| Escort who claimed Trump secrets 'committed no crimes': lawyer Posted: 23 Jan 2019 09:14 AM PST  The lawyer of a Belarussian escort who claimed she had proof of Russian collusion with Donald Trump's election campaign on Wednesday insisted on her innocence after she was released from custody for allegedly coercing women into prostitution. Anastasia Vashukevich, also known as Nastya Rybka, had been expected to speak to the media in Moscow but did not turn up. Vashukevich was arrested at a Moscow airport last week after being deported from Thailand as part of a group convicted of participating in a "sex training course".
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| A time-limited Brexit backstop would be useless: EU's Barnier Posted: 23 Jan 2019 03:01 AM PST ![A time-limited Brexit backstop would be useless: EU's Barnier]( "A time-limited Brexit backstop would be useless: EU's Barnier") A temporary safeguard to avoid erecting a physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit would serve no purpose, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Wednesday. In an interview to newspapers Le Monde, Rzeczpospolita and Luxemburger Wort, Barnier said the current backstop proposal over the border was the only option on the table. This is the only possible option because an insurance is of no use if it is time limited," Barnier said.
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| The Covington Affair Posted: 22 Jan 2019 07:42 AM PST  The condemnations were vitriolic, including here at National Review. As longtime readers know, the Corner is our group blog that encourages real-time, unfiltered reactions by our individual writers (it was basically Twitter before the advent of Twitter).
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| Norwegian Cruise Line denies claim crew member used passenger's cabin for sex Posted: 22 Jan 2019 11:24 AM PST ![Norwegian Cruise Line denies claim crew member used passenger's cabin for sex]( "Norwegian Cruise Line denies claim crew member used passenger's cabin for sex") Norwegian Cruise Line on Tuesday denied that a crew member used a British couple's cabin for sex during a recent voyage.
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| South Korea Defends U.S. Bid for Nukes Compromise With Kim Posted: 21 Jan 2019 05:57 PM PST  It's complete denuclearization," Kang told the Yonhap News Agency in an interview published Tuesday. Negotiations between the two sides have picked up pace since U.S. President Donald Trump met with a top North Korean official in Washington and announced plans to hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un next month.
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| GMC unveils most heavy-duty pickup yet Posted: 23 Jan 2019 08:06 AM PST  While GMC's 2020 Sierra Heavy Duty truck is definitely the heartiest of the line, the pickup also features a slew of advanced technological innovations right down to a transparent trailer view. Because "trailering is the most important consideration for Sierra Heavy Duty customers," the company ensured that this model was tailored for those who heave and haul. The truck is equipped standard with the enhanced ProGrade Trailering system first seen in the 2019 Sierra Light Duty pickup, a system which now features 15 camera views including a "transparent trailer view." This technology works in the same fashion that we've seen in systems made for semi-trucks, like Valeo's "XtraVue Trailer," allowing drivers to more easily see what's behind their freight thanks to a strategically placed camera mounted on the rear of the trailer.
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| The Moon was hit by a meteorite while you were staring at the ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ eclipse Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:01 AM PST  Skywatchers had plenty to be excited about this past weekend thanks to a lunar eclipse that was visible from the Americas as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It got the nickname "Super Blood Wolf Moon" thanks to a combination of labels that may or may not have much meaning, but it was an undeniably cool sight nonetheless. As it turns out, the eclipse was even more special than most observers had noticed, as the Moon was actually struck by a meteorite while everyone was gazing in wonder at its rusty appearance. A new video from astronomer Jose Madiedo, using imagery gathered by the MIDAS impact survey effort, shows the exact moment of impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNvfBCu-jjI In the video you can clearly see a tiny dot flash in the upper left corner of the Moon sphere, appearing for only a fraction of a second before being shrouded in darkness. Some observers who were watching live coverage of the eclipse spotted the brief flash, debating what might have caused it. The MIDAS survey is a Moon-watching that scours video of its surface in the hopes of detecting the tiny flashes associated with meteorite impacts. In this case, MIDAS scored a home run, and it was the first time the system was able to spot an impact during a total lunar eclipse. "In total I spent almost two days without sleeping, including the monitoring time during the eclipse," Madiedo explained to Gizmodo. "I was exhausted when the eclipse ended--but when the automatic detection software notified me of a bright flash, I jumped out of my chair. It was a very exciting moment because I knew such a thing had never been recorded before." The meteorite itself wasn't terribly large, and is estimated to have only been around 22 pounds. Still, its impact was large enough to be spotted by observers as well as the automated MIDAS system, and that's pretty cool.
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| Extreme Temperatures Have Frozen Parts of Niagara Falls Posted: 22 Jan 2019 07:32 AM PST  Extreme Temperatures Have Frozen Parts of Niagara Falls
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| El Chapo's sons killed Mexican journalist Javier Valdez, witness tells trial Posted: 23 Jan 2019 02:48 PM PST  The sons of former drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman killed Mexican journalist Javier Valdez because he insisted on publishing an interview with a drug trafficker, who told of the murder in court Wednesday. Valdez was an AFP stringer and co-founder of the weekly Riodoce de Sinaloa.
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| Transgender Troops Will Face Obstacles After Supreme Court Order Posted: 22 Jan 2019 09:56 AM PST  Hundreds of transgender troops may continue serving in the military, but new recruits will face obstacles under a Supreme Court decision.
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| Death toll in Mexico gasoline pipeline blast climbs to 94: officials Posted: 22 Jan 2019 06:01 AM PST  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of people who died from a gasoline pipeline explosion in central Mexico last week has risen to 94, government officials said on Tuesday, from 91 reported a day earlier https://reut.rs/2FGojjO. The explosion last Friday occurred as about 800 people in Hidalgo state's Tlahuelilpan district were collecting gasoline that was gushing from a pipeline leak near a major refinery. ...
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| North Dakota couple killed by fallen tree in San Diego Posted: 22 Jan 2019 10:01 AM PST  GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota couple died while vacationing in San Diego when a 75-foot-tall pine tree crashed onto their rental house as they slept, relatives and police said.
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| Alleged US spy received Russian 'state secret' without knowing: lawyer Posted: 22 Jan 2019 11:36 AM PST  A former US Marine charged with espionage in Russia was handed a USB drive containing state secrets without knowing what was on the device, his lawyer said Tuesday after a hearing extending his client's custody. Paul Whelan, 48, was taken into custody on December 28 by the Russian FSB security service, which said he was caught "while carrying out an act of espionage".
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| Kamala Harris presidential campaign attracts more donors in day one than Bernie Sanders’ first 24 hours in 2016 Posted: 23 Jan 2019 01:00 AM PST  California Senator Kamala Harris has raised over $1.5m with an average donation of $37 per donation during the first 24 hours of her presidential campaign, aides to her campaign say. Ms Harris received the support from over 38,000 donors, topping the 35,000 people who pitched in to prop up Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders when he began is presidential bid in 2016 against Hillary Clinton — but still roughly matching his first day total of $1.5m. "These numbers reveal a campaign powered by the people — an energetic, nationwide movement eager to elect Senator Harris and support her vision of an America that actually works for the people", Mike Nellis, the campaign's digital aide, said.
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| Photos From Our Drive of the New 2020 Porsche 911 Posted: 22 Jan 2019 01:44 PM PST |
| Covington Catholic closes Tuesday, first school day after D.C. incident Posted: 22 Jan 2019 06:27 AM PST  The Kentucky high school was closed because of security concerns after students were accused of mocking a Native American activist.
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| Verizon cuts jobs at media unit that includes Yahoo, AOL Posted: 23 Jan 2019 12:34 PM PST  Verizon is cutting hundreds of jobs from its media division which includes the former internet stars Yahoo and AOL, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The source said the cuts amounting to seven percent of the workforce are being made "to focus the business and realign teams" at the Verizon Media unit, which also includes news sites such as HuffPost, TechCrunch and Engadget. The exact number of cuts was not clear, but the Wall Street Journal said it would amount to around 800 positions at the unit, which was rebranded as Verizon Media after a brief period in which it had been branded as Oath.
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| Pelosi: House Will Not Authorize SOTU until Government Reopens Posted: 23 Jan 2019 01:10 PM PST  House speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday formally notified President Trump that the House will not authorize him to deliver his State of the Union address before Congress until the government reopens. "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President's State of the Union address in the House Chamber until the government has opened," Pelosi wrote in a letter to the president.
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| The Latest: Los Angeles teachers union sued over dues Posted: 23 Jan 2019 11:02 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the end of the Los Angeles teachers strike (all times local):
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| McDonald's is giving away free food for one hour next week -- Here's how to get yours Posted: 23 Jan 2019 07:23 AM PST  What's better than bacon when you're craving something quick, greasy and
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| Doctor who cared for rape victim who gave birth at Phoenix nursing facility resigns, another suspended Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:02 PM PST  The departures follow Hacienda CEO Bill Timmons resigning on Jan. 7 when news of the sexual-assault investigation was reported.
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| Supreme Court lets mystery company file appeal under seal Posted: 22 Jan 2019 09:17 AM PST  The case has remained a high-profile mystery, with the Supreme Court and lower courts declining to identify the company, the country that owns it or the purpose of the subpoena. More details about the company's legal arguments were revealed in redacted court papers made public after the nine justices permitted it to move forward with its appeal to the high court under seal, a process that keeps many facts about the matter secret. The company is facing a daily fine of $50,000 imposed by a U.S. federal judge in Washington for refusing to comply with a subpoena issued in the unidentified investigation.
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| Striking teachers in LA reach tentative settlement with district Posted: 22 Jan 2019 02:32 PM PST  Los Angeles public school teachers reached a tentative settlement with school officials Tuesday in order to end a weeklong strike that has affected some 500,000 students. The settlement -- reached after 21 hours of marathon talks that ended early Tuesday -- was set to be voted on by the roughly 30,000 members of the teachers union later in the day and classes are due to resume on Wednesday. "The strike nobody wanted is now behind us," Los Angeles United School District superintendent Austin Beutner said at a joint press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Alex Caputo-Pearl, the president of United Teachers Los Angeles.
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| Huge attack shows Taliban strength at outset of talks Posted: 22 Jan 2019 08:03 AM PST  The attack, carried out with a captured military Humvee packed with explosives, killed as many as 100 or more soldiers, police and pro government militiamen at a base in Maidan Wardak province west of Kabul. "The Taliban are doing exactly what they want to do and if it goes on like this then one day we will have Maidan Wardak province fall into the hands of Taliban," said Mohammad Akbar Bakhtyari, the deputy chief of the provincial council. Just hours later, the Taliban confirmed that talks aimed at finding a peace deal had resumed with U.S. officials in Qatar, underlining the strategy adopted by the increasingly invigorated insurgents -- an approach their American foes should understand.
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| Emiliano Sala: Rescuers give up hope of finding missing footballer alive as experts claim the plane was downed by ice Posted: 23 Jan 2019 08:51 AM PST  Rescuers searching for the £15 million Cardiff City footballer, Emiliano Sala, admitted they had given up hope last night, amid fears that his single engine aircraft had crashed into the English channel after the propeller became blocked with ice. The Argentinian born striker sent a message to relatives shortly before taking off expressing fears over the state of the 25-year-old aircraft, It has also emerged that the pilot, Dave Ibbotson, 60, had to abort three attempted takeoffs and had joked with friends that he was a "bit rusty" in the days before the doomed flight. The Piper PA-46 Malibu left Nantes airport in north west France at around 7.15pm on Monday evening and was on route to Cardiff, where Sala was looking forward to joining up with his new teammates. Just after an hour into the flight the pilot asked air traffic control to reduce altitude from 5,000 ft to 2,300 feet. But a short time later the Guernsey coastguard was alerted after the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. David Ibbotson was thought to be the pilot of the aircraft Aviation experts suggested the privately chartered single-engine aircraft should not have been risking the flight in the icy conditions. Alastair Rosenschein, a former pilot, said: "It's already a fairly risky crossing to do in a single engine aircraft, especially in winter and definitely at night. There are icing problems too. It's a strange thing to do though to go and fly over water with one engine at night in winter because if your engine goes you're going in the water". Mystery continued to surround who the owner of the £100 per hour aircraft was, with Cardiff City insisting Sala had rejected their offer of a commercial flight, in favour of sorting out his own arrangements. A source at the club said they had launched an investigation to find out why their record breaking signing had gambled with his life on the "risky" Channel crossing. Neil Warnock took his players on a sombre first training session since the tragedy on Wednesday. Players and staff were described by one source as feeling "absolutely terrible" and "in the dark" about the circumstances of Sala's flight arrangements. Sala, who had been in prolific goal scoring form for Nantes in recent months, had been a dream signing for the club. Willie McKay, a well-known agent, was reported to have played a part in negotiating the club's record-breaking deal, but he told The Telegraph he had nothing to do with Sala's flight. He told The Telegraph: "I have had family members ringing me about this and it's just not true. None of it." Fans have left scarves and flowers at the Cardiff City stadium The aircraft, which was built in 1984, is registered in the United States rather than Britain through a company based in Norfolk. The firm, Southern Aircraft Consultancy, charges owners around £500 pounds per year to register their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Authority, which means it is harder for the owners to be identified. Three years ago the Piper aircraft, which can carry six passengers, was delivered to the UK from Spain by a British pilot called, David Henderson. Emiliano Sala timeline He told the BBC at the time of the dangers of flying single engine aircraft over water. He said: "One of the problems we can encounter is that ice can build up on the surfaces of the aircraft, on the propeller and on the wings and if is gets too great then ultimately the aeroplane would stop flying and the only way in most of the aeroplanes we fly of getting rid of ice is to descend into warmer air and the ice will dissipate." Missing light aircraft over the English Channel Guernsey Police said rescue workers had launched three aircraft and one helicopter in a bid to find the missing plane. The aircraft scanned 280 sq miles of a target area after reviewing tidal and weather information, while coastal areas around Alderney and off-lying rocks and islands were also examined. But the search was called off on Wednesday evening with local police saying they would take a decision whether to resume the search on Thursday morning. However experienced rescuers warned there was "no hope" of finding the missing pair. A tearful Horacio Sala, father of the footballer, speaks during an interview outside his home in Progreso, Argentina Credit: AP Photo/Mauricio Garin John Fitzgerald, Chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search, said "even the most fit person" would only last a few hours in the water. Mr Fitzgerald said: "Sadly, I really don't think, personally, there is any hope. At this time of year the conditions out there are pretty horrendous if you are actually in the water." Sala had taken flown in the aircraft from Cardiff to Nantes on Saturday evening after finalising his move to the Premier League club. He had wanted to say goodbye to friends and former colleagues at the French club before embarking on his new career at Cardiff. But he had told friends he was worried about the return flight because the outbound trip had been "bumpy". Mr Ibbotson, a highly experienced pilot, from the village of Crowle near Scunthorpe, had joked with friends on social media that he was a "a bit rusty with the ILS", thought to be a reference to the aircraft's Instrument Landing System. Shortly before take off, Sala also sent a WhatsApp voice message to family saying he was "so scared". Media in Argentina reported he said: "I'm on a plane that looks like it's going to fall apart."
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| Amazon’s rare discount on the only Instant Pot with a built-in sous vide somehow isn’t sold out Posted: 22 Jan 2019 05:38 AM PST  Yesterday afternoon we told you about a killer sale that popped up on Amazon. The $160 Instant Pot 8 Qt Aura Pro Multi-Use Programmable Multicooker with Sous Vide is the only multi-use cooker that Instant Pot makes with a built-in sous vide function, and it almost never goes on sale. Thanks to a $32 clippable coupon on Amazon, it dropped to an all-time low of $127.99. Last time this coupon popped up on Amazon it sold out within about an hour, but today we have some terrific news: it's somehow still available! Hurry up and head to the Amazon page now and you'll still find that $32 coupon there. We have no idea how much longer this deal will last though, so you should definitely take advantage as soon as you can. Here are the highlights from the product page: * Please note this item does not have a pressure cooker function. * Aura Pro replaces 11 commonly used kitchen appliances - Sear/Saute, Bake, Slow Cook, Steam, Stew, Sous Vide, Roast, Yogurt, Rice, Multigrain and Keep Warm, your favorite dishes are as easy as pressing a button! * Microprocessor Technology - The microprocessor controls the time and temperature to ensure consistent cooking results. You can customize your settings using the operation keys +/- to adjust cooking time and temperature to achieve your preferred cooking results. * Sear/Saute - Flexible temperature settings makes it perfect for simmering, caramelizing and sauteing vegetables, and searing meat. Temperature ranges from 250~425°F [120~220°C], you can easily adjust the time from 5 minutes to 1 hour, with a default time of 30 minutes. * Bake - Prevents you from heating up your kitchen. Temperature ranges from 250~425°F [120~220°C], you can adjust the time from 10 minutes to 4 hour, with a default time of 1 hour. * Slow Cooker - Two temperature settings High (H) and Low (L) with the ability to set the cooking time from 30 minutes to 24 hours for both temperature levels and a default time of 4 and 6 hours respectively. * Power supply: 120V - 60Hz
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| Greenland ice melting faster than scientists had thought, nears 'tipping point' Posted: 22 Jan 2019 03:00 AM PST ![Greenland ice melting faster than scientists had thought, nears 'tipping point']( "Greenland ice melting faster than scientists had thought, nears 'tipping point'") Ice on Greenland is melting four times faster than it did just 16 years ago, a new study reports.
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| Kerry, at Davos, sends Trump a one-word message: Resign Posted: 22 Jan 2019 01:46 PM PST  The former secretary of state goes after the president in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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| Miami prosecutor probing MLK traffic incident as hate crime Posted: 22 Jan 2019 12:17 PM PST  MIAMI (AP) — A traffic incident in Miami involving a gun-wielding white man and a group of black bicyclists protesting housing inequality on Martin Luther King Day is being investigated as a possible hate crime, prosecutors said Tuesday.
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| 4 Ways to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt in 2019 Posted: 22 Jan 2019 06:14 AM PST ![4 Ways to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt in 2019]( "4 Ways to Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt in 2019") The new year can be a good time to take control of your finances, and for many people, paying off credit card debt is the first step. With new interest charges each month, credit card debt can continue to build if you don't take action. "Credit card debt is particularly insidious because it could potentially never end," says Stephanie Genkin, certified financial planner and founder of My Financial Planner in Brooklyn, New York.
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| Every Angle of the Aston Martin Valkyrie Posted: 22 Jan 2019 08:58 PM PST |
| Kentucky mother of newborn twins missing since leaving bar with men 3 weeks ago Posted: 22 Jan 2019 12:38 PM PST  'If you know anything, we beg you, come forward': A Kentucky family is making an emotional plea to help find a mother of four who vanished.
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| China's Baidu pledges to improve search service after complaint Posted: 23 Jan 2019 12:08 AM PST  China's top search engine Baidu Inc said on Wednesday it will improve its media aggregating service after a complaint about the quality of the service and its search results went viral on social media, helping send its shares down sharply. Baidu was placing low-quality pieces from its Baijiahao service, which selects articles from both legacy and independent media outlets for display on Baidu's own webpages, and other Baidu properties toward the top of its search results, journalist Fang Kecheng wrote in an article on Tuesday.
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| GM Plant Workers Allege Racist Acts Continue Even After Lawsuits Posted: 23 Jan 2019 08:27 AM PST  It comes after years of racist language on the assembly line, scrawled slogans and swastikas on the restroom walls and nooses suspended in the workplace, as well as misogyny, according to the lawsuits. "GM downplays this and says it is a few isolated incidents, but it's not," said Michelle Vocht, a Michigan lawyer representing eight employees at the plant who are suing GM, alleging a hostile workplace. The company does take the complaints seriously, spokesman David Caldwell said.
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| British Airways is giving one of its Boeing 747s a 1960s-era paint scheme Posted: 22 Jan 2019 07:24 AM PST  British Airways will paint one of its Boeing 747's in a retro scheme that dates to the 1960s as part of an effort to commemorate its 100th birthday.
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| Trump says he has told Sarah Sanders 'not to bother' with daily White House press briefing Posted: 22 Jan 2019 07:38 AM PST  Donald Trump has revealed he told his press secretary Sarah Sanders "not to bother" with the traditional White House daily press briefing. The US president said as much via Twitter on Tuesday, suggesting that the press is unfair to his combative press secretary. "The reason Sarah Sanders does not go to the 'podium' much anymore is that the press covers her so rudely & inaccurately, in particular certain members of the press," Mr Trump wrote.
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| Los Angeles teachers return to classes after reaching deal Posted: 23 Jan 2019 11:33 AM PST  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tens of thousands of Los Angeles teachers returned to work Wednesday after voting to ratify a contract, ending a six-day strike at the nation's second-largest district.
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| Steph Curry Sells North Carolina Home for $1.19 Million Posted: 23 Jan 2019 11:00 AM PST  The Golden State Warrior star previously sold his Walnut Creek, California, home in August 2017
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