| 2020 Vision Thursday: Why Kamala Harris is struggling in the polls Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:05 AM PDT  Pundits have been speculating about the state of Sen. Kamala Harris's campaign ever since one of her staffers accidentally left an internal briefing memo that included the phrase "summer slump" at a Manchester, N.H., restaurant earlier this month.
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| PHOTOS: Tropical Storm Imelda floods Texas Posted: 20 Sep 2019 06:30 AM PDT  The slow-churning remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda flooded parts of Texas on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and rescue crews with boats scrambling to reach stranded drivers and families trapped in their homes during a relentless downpour that drew comparisons to Hurricane Harvey two years ago.
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| Texas man wanted for allegedly divorcing his wife without her knowledge Posted: 20 Sep 2019 12:32 PM PDT  A Texas man is wanted by police after he allegedly filed for and completed divorce proceedings against his wife without her knowledge.
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| U.S. to return about $100 million to the Treasury for an Afghanistan project due to a lack of transparency Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:27 AM PDT  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that the United States would return about $100 million to the Treasury for an energy infrastructure project in Afghanistan and would withhold a further $60 million in planned assistance to the country due to a lack of transparency.
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| 'Shocked and devastated': Connecticut father, son die in tragic fall after riding ATVs in abandoned quarry Posted: 20 Sep 2019 07:55 AM PDT  A father and son died after they both fell off a 75-foot cliff in Connecticut Wednesday, WVIT-TV reported.
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| Architect Reinaldo Leandro on the Art of Building Design and Personal Style Posted: 20 Sep 2019 12:17 PM PDT |
| Why Trump had a wad of cash in his back pocket Posted: 19 Sep 2019 07:57 AM PDT  "I don't carry a wallet because I haven't had to use a credit card in a long time," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I do like leaving tips to the hotel. I like to carry a little something."
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| Officials: Political donor caused deadly overdose during sex Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:31 PM PDT  Gemmel Moore had moved back home with his mother in Texas two years ago and was missing Los Angeles when he texted a photo of syringe in an arm to a wealthy gay man he knew in California. Buck bought a plane ticket for Moore and had a car pick him up a week later at the airport. Federal prosecutors released new details Thursday as they charged Buck, 65, with distributing methamphetamine resulting in Moore's death on July 27, 2017.
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| India Is Planning a Huge China-Style Facial Recognition Program Posted: 19 Sep 2019 02:00 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- India is planning to set up one of the world's largest facial recognition systems, potentially a lucrative opportunity for surveillance companies and a nightmare for privacy advocates who fear it will lead to a Chinese-style Orwellian state.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will open bids next month to build a system to centralize facial recognition data captured through surveillance cameras across India. It would link up with databases containing records for everything from passports to fingerprints to help India's depleted police force identify criminals, missing persons and dead bodies.The government says the move is designed to help one of the world's most understaffed police forces, which has one officer for every 724 citizens -- well below global norms. It also could be a boon for companies: TechSci Research estimates India's facial recognition market will grow sixfold by 2024 to $4.3 billion, nearly on par with China.But the project is also ringing alarm bells in a nation with no data privacy laws and a government that just shut down the internet for the last seven weeks in the key state of Kashmir to prevent unrest. While India is still far from implementing a system that matches China's ability to use technology to control the population, the lack of proper safeguards opens the door for abuses."We're the only functional democracy which will set up such as system without any data protection or privacy laws," said Apar Gupta, a Delhi-based lawyer and executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a non-profit group whose members successfully lobbied the government in 2015 to ensure net neutrality and reject platforms like Facebook Inc.'s Free Basics. "It's like a gold rush for companies seeking large unprotected databases."Black MarketA draft data protection bill presented to the government last year still hasn't been approved by the cabinet or introduced into parliament. The country has already had problems implementing Aadhaar, one of the world's biggest biometric databases linking everything from bank accounts to income tax filings, which been plagued by reports of data leaks and the growth of a black market for personal information.So far, not much is known about which companies might bid on the facial-recognition system. Minutes of a meeting with potential bidders, obtained by the Internet Freedom Foundation through a right to information request, showed unidentified companies sought clarifications on integrating facial recognition data with state databases and whether it should be able to identify people with plastic surgery.Vasudha Gupta, a spokeswoman for the Home Ministry, didn't respond to an email seeking comments about the system.For some in the police force, the system will be an essential tool to fight crime if implemented properly. India has seen more than 100 terrorist attacks in the last three decades, including one on luxury hotels and a train station in Mumbai that killed 166 people in 2008.'Powerful Tool'Nilabh Kishore, who headed a unit fighting organized crime in the state of Punjab until last year, had success against gangsters after he set up a system linking data from police stations across the state."A system that can identify criminals is invaluable -- facial recognition is a powerful tool," said Kishore, who is now deputy inspector general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. "But human intentions are also very important. You can make the best of technology, but if human intentions are wrong it can be a tool for misuse."That's particularly a worry for vulnerable minority groups that have long faced discrimination in India. Lower castes and tribals account for about a quarter of the population but constitute 34% of India's prisoners, according to the National Dalit Movement for Justice.In January, the Delhi High Court said it was "unacceptable" that facial recognition had not helped trace any of the 5,000 children missing from the city in three years. Earlier this month, photos and phone numbers from a Madurai city police facial recognition database in the southern state of Tamil Nadu were leaked online.Surveillance ThreatThe threat of foreign spying is also persistent. Last month a federal government think tank criticized the local administration in Delhi for hiring the Indian arm of Chinese firm Hikvision to set up 150,000 CCTVs, saying the move could spur illegal hacking and data leaks to the Chinese government.Foreign surveillance companies operating in India include CP Plus, Dahua, Panasonic Corp., Bosch Security Systems, Honeywell International Inc., and D-Link India Ltd. Many Indian companies won't be able to bid on the facial-recognition system because the current tender requires them to meet standards established by the U.S. National Institute of Science and Technology, according to Atul Rai, chief executive officer of Staqu Technologies, an Indian startup.Rai, whose company has developed facial recognition for eight local police forces, said India doesn't have the same quality cameras as China -- making it harder to meet the goal of being able to identify any person with an integrated system. He also said it would be more difficult to implement a national network in India because state governments are responsible for law and order under its constitution."But if this one happens in line with the government's plan, it should be a China-like system," Rai said. "Any powerful country wants to be like China when it comes to using technology to monitor people -- even western countries."\--With assistance from Santosh Kumar.To contact the reporter on this story: Archana Chaudhary in New Delhi at achaudhary2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Elizabeth Warren Declares War on Lobbying, Hires Lobbyist One Day Later Posted: 20 Sep 2019 04:24 AM PDT  Is she serious?
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| A former employee of Andrew Yang claimed he abruptly fired her because she got married and he thought she'd stop 'working as hard' Posted: 20 Sep 2019 06:01 AM PDT  Kimberley Watkins worked for Yang when he was a CEO in 2007. She said Yang claimed marrying meant she "wouldn't want to continue working as hard."
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| High school sparks controversy over 'ridiculous' lunch: 'It's honestly sad' Posted: 20 Sep 2019 11:24 AM PDT  A Minnesota high school is facing criticism for serving a meal that many people have since called "ridiculous."
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| Alien enthusiasts descend on Nevada desert near secretive U.S. base Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:27 PM PDT  Scores of UFO enthusiasts converged on rural Nevada on Thursday for a pilgrimage of sorts to the U.S. installation known as Area 51, long rumored to house government secrets about alien life, as law enforcement officials beefed up security around the military base. Visitors descended early in the day on the tiny desert town of Rachel, a short distance from the military site, in response to a recent, viral social-media invitation to "storm" Area 51 on Friday, raising concerns by local authorities of unruly crowds overwhelming the community. Situated about 150 miles (240 km) north of Las Vegas, the remote hamlet of just 50 year-round residents lacks a grocery store or even a gasoline station.
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| An attorney forced out of the CIA's watchdog office is representing the Trump whistleblower Posted: 19 Sep 2019 12:07 PM PDT  Andrew Bakaj, an attorney who left the CIA in 2014 after facing professional retaliation for trying to work with intelligence community whistleblowers is now representing the U.S. official who reportedly filed a complaint alleging wrongdoing by President Trump.
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| The Latest: Greek refugee camp unable to house new arrivals Posted: 20 Sep 2019 03:33 PM PDT  The Ocean Viking had assisted Maltese authorities and pulled the migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat on Thursday in international waters. The Ocean Viking initially counted 36 people but corrected the number to 35 after the Friday transfer. Malta has refused to take the remaining people, arguing they were found in international waters where Libya has search and rescue duties.
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| FedEx Pilot Detained in China for Item Found in Luggage Posted: 20 Sep 2019 01:51 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- A FedEx Corp. pilot was temporarily detained in southeastern China after authorities found hundreds of air-gun pellets in his luggage prior to boarding a commercial flight to Hong Kong, marking the delivery firm's latest setback in the country.The pilot, who was held in the city of Guangzhou, was later released on bail and the company is working with relevant authorities to understand the facts better, Memphis-based FedEx said in an email. Geng Shuang, spokesman at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a briefing Friday that he was detained after being found with 681 air-gun pellets in his luggage.While FedEx didn't provide details, a Wall Street Journal report earlier cited people familiar with the matter as saying Chinese authorities have started a criminal probe on the former U.S. Air Force colonel for allegedly carrying ammunition illegally. China notified the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou about the matter and the case is still under investigation, Geng said.FedEx has been under particular scrutiny in recent months, after Huawei Technologies Co. said documents it asked to be shipped from Japan to China were diverted to the U.S. instead without authorization. In another incident, FedEx said it mistakenly rejected a package containing a Huawei phone being sent to the U.S. from the U.K., a claim China rebuffed.Separately, police in China's Fujian province started an investigation into a package containing a gun delivered by FedEx to a company in China, state media reported in August. Chinese authorities also began probing FedEx on suspicion of illegally handling a package sent to Hong Kong containing knives, Xinhua News Agency reported in early September.The fracas over the Huawei packages has seen FedEx targeted in Chinese state media, with Beijing considering adding the company to a list of so-called unreliable entities it is drafting, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg in June.China Mulls FedEx Blacklisting After Huawei Delivery ErrorsAfter the U.S. slapped curbs on Huawei, China's Commerce Ministry announced the creation of the list in late May to target firms that the government says damage the interests of domestic companies.(Updates with foreign ministry comment in second paragraph.)\--With assistance from Thomas Black, Feifei Shen and April Ma.To contact the reporter on this story: Young-Sam Cho in Hong Kong at ycho2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Emma O'BrienFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Climate change could turn oceans from friend to foe, UN report warns Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:28 PM PDT  Global warming and pollution caused by humanity's carbon-heavy footprint are ravaging Earth's oceans and icy regions in ways that could unleash misery on a global scale, a landmark UN report to be unveiled next week will warn. The underlying 900-page scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the fourth such UN tome in less than a year, with others focused on a 1.5-Celsius cap on global warming, the decline of biodiversity, as well as land use and the global food system. All four conclude that humanity must overhaul how it produces, distributes and consumes almost everything to avoid the worst ravages of global warming and environmental degradation.
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| Meghan McCain storms off 'The View' after sparring with Ana Navarro: Watch Posted: 20 Sep 2019 09:43 AM PDT  Conservative 'The View' pundit Meghan McCain walked off set on Friday following a blow-up with guest co-host Ana Navarro.
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| Saudi coalition launches attacks on Yemeni ‘military targets’ in first operation since oil facilities attack, says local media Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:34 AM PDT  The Saudi-led military coalition has reportedly carried out attacks on targets in Yemen – its first response since an assault on oil facilities that the US has blamed on Iran.The strikes hit areas north of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, Saudi state TV reported.
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| Drowning of U.S.-bound Honduran mother and son underscores plight of migrants Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:53 PM PDT ![Drowning of U.S.-bound Honduran mother and son underscores plight of migrants]( "Drowning of U.S.-bound Honduran mother and son underscores plight of migrants") TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras/MATAMOROS, Mexico Sept 19 (Reuters) - W hen Delia Hernandez, 44, bade farewell on Aug. 1 to Idalia Herrera, 27, and nearly two-year-old Iker Cordova, she dreamed her daughter and grandson were fleeing the arid fields of southern Honduras for a bright new life in the United States, she said. Instead, Herrera and Cordova drowned last week in the Rio Grande just shy of Brownsville, Texas, weeks into an anguished wait in the Mexican border city of Matamoros for an asylum hearing with U.S. authorities, migrants there and Herrera's grandmother said.
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| Trump Didn’t Mention Foreign Aid ‘Quid Pro Quo’ During Call with Ukrainian President: Report Posted: 20 Sep 2019 02:03 PM PDT  President Trump didn't mention an offer of providing foreign aid to Ukraine during a recent call with president Volodymyr Zelensky, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.Trump urged Zelensky to launch an investigation into Vice President Joe Biden's son on eight separate occasions during the July call but did not make an offer of foreign aid in exchange for the opening of a probe, as has been widely speculated.The president reportedly urged Zelensky to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to determine the veracity of allegations that Biden leveraged his position as vice president to quash an investigation into an energy company whose board his son, Hunter, sat on.The call, which Trump has defended as "totally appropriate," has been scrutinized in recent days in the wake of reports that the conversation between Trump and Zelensky prompted a whistleblower from within the intelligence agencies to file a complaint with the inspector general.Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have demanded to see the complaint, which reportedly relates to an undisclosed "promise" that Trump made to a foreign leader, but the Trump administration has thus far refused to comply with their subpoena.Giuliani has for months sought to advance an investigation into the corruption allegations leveled against Biden, meeting with a top Ukrainian official in Paris in July before sitting down with one of Zelensky's aides in August.The Trump administration began reviewing a $250 million Ukrainian aid package just weeks after the August meeting and chose to release the aid earlier this month, prompting speculation that Trump offered the aid to incentivize the opening of an investigation into Biden in order to bolster his own electoral prospects.In 2014, Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company that was then under investigation for state corruption. After Hunter joined the board, his father, who was then serving as vice president, began advocating for the firing of a top Ukrainian prosecutor.Biden maintains that his conduct was completely unrelated to his son's board chair, and Ukrainian officials have said they have not surfaced any evidence of corruption.
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| U.S. troops will be sent to Saudi Arabia -Pentagon Posted: 20 Sep 2019 04:21 PM PDT 
The Pentagon on Friday (September 20) said the deployment would involve a moderate number of troops and would be primarily defensive in nature. U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the deployment would not reach thousands of forces but he declined to be more specific. The attacks halved the crude output of the world's top oil exporter, by shutting down 5.7 million barrels per day, of which 4.5 million bpd in Abqaiq an 1.2 million bpd in Khurais.
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| House votes to end forced arbitration in business disputes Posted: 20 Sep 2019 10:40 AM PDT  The House approved a bill Friday to end forced arbitration clauses that prevent workers and consumers from filing lawsuits in disputes with companies over employment practices, billing or civil rights. Supporters, mostly Democrats, said the bill would restore access to justice for millions of Americans who are now locked out of the court system and forced to settle disputes against companies in a private arbitration system that often favors the company over the individual. Opponents, mostly Republicans, said the measure would make it harder for individual workers or consumers by forcing them into lengthy, expensive court fights that may end up shutting them out of the justice system entirely.
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| Hong Kong police warn officers 'might have to kill someone' as violence escalates Posted: 20 Sep 2019 08:48 AM PDT  Hong Kong police warned on Friday that violence in the territory had escalated to a point where officers feared "they might have to kill someone", as anti-government protests entered their sixteenth consecutive weekend. Violence has risen steadily since the mass demonstrations kicked off in early June. Protests now regularly descend into chaos with activists throwing bricks and petrol bombs at police officers who fire water cannon and tear gas. Conflicts have also erupted between protesters and pro-Beijing supporters, affecting tourists and bystanders. Concern is increasing significantly among the city's police force – once dubbed Asia's finest – that officers will need to use lethal force to defend themselves or others. Violence has gotten "to such a level, [the officers'] greatest fear is that they might have to kill someone or that they might be killed themselves – it is really that critical," a top police commander told a group of foreign media on condition of anonymity. "We have been so restrained in the face of such violence; this pressure has become extremely dangerous." "I haven't seen this kind of widespread lawlessness in the whole of my career," the commander said. "We are getting more and more worried about the possibility of death." Hong Kong protests | Read more In recent weeks, police officers have pulled their guns and fired warning shots into the air during chaotic clashes with protesters. Senior police officers have said that their threshold to draw a weapon is if an officer feels his or her life is in danger. Protests first broke out over an extradition bill that would have sent suspects to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts leads to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam pledged a few weeks ago to formally withdraw the proposal, though activist demands have widened in nearly four months of unrest to include direct leadership elections, and an independent investigation into police handling of the protests. Ms Lam hasn't agreed to further concessions, but will begin a series of public meetings next week in efforts to resolve the situation. Police say that an independent inquiry now would frustrate their efforts to handle the protests. "We are still in the middle of a crisis," said the senior commander. "You really have to be sure that whatever measure you take now is helpful to the resolution of the situation, that you are not playing into the hands of people whose only objective is to undermine the police so this situation could get worse." So far, police have arrested 1,474 people, aged 12 to 84, since street violence began in June. Of those, 207 people have been charged. A number of cases are ready to go to trial, and some are starting to have their first hearings, the senior commander said, suggesting that city courts could fast track court dates and grant less bail to support broader efforts to quell the violence. "I can't tell you how we're going to stop this without all the other institutions all playing their part," he said. "We have always been relying on that deterrent sentence that comes at the very end of the process."
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| The Macallan unveils Edition No. 5 -- and it looks like nothing you've ever seen from the brand before [Exclusive] Posted: 20 Sep 2019 09:23 AM PDT ![The Macallan unveils Edition No. 5 -- and it looks like nothing you've ever seen from the brand before [Exclusive]](http://l2.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/FeqZrh.jX9g7ZJmMVH5dXA--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims3/GLOB/crop/2700x1770+0+593/resize/1028x675!/format/jpg/quality/85/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-09/51dfca70-dbc2-11e9-bff6-dd3a7bbd36bc "The Macallan unveils Edition No. 5 -- and it looks like nothing you've ever seen from the brand before [Exclusive]") The newest iteration of the Macallan Edition Series, Edition No. 5, might be the most out-of-the-box yet.
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| Scientists reconstruct skeleton of elusive, pre-historic human Posted: 19 Sep 2019 08:00 AM PDT ![Scientists reconstruct skeleton of elusive, pre-historic human]( "Scientists reconstruct skeleton of elusive, pre-historic human") Researchers in Israel say they have reconstructed the skeleton of a pre-historic human from a long-extinct and elusive species using DNA found in the pinky bone of a 13-year-old girl who died 70,000 years ago. Little is known about the Denisovans, who were ancient relatives of the more familiar Neanderthals and our own species. Evidence was first uncovered in 2008 in a cave in Siberia, and today it includes only three teeth, a pinky bone and a lower jaw, said Hebrew University genetics professor Liran Carmel.
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| San Francisco's dirtiest street has an outdoor drug market, discarded heroin needles, and piles of poop on the sidewalk Posted: 19 Sep 2019 05:23 PM PDT  Residents of Hyde Street's 300 block report having to hose down urine in front of their offices or hold their breath to avoid the stench of feces.
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| American Airlines Mechanic who Sabotaged Plane before Takeoff Suspected of ISIS Ties Posted: 19 Sep 2019 10:41 AM PDT  A federal judge denied bail on Wednesday to an American Airlines mechanic, who has been incarcerated since July for sabotaging a plane with 150 people on board, due to suspicions the mechanic has ties to ISIS.Abdul-Majeed Alani was arrested on September 5 and confessed to tampering with a Boeing 737 at Miami International Airport weeks earlier, grounding the plane before it had a chance to take off. He told investigators at the time that he was upset over a contract dispute involving a union, and decided to ground the plane so that he could obtain overtime work.However, investigators subsequently found videos of mass murders committed by ISIS on Alani's cell phone.In the Wednesday bail hearing, prosecutors announced that Alani has a brother in Iraq who may be involved with ISIS, and that Alani had previously expressed his desire for Allah to harm non-Muslims.Alani's lawyer requested bail to be posted at $200,000 but Magistrate Judge Chris M. McAliley denied the request, deeming Alani a flight risk.Alani has been a mechanic at American Airlines for thirty years and does not have a criminal record. He is a U.S. citizen.Court documents assert that Alani used a piece of foam to obstruct the plane's air data module, which tracks air speed and other critical flight data. Security camera footage from July 17 shows Alani tampering with the aircraft.The plane had left the gate and reached the runway just before takeoff when the pilots received an error message, after which they aborted the takeoff.
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| 6 things to know about teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:20 PM PDT  Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has addressed a UN summit, sailed across the Atlantic, and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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| Joe Biden releases statement on whistleblower controversy: 'clear-cut corruption' Posted: 20 Sep 2019 04:19 PM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden responds to reports that President Trump urged the president of Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden's business dealings.
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| 2 dead as Imelda strands drivers, floods homes in Texas Posted: 20 Sep 2019 07:04 AM PDT  The slow-churning remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda flooded parts of Texas on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and rescue crews with boats scrambling to reach stranded drivers and families trapped in their homes during a relentless downpour that drew comparisons to Hurricane Harvey two years ago. Law enforcement officers planned to work well into the night to clear freeways of vehicles stalled and abandoned because of flooding, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. Officials in Harris County, which includes Houston, said there had been a combination of at least 1,700 high-water rescues and evacuations to get people to shelter as the longevity and intensity of the rain quickly came to surprise even those who had been bracing for floods.
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| Carson Daly surprises 'Today' co-hosts on-air with pregnancy news: 'How long have you been sitting on this?!' Posted: 20 Sep 2019 06:58 AM PDT  Carson Daly shared an exciting announcement live on-air during the 'Today' show, taking his co-hosts by total surprise.
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| Pro-China groups to tear down pro-democracy graffiti in Hong Kong Posted: 20 Sep 2019 01:59 AM PDT  A pro-Beijing Hong Kong lawmaker urged supporters to pull down "Lennon Walls" on Saturday across the Chinese-ruled city, where the displays of anti-government graffiti have sometimes been flashpoints during more than three months of unrest. Legislator Junius Ho, who has taken a tough stand against the protests, called for cleanups of 77 Lennon Walls from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on "Clean Hong Kong Day", by 100 people at each site. Anti-government protesters have said they will avoid confrontation but will rebuild the walls, named after the John Lennon Wall in communist-controlled Prague in the 1980s that was covered with Beatles lyrics and messages of political grievance.
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| US faces ‘unacceptable risk’ of exploding planes and crumbling buildings if Trump border wall funds not replaced, Pentagon warns Posted: 19 Sep 2019 09:37 AM PDT  Donald Trump's border wall funding scheme has taken money away from critical military infrastructure, and is weakening the US Defence Department's readiness, according to a new report.The funding deficits for the military projects were detailed in annual budget requests sent from the Pentagon to Capitol Hill over the past three years. Those documents, reviewed by the Washington Post, describe crumbling warehouses with "leaking asbestos panel roof systems"; a drone pilot training facility with sinkholes and a bat infestation; and a middle school infested with mould.
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| 2019 Editors' Choice Awards: The Best Trucks, SUVs, and Vans Posted: 20 Sep 2019 10:15 AM PDT |
| Justin Trudeau says he'll ban assault rifles amid backlash to blackface controversy Posted: 20 Sep 2019 01:15 PM PDT  The Canadian Liberal Party's push comes at the same time the American Democratic Party is splintered over a similar proposal.
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| Son who threw his terminally ill 79-year-old mother to her death spared jail Posted: 20 Sep 2019 11:13 AM PDT  A teacher who threw his terminally ill 79-year-old mother to her death from a first-floor balcony spared jail as judge describes it as a "mercy killing". A "devoted, loving son" who killed his dying mother to end her suffering by dropping her from a first floor fire escape at a care home has been given a suspended jail term. Robert Knight, 53, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his 79-year-old mother June at an earlier hearing at Basildon Crown Court. The languages teacher had denied murder and was cleared by a jury. Judge Samantha Leigh, sentencing Knight at Basildon Crown Court on Friday, told him: "You are someone who acted out of love and desperation. "You have been punished enough and you have to live with what you have done." She went on to describe it as a "mercy killing". Knight was sentenced to 24 months in prison suspended for 24 months. The incident happened at Langley Lodge Care Home in Westcliff, Essex, where Mrs Knight was receiving end-of-life care. Credit: EAST NEWS PRESS AGENCY Knight, of The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, signed into the care home on the evening of December 10 and lifted his mother out of bed. He dropped her from a fire escape and there was "no planning" involved, the judge said. The judge said: "This is a very sad case - anyone listening to the details of Mrs Knight's illness and her condition couldn't fail to be moved." She added that to "watch someone you love suffer as she was suffering... is truly cruel". The court heard that Mrs Knight had dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and a post-mortem report showed she had a twisted bowel that would have caused her pain. Knight visited her regularly, brushing her hair and cutting her nails, the judge said. She added that a "do not resuscitate" notice was in place at the time and care home staff "didn't think she would survive the night" from December 9 to December 10 last year. "You were convinced that she was suffering and it was more than you could bear," the judge told Knight. "You are described as a devoted, loving son," she added. "This case, I'm sure, was a very finely balanced one as to whether it was in the interest to prosecute in the first place." Michael Levy, mitigating, said Knight had no previous convictions, was remorseful, had admitted manslaughter and had spent more than nine months in custody while criminal proceedings were under way. Knight was ordered to complete 60 days of rehabilitation as part of his sentence, before he walked free from court.
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| State sending troopers to help fight St. Louis crime Posted: 19 Sep 2019 04:09 PM PDT  Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is sending highway patrol troopers and other state workers to St. Louis as part of an effort to fight the surge of violent crime that has included the killings of more than a dozen children in the region so far this year. Parson said the total cost of the state's commitment, including the 25 state employees who will work in the St. Louis region, is up to $4 million. "This is about targeting violent criminals and getting them off the street," Parson said at a news conference in St. Louis.
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| Russia Can't Stop Israel's F-35 Stealth Fighters Posted: 19 Sep 2019 06:00 PM PDT  Key point: The F-35 operates on another level that Russia's air defense cannot handle.
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| Boy, 4, who was diagnosed with autism and cancer within months of each other beats odds Posted: 20 Sep 2019 02:05 PM PDT  A 4-year-old boy who was diagnosed with autism and cancer within three months has impressively beaten the odds
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