| EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S. Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:00 PM PDT ![EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S.]( "EXCLUSIVE-Iran's release of Lebanese prisoner was failed overture to U.S.") Iran's release last month of Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese businessman with U.S. permanent residency, after four years in prison was meant as an opening for U.S.-Iranian talks, according to three Western sources familiar with the issue. The gesture, however, was not enough for Washington, which did not pursue it. "It was a missed opportunity," one U.S. source said of Zakka's June 11 release and the U.S. decision not to pursue talks.
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| Sister of Saudi crown prince tried in France over 'beaten workman' Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:18 AM PDT  A sister of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia went on trial Tuesday in a French court over the alleged beating of a workman who was carrying out repairs in her ultra-luxury Paris apartment. Hassa bint Salman is a daughter of King Salman and a sister of powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman who is known by his initial "MBS" and is seen by many analysts as the de-facto leader of the kingdom.
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| 'Criminal act' caused Crete death of likely American victim Posted: 10 Jul 2019 10:08 AM PDT  Antonis Papadomanolakis told The Associated Press Wednesday that final confirmation was still needed to confirm the identity of the body found Monday outside the port city of Chania, but he added it was highly likely it was Suzanne Eaton, a 59-year-old molecular biologist, who was reported missing last week. "The only thing we can say is that the (death) resulted from a criminal act," the coroner said. Eaton, who worked at the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, Germany, had been attending a conference in Crete.
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| Tourist says she was raped, thrown off resort balcony in Dominican Republic Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:21 AM PDT  A New York City woman claims she was raped and thrown off a second-floorbalcony in the Dominican Republic last month, according to WABC
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| Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam Says Extradition Bill Is ‘Dead’ as Unrest Continues Posted: 09 Jul 2019 02:03 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong protest leaders vowed to return to the streets after the city's leader declared her controversial extradition bill "dead," suggesting her latest effort to resolve a weeks-long political crisis had backfired.Demonstrators issued new calls for people to join their rallies despite Chief Executive Carrie Lam's acknowledgment Tuesday that the legislation, which would for the first time allow extraditions to China, wouldn't get passed. Although it's the closest she's come to admitting defeat after an unprecedented wave of unrest -- including the ransacking of the city legislature last week -- she stopped short of agreeing to protesters' demand to withdraw the bill."The bill is dead," Lam told reporters Tuesday in Hong Kong. "Our work on the extradition bill amendment is a complete failure."Lam's refusal to formally retract the proposal left open the possibility that the government could revive it with 12 days' notice and provided a new rallying point for a protest movement that has persisted through repeat marches, extreme heat and tear gas volleys from police. Opponents of the bill planned another rally Sunday in East New Territories district of Sha Tin, in an attempt to show support far from the city center."She's only putting oil on the fire," Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki told reporters Tuesday. "We will anticipate more outcry, more people coming out to the streets to demand for democracy in Hong Kong."Earlier: Beijing's Message to Hong Kong: Get in Line or Face IrrelevanceThe legislation has helped unify the former British colony's once-fractured opposition, drawing hundreds of thousands into the streets and illustrating a source of domestic weakness for Chinese President Xi Jinping in the middle of a growing strategic struggle with the U.S. Lam's attempts to quiet the unrest -- first "pausing" efforts to pass the legislation, then apologizing -- have only fueled more protests.Besides demanding the complete withdrawal of the bill, opponents want Lam to resign and drop charges against demonstrators arrested during police clashes. Protesters mustered one of the largest marches ever in city's Kowloon district Sunday, even after the decision by some protesters to break into and vandalize the Legislative Council chamber drew widespread condemnation.The turmoil has raised new questions about Hong Kong's long-term viability, almost halfway through China's 50-year promise to preserve capitalist markets and personal freedoms established by the British. Lam and her backers in Beijing so far appeared determined to hang on, or risk emboldening an opposition bent on slowing their agenda and securing a direct election for chief executive."Stepping down is not an easy thing," Lam said, in response to a question about whether she planned to resign. "I still have the enthusiasm and responsibility to serve the public. I hope the public can give my team and myself a chance and space to implement a new administration style."Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing had "nothing new to add" since backing Lam's June 15 decision to suspend efforts to pass the legislation. "The Chinese central government already expressed our support, understanding and respect," Geng said.Extradition ConcernsThe legislation would let Hong Kong enter one-time deals to transfer criminal suspects to various jurisdictions, including mainland China. The measure fanned worries among the business community and the city's democracy advocates about the erosion of the "one country, two systems" framework set up before Hong Kong's return to China.Hong Kong's dollar fell back into the weak half of its trading band as traders predicted the city's recent liquidity squeeze is nearing its end, though there was no indication Lam's remarks had impacted the move. The currency was down 0.15% at 7.8113 per dollar as of 4:14 p.m. local time.Leaders of student groups that have participated in recent protests also rejected an offer from Lam for public talks to reconcile their differences, saying any such meeting must focus on their core demands. Some activists pointed out that four of the five student leaders who Lam met with during a previous bout of mass protests in 2014, when she was the city's No. 2 official, were later prosecuted for their roles."Carrie Lam's invitation for dialogue is a trap," said Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized the biggest recent protests. "Carrie Lam said she has repeatedly reflected on her work and apologized, but a key thing she hasn't reflected on is that there's no one in Hong Kong who trusts her, and she hasn't contemplated why nobody has faith in her."Lam has failed to heal divisions in the former British colony two years after taking over from her unpopular former boss, Leung Chun-ying, who was forced to forego seeking a second term due to widespread discontent. While Lam may have underestimated the opposition to her extradition bill, her task was complicated by the requirement to serve two masters -- Hong Kong and Beijing -- without a public vote to provide a mandate.Billy Gung, a 27-year-old accountant who has attended the largest recent protests, said the extradition bill was a piece of the bigger political problem. "Even if the extradition law is dead, there will be other bills in the future that favor Beijing and are not in the interest of Hong Kong," Gung said.\--With assistance from Bruce Grant, Fion Li, Will Davies and Sharon Chen.To contact the reporters on this story: Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net;Carol Zhong in Hong Kong at yzhong71@bloomberg.net;Kari Lindberg in Hong Kong at klindberg13@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| McConnell cites Obama in reparations debate: 'We both are the descendants of slave owners' Posted: 09 Jul 2019 12:55 PM PDT  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responds to reports that his great-great-grandfathers owned slaves.
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| Nevada authorities investigate what may be first death related to California earthquakes Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:44 AM PDT  Authorities in Nevada are investigating a man's death which may be the first attributed to the earthquakes that hit Southern California last week.
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| Freshman Rep. Veronica Escobar reports death threats over asylum story Posted: 09 Jul 2019 05:19 PM PDT  Texas Democrat says federal authorities looking into threats against her, her family and aides
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| Why Trump Is Standing by Acosta on the Epstein Plea Deal Posted: 09 Jul 2019 03:56 PM PDT  Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettySince late last year, different factions have been pressuring Donald Trump to sack Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, but as of Tuesday evening, the president was still sticking to a script that he's honed when confronting allegations against his powerful friends and allies: double down and stand by your man. "For two and a half years, he's been just an excellent secretary of Labor. He's done a fantastic job," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. "If you go back and look at everybody else's decisions, whether it's a U.S. attorney or an assistant U.S. attorney or a judge… I would think you'd probably find that they would wish they maybe did it a different way. I do hear that there were a lot of people involved in that decision, not just him. I can only say this from what I know, and what I do is he's been a great—really great—secretary of Labor."The president added that "we'll look at it very carefully, we'll be looking at that very carefully, OK?" In February, Trump's then-press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was "certainly looking into" Secretary Acosta's handling of a secret plea deal. It is unclear if that review ever concluded or even started, and if Trump on Tuesday was referring to a different, or the same, alleged internal review.It's not the first time in this administration—or in his life as a businessman—Trump has expressed sympathy with his powerful friends and allies in the face of damning allegations, even in situations where people have been accused of horrific sexual assault.Still, some of Trump's aides and confidants have privately urged the president to show Acosta the door. And many of the Labor secretary's prominent defenders have gone publicly silent as the Epstein scandal mounts.Starting in at least late February, several close advisers and aides have recommended to President Trump that he ditch Secretary Acosta, in large part due to public-relations damage done by a Miami Herald investigative series, according to one senior administration official and another source with knowledge of the conversations. In February, a federal judge also ruled that prosecutors in Florida, including Acosta, broke the law in signing the plea agreement with Epstein."The administration should have gotten rid of Acosta after the original Miami Herald story," said a former Trump administration official. "Even if he did nothing technically illegal, the optics of the plea deal are awful. To give a monster like Epstein such a friendly deal should disqualify Acosta from ever holding another job in the public sector again."On top of that, some top officials have recently and repeatedly complained about what they view as Acosta's insufficiently ruthless approach to deregulation."I think the president is right now thinking that this thing is deeper than Acosta," former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), a Trump surrogate, said on Tuesday. "I don't think he's going to let the Democrats get away with making this all about Acosta… The great thing that the Trump presidency has established is that the traditional thinking about 'people are saying bad things about me, I gotta run and hide,' is over. [President Trump has] challenged the very notion that if someone accuses you of something, you're gone. He's given people the chance to live another day."But, Kingston said, if Acosta "starts cowering, then I think it's over for him."For now, the secretary of Labor is sticking to his guns, but in recent weeks, federal prosecutors in Georgia met with victims to discuss potential remedies to Epstein's illegal 2007 plea agreement inked by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami—and at least one victim demanded that Acosta resign.Spencer Kuvin, the attorney for that victim, said her priority is to see Epstein charged for his Florida crimes. She also asked for the government to make Epstein's entire case file public, including external and internal communications within Acosta's former office relating to the financier's sweetheart deal. "And then lastly, I know my client said, 'I want Acosta to step down,'" Kuvin told The Daily Beast last month.Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled Acosta's office violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act by keeping Epstein's victims in the dark about the controversial 2007 non-prosecution agreement (NPA). Indeed, Acosta and his team worked behind closed doors (including at a secret "breakfast meeting," according to court records) with Epstein's high-powered attorneys to downgrade the charges to state court. On Tuesday, Kuvin said of Acosta, "It's truly unbelievable that he continues to hold a job in one of the highest offices of the United States.""So now you have a U.S. Attorney who broke the law who is now running the Department of Labor," Kuvin told The Daily Beast. "How does somebody like that keep their job?""It's unfathomable that the president would keep someone like that on the job. But sadly, it's unsurprising given Trump's history with the defendant in this case. Trump socialized with Epstein. He was photographed with Epstein, called him a 'terrific guy,'" Kuvin said, referring to Trump's 2002 praises of the pervy financier."They lived only blocks away from each other in Palm Beach," Kuvin added of Epstein and Trump, "ran in the same circles, went to the same parties.""Epstein is a man who has and had very powerful friends," Kuvin said. "Whether a royal in England, with his friendship with Prince Andrew, Trump here in the United States, politicians like [Bill] Clinton that he knew and socialized with."Kuvin continued, "The press needs to stay vigilant now on Epstein Part 2. Because in Epstein Part 1, he got all the breaks."Meanwhile, Jane Does 1 and 2, who sued the government over Epstein's plea deal, have asked to meet personally with Acosta, as well as the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida—a request the feds ignored in their own court filings. The victims filed court papers on Tuesday in response to the feds, which are arguing that Epstein's shady NPA should be upheld. (The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is representing the government, after prosecutors in South Florida, where the Jane Doe case was filed, recused themselves.)"While Mr. Acosta has chosen not to speak to the Epstein victims previously, he has chosen to make public statements—when it has served his purposes," the Jane Does stated in the filing. "For example, in a March 2011 statement released to the media (but not to Epstein's victims), Acosta claimed that going to trial against Epstein would have faced a 'reduced likelihood of success.' That claim seemed dubious at the time—and yesterday's indictment in New York casts further doubt on it.""Mr. Acosta should explain to Epstein's Florida's victims why his judgment was so much different than the skilled prosecutors in New York," they added.For his part, Acosta has been tweeting about Epstein's bust in New York, and in defense of his handling of the money-manager's case a decade ago. "The crimes committed by Epstein are horrific, and I am pleased that NY prosecutors are moving forward with a case based on new evidence," he wrote Tuesday."With the evidence available more than a decade ago, federal prosecutors insisted that Epstein go to jail, register as a sex offender and put the world on notice that he was a sexual predator," Acosta added, referring to his old Miami office. Kuvin wasn't buying the damage control. "Basically what Acosta is saying," Kuvin said, "is that SDNY did a better job investigating than they did."Jack Scarola, an attorney who represents the Jane Does, told The Daily Beast that Trump should join the chorus of people demanding answers on Acosta's role in Epstein's soft treatment and why the deal was kept secret from the dozens of underage girls Epstein molested."Federal District Court Judge Kenneth Marra has detailed the factual basis for his specific finding that then-US Attorney Acosta entered into an illegal agreement with attorneys for Jeffrey Epstein to actively conceal from Epstein's child victims the existence of the Government's plea deal with Epstein," Scarola said.But "the victims were not only kept in the dark, they were actively lied to by government agents," Scarola added. "Hiding the secret deal was inexcusable. The terms of the secret deal are totally unjustifiable. The available evidence of Epstein's guilt was overwhelming a decade ago when Epstein was granted immunity from federal prosecution. Any contrary assertion alleging weaknesses in the case is absurd. That position is clearly evidenced by the decision of the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to prosecute Epstein more than a decade after his years of child molestation and rape."Scarola said the fact that Acosta's office also gave Epstein's co-conspirators immunity is "even more egregious.""That kind of get-out-of-jail-free card is unprecedented and a patent abuse of prosecutorial discretion," Scarola added. "Mr. Acosta has a lot of explaining to do and none of his public statements to date come anywhere close to providing a rational explanation."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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| Two US Marines arrested for migrant trafficking Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:42 PM PDT  Two US Marines have been arrested for smuggling undocumented Mexican migrants into the United States in exchange for money, according to a court document. Byron Darnell Law II and David Javier Salazar-Quintero were arrested on July 3 along the Mexican border in Jacumba, California, the document said. The three Mexican nationals seated in the back of the Marines' vehicle were prepared to pay $8,000 "to be smuggled into the United States," although it is unclear to whom they would have paid the money.
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| The Latest: Iran says US sanctions are 'warfare' Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:46 AM PDT  Iran has recently breached the deal's limits on uranium enrichment, in an attempt to pressure European partners to find a way around sanctions imposed by the U.S. after it withdrew unilaterally from the pact last year. Iran's representative to international organizations in Vienna, Kazem Gharib Abadi, told a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency Wednesday U.S. actions were "neither legitimate nor legal" and should not be accepted by the international community.
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| Sri Lanka police chief, ex-defense secretary released on bail in Easter attacks case Posted: 09 Jul 2019 06:20 AM PDT  Sri Lanka's police chief and former defense secretary were released on bail on Tuesday, a week after they were arrested over allegations that they failed to prevent the Easter Day bomb attacks that killed more than 250 people. Colombo magistrates' court granted their release and will hear the case on July 22, Anuja Premaratne, who is representing both the accused, told Reuters. The Criminal Investigation Department last week arrested Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and former secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando while they were both receiving treatment in hospital.
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| 85+ Low-Carb Dishes That Will Make Your Diet A Breeze Posted: 10 Jul 2019 02:58 PM PDT |
| Exclusive: The true origins of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. A Yahoo News investigation. Posted: 09 Jul 2019 03:00 AM PDT  In the summer of 2016, Russian intelligence agents secretly planted a fake report claiming that Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was gunned down by a squad of assassins working for Hillary Clinton, giving rise to a notorious conspiracy theory that captivated conservative activists and was later promoted from inside President Trump's White House, a Yahoo News investigation has found.
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| $3.7 million in cash discovered in abandoned boat in Puerto Rico, Border Patrol says Posted: 09 Jul 2019 01:25 PM PDT  Authorities followed a boat to the island's coast and found five duffel bags containing $3.7 million in cash.
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| 91 Freeway shooting: Family releases photo of teen girl killed in officer-involved shooting Posted: 09 Jul 2019 01:24 PM PDT  Family members have released the photo of a 17-year-old girl killed in an officer-involved shooting on the 91 Freeway in Anaheim.
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| The Limits of the Alliance Between China and Russia Posted: 10 Jul 2019 08:58 AM PDT  China's President Xi Jinping recently visited Russia to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a Russian economic forum that hosts various important global economic players, to discuss "the key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole." He was also there to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the two countries' bilateral ties by holding talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.Although it was Xi's first trip to Russia in 2019, the visit to Russia came at a time of tensions between China and the United States on multiple fronts. These include tensions over trade, technology, and freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. And, due to its tensions with Russia on some regional and strategic stability issues, the current U.S. administration has called both China and Russia "revisionist powers" that seek to challenge the preponderance of the United States. This comes at a time when China and Russia are closer to each other "than any time in the history of their relationship." Although it is not the determinant factor, the current U.S. posture towards both China and Russia could contribute to their rapidly growing partnership.
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| Tucker Carlson: Ilhan Omar Is ‘Living Proof’ Our Immigration Laws Are ‘Dangerous’ Posted: 09 Jul 2019 07:11 PM PDT  Fox News host Tucker Carlson ended his primetime program on Tuesday night by taking aim at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), claiming the Somalia-born congresswoman despises America and is "living proof" that America's immigration policies are "dangerous."Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in the House of Representatives, has long been targeted by Carlson, who has devoted numerous segments to calling the progressive lawmaker "ungrateful" and a "symbol of America's failed immigration policies."This time, however, the Fox News star took his anti-Omar stance even further."Ilhan Omar has an awful lot to be grateful for, but she isn't grateful, not at all," Carlson said. "After everything America has done for Omar and for her family, she hates this country more than ever."Referencing a recent Washington Post profile on the freshman representative, the conservative commentator said the piece showed that Omar was "enraged" by America and that she has "undisguised contempt for the United States and for its people.""That should worry you, and not just because Omar is now a sitting member of Congress," Carlson warned his viewers. "Ilhan Omar is living proof that the way we practice immigration has become dangerous to this country."The anti-immigration host went on to claim that the immigration system is now "undermining" the country because "some of the very people we try hardest to help have come to hate us passionately."Stating that it is possibly American citizens' fault for not having the self-confidence to "make them assimilate," Carlson then wondered if the "problem is deeper than that—maybe we are importing people from places whose values are simply antithetical to ours."After insisting that current immigration is "unsustainable" and that no country can "expect to survive" when it imports "large numbers of people who hate it," Carlson took one final parting shot at Omar."So, be grateful for Ilhan Omar, annoying as she is," he concluded. "She's a living fire alarm, a warning to the rest of us that we better change our immigration system immediately, or else."The Minnesota lawmaker, meanwhile, has been the at the receiving end of death threats almost since she first entered Congress, largely due to right-wing attacks that have then been amplified by members of Congress and the president.Shortly after the segment aired, Omar took to Twitter to fire back at the Fox News host."Not gonna lie, it's kinda fun watching a racist fool like this weeping about my presence in Congress," she wrote. "No lies will stamp out my love for this country or my resolve to make our union more perfect. They will just have to get used to calling me Congresswoman!"Read more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| Tax returns show Biden income spiked after leaving office Posted: 09 Jul 2019 02:57 PM PDT  Democrat Joe Biden made more than $15 million in the two years since leaving the US vice presidency, according to tax returns released Tuesday, making him the wealthiest major 2020 challenger to President Donald Trump. The Democratic frontrunner's income spiked to $11 million in 2017 from just under $400,000 one year earlier, when he was serving his final year as vice president. The majority of the $11,037,751 in 2017 income and the $4,580,437 in 2018 is attributable to book payments -- Biden wrote "Promise Me, Dad," and his wife Jill Biden penned "Where the Light Enters" -- and "paid speaking engagements," his campaign said in a statement releasing the tax returns.
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| German leader Merkel seen shaking for 3rd time in a month Posted: 10 Jul 2019 05:20 AM PDT  German Chancellor Angela Merkel's body shook visibly at a public event for the third time in less than a month on Wednesday, but the longtime leader insisted that there's nothing to worry about. Merkel shook as she stood at a military honors ceremony alongside Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne outside the chancellery in Berlin, listening to the two countries' national anthems. The first incident happened in near-identical circumstances as she stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a military honors ceremony.
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| Brexit Bulletin: Parliament Strikes Again Posted: 09 Jul 2019 11:30 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Today in Brexit: The U.K. Parliament backs a measure making it harder to force through a no-deal Brexit, setting up a likely showdown with leadership favorite Boris Johnson.What's Happening?Britain's lawmakers have once again flexed their muscles in the ongoing battle for the soul of Brexit, delivering a sharp warning to the country's next prime minister that they won't be able to pursue a no-deal split without a fight.After another night of late drama in the House of Commons, MPs passed by a single vote a measure aimed at stopping the U.K.'s future leader from taking the country out of the European Union without Parliament around. They voted that the body should have to meet between September and December, ruling out a shutdown that could allow a prime minister to force through a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31.Just minutes after the vote, leadership favorite Boris Johnson refused to rule out suspending Parliament if it's the only way to deliver his "do or die" promise of leaving the EU by the October deadline. That stance sets up another potential crisis in British politics in the weeks and months ahead. Speaking in a head-to-head televised debate with Johnson, his rival Jeremy Hunt rejected the shutdown idea.For both, the tricky task of delivering Brexit was also made harder Tuesday when the opposition Labour Party officially announced its support for a second Brexit referendum on any Tory Brexit deal. Lacking both a majority in the Commons and the guaranteed support of all Tories and some allies, a Conservative prime minister needs Labour votes to get an agreement over the line. With Labour's latest shift in position, that looks increasingly unlikely. Where does Brexit go from here? With Parliament deadlocked and Johnson and Hunt both rejecting other possible routes to a resolution, such as a general election or a fresh referendum, something has to give. Parliament may soon have to choose between a no-deal exit or bringing down the government.Today's Must-ReadsU.K. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay talked tough on Ireland at meetings in Brussels Tuesday, pushing for concessions and saying the country has more to lose than the U.K. if there's a no-deal split, Bloomberg's Ian Wishart writes. Jeremy Hunt came out on top in the TV debate with Johnson, but neither candidate landed a knockout blow, The Guardian's Rowena Mason writes. Tired of the Brexit deadlock and criticism from their political masters, Britain's civil servants are leaving in droves, Alice Thomson writes in the Times.Brexit in BriefOn The Markets| The pound hit a two-year low against the dollar Tuesday, after disappointing retail sales and suggestions the U.K. economy could be set for its worst quarter since 2012.How to Avoid Border Checks? | The Irish government continues to be vague about how it could avoid border checks with Northern Ireland if there's a no-deal split. Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told reporters in Dublin Tuesday that Theresa May's Brexit accord is the "only viable solution on the table" to avoid border controls.Trump Spat | Whoever becomes Britain's prime minister won't just have Brexit to handle: There's also a major diplomatic row to defuse with the U.S., its most important foreign ally. Donald Trump escalated the spat over a series of leaked diplomatic cables critical of the President by calling U.K. ambassador Kim Darroch a "stupid guy" and "pompous fool."Break-Up Risk | There is a "real risk" of the break-up of the U.K. in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Theresa May's deputy, David Lidington, told the Cabinet on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times.Deal Falls Through | Australian infrastructure bank Macquarie has pulled out of a £2.5 billion deal to buy one of Britain's biggest care home chains, blaming the uncertainty around Brexit, the Financial Times reports, citing an unidentified source.Parlez-Vous Anglais? | Foreign language learning is on the decline in Britain, and Brexit is seen as a factor, Michael Skapinker writes in the FT.Want to keep up with Brexit?You can follow us @Brexit on Twitter and join our Facebook group, Brexit Decoded. For all the latest news, visit bloomberg.com/brexit. Got feedback? Send us an email.Know someone who'd like the Brexit Bulletin?Colleagues, friends and family can sign up here, and our new newsletter, the Brussels Edition, offers in-depth coverage of the EU.For even more: Subscribe to Bloomberg All Access for our unmatched global news coverage and two in-depth daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.To contact the author of this story: Joe Mayes in London at jmayes9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Anne Swardson at aswardson@bloomberg.net, Leila TahaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Judge who said teenager who filmed himself raping girl 'deserves leniency because he's from a good family’ gets death threats Posted: 10 Jul 2019 07:53 AM PDT  A New Jersey judge who said a teenage boy accused of rape should get leniency because he came from a "good family" has received threats amid a ferocious backlash against his ruling.James Troiano denied a request in 2018 for a 16-year-old boy accused of raping an intoxicated 16-year-old girl to be tried as an adult.The Monmouth County Superior Court Judge said the defendant "comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well."The teenage boy was accused of recording himself sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl and sending the video to friends with the caption "when your first time is rape." Mr Troiano's decision, which surfaced last week, sparked a fierce response and has been viewed as evidence the US legal system is two-tier and has different rules for those who are privileged. The 69-year-old, who has spent almost three decades on the bench, and his family are now receiving death threats and there have been a number of calls for him to resign, reports the New York Times.Mr Troiano and his family have received multiple threatening emails and calls, according to a source who spoke to the publication.One email reportedly told the judge that should be raped by a man "stronger than you".A Change.org petition calls for the NJ State Assembly to impeach the judge and a protest is scheduled to take place at Monmouth County Superior Court later this week.The threats come as politicians and members of the public call for Mr Troiano to be disbarred, including from Democratic presidential hopeful Cory Booker. The New Jersey senator said: "Not only should this judge no longer serve - as he is clearly incapable of properly fulfilling his duties - but across the country, we must call out bad actors in the system, exposing their biases, and show women and survivors that we will doggedly pursue justice on their behalf".The teenager is accused of raping a girl, who has been referred to under the alias of Mary in court documents, in a basement during a house party in 2017.Court documents say Mary was intoxicated, slurring her words and stumbling as she walked into the basement with the teenager. They say she suffered bruising and hand prints from others slapping her on her backside, which she told her mother about the next day.Court documents say the accused teen allegedly recorded the assault and shared it with friends – adding that the girl's bare torso is exposed and her head is repeatedly banged against a wall in the recording.Mary and her family chose to press charges months later when the defendant carried on sharing the clip, despite the girl asking him to stop. Family court proceedings are usually closed to the public but some of Mr Troiano's remarks - taken from a 65-page transcript of his sealed decision - were revealed when an appeals court decision surfaced.The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court reversed Mr Troiano's decision in June - sending the case back down for further judgment.
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| Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:29 AM PDT ![Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say]( "Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say") The tape also showed the suspect picking her nose and putting her hands in the ice cream.
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| Nevada death may be linked to California quake Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:13 PM PDT  A powerful July 4 earthquake in the Southern California desert may have killed a man in neighboring Nevada, authorities said Tuesday. It would be the first death linked to the magnitude 6.4 quake near Ridgecrest that was felt far and wide. The Nye County Sheriff's Department said deputies on Tuesday found a 56-year-old man pinned under a Jeep in Pahrump, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) from the quake's epicenter.
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| Israel's Forgotten Battle Against North Korean MiG-21s Posted: 09 Jul 2019 10:00 PM PDT  The North Korean MiG-21 squadron was based at Bir Arida to defend Egypt's south. During the Yom Kippur War the Israeli Air Force (IAF) actually faced an Arab coalition, rather than the Egyptian Air Force in the south and the Syrian Air Force in the north. Fighter squadrons from Algeria, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea deployed to Egypt prior to October 1973. The North Korean MiG-21 squadron was based at Bir Arida to defend Egypt's south. The North Korean MiG-21 pilots did not engage Israeli aircraft until Dec. 6, 1973.(This first appeared earlier in 2019.)That day two Kurnass pairs from two squadrons, 69 and 119, were scrambled to the Gulf of Suez sector. The pairs were teamed together, with the 69 pair (Shadmi-Gur, Shpitzer-Ofer) leading the 119 pair. Meir Gur recalls in Shlomo Aloni & Zvi Avidror book Hammers Israel's Long-Range Heavy Bomber Arm: The Story of 69 Squadron:
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| Ridgecrest earthquake: Authorities investigating possible earthquake-related death after man found pinned under car in Nevada Posted: 10 Jul 2019 01:46 AM PDT  Authorities in Nevada are investigating a possible earthquake-related death after a man was found pinned under a car.
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| New York City LGBT Bar Owner’s ‘Relief’ as Rainbow Flag Burning Suspect Is Caught Posted: 09 Jul 2019 03:51 PM PDT  Tim Teeman/The Daily BeastAlexi Minko, the owner of the Alibi Lounge, New York City's only black-owned LGBTQ bar, said it was "a huge relief" that the NYPD had arrested a suspect Tuesday night for the burning of the bar's rainbow flags.The NYPD's arrest in the much-publicized case followed the burning of three of the Alibi Lounge's rainbow flags outside its Harlem entrance—two on May 31 at the beginning of Pride month and one sometime between Sunday night and early Monday morning.Police arrested Tyresse Singleton, 20, of Manhattan, in connection with both incidents. He is charged with two counts each of criminal mischief as a hate crime and arson. It was not clear if an attorney had been assigned to his case. He was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan criminal court Tuesday night.Stonewall 50: Don't Forget the Black & Brown LGBTQ Struggle"It brings a sense of resolution," Minko told The Daily Beast of the arrest, "and serves as a cautionary tale to anyone thinking of doing something similar not only to us, but to anyone who thinks of targeting anyone else for reasons of gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. It is also a reminder that we live in a civilized world and more often than not you get the resolution you deserve. We're really relieved to put this behind us and just move forward." Dermot Shea, the NYPD's chief of detectives, announced via Twitter late Tuesday afternoon that cops had apprehended a suspect. The suspect had been apprehended thanks to a Crimestoppers tip. The NYPD had released footage of both incidents to encourage witnesses to come forward.On Monday evening, when The Daily Beast visited the Alibi Lounge, Minko had kept a beady eye on who was outside, and who was coming in past the rainbow flag flanking its entrance.Minko opened the bar just over three years ago (on June 24, 2016), and said he had experienced no homophobia during that time. The flag burnings shocked him—and made him determined to stay open "and stay proud." The incidents attracted considerable media coverage: on Monday night, news crews from NBC and ABC's New York stations stopped by for interviews. Governor Andrew Cuomo had directed the state police hate crimes unit to assist the NYPD in its investigation.Inside the bar on Monday night, Nina Kennedy and April Gibson, who just produced an 'It's World Pride' Club Mix, had come to the bar from the East Village to show their support. Kennedy told The Daily Beast, "I'm outraged. It's really shocking that this happened in Harlem, where black people are supposed to feel safe. We shouldn't have to deal with this crap up here."Gibson added: "We came to be bodies-in-the-chairs tonight, to show our support, and say, 'Yes, we are here.' It is important that there are LGBTQ spaces in all areas of the city, because we are everywhere and we need to be able to feel supported, loved, and welcome no matter where we are."Alibi Lounge's title of the only black-owned LGBTQ bar in New York City, "is one we unfortunately inherited after Club Langston closed last year," said Minko. Like the latter, Alibi serves a predominantly black LGBTQ clientele, although Minko emphasizes: "We are all inclusive. You can be purple as long as your credit card goes through."Other customers, who asked not to be named as they sipped their drinks, said they had been disgusted to hear about the flag burnings, and also wanted to come and show their support.Minko was at the bar when the first incident happened, and heard about the second from staff on duty on Sunday night.New York City Police Department"The first time it happened, my first feelings were around how surreal it looked," Minko told The Daily Beast. "It was raining that night. I first saw only one flag burning and thought it must be an accident involving lighting a cigarette. Then I saw the second flag burning, and the flames were crazy."The flags are a symbol of Pride, and for the first few minutes I wondered, was this for real? Was it an accident? Was it supposed to be a joke that someone found funny? Then I saw the footage the next day, and saw how malicious it was, how calculated. The person took his time to light both flags on fire. I got angry obviously, and a bit disappointed in humanity."Tim Teeman/The Daily BeastThe May 31 incident happened close to the anniversary of the Pulse mass shooting, Minko added. The act of seeing the arson had been traumatizing, and made Minko ask himself what would have stopped the perpetrator from coming into the bar itself.However, his anger lessened with the "level of support and love" he had received from the community. The NYPD had been "brilliant" too, and checked on the bar every night afterwards.Then it happened again. Barman Lucca Martini was shocked to see the flames. "I don't know why anyone would do such a thing," he said."It's absolutely surreal," said Minko. 'I just thought, 'Not again.' And so we have put another rainbow flag out there, to say 'We will not be intimidated, we will not give in.' Of course you start to worry. This has happened twice in five weeks. You have no idea what lies behind such things. Is it the same person or different people? Are they trying to send a message to you? Are they coming back? I feel responsible for every person who walks through that door. I feel a lot of emotions, and they're not good ones."Cole Knapper, LGBTQ chairperson for Al Sharpton's National Action Network, was also at the bar Monday night and "absolutely shocked" by the attacks. "This is such a great neighborhood—so warm and accepting. Alibi has been here, without incident, for three years. We need to send the message, 'This is not Harlem. This is not who we are, and it will absolutely not to be tolerated.' "Harlem keeps getting more diverse and better. If this turns out to be an act of homophobia, it would shock me, but would point to areas where we need improvement in the neighborhood and our cultural competency as a neighborhood. We'll learn and grow from this.""This sort of terrorism, because that is what it is, has to stop," Carmen Neely, president of Harlem Pride, and co-chair of the Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition, told The Daily Beast. "Burning the flag itself is one thing, and it what it represents. For it to have happened a second time is absolutely untenable and egregious." The two incidents had bookended a successful Pride month, Neely noted, "and for this to happen in our neighborhood is absolutely ridiculous. We don't usually have any problems. I'm sure where this is coming from or who it could be or why. It's very much out of the blue."Harlem Pride and the Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition plan to present Minko with new rainbow flags to put up.Minko said he was determined to focus his energy positively, rather than on the offender. "Whatever his problem is, it's between him or them and the justice system. People are coming to the bar to show support. The positive impact this nonsense has had is that it's woken up the community. It reminds people we are still vulnerable, and the way to be less vulnerable is to band together. "It's a heinous act, a criminal act, and it is not to be tolerated or excused. It has to be called out for what it is—a hate crime. I gave birth to this bar, it's like someone harming my child. I'm very defensive and protective of this place."A lawyer in his earlier professional life, it had been Minko's dream to own his own business. A bar seemed a good idea, "because I don't have many skills apart from getting people drunk and making sure people have a good time."The warm and witty Minko was determined to keep this philosophy uppermost."You've got to get back on the horse and keep going. We can't give into our fears, otherwise we LGBTQ people wouldn't be where we are today. We've got to move forward. Here at Alibi we stand proud, we stand tall, and we're not going anywhere. This bar is staying open." He laughed. "The rent needs to be paid before the end of the week. Right now there's no other option! Over the last few weeks I've seen the pride, happiness, joy, and love that we are receiving from the community, and I hope that we are sending it back into the community."Asked what he wanted to let the public know following the arrest of the suspect, Minko laughed again. "That we're open seven days a week from 5pm to 4am." The recommended cocktail at Alibi Lounge, he added, was the "Elegance Is an Attitude."If you have information, call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782); or via the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.Additional reporting: Pervaiz ShallwaniRead more at The Daily Beast.Get 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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| Iran, Russia pour scorn on US moves at UN nuclear watchdog Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:13 AM PDT  Iran and Russia on Wednesday poured scorn on America's call for Tehran to adhere to limits in a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, at a special meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog. The meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was requested by the US after it was confirmed last week that Iran had exceeded the stockpile of enriched uranium permitted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The US Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna Jackie Wolcott told the meeting that Iran was engaged in "nuclear extortion".
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| Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure Posted: 09 Jul 2019 01:03 PM PDT ![Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure]( "Drugmakers Boost Prices Up to 909%, Defying Political Pressure") (Bloomberg) -- Bipartisan efforts to lower drug prices in Washington have not prevented drugmakers from going about their business and raising drug prices, according to Wells Fargo & Co.In fact, analysts at the firm found that pharmaceutical companies are getting aggressive in their price hikes again. Wells Fargo's analysis of Wolters Kluwer PriceRx data found that companies have raised medicine costs by 27% on average last month, with a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd hiking the price for a generic anti-diuretic by 909%. Closely held Epic Pharma LLC came second on the list of top increases, jacking up prices on two versions of its drug by 399%. Merck & Co., Fresenius SE, Novartis AG's Sandoz, and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. were also on the list.Wells Fargo found there were more price increases in June overall compared with the previous month. Drug companies have raised the cost of 106 medicines compared to 101 in May, analyst David Maris said in a note."To us it appears now that the criticism from politicians and the President has quieted down, companies are more aggressively and broadly pursuing drug price increases again," he said. "We are not so confident that the lull in criticism will continue and could foresee more negative headlines in the coming months."Maris notes that wholesaler acquisition cost prices do not reflect rebates or discounts.\--With assistance from Michelle Fay Cortez.To contact the reporter on this story: Tatiana Darie in New York at tdarie1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Catherine Larkin at clarkin4@bloomberg.net, Jeremy R. CookeFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| View Photos of the 2019 Honda Civic Type R TCR Race Car Posted: 09 Jul 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| She tried to shoot someone in a road rage incident. She shot her husband instead, police say Posted: 09 Jul 2019 09:06 AM PDT ![She tried to shoot someone in a road rage incident. She shot her husband instead, police say]( "She tried to shoot someone in a road rage incident. She shot her husband instead, police say") Erica Cole was arrested for attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment after a road rage incident in Alabama.
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| Hong Kong activists hold vigil for deceased supporters Posted: 10 Jul 2019 09:49 AM PDT  Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong held a memorial vigil Wednesday night for deceased supporters of the movement that has brought hundreds of thousands of residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory into the streets in protest in recent weeks. Dozens of participants sang hymns and lit candles in remembrance of protesters, one who fell after hanging a banner and at least one other, in an apparent suicide, who left a message on a wall asking others to keep up the fight. Zita Lo, a friend of one of those who died, said Hong Kong's China-approved chief executive, Carrie Lam, has never directly responded to the deaths.
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| 30 Plus Years After the F-15E's First Flight and the Strike Eagle Is Still Unstoppable Posted: 10 Jul 2019 09:00 AM PDT  Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander, believes the F-15E is an imperative part to the Air Force mission and the future of combat air power.On Dec. 11, 2016 the iconic F-15E Strike Eagle celebrated its first flight 30th anniversary.Still today, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) considers the "Mudhen" (as the F-15E Strike Eagle is nicknamed by its aircrews) to be one of the most proficient multi-role, air-to-air and air-to-ground strike fighters in its inventory.In fact, after flying thousands of missions during worldwide combat operations, the aging F-15E is still relevant and capable of supporting current combatant commander's requirements.As explained by Airman 1st Class Kenneth Boyton, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs in his article Strike Eagle still soars after 30 years, the F-15E was designed as a fighter bomber aircraft with a back seat for a second crew member to operate a ground attack weapons delivery system. The cockpit contains the latest advanced avionics, controls and displays. The redesigned airframe was built with a stronger structure allowing heavier takeoff weights and doubled the original F-15 Eagle's service life.
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| Colorful self-made billionaire H. Ross Perot dies at 89 Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:00 AM PDT  H. Ross Perot, the colorful, self-made Texas billionaire who rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty and twice mounted outsider campaigns for president, has died. Perot, whose 19% of the vote in 1992 stands among the best showings by an independent candidate in the past century, died early Tuesday at his home in Dallas surrounded by his family, said the spokesman, James Fuller. As a boy in Texarkana, Texas, Perot delivered newspapers from the back of a pony.
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| British ambassador to Washington quits after spat over leaked memos Posted: 10 Jul 2019 04:18 AM PDT  Britain's ambassador to Washington quit on Wednesday after days of stinging criticism from Donald Trump, leading to accusations that Boris Johnson, the favorite to be the next British prime minister, had "thrown him under the bus". Memos from Kim Darroch in which he described the Trump administration as inept were leaked to a British Sunday newspaper, infuriating the U.S. president, who launched a Twitter attack on both the envoy and outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, who had given Darroch her full support.
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| Netanyahu warns Israel's jets 'can reach' Iran Posted: 09 Jul 2019 07:22 AM PDT  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday that Israel's fighter jets "can reach anywhere in the Middle East, including Iran," in his latest comments directed at his country's arch-foe. While visiting an air force base where he inspected F-35 jets made by US firm Lockheed Martin, Netanyahu issued a video with one of the planes behind him. "Recently, Iran has been threatening the destruction of Israel," he said at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel.
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| The first all-electric Mini will be available in September, starting at around €35,000 Posted: 10 Jul 2019 02:09 AM PDT  Mini has unveiled its very first all-electric series model, the Cooper SE, a few weeks before its public debut at the International Motor Show in Germany, which will take place in Frankfurt from September 12 to 22, 2019. The Mini Cooper SE, guaranteed CO2 emission-free, was derived from the concept-car of the same name, which was shown in Frankfurt in 2017. The Mini Cooper SE features the same engine as the BMW i3S: an electric motor with 135 kW (181 hp).
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| The 2020 Mini Cooper SE Is the First Real Electric Mini Posted: 09 Jul 2019 06:45 AM PDT  Mini's first production electric car, based on the two-door Cooper Hardtop, is coming to the U.S. early next year.
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| Ookla: AT&T once again has the fastest wireless network in the US Posted: 09 Jul 2019 04:37 PM PDT  AT&T is back on top as the fastest wireless network in America, according to new results released Tuesday from Ookla, the maker of the popular Speedtest utility.However, there are a number of familiar qualifiers that need to be pointed out as soon as that result is mentioned. First, the results only measure a snapshot of a moment in time -- in this case, Q1-Q2 2019. Also, Ookla's results are generated via crowd-sourced testing, which has limitations compared to roadtests. Which isn't to say that either is the best or even that either one will give you an unimpeachable result. It's just that, as with most measurements of quality, there are important caveats to be aware of.Here are the results for the first half of 2019: Speedtest Intelligence data revealed the AT&T was the fastest wireless operator in the US, with a Speed Score of 32.91. That's up 45.1% over the same period in 2018. T-Mobile was the second-fastest, with a score of 30.94 (up 9.4% year-over-year), while Verizon came in third, with a score of 29.45 (up 9.5%). Interestingly, Sprint came in last, with a score of 28.15 -- but it showed the second-largest YoY improvement (36.8%).T-Mobile released this statement from its CTO Neville Ray in the wake of the release of the results: > The carriers want us to believe there's a trade-off between network quality and price, but these studies show that's not true any longer. T-Mobile's network is the only one to provide meaningful performance in every category, going toe-to-toe with the big guys while they fluctuate wildly from one measure to the next.During the test period, Ookla says over 4.1 million unique mobile user devices were used to perform more than 11.5 million consumer-initiated cellular network tests on Speedtest apps. Ookla analyzed those tests to determine the mobile operators with the fastest and most consistent networks across the country -- and which offers the best access to LTE.Another thing to keep in mind with results like this is that the "fastest" network does not mean the "best" network. Ookla's data is just that -- one more data point to use in drawing more comprehensive conclusions that require additional inputs. Roadtests, as opposed to speed tests, generate valuable (and more consistent) data, though they have their critics, too. The choice of where in the country the handsets are actually driven around can certainly impact the roadtest results -- again, all of which is to say that there are caveats and qualifications aplenty regarding studies and results like this.
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| Asian shares mostly higher ahead of Fed chief testimony Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:34 PM PDT  Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday in cautious trading ahead of closely watched congressional testimony by the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman. Investors have been mostly pausing ahead of the two days of congressional testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Traders will be listening to the exchanges Powell has with lawmakers on Wednesday and Thursday for hints about the Fed's next move on interest rates.
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| Grandfather who dropped toddler from cruise ship may face charges Posted: 09 Jul 2019 05:50 PM PDT  A man from Indiana may face negligence charges after dropping his 18-month-old granddaughter from a cruise ship deck in Puerto Rico on Sunday, resulting in the child's death.
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| Court Dismisses Emoluments-Clause Suit against Trump Posted: 10 Jul 2019 11:24 AM PDT  A federal appeals court handed President Trump a legal victory Wednesday, dismissing a long-running lawsuit alleging that Trump illegally profits from his official position when foreign dignitaries and diplomats stay at his Washington, D.C. hotel.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit unanimously ruled that the attorney generals of Maryland and the District of Columbia lacked the legal standing to bring a suit alleging that Trump violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution by continuing to profit from his hotel's foreign clientele."The District and Maryland's interest in enforcing the Emoluments Clauses is so attenuated and abstract that their prosecution of this case readily provokes the question of whether this action against the President is an appropriate use of the courts, which were created to resolve real cases and controversies between the parties," Judge Paul Niemeyer wrote in the 36-page opinion.Trump immediately celebrated the ruling on Twitter, applying his trademark "witch hunt" label to the lawsuit.> ….serving and doing a great job as your President (including accepting Zero salary!).> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2019The Democratic plaintiffs, Maryland attorney general Brian Frosh and D.C. attorney general Karl Racine, said they would consider seeking a rehearing before a full panel of the Fourth Circuit and said that the case may eventually reach the Supreme Court. But the pair now face an uphill battle considering Wednesday's rejection of their argument that Trump's ownership in the hotel diverts business that would otherwise go to other comparable local establishments."There is a distinct possibility — which was completely ignored by the District and Maryland, as well as by the district court — that certain government officials might avoid patronizing the Hotel because of the President's association with it," the opinion reads. "Even if government officials were patronizing the Hotel to curry the President's favor, there is no reason to conclude that they would cease doing so were the President enjoined from receiving income from the Hotel. After all, the Hotel would still be publicly associated with the President, would still bear his name, and would still financially benefit members of his family."The decision comes amid an ongoing legal struggle between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, who have been frustrated in their efforts to conduct constitutional oversight of the administration in the face of the White House's refusal to turn over financial records related to the president's businesses. Democrats issued dozens of subpoenas for those records this week in connection with a separate emoluments-clause case in federal court in Washington, D.C.
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| 61 Cauliflower Recipes To Make The Low-Carb Life Easy Posted: 10 Jul 2019 02:55 PM PDT |
| Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers Posted: 09 Jul 2019 08:25 PM PDT ![Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers]( "Violent Mexican border city opens its doors to U.S. asylum seekers") Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican border city known for high rates of violence, received its first foreign migrants from the United States on Tuesday as part of a program begun in January, U.S. and Mexican officials said. The group of 10 people - including Central Americans, Venezuelans and Cubans - crossed into the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas via Nuevo Laredo's border bridge, a source from the National Institute of Migration told Reuters.
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