| CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Confronts Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Trump’s Tantrum Posted: 23 May 2019 08:54 AM PDT  It's been 73 days since Sarah Huckabee Sanders last held a "daily" White House press briefing. For the most part, she has chosen to bring the Trump administration's message to Fox News and Fox News only. But on Thursday morning she stepped out of her comfort zone and was quickly reminded what it feels like to be questioned by a real reporter. Sanders' interview with CNN's Alisyn Camerota on New Day started out all smiles as the two women exchanged pleasantries. But as soon as the host began to dig in on President Trump's ultimatum to Democrats in Congress that he will not work with them on infrastructure until they stop investigating him, things went south.Alisyn Camerota Loves Doing Journalism at CNN, After Doing the Opposite at Fox News"Congress say they can do two things at once, the Democrats is Congress say this isn't a problem," Camerota said. "So is the president saying that he cannot do infrastructure while he's being investigated?" "I think it's a complete lie that Democrats in Congress think they can do two things at once," Sanders replied. "So far we haven't seen them do anything. Nancy Pelosi has had the majority in the House for months and is yet to accomplish a single thing. They literally haven't gotten anything done since she took over." When Camerota pointed out that since January, the House has passed 248 bills and the Senate has passed 161, Sanders laughed it off as insignificant. "I just want to say, it's the president who is saying that he can't do infrastructure while he's being investigated," Camerota reiterated. "He is the one who walked out of the meeting. So just so that we're clear, he's saying that bridges are not going to be fixed until he's no longer investigated, is that what we hear from the White House?" Instead of answering that question, Sanders stammered a bit as she once again accused Democrats of being "incapable of doing anything other than investigating this president.""They spend all of their time attacking him and the fact that they would have a meeting an hour before they are set to arrive at the White House where Nancy Pelosi literally accuses the president of a crime and then wants to walk into his office and sit down as if nothing happened, that's just—that's lunacy," she continued. "That's not even in the realm of possibility. The president absolutely wants to get infrastructure done, he wants to secure our border, he wants to do things that help our veterans, he wants to improve our education system, he wants to do all of those things but Democrats have been unwilling to work with him."Fox News' Chris Wallace Shuts Down Sarah Huckabee Sanders' Claim About Terrorists Crossing BorderLater, after confirming that Trump's "merit-based" immigration plan will not prioritize DREAMers, Sanders returned to her attacks on Pelosi for suggesting the president may have committed a crime. "That would be like John telling you that he thought you were stealing from the network and then sitting down in the chair next to you and saying, but no big deal, let's just move forward," she said, referring to Camerota's co-host John Berman. "John would never accuse me of something like that," Camerota said with a smile. "I would hope not," Sanders added. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Bodies in submerged Missouri vehicle bring storm toll to 9 Posted: 24 May 2019 03:58 PM PDT  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered Friday in a submerged vehicle near the Mississippi River in Missouri, bringing the death toll to nine from storms that have ravaged the central U.S. this week and threaten major flooding through the holiday weekend.
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| The F-21 Could Be One Tough Fighter (With F-35 DNA). Here's the Problem. Posted: 23 May 2019 01:04 AM PDT  For the purposes of Lockheed's marketing campaign, the F-21 is a new fighter, although it shares many of its major features with the F-16V the company has sold to Bahrain, Greece, Slovakia, South Korea and Taiwan. Lockheed can build new F-16Vs or upgrade older F-16s to the V-standard.Lockheed Martin is developing a new variant of its iconic F-16 single-engine fighter in order to compete in India's 2019 tender for 110 new warplanes.(This first appeared earlier in the month.)But don't count on the American firm's "F-21" to win the contract.According to journalist Angad Singh, the likely winner is French company Dassault's Rafale twin-engine fighter.Singh explains his rationale in the May 2019 issue of Combat Aircraft magazine. India previously ordered 36 Rafales as part of an earlier fighter tender. "With 36 aircraft already on order and the infrastructure in place for an additional 36, a case could certainly be made that training, basing and sustainment costs for additional aircraft would not be an impossible burden."Other candidates for the Indian tender are the Saab Gripen from Sweden, the European Eurofighter Typhoon, the MiG-35 from Russia and the Boeing Super Hornet from the United States. Whichever fighter New Delhi selects, it needs the new jets now, according to Singh.
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| India's Modi begins talks for new cabinet after big election win Posted: 23 May 2019 09:20 PM PDT  Official data from the Election Commission showed Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party had won 296 of the 542 seats up for grabs and was ahead in seven more, up from the 282 it won in 2014. The BJP would have the first back-to-back majority in the lower house of parliament for a single party since 1984. After a rancorous and a polarizing election campaign, the focus shifts back to an economy that is slowing, even as the U.S.-China trade war rages and global oil prices tick higher.
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| Across US, women have unequal access to abortion Posted: 23 May 2019 01:20 PM PDT  While abortion is legal nationwide, Americans have unequal access to the procedure, depending on their location in the United States and how much they are able to spend. The disparities are great indeed, from the more than 150 abortion clinics available in the most populous state of California, to only one in states like Mississippi in the South or Missouri in the Midwest. State laws also vary widely on other matters like speed limits for drivers and marriage age requirements, but the Supreme Court has set a "minimum standard throughout the entire country," noted Meg Penrose, of the Texas A&M School of Law.
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| U.S. Sends 1,500 Troops to Mideast After Blaming Attacks on Iran Posted: 24 May 2019 01:08 PM PDT  The U.S. will bolster forces in the region by about 1,500 troops, though Trump and the Pentagon said that the deployment is for defensive purposes with a focus on missile defense, surveillance and keeping open shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf. "We're going to be sending a relatively small number of troops to the Middle East," Trump said as he departed the White House on Friday for Japan.
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| EXCLUSIVE-JPMorgan cuts ties with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma -sources Posted: 23 May 2019 11:08 AM PDT ![EXCLUSIVE-JPMorgan cuts ties with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma -sources]( "EXCLUSIVE-JPMorgan cuts ties with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma -sources") JPMorgan Chase & Co has cut ties with Purdue Pharma LP over the OxyContin maker's alleged role in the U.S. opioid crisis, forcing it to find a new bank to manage cash and bill payments, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The move makes JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank by assets, the most high-profile corporation known to have distanced itself from Purdue and its wealthy owners, the Sackler family, amid thousands of lawsuits alleging the company pushed addictive painkillers while downplaying their abuse and overdose risks. JPMorgan's decision also underscores a drive among U.S. banks to reassess their relationships with clients and industries in response to controversy and political debates over matters such as immigration detention and mass shootings.
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| Facebook accused of leaving 'broken children' in wake of its commercial aims, abuse inquiry hears Posted: 24 May 2019 09:26 AM PDT  Facebook has been accused of leaving 'broken children' as collateral damage in the wake of their commercial aims, the child sex abuse inquiry has heard. Barrister William Chapman, representing the victims of abuse at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said social media companies were not preventing paedophiles reaching children as it was "contrary to their business model" and that their apps needed to be "fundamentally redesigned". Police also warned that tech firms were going ahead with plans to encrypt more features "in the certain knowledge" it would lead to more children being abused. The warnings came as the inquiry's hearing into online child abuse drew to a close yesterday. Over the last fortnight IICSA has heard evidence from Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google about their efforts to combat child abuse online. Giving his closing statement, Mr Chapman singled out Facebook as the "unacceptable face of social media", citing that over half of reported grooming offences in 2017 and 2018 related to the company or its Instagram and WhatsApp apps. William Chapman giving his closing address to the inquiry He said that social networks scanned for evidence of abuse after it happened and that they now needed to change their business model to stop abusers easily contacting children. Mr Chapman said: "What they will not do, because it is contrary to their business model, is to restrict the opportunities for abuse before it takes place." He added: "They leave behind broken children like so much collateral damage. "Money, they say, is no object but none you heard from has a dedicated budget to tackling this problem." Among the recommendations being made to the inquiry on behalf of victims are for tech companies pay compensation to those abused via their services and that a new criminal offence be made of posing online as a child online without a reasonable excuse. Mr Chapman also accused tech companies of not giving the inquiry a "straight answer" about the scale of abuse on their sites and selectively releasing figures without context. Earlier in the hearing Microsoft failed to provide figures for how many children had been groomed on its live chat services Xbox Live and Skype and Facebook was similarly unable to say how many registered sex offenders had been caught using its services. "It is not acceptable to hide the extent of the problem on your platform in a black box out of which you prick pinholes for others to see only hints of the full horror within," said Mr Chapman. Later in the hearing, Debra Powell QC, speaking for the National Police Chiefs Council, warned that tech giants' plans to make ever more services encrypted would lead to more children being abused. Last month Facebook announced plans to add end-to-end encryption to its 1.3 billion-user Messenger service, meaning not even it will be able to see the content of messages. Ms Powell said: "Currently many technology companies are building in and offering to their users ever greater privacy protections, including end-to-end encryption, in the certain knowledge that this will make the detection and prevention of child sexual abuse and exploitation more difficult. "The inevitable result must be that more children will be abused and exploited and that their ordeals will go on for longer before the perpetrators can be caught, if they are caught at all."
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| Chinese carriers seek compensation for Boeing 737 Max groundings Posted: 24 May 2019 04:55 AM PDT  China's official airline association said Friday it will help 13 member carriers seek compensation from Boeing for losses already approaching $580 million due to the grounding of the 737 MAX 8. "As time passes by, related losses will further increase," the China Air Transport Association said in a statement. On March 11, China became the first country to ground the 737 MAX, a day after a deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airways Boeing 737 MAX that killed all 157 people on board.
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| Trump Justice Department Crosses New Line, Charges Assange With Publishing U.S. Secrets Posted: 23 May 2019 03:34 PM PDT  Daniel Leal-Olivas/GettyIn a stunning escalation of the Trump administration's war on the press, the Justice Department has indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for revealing government secrets under the Espionage Act. It's the first time a publisher has been charged under the World War I-era law.The indictment charges Assange with 16 counts of receiving or disclosing material leaked by then-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2009 and 2010. The charges invoke broad provisions of the Espionage Act that make it a crime to disclose or retain any defense information knowing it "could be used to injure" the U.S. The act has no exception for reporters or publishers, but prior administrations have balked at invoking the law against journalists for fear of colliding with the First Amendment. The Justice Department immediately sought to draw a distinction between Assange and the press in a briefing for reporters announcing the new indictment."The department takes seriously the role of journalists in our democracy and we thank you for it," said John Demers, head of the department's National Security Division. "It has not and never has been the department's policy to target them for reporting. But Julian Assange is no journalist." Demers cited WikiLeaks' publication of the names of U.S. government sources, saying it endangered people in China, Iran, and Syria.WikiLeaks on Twitter called the prosecution "the end of national security journalism and the First Amendment."Assange is currently serving an 11-month sentence in the U.K. for jumping bail in a Swedish rape investigation, while the U.S. pushes its request to extradite him to the United States on computer hacking charges revealed in April. He was kicked out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London that month after taking refuge there from authorities for seven years. The leaked documents comprised 250,000 State Department cables, 90,000 Army field reports from Afghanistan and 400,000 from Iraq, and 800 detainee assessment briefs from Guantanamo Bay. Assange released most of that material without redaction, and the new indictment claims that the U.S. sources identified in the leaks were put in harm's way as a result. "By publishing these documents without redacting the human sources' names or other identifying information, Assange created a grave and imminent risk that the innocent people he named would suffer serious physical harm and/or arbitrary detention," the indictment alleges. He is also charged with two counts of conspiracy for allegedly working with Manning to violate the Espionage Act and the anti-hacking Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The FBI and federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia, first began investigating Assange in 2010 and amassed a wealth of internal WikiLeaks chats and documents from informants and subpoenas. But the Obama administration was reluctant to indict Assange. A former senior Justice Department official told The Daily Beast last month that the Trump administration saw Assange's case as a way to pursue its war on leaks. "There was renewed interest under the new administration to revisit issues of what qualifies as the media and to look back at the Assange case," said Mary McCord, who was acting head of DOJ's National Security Division. Despite the barrage of leaks in the years following the Manning disclosures, there were signs as early as 2017 that the Justice Department was still focused on the leaks that first put WikiLeaks on the map. A witness at the grand jury proceedings that produced Thursday's indictment told The Daily Beast that prosecutors were specifically probing Assange's reluctance to redact his leaks for any reason."They showed me chat logs in which I was arguing vehemently with him about releasing documents that would leave people vulnerable and put people's lives at risk," said David House, a former WikiLeaks volunteer, in an interview last March. "That was the only thing they put in front of my face that made me think, 'This may be what they're going after him for.'"No U.S. sources are known to have come to harm as a result of the leaks, likely in part because of a massive remediation effort launched in the weeks before Assange published the material. The indictment takes pains to distinguish WikiLeaks from conventional journalism outfits in other ways as well, quoting Assange's own description of his site as an "intelligence agency of the people" and lingering on Assange's chats with Manning in which he encouraged and guided the soldier in the leaking. It also claims Manning deliberately sought out military secrets that were listed on a "most wanted leaks" section on WikiLeaks' website.None of this is strictly relevant to the Espionage Act. If the Justice Department included these details to make the Assange prosecution more palatable to journalists and free speech advocates, it's not working. "Any government use of the Espionage Act to criminalize the receipt and publication of classified information poses a dire threat to journalists," said Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a statement. "This is an extraordinary escalation of the Trump administration's attacks on journalism, and a direct assault on the First Amendment," said the ACLU's Ben Wizner. "It establishes a dangerous precedent that can be used to target all news organizations that hold the government accountable by publishing its secrets."How Assange Could Beat the U.S. and Stay Out of JailRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Tornados kill three in central US, damage Missouri state capital Posted: 23 May 2019 06:25 AM PDT  Three people were killed in the small town of Golden City, Missouri, officials said, while the midwestern state's capital Jefferson City was struck by what the National Weather Service called a "large and destructive" tornado Wednesday night. The tornado caused significant damage, trapping people in buildings and homes, and knocking down power lines and trees. Rescue workers were checking door-to-door for survivors Thursday, some 20 people were injured and treated at hospitals overnight, and more injuries were expected, officials said.
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| Narendra Modi Declares Victory in Indian Elections. Here's What to Know Posted: 22 May 2019 08:50 PM PDT  What's at stake, who voted, key issues and more
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| Trump antagonist Avenatti indicted for ripping off Stormy Daniels, extorting Nike Posted: 22 May 2019 07:03 PM PDT  The Nike indictment concerns charges announced in March that Avenatti tried to extort more than $20 million from the athletic wear company by threatening to expose what he called its improper payments to recruits for college basketball teams it sponsored. Avenatti also faces dozens of charges in southern California, where prosecutors on April 11 accused him of stealing millions of dollars from clients to pay for personal and business expenses, and lying to the Internal Revenue Service and a Mississippi bank about his finances. If convicted on all charges, Avenatti could face more than 400 years in prison, but would likely face a lesser punishment.
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| Almost 40% of Americans Would Struggle to Cover a $400 Emergency Posted: 23 May 2019 09:13 AM PDT  The Fed's 2018 report on the economic well-being of households, published Thursday, indicated "most measures" of well-being and financial resilience "were similar to, or slightly better than, those in 2017." The slight improvement coincided with a decline in the average unemployment rate to 3.9% last year, from 4.3% in 2017. The statistic, which was a bit better than in the 2017 report, has become a favorite rejoinder to U.S. President Donald Trump's boasts about a strong economy among Democratic politicians, including 2020 presidential candidate Kamala Harris, the U.S. senator from California. "Relatively small, unexpected expenses, such as a car repair or replacing a broken appliance, can be a hardship for many families without adequate savings," the report said.
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| Huawei needs Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows 10 like fish need water Posted: 23 May 2019 04:06 PM PDT  The import ban the Trump administration imposed on Huawei a few days ago was the next logical step in the trade war against China. While some people may have foreseen it, given the ZTE practice run from before, it still sent shockwaves through the industry. Huawei is prepared to fight, even as numerous business partners from the US and other countries confirm they're putting their business dealings with the Chinese giant on hold.One of the things Huawei confirmed earlier this week is that it'll move forward with an operating system of its own, which we'll call Huawei OS for lack of a better alternative, and which could launch as early as fall. That operating system is based on Android, and it's supposed to run both on smartphones and tablets. But, make no mistake, Huawei needs Google's version of Android and Microsoft's Windows 10, no matter what.Huawei might be in a hard place right now, but things will work out one way or the other. With the ban in place, it's not just Huawei that loses, but US and international companies as well. That said, Huawei will probably want to be more prepared in the future, which is why it makes sense to see it launch an operating system of its own.Huawei OS, however, only has a chance to catch on over in China, where Google doesn't have a presence, and where Huawei could easily make an Android of its own. Convincing smartphone users in Western markets to ditch a phone with Google's Android, on the other hand, will be an uphill battle. Huawei doesn't have alternatives to Google's apps, especially the Google Play Store, not to mention other popular services like YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps.The same thing goes for Windows 10. Good luck trying to replace Windows 10 on Huawei laptops in Europe, the US, or anywhere else where Windows is still popular -- which is pretty much everywhere.But that's not the only reason why Huawei can't afford to lose its licenses with Google and Microsoft. In addition to the operating systems, these two firms bring Huawei the credibility they desperately need in Western countries. There's no better way to fight the US government's claims that Huawei hardware isn't as secure than having strong partners in companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Intel vouch for the security of your devices.Google's Sebastien Missoffe and Bob Borchers, Microsoft's Kurt Petersen, or Intel's Christian Morales and Chris Walker are just a few of the top execs who appeared on stage during Huawei's product launch events in recent years. Huawei didn't just invite them to talk about the product that was about to be unveiled, but also to send a clear message that these US tech titans trust the Chinese company. In turn, these companies would not have attended the events if that weren't the case. Add to that the marketing clips that Huawei aired ahead of some of its press conferences, featuring carrier partners from various countries that sell Huawei products, and it's clear that Huawei has been desperately trying to make it clear to consumers that they will be safe when using Huawei devices.That doesn't mean the US government is wrong to assert that Huawei may have closer ties to the Chinese government than intelligence agencies would want. Or that you should be careful when trusting any company with your private data.But knowing that Huawei's phones and laptops run the latest versions of Android and Windows 10, complete with regular security updates, should put your mind at ease. The alternative -- running a Huawei OS that can't be defended as vigorously and independently as Android and Windows when it comes to security and privacy -- might not sound great to tech-savvy buyers in Western countries looking to spend top dollar on hardware. And that's why Huawei will have to do whatever it takes to keep its Android and Windows 10 deals in place for as long as possible. Huawei OS alone won't cut it.There's also the argument that both Google and Microsoft, and all the other companies who just cut ties with Huawei, don't like the import ban. But that doesn't change the fact that Huawei can't just distance itself from the world's top operating systems, no matter how great Huawei OS might be.
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| The Cadillac CT4 Is the Brand's Future Entry-Level Sedan—and There Will Be a CT4-V Posted: 23 May 2019 07:20 AM PDT  Replacing the ATS, it will do battle with the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz A-class.
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| Rep. Nadler falls ill during public meeting on Upper West Side Posted: 24 May 2019 09:33 AM PDT  Rep. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, became ill during a public meeting on speed cameras with Mayor de Blasio on the Upper West Side.
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| China bemoans US 'bullying' of Huawei Posted: 22 May 2019 08:54 PM PDT  China's foreign minister has slammed US moves against telecom giant Huawei as "economic bullying", and warned that Beijing was ready to "fight to the very end" in its trade war with Washington. The trade spat between the world's top two economies escalated after President Donald Trump issued orders on grounds of national security last week that have prompted several foreign firms to distance themselves from Huawei.
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| In new charges against Assange, groups see cause for concern Posted: 23 May 2019 06:43 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — New charges filed against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange quickly drew alarm Thursday from media organizations and others. The groups are concerned that the Justice Department is charging Assange for actions that ordinary journalists do routinely in their jobs.
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| May to Announce Departure Date Friday, FT Says: Brexit Update Posted: 23 May 2019 12:48 PM PDT  Key Developments:May will inform her advisers Friday morning of the day she plans to stand down, the FT reportedMay's Brexit legislation isn't listed for debate in the first week of June as promised, but the government says it still hopes to put it to Parliament that weekEU elections are under way. The prime minister will meet with her advisers at 10 a.m. to reveal her decision and will also meet Graham Brady, chairman of the rank and file 1922 Committee, it said. May appeared determined to re-write her Withdrawal Agreement Bill to make it palatable to her party when she met with Home Secretary Sajid Javid, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
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| African swine fever threatens French deli meats producers Posted: 23 May 2019 06:00 AM PDT  French deli meats makers are being squeezed by a surge in pork prices linked to an African swine fever epidemic that has decimated the pig herd in China, they said on Thursday, warning of potential bankruptcies in the sector. African swine fever, a highly contagious virus, has spread to every province on the Chinese mainland since August last year, killing millions of animals and prompting China - the world's biggest pork producer - to turn to imports earlier this year. In a knock-on effect, French live pork prices have gained 24% since early March, with a rise of as much as 30% for some ingredients used in making deli meats like saucisson, cooked ham and dry-cured ham, making it hard for producers to pass such price rises on to clients, industry association FICT said.
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| Ford presents home-delivery robot Posted: 23 May 2019 08:08 AM PDT  The American automaker Ford has unveiled "Digit," a two-legged, almost human-like robot capable of making home deliveries. Designed in collaboration with Agility Robotics, Digit can walk, go up and down stairs, and carry packages of up to 40 pounds (just over 18kg), like a human. Ford's technology, research and development department is full of surprises.
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| AT&T is the first major US wireless carrier to let you pay via cryptocurrency Posted: 24 May 2019 01:48 PM PDT  If you're an AT&T mobile customer, and you have some extra bitcoin lying around that you're not doing anything with, you can now use it to pay your phone bill.AT&T just became the first big US wireless carrier to announce that its customers can now use cryptocurrency to make payments, as greater acceptance of this digital medium of exchange can be seen at companies ranging from AT&T to cable provider Dish, which also lets its customers pay via cryptocurrency. Likewise, Facebook on Friday garnered headlines over a report that it's set to launch its own cryptocurrency for use on the social network early next year.About AT&T's move, all customers need to do is select the BitPay option at MyAT&T. BitPay is an Atlanta-based bitcoin payment service provider, and it's also worth noting: This is an option that only currently works online and via the myAT&T app, so it's not as yet available for in-store payments."We're always looking for ways to improve and expand our services," said Kevin McDorman, vice president, AT&T Communications Finance Business Operations, in a statement about the new payment option. "We have customers who use cryptocurrency, and we are happy we can offer them a way to pay their bills with the method they prefer."There are of course a slew of different cryptocurrency options out there, and AT&T's announcement doesn't specify a particular kind. BitPay's website, though, notes that currencies it supports include Bitcoin, Gemini USD, and Paxos, to name a few.As of now, it's a safe bet to assume that crypto payments will probably remain a small minority of AT&T's customer payment mix for the near future. That's thanks to everything from the general public's unfamiliarity with the digital asset to obstacles like its fees and high volatility, the latter being two of the most frequent criticisms you hear.Still, expect to keep hearing more announcements like this as companies keep experimenting. Just a few weeks ago, for example, retailers like Whole Foods and GameStop likewise announced they'll be getting in on the act too, accepting cryptocurrency through the Flexa payment network.
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| The Audi TT Is Getting Replaced by an "Emotive" Electric Car Posted: 23 May 2019 07:22 AM PDT  The new model will sit in the same price range as the current TT.
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| UN agency for Palestinians rejects US call to dismantle it Posted: 23 May 2019 04:41 AM PDT  The head of the United Nations organisation for Palestinian refugees on Thursday rejected a US call to dismantle the agency, saying it cannot be blamed for stalled peace efforts. UNRWA's commissioner general Pierre Krahenbuhl rebuffed the criticism from US envoy Jason Greenblatt during a visit to the Gaza Strip. "I unreservedly reject the accompanying narrative that suggests that somehow UNRWA is to blame for the continuation of the refugee-hood of Palestine refugees, of their growing numbers and their growing needs," he said in response to a question about Greenblatt's comments.
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| Photos of the 2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Posted: 23 May 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| The Democrats' Pointman on Impeachment Posted: 23 May 2019 03:20 AM PDT  Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has a tough job in Congress amid Democrat impeachment pleas and Trump allies denying subpoenas.
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| Teen arrested in attack on off-duty firefighter defending elderly couple on Upper East Side Posted: 23 May 2019 10:57 AM PDT  The 17-year-old suspect told reporters that he was "defending his friend." He's charged with second-degree assault.
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| The Latest: Runaway barges cause 'minimal' damage to dam Posted: 23 May 2019 06:03 PM PDT  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on severe weather moving across the central United States (all times local):
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| China denounces U.S. "rumours" and "lies" about Huawei ties to Beijing Posted: 24 May 2019 03:06 AM PDT  China on Friday denounced U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for fabricating rumours after he said the chief executive of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd was lying about his company's ties to the Beijing government. The United States placed Huawei on a trade blacklist last week, effectively banning U.S. firms from doing business with the world's largest telecom network gear maker and escalating a trade battle between the world's two biggest economies. Pompeo, speaking on Thursday, also dismissed Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei's assertions that his company would never share user secrets, and said he believed more American companies would cut ties with the tech giant.
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| Download these 5 apps before your next trip Posted: 24 May 2019 04:30 AM PDT ![Download these 5 apps before your next trip]( "Download these 5 apps before your next trip") There are millions of apps available for your phone, but you can't take all of them on your next trip. So which travel apps should you pack?
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| Theresa May Set to Announce Her Timetable to Quit as Tory Leader Posted: 24 May 2019 12:29 AM PDT  Theresa May is set to announce a timetable for her resignation as U.K. prime minister, plunging British politics into turmoil and putting the fate of Brexit in doubt. May plans to quit as Tory leader with an election to choose her replacement beginning on June 10, according to people familiar with the matter. The result will shape the direction of Brexit and all options -- from leaving with no deal to canceling the divorce -- are now back on the table.
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| Surprise: The ‘AI bot’ people talk to on Google Duplex calls is sometimes actually a person Posted: 23 May 2019 06:36 AM PDT  When Google unveiled Google Duplex last year at I/O 2018, the brand new Assistant feature looked terrific. It was the kind of futuristic technology nobody else had. With a simple voice command, you could instruct the Assistant to make restaurant reservations for you by placing a phone call using an AI bot. But soon after that keynote, it became clear that Duplex is somewhat creepy, as Google failed to identify the robocall to the other person. It was also kind of disingenuous, since the entire demo wasn't live.Google dealt with those issues at the time and Google Duplex deployment continued, culminating with this year's I/O announcement that the feature will be available in 44 states. Also, Google said that Duplex is getting similar functionality for booking reservations on the web. But a brand new report reveals additional details that were previously not known about Duplex, which brings the creepy back. It turns out that Google employees are actively involved in making many of these Duplex calls.A report from The New York Times reveals that about 25% of calls placed through Duplex started with a human. Beyond that, 15% of calls that started off with the Duplex AI bot had a human intervene at some point.The whole point of using the Assistant to make restaurant reservation is to eliminate the human side of things. That's why Google Duplex appeared to be so amazing in the first place. Having humans involved in the whole thing is where things get strange. Yes, maybe Duplex needs human oversight and the best way to train AI is by having it work with a lot of examples to learn from. But Google never really mentioned this human aspect of Google Duplex, which sort of ruins the magic of it all. Yet again, it's somewhat disingenuous.Also, there's user privacy to take into account. A human interacting with a restaurant on your behalf is different from a computer doing it, as the human is also let in on the booking information. It may seem trivial, but where does one agree to involve a Googler in setting up one's dinner plans?Google does say on its support pages that Duplex calls are recorded for quality assurance, which means someone may listen to your reservations:> If the customer wants to book an appointment, the Assistant will confirm specific details like the customer's preferred time, type of service, or size of party. Once this information is confirmed, the Assistant will try to book an appointment with your business by using an online booking partner (if available) or by calling your business using the automated voice-calling technology Duplex (calls are recorded for quality assurance).Also, Google has a tiny note that a manual operator might start calls in the frequently asked questions section, although it's hardly enough (emphasis ours):> At the start of the call, you'll hear the reason for the call and that the call is from Google. You can expect the call to come from an automated system or, in some cases, a manual operator.Google Duplex is clearly a far less polished product that Google led us to believe a year ago. Also, considering its renewed interest in protecting the user's privacy, Google should do a much better job explaining what goes on behind the scenes of a Google Duplex call when it comes to your privacy. The full Times report, complete with examples that explain what a human-made Google Duplex call looks like, is available at this link.
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| Modi plots course after landslide Indian election win Posted: 24 May 2019 12:57 PM PDT  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met allies and former mentors Friday to plot a course for his second term after a landslide victory left the once-mighty Gandhi dynasty reeling. A considerable to-do list includes addressing India's lacklustre economic growth and reducing unemployment, as well as fixing a stricken agriculture sector on which 70 percent of households depend. Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 303 seats, its best ever score, giving it an even bigger majority than five years ago and defying predictions of a dip, final results confirmed Friday.
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| 2019 Honda CR-V Recalled for Randomly Deploying Airbags Posted: 23 May 2019 10:00 AM PDT  Nearly 120,000 of the SUVs are being recalled, and metal burrs in manufacturing are said to be the issue.
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| Trump calls 'treason' on Comey, McCabe and 'a number of people' Posted: 23 May 2019 02:44 PM PDT  President Trump on Thursday escalated his attacks on those involved in launching the federal investigation into his campaign's contacts with Russia, saying "a number of people" are guilty of treason.
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| Deutsche Bank plans cuts in U.S. equities, prime unit -sources Posted: 23 May 2019 11:27 AM PDT ![Deutsche Bank plans cuts in U.S. equities, prime unit -sources]( "Deutsche Bank plans cuts in U.S. equities, prime unit -sources") Deutsche Bank is planning cuts at its U.S. equities business, including prime brokerage and equity derivatives, to win over shareholders unhappy about its performance, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing told shareholders at the bank's annual meeting on Thursday it was prepared to make "tough cutbacks" at its investment bank. The bulk of the anticipated U.S. cuts will come from its money-losing equities business, which includes cash equities trading.
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| NASA unveils schedule for 'Artemis' 2024 Moon mission Posted: 23 May 2019 01:23 PM PDT  NASA on Thursday unveiled the calendar for the "Artemis" program that will return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in half a century, including eight scheduled launches and a mini-station in lunar orbit by 2024. The original lunar missions were named for Apollo -- Artemis was his twin sister in Greek mythology, and the goddess of hunting, wilderness and the Moon. Affixed to its summit will be the Orion capsule, for which Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor.
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| Theresa May is latest Conservative leader swamped by Europe Posted: 24 May 2019 04:04 AM PDT  LONDON (AP) — Theresa May has joined the ranks of Conservative prime ministers whose time in office has been overwhelmed — and cut short — by the issue of Europe.
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| Trip bundling is growing: Here are 6 places you can plan a trip from start to finish Posted: 23 May 2019 06:07 AM PDT  Trip bundling is becoming more popular as it saves time and often money.
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| Samsung’s next foldable smartphone may avoid the pitfalls of the Galaxy Fold Posted: 23 May 2019 01:50 PM PDT  The age of the foldable smartphone stumbled right out of the gate as multiple Galaxy Fold review units suffered from serious malfunctions before the device could even make it to market. As a result, Samsung was forced to delay the launch of its first foldable smartphone (which still doesn't have a release date).With that in mind, it's worth noting the Galaxy Fold won't be Samsung's last foldable phone, and this week, Patently Mobile dug up a recent Samsung patent for a device with similar ambitions, but a completely different design. Rather than have the main screen fold in on itself and slap a tiny screen on the outer shell, the device described in the patent would feature a "fold-out" form factor, with the main display on the outside.The patent says the fold-out phone will have a flexible display spread across two cases which are joined by a hinge with a sliding mechanism. When the phone folds outward, the slide cover slides along a rail groove, which allows the phone to fold out evenly. Samsung has also including a locking unit to keep the unfolded device firm.In the first image from Patently Mobile, you can see what the device would look like fully unfolded:In the second image, you can see what the phone looks like when it is completely folded in half, as well as when it is in the process of being unfolded. This is clearly a totally different concept than the Galaxy Fold:As exciting as new form factors can be, the Galaxy Fold has shown the potential pitfalls of releasing an exciting new device before it's ready for primetime. Hopefully, Samsung has learned its lesson, so when or if this fold-out foldable smartphone ever hits the market, it will be sturdy enough to last.
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| GSK's shingles vaccine approved for use in China in adults aged 50 and above Posted: 23 May 2019 09:59 AM PDT  GlaxoSmithKline Plc said on Thursday its shingles vaccine had been approved for use in China in adults aged 50 and above. The company said the vaccine will be introduced in phases in China, starting in 2020, to ensure reliable supply to all countries, where it has been launched. Shingrix, which has already been approved for use in the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, brought in 357 million pounds ($452.03 million) in the latest quarter.
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| Dog shot, dad held at gunpoint by masked intruders at family's home in southeast Houston Posted: 24 May 2019 04:53 AM PDT  One of the intruders held the dad at gunpoint as his wife and children slept inside. The dog was shot when it lunged at the suspects.
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| Ukraine's Zelensky says first days of presidency 'a shock' Posted: 23 May 2019 10:21 AM PDT  Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian with no previous political experience, on Thursday said his first days in office have been "a bit of a shock". "There's a lot of work," the 41-year-old told AFP on the sidelines of an international book fair in the capital Kiev. "I do not like the atmosphere, the building," said Ukraine's sixth president since independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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| The Latest: Coats says spy agencies to cooperate with Barr Posted: 24 May 2019 12:52 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Trump and the Russia investigation (all times local):
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