| The Latest: Harris says she is fully committed to Iowa Posted: 09 Jun 2019 03:40 PM PDT  Amid questions from Iowa activists about whether her campaign is taking Iowa seriously, California Sen. Kamala Harris told reporters she is "fully committed" to the state and that it will be "a very important part" of winning the nomination. Harris said that her visits to Iowa had been helpful to her campaign, by giving her insight into issues affecting voters not just in Iowa but nationwide.
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| House Judiciary Committee Allowed to Take Notes on Evidence From Mueller Probe Posted: 10 Jun 2019 04:38 PM PDT  Chip Somodevilla/GettyMembers of the House Judiciary Committee will be able to take notes on Mueller investigation evidence, and keep those notes after viewing the closely held documents, The Daily Beast has learned. There may be a hiccup, however: A source familiar with the situation cautioned that the White House will likely have access to any evidence that could implicate its equities and executive privilege, and may try to step in and block members of Congress from seeing material it deems privileged. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler start the arm-wrestle with the Justice Department after Special Counsel Robert Mueller released his report on Russian election meddling in April, demanding the full unredacted report and its underlying evidence. The fight grew tense, with members of his committee threatening to subpoena Attorney General Bill Barr. Then, on Monday afternoon, Nadler announced he and the Justice Department had made a deal, and that his committee would not try to use contempt proceedings to force the DOJ to cough up Mueller documents. Nadler's announcement said staff and members of the committee would get access to "key evidence" Mueller gathered on obstruction of justice. A source familiar with the deal told The Daily Beast that the materials in question will stay at DOJ headquarters, nine blocks from the Capitol building. Members will have to hoof it over there to review the docs. Mueller Report Rollout Won't Have MuellerA Democratic committee source then shared a detail on Nadler's deal regarding the notes and access to them. Members of the committee—both Democrats and Republicans—will be able to take notes on Mueller's evidence and will be able to keep those notes after they leave DOJ headquarters, per the source and a second person familiar with the deal. Committee staff who see the documents will be able to take notes as well, a second source familiar with the deal confirmed. A DOJ official said the deal requires that members and staff store those notes in a secure committee facility and only show them to people authorized to see them.That official also told The Daily Beast that the outlines of the deal Nadler announced today are very similar to those outlined in a May 7 proposal the DOJ made to the chairman. That proposal wasn't accepted, and House Judiciary members voted on May 8 to take the first step toward holding Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt of Congress.The May 7 proposal, per the DOJ source, would have let committee members and staff view a minimally redacted version of Mueller's report, with the promise that there would be another negotiating session after they read it regarding its underlying evidence––in other words, 'Read the report, then we'll talk.' Viewing the underlying evidence wasn't off the table, but it wasn't exactly on the table, either. That offer didn't fly. The new agreement gives Nadler, all 41 committee members, and multiple staffers access to some of the report's tightly held underlying evidence. 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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| China's exports beat forecast to rise as trade war heats up Posted: 09 Jun 2019 11:49 PM PDT  China's exports beat gloomy forecasts to rebound in May though imports sank more than expected, official data showed Monday, as concerns lingered about the impact of its ongoing trade war with the United States. The spat between the world's top two economies escalated last month, with President Donald Trump increasing tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. The politically sensitive surplus with the United States was $26.9 billion, up from $21 billion in April.
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| Opioid manufacturer Insys files for bankruptcy after kickback probe Posted: 10 Jun 2019 03:22 AM PDT  The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing marked a first for a drugmaker accused in lawsuits of helping fuel the deadly U.S. opioid endemic and came just days after Insys struck a $225 million settlement with the Justice Department. The department is now Insys' largest unsecured creditor due to Wednesday's accord, which resulted in a subsidiary pleading guilty to fraud charges and the company entering into a deferred prosecution agreement. The bankruptcy filing came after a federal jury in Boston in May found Insys founder John Kapoor and four other former executives guilty of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy centered on its fentanyl spray, Subsys.
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| Toyota Details Six New EV Models Launching for 2020–2025 Posted: 10 Jun 2019 09:17 AM PDT  The automaker is pushing its electric-car rollout up a few years in response to global demand.
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| Sporting Rifles: The 5 Best That Can Fire a Bullet (Who Made the List?) Posted: 09 Jun 2019 10:00 PM PDT  Introduced to the American civilian market in 2007, the MR556 is the civilian version of the Heckler and Koch 416 assault rifle. Like the 416, the MR556 uses the gas-piston operating system, a significant break from the direct impingement system used in the AR-15. In fact, the system is similar to that used in the Mini-14. The result is a rifle that releases dirty gases instead of using them to cycle the rifle, making the weapon cleaner running and less prone to overheating. The MR556 is identical to the 416, lacking only the ability to fire burst or fully automatic fire. The U.S. Marine Corps new standard infantry weapon, the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, is based upon the 416.(This first appeared last year.)The field of modern sporting rifles—semiautomatic rifles with detachable magazines—has exploded in popularity over the past decade. The expiration of the Federal 1994–2004 Assault Weapons Ban and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fueled an interest in these weapons. Innovation, in part due to research and development into military small arms, introduced new and interesting rifle designs. Here are the top five modern sporting rifle designs.AR-15
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| Police detail man's threat behind panic at DC LGBTQ parade Posted: 09 Jun 2019 07:18 PM PDT  A man threatened another person with a BB gun during an LGBTQ pride parade in the nation's capital and set off a panic that sent hundreds of people, who mistakenly believed gunshots were fired, running in fear, police said Sunday. Aftabjit Singh, 38, was arrested on weapons possession and disorderly conduct charges after Saturday evening's incident in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where thousands of people packed the streets to celebrate in the city's annual pride parade. Although no gunshots were fired, hundreds of people ran from the area, knocking down metal police barricades and running into stores, fearing that a gunman had opened fire on the crowd of revelers.
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| Sanders on bills with Hyde Amendment: 'Sometimes ... you have to vote for things you don't like' Posted: 09 Jun 2019 10:23 AM PDT  The senator from Vermont went on to emphasize his support for abortion rights.
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| Kroger recalls some of its frozen berries after FDA warns about possible Hepatitis A contamination Posted: 09 Jun 2019 12:00 PM PDT ![Kroger recalls some of its frozen berries after FDA warns about possible Hepatitis A contamination]( "Kroger recalls some of its frozen berries after FDA warns about possible Hepatitis A contamination") Kroger said Friday it's recalling three varieties of Private Selection frozen berries due to possible Hepatitis A contamination.
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| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hints at sharp divisions within the Supreme Court Posted: 09 Jun 2019 09:36 PM PDT  Ginsburg warns of more 5-4 decisions ahead; reaction from Fox News senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano.
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| White House Official Seeks to Delay U.S. Law Targeting Huawei Posted: 09 Jun 2019 06:45 PM PDT  In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, White House acting budget chief Russell Vought asked to delay a provision of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that bars any executive agency, government contractor or company that receives a government loan or grant from using Huawei equipment. Vought warned that the law will place burdens on U.S. companies that use Huawei technology, according to the person. The Wall Street Journal, which reported Vought's letter earlier Sunday, said he warned that the law could dramatically reduce the number of companies that would be able to supply the U.S. government.
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| 70 Super Simple Healthy Seafood Recipes Posted: 10 Jun 2019 11:04 AM PDT |
| American Airlines cancels 737 MAX flights through September 3 Posted: 09 Jun 2019 09:31 AM PDT  American Airlines has canceled all scheduled flights with Boeing 737 MAX jets through September 3, extending the grounding of its fleet after two crashes involving the same aircraft model killed 346 people. The airline had previously canceled all 737 MAX flights through August 19 as it awaited recertification of the aircraft in the wake of the crashes. The extension means that American Airlines will have canceled 115 flights since grounding its 14 737 MAX aircraft.
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| Trump lashes out after New York Times casts doubt on his Mexico tariff deal Posted: 09 Jun 2019 09:03 AM PDT  President Trump ripped into the New York Times after the newspaper questioned his new deal with Mexico to avoid the tariffs he threatened to impose in retaliation to illegal immigration.
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| Detroit chief says neo-Nazis sought gay pride event violence Posted: 10 Jun 2019 04:31 PM PDT ![Detroit chief says neo-Nazis sought gay pride event violence]( "Detroit chief says neo-Nazis sought gay pride event violence") Detroit police officers prevented violence by a neo-Nazi group that wanted to spark "Charlottesville No. 2" during a gay pride festival over the weekend, the city's police chief said Monday. Chief James Craig said five people among about 15 white supremacists were openly carrying firearms — which is allowed under Michigan law — while they traded barbs with 15-20 counterprotesters during the Motor City Pride festival in downtown Detroit. Officers worked to keep the two groups separate after getting word that the neo-Nazi group wanted to spark violence similar to the deadly 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Craig said.
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| US embassies defy Trump administration orders not to fly LGBT+ flags Posted: 10 Jun 2019 02:23 AM PDT  Since the US State Department began rejecting all embassy requests to hoist rainbow flags outside the mission buildings during LGBT+ Pride Month this year, some diplomats have been finding ways to defy, or at least get around, the new policy.The facades of the US missions in Seoul and Chennai, India, are partially hidden behind large rainbow flags, while the embassy in New Delhi is aglow in rainbow-coloured lights.The website for the embassy in Santiago, Chile, shows a video of the chief diplomat raising a rainbow flag last month for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.The Vienna Embassy's website features a photo of a rainbow flag flying below Old Glory on a mast jutting from the building, a statement by Diplomats for Equality and a story about a professor lecturing on the visibility and growth of LGBT\+ rights.US diplomats in Jerusalem joined a March for Pride and Tolerance, and several ambassadors have tweeted photos of themselves in local Pride parades or standing outside the embassies surrounded by employees holding up letters spelling "PRIDE"."This is a category one insurrection," said one diplomat, who like others interviewed about the sentiment over the rejections, which were not made in writing, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being fired.A practice routinely approved for most of the decade at many embassies now requires top-level approval from the State Department. But this year, as first reported by NBC News, all requests were nixed.The flap over the flags started when the State Department did not send out an official cable this year with guidelines for marking Pride Month, as it has in years past.In 2011, the Obama administration directed agencies involved with foreign policy to promote LGBT+ rights, a striking policy for an agency that, up to the early 1990s, considered homosexuality a security risk and cause for termination.The Obama administration's Pride Month guidelines included rules for flying rainbow flags from poles outside embassies – they had to be smaller than the American flag and fly beneath it.But permission was granted with no fuss. By 2016, approvals were left up to each ambassador or chief of mission.That process changed last year, after Mike Pompeo became secretary of state.An evangelical Christian who believes marriage should be defined as between a man and woman, Mr Pompeo has said gay employees will be respected and treated like everyone else.But he has downplayed some symbols of LGBT+ rights, while introducing several new panels and envoys specialising in religious freedom issues.The advisory cable that came out last year said diplomats are required to obtain top-level approval from the State Department's Office of Management to fly a rainbow flag.The State Department declined to answer questions about the Pride Month advisory and rainbow flag ban. But two diplomats familiar with the events said all requests last year were approved.This year, there was a shift.Embassies in Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia, plus a handful of other posts, asked to fly rainbow flags. All were denied, said a person at the State Department who was familiar with what happened.Although most embassies seem to be towing the line, the policy shift appears to have sparked something of a revolt among diplomats.Foreign Service officers have complained on a private Facebook page that nobody should have asked for permission anyway.Some embassies that have flown the flag in previous years opted this year to commemorate the month by posting on their websites president Donald Trump's statement affirming LGBT+ rights and inviting nations to join a global campaign to decriminalise homosexuality.The initiative was the idea of Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, who is gay.Some embassies got playful with the display of Mr Trump's statement.In Brasilia, for example, the statement is topped by a photo of two hands holding six Play-Doh letters in rainbow colours: LGBTQ.But some did not mention Mr Trump's statement at all, an absence made more glaring by the juxtaposition with statements by ambassadors and secretaries of states left over from previous years.Some gay employees in the foreign and civil service say the ban on flying the rainbow flag is just the tip of an iceberg of slights.Mr Pompeo has not issued a statement for Pride Month, as he did last year.He did not attend the State Department's annual Pride Day event for two years running as his predecessors usually did, though he was travelling in Europe this year.Instead, he dispatched deputy secretary of state John Sullivan, a veteran diplomat who promised that the State Department will advocate for gay diplomats and their families."Day by day, a death by a thousand cuts, our rights as LGBT+ Americans are being eroded with the removal of a guidance here, the rewriting of a policy there, or just the quiet disappearance of a web site," Robyn McCutcheon, a transgender woman who has served in several posts abroad, wrote in her blog "Transgender at State", lamenting what she has observed throughout the government in the past two years."It should come as no surprise that this erosion would happen also at the US Department of State."Some acknowledge that their worst fears have not been borne out.The administration has appointed several gay ambassadors.Mr Trump became the first Republican president to make a statement celebrating Pride Month. No one has been fired for sexual orientation, but some said they have felt more vulnerable after Mr Trump tried to ban transgender people from the military.Better, they said, to not even discuss LGBT+ issues publicly and risk the consequences of drawing attention to themselves."We fly below the radar," one employee said. "We survive because they don't realise we're here."Washington Post
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| Company executives denounce abortion restrictions in New York Times ad Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:57 AM PDT ![Company executives denounce abortion restrictions in New York Times ad]( "Company executives denounce abortion restrictions in New York Times ad") Scores of technology, media and fashion executives took out a full-page advertisement in the New York Times on Monday to denounce restricting access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare. The advertisement follows a string of company executives in recent weeks who threatened to pull investments in states enacting new laws that limit abortion rights. Nine states, including Alabama, Georgia and Missouri have passed abortion laws this year that all but ban the procedure.
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| Meet the Russian Army's New PL-15 Pistol: Better Than a Glock or Sig Sauer? Posted: 08 Jun 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The PL-15 is hyped up by Kalashnikov Concern to be one of the best pistols in the world. Said to be light, accurate, and soft-shooting, Kalashnikov Concern plans to start producing the gun in 2019. However, the Russian military has not yet expressed official interest in procuring the gun. But should they? Does the PL-15 represent a large step up from existing sidearms?The short answer is, yes. The Russian military still predominantly uses the 9x18mm Makarov pistol, a single stack design from the 1950s. The PL-15 represents a quantum leap ahead of this ancient design, being a modern, striker-fired pistol. However, the Makarov is likely to soldier on for much longer in wide service.The story of the PL-15 begins in 2014, when Dmitri Lebedev, the pistol's namesake and primary designer, was recruited by Kalashnikov Concern to work on a new pistol. Lebedev had worked in small arms for many years prior, being an armorer and competitor for various Russian competition shooting teams.He began work in a new pistol, called the PL-14 that would amalgamate the features of most successful foreign pistols into a domestic design. The pistol featured a low bore axis and long beavertail similar to Glock, Steyr M, and Caracal pistols, an internal double-action trigger similar to the original FN Five-seven, and low profile recessed controls suitable for duty use.
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| 39 Ice Cream Sandwiches You Need In Your Life ASAP Posted: 10 Jun 2019 12:48 PM PDT |
| Ten Tories Stand to Be PM in Crowded Leader Race: Brexit Update Posted: 10 Jun 2019 10:08 AM PDT  The Conservative leadership race burst into life as candidates set out rival visions for how to deliver Brexit. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt -- bolstered by new endorsements -- warned the party risks annihilation if it fails to take Britain out of the European Union. Environment Secretary Michael Gove tried to ride out a storm over his past drug use and took a swipe at the favorite, Boris Johnson.
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| Trump lashes out at New York Times over Mexico deal revelations Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:10 AM PDT  Story said Mexico agreed concessions months agoAttacks on press are subject of new book by CNN's Acosta The New York Times building is seen in New York. Photograph: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump on Monday returned to the offensive over criticism of his immigration deal with Mexico, accusing the New York Times of "sick journalism" for reporting that key components of the deal, announced on Friday, had been agreed for months. He tweeted: "When will the Failing New York Times admit that their front-page story on the the new Mexico deal at the Border is a FRAUD and nothing more than a badly reported 'hit job' on me, something that has been going on since the first day I announced for the presidency! Sick Journalism." Trump's tweet followed a similar attack on Sunday, when, en route to Virginia for a second day of golf at his private club there, he accused the New York Times of "bad reporting" and "Fake News" for its coverage of migrants crossing the southern border into the US. In the deal announced by Trump on Friday, Mexico agreed to use its national guard to keep migrants seeking US asylum in Mexico. In return, Trump said he would not go ahead with his threat to impose tariffs on all Mexican goods entering the US. However, it emerged via the New York Times that Mexico had agreed to the deal in negotiations over the past six months, rather than because of Trump's threat. The paper also reported that US attempts to reject asylum seekers that had traveled through Mexico but not sought refuge there first had failed. Democrats seized on the reports. Presidential contender Beto O'Rourke told ABC: "I think the president has completely overblown what he purports to have achieved. These are agreements that Mexico had already made, in some cases, months ago. "They might have accelerated the timetable but by and large the president achieved nothing except to jeopardize the most important trading relationship that the United States of America has." On Monday, Trump continued to insist he would push ahead with tariffs should Mexico not fulfill the deal. An increase in migration to America's southern border has prompted a series of increasingly belligerent tweets and proposals from Trump, including raising the possibility of indefinite detention of those who attempt to seek refuge in the US. In May, more than 132,000 people were apprehended at the southern border, according to US Customs and Border Protection, the highest monthly number in the past 13 years. The large majority of these people were comprised of family groups, mostly from Central America. A total of 24 immigrants have died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) custody during the Trump administration, according to an NBC analysis. The US court system is also overloaded, with almost 900,000 immigration cases pending. Trump's battle with large parts of the American media could bubble back into view this week with the publication of a book by CNN's White House correspondent Jim Acosta. Acosta had his White House pass temporarily revoked last year after a clash with Trump at a press conference. His book, The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America, will be published on Tuesday. In May, the Guardian obtained an early copy. Acosta writes that when Trump began his attacks on "fake news" outlets including CNN, the Times, the Washington Post and more, it was an act conceived by adviser Steve Bannon in the absence of effective Democratic opposition. Acosta's thesis is that this spiralled out of control, to potentially dangerous effect. Acosta said on CNN on Sunday: "Some of his supporters feel it's OK to lash out at us in ways that I think put us in danger. And I think we have to hit the pause button and think deeply about whether or not this is the kind of country we want to hand off to our kids." Acosta also said he wished "at times that the press had been in more solidarity with each other and standing up to this White House and say, 'The president can't call us the enemy of the people, we're not going to go along with that.' "We are not just here to report the news, we are here to defend the truth. When you have a president who has made 10,000 false or misleading statements since the beginning of his administration, that makes us fact checkers in real time." Acosta's book contains anonymously sourced reporting likely to anger the president further. One "senior White House official" is quoted as saying: "The president's insane."
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| China's trade surplus soars, as exports unexpectedly edge up Posted: 09 Jun 2019 11:31 PM PDT ![China's trade surplus soars, as exports unexpectedly edge up]( "China's trade surplus soars, as exports unexpectedly edge up") Chinese exports edged up in May, surprising markets, but analysts say the rebound is likely to be short-lived given higher U.S. tariffs and slowing global growth. China's monthly trade surplus jumped 78% to $41.7 billion, as exports rose 1.1% to $213.8 billion and imports fell 8.5% to $172.2 billion, the Chinese customs agency said Monday. The fall in imports reflects weak domestic demand, analysts said.
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| What Catholic bishops must do to prevent sexual abuse and hold clergy accountable Posted: 10 Jun 2019 09:10 AM PDT  The Roman Catholic Church has been plagued by sexual abuse scandals for years. Here's what it can do to clean up now and to prevent future abuse.
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| Up to two million Syrians could flee to Turkey if clashes worsen: U.N. Posted: 10 Jun 2019 03:16 AM PDT  Up to 2 million refugees could flee to Turkey if fighting intensifies in northwestern Syria as aid funds run dangerously low, the United Nations said on Monday. Syria's Russian-backed military has been pressing an assault on rebels in their last major stronghold with air attacks and ground battles that have already forced tens of thousands to leave their homes. "Our fear is if this continues, and if the numbers continue soaring, and if the conflict intensifies, that we could see really hundreds of thousands, a million, two, heading toward the borders with Turkey," the U.N. Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Panos Moumtzis, said.
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| Father's Day 2019: Paganism, roses and how the campaign to celebrate dads was won Posted: 10 Jun 2019 01:04 AM PDT  Father's Day, the official calendar date to honour our wonderful dads and celebrate fatherhood, is fast approaching. Recognised each June, the day sees children around the world present their dads with cards and gifts as a thank you for all they do. But when did the first observance of Father's Day take place and who helped establish the annual celebration of paternal figures? From the history behind the celebration, to the more recent commercialisation, here is everything you need to know about Father's Day. When is Father's Day 2019? Father's Day is held every year on the third Sunday of June; this year Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 16 in the UK. Typically, fathers are showered with cards and presents on Father's Day, with some families celebrating together by going on days out. Younger children also tend to make handmade gifts for their fathers at school and extracurricular clubs, including drawings, paintings or cards. As society and family structures have changed, some people now celebrate their stepfathers on Father's Day. In recent years there have been calls for a Stepfather's Day, however no such day has been officially discussed or introduced. Father's Day falls on June 16 this year Credit: E+ The history of Father's Day The first events in recognition of fatherhood took place in the US and followed Anna Jarvis' first celebration of Mother's Day in 1908, as well as the earlier observations of Mothering Sunday in the UK. Grace Golden Clayton, from Fairmont, West Virginia, was the woman behind the first event to celebrate fathers in 1908. Just over a year prior to this event, the Monongah Mining Disaster took place in December 1907, with the explosion killing 361 men. Of these fatalities, 250 were fathers. In honour of the one thousand children who lost their fathers, Clayton encouraged her pastor, Rev. Robert Thomas Webb, to hold a service at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South. Clayton missed her own father terribly, after he passed away in 1896, so she chose to honour the lives lost on July 5, 1908, the closest date to his birthday. While Clayton was responsible for the first recognition of fatherhood and the paternal bond, her work didn't directly encourage the creation of Father's Day. The memorial service was never promoted outside the town of Fairmont and the service was overshadowed by the significant Independence Day celebrations held a day beforehand. Yet the idea was also picked up on in the following year, when Sonora Smart Dodd started her quest to honour fathers in the same way as mothers. Dodd, born in Arkansas in 1882, was one of six children and at the age of seven, she moved to Washington with her family. When she was 16 years old, her mother, Ellen Victoria Cheek Smart, died after giving birth to her sixth child, leaving her father, William Jackson Smart, a farmer and Civil War veteran, as a single parent. After listening to a Mother's Day sermon at the Central Methodist Episcopal Church in 1909, Dodd felt that fathers deserved equal recognition. With the local YMCA and the Ministerial Association of Spokane, Dodd began a campaign to have the day officially recognised. The first such 'Father's Day' was held at the YMCA in Spokane on June 19, 1910, with a number of towns and cities across America later following suit. Support for Father's Day quickly increased throughout the US and in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge pressured state governments to mark the celebration. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honouring fathers in 1966, making the third Sunday in June Father's Day. Six years later President Richard Nixon signed it into law, establishing the day as a national holiday – though in the UK it does not enjoy this status. The move came after a campaign by a number of public figures, including Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who in 1957 wrote to Congress: "Either we honour both our parents, mother and father, or let us desist from honouring either one. "But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable." Dodd's message later spread to other countries across the globe and it is thought that Britain began celebrating Father's Day after World War II. Today, the celebration of fathers has become an important commercial event for high street shops and online retailers, with promotions for the best gifts and cards appearing in the build up to the day each year. Father's Day around the world While in the UK fathers can expect, at best, breakfast in bed and handmade card and, at worst, the day to be completely ignored, elsewhere the festival is done a little differently. In Germany, Father's Day is called Vatertag with it also being referred to as Männertag, which means men's day. The celebration falls on the Thursday 40 days after Easter. In certain regions it is traditional for groups of men to go into the woods with a wagon of beer, wines and meats. Heavy drinking is common and, according to official statistics, traffic-related accidents spike on this day. In Australia, Father's Day falls on the first Sunday of September, which is their first Sunday of Spring, while in Croatia, they observe Roman Catholic tradition and celebrate fathers on March 19, Saint Joseph's Day. In China, Father's Day used to be celebrated on August 8 as the Chinese for eight is "ba", while a colloquial word for father is "ba-ba" – so the eighth day of the eighth month sounds similar to "daddy". The day has since been moved to the third Sunday of June, in line with the UK and US. In France, the day was introduced in 1949 for commercial reasons by lighter manufacturer Flaminaire. Inspired by the US' day of celebration, they created a new advert with the slogan 'Nos papas nous l'ont dit, pour la fête des pères, ils désirent tous un Flaminaire' ('Our fathers told us, for father's day, they all want a Flaminaire'). Three years later an official decree was made to recognise the day. Most countries celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday in June including the UK, USA, Mexico, Ireland, France, Greece, China and Japan. However not all countries celebrate it then. In Brazil, Father's Day falls on the second Sunday of August and this day was chosen in honour of Saint Joachim, the patron saint of fathers. According to Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox traditions, Joachim was the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The ultimate films on fatherhood Father's Day tales and traditions Some pagans suggest that Father's Day is closely linked to the Pagan Sun worship, because the sun is thought to be the father of the universe and the celebration of dads falls closely to the summer solstice. Roses are the official flower of Father's Day, with people previously wearing them to church on this date. While this tradition is rarely seen today, sons and daughters used to wear either a red rose in admiration of a living father or a white rose in memory of a deceased father. Sonora Smart Dodd, the founder of Father's Day, selected this flower and it is said that during the early celebrations, she handed out roses to home-bound fathers, while on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city. Father's Day gifts and presents From cutesy cards, socks and ties to luxurious watches and fantastic car experiences, Britons present their paternal figures with an array of unique gifts on Father's Day. But, demand for the perfect Father's Day present has led to the increasing commercialisation of the day, with retailers competing to offer the best gifts and consumers heading to their high street shops and online retailers. According to MuchNeeded, Father's Day is a popular shopping day in both the UK and US, with 75 per cent of men expected to celebrate the occasion this year. While Britons and Americans spend a significant amount on Father's Day each year, on average it only accounts for half the spending around Mother's Day. Is it Father's Day, Fathers' Day or Fathers Day? Ah, the age old question. The answer? Many say Father's Day is the correct version. Mother's Day (which has the apostrophe before the 's') set the precedent while Father's Day was still gaining popularity. Anna Jarvis trademarked the term 'Mother's Day' – with the apostrophe before the 's' – in 1912, saying the word should 'be a singular possessive, for each family to honour its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world'. President Woodrow Wilson used this spelling when he formalised Mother's Day in 1914; this means the correct version of the word is spelled with the apostrophe before the 's'. Father's Day has followed suit, with cards on both sides of the pond including the apostrophe in the same place.
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| How to Find and Cancel Recurring Credit Card Charges Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:24 AM PDT ![How to Find and Cancel Recurring Credit Card Charges]( "How to Find and Cancel Recurring Credit Card Charges") Checking your credit card statements regularly can help you weed out recurring charges that are costing you money. Recurring charges to your credit card can add up quickly, even if they're small amounts. Knowing how to spot these charges -- and eliminate them -- can help you sidestep an overinflated credit card bill.
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| Gutfeld celebrates the fourth anniversary of his show Posted: 08 Jun 2019 07:22 PM PDT  Greg Gutfeld thanks D-Day veterans and weighs in on President Trump's visit to the U.K.
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| US axes non-essential services for kids at migrant shelters Posted: 08 Jun 2019 06:30 PM PDT  When reporters toured a shelter for immigrant children in February, authorities showed off classrooms, soccer fields and art studios to prove the kids were being treated well. This week President Donald Trump's administration cancelled all that special care, citing a lack of funding. Some 13,200 children and teens, most of them Central American, are being held in 168 shelters for minors in 23 states across the United States.
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| No US-Mexico deal exists despite Trump's claim, Mexico foreign minister says Posted: 10 Jun 2019 09:39 AM PDT  The Mexican foreign minister says no secret immigration deal exists between Mexico and the US, just hours after President Donald Trump tweeted that a "fully signed and documented" agreement would be "be revealed in the not too distant future."Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's top diplomat, said in a news conference in Mexico City on Monday that there was an understanding that both countries would evaluate the number of migrants crossing the border of Mexico and the United States in the coming months, according to the New York Times. If the number is no significantly reduced, Mr Ebrard says, both nations will renew discussions about changes to regional asylum rules. According to American officials, those numbers will be reviewed in 45 days, and again in 90 days.This plan for assessment of the situation before coming to a new arrangement directly contradicts a tweet sent by Mr Trump early Monday morning."We have fully signed and documented another very important part of the Immigration and Security deal with Mexico, one that the US has been asking about getting for many years," the president wrote."It will be revealed in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico's Legislative body!.." he continued. "We do not anticipate a problem with the vote but, if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!"Mr Ebrard said in his own news conference that such an agreement on the asylum changes does not exist.An agreement announcement last Friday, he said, delayed the discussion needed by the Mexican senate. This gives Mexico time to prove to the president that would reduce the flow of immigration, which he has maintained is a problem.Mr Ebrard says the understanding negotiators have reached relies on still more research and discussion."Let's have a deadline to see if what we have works and if not, then we will sit down and look at the measures you propose and those that we propose," he said, describing the ongoing process.It remains unclear what the president's tweets referred to. He has not yet tweeted a response to Mr Ebrard's conference.
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| Extradition bill pushes Hong Kong to a political crisis Posted: 10 Jun 2019 08:44 AM PDT  A highly controversial legislative measure in Hong Kong that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China has pushed the former British colony to its biggest political crisis in years. While Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the legislation will help the semi-autonomous Chinese territory protect human rights, opponents say the changes would significantly compromise its legal independence, long viewed as one of its key distinctions from mainland China. "We still feel very different from China," said retired public servant Ronny Chan, who was watching a soccer game in a park in the Wanchai district.
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| Supreme Court to hear Comcast appeal in Byron Allen racial bias suit Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:52 AM PDT  The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear cable television operator Comcast Corp's bid to throw out comedian and producer Byron Allen's racial bias lawsuit accusing the company of discriminating against black-owned channels. The justices will review a decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that cleared the way for a $20 billion civil rights lawsuit against Comcast to proceed. At issue in the litigation is the refusal by Comcast to carry channels operated by Entertainment Studios Networks, owned by Byron Allen, who is black.
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| How Does the Chevrolet Silverado's New Duramax Turbo-Diesel Engine Compare against Ford and Ram? Posted: 10 Jun 2019 11:48 AM PDT  We look at the numbers: It's a dog-eat-dog truck world out there, and Chevrolet just took a big bite.
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| Japan says human error likely cause of F-35A jet crash Posted: 09 Jun 2019 11:42 PM PDT  Human error was the likely cause of an F-35A fighter jet crash in April, Japan's defence ministry said Monday, and flights of the stealth jet will resume after new training measures. The jet crashed into the sea in April after the 41-year-old pilot suffered "spatial disorientation", in which a person loses their sense of balance, the ministry concluded. "The crash was likely caused by spatial disorientation of the pilot, not technical problems with the aircraft," a ministry official told AFP.
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| Boy, 12, seriously wounded in Roseland shooting Posted: 08 Jun 2019 08:27 PM PDT  A 12-year-old boy is in serious condition after being shot Saturday afternoon in Roseland on the Far South Side.
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| Could Driverless Cars Damage Demand for Air Travel? Posted: 10 Jun 2019 06:15 AM PDT  As driverless cars become more capable and more common, they will change people's travel habits not only around their own communities but across much larger distances. Our research has revealed just how much people's travel preferences could shift, and found a new potential challenge to the airline industry.Imagine someone who lives in Atlanta and needs to travel to Washington, D.C., for business. This is about a 10-hour drive. A flight takes about two hours, assuming no delays. Add to that the drive to the airport, checking in, the security line and waiting at the gate. Upon arrival in D.C., it may take another 30 minutes to pick up any checked bags and find a rental car – and even more time to drive to the specific destination. The average person would estimate a total travel time of four to five fours. Most people would choose to fly instead of driving themselves.
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| 19 Democratic Presidential Candidates Took the Stage Sunday. No One Stood Out Posted: 09 Jun 2019 07:22 PM PDT  Nineteen of the 24 Democratic presidential candidates took the stage in Iowa on Sunday at the largest cattle-call yet.
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| Senators hope to force vote on arms sales to Saudi Arabia Posted: 09 Jun 2019 02:20 PM PDT ![Senators hope to force vote on arms sales to Saudi Arabia]( "Senators hope to force vote on arms sales to Saudi Arabia") Opposition to President Donald Trump's Saudi Arabia policy and use of executive power is building in Congress, where senators have introduced more legislation aimed at blocking the sale of weapons to the kingdom. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Democrat, and Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, a Republican, said in a statement Sunday they hope to force a vote on U.S. security assistance to Saudi Arabia, including arms sales, after a review of the kingdom's human rights record. Anger has been mounting in Congress for months over the Trump administration's close ties to the Saudis, fueled by high civilian casualties in the Saudi-led war in Yemen — a military campaign the U.S. is assisting — and the killing of U.S.-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.
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| Google Maps could alert passengers when their taxi goes off route Posted: 10 Jun 2019 07:15 AM PDT  According to a media report, Google Maps is testing a new feature that would send users an alert if their taxi strays 500 meters off route. Later this summer, Maps will also send you an alert if your route could be affected by a crisis and will likewise reroute the path to avoid any dangers. Adding alerts for route deviations is just another way Google is working to keep users safe.
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| Renault warns Nissan it will block governance reshuffle Posted: 10 Jun 2019 12:14 AM PDT  In a statement, the Japanese firm said it had received a letter from Renault "indicating intention to abstain from voting", a move that would mean the proposed changes fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. "Nissan finds Renault's stance on this matter most regrettable, as such a stance runs counter to the company's efforts to improve its corporate governance," CEO Hiroto Saikawa said in a statement. Renault's decision, first reported by the Financial Times, was taken over fears the proposed governance changes could reduce its influence, the paper said.
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| The 2019 Ford Ranger XL SuperCab Is Cheap and Quick Posted: 10 Jun 2019 11:05 AM PDT  At less than $30,000, Ford's base Ranger is a solid, largely vice-free workhorse.
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| June deals: How, where to get free food – iced tea, burritos and tacos – and discounts Posted: 10 Jun 2019 12:55 AM PDT  Monday is National Iced Tea Day and National Egg Roll Day. It's also the last chance to get free Chipotle delivery and enter for a a free burrito.
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| Apple releases iOS 12.3.2 for iPhone with a fix for an annoying bug Posted: 10 Jun 2019 10:00 AM PDT  We're all anxious for iOS 13 following Apple's big reveal at WWDC last week, but the iPhone maker still isn't finished with iOS 12 quite yet. On Monday, Apple rolled out iOS 12.3.2, which appears to be little more than a bug fix for select iPhone 8 Plus users that have been experiencing issues with Portrait mode depth effects.With just a few months to go until iOS 13 launches this fall, it seems likely that iOS 12.4 (and any subsequent 12.4 releases) will be the end of the line for iOS 12. Several betas have already rolled for iOS 12.4, and other than support for the Apple Card, there don't appear to be many significant changes to the operating system.Here's what Apple provided in terms of details about the iOS 12.3.2 update, which is available now:> iOS 12.3.2 resolves an issue that could cause Camera to capture Portrait mode photos without depth effect on some iPhone 8 Plus devices.As for device compatibility, iOS 12.3.1 is only available for the iPhone 8 Plus. Other devices will find that iOS 12.3.1 is the latest available version, and it's compatible with the following devices: * iPhone XS * iPhone XS Max * iPhone XR * iPhone X * iPhone 8 * iPhone 8 Plus (iOS 12.3.2) * iPhone 7 * iPhone 7 Plus * iPhone 6s * iPhone 6s Plus * iPhone 6 * iPhone 6 Plus * iPhone SE * iPhone 5s * 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation * 12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation * 10.5-inch iPad Pro * 9.7-inch iPad Pro * iPad Air 2 * iPad Air * iPad 5th generation * iPad mini 4 * iPad mini 3 * iPad mini 2 * iPod touch 6th generationIf you want to update your device to iOS 12.3.2 now, you can do so by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update on your device and tapping "Download and Install" at the bottom of the page. You can also apply the update through iTunes by connecting your iOS device to a computer.
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| The Color Trends We’ll Be Seeing in 2020, According to Sherwin-Williams Posted: 10 Jun 2019 03:30 AM PDT  The company just announced its forecast, which includes 45 hues divided into five themes
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| Hong Kong pushes forward with extradition bill despite massive protests Posted: 10 Jun 2019 12:17 AM PDT  Hong Kong's chief executive, Carrie Lam, made clear on Monday that she would move forward with a controversial law allowing extradition to mainland China even after an estimated one million people protested over the weekend. "I have not received any instruction or mandate from Beijing to do this bill," she told reporters. "We were doing it – and we are still doing it – out of clear conscience, and our commitment to Hong Kong." "Hong Kong has to move on; nobody wants Hong Kong to be a fugitive offenders haven," she said. The extradition bill, proposed in April, would enable Hong Kong to extradite fugitives, including foreign nationals, to mainland China for the first time. It has drawn outcry from foreign envoys, lawmakers, human rights defenders and business groups who have raised fears it would erode rule of law in Hong Kong and leave individuals vulnerable to unfair trials. Standing firm: Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, flanked by justice secretary Teresa Cheng (left) and Security John Lee Ka-chiu, security security Credit: JEROME FAVRE/EPA-EFE/REX China's ruling Communist Party exerts extensive influence over the courts, and human rights experts have pointed out how authorities extract forced confessions, use physical torture, and slap trumped up charges against critics. The British government warned the bill could have a "chilling effect on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms" and damage confidence in the principle of "one country, two systems" that China and Britain agreed to before the 1997 handover. Mark Field, the minister for Asia, told the House of Commons on Monday that he had made clear to Ms Lam and her colleagues that the city "must enjoy the full measure of the high degree of autonomy and rule of law" set out in the 1984 Joint Declaration that paved the way for the return of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule. "While we welcome efforts by the Hong Kong government to respond to the unprecedented levels of public concern, the FCO is clear that the changes they have proposed fail to address fully the core issues we and others have raised," he said in response to urgent question from the Labour MP Catherine West. Anger: Protesters block roads with barricades during clashes with police Credit: ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP/Getty Images A string of protests have been staged in Hong Kong, with the largest turnout on Sunday when organisers say a million flooded the city and its public transport system. Police had a more conservative estimate, saying at its peak the crowds were around 240,000. Demonstrators defied the thirty-degree heat to march to the city's Legislative Council, waving banners that denounced the law and calling for Ms Lam's resignation. Pedestrian traffic was largely standstill in some areas given the massive crowds. "For Carrie Lam to push forward with these streets is an insult to the one million people who peacefully took to the streets on Sunday," said Man-Kei Tam, director of Amnesty International in Hong Kong, an advocacy group. On Monday, a state media editorial in Communist Party mouthpiece China Daily, denounced the protests, saying "foreign forces are seizing the opportunity to advance their own strategy to hurt China by trying to create havoc in Hong Kong." "Any fair-minded person would deem the amendment bill a legitimate, sensible and reasonable piece of legislation that would strengthen Hong Kong's rule of law and deliver justice. Unfortunately some Hong residents have been hoodwinked." Riot police shout at protesters during clashes after a rally against the controversial proposed extradition law Credit: PHILIP FONG/AFP/Getty Images The territory has long enjoyed greater freedom and autonomy than mainland China under the Joint Declaration, which guarantees the city's liberties until 2047, 50 years after the former British colony was handed back to Beijing. But recent changes have worried many that those freedoms are quickly disappearing. Since 2017, Beijing has pressured city authorities to squash dissent by expelling elected officials, jailing activists, and outlawing political parties.
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