| Booker Vows to ‘Virtually Eliminate Immigration Detention,’ Expand Asylum Program Posted: 02 Jul 2019 06:16 AM PDT  Senator Cory Booker released an immigration policy proposal on Tuesday that would "virtually eliminate" the detention of migrants.Using executive authority, Booker would mandate that detention is used "as a last resort" and all remaining detention facilities would be required to meet the civil detention standards outlined by the American Bar Association.The plan would "expand pathways for refugees and those seeking asylum" by reducing the standards around asylum application and ensure permanent protections for "Dreamers," or migrants brought to the country illegally as children."As president, Cory will make sure that our immigration system treats immigrants with dignity because when people cross borders, they bring their human rights with them," the plan reads.Booker's proposal stops short of completely decriminalizing illegal border crossings — a proposition he and every other candidate, save for Beto O'Rourke and Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado, endorsed during the debate — and would instead order U.S. attorneys to "deprioritize" the prosecution of those caught crossing the border illegally."Cory would reverse President Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy, end Operation Streamline, and direct U.S. attorneys to deprioritize improper entry prosecutions across the U.S., unless an individual poses a public safety risk," the plan states.In addition to relaxing enforcement and asylum standards, Booker would work appoint a special State Department envoy to oversee the provision of substantial aid to the Central American countries that are currently contributing the majority of migrants to the U.S."Use the full power of our diplomatic tools. From cutting successful international aid programs, to failing to support a joint United Nations-Guatemala anti-corruption commission, to allowing crucial diplomatic posts to remain vacant, President Trump's approach to diplomacy has only contributed to growing crises around the world," the plan reads. "Cory would use U.S. diplomacy to lead struggling nations toward reforms and investments that address the root causes of the migration crisis."
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| Erdogan says people live happily in Xinjiang: Chinese state media Posted: 02 Jul 2019 09:37 PM PDT  Chinese state media have said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told President Xi Jinping that ethnic minorities live happily in Xinjiang, in what would be a stark reversal of Ankara's past criticism of Beijing's crackdown in the region. Erdogan met Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, four months after the Turkish foreign ministry called the treatment of mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking Uighurs "a great embarrassment for humanity". China has come under growing criticism over its security clampdown in the northwest region, where more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are believed to be held in a network of internment camps.
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| Migrant children's drawings depict 'horrific' conditions in cages Posted: 03 Jul 2019 02:16 PM PDT  Pediatricians shared pictures drawn by migrant children after being released from US custodyA drawing by children recently released depicting their time spent in US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. Photograph: Handout ./ReutersDisturbing drawings by children recently held in migrant detention centers showing sad figures in cages have been released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which last week warned of longterm trauma faced by immigrant children separated from parents or guardians under the Trump administration's border policies.The pictures were drawn last week by unaccompanied 10 and 11-year-old migrant children after being released from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. They were obtained by NBC News which said they were provided to the AAP by a social worker in Texas."The fact that the drawings are so realistic and horrific gives us a view into what these children have experienced," Dr Colleen Kraft, former president of the AAP, told CNN. "When a child draws this, it's telling us that child felt like he or she was in jail."In its policy statement released last week, the academy warned that the welfare of immigrant children seeking safe haven in the United States, whether arriving unaccompanied or in family units, is of "great concern to pediatricians and other advocates for children".The academy warned that Department of Homeland Security facilities used to accommodate unaccompanied children "do not meet the basic standards for the care of children in residential settings".> According to @AmerAcadPeds ...this is a drawing by a migrant child after being released from @CBP custody. It was provided by a social worker in Texas. pic.twitter.com/KNm6bpBOYM> > — Gabe Gutierrez (@gabegutierrez) July 3, 2019The warnings come as multiple reports found that immigrant children are being held in poor conditions after being separated from their guardians. A report in ProPublica released on Monday also revealed the existence of a secret Facebook group, in which CBP officers seemed to mock the plight of migrant children.In one example, group members joked about a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant who died in May while in custody at a border patrol station in Weslaco, Texas.Following a visit to a migrant detention center in Texas this week, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described the conditions she and other lawmakers found as "horrifying".On Tuesday, the department of homeland security's office of inspector general released a report detailing severe overcrowding and escalating tensions between detainees and border patrol agents at five facilities in the Rio Grande Valley.The report said children were denied showers, clean clothing and hot meals. Several adults hadn't had a shower for as long as a month.The latest warnings about the long-term psychological damage facing migrant children separated from family members come as a government spokesman said Wednesday that the administration is evaluating vacant properties near five US cities as potential permanent sites to hold unaccompanied migrant children.Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber said Wednesday that property is being assessed in and around Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas.Public contracts for the facilities state properties must be able to accommodate up to 500 children. Buildings must have up to 100,800 square feet (9,400 sq meters) of space and the properties must include about 2 acres (0.8 hectares) for outdoor recreation.Plans for the Atlanta facility calls for 125 bedrooms, with each of them housing up to four children. The HHS spokesman said the search for permanent facilities is being pursued to reduce the possible need for temporary shelters in the future.The Associated Press contributed to the report
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| U.S. Vice President Pence abruptly cancels trip to New Hampshire Posted: 02 Jul 2019 03:13 PM PDT  U.S. Vice President Mike Pence abruptly canceled a planned trip to New Hampshire on Tuesday after being called back to the White House for an unspecified reason, White House officials said. "The vice president was called back to the White House but there's no cause for alarm and we'll reschedule the trip soon," Short said. Short said Pence's plane never actually left Washington.
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| Thousands of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers stranded in Barcelona after technical issue Posted: 03 Jul 2019 04:43 PM PDT ![Thousands of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers stranded in Barcelona after technical issue]( "Thousands of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers stranded in Barcelona after technical issue") Norwegian Cruise Line is apologizing to customers for canceling a cruise in Spain, days before it was supposed to end in Italy.
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| Silver Frost 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback Will Send Chills Down Your Back Posted: 02 Jul 2019 01:32 PM PDT  Better act fast on this Fastback deal. Vintage Car Collector is pleased to announce this stunning 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback for sale. It will set you back about $44,000, but it's worth it for such a rare and sought-after classic that will only go up in value from here. This silver-on-black '66 Mustang Fastback has under 50,000 miles on the dash and its whole life ahead of it. You will get many smiles to the gallon for years to come, as well as heads turning no matter where you take it.Generally speaking, silver is (arguably) not the most attractive color nor the most popular. Many times, silver cars seem to fade from the spotlight behind all the murdered-out black cars and bright neon/metallic hues. However, this Mustang in Ford's Silver Frost hue with black stripes is breathtakingly beautiful and a spotlight stealer. It shines are every angle, highlighting its impeccable metal body and pristine paint job. This car is, without a doubt, in excellent condition and was very well taken care of by the previous owner(s).The black interior features chrome accents on the dash, doors, and steering wheel. The cabin appears to be in great condition as well, without any unusual wear. The seats and carpet are clean and devoid of any tears or slits.According to the VIN number (6F09C2), this 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback was assembled at the Dearborn, Michigan manufacturing plant. It is powered by a 289 cubic-inch V8 engine with 9.3:1 compression and a two-barrel carburetor setup that produces 200 horsepower.All in all, it's not hard to see why the 1966 Ford Mustang is one of the most popular years to date. 1966 also marked the year in which Ford Motor Company celebrated the production of its one-millionth Mustang, a white convertible. Don't miss your chance to own an iconic piece of American automotive history and a legendary muscle car all the same. Call today! Read more... This Dark Ivy Green 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback Arouses Envy 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Restoration Is A Work Of Art
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| Indian dam overflows after heavy monsoon rains, 12 dead Posted: 03 Jul 2019 07:50 AM PDT  A dam overflowed and flooded half a dozen villages in western India after heavy monsoon rains, leaving at least 12 people dead and 11 others missing, officials said Wednesday. The Tiware dam breached late Tuesday during incessant rains and swept away nearly a dozen homes, said Datta Bhadakawad, a civil administrator in Maharashtra state's Ratnagiri district. Heavy monsoon rains in Maharashtra have led to at least 34 deaths since Monday night from collapsed walls, drownings and other causes.
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| Why America Fears (And Would Try to Kill) Iran's F-14 Tomcats In a War Posted: 02 Jul 2019 10:30 PM PDT  Tensions have escalated in the Persian Gulf region in the aftermath of U.S. president Donald Trump's decision unilaterally to withdraw the United States from the agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program.The U.S. military has implicated Iranian agents in several summer 2019 attacks on civilian ships sailing near Iran. The U.S. Navy sent the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and her strike group to the region. The U.S. Air Force deployed B-52 bombers and F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters.If war breaks out, American forces likely will attempt to secure Gulf air space by destroying or suppressing Iran's air forces. The regular Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and the air wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps militia together operate around 700 aircraft.The IRIAF's 1970s-vintage F-14s could be U.S. forces' first targets. According to a survey by Flight Global, the Iranian air force in 2019 operates around 24 F-14 Tomcats from a batch of 79 of the Grumman-made, swing-wing fighters that Iran acquired in the mid-1970s before the Islamic revolution.The U.S. Navy retired its last Tomcat in 2006. But with its long range and powerful radar, the F-14 remains one of the world's most capable fighters. For that reason, the Americans for many years have been trying to ground the Ayatollah's F-14s.Sixty-eight of Iran's F-14s survived the Iran-Iraq War that ended in 1988. Sanctions that the United States imposed after the 1979 revolution prevented Iran from openly acquiring spare parts for the heavyweight fighters.Tehran established self-sufficiency programs—not just in the air force, but across the nation's economy—in an effort to satisfy material needs that foreign companies had once met.
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| Poll: Two-Thirds of Voters Say Citizenship Question Should Be Allowed on Census Posted: 02 Jul 2019 02:16 PM PDT  Two-thirds of voters support allowing the U.S. census to include a question about an individual's citizenship status, disagreeing with the Supreme Court's decision to block the question.In a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Tuesday, 67 percent of respondents said the question, "Is this person a citizen of the United States?" should be allowed on the census. That number included about 88 percent of Republicans, 52 percent of Democrats, and 63 percent of independents agreed."The public here agrees with the administration that it makes sense to ask citizenship on the census," said poll director Mark Penn. "It is a clear supermajority of Americans on this issue."The question has become a contentious issue because of its implications for undocumented immigrants, who may not want to reveal their citizenship statusfor fear of potential repercussions. Last week, the Supreme Court shot down the Trump administration's push to include the question in the 2020 census, temporarily prohibiting the question's inclusion while requesting that the Commerce Department explain in more detail why it is necessary. The administration said the question would enhance the enforcement of part of the Voting Rights Act.President Trump has floated delaying the 2020 census until the issue has been resolved."Seems totally ridiculous that our government, and indeed Country, cannot ask a basic question of Citizenship in a very expensive, detailed and important Census, in this case for 2020," Trump wrote on Twitter after the Court's decision. "I have asked the lawyers if they can delay the Census, no matter how long, until the United States Supreme Court is given additional information from which it can make a final and decisive decision on this very critical matter.""I think it's very important to find out if somebody is a citizen as opposed to an illegal," the president said on Monday.
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| 'Hong Kong is not China': Protests pose major test for Xi Posted: 02 Jul 2019 01:28 AM PDT  Chinese President Xi Jinping faces a major test in Hong Kong after protesters stormed the semi-autonomous city's legislature and graffitied a defiant message on its walls: "Hong Kong is not China". Beijing has trod carefully since massive protests erupted last month over a bill that would allow extraditions to the mainland, voicing support for the Hong Kong government without directly intervening and blaming "foreign forces" for the unrest.
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| Mackenzie Lueck: Amazon Pulls Novel by Murder Suspect Ayoola Ajayi Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:53 AM PDT  Photo Illustration by Lyne Lucien/The Daily Beast/Getty/FacebookThe suspect in the gruesome slaying of Utah college student Mackenzie Lueck self-published a novel about a teenager who witnessed his friend and his neighbor burn to death, and began advertising the story one year before Lueck was killed.Now Ayoola Ajayi's book, titled Forge Identity, has been pulled from Amazon's website as Lueck's friends and family mourn her death, and more details of the accused murderer's troubled history—including allegations of rape and domestic abuse—come to light.Lueck disappeared June 17 after returning from a trip to California to attend her grandmother's funeral. According to police, the 23-year-old kinesiology major at the University of Utah, who went by the nickname "Kenzie," texted her parents around 1 a.m. after her plane had landed. Then she took a Lyft to Hatch Park in North Salt Lake.It was there that police say Lueck met Ajayi, a 31-year-old IT specialist who was arrested last Friday on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, desecration of a body, and obstruction of justice. Ajayi was the last person Lueck contacted before she vanished, and both their phones both pinged to the park within a minute of each other, according to phone records. Lueck's cellphone went dark around 3 a.m.On Friday, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown told reporters Ajayi admitted in an interview to texting Lueck on June 16 around 6 p.m., but denied speaking with her after that. Ajayi also claimed he didn't know what Lueck looked like and that he didn't see photos or an online profile of her. But Brown said Ajayi did have images of Lueck.Mackenzie Lueck.Police HandoutWhile police executed a search warrant on Ajayi's property, neighbors told cops that they noticed the suspect burning something in his backyard on June 17 and 18. Brown said investigators discovered a "fresh dig area" along with Lueck's charred belongings and "female human tissue" which was linked to Lueck through DNA testing.Authorities haven't disclosed a motive for Lueck's murder, how she died, or how she might have met the alleged murderer. According to KUTV, a CBS affiliate in Salt Lake City, both Lueck and Ajayi had profiles on "sugar baby" websites, where younger women can meet older men. On Monday, Lueck's friends told Fox News they believed the alleged killer was "hunting for women" and demanded that social media users stop blaming the victim. "No person regardless of their gender or dating life deserves to die," said one friend of Lueck's, Ashley Fine. "Mackenzie is not responsible for the death and murder of Mackenzie. There's only one person responsible for that, and we're here to hold him responsible and we're going to keep holding him responsible."Man Charged With Murder in Disappearance of Mackenzie LueckAs The Daily Beast reported, the website Barstool Sports fired one of its writers over the weekend for publishing a blog post mocking Lueck's disappearance, her Instagram account, and her alleged activity on "sugar daddy dating websites."Police believe Ajayi burned Lueck's body. Ajayi's novel, published in August 2018, also refers to the burning deaths of victims—with the cover claiming to be "Inspired From True Events.""Ezekiel was almost 15 when he witnessed a gruesome murder. An angry mob burned his neighbor alive in the street and the man died at his feet. Sadly, it was not the last time he witnessed such horror," stated a description of the book on Amazon's website."With his well respected father as guide and mentor, Ezekiel saw this death, then a death much closer to home when a loved one was killed in the same brutal, terrifying way 50 feet from him, and he could do nothing to stop it," the novel's summary continues. "Staggering to recover from these severe traumas, he finds relief and joy in meeting his first love, becomes embroiled in grand theft, and experiences heartbreaking betrayal. Ezekiel must decide if he will join the ranks of a criminal mastermind, or fight to escape the tyranny that has surrounded his young life. Or even beat them at their own game. When trust is lost, can he even trust himself?"In his author bio, Ajayi says he was "born and raised in Africa" and "has been a salesman, an entrepreneur, and a writer" who "survived a tyrannical dictatorship, escaped a real life crime, traveled internationally, excelled professionally in several industries, and is currently curating a multi-platform advertising campaign for his debut novel."Amazon did not return messages about the book.Sgt. Brandon Shearer of the Salt Lake City Police Department told The Daily Beast that detectives would look over Ajayi's book, along with several hundred tips that authorities have received in the case. Starting last June, Ajayi was plugging his debut novel with a Facebook page, which commenters have targeted since his arrest. "This isn't a novel, this is a true crime fantasy of a REAL LIFE monster," someone wrote.Meanwhile, Ajayi's estranged wife told the Daily Mail she went into hiding because she was terrified of her husband, who she claimed attempted to tie her up with a phone cord, and chased her into the street with a knife and slashed her. "I kept telling him I don't want to be with you, I want a divorce. He wouldn't sign the papers. His friend from the Army kept calling me, saying they were going to kidnap me," the woman, 35-year-old Tenisha Jenkins Ajayi, told the tabloid.Tenisha said she and her former husband—known as "AJ" to friends and family—lived together in Dallas, Texas. Ajayi threatened to kill her, she told the Daily Mail, if she didn't relocate to Utah with him.Salt Lake City police take Ayoola A. Ajayi into custody in connection with missing University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck in Salt Lake City on Friday, June 28, 2019. Kristin Murphy/The Deseret News via APOf Ajayi's novel, Tenisha said, "AJ told me about the book but I didn't know he had really written it, I hadn't seen him for years."According to the AP, Ajayi attended Utah State University on and off from 2009 to 2016, without picking a major or earning a degree. Ajayi also served in the Utah Army National Guard for six months but didn't complete his basic training. He was discharged in June 2015.Two months before Lueck died, Ajayi reportedly sought to build a sound-proof room with a fingerprint lock inside his home.One self-employed contractor named Brian Wolf told the Deseret News that he turned down Ajayi's job offer because he felt uncomfortable with the request. Wolf said that Ajayi wanted his secret room to have hooks installed high on the concrete walls. "As soon as he said he wanted the hooks above head height, I was like, 'Why do you need big hooks up there?'" Wolf told the Salt Lake City newspaper. "And he said it was to hang a wine rack. I said, 'Well, I can hang a wine rack and make it look a lot nicer than these big, gaudy hooks.'"Wolf, who shared his text messages with Ajayi with the Deseret News, said the suspect wanted the soundproof room in a "hollowed out area under the front porch." Ajayi allegedly told Wolf that money was no object and that "he wanted it done as soon as possible."This isn't the first time Ajayi was investigated by police.On Monday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Ajayi was accused of raping a coworker at a financial company in November 2014. The woman told police the assault took place inside Ajayi's residence, but that she didn't want to file charges.The accuser was only filing a police report, according to the Tribune, "in case he did the same thing to someone else." She met authorities at Cache Valley Hospital after the encounter, which she said started off as consensual until she told him to stop."She kept saying to me that she felt that it was her fault, because she was not assertive enough," one police officer wrote in the report. "I explained that all she needed to do was to say no, and that should be enough."Nothing happened with the case, because the woman allegedly didn't want to cooperate. Ajayi wasn't interviewed by police, the Tribune reported.The University of Utah will hold a vigil for Lueck on Monday night. 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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| Swan kills dog swimming in pond as horrified pet owner helplessly watches from shore Posted: 02 Jul 2019 07:47 AM PDT  A swan viciously mauled a swimming dog as the pet's owner helplessly looked onfrom the shore Saturday in an attack that ultimately proved fatal
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| Vegas police fire officer who hesitated during mass shooting Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:47 PM PDT  A veteran Las Vegas police officer who froze in the hallway of a casino-hotel as a gunman carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history has been fired from the force, police said. Officer Cordell Hendrex was fired from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on March 20, police spokesman Officer Larry Hadfield said late Tuesday. Police union president Steve Grammas said Hendrex was fired because of his actions during the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting that left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured.
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| US Border Patrol chief responds to lewd officer Facebook group, after reports of 'hostility' from members of congress Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:59 AM PDT  The US Border Patrol has responded to reports that a Facebook group allegedly made up of past and present members was rampant with racist, sexist and xenophobic posts.In an interview with CNN's Brooke Baldwin, US Border Patrol Chief of Operations Brian Hastings said that "each one of these allegations will be thoroughly investigated".On Monday, ProPublica reported that a closed Facebook group joined only by invitation contained roughly 9,500 members, thought to be current or past members of the US Border Patrol, which has 20,000 employees. But in his CNN interview, Chief Hastings maintained that the group's lewd posts, which include comments dismissing deaths of migrants with jokes and photoshopped memes depicting sexual assault, represent the "actions of a few".The reports of the group came just hours before Democratic representatives toured several Border Patrol facilities, where they found deeply troubling conditions, including women being told to drink out of toilets, and confessions that the facilities and detainees had been "cleaned up" for the visit, told, according to representatives, under distress and fear of consequences. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also told reporters that she herself felt "unsafe", which her fellow representatives confirmed, describing hostility and intimidation from the guards at the facilities towards the touring members of congress. She has described CBP as a "a rogue agency".When asked to respond to these incidents, Mr Hastings told CNN: "Ma'am, we are professionals. We are dealing with a crisis right now. Over 680,000 apprehensions so far this year. Agents are under a great deal of stress."He confirmed that Border Patrol was currently understaffed. According to their website, employees are required to have one year of "general work experience that shows you have the ability to take charge, make sound decisions, and maintain composure in stressful situations".The qualifications also ask "that you can learn law enforcement regulations, methods and techniques through classroom training and/or on-the-job instruction; and you have the ability to gather factual information through questioning, observation, and examination of documents and records." One year of work experience may be substituted for a "bachelor's degree or successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited or college or university", or the intent to obtain one.The number one listed condition for employment as a Border Patrol agent is "firearm proficiency". The website also claims that within the approximate "6 months of intensive instruction in immigration and nationality laws, law enforcement and Border Patrol-specific operations, drivers training, physical techniques, firearms, and other courses", new agents will be "provided training to become proficient with the Spanish language".There do not appear to be provisions for indigenous detainees who speak neither English nor Spanish, a point that was also brought to light by Representative Ocasio-Cortez following her visit.
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| W. House hopeful Biden's son held at gunpoint during crack buy: report Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:43 PM PDT  Hunter Biden, the son of former US vice president Joe Biden, admitted to being held at gunpoint while trying to buy crack cocaine, according to an article published Monday in The New Yorker. Joe Biden, the current frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has repeatedly faced family tragedy during his decades in public office. After approaching a homeless man in downtown Los Angeles in 2016, "Hunter said that the man took him to a nearby homeless encampment, where, in a narrow passageway between tents, someone put a gun to his head before realizing that he was a buyer," the article says.
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| Fire on Russian submersible kills 14: Report Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:06 AM PDT  The Russian military said that a fire on one of its deep-sea submersibles has killed 14 sailors. The Defense Ministry said the blaze erupted Monday while the vessel was performing tests in Russia's territorial waters.
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| Donald Trump to get tanks for his July 4 celebration in Washington Posted: 02 Jul 2019 04:28 AM PDT  Donald Trump confirmed Monday that U.S. Army tanks will be on display during the president's July 4 speech in Washington.
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| Cruz Asks DHS to Create Process for Collecting Donations to Migrants in U.S. Custody Posted: 02 Jul 2019 10:45 AM PDT  Senator Ted Cruz on Monday sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security asking for the creation of a process that would allow DHS to accept donations meant for migrants in U.S. custody.Currently, no such process for collecting a distributing privately donated aid exists, which has caused generous citizens who have offered supplies to overcrowded migrant-detention facilities to be turned away.Curz called on Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan to "establish and publicize a process for accepting donations from charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and NGOs to aid individuals in CBP custody."DHS facilities are at "peak or beyond peak capacity," Cruz said, because of the "crisis on our southern border." Even with the $4.6 billion in emergency humanitarian aid approved by Congress to address the influx of migrants at the border, the Department can surely accept the "generosity of the American people" as well, he said.A Texas state lawmaker first drew attention to the donation issue when he revealed that he'd tried to donate items to a Texas detention facility and was told by a Border Patrol representative, "We don't accept donations.""It just befuddles me and I think it's just heartbreaking to know that there's so many people that want to help, and that help is being denied for no definable reasons that anybody's been able to communicate," Democratic state representative Terry Canales said.
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| Police reports shed light on rape probe at Phoenix facility Posted: 02 Jul 2019 04:21 PM PDT  Weeks before an employee of a long-term care facility in Phoenix was arrested in the rape of an incapacitated patient, some of his co-workers speculated that a member of the victim's family was responsible, with a company official even using a slur in suggesting that a relative could be the culprit, according to police reports. A company official, whose name was redacted from the reports, noted in the presence of an officer that the victim was a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe and said incest was common on the reservation, according to the records. Phoenix police declined a request from The Associated Press to identify the male employee who made the slur.
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| Major NRA donor to lead rebellion gunning for ‘radioactive’ leader Wayne LaPierre Posted: 03 Jul 2019 04:03 AM PDT  Even as the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been consumed by relentless and increasingly public infighting, Wayne LaPierre has maintained a firm grip on its leadership.Now one of the gun group's major benefactors says he is preparing to lead an insurgency among wealthy contributors to oust Mr LaPierre as chief executive, along with his senior leadership team.Such a rebellion would represent a troublesome new threat to Mr LaPierre, as his organisation's finances and vaunted political machine are being strained amid a host of legal battles, most notably the New York attorney general's investigation into its tax-exempt status.David Dell'Aquila, the restive donor, said the NRA's internal warfare "has become a daily soap opera, and it's decaying and destroying the NRA from within, and it needs to stop".He added, "Even if these allegations regarding Mr LaPierre and his leadership are false, he has become radioactive and must step down."Until that happens, Mr Dell'Aquila, a retired technology consultant who has given roughly $100,000 (£80,000) to the NRA in cash and gifts, said he would suspend donations — including his pledge of the bulk of an estate worth several million dollars.He said he was among a network of wealthy NRA donors who would cumulatively withhold more than $134 million (£106 million) in pledges, much of it earmarked years in advance through estate planning, and would soon give the gun group's board a list of demands for reform.That figure could not be verified, however, and Mr Dell'Aquila declined to provide a list of the other donors, who he said were not ready to go public.But a second prominent donor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is a senior firearms industry executive, said he was also suspending a plan to give more than $2 million (£1.6 million) from his estate, as well as halting other donations, and was backing Mr Dell'Aquila's effort."The donors are rebelling," the executive said, adding that he believed that the leadership turmoil was "helping to destroy, temporarily, the strength of the NRA as one of the strongest lobbying groups".The extent of any rebellion is difficult to discern, and the NRA insisted it still had the firm backing of its donor base.Mr LaPierre has also retained the support of the NRA's 76-member board, with fewer than a handful of public defections, and it would take a three-fourths vote by the board and one of its committees to oust him.But there have been signs of wavering grassroots support, including a recent announcement by Greg Kinman, a gun enthusiast with more than 4 million followers on YouTube, that he was cutting ties with the NRA.The turmoil of recent months has already stoked fear among some Republicans that the NRA's political potency could be blunted heading into the 2020 elections.In a tweet early on Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump assailed the investigation by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, saying the NRA was "a victim of harassment by the AG".Carolyn Meadows, the NRA's president, said in a statement that "we are disappointed whenever donors choose to suspend their support of the NRA, but we hope to win them back."She added: "People may resist change, but they embrace progress. We're experiencing that right now at the NRA. There's an energy within the NRA. that is hard to describe — and we continue to earn the support of millions of loyal members."The support of donors and the enthusiasm among NRA members will be a crucial test for Mr LaPierre, who has led the organisation for more than two decades.Last month, Mr LaPierre ousted his second-in-command, Christopher W Cox, who led the gun group's lobbying arm; in April, the NRA's president, Oliver North, abruptly stepped down.Both men have been implicated by the NRA in a plot to force Mr LaPierre out, though Mr Cox has denied the allegations. Mr North has said the NRA needs to review its financial practices; NRA officials have said the split with Mr North was largely a dispute over money.Both Mr Dell'Aquila and the second donor want Mr Cox to return to the NRA and become its chief executive."He brings continuity and stability," Mr Dell'Aquila said, adding that Mr Cox had emerged from the recent wave of scandals with cleaner hands than Mr LaPierre. "We can get consensus with Chris replacing Wayne."Mr Dell'Aquila said he had not spoken to Mr Cox about the matter and had not seen him since a fundraiser last year.The NRA is moving on from Mr Cox and is expected to announce on Tuesday that Jason Ouimet, a deputy at its lobbying arm, will assume Mr Cox's former post, according to a person with knowledge of the appointment.The NRA has been burdened by high structural costs and escalating legal bills as it copes with the New York investigation and a bitter legal fight with its former advertising firm, Ackerman McQueen.The NRA's member dues fell in 2017 to their lowest level in a half-decade, as concerns about gun control ebbed after Trump's election, but they rebounded last year, increasing by a third, to $170 million (£135 million), while contributions grew by 24 percent to $165 million (£130 million).Even so, the NRA's net assets fell sharply last year, and the organisation was forced to freeze its pension fund.It also took more than $30 million (£23.8 million) out of its charitable foundation in 2017; it recently increased a line of credit, backed by the deed to its headquarters, to $28 million (£22 million); and it borrowed against life insurance policies taken out on top executives.In a series of interviews and emails, Mr Dell'Aquila cited numerous concerns.He was troubled that a former NRA president, David Keene, had been caught up in an investigation over his ties to Maria Butina, the Russian who pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent.He was disturbed after The New York Times reported this year that Tyler Schropp, a senior NRA executive, had an interest in an outside company that had received $18 million (£14 million) from the NRA.He was also dismayed by a recent New Yorker story tying the NRA's former longtime chief financial officer to allegations of embezzlement at a previous job."I don't know if these stories are true or not true," he said. "My No. 1 concern, frankly only concern, is that our Second Amendment rights are preserved and the optics of negativity that are directly harming the NRA institution ceases."Mr Dell'Aquila said he had approached high-ranking NRA officials to express his dissatisfaction as recently as April, when the NRA held its annual convention in Indianapolis, but was not satisfied by their responses.And he said the board had recently been removing critics of LaPierre from key oversight committees."I decided the best way to be effective is to start a grassroots effort to demand from the NRA leadership accountability as well as transparency," he said.His demands include the resignation of Mr LaPierre and his senior leadership in time to put in a new team for the 2020 elections.In addition to Mr Cox's return, he wants Allen West, an NRA board member and former Tea Party congressman opposed to Mr LaPierre, installed as the group's president.He would also shrink the board to 30 members from 76; stop paying consulting fees to board members; dismiss the NRA's accounting firm, RSM; remove past presidents from the board; and cut costs by holding meetings in central locations.He lamented that an upcoming board meeting was to be held in Alaska: "What are the optics of that?" he said. "It's negative. It's self-inflicted."He adding that the NRA could find board members who "would do this for free, and it keeps us clean in the liberal papers".Mr Dell'Aquila said he had come to his decision reluctantly and had always been treated graciously by Mr LaPierre and his wife, Susan."I'm not pro-Mr LaPierre, and I'm not anti-Mr LaPierre, I'm just simply being objective and trying to save a historic institution from itself," he said."Right or wrong, the buck stops with Mr LaPierre, because this occurred underneath his leadership, and he's ultimately accountable."New York Times
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| Man pours water on Baidu CEO at AI conference Posted: 02 Jul 2019 11:06 PM PDT  A man burst on to a stage and poured water over the head of Baidu CEO Robin Li as the founder of China's dominant search engine spoke at a company-sponsored event on Artificial Intelligence on Wednesday. Highly visible public acts of defiance are relatively rare in China's big cities where security measures can be tight and celebrities like Li generally travel with a pack of security. Baidu has faced enormous criticism in China in recent years after a medical advertising scandal and discontent with changes to its search result listings that favour its own content.
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| Nike pulls sneaker after Kaepernick objection, prompting Republican fury Posted: 02 Jul 2019 09:23 AM PDT  'Betsy Ross Flag' featuring 13 stars in a circle is embraced by white nationalists – Republicans criticize move, calling it 'anti-American'Nike's Air Max 1 sneakers, features 13 white stars in a circle. The flag has been embraced by white nationalists and the American Nazi party. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/ReutersNike has withdrawn a pair of shoes featuring an early version of the American flag that has been embraced by white nationalists, after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick reportedly pointed out that the symbol was offensive.Conservatives in the US immediately criticized the move. One Republican senator called the decision to pull the shoes "anti-American".The "Betsy Ross flag" features 13 white stars in a circle, representing the 13 original colonies, and is one of many early versions of the American flag. It is named after the Philadelphia seamstress who is credited with creating the first American flag featuring stars and stripes in the late 18th century – though most scholars dismiss that story as myth.The flag has since been embraced by white nationalists and the American Nazi party.The shoes had been destined for stores to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. But Kaepernick – the NFL star turned activist who took the knee during the national anthem in protest against racism and police brutality – said Nike should not sell the shoes with a symbol many consider offensive for its connection to an era of slavery, according the Wall Street Journal."Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag," a Nike spokeswoman told the WSJ.In response to the report, Doug Ducey, Arizona's Republican governor, called Ross a "founding mother" of the US, and tweeted: "Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike."Ducey said he had asked the state's commerce authority to withdraw financial incentives for Nike to open a manufacturing plant in Arizona.He tweeted: "Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation's independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism."Ted Cruz, the Republican senator, said Nike "only wants to sell sneakers to people who hate the American flag".> It's a good thing @Nike only wants to sell sneakers to people who hate the American flag.... @NFL HappyFourth https://t.co/G6w8vDjvLP> > — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 2, 2019Josh Hawley, a fellow Republican senator from Missouri, called Nike "anti-American, pure and simple".Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who has been accused of racism in the past and recently interviewed Donald Trump on his trip to France for the D-Day commemorations, tweeted: "No more Nike sneakers for our family."The Journal reported that the shoes had shipped to retailers, but Nike asked them to be returned, without giving further details. Some pairs of the shoes have been appearing on the re-sale website StockX for more than $2,000.The Betsy Ross flag has caused controversy in the past. In 2016, the superintendent of a Michigan school district apologized after students waved the flag during a football game.At the time, Cle Jackson, the president of the local Greater Grand Rapids chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said the flag had been embraced by "[t]he so-called 'Patriot movement' and other militia groups who are responding to America's increasing diversity with opposition and racial supremacy".Kaepernick, now 31, has not played in the NFL since 2016, when he began kneeling during the US national anthem to call attention to social injustice and racial inequality. The former 49ers quarterback settled a grievance case earlier this year, which alleged the league had blackballed him and a fellow player for their political views.Nike unveiled an advertising campaign last year that put Kaepernick's activism front and center, and featured the slogan: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it."Despite a backlash from some conservatives, Nike said it saw sales increase by 31% following the campaign's launch. Its share price has risen more than 15% so far this year.
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| 'Show of a lifetime' or waste of taxpayer dollars? Trump defends 4th of July extravaganza Posted: 03 Jul 2019 03:27 PM PDT  President Donald Trump argues that his 4th of July "Salute to America" extravaganza on the National Mall will be worth the expense.
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| One of Iran's Last F-14A Tomcats Just Crashed Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:00 AM PDT  It is said that the IRIAF only have some twelve to fourteen operational F-14A and F-14AMs left.The picture in this post features the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) F-14A Tomcat that crashed yesterday .According to Scramble Facebook News Magazine, it is now (still unconfirmed) reported that the aircraft involved is F-14A 3-6003. According to the picture of the fatal Tomcat, the airframe is completely destroyed.As we have reported yesterday, one of the few remaining IRIAF F-14A Tomcat fighter jets was involved in a crash at home base Esfahãn-Shahid Beheshti International Airport (Iran).The IRIAF F-14A from the 8th Tactical Air Base crashed while it was landing. The aircraft reported an emergency to air traffic control during its training flight, subsequently the fighter was approved to make a quick landing at Esfahãn, but the aircraft was not able to hold position and skidded of the runway. Both pilot and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) were forced to eject. They parachuted safely to mother earth.
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| Tucker Carlson Defends Don Jr. for Retweeting Birther-Style Kamala Harris Smear Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:37 PM PDT  Fox News host Tucker Carlson has rallied to the defense of Donald Trump Jr. for retweeting a birther-style smear of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, arguing on Tuesday night that the presidential son was merely echoing the skepticism many black voters have of Harris.Following Harris' much-lauded primary debate performance last week, alt-right commentator Ali Alexander claimed that the California senator had no business commenting on racial issues because she wasn't an "American Black" but "half Indian and half Jamaican." Don Jr. would soon retweet—and later delete—Alexander's post, with a spokesman saying he had simply been surprised to learn of Harris' heritage. According to Carlson, it was not Don Jr.'s retweet that should have sparked condemnation—but Harris' debate performance. "Sen. Kamala Harris clearly thinks she can become president of the United States by calling other people racists," he said before showing a clip of Harris' standout debate moment, in which she took former Vice President Joe Biden to task for opposing school busing during the 1970s. "Oh, barf," Carlson muttered after playing the clip.Insisting that the media wants to pit "black against white" and "Kamala Harris versus Joe Biden," Carlson claimed that real life was "far more complicated than that." Stating that Biden's strongest voter constituency is black voters while Harris' is young, white and affluent, the Fox News host asserted that "many black voters appear skeptical of Kamala Harris." (Post-debate polls, however, show Harris gaining on Biden due to a massive shift in black support.)"One of them recently tweeted that Harris' life story doesn't bear much resemblance to that of most African Americans," Carlson said, referencing Alexander's tweet. "Her parents were from India and Jamaica. Donald Trump Jr. retweeted that observation, and for that, CNN denounced him as a terrifying racist."After showing footage of critics blasting Trump Jr. over the tweet, the conservative media star then took aim at CNN's Don Lemon for seemingly questioning whether Harris should identify herself as African-American several months ago. "This tape has been floating around Washington, and Don Lemon apparently has been calling other anchors—even on other channels—and asking them not to replay it because he's embarrassed of it," Carlson mockingly said. "But we think you have a right to see it and you can decide for yourself if Don Lemon is also an anti-black racist."During a CNN segment earlier this year, Lemon said Harris could brush away any criticism of her racial identity by saying "I'm black but I'm not African American," noting that Jamaica isn't America."Here's Don Lemon telling you that Kamala Harris is not an African American," Carlson concluded. "He thinks it's important that you know that, and yet that's not racist because Don Lemon is a democratic voter. That's the logic of identity politics."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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| The Latest: 4 family members among Texas plane crash victims Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:24 PM PDT  Church officials say two teenagers who attended Dallas-area Roman Catholic schools were among the 10 people killed in a fiery Texas plane crash along with their mother and stepfather. The Catholic Diocese of Dallas said Monday that 15-year-old Alice Maritato and 13-year-old Dylan Maritato were killed in the crash Sunday at Addison Municipal Airport in suburban Dallas along with their mother, Ornella Ellard, and stepfather, Brian Ellard.
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| Venezuelan deputy faces trial for drone 'hit' attempt on Maduro Posted: 01 Jul 2019 11:48 PM PDT  A Venezuelan politician accused of an attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro using explosing drones will face trial after a court on Monday accepted charges against him, his lawyer said. Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens faces 30 years in prison if found guilty of the brazen attempt to kill Maduro as he attended a military parade in downtown Caracas on August 4, 2018. Two drones packed with explosives flew towards President Maduro, causing panic among soldiers and civilians when they detonated during his speech.
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| US Air Force accidentally drops dummy bombs on Florida after hitting a bird Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:46 AM PDT  Dummy bombs were accidentally dropped by a US Air Force attack plane during a training run over Florida after a mid-air bird strike.The A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft, a fearsome low-altitude jet capable of pinpoint destruction, "inadvertently released" the three 25lb mock munitions in the low-tech collision, a spokesperson said in a statement.It occurred after the jet, assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group, took off from Moody Air Force Base, in Lowndes County, Georgia on Monday afternoon. The drop happened 54 miles south, just over the border in Florida.The Air Force estimates that all three of the bombs – which are inert but do contain a small pyrotechnic charge – landed close to the Suwannee Springs area.Although no injuries or damage was reported, people were urged not to approach the device if they spotted it as the charge could be dangerous if mishandled.It is by no means birds have caused serious problems for the US military.Between 1985 and 2016, figures suggest such mid-air strikes have killed 36 American airmen and caused more than £630m in damage.
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| UPDATE 1-Baby boy of murdered pregnant woman in London has died Posted: 03 Jul 2019 02:37 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Baby boy of murdered pregnant woman in London has died]( "UPDATE 1-Baby boy of murdered pregnant woman in London has died") A baby boy delivered after his heavily pregnant mother was fatally stabbed in London has died. The boy, named Riley, was delivered in the early hours of Saturday by paramedics after his mother, 26-year-old Kelly Mary Fauvrelle, was found stabbed inside a house in Croydon, south London. British police released CCTV footage of a man they wish to trace.
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| Police Find Body Believed to be Noah Tomlin, Missing Virginia Toddler Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:18 PM PDT  Virginia Police say they believe the body of missing Noah Tomlin has been found. The 2-year-old had been missing since June 24.
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| When is the next Democratic primary debate?: July 30 and 31 in Detroit Posted: 03 Jul 2019 03:35 AM PDT  Like the debate in Miami, the upcoming one in Detroit will feature 20 candidates out of the 24 Democrats seeking their party's nomination.
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| There Are 500,000 U.S. Citizens Living in Mexico Posted: 01 Jul 2019 06:30 PM PDT  For instance, we found that, in 2010, 53% of U.S. citizens under 18 living in Mexico did not have Mexican citizenship. Children who do not have Mexican documents cannot easily enroll in Mexican public schools. Furthermore, children who do not speak Spanish well will face problems learning in Mexican schools.While much of the current news has been focused on Central American migrants making their way through Mexico to the U.S., little attention has been paid to a different migration story: the number of American-born minors – all U.S. citizens – who left the U.S. to live in Mexico.In Mexico, about 900,000 residents were born abroad as of 2015. Some of these are Central American migrants, but the large majority was born in the U.S. and is under age 18.In fact, between 2000 and 2015, the population of American minors living in Mexico more than doubled. By 2015, nearly half a million minors born in the U.S. lived south of the border.Although there have always been U.S. citizens under 18 in Mexico, never before have so many left the U.S. to live and grow up in Mexico. Who are these children and adolescents? Where and with whom do they live in Mexico?
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| Mexico buses home dozens of asylum seekers returned by US Posted: 02 Jul 2019 03:00 PM PDT  In a statement, the Foreign Relations Department described it as the beginning of a "temporary program of voluntary return" for migrants in northern Mexico who wish to go home. It said 69 people — 40 Hondurans, 22 Guatemalans and seven Salvadorans — were involved, and 66 of those were returnees under the U.S. program. Officials said the bus left Ciudad Juarez at 9 a.m. and that all aboard wanted to be repatriated to their native countries in Central America's Northern Triangle, the source of a surge of migration in recent months, many of them families with children.
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| Trump on blight of homelessness in U.S. cities: 'It's disgraceful' Posted: 02 Jul 2019 08:25 AM PDT  The president says he is "seriously" considering tackling the blight of homelessness — an issue he curiously believes began shortly after he after he became president.
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| Driver charged in 7 motorcycle deaths has arrest records in 6 states Posted: 03 Jul 2019 08:47 AM PDT  The man charged with seven counts of vehicular homicide after he collided with motorcyclists in Randolph, N.H. has arrest records in six states.
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| Here's Everything That's Open and Closed on July 4th 2019 Posted: 03 Jul 2019 01:03 AM PDT  What stores and restaurants are open on July 4th? See the full list of who's keeping their doors open on July 4th.
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| UPDATE 1-Pentagon says China missile test in South China Sea 'disturbing' Posted: 02 Jul 2019 05:44 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Pentagon says China missile test in South China Sea 'disturbing']( "UPDATE 1-Pentagon says China missile test in South China Sea 'disturbing'") The Pentagon said on Tuesday a recent Chinese missile launch in the disputed South China Sea was "disturbing" and contrary to Chinese pledges that it would not militarize the disputed waterway. The South China Sea is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which include a trade war, U.S. sanctions and Taiwan. China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.
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| Toyota Prius Stalling Problems Continue, Highlighted by a Dealer’s Lawsuit over Five-Year Problem Posted: 02 Jul 2019 02:00 PM PDT  Three recalls to fix more than 800,000 cars have allegedly not remedied tens of thousands of reported failures.
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| Spy Photos of the 2021 Kia Sorento Posted: 02 Jul 2019 10:20 AM PDT |
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