| Further claims of inappropriate behavior put Joe Biden's 2020 presidential bid in doubt Posted: 03 Apr 2019 02:19 AM PDT  Two more women have claimed that Joe Biden inappropriately touched them, in a further blow to the former US Vice President said to be considering a bid for the White House. Caitlyn Caruso, 22, told the New York Times on Tuesday that Mr Biden hugged her "just a little bit too long" when she was 19 at a University of Nevada event on sexual harassment. According to the former student, the senior Democrat rested his hand on her thigh moments after Miss Caruso had shared a personal story of sexual assault. She said: "It doesn't even really cross your mind that such a person would dare perpetuate harm like that". A second women, 59-year-old DJ Hill, also told the New York Times that Mr Biden had placed his hands on her shoulders and dropped them down her back at a 2012 campaign event in Minneapolis. The new claims follow that of Amy Lappos, who said Mr Biden had rubbed noses with her, and Lucy Flores, who claimed Biden had kissed her on the back. US President Donald Trump took a shot on Tuesday at Mr Biden, a possible Democratic rival in the 2020 race for the White House, mocking him over allegations of unwanted physical contact with women. In a speech to a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee, President Trump twice alluded to the allegations from two women that are hanging over Mr Biden as he weighs whether to enter the contest to become the Democratic candidate in November 2020 presidential elections. Caitlyn Caruso, a survivor of sexual assault, speaks before U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as part of the national It's On Us Week of Action Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images A former Nevada state legislator last week accused Mr Biden of kissing her on the back of the head at a 2014 event, and a Connecticut woman said Mr Biden rubbed noses with her at a 2009 event. Biden has said he did not believe he ever acted inappropriately, and his defenders have said he is known for hugging and being physically affectionate. In wide-ranging remarks that meandered for more than 80 minutes but often circled back to the 2020 race, Mr Biden was the only potential rival President Trump mentioned by name - a sign that he would view Mr Biden as a strong challenger, were he to enter and win the Democratic race. Joe Biden was vice president under President Barack Obama and had a long career in the Senate before that. He had been expected to announce his bid for the Democratic primary race this month and has led the large field of Democratic hopefuls in opinion polls. President Trump told the dinner, which raised $23 million for Republicans running for the House of Representatives, a story about wanting to kiss a general he met in Iraq who had promised an expedient end to a campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria. Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Spring Dinner Credit: Ron Sachs/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX "I said, 'General: come here and give me a kiss.' I felt like Joe Biden," Mr Trump said, drawing laughter and applause. Earlier, he told the crowd - which was dotted with members of the House - that they would be "going into the war with some socialists" in the next election. "It looks like the only non-, sort of, heavy socialist is being taken care of pretty well by the socialists," Trump said. One of Biden's accusers has been a supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders, who has already entered the Democratic primary race, and whose views are to the left of Biden. "I was going to call him - I don't know him well - I was going to say, 'Welcome to the world, Joe. You having a good time, Joe? You having a good time?" President Trump said. Mr Trump struggled during his 2016 run for office with multiple accusations of unwanted sexual contact from women, particularly after videotaped remarks emerged of Mr Trump bragging about groping women. Mr Biden, while campaigning for Mr Trump's Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, had said he would like to take Trump "behind the gym" to beat him up for the comments. In defence, the Democrat said: "In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort," he responded. "And not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention. I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear.
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| American woman kidnapped in Uganda; $500K ransom demanded Posted: 04 Apr 2019 01:38 AM PDT  An American tourist and a local guide were ambushed and kidnapped by four armed men who demanded a $500,000 ransom, Ugandan police said.
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| UPDATE 7-Ethiopian crash report highlights sensors, software, leaves questions Posted: 04 Apr 2019 01:36 AM PDT ![UPDATE 7-Ethiopian crash report highlights sensors, software, leaves questions]( "UPDATE 7-Ethiopian crash report highlights sensors, software, leaves questions") ADDIS ABABA/SEATTLE, April 4 (Reuters) - Faulty sensor readings and multiple automatic commands to push down the nose of a Boeing plane contributed to last month's fatal crash in Ethiopia, leaving the crew struggling to regain control, according to a preliminary accident report. The first substantial account of the last minutes of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on March 10 described how the captain three times called out: "Pull up" and was acknowledged by the first officer, but to no avail. Boeing's top-selling aircraft, the 787 MAX, has been grounded worldwide since the March 10 disaster, which killed 157 people and came just five months after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia that killed 189 in a plane of the same model.
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| Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido stripped of parliamentary immunity, allowing potential arrest Posted: 03 Apr 2019 06:02 AM PDT  A pro-government lawmaking body installed by President Nicolas Maduro voted on Tuesday to strip the opposition leader Juan Guaido of parliamentary immunity, paving the way for his potential arrest.The move by the Constituent Assembly represents the government's latest effort to raise the pressure on Guaido, who declared himself interim president in January in the biggest challenge that Maduro has faced in six years in office.In recent weeks, the government has barred Guaido from travelling, frozen his bank accounts, begun investigating him on terrorism accusations, and prohibited him from running for office.But thus far the government has stopped short of detaining Guaido. The United States has repeatedly said that any attack on Guaido would draw a severe reaction.Guaido has brushed off legal challenges from the government in the past, going so far as touring South American capitals despite the travel ban.The opposition does not recognise the Constituent Assembly, a sort of parallel congress created by Maduro two years ago as a means of circumventing the opposition-controlled National Assembly."The regime believes that by attacking me, they will stop us," Guaido told supporters outside his house Tuesday night. "There's no way back in this process."Venezuela's intensifying political battle is unfolding amid an electrical crisis that has led to almost daily blackouts in most major cities since early March.Lights went off in parts of the capital, Caracas, minutes after the Constituent Assembly's vote.On Tuesday the government announced that it would introduce national power rationing in peak hours until further notice.The New York Times
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| From Soup to Salmon: Slow-Cooker Recipes for a Fast and Healthy Dinner Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:04 PM PDT |
| Teen Found Wandering Around Kentucky Is Not Missing Boy Timmothy Pitzen. He’s Actually a 23-Year-Old Man. Posted: 04 Apr 2019 01:58 PM PDT  Photo Illustration The Daily Beast/ReutersThe person who claimed to be Timmothy Pitzen after he was found wandering in Kentucky is not the Illinois boy who vanished in 2011, but a 23-year-old man, the FBI confirmed through DNA testing on Thursday.The young man, who was found battered and alone in Newport, Kentucky, on Wednesday, told police he was the 6-year-old boy who went missing seven years ago after his mother picked him up at his Aurora, Illinois, elementary school for a road trip. In 2011, police found Pitzen's mother dead by suicide alongside a note saying her son was with people who "would care for him and love him." "You will never find him," the note added. Investigators confirmed the person claiming to be Pitzen was not the missing teen after a 24-hour DNA test. Furthermore, Newport police said, the boy was no boy at all: He is a 23-year-old man named Brian Michael Rini from Medina, Ohio."We know that you are out there somewhere, Tim, and we will never stop looking for you, praying for you and loving you," Pitzen's aunt, Kara Jacobs, said in a press conference after the DNA results were released.The FBI said in a tweet that a local investigation continues "into this person's true identity.""To be clear, law enforcement has not and will not forget Timmothy, and we hope to one day reunite him with his family. Unfortunately, that day will not be today," the agency said.Pitzen's grandmother, Alana Anderson, said the family has been on "tenterhooks," hopeful that their Timmothy was coming home."I feel so sorry for the young man who's obviously had a horrible time and felt the need to say he was someone else in hope that they can find his family," Anderson said.On Wednesday, Rini told Campbell County police that he escaped two male kidnappers while they were staying at a Cincinnati Red Roof Inn and ran across a bridge just over the Ohio River before knocking on a car window to ask for help, authorities said."He walked up to my car and he went, 'Can you help me? I just want to get home. Can you just please help me?' And I asked him what was going on and he told me he's been kidnapped," a good Samaritan who called police told WCPO.The Campbell County Sheriff's Office immediately contacted other nearby law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI field office, and searched all of the Red Roof Inns in its jurisdiction, according to the police report. Rini described his alleged captors as having "bodybuilder-type build" and were last seen in a "newer" Ford SUV with Wisconsin plates. Police were unable to find the described men. According to the police report, one of the men allegedly wearing Mountain Dew shirt and jeans was described as having "black curly hair...and a spider web tattoo on his neck," while the other "is short in stature and had a snake tattoo on his arms."Newport Police confirmed they are looking into Rini's claim of being kidnapped and acknowledged that he has given false statements in the past 24 hours when he claimed to be a kidnapped teenager. His motive is still unknown, and it's unclear whether he'll be charged with a crime.The 23-year-old man has reportedly been arrested three times, once in 2015 for allegedly making false reports that involved an Ohio law-enforcement agency, according to the Medina Post. Along with three other men, Rini was also arrested in 2017 for allegedly hosting a party in Medina, Ohio, and causing over $1,250 of damage in a model home, according to The Medina Gazette."Although we are disappointed that this turned out to be a hoax, we remain diligent in our search for Timmothy, as our missing person's case remains unsolved," Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Bill Rowley said in a press conference Thursday, adding that they will be investigating "this hoax."The FBI tested genetic material belonging to the man claiming to be Pitzen and compared them to a DNA sample from the missing teen, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast, adding that the results were "top priority.""We still have no confirmation of the identity of the person located, but hope to have something later this afternoon or early this evening," an Aurora Police spokesperson told The Daily Beast. "Unless or until his identity is confirmed, we have no official statement to mark, and nothing of substance to add."On May 11, 2011, 43-year-old Amy Fry-Pitzen checked her 6-year-old son out of his elementary school for a three-day vacation, which included a trip to a local zoo and a waterpark. She did not inform the boy's father of her intentions. The pair were last seen at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc., according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.Three days later, Fry-Pitzen was found dead inside a motel room and her son missing. Aurora police told The Daily Beast on Thursday that the mother who openly struggled with depression suggested in her note that she might have "dropped her son off with a friend.""We never forgot, never stopped thinking about him everyday, stayed in touch with the police," Anderson, told NBC Chicago on Wednesday when she heard the news. "It just went cold and I just prayed that when he was old enough that he would remember us and contact us—that was kind of the best I could hope for for a long time."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
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| Will Moisturizers With SPF Protect Your Skin? Posted: 03 Apr 2019 12:08 PM PDT  If your morning beauty routine involves applying both sunscreen and moisturizer, you may have decided to simplify things by using a moisturizer with SPF instead. That's a fine move, assuming you ...
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| Crazy deal slashes a popular wireless charger to just $7 Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:54 AM PDT  If you need a new wireless charger, there's really only one model you should even consider buying right now. It's the CHOETECH Wireless Charger, and it's somehow on sale right now for just $7.31. Seriously, that's not a typo! This excellent wireless charging pad has more than 3,400 5-star ratings on Amazon and it normally sells for $12, which is a terrific price. But if you clip the 5% coupon on the Amazon page and use the special coupon code VYARO3T3 at checkout, the price drops to just $7.31. This deal will almost certainly sell out, so definitely grab one while you still can!Here's more info from the product page: * 【About Brand CHOETECH】As the expert in wireless charging industry for more than 6 years, CHOETECH has already shared 70% of the international market, attracted more than 3,000,000 loyal users around the world. All these are obtained on the strength of our extremely premium products and fully considerate services all the time. * 【Safer Charging】Using highly efficient components and an advanced chipset, charging intelligently, Qi & ETL Certified, integrated smart chip inside it that resist the wireless charging pad from over-heating, over-voltage and short circuit. * 【Case Friendly】Our wireless charger is suitable for phone case which is within 4mm/0.16inch. But for more efficient charging, we still recommend you to remove the case before charging. (As metal attachments or credit cards may damage your phone.) * 【Universal Compatibility】This qi charger works with fully Qi-enabled devices like iPhone X, XS, XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 8/8 Plus,New AirPods, Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+, S10E, Note 9, S9, S9 Plus, Note 8, S8, S8 Plus, S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, Google Pixel 3/3xl, Nokia 9, Nexus 4, 5, Lumia 920 and other Qi-Enabled devices. * 【Ultra Slim & Anti-Slip】 0.3 inches thickness, through countless data analysis, we have designed the most suitable size charging pad, which is perfect for small places but it's also big enough to put phone anywhere on it to charge., with anti-slip rubber to keep it stays in place.(CHOETECH Qi Wireless Charger comes with 18-months free warranty and friendly customer service)
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| Bezos ex-wife to surrender 75% of couple's Amazon shares Posted: 04 Apr 2019 11:09 AM PDT  MacKenzie Bezos, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced Thursday they had finalized their divorce, and that she would surrender 75 percent of the couple's shares in the tech giant. MacKenzie Bezos also said she would give all of her stake in The Washington Post and the space exploration firm Blue Origin to her ex-husband -- the world's richest man -- as well as voting control of her remaining Amazon shares. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Amazon said MacKenzie Bezos now controls four percent of the company's outstanding common stock.
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| Joe Biden's presidential hopes face crisis as second accuser details unwanted touching Posted: 02 Apr 2019 11:55 PM PDT  Joe Biden is facing the first major crisis of an as-yet-unannounced presidential bid after a second woman accused him of unwanted touching and Democrats debated if the claims should disqualify him. The former US vice president was said to have pulled a woman's head towards him to "rub noses" at a political event – an allegation that emerged just days after a similar claim became public. Amy Lappos, the former congressional aide who made the accusation, said the behaviour was not "sexual" but it was inappropriate and called on Mr Biden not to seek the White House. The developments have put Mr Biden's conduct around some women, which supporters describe as affectionate but critics call "handsy", in the spotlight and raised questions about his presidential hopes. Mr Biden comfortably tops polls for who should win the Democratic Party's 2020 presidential nomination to take on Donald Trump, though the vote is still 20 months away. Amy Lappos, central in black and white top, and Joe Biden, left, at an event in October 2009 Credit: Courtesy of Amy Lappos However unlike more than a dozen rival candidates, Mr Biden has waited before jumping into the ring – though an announcement is widely expected and could come within weeks. Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, treadled a careful line on Tuesday when addressing the claims, aware of the political implications of her reaction. She said the claims should not "disqualify" Mr Biden from running for office but urged him to reconsider his behaviour in the future. "I've known Joe Biden a long time. My grandchildren love Joe Biden. I mean he's an affectionate person, to children, to senior citizens, to everyone. That's just the way he is," Ms Pelosi said. However she urged him to join the "straight arm club" by meeting people with a handshake. "He has to understand in the world that we're in now that people's space is important to them. And what's important is how they receive it, not necessarily how you intended it," she said. Lucy Flores said that Joe Biden had acted inappropriately at a political event in 2014 Credit: AP Photo/John Locher Democratic 2020 candidates also offered nuanced responses to the allegations, stating that they believed the women but stopping short of calling for Mr Biden not to launch a bid. Sen. Kamala Harris of California said she believed his accusers but that it's up to Mr Biden to decide whether to run. Over the weekend, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren said Mr Biden "needs to give an answer" about what occurred. Another 2020 hopeful, Kirsten Gillibrand, said: "If Vice President Biden becomes a candidate, this is a topic he'll have to engage on further." Ms Lappos's account emerged on Monday after she posted about her experience online and later gave an interview to the Connecticut newspaper The Hartford Courant. The incident occurred at a 2009 political fundraiser Greenwich, Connecticut, when Mr Biden was vice president and Ms Lappos was an aide to congressman Jim Himes. She told the paper: "It wasn't sexual, but he did grab me by the head. He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth." She added: "There's absolutely a line of decency. There's a line of respect. Crossing that line is not grandfatherly. It's not cultural. It's not affection. It's sexism or misogyny." Joe Biden's talks to customers during a stop at Cruisers Diner in Seaman, Ohio, in 2012 Credit: AP A few days before the claim emerged, another woman, Lucy Flores, said Mr Biden had once put his hands on her shoulders, smelt her hair and kissed the back of her head at a political event. "Yes, of course, I want him to change his behavior. And I want him to acknowledge it was wrong," Ms Flores said in an interview about the incident, which happened in 2014 when she was running as a Democrat to be Nevada lieutenant governor. The claims have led to days of debate on cable news channels about Mr Biden's behaviour in light of the MeToo movement, which triggered a watershed moment in the discussion about sexual harassment. In a lengthy statement issued after the first accusation and reportedly shared when approached about the second, Mr Biden denied acting inappropriately. Part of the statement read: "In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort. And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention. "I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear. But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will." Donald Trump took a shot Mr Biden on Tuesday, mocking him over the allegations. Former Defence Secretary Ashton Carter makes remarks as his wife Stephanie listens with Joe Biden Credit: Getty In a speech to a fundraising dinner for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the US president twice alluded to the claims. Mr Trump told the dinner, which raised $23 million for Republicans running for the House of Representatives, a story about wanting to kiss a general he met in Iraq who had promised an expedient end to a campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria. "I said, 'General: come here and give me a kiss.' I felt like Joe Biden," Mr Trump said, drawing laughter and applause. Earlier, he told the crowd - which was dotted with members of the House - that they would be "going into the war with some socialists" in the next election. "It looks like the only non-, sort of, heavy socialist is being taken care of pretty well by the socialists," Mr Trump said. The President, who has denied multiple accusations of sexual misconduct on his part, said: "Welcome to the world, Joe. You having a good time, Joe?"
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| Hundreds gather for funeral of Samantha Josephson, student killed after getting into wrong car Posted: 04 Apr 2019 09:03 AM PDT  Family and friends gathered to mourn the death of the New Jersey woman killed after getting into a car she thought was her Uber.
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| Jussie Smollett update: Deadline arrives for 'Empire' actor to pay Chicago $130K Posted: 04 Apr 2019 01:26 PM PDT  Thursday is the deadline for "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to pay the city of Chicago more than $130,000.
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| SDF says Syria's Raqqa hit by mine blast, not suicide attack Posted: 03 Apr 2019 08:32 AM PDT ![SDF says Syria's Raqqa hit by mine blast, not suicide attack]( "SDF says Syria's Raqqa hit by mine blast, not suicide attack") A blast in Syria's Raqqa on Wednesday that wounded people was caused by an unexploded mine left by Islamic State going off, not by suicide attacks, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. The head of the SDF's media office Mustafa Bali told journalists in an online message that earlier information it provided about suicide bombings in the city, captured from IS in 2017, was wrong. A string of bombings have in recent months targeted the northeastern corner of Syria held by the SDF, even after its capture of the last Islamic State enclave in the area.
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| UPDATE 1-Family of American woman sues Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines over 737 Max crash Posted: 04 Apr 2019 10:49 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Family of American woman sues Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines over 737 Max crash]( "UPDATE 1-Family of American woman sues Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines over 737 Max crash") The family of an American woman killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the airline, Boeing Co and Rosemount Aerospace Inc, which makes a part of the aircraft that is the focus of investigators. The complaint was filed in U.S. federal court in Chicago by the parents of Samya Stumo, who lawyers said was on a work trip when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on March 10 soon after taking off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. It was the first lawsuit filed on behalf of a U.S. victim of the Ethiopian disaster and the first to target the airline and parts manufacturer Rosemount, in addition to Boeing.
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| The Latest: False ID is 'like reliving the day,' family says Posted: 04 Apr 2019 03:07 PM PDT  CINCINNATI (AP) — The Latest on efforts to confirm the identity of a person who told police he is Timmothy Pitzen, an Illinois boy who has been missing since 2011 (all times local):
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| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Invites Queer Eye’s Bobby Berk to Help Her Decorate Her Office Posted: 03 Apr 2019 03:15 PM PDT  The congresswoman and the designer had a sweet Twitter exchange
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| Google’s $900 Pixel 3 XL is only $522 on Amazon if you get a refurb Posted: 04 Apr 2019 06:49 AM PDT  Before you go and blow $900 or more on a new Pixel 3 XL, there's a limited-time deal on Amazon that you'll definitely want to check out. Pixel Phone 3 XL Smartphones in Just Black with 64GB of storage are down to just $522 and change right now. Or, if you want white instead of black, you can snag one for $530. These awesome Pixel phones are factory unlocked and they come with US warranties. Hurry before they sell out!Here are the bullet points from the product page: * This Certified Refurbished product has been tested and certified to work and look like new, with minimal to no signs of wear, by a specialized third-party seller approved by Amazon. The product is backed by a minimum 90-day warranty and may arrive in a generic brown or white box. Accessories may be generic and not directly from the manufacturer. * Create, share and stay connected with this black or white Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone. Its 64GB of storage lets you save important files and apps, and the 12.2-megapixel rear camera has autofocus to take professional-looking photos easily. The 6.3-inch touch screen on this Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone is water-resistant and dust-resistant. * Google Pixel 3 XL (64GB, 6.3") Factory Unlocked US Warranty, Brand: Google, Model: Pixel 3 XL Factory Unlocked, GSM MPN: G013C, Operating System: Latest Android 9 Pie (3 years of OS and security updates), Cellular Band: Unlocked, Lock Status: Network Unlocked, Screen Size: Fullscreen 6.3 inches QHDplus OLED at 523ppi * Glass: Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Network: Unlocked World-wide network/carrier compatibility with GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10 WCDMA: W1/W2 Camera Resolution: 12.2MP HDR Support (UHDA certification), 4K Video Recording Rear Camera: 12.2MP dual pixel, f/1.8 aperture, Autofocus and dual pixel phase detection, Optical and electronic image stabilization, Spectral and flicker sensor Dual Front Cameras: 8MP wide angle and normal FoV cameras. * RAM: 4 GB, Storage Capacity: 64GB, Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz plus 1.6GHz), 64Bit Octa Core Adreno 630 ,Battery: 3430 mAh battery, 18w fast charging, Qi wireless charging, 18w/2A USB Type C charger, Wireless and Location: Wi Fi 2.4GHz plus 5.0GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 LE Materials: Aluminum frame plus hybrid coating, Style: Bar
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| BB&T, Wells Fargo Get Failing Grades From Gun-Control Group Posted: 04 Apr 2019 11:59 AM PDT ![BB&T, Wells Fargo Get Failing Grades From Gun-Control Group]( "BB&T, Wells Fargo Get Failing Grades From Gun-Control Group") JPMorgan Chase & Co. also received an F, for providing $273 million in financing and failing to ban gun-company investments, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp. received C grades. Citigroup Inc. got a B, the highest grade among the banks scored. Key InsightsThe scorecard comes as corporate America faces pressure to take stands on controversial political issues.
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| DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen to Tucker Carlson: Getting Rid of Birthright Citizenship Is ‘on the Table’ Posted: 02 Apr 2019 07:27 PM PDT  Hours after President Trump declared he would "100 percent" close America's southern border if he can't make a deal with Congress on border security and immigration, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that eliminating birthright citizenship is "on the table" as a way to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants and asylum-seeking migrants.Nielsen, who recently requested additional resources from Congress as border officials aim to quadruple the number of deportations of asylum seekers, appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight Tuesday evening to discuss the influx of Central American migrants at the southern border, and Carlson immediately began grilling her about what the administration was doing to "fix this."At times, it even seemed as if the Fox News host might be gunning for Nielsen's job as he bombarded her with his own proposed solutions to the border crisis.What about punishing employers "who are setting the bait in this trap, who are encouraging illegal aliens to come into this country?" he asked. (Interestingly, the president's own businesses allegedly employed numerous undocumented workers—until they were caught by the press.)"That is part of the problem," Nielsen said, adding that steps are already being taken to address just that issue. "We're looking to do everything we can throughout the system to apply penalties where we can," she said. Carlson was not satisfied with that answer. "Well how bout this, why wouldn't your agency write an executive order, present it to the president, have him sign it and do it tomorrow?"Nielsen went on to argue that "there's a debate in Congress" regarding the executive branch on implementing an order like that, prompting Carlson to blast Congress while advocating for more direct executive actions."It looks like Congress is not going to act because one party has a vested interest in changing the population and the other party is, in effect, controlled by people who want illegal immigration," Carlson asserted. "So would there be a downside for the president to act unilaterally on that question or, for example, birthright citizenship? Would you be willing to draft an executive order eliminating birthright citizenship?"The Homeland Security chief responded that Trump has been clear that it is "all on the table" and he's serious about shutting down the border."Yes, everything is on the table," she reiterated.Carlson, after noting that "things seem less under control now" at the border than before Trump was elected, asked later in the interview if the administration would send the military to the border since "it's really a crisis of that magnitude." Nielsen said they "are looking into that" and have sent a request to the Department of Defense, causing Carlson to ask who is in charge and if it would be possible for the commander-in-chief to move "troops to the border tomorrow.""He has full authority to defend our country," Nielsen said of Trump. "That's what he is moving to do. His statements about closing the border are a perfect example. We will take all action to do this. It's on the table."One topic that did not get addressed in Carlson's interview with Nielsen, however, was Tuesday's scoop by the Daily Beast that DHS was disbanding its terror intelligence unit even though white supremacist terrorism is on the rise. Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| 'We cannot have perfection as a litmus test': Stacey Abrams defends Biden amid allegations Posted: 04 Apr 2019 02:56 PM PDT  Abrams said there was no truth to the reports that Biden approached her about entering the 2020 race as his vice presidential running mate.
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| Bankrupt California utility PG&E announces new CEO, board shakeup Posted: 04 Apr 2019 12:29 AM PDT  Troubled California utility PG&E on Tuesday named Bill Johnson as its new CEO, as it faces contentious bankruptcy proceedings and billions of dollars in potential liabilities over its role in a series of deadly wildfires. The largest utility in the most populous American state, Pacific Gas and Electric Company has been under intensifying scrutiny in the wake of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California that left 86 people dead and destroyed some 18,000 buildings. PG&E could face massive liabilities if investigators find that its equipment was responsible for the fire.
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| Libya braced for war as Khalifa Haftar orders advance on Tripoli Posted: 04 Apr 2019 10:16 AM PDT  Libya was on the brink of all-out civil war on Thursday after the renegade general Khalifa Haftar defied the United Nations to order his forces to march on Tripoli and overthrow the country's internationally recognised government. In an audio address to his self-styled Libyan National Army on Thursday evening, General Haftar ordered a "victorious march" on the capital to "shake the lands under the feet of the unjust bunch." "Tripoli, we hear your call," he said in the address. "Whoever raises the white flag is safe." Fayez al-Serraj, the prime minister of the Tripoli-based government of national accord, had earlier ordered forces mobilised and authorised airstrikes if necessary to halt any assault on the capital. The powerful group of militias who control the Western city of Misrata said they were ready to fight Gen Haftar's forces and backed Mr Serraj. Gen Haftar's attempt to end Libya's long-simmering internal conflict by force came just hours after Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, arrived in Tripoli for talks with Mr Serraj ahead of a national reconciliation conference planned for the middle of this month. Khalifa Haftar ordered his troops to "advance" on Tripoli on Thursday April 4 Credit: ABDULLAH DOMA/AFP Mr Guterres called for de-escalation and reiterated his view that there is "no military solution" to the country's eight-year conflict. "There can be no national conference in these circumstances," he told reporters in the Libyan capital. Libya has been divided between rival armed groups since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. The main centres of power are Mr Serraj's internationally-recognised government based in Tripoli and a rival administration run by Gen Haftar based in the eastern city of Benghazi. Gen Haftar has recently consolidated control over large swathes of the south of the country. He enjoys strong backing from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, who see him as a potential secular leader who could restore order to the war-torn country and defeat Islamist insurgents there. His critics see him as a would-be dictator in the mold of Gaddafi. Russia and some Western countries, notably France, have also lent Gen Haftar support while simultaneously continuing to recognise and support Mr Serraj's government in Tripoli. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the U.N. Envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame speak during a news conference in Tripoli on Thursday Credit: REUTERS/ HANI AMARA Mr Serraj and Gen Haftar met in Abu Dhabi last month to discuss a power-sharing agreement and were expected to announce a deal paving the way to national elections at the Libyan National Conference organized by Ghassan Salame, the UN secretary general's special representative for Libya, on April 14-16. Skirmishes between the Gen Haftar's forces and and troops loyal to Mr Serraj's government broke out on Wednesday evening after the LNA said it had sent units westwards. On Thursday morning, LNA units said they had taken full control of the town of Gharyan, about 50 miles south of the capital Tripoli. The account was disputed by some witnesses who said LNA troops had bypassed the town rather than enter it. The LNA released a video on Wednesday that showed pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns massing on an unidentified road. But analysts said it was still unclear whether Gen Haftar's forces would have the military capacity to seize western Libya by force. Although its troops saw intense fighting for control of the cities of Derna and Benghazi, most of the LNA's recent territorial gains in the south of the country have been achieved by cutting deals with local militia groups rather than fighting them. Western cities like Zintan and Misrata, which field formidable militias with heavy weapons, "would be a different type of resistance entirely. And they will fight" said Tim Eaton, a Libya expert at Chatham House. "It is difficult to see Haftar rolling into a place like Tripoli unless he has cut deals already."
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| Boeing says successfully tested new 737 MAX software in CEO flight Posted: 03 Apr 2019 02:33 PM PDT  The software is at the centre of investigations in the crash of Ethiopian Flight 302 last month and a Lion Air accident in Indonesia five months earlier. Both involved the slightly larger 737 MAX 8 model, which features the same cockpit. During Wednesday's test flight, the flight crew performed different scenarios to test failure conditions, Boeing said.
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| Man arrested in reported sword attack over 'MAGA' hat spat Posted: 04 Apr 2019 05:31 PM PDT ![Man arrested in reported sword attack over 'MAGA' hat spat]( "Man arrested in reported sword attack over 'MAGA' hat spat") SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officers arrested a man who slashed another man with a sword after the victim allegedly knocked his "Make America Great Again" hat from his head, San Francisco police said Thursday.
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| Audi, Infiniti, Nissan and more: a look at the latest Shanghai Motor Show sneak peeks Posted: 03 Apr 2019 03:28 AM PDT  On Monday and Tuesday, a handful of car manufacturers published their first teasers of concept models and production vehicles that will debut at the Shanghai Motor Show, which takes place in two weeks' time.
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| iPhone 5G release may be pushed back to 2021 Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:32 PM PDT  In a new investor note from Timothy Arcuri (obtained via CNBC), the UBS analyst writes that supply challenges may force Apple to delay its 5G compatible iPhone until 2021. With Apple still entangled in a legal battle with Qualcomm, Arcuri articulates that Intel may not be able to supply 5G modems at the scale Apple needs. What's more, Arcuri writes that striking a deal with other 5G modem providers like MediaTek represents an "unlikely solution."Consequently, Arcuri believes that there is an "increasing potential that Apple may not be able to ship a 5G iPhone for 2020" as initially believed.If Arcuri's prediction pans out, this would prove to be a major blow for Apple. Especially with iPhone sales growth on the decline, a 5G enabled iPhone is just the thing Apple needs to inject a bit of life into its iPhone lineup. Further, once 5G coverage becomes more widespread, Android devices with 5G will be much more intriguing than iPhone models without 5G. Suffice it to say, Apple is likely doing everything in its power to roll out 5G capable iPhones by 2020.Of course, the problem is that it's not really in Apple's hands. Again, with Qualcomm off the table, Apple is essentially forced to strike a deal with Intel -- a partnership that presents its own challenges.To this point, Cown analyst Matthew Ramsay relayed the following just last month:> Apple's first option, Cowen wrote, is to "launch 18 months after 5G competition with an inferior modem from Intel likely without mmWave capabilities," referring to the band of spectrum that can be used for 5G's high-speed wireless communications.> > Another option would be to "source a 5G modem from chief competitor Samsung," Cowen wrote, though it added that would likely come only on "tough commercial terms." Using a 5G modem from Huawei is "off the table as an option," Cowen told clients, while "MediaTek's stack is too far behind in terms of timeline."There are, of course, rumors that Apple has been working on developing its own 5G modem, but there's no indication it would be even close to ready to ship in 2020.Apple of course has historically had no problem embracing new networking technologies late in the game. We saw this previously with Apple's somewhat slow adoption of 3G and 4G LTE. 5G, though, is different. The technological lead Apple had over Android back in the day has narrowed considerably. These days, Apple doesn't have the luxury to embrace new networking technologies significantly later than its Android counterparts. We can only hope that Intel manages to step up to the plate or that Apple, however unlikely, can reach some sort of settlement agreement with Qualcomm sooner rather than later.
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| April freebies: Your monthly guide to food specials, meal deals and more Posted: 04 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  April brings big freebie and deal days including National Burrito Day, National Beer Day, Tax Day and National Pretzel Day.
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| 4 arrested after video shows wild fight inside Atlantic City McDonald's Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:05 AM PDT  Police said a 21-year-old and three 17-year-old girls are being charged for attacking McDonald's employees and using pepper spray.
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| I Worked With Joe Biden. Here’s What to Know About the Frontrunner Myth Growing Around Him Posted: 04 Apr 2019 02:52 AM PDT  Former White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri writes about the growing frontrunner myth around Joe Biden.
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| Trump wants to distract us from the Mueller report. We can't let him Posted: 03 Apr 2019 04:00 AM PDT  As the president targets healthcare and immigration, Democrats must stand firm in seeking Mueller's full findingsDemocrats need to stay focused on obtaining a full copy of the Mueller report and making its contents known to the public. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesSince the publication of his attorney general's short report on the outcome of the Mueller investigation, Donald Trump has looked like a president unleashed. He has attacked his enemies, demanded the resignation of journalists who he says peddled "fake news", and advanced controversial policies on health and immigration. With a cloud over his presidency lifted, he is free to act like never before. Meanwhile, Democrats feel under pressure to move on to discussing other issues or risk looking like McCarthyite obsessives.Such, anyway, is the conventional wisdom. But what if it is wrong?When Trump is caught red-handed in a lie or scandal, he has a time-worn playbook for weathering it. First, he lies about the facts of the matter, attempting to create enough uncertainty to inoculate his base and a portion of the rest of the population against accepting the reality of what has happened. Second, he pivots to attacking his antagonists (which in the past have included a dead senator, the father of a fallen soldier, and judges of Mexican heritage). Finally, he tries to change the subject.Far from Trump emerging into a new phase of his presidency with the release of the Barr report, he has in fact lapsed into this age-old pattern. Phases one and two came quickly, with Trump and his surrogates claiming that the president had been completely exonerated even though Mueller explicitly did not make this judgment. They then accused the media and Democrats of corruptly conspiring to bring down the president.> Before we can move on from the Mueller report, we need to know much moreBut it is the next part of the administration's response, phase three, which is so uniquely Trumpian. The president has frequently managed to survive scandals that might have felled other politicians because he is so adept at changing the conversation by sparking a new furor, which eclipses the old one. The result has been a presidency of serial scandals which can easily induce a sense of numbness in his opponents, while making himself appear invulnerable to any particular one of the hundreds of controversies encircling him.Since the release of the Barr report, Trump has attempted to change the topic in two ways. The first is on healthcare. Last Monday, the Trump administration filed a letter in a Texas court declaring that it would like to see the entirety of the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – declared unconstitutional. Backing a wacky legal challenge that has been levied against the ACA, the administration is advocating stripping healthcare benefits from tens of millions of Americans with no plan for how to provide them with alternative coverage. Although the move is a sure political loser for Republicans, Trump charged ahead anyway.Second, Trump has stepped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric and threatened to close the US border with Mexico, another self-destructive move which would harm millions of Americans. Nearly $1.7bn in commerce flows over the border daily, and automakers and farmers – exactly the Americans who Trump claims to stand up for – would be most affected by the closure. It would also undermine cooperation with Mexico, which is necessary to handle the migrant crisis. For good measure, Trump announced last week that he would cut off aid to Central American countries that need it in order to stem the flow of refugees.Such self-destructive measures on healthcare and immigration demonstrate that what Trump is really after is headlines, not solutions. The fact that the president is so keen to change the subject now ought to make Democrats think twice about the wisdom of going along with his wishes. Instead, they need to stay focused on obtaining a full copy of the Mueller report and making its contents known to the public.In 2016, the integrity of America's electoral process was attacked by a foreign power. Since that time, the president and his allies have engaged in a sinister and baffling pattern of behavior designed to hide their own connections to that power. All we know so far is that Mueller was not able to prove that they criminally colluded with Russia, and that he was unable to exonerate the president of criminally obstructing the inquiry. Before we can move on, we need to know much more.This is not about relitigating the 2016 election, as some Republicans claim. It is about establishing the principle that America has a president, not a king, and that the president is bound by the rule of law. It is about returning a bare modicum of accountability to American public life after years of congressional Republicans shirking their constitutional duty to hold the executive branch to account. It is about finding out exactly how American national security was compromised in 2016, and why the president and his surrogates are so keen to pretend it wasn't. Finally, it is about restoring faith in American government among the public, who polls show are waiting for the final conclusions of Mueller's investigation before they believe that the president is exonerated.Perhaps that's why Donald Trump won't just release the report, and instead wants to change the subject. Democrats shouldn't let him. * Andrew Gawthorpe is a lecturer in history and international studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Find him on Twitter @andygawt
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| ‘It Was a Clusterf*ck’: How the Waco Biker Shooting Case Fell Apart Posted: 03 Apr 2019 10:23 AM PDT  Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via APKiller bikers could still be walking free in Waco, Texas, according to the county's top prosecutor.McLennan County District Attorney Barry Johnson on Tuesday dropped all remaining charges related to the biker shooting in 2015 that left nine men dead and another 20 injured. Johnson told The Daily Beast he dropped the charges against 24 people because he claims his predecessor botched the case. As a result, he said, some people who may be responsible for murder may never face justice.On May 17, 2015, a gun battle broke out between members of the Cossacks and Bandidos motorcycle clubs at a Twin Peaks restaurant at a quiet outdoor shopping mall. The bedlam ended in seconds, and—with bodies piled in the parking lot—then-District Attorney Abel Reyna arrived on the scene and began working with police to round up the more than 200 motorcyclists who were being held at gunpoint by officers.Most were arrested and sent to jail on identical charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. A grand jury indicted 155 of those people, but only one man, Bandidos Dallas County chapter president Jacob Carrizal, was tried. Carrizal's six-week trial ended in a mistrial in November 2017. Johnson said the trial that failed to convict Carrizal cost the county $1.5 million. After Carrizal's mistrial, Reyna dropped all but 24 of the bikers' charges."They were trying to get the whole group on a conspiracy theory," Johnson told The Daily Beast on Wednesday. "They spent a lot of resources trying to go that route. That's the train that they got on."Johnson listed several charges that may have been successfully pursued by Reyna, including aggravated assault, attempted murder, and felony with a deadly weapon. But the statutes of limitations on those charges have expired, he said. "In my opinion, had this action been taken in a timely manner, it would have, and should have, resulted in numerous convictions and prison sentences against many of those who participated in the Twin Peaks brawl," Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday. "Over the next three years the prior district attorney failed to take that action, for reasons that I do not know to this day."As it stands, some of the shooters may be walking free. Preliminary autopsy reports showed that four of the bikers were killed by three police officers. The Waco Police Department, Texas Rangers, and a McLennan County grand jury cleared the officers of any wrongdoing last year. Unfortunately, Johnson said authorities don't know exactly who killed the other five men. "There still may be some open murder cases that may develop down the road, but that's probably unlikely," Johnson acknowledged."We were not able to meet our burden by putting a gun in the hand of whoever it was that shot and killed those other five people," he said. "We just weren't able to meet our burden to prove a murder.""You just had 25 officers and over 200 combatants in basically a war zone when the police got there," he explained. "We watched those videos hundreds of times," Johnson continued. "It was just my opinion that it was going to end up being another two to three years worth of trials back to back and it was not the right decision to go down that road."Reyna declined to respond to specific questions but provided a statement to The Daily Beast on Wednesday: "I absolutely disagree with the overall result as well as several statements and accusations within Mr. Johnson's press release; however, it is solely his decision on how to proceed with any case in the District Attorney's Office. I respect the fact that the voters of McLennan County chose Mr. Johnson to make these types of decisions."Meanwhile, the bikers' defense attorneys threw their hands up in collective relief on Wednesday, pointing the blame squarely at Reyna for arresting innocent people and letting potential murderers go free."I don't think we can conclude who shot who," said San Antonio attorney Alfonso Cabanas, whose client's case was dismissed in May 2018. "I don't think we're ever going to find out.""The case was tainted the minute that Abel Reyna stuck himself into the process at the scene and started telling people what to do, arresting everyone," said Cabanas. "The only people who should have been arrested are the shooters themselves. Not just the people there drinking iced tea, like my clients."Houston lawyer Paul Looney claimed "the case was dead before Johnson ever got elected.""He just didn't have a chance," Looney added."We have 177 people whose lives were just utterly devastated," Looney continued. "There's no winner whenever the law is manipulated that badly."Dallas attorney Clint Broden, meanwhile, called the prosecution "a clusterfuck.""It fell apart because they charged too many people and tried to create a false narrative," said Broden, who at one point represented five defendants involved in the case. "When the false narrative—that bikers were out to get Waco residents—was exposed, it was too difficult to convince people that the prosecution was in good faith. You had a hard time sorting the guilty from the not guilty at that point.""A lot of people's lives were ruined because they were innocent, but a lot of people did die," said Broden. "There are victims and victims' families who are being denied closure. The mess that was created prevented anyone who was guilty from being prosecuted. There's enough injustice to go around on both sides of this."Seth Sutton, who was the first attorney hired after the shooting, said his client, Bandido and Marine veteran Jeffrey Lee Battey, was "vilified by the courts, by the prosecution.""And every biker here paid the price for the false narrative," said Sutton. "They were so treated like cardboard cutout monsters and villains." "The motorcycle culture is a tight-knit group; it's a family," Sutton added. "He's a real victim here at the hands of the state."More than 130 of the bikers have filed civil rights lawsuits against Reyna, the city of Waco, McLennan County, and officers who were involved in the arrests.Even Judge Ralph Strother, who presided over dozens of hearings on the case, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday that he was glad to be done with it."No matter what perspective you view this episode from, it leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth," Strother said.Read more at The Daily Beast.
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| Dalai Lama lauds New Zealand PM for handling mosque attacks Posted: 04 Apr 2019 04:17 AM PDT  NEW DELHI (AP) — The Dalai Lama on Thursday praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her compassionate handling of a recent attack on two mosques by a gunman that left 50 Muslim worshippers dead in Christchurch.
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| This gorgeous iPhone 11 concept is probably much more exciting than the real thing Posted: 03 Apr 2019 06:26 AM PDT  This is going to be a very interesting year in the smartphone industry. Android phone makers typically take cues from Apple and follow the company's every move. Just look at all the shameless Android-powered iPhone X copycats that hit the market after Apple released the phone in 2017. In 2019, however, the smartphone landscape looks nothing like it did in late 2017 and throughout most of 2018. Instead, Android vendors have moved on to even better all-screen smartphone designs while Apple continues to use the same notched screen design it introduced on the iPhone X. And if you're an Apple fan, we have some more bad news: It looks like things are going to get worse before they get any better.According to reports from multiple sources including the most accurate Apple insider out there, the iPhone 11 series that launches later this year will sport a design that's almost identical to the iPhone X and iPhone XS. That's right, Apple apparently plans to use the same phone design three years in a row, just like it did with the iPhone 6, 6s, and 7. This year's iPhone 11 is expected to look just like last year's iPhone XS and 2017's iPhone X from the front, and the back will be the same apart from frosted glass instead of clear glass and a new camera array. Those minor design changes aren't exactly exciting, so one graphic designer decided to play with what we've seen so far and create an iPhone 11 concept that looks much better than what we've seen so far in leaks.For those who need a refresher, here's what we're expecting from the iPhone 11 when Apple unveils it this coming September:In a word, meh.Graphic designer Hasan Kaymak apparently finds the prospect of an iPhone 11 that looks the same as the iPhone X and iPhone XS other than a bulbous camera bump to be just as boring as we do. In an effort to spice things up, he decided to riff on it a bit. He created a series of renders that imagine what the iPhone 11 might look like if it used the same camera design, but also mixed in some retro flavor design trends from 2019.The result is a sleek iPhone 11 that has flat metal edges like the iPhone 5 and iPhone SE that everyone loves, but also a hole-punch display similar to the Galaxy S10. The resulting design isn't perfect, but it's certainly better than using the same design for a third consecutive year.First, we don't like the centrally located hole-punch cameras at all -- the hole looks much better in a corner. On top of that, Kaymak's design doesn't leave room for any of the other sensors that the TrueDepth camera system needs in order to function. Face ID isn't going anywhere, and the tech needed to hide the sensors under the screen isn't yet ready for mass production. As a result, this iPhone 11 concept design is completely unfeasible. The modernized iPhone SE look is fantastic though, and we definitely prefer it to Apple's current rounded edges. Maybe someday Apple will go back to basics and build an iPhone like this, but sadly it won't be in 2019.A video featuring Kaymak's design is embedded below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YCK4ZZYips
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| Charmin's 'Forever' toilet paper rolls are gigantic and last a month Posted: 03 Apr 2019 10:54 AM PDT  Available in Charmin's ultra soft 2-ply sheets, the jumbo-sized rolls hold 850 sheets for a single-user roll and 1,700 sheets for a multi-user roll.
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| The 2019 Audi e-tron Has an EPA-Rated Electric Range of 204 Miles Posted: 04 Apr 2019 10:00 AM PDT  Audi's first fully electric car is finally here, and U.S. deliveries will start in May.
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| Swiss startup announces EV battery with over 600-mile range Posted: 04 Apr 2019 08:48 AM PDT  The key difference between the design of the high-density Innolith Energy Battery and that of more traditional batteries is that the Innolith iteration uses an inorganic electrolyte to power the battery instead of an organic one.
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| Did Joe Biden miss his moment? Posted: 02 Apr 2019 06:05 PM PDT  Former VP Joe Biden is under fire after Nevada legislator Lucy Flores said he inappropriately planted a "big slow kiss" on her head at a 2014 campaign rally. What happens next?
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| Trump news: Congress votes to subpoena full Mueller report from attorney-general, as senior Republicans turn on president's 'catastrophic' border closure plan Posted: 03 Apr 2019 01:39 PM PDT  The House Judiciary Committee approved subpoenas Wednesday for special counsel Robert Mueller's full Russia report as Democrats pressure the Justice Department to release the document without redactions.The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, its exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for the investigation. Mr Nadler has not yet said if he'll send the subpoenas, which would be the first step in a potentially long fight with the Justice Department over the materials.The Judiciary panel also voted Wednesday to authorise subpoenas related to five of Donald Trump's former top advisers, stepping up a separate, wide-ranging investigation into Trump and his personal and political dealings.The vote further escalates the Democrats' battle with the Justice Department over how much of the report they will be able to see, a fight that could eventually head to court if the two sides can't settle their differences through negotiation. Democrats have said they will not accept redactions and want to see the evidence unfiltered by Mr Barr.In the letter last week, Mr Barr said he is scrubbing the report to avoid disclosing any grand jury information or classified material, in addition to portions of the report that pertain to ongoing investigations or that "would unduly infringe on the personal privacy and reputational interests of peripheral third parties."Democrats say they want access to all of that information, even if some of it can't be disclosed to the public. Nadler said he will give Mr Barr time to change his mind on redactions, but if they cannot reach an agreement they will issue the subpoenas "in very short order." He also said he is prepared to go to court to get the grand jury information.Mr Trump is meanwhile being urged not to follow through on his threat to close the US border with Mexico as senior Republicans warn of the cost of prioritising security over trade and scramble for alternatives to tackling the illegal immigration "crisis"."Closing down the border would have potentially catastrophic economic impact on our country and I would hope we would not be doing that sort of thing," said Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, a quote the president has since attacked The New York Times for publishing on Twitter.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load.
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| Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and more appear in court in college admissions scam Posted: 03 Apr 2019 03:36 PM PDT  Lori Loughlin and her husband sat next to each other with their lawyers as the judge asked them if they understood their rights in Boston's federal court.
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| Roadmap for Syria's Manbij moving slower than desired: Turkish military sources Posted: 04 Apr 2019 06:39 AM PDT  Work between Turkey and the United States to implement an agreement over the Syrian town of Manbij is proceeding more slowly than desired, Turkish military sources said. Turkey is making efforts to speed up the process, the sources said, referring to an agreement between the NATO allies to a complete withdrawal of the Kurdish YPG militia from the town. Turkey and Russia have conducted three coordinated patrols in the mainly Kurdish-controlled northern Syrian region of Tel Rifaat and plan to continue the patrols, the sources said.
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| New leak offers more details on Samsung’s mysterious second Galaxy Note 10 model Posted: 03 Apr 2019 05:17 AM PDT  Thanks to a report from South Korean media on Tuesday, we learned that Samsung is planning to do something with its 2019 Galaxy Note lineup that it has never done before. According to sources in Samsung's supply chain, the company intends to release not one Galaxy Note 10 flagship phone, but two. We've obviously grown accustomed to seeing Samsung launch multiple versions of its flagship phones, but so far only the Galaxy S series has offered variety. First Samsung would release different versions of its Galaxy S phones with flat and rounded displays. Then once Apple started releasing a normal iPhone and a "Plus" size iPhone, Samsung coincidentally decided to do the same. Oh, and then once Apple switched things up again in 2018 and added a third lower-cost model to its iPhone lineup, Samsung coincidentally decided to do the same thing yet again in 2019.When it comes to the company's Galaxy Note phones, however, there has always been one and only one new S-Pen equipped flagship phone released each summer. This year, Samsung reportedly plans to introduce a second new Galaxy Note 10 alongside the main model, and now a new report offers further details about this mysterious second Note 10 phone.Why is this supposed second Galaxy Note 10 model so mysterious? The idea of Samsung offering a smaller and more affordable Galaxy Note phone alongside its main flagship model is hardly outside the realm of possibility. After all, the company just did the same thing with the Galaxy S10e. What's so odd about the report we saw on Tuesday, however, is the fact that Samsung is apparently planning to release its smaller Note phone only in the European region. Samsung's Galaxy S10e is reportedly selling quite well all over the world, so why on Earth would Samsung confine its smaller Galaxy Note 10 only to one region?While you ponder that, Korean-language financial news site The Bell is back with another Galaxy Note 10 report on Wednesday morning. This time around, the site has some details about this supposed second Note 10 model apart from just the fact that it's expected to be smaller than the main Galaxy Note 10.We first learned last month that there will definitely be a 5G version of the Galaxy Note 10. But even before that, a report from back in February revealed that the Note 10 will feature a quad-lens camera on the back of the phone. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 5G has a quad-lens setup that adds a 3D depth camera to the triple-lens array from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. With that in mind, it's likely that the Note 10 will have the same configuration. However, according to The Bell's inside info, the smaller version of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 10 will only have a triple-lens camera on the back.The report cites multiple sources in stating that the larger Note 10 will have four rear camera sensors while the smaller model will have three. It does note that the Note 10's specs have yet to be finalized, but says "this is the current situation." If this news does pan out, it seems like Samsung might be taking the same approach to the smaller Galaxy Note 10 that it took with the Galaxy S10e -- it's not only smaller, but also less expensive thanks to some pared down specs. If that indeed ends up being the case, it would sting even worse if Samsung decided to release the "Galaxy Note 10e" only in Europe and not in the rest of the world.
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| NATO approves measures to counter Russia amid internal rifts Posted: 04 Apr 2019 02:51 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO foreign ministers approved a series of measures Thursday aimed at countering Russia in the Black Sea region, an agreement that comes amid public rifts between the United States and several of the other 28 members on security and trade issues.
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| Beats launches its new wireless Powerbeats Pro headphones Posted: 04 Apr 2019 09:28 AM PDT  The Powerbeats Pro are 23% smaller than current-gen Powerbeats and 17% lighter. The headphones automatically light up when taken out of the box, and switch off (and charge) when put back in. The headphones are of course also compatible with iOS and Android devices.
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| Joe Biden accused of kissing former Nevada lawmaker, an allegation he doesn't recall Posted: 03 Apr 2019 07:34 AM PDT  Joe Biden's spokesman said Friday that the former vice president does not recall kissing Nevada political candidate Lucy Flores on the back of her head during a 2014 event.
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| Dem. Rep. Bashes Green New Deal: ‘There’s No Need to Lie to Voters’ Posted: 04 Apr 2019 09:53 AM PDT  Representative Max Rose (D., N.Y.) lambasted fellow New York freshman Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday for using the threat of climate change to advance a "massive socialist economic-policy platform" via the Green New Deal plan she introduced earlier this year.Rose, during a Wednesday interview on New York's local Metro Focus program, agreed with Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow progressives that climate change is an existential threat that requires a commensurate response, but argued that the federal-jobs and housing guarantees included in the plan are not necessary to combat climate change."This is not the time for milquetoast incrementalism," Rose said. "It just isn't. But with that being said, nothing about what I just said would provide a justification for a massive socialist economic-policy platform. [It's] just not needed.""There's no need to lie to voters right now," he added. "We don't need the Democratic version of 'repeal and replace.'"Rose, who earned a Purple Heart and a bronze star for his Army service in Afghanistan, dared Ocasio-Cortez to back a primary challenger against him when asked about her threat to unseat any Democrat who refused to back her progressive vision."She's going to keep a list," Rose said, referring to reports that Ocasio-Cortez threatened to make a list of uncooperative Democrats to provide to liberal activists. "This is very simple because I'm not one to deal in subtleties. I think it's best not to be passive-aggressive. If she wants to primary me, if the Justice Democrats want to primary me, I'll lay out the red carpet. We can settle this at the polls."The Green New Deal, which calls for a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in order to transition to 100 percent renewable energy within twelve years, would cost between $51 and $93 trillion in new government spending, according to the estimates of the American Action Forum.Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell held a vote on the plan late last month, prompting accusations from Democratic leadership that he was rushing the legislation to the floor in order to avoid having a substantive debate on it. Rather than going on record in support of the resolution, Democrats uniformly voted "present" while Republicans unanimously opposed its passage.
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