, gravely damaging Hillary Clinton's campaign and helping Donald Trump to the White House.The report into Trump and Russia by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is due to be made public, with redactions by Attorney General William Barr, on Thursday. However, a number of inquiries, by state prosecutors as well as Congressional Committees, will continue into various accusations against the President, including alleged collusion with the Kremlin.Assange, who was arrested last week after Ecuador withdrew his asylum status and he was expelled from the country's embassy in London, is now facing extradition to the US over the hacking and dissemination of US intelligence and defence documents in 2010.However the Justice Department can add further charges if and when Assange is sent back to America. The WikiLeaks founder may also face an investigation into alleged sexual assault in Sweden, although no request for extradition has come so far from authorities in Stockholm.Last July the US Justice Department charged 12 Russian military intelligence officers, from the GRU, with carrying out the hacking of the emails with the indictment stating that they had been in contact with WikiLeaks.A number of people close to Trump are said to have been in touch with Assange over the emails. The most high profile of this group, Roger Stone, a long-term close advisor to the US president, was arrested in January as part of Mueller's investigation.The Special Counsel's indictment states that during the election campaign, Stone talked regularly to Trump officials about the information WikiLeaks, called " Organisation 1" in the document, possessed which would be damaging to Hillary Clinton's campaign.In August 2016 Stone reportedly emailed Sam Nunberg, another Trump advisor, that he was communicating with Assange "through an intermediary, who is a personal friend". He tweeted a few days later "Julian Assange is a hero". A few days later he added "I actually have communicated with Assange, I believe the next tranche of his documents pertain to the Clinton Foundation ..."The House Intelligence Committee, according to sources, is looking at attempts made by Stone to secure a presidential pardon for Assange were he to be extradited to the US. In text messages which have emerged, Stone told a friend, Randy Credico, in January: "I am working with others to get JA a blanket pardon. It's a very real possibility…"Stone, in an email to Mother Jones magazine, confirmed: "I most definitely advocated a pardon for Assange".Credico, who Stone claims was his contact with Assange, claimed that the WikiLeaks founder asked him to set up a meeting with Schiff to prove there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Schiff's office responded: "Our Committee would be willing to interview Julian Assange when he is in US custody, not before."Credico has since retracted his claims about Assange and he and Stone have accused each other of lying.However Michael Cohen, Trump's long-time personal lawyer and confidante, had also claimed that the US president knew that Stone was in communication with Assange.Speaking to a Congressional inquiry, Cohen described a speakerphone conversation in which: "Mr Stone told Mr Trump that he had just gotten off the phone with Julian Assange and that Mr Assange told Mr Stone that within a couple of days there would be a massive dump of emails that would damage Hillary Clinton's campaign. Mr Trump responded by stating to the effect 'Wouldn't that be great'".Schiff had said that allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks was "a very important investigative thread," his Committee will pursue.WikiLeaks has denied any collusion between itself and Assange with Russia or the Trump campaign. Trump, who praised WikiLeaks dozens of time during the election campaign, saying repeatedly "I love WikiLeaks", has since tried to claim, after Assange's arrest, that "I know nothing about WikiLeaks."Philip Lacovara, a lawyer on the Watergate prosecution team which investigated Richard Nixon and his associates, told Politico that Assange's arrest has "reopened the Russia collusion affair."He added the "Department of Justice evidently retains considerable interest in the information Assange can supply. He knows where the hacked DNC emails came from, and he knows when and how the Trump campaign learned about this treasure trove of political dirt. He also knows whether the Trump campaign coordinated the timing of leaks for political advantage. He is also likely to know whether anyone from the Trump campaign actively solicited additional hacking."
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| Peru's ex-president Garcia kills himself to avoid arrest in Odebrecht probe Posted: 17 Apr 2019 04:02 PM PDT  Garcia, a towering and charismatic figure who played a central role in Peruvian politics for more than three decades, died in a hospital at age 69 after shooting himself at his house in Lima when police arrived with a warrant for his arrest. Garcia's death shocked the Andean country that had watched his transition from a fiery leftist who was elected president at age 36 to a free-market crusader who won a second term in 2006. A pugnacious politician considered one of Latin America's best orators, Garcia had long been dogged by graft allegations that he brushed off as baseless political smears.
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| North Korea sends hit squads after defectors from its secret police Posted: 16 Apr 2019 08:33 PM PDT  North Korea has dispatched teams to neighbouring China to track down and kill, if necessary, as many as seven members of the Ministry of State Security who have fled in a snowballing series of defections, according to dissident media. The crisis in the ranks of North Korea's secret police agency can be traced back to immediately after the failure of the Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, and US President Donald Trump in late February, reported the Daily NK, citing reports from its network of undercover "citizen reporters" in North Korea and China. In early March, three MSS officials based in the Chinese city of Shenyang concluded that the secret bank accounts that they were using under fake Chinese names had been compromised and they were under surveillance. The three men emptied the accounts of "significant amounts of money" that they were reportedly charged with using to procure technology and other items that are banned under United Nations sanctions and disappeared. A number of other agents of the MSS - widely considered the most brutal unit in the North and responsible for ensuring that defectors are caught and punished, as well as operating the regime's network of concentration camps - have also since disappeared in China, according to officials of South Korea's intelligence agencies. North Korea stepped up its search for the men in mid-March after a senior MSS official based in Pyongyang fled with his family through the Chinese border city of Dandong. The official apparently had little choice but to escape out of concern that he would be held responsible for the defections of his subordinates in China. The MSS has put together a team from its headquarters in Pyongyang and dispatched it to Liaoning Province, along with agents from the Reconnaissance General Bureau and operatives already in China. "The Reconnaissance General Bureau agents were ordered 'not to return' until the defectors are caught and the agents should 'kill them if they can't be caught' ", the media outlet quoted one of its sources in Pyongyang as saying. The disappearance of officials widely considered to be the trusted elite in North Korean society, along with the defection of a number of diplomats in recent months, hints at growing disaffection with those charged with propping up Mr Kim's regime.
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| The Latest: Portugal confirms 29 Germans killed on Madeira Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:10 AM PDT  LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The Latest on the deadly bus crash on Portuguese island of Madeira (all times local):
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| Mueller report redactions: How Congress will make sure we find out everything important Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:57 PM PDT  Lawmakers have ways to get redacted Mueller information and can use the Congressional Record as a last resort to disclose in the public interest.
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| McDonald's pulls Signature Crafted burgers, doubles down on Quarter Pounders Posted: 18 Apr 2019 07:36 AM PDT ![McDonald's pulls Signature Crafted burgers, doubles down on Quarter Pounders]( "McDonald's pulls Signature Crafted burgers, doubles down on Quarter Pounders") McDonald's Corp said it would remove costlier, premium burgers from its menus in favor of its more popular Quarter Pounders, shifting its focus to simpler and quickly-served burgers. The company said its new deluxe and bacon Quarter Pounders received good feedback and it would continue to focus on such items. "It (the removal) probably has more to do about the process of cooking the burger in McDonald's than it does what the consumer is saying about the food," said Howard Penney, a managing director at Hedgeye Risk Management.
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| Fox News denied access to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez town hall on veterans' health care Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:40 AM PDT  Organizers of the Protect Veterans Health Care at the VA town hall in New York featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tell Fox News that the event was at capacity, but video from inside the building tells a different story. 'Fox & Friends Weekend' co-host and veteran Pete Hegseth sounds off on the rejection.
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| Ukraine presidential candidates finally agree debate Posted: 17 Apr 2019 04:43 AM PDT  Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday finally agreed to a debate to close a presidential campaign that has at times descended into farce. Poroshenko originally called the event for last Sunday but Zelensky was a no-show, leading the incumbent to hold a one-man debate next to an empty podium at a Kiev stadium. With Zelensky scoring 72 percent support to Poroshenko's 25, according to the most recent opinion poll, this could be the last chance the incumbent has to boost his flagging campaign.
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| US doctors, pharmacists charged in crackdown on opioid prescriptions Posted: 17 Apr 2019 09:50 AM PDT  The US Justice Department announced charges Wednesday against 60 people, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists alleged to have illegally written hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for opioids that have underpinned the country's addiction crisis. Most of the charges involved health professionals in the Appalachia region, where poverty is deep and doctors and pharmacies pumped out millions of highly addictive pills for years without controls. A doctor who was charged in Tennessee called himself the "Roc Doc" and traded prescriptions for sex as he prescribed 800,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills and 600,000 benzodiazepine tablets over three years, the Justice Department said.
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| NTSB investigating American Airlines JFK flight that 'struck an object' at takeoff Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:20 PM PDT  The plane reportedly tipped in strong wind, and a wingtip hit a runway marker during takeoff.
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| Former Congressman Keith Ellison: Trump’s Attacks on Ilhan Omar Are ‘Violent Incitement’ Posted: 17 Apr 2019 03:17 PM PDT  Win McNameeFormer congressman Keith Ellison has a theory for why President Donald Trump is working to make Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) public enemy number one."She, simply by her existence, is a person who he doesn't believe belongs," Ellison said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast. "She's a Muslim, she's a woman, she wears a hijab, she's black, before she ever opens her mouth she's offensive to him."Omar has been a constant lightning rod for controversy since arriving in Washington, where her comments about the Israel lobby have drawn intense criticism from her Democratic and Republican colleagues alike. After conservatives seized on a snippet of a speech in which Omar appeared to downplay the September 11th attacks, the president took his criticism of her to a new level, tweeting to his millions of followers last weekend a video of the congresswoman's remarks, superimposed with images of the Twin Towers burning.Ellison, now the attorney general of Minnesota, has an idea of what the freshman lawmaker who holds his old seat is going through. He arrived in Congress in 2007 as the first Muslim to ever serve in that body, and faced suspicion and allegations of disloyalty from his colleagues from the moment he was sworn in on a copy of the Quran. Twelve years later, there are three Muslim members of Congress, and more Muslim-American officeholders around the country than ever.But the environment that Omar faces, said Ellison, is probably the most hostile one ever for a Muslim elected official – which is saying quite a bit, considering that Ellison faced death threats of his own and casual suggestions from his colleagues, like former Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rep. Steve King, that he was aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood and failed to sufficiently renounce Sharia law.Since Trump tweeted the video of Omar, death threats on her have increased exponentially, her office has told media. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving to increase the congresswoman's security detail, as Trump insists he was right to go after the congresswoman and claims she has "a way about her" that is "very, very bad for our country."Asked if he worried for Omar's safety, Ellison sighed. "Sure I do. There's crazy people out there," he said. "We live in a very dangerous political environment and she's in the danger zone as much as anyone. I pray for her and I urge people to calm the rhetoric down."Ellison also urged Twitter to do more to censure Trump's video. "That is incitement, that's violent incitement," he said of the video. "There's no two ways about it.""Everyone knows what happened to Gabby Giffords," he went on, referencing the former Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head during a constituent event in 2011. "It makes it difficult for you to engage the public because you don't know where the hostility is coming from, and it is unnatural to be the target of that much unwarranted hatred. It's strange, it's weird. She's bearing a burden."Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), the number two Republican in the House, Ellison noted, was also shot at a baseball practice in 2017. To congressional Republicans who have spent months going after Omar and forcing all Democrats to answer for her, Ellison also had some choice words. "It's wildly irresponsible," he said. "I don't know if they don't realize they're risking her safety or they just don't care… 'Just don't care' is a real option, because they have every reason to suspect their rhetoric could lead to some very negative, foreseeable consequence. They should know it."Ellison predicted things would get worse before they get better, and tied Trump's rhetoric on Omar to his 2020 reelection strategy. "I keep thinking there's gotta be a floor with him but there absolutely simply is no floor, there's no low depth he won't go to," he said. "It's clear to me he is trying to whip up nativism, tribalism, bigotry of all kinds, and turn the country against itself for his own benefit."He cautioned Omar against getting pulled into these spats, advising that she focus instead on why she came to D.C. in the first place.Omar, said Ellison, "should pivot back to those issues that made her want to be a member of Congress, and just stay on them. She wanted to do something about student debt, jobs and the economy, the environment… Get back to that, and don't let them pull you off. Use the heightened profile to raise the issues you're passionate about."Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Notre-Dame's iconic rooster retrieved from rubble Posted: 17 Apr 2019 02:44 AM PDT  The metal rooster which perched on the top of Notre-Dame's spire was found in the rubble on Tuesday and appears to have been spared the worst of the fire. "It is dented but properly restorable," a Ministry of Culture spokesman said of the rooster, which contains three relics that may also have survived the blaze. As the rooster was partially crushed when it fell off the spire, the extent of the damage to its contents is unknown. Stored inside the rooster is one relic of St Denis, one of St Genevieve and one of the thorns from the crown that Jesus Christ wore at the Crucifixion. The rooster has served as a "spiritual lightning" rod for Notre-Dame, according to the cathedral's website. The rooster was perched on top of the spire Credit: AP/Diana Ayanna However, the spire itself - which was seen tumbling off the roof of the Notre-Dame on Monday to the horror of unlookers - is destroyed, having melted in the heat. It came as the fund set up to help rebuild Notre-Dame is expected to pass one billion euros as Emmanuel Macron pledged to restore the fire-ravaged cathedral in five years. Donations from worshippers and wealthy French billionaires and corporations have seen hundreds of millions of euros raised since the cathedral was engulfed by flames on Monday. Contributors include Apple and magnates who own L'Oreal, Chanel and Dior, as well as Catholics and others from around the world.
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| Trump security adviser unveils new U.S. sanctions to pressure Cuba, Venezuela Posted: 17 Apr 2019 11:32 AM PDT  U.S. national security adviser John Bolton announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela on Wednesday as the Trump administration sought to boost pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the countries that support him. Bolton, in a speech to an association of veterans of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, said the United States was adding five names linked to Cuba's military and intelligence services to its sanctions blacklist, including the military-owned airline Aerogaviota.
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| Portugal says all 29 dead in bus crash were German Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:30 AM PDT  LISBON, Portugal (AP) — All the 29 people killed in a tour bus crash on Portugal's Madeira Island were German, Portugal's foreign ministry confirmed Thursday.
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| Ukraine says it captured Russian military intelligence hit squad Posted: 17 Apr 2019 04:20 AM PDT  Ukraine's security service SBU said on Wednesday it had captured a Russian military intelligence hit squad responsible for the attempted murder of a Ukrainian military spy in the run-up to a presidential election on Sunday. The issue of how to deal with Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014 and backs pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, is prominent ahead of the vote, with incumbent Petro Poroshenko casting himself as the commander-in-chief Ukraine needs to defend the country.
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| Teenage girl 'infatuated' with Columbine school massacre found dead from self-inflicted gunshot Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:30 PM PDT  An armed 18-year-old girl "infatuated" with the Columbine school massacre was found dead after fears she was seeking to replicate the shooting 20 years on. Sol Pais, a high school pupil, made threats online and then flew from her home in Miami Beach, Florida to Denver, Colorado, where Columbine is located. She then bought a pump-action shotgun and ammunition and was seen near the school wearing camouflage trousers, black boots and a black T-shirt. Columbine and more than 20 other schools in the Denver area were closed on Wednesday, with 500,000 pupils staying at home as the FBI and police searched for her. She was later found dead from what police called an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" in woodland near a camp ground 60 miles southwest of Denver. Police, including a SWAT team, had flooded into the area after hikers reported seeing a naked woman with a gun running through the woods". An FBI spokesman said: "There is no longer a threat to the community." Police at Columbine high school Credit: AFP On April 20,1999 two heavily armed teenage gunmen - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - killed 12 fellow pupils and a teacher before taking their own lives. It set off an era of mass shootings in American schools and other public venues. Police said Pais had "made threats to commit an act of violence" in the Denver area, and had written "deeply disturbed" posts on the internet. She had been "infatuated with the perpetrators of Columbine". She sought advice online on how to buy a gun in Colorado, which she did at a gun shop near Columbine. Local sheriff Jeff Shrader said: "The firearm was purchased legally. I'm sure there will be some ongoing evaluation in that regard." During the massive search police declared her "armed and extremely dangerous". Jared Polis, the Colorado governor, said there had been "a lot of anxiety". Peter Langman, an expert on the psychology of school shooters, said more than 30 other attacks, from California to Germany, have been inspired in some manner by Columbine.
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| New York Auto Show: Here's what Lincoln's new Corsair SUV offers luxury drivers Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:28 AM PDT  Debuting at the New York auto show, the 2020 Lincoln Corsair compact SUV is aimed at young and female buyers.
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| The Royal Navy Wants Robotic Submarines (Here's Why That Matters) Posted: 17 Apr 2019 07:13 AM PDT  The U.K. Ministry of Defense in April 2019 launched a $3.3-million competition to begin developing a large, robotic submarine.The contest could lead to the acquisition of an operational autonomous sub for the Royal Navy -- and could help the British fleet partially to fill the undersea gap resulting from deep cuts to its sub force.The ministry asked industry by June 2019 to submit proposals for an extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle, or XLUUV."The Royal Navy says that contract will have two stages, a one-year long research, design and refit stage and a testing and trialing stage," U.K. Defense Journal explained. "In the latter stage it is expected that the system will be tested in representative environments for extended periods; the sea trials in stage two may be up to two years long."The government's request for proposals sketched three different operational scenarios for the possible, future robo-sub.In the covert intelligence-gathering role, the XLUUV "is tasked to gather covert intelligence of traffic transiting in a maritime operational area," according to the RFP.
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| QAnon Believers Crushed After Mueller Report Fails to Lead to Hillary Clinton’s Arrest Posted: 18 Apr 2019 12:30 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photos by GettyWhile most of Donald Trump's allies braced for the release on Thursday of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, believers in the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory approached the long-awaited publication with a sense of thrill. For years, QAnon fans have been mocked for believing that Mueller was secretly in league with the president, working hand-in-hand to uncover Satanic rituals committed by top Democrats before shipping them off to Guantanamo Bay. They had been told it was ridiculous to base their entire political worldview on a series of anonymous clues posted on internet message boards — including one that claimed Hillary Clinton was secretly arrested in October 2017.Now, after all the chanting and waving of "Q" signs at Trump rallies, their hour of vindication was at hand.Liz Crokin, a leading QAnon promoter, predicted on Wednesday that Mueller's report would uncover leading Democrats committing crimes that are "punishable by death." "I think the Mueller Report will reveal some indicators that the real crimes that took places were committed by Hillary Clinton, Obama, and some of their associates," Crokin told The Daily Beast. Crokin wasn't alone. "Patriots' Soapbox," a 24-hour YouTube livestream devoted to decoding QAnon clues, urged viewers to check back Thursday for a "BIG day." Joe Masepoes, a QAnon promoter whose pro-QAnon videos have been shared by celebrities like former baseball star Curt Schilling, urged his followers to "be here tomorrow."But when the Mueller report arrived on Thursday morning, it contained none of the bombshell, global pedophile cabal-destroying revelations QAnon fans had predicted. Instead, it detailed the a Russian campaign of electoral subterfuge that benefit Trump's election efforts along with repeated attempts by the president to impede investigations into his conduct. Unhappy QAnon believers were left to grapple with the letdown. As the report's lack of QAnon proofs became clear, the Patriots' Soapbox livestream quickly moved on to other topics like human trafficking. The channel's viewers weren't fooled, though. The comment section quickly filled up with disappointed QAnon fans. On Voat, a Reddit-style forum alternative popular with QAnon fans, believers lamented the fact that they had been duped again. "Trump is toast," said one poster who said he wouldn't vote in 2020 after the disappointment. "Lied to us to extend his re-election. Good luck Q peeps. I'm done here."This isn't the first time QAnon loyalists have been promised confirmation of their bizarre ideas, only to be disappointed. In June 2018, "Q" — the anonymous person or group of people behind the vague clues that have been strung into QAnon — had promised that a Department of Justice inspector general report would bring down Clinton. That report didn't include the revelations QAnon believers were promised either. One angry, armed QAnon believer responded to that let-down by shutting down a bridge near the Hoover Dam with an improvised armored truck. While QAnon believers grappled with what the Mueller report actually meant, the movement's foes—including those in Trumpworld—took the opportunity to gloat. Former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka, whose frequent attacks on QAnon have made him a top enemy of Q-heads, took to Twitter on Thursday to urge QAnon believers to "LeaveTheCult.""As of this morning: Q and QAnon are dead," Gorka tweeted.Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Tech startups Pinterest, Zoom soar in Wall Street debut Posted: 18 Apr 2019 10:50 AM PDT  Pinterest got off to a flying start on Wall Street Thursday in the market debut for the San Francisco-based visual discovery service, a positive sign for the wave of Silicon Valley firms planning stock listings. Pinterest shares leapt 28 percent in early afternoon trade at $24.16 after its initial public offering (IPO) which raised some $1.4 billion. The jump was a positive sign for other venture-backed Silicon Valley firms after a stumble for ride-hailing firm Lyft, which has lost some 20 percent since its market debut last month.
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| Pete Buttigieg: Outrage over anti-gay protestors dressed as 2020 candidate 'whipping Jesus on a cross' Posted: 17 Apr 2019 09:55 AM PDT  Pete Buttigieg has been confronted by anti-gay hecklers along the campaign trail this week, with demonstrations taking a bizarre turn at an Iowa rally. A notorious anti-abortion activist dressed as the Indiana mayor began whipping a man wearing a costume of Jesus Christ near a Marshalltown campaign stop Wednesday morning, a day after that same protestor attempted to interrupt another event held by Mr Buttigieg.That man, Randall Terry, can be seen in a video captured by freelance Getty Images video producer Marcus DiPaola donning a "Mayor Pete" sign around his neck as he whips the other demonstrator, who is holding a cross on his back. A third protestor dressed as the devil can be heard shouting on a loudspeaker, "Yes, more blood, Peter!" and "Every vote is a lash on the back of Christ." Mr Buttigieg has remained notably calm throughout each of the heckling attempts, receiving attention for his thoughtful responses to the issue of his sexuality and how it plays into voters opinions of him. His audiences have also typically kicked in with support, drowning out the noise with chants and cheers.When Mr Terry began shouting at the mayor's Des Moines rally Tuesday night, Mr Buttigieg responded, "The good news is, the condition of my soul is in the hands of God.""But the Iowa caucuses are up to you," he added, pointing to the crowd. The mayor also harkened back to his own religious views during a separate heckling event at another Tuesday rally.As a heckler shouted claims about Mr Buttigieg supporting "the murder of unborn babies," the 2020 candidate joked that "coffee after church gets a little rowdy sometimes." "That gentleman believes that what he is doing is in line with the will of the creator," Mr Buttigieg said, as the man was escorted out of the room by security. "I view it differently. We ought to be able to view it differently."Mr Terry is a controversial figure, described as an "attention seeker" who travels cross country to participate in spectacles like the Wednesday morning demonstration. The anti-abortion group he previously founded, called Operation Rescue, reportedly cut all ties with him nearly 18 years ago and considers him too radical to have any sort of relationship.
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| Photos of the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio NRING Special Editions Posted: 17 Apr 2019 01:00 PM PDT |
| Sporadic violence as millions vote in second phase of India's mammoth election Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:24 AM PDT  The Election Commission said 66 percent of more than 155 million eligible Indians had voted, as per provisional data, in 95 constituencies in 12 states. Results of the election to India's 545-member parliament are expected on May 23. In focus are the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, where the main opposition Congress party and its allies need to win big if they hope to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from securing a second straight term.
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| After Notre Dame, support for torched black churches swells Posted: 17 Apr 2019 04:20 PM PDT  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The crowdfunding campaign to raise money for three African American churches gutted by arson in Louisiana began a week ago, but donations surged after flames engulfed the roof of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the outcry provoked a conversation about the disparate reactions to the tragedies.
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| National Mustang Day at New York Auto Show marks 55 years of Ford's icon Posted: 17 Apr 2019 06:30 AM PDT  The Mustang car takes a bow at the New York Auto Show and around the country. April 17 is its big day.
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| Boeing conducts final test flight of 737 MAX with software fix Posted: 17 Apr 2019 10:08 PM PDT  Boeing has conducted a final test flight of a 737 MAX model with an updated anti-stall system prior to its certification by aviation authorities, the aerospace manufacturer said Wednesday. CEO Dennis Muilenberg tweeted a video where he said the test flight was carried out on Tuesday, adding that test pilots have completed 120 flights totaling more than 203 hours of airtime with the software fix for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Investigators have zeroed in on the system as a factor behind the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes in October and in March respectively, killing nearly 350 people in total.
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| GoFundMe campaign raises more than $700,000 for boy thrown off mall balcony Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:41 AM PDT  A GoFundMe campaign for a 5-year-old boy who was tossed over a third-floorbalcony at the Mall of America in Minnesota has raised over $700,000
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| Robert Mueller report: Key findings from special counsel's Trump investigation Posted: 18 Apr 2019 11:52 AM PDT  Donald Trump attempted to fire special counsel Robert Mueller after expressing fears the probe would "end" his presidency, according to the newly released Mueller report. The order, which came just weeks after Mr Mueller had been appointed in May 2017, was among a string of incidents of alleged obstruction of justice recounted in detail by the Mueller report. Mr Mueller, who was tasked with looking into Russian election meddling in the 2016 campaign, makes clear in the report that he was not exonerating Mr Trump over obstruction of justice. The 448-page report was released on Thursday. The full findings are still emerging as journalists and congressmen scour the full document. Here are the key pieces of information that have emerged so far. Russia's carried out "systematic" election meddling but Trump campaign did not cooperate The Kremlin used the Internet Research Agency (IRA) to carry out an operation to undermine the US electoral system which began in 2014. Through the IRA, the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential in "sweeping and systematic fashion" to aid Donald Trump and harm Hillary Clinton, the report states. Tweets from an IRA account was quoted or retweeted by Trump campaign officials and surrogates, including Donald Trump Jnr, Eric Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Brad Parscale and Michael Flynn. However while Mr Mueller found that the Trump campaign "expected" to benefit from Russia's hacking, he did not establish that the Trump campaign "coordinated or conspired with the Russian government". Trump attempted to fire Mueller When Mr Trump learned of Robert Mueller's appointment he told attorney general Jeff Sessions: "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm f---ed." Mr Trump later attempted to get Mr Mueller fired, the report states. Mr Trump called the White House counsel Don McGahn and directed him to tell Rod Rosenstein, who was overseeing the investigation, to fire the special counsel. On more than one occasion the president told the White House counsel "Mueller must go". Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel after FBI director James Comey was fired Credit: AP Mr McGahn refused, saying he would "rather resign" than trigger a "potential Saturday Night Massacre", a reference to President Richard Nixon's round of firings during the Watergate investigation. Mueller said Trump's answers were "inadequate" but decided not to subpoena him The special counsel said Mr Trump's written answers, submitted instead of an in-person interview, were considered "inadequate". But the special counsel decided not to subpoena the president because it would involve a long legal fight and "create a substantial delay" at a late stage in the investigation. Mueller investigated 11 episodes of potential obstruction by Trump Mr Mueller spells out in minute detail 11 episodes involving the president that raised questions when it came to potential obstruction of justice, including Mr Trump ordering the removal of Mr Mueller. Other incidents of alleged obstruction probed in detail included Mr Trump's firing of James Comey, the FBI director, and his attempts to limit the Russia investigation's remit. The report states: "The President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests." Mr Mueller eventually decided not to come to a conclusion on whether Mr Trump had obstructed justice, instead handing the decision to the Justice Department, which in turn decided to bring no charge. Mueller decided not to prosecute president's son The investigation decided not to prosecute the president's son, Donald Jnr, and other members of the campaign for campaign finance violations over their infamous Trump Tower meeting because they couldn't prove they had criminal intent. "Taking into account the high burden to establish a culpable mental state in a campaign-finance prosecution and the difficulty in establishing the required valuation, the Office decided not to pursue criminal campaign-finance charges against Trump Jr. or other campaign officials for the events culminating in the June 9 meeting," Mr Mueller states. Donald Trump Jnr Credit: Getty He added: "A prosecution would encounter difficulties proving that Campaign officials or individuals connected to the Campaign willfully violated the law." The report also notes that when journalists learned that a Russian lawyer had proposed the June meeting and offered damaging information on Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump edited Donald Jnr's response to the reporters admitting those facts. Mr Trump also repeatedly instructed officials, including communications director Hope Hicks, not to make public emails connected to the Trump Tower meeting. However, Mr Trump did not try to conceal the emails from the special counsel. Mueller looked into 'pee tape' claims from Steele dossier Mr Mueller's team looked into rumours that the Russians had taped Mr Trump watching prostitutes urinate in a Moscow hotel room in 2013. The alleged incident was mentioned in a dossier on Mr Trump compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. Mr Mueller's report states that there were tapes relating to Mr Trump's 2013 trip to Russia but it is unclear whether they refer to the alleged tapes or indeed even feature the president. Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent who compiled a dossier on Donald Trump Credit: PA The report states: "On October 30, 2016, Michael Cohen received a text from Russian businessman Giorgi Rtskhiladze that said, 'Stopped flow of tapes from Russia but not sure if there's anything else. Just so you know...' Mr Rtskhiladze said 'tapes' referred to compromising tapes of Trump rumored to be held by persons associated with the Russian real estate conglomerate Crocus Group, which had helped host the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant in Russia. Cohen said he spoke to Trump about the issue after receiving the texts from Rtskhiladze. Rtskhiladze said he was told the tapes were fake, but he did not communicate that to Cohen."
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| Pilots Say American Airlines Plane Rolled on Its Own and Hit a Sign During Takeoff Posted: 18 Apr 2019 08:52 AM PDT  American Airlines pilots flying an Airbus A321 say it banked on its own during takeoff, causing a strike to the plane's left wing. The incident is now under investigation.
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| Iran Rouhani says floods revealed 'vicious' nature of US Posted: 17 Apr 2019 06:50 AM PDT  Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the United States' reaction to floods that killed dozens of people had revealed Washington's "vicious" nature. At least 76 people have died after torrential rainfall which has also caused billions of dollars worth of damage since March 19. Iran's Red Crescent has repeatedly complained that US banking sanctions re-imposed last year make it impossible to receive donations from outside the country.
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| Verizon just made it more expensive to activate or upgrade a phone in-store Posted: 17 Apr 2019 07:58 AM PDT  Verizon appears to be incentivizing consumers to make purchases online rather than at one of its brick-and-mortar retail stores, as CNET reports that the mobile carrier is lowering activation and upgrade fees on its site and in its My Verizon app from $30 to $20 starting this Thursday. Alternatively, if you prefer a "full-service experience" at a Verizon store, you'll now have to pay $40 to activate a line or upgrade to a new device.CNET's report doesn't include many details about this new policy, and as The Verge points out, Verizon's fees often go up or down depending on a variety of factors, such as if you're on a prepaid or monthly plan, or if you're activating a new line or just upgrading to a new phone. Unless Verizon sends out a news release ahead of this purported price change, we'll have to wait until later this week to see how it will be implemented.Provided that you are willing to go through with the process of activating a line or upgrading to a new device on the Verizon website or on the My Verizon app, the price is actually lower at Verizon than at its competitors. AT&T charges $25 to bring a new phone over to its network (or $45 for a two-year plan, which only applies to certain phones), Sprint charges $30, and T-Mobile claims that it doesn't have an activation fee at all, but will still make you pay $25 for a SIM starter kit (which you will need to activate your phone on their network).So, while charging an addition $10 for a "full-service experience" at a brick-and-mortar store might be ludicrous, the price cut of the activation and upgrade fee for online customers is a welcome one.
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| Senate leader calls for raising minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21 Posted: 18 Apr 2019 09:44 AM PDT  McConnell said https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=C7912202-0742-4404-8775-8836F261DDEF the bill would be introduced in May. Shares of Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc, which owns a 35 percent stake in e-cigarette maker Juul, fell 3 percent on the news. Philip Morris International and U.S-listed shares of British American Tobacco were also trading lower.
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| Debate rages on over no-kill policy at Long Beach animal shelter Posted: 17 Apr 2019 12:13 PM PDT  A heartfelt fight in Long Beach to save as many animals as possible at the city's animal shelter continued at a special city council meeting Tuesday.
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| Notre Dame Cathedral: What you need to know if you're planning to visit Paris Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:39 AM PDT  The Notre Dame Cathedral fire is finally out − but the impact on tourism to the church, and Paris itself, remains to be seen.
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| Strong storms roar eastward through Louisiana, Mississippi Posted: 18 Apr 2019 05:06 PM PDT  LEARNED, Miss. (AP) — Strong storms again roared across the South on Thursday, toppling trees and leaving more than 100,000 people without power across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
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| Mueller report is an admission of the 'depth of Trump's ignorance': 10 best reader responses so far Posted: 18 Apr 2019 12:52 PM PDT  Our readers sound off on special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report and President Donald Trump's role in Russian interference in US elections.
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| 2020 Highlander makes world premiere in New York Posted: 17 Apr 2019 07:08 AM PDT  For the 2020 model year, Toyota transitioned the Highlander onto the TNGA-K Platform, a new foundation that's shared with several other recent models in the company's portfolio. In terms of entertainment and media-oriented technology, all Highlander trims come standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa In-Car compatibility, Waze, SiriusXM, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Two powertrain options are available for the Highlander: a V6 engine offering 22 MPG combined fuel economy or a hybrid engine offering 34 MPG combined fuel economy.
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| US North Korea envoy in Moscow as Russia plans for Kim-Putin talks Posted: 17 Apr 2019 06:24 AM PDT  The US special envoy for North Korea was due in Moscow on Wednesday as the Kremlin said it was preparing for possible talks between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Media reports said the first summit between the two leaders could come as early as next week. "Active preparations for a potential meeting are underway," Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments reported by news agencies.
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| Apple is still interested in self-driving cars as it explores ‘revolutionary’ LIDAR sensor design Posted: 17 Apr 2019 04:25 PM PDT  Apple's automotive initiative, unofficially dubbed Project Titan, appears to still be alive and kicking. According to a report from Reuters, Apple is currently looking into advanced lidar sensor technology that "would be smaller, cheaper and more easily mass produced than current technology."What's more, the report relays that Apple, in addition to exploring third-party solutions, also has a team of engineers working on developing an Apple-branded lidar sensor.While it remains to be seen if anything comes of Apple's exploration, the larger point here is that Apple still has grand ambitions in the automotive space. This may come as something of a surprise given the series of layoffs Apple's Project Titan has endured over the past few years.Just about three months ago, for instance, word surfaced that Apple cut upwards of 200 employees from the Project Titan team. Far more than a rumor, Apple at the time confirmed the cuts and issued the following statement to various media outlets:> We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple. As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple.> > We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute, and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever.At this point, it will be fascinating to see what, if anything, ever comes out of Project Titan. As far as we can tell, Apple has abandoned any desire to design and release a car from the ground-up and has instead opted to focus on self-driving car technologies.To this end, Tim Cook himself acknowledged this nearly two years ago when he told Bloomberg: "We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. It's probably one of the most difficult A.I. projects actually to work on."
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| UPDATE 3-Schlumberger posts profit drop, sees international spending rising Posted: 18 Apr 2019 04:24 AM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Schlumberger posts profit drop, sees international spending rising]( "UPDATE 3-Schlumberger posts profit drop, sees international spending rising") Oilfield services provider Schlumberger NV on Thursday forecast rising international and offshore exploration spending this year, after posting a 20 percent drop in first-quarter profit due to weak North American demand. The oilfield services sector bellwether said it expects a 7 to 8 percent increase in investments by oil producers in markets outside North America, citing a 20 percent increase last quarter in offshore rig counts and growing exploration activity in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
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| Here's Everything That's Open and What's Closed on Easter 2019 Posted: 18 Apr 2019 06:05 AM PDT  Wondering where to get eggs on Easter Sunday 2019? Don't worry, we know!
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| View Kia HabaNiro Concept Photos Posted: 17 Apr 2019 10:00 AM PDT |
| Israel's president formally nominates Netanyahu as PM Posted: 17 Apr 2019 08:33 PM PDT  JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president on Wednesday formally nominated Benjamin Netanyahu for a fourth consecutive term as prime minister, officially launching a process that is expected to result in a new government dominated by religious and nationalist parties in the coming weeks.
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| Lori Loughlin, husband Mossimo Giannulli plead not guilty in college admissions scam Posted: 17 Apr 2019 11:20 AM PDT  Loughlin and Giannulli said in court documents they waived their right to appear in court for an arraignment and plead not guilty.
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