| Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meetings with Taliban leaders, Afghan president Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:21 PM PDT ![Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meetings with Taliban leaders, Afghan president]( "Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meetings with Taliban leaders, Afghan president") "They were coming to the United States tonight," Trump tweeted.
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| North Korean leader berates officials over typhoon prep Posted: 07 Sep 2019 01:43 AM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has berated officials for their "easygoing" attitude to the approach of Typhoon Lingling, state media reported. The powerful storm is expected to make landfall in the North on Saturday afternoon after passing off the coast of South Korea, according to Seoul's Korea Meteorological Administration. Kim convened an emergency meeting on Friday and said "dangerous circumstances" caused by the typhoon were "imminent", but that many in positions of authority were ill prepared, the North's KCNA news service said later that day.
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| Hurricane Dorian death toll will be ‘staggering’, says Bahamas as storm barrels up US coast Posted: 06 Sep 2019 12:58 AM PDT  The death toll from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas will be "staggering", the country's government has warned – as the storm now begins to batter the US east coast.The official body count in the Caribbean nation stood at 30 on Friday morning but, with thousands missing, it is expected to rise sharply.
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| Walmart Moves on Guns. Politicians, Take Note. Posted: 06 Sep 2019 06:55 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Walmart Inc., the biggest retailer in the U.S. and a leading seller of firearms and ammunition, announced this week that it would stop selling bullets for handguns and military-style rifles, stop selling handguns in Alaska (the last remaining state where it makes such sales), and "respectfully" ask its customers to stop openly carrying guns in its stores.The move is welcome in its own right — but it's especially encouraging as a sign that public opinion is swinging ever more strongly in support of effective gun-control policies. CVS, Kroger, Walgreens and other retailers have also adjusted their policies. If Walmart and others see the case for changing their minds, politicians ought to pay attention.QuicktakeGuns in AmericaWalmart took the opportunity to address politicians directly, saying: "We encourage our nation's leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger."The company has acted on guns before. It took assault weapons off its shelves in 2015, for instance. But this latest action is still striking. The recent attack in one of its stores in El Paso, Texas — leaving 22 dead, and followed within hours by another atrocity in Dayton, Ohio — was seen to demand a response. "The status quo is unacceptable," said Doug McMillon, the company's CEO. He's right.The announcement will help to strengthen the cultural change that seems to be happening. But to lessen the proliferation of firearms or the danger of guns getting into dangerous hands, political action is needed as well. The two go hand in hand, which is why Walmart's initiative matters."They have their finger on the pulse of what Americans want, and the Senate should take note," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. (Michael Bloomberg, owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, founded and helps fund Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates for universal background checks and other gun-violence prevention measures.)Momentum seems to be building toward meaningful gun-control regulation. Walmart's chief executive and the company's courageous board deserve credit for recognizing this, and for adding their weight to the cause.\--Editors: Clive Crook, Mark Whitehouse.To contact the senior editor responsible for Bloomberg Opinion's editorials: David Shipley at davidshipley@bloomberg.net, .Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| China slams Canada after Trudeau criticizes detentions Posted: 06 Sep 2019 05:18 AM PDT  China accused Canada of not abiding by international norms Friday in response to comments from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who accused Beijing of arbitrarily detaining two Canadians. Trudeau's remarks are "purely unfounded countercharges that confound black and white," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou — Chinese telecom giant Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of its founder — on Dec. 1 at the request of the U.S, where she is wanted on fraud charges.
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| 1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too Posted: 06 Sep 2019 04:24 PM PDT ![1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too]( "1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too") No, it wasn't on Autopilot. For a moment, some people on Interstate 5 in Everett, Washington might have thought a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle was driving itself. The "ghost car" rolled off a trailer it was being hauled on, cut across several lanes of traffic, then caused an accident before it finally came to rest. The incident happened on August 18, with the person who was hauling the car picking up a citation for failure to secure a load, which includes a fine of up to $228. After cutting across three lanes of damage, the Chevelle struck a car in the HOV lane. That car was outfitted with a dash cam, capturing the whole crazy incident for everyone to see. It's actually one of those scenarios where without video footage it's too much to believe.After hitting the other vehicle and the concrete barrier, the Chevy rolled back into the middle of the road. Thankfully other drivers were by then aware of the danger, stopping before any more carnage was done to the muscle car.Washington State Patrol said nobody was injured in the collision, which is quite fortunate. The Chevelle, on the other hand, has visible damage to at least the front end, driver's front fender, hood, driver's rear fender, trunk lid, and both wheels on the driver's side. All that isn't exactly going to buff out. Compared to the cost of the citation, the repair bill will be plenty large.As you can see in the video, the matte black classic muscle car obviously wasn't secured properly on its trailer. The vehicle also wasn't left it gear or with the parking brake engaged, otherwise it wouldn't have gone far at all. Admittedly, the situation could have been far worse.With how much clean Chevrolet Chevelles sell for these days, one would think the owner hauling this classic American muscle car would have double-checked it was secure before hauling it on the trailer, especially on the interstate.Photo and video credit: Tooper H. Axtman on Twitter Read More * 1929 Ford Coupe Has A True Steel Body * Own A Piece Of Indy Car History With This Ford F-150 PPG Pace Truck
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| Prince Harry to follow in his mother's footsteps as palace announce Africa tour details Posted: 06 Sep 2019 06:51 AM PDT  The Duke of Sussex will make a "significant and poignant" journey to Angola to pay homage to the anti-landmine work of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales during a major tour of Africa, Buckingham Palace said. Harry will also pay tribute to a British soldier killed by an elephant during anti-poaching operations in Malawi when he visits the country to highlight efforts to protect endangered animals. The Sussexes will be taking son Archie on his first official overseas trip and although he has not been included in their schedule, it is understood the couple hope to publicly introduce him to Africa at some point. At a Buckingham Palace press briefing about the tour, Sam Cohen, the duke's private secretary, said: "In a particularly significant and poignant journey, the Duke of Sussex will have the opportunity to return to Angola to see first-hand the legacy of his mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whose visit to Huambo in 1997 helped raise awareness of the threat posed by landmines to communities and livelihoods. "The work of the late princess, and commitment to this issue, changed global opinion. "Now, more than two decades later, humanitarian de-mining work continues and the Angolan government has made a significant financial commitment to clearing landmines from another large area important for conservation of Angola's unique ecosystem." Diana, Princess of Wales, walks with body armour and a visor on the minefields during a visit to Angola on January 30, 1997 Credit: Anwar Hussein/WireImage Diana famously walked through a cleared minefield in Angola in 1997 to highlight the plight of those maimed by military munitions. The princess never saw her work to help outlaw landmines come to fruition as she died before the international treaty to ban the military weapons was signed later that year, a few months after she was killed in a Paris car crash. The duke and duchess will visit Africa from September 23 to October 2, and while Meghan and Archie spend the duration in South Africa, Harry will leave his family to tour Angola, Malawi and Botswana before being reunited with them in Johannesburg.
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| Trump campaign is selling branded markers after Sharpie-gate Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:57 PM PDT  The product rollout came as a tongue-in-cheek reference to this week's hurricane controversy
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| Istanbul opposition leader sentenced to nearly 10 years Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:35 AM PDT  The head of Turkey's main opposition party in Istanbul was sentenced to nearly 10 years on Friday on a range of charges including "terrorist propaganda" and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The charges related mostly to tweets that Canan Kaftancioglu, of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), posted between 2012 and 2017. Kaftancioglu, a doctor by profession, played a key role in the shock victory of the CHP's new Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier this year -- the first time Erdogan's party had lost power in Turkey's biggest city for 25 years.
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| Heartwarming stories of people rescuing animals from Hurricane Dorian Posted: 06 Sep 2019 06:08 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian is destroying people's homes and lives. But don't forget animals are affected, too. Here are some of their stories.
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| 1987–1993 BMW 325i in Photos Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:59 AM PDT |
| Why a NY businessman (and his mom) are still attacking Delaware — and Joe Biden Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:30 AM PDT  With a half-million dollar political ad buy, TransPerfect's ferocious public battle with the Delaware courts has bled into presidential politics.
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| Maduro rejects talks with opposition over envoy's remarks Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:57 AM PDT  President Nicolás Maduro says that he won't resume talks with the opposition until it rejects calls by a top supporter in Britain to "drop the topic" of Venezuela's longstanding claims to an oil-rich part of neighboring Guyana. Maduro's comments late Friday came after his chief prosecutor opened an investigation against Vanessa Neumann, the top envoy in London for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuela's rightful president by the U.S., United Kingdom and four dozen other nations. "Until they rectify their position, they won't see our faces," Maduro said in a televised meeting with aides.
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| Maryland county officials blame Trump, media after allegations they aren't cooperating with immigration authorities Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:50 AM PDT  Montgomery County officials address allegations on lack of cooperation; National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd weighs in.
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| Nigerian Ruling Party Demands Takeover of South African Firms Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:01 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria's ruling party urged the government to nationalize South African companies operating in the West African nation in retaliation for xenophobic attacks on its nationals.Relations between Africa's two biggest economies have been tense following attacks on businesses run by migrant Africans in Johannesburg, which sparked reprisal raids by mobs on the offices of the South African mobile-phone company MTN Group Ltd. and stores operated by Shoprite Holdings in the commercial hub of Lagos and the capital, Abuja."Whereas South Africans continue to benefit from the Nigerian business environment and repatriating billions of dollars, the South African authorities appear jealous of the menial jobs which some Nigerians and other black people are involved in," All Progressives Congress party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said in a video clip broadcast on Friday by Lagos-based Channels Television. "It is worth it for the Nigerian government to take steps to take over the remaining shares of MTN that are owned by South Africans."The APC chairman recommended similar measures for other South African companies, the boycott of their products and the revocation of landing rights for South African Airways.To contact the reporter on this story: Tope Alake in Lagos at talake@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Osae-Brown at aosaebrown2@bloomberg.net, Dulue Mbachu, Paul RichardsonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Fitch downgrades Hong Kong citing protests and China fears Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:29 AM PDT  Hong Kong's reputation as a dependable financial hub took a hit on Friday after Fitch downgraded the city's sovereign rating, citing ongoing protests and uncertainty caused by closer integration with the Chinese mainland. Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets for the past three months in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997. The sometimes violent protests have heaped pressure on Hong Kong's economy, which had already been under pressure from the US-China trade war.
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| Alabamans are relieved Trump's Sharpie was wrong about Dorian, just like the National Weather Service said he was Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:05 AM PDT  Alabamans have largely ignored Trump's storm claims. "Dorian never had plans on visiting us or the Gulf Coast," noted one resident.
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| Gusty winds to fuel wildfire concerns in California into early next week Posted: 07 Sep 2019 02:54 AM PDT  As the number of wildfires burning across California continues to grow, bouts of strong winds will further increase the fire danger into early next week.Sundowner winds, or gusty, northerly winds that develop when an area of high pressure sits just offshore of California, will batter parts of Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and the Grapevine through Monday night.Sustained winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, will be common in these areas, especially during the evening and overnight hours.Sunshine and very dry conditions will accompany the Sundowner wind events, further drying out vegetation and enhancing the risk for wildfire growth, spread and development. There are currently one dozen wildfires burning across California, according to Inciweb.The Red Bank Fire, which was started by lightning on Thursday, has exploded to 7,754 acres in size as of Saturday morning and is only 9 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.The fire, which is located about 30 miles southeast of Redding, has prompted mandatory evacuations for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and areas between Tedoc Road and Vestal Road.The Tenaja Fire, located just west of Temecula in the Elsinore Mountains, has charred 2,000 acres and was only 35 percent contained as of Saturday morning.Although the fire prompted evacuation orders on Thursday, residents were allowed to return to their homes on Friday as firefighters made significant strides in containment efforts, according to the Los Angeles Times.The cause of the Tenaja Fire is still under investigation as of Saturday.Unfortunately, the weather will not cooperate for firefighters hoping to gain more ground on the ongoing blazes as low humidity accompanies gusty winds statewide.Campers and hikers should remain cognizant of evacuation orders and coverage of wildfires this weekend to avoid getting into a life-threatening situation.In addition, campfires and cigarette butts should be thoroughly extinguished as even the slightest spark could erupt into a large blaze in a matter of hours.The howling winds will also threaten to bring down trees and power lines and trigger power outages across southern parts of the state. Motorists should keep both hands on the wheel and pull off the road if winds become too strong for safe travel. Wind gusts of this magnitude can make it difficult to remain in your lane and keep control of a vehicle.By the middle of next week, winds should decrease significantly as the area of high pressure moves directly overhead, making conditions more favorable for firefighting efforts.However, Mother Nature will provide no natural assistance to fire personnel as building heat and continued lack of any rainfall are in store for the second half of next week.
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| Disputed Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 photographed off Syrian port Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:13 AM PDT  The Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 at the centre of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers, which went dark off Syria earlier in the week, has been photographed by satellite off the Syrian port of Tartus, Maxar TechnologiesInc., a U.S. space technology company said on Saturday. Maxar's supplied image shows the tanker Adrian Darya 1 very close to Tartus on September 6. The ship appeared to have turned off its transponder in the Mediterranean west of Syria, Refinitiv ship-tracking data showed on Tuesday. The tanker, which is loaded with Iranian crude oil, sent its last signal giving its position between Cyprus and Syria sailing north at 15:53 GMT on Monday, the data showed. The vessel, formerly named Grace 1, was detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on July 4 as it was suspected to be en route to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Satellite images shows the tanker Adrian Darya 1 very close to Tartus on September 6 Credit: Maxar Technologies Two weeks later, Iran in retaliation seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf. Gibraltar released the Iranian vessel on Aug. 15 after receiving formal written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge its 2.1 million barrels of oil in Syria. However, shipping sources say the tanker is likely to try to conduct a ship-to-ship transfer with another vessel for part of its cargo after Iran said a sale had been concluded. Washington has warned any state against assisting the ship, saying it would consider that support for a terrorist organisation, namely, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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| Arrests of Straight Pride Parade counter protesters in Boston turns into courtroom battle Posted: 05 Sep 2019 06:07 PM PDT  The Boston DA's decision to drop charges against left-wing protesters arrested at a Straight Pride Parade has turned into a courtroom fight.
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| A look at the shattered Zimbabwe that Mugabe left as leader Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:07 AM PDT  Robert Mugabe took a country shining with the promise of independence and left it economically shattered and in the grip of repression — and yet Zimbabwe continued to crumble so badly after his downfall that some of its people began openly missing his nearly four-decade rule. The newly christened Zimbabwe was the pride of southern Africa at its independence in 1980, the breadbasket of the region and the latest symbol of victory in the continent's long fight against colonialism. Mugabe was a liberation leader who reassured some by making gestures of reconciliation toward the country's white residents.
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| Every Day Is a Car Show When You Appreciate Old Cars Gallery Posted: 07 Sep 2019 11:00 AM PDT |
| Sanders Criticized for Opposing Home-Rebuilding Aid to Areas Repeatedly Hit by Hurricanes Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:34 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is being excoriated for opposing federal assistance meant to rebuild homes repeatedly destroyed by storms."If people want to rebuild in an area which will be devastated by the next storm, they're certainly not going to get federal assistance from my administration to do that," Sanders said Wednesday at CNN's town hall on climate change.> "If people want to rebuild in an area which will be devastated by the next storm, they're certainly not going to get federal assistance from my administration." -Sen. Sanders on changing FEMA rules to spur a retreat from properties suffering repeated losses. ClimateTownHall pic.twitter.com/BC47QBZupm> > -- CNN (@CNN) September 5, 2019"We have the absurd situation where FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] will only pay to repair a facility or a piece of infrastructure where it was before it was destroyed. That's pretty stupid," the Vermont senator said. "I mean if it was destroyed once and you rebuild it, it's destroyed twice, it doesn't make a lot of sense to put it there again.""So would people in coastal communities, [who] have a house right on the beach, would they have to move?" CNN host Anderson Cooper asked."Well, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to rebuild that house so that it is, you know, knocked down again in the next storm," Sanders responded.Sanders noted scientific predictions that parts of Miami, Fla. and Charleston, S.C. could fall underwater at some point in the future, adding that as president he would do his best "through carrots and sticks at the federal level" to encourage people to move away from areas frequently threatened by hurricanes.Critics expressed outrage at what they said was a dismissive attitude toward storm-battered communities, with some pointing out that residents would like to move but cannot afford to do so."Many people in repetitive-loss properties would be thrilled to move, but are trapped where they are because no one will buy their property, so their only option is to keep taking money from the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] to rebuild," Raw Story reporter Matthew Chapman wrote in a tweet.> Hey Bernie, are you prepared to buy them out instead?> > Many people in repetitive-loss properties would be thrilled to move, but are trapped where they are because no one will buy their property, so their only option is to keep taking money from the NFIP to rebuild. https://t.co/v42Jg9tYWH> > -- Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) September 6, 2019Other critics pointed to Puerto Rico as an example of a community repeatedly hit by storms, and some criticized CNN, saying the network's tweet took Sanders's quote out of context.> I completely understand what he's saying, but for some people they don't have much choice in the matter. Having said that, while I'm not a Bernie fan, this is a poor quote to take out of context. I presume he's talking about people who CAN move inland but choose not to. https://t.co/w07ltYL4z7> > -- Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) September 6, 2019> Puerto Rico… https://t.co/gIqWTSk4V3> > -- Jake Snider (@jakehsnider) September 6, 2019
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| Pakistan vows 'fullest possible response' to India over Kashmir Posted: 05 Sep 2019 10:19 PM PDT ![Pakistan vows 'fullest possible response' to India over Kashmir]( "Pakistan vows 'fullest possible response' to India over Kashmir") Pakistan will make the fullest possible response to India's actions in disputed Kashmir and the global community would be responsible for any "catastrophic" aftermath, Imran Khan, the prime minister of the Muslim-majority nation, said on Friday. The rhetoric on the annual Defence Day remembrance of Pakistan's fighters in a 1965 war with India underscores rising tension between the nuclear-armed foes after New Delhi last month revoked the autonomy of its part of disputed Kashmir. "I have informed the world that Pakistan does not want war, but at the same time, Pakistan cannot remain oblivious to the challenges posed to its security and integrity," Khan said in a statement on the website of state-run Radio Pakistan.
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| 6 Products on Deep Discount in September Posted: 06 Sep 2019 02:23 PM PDT  Fall is approaching, and the kids are headed back to school, which means you have more time to upgrade the kitchen and prep your property for cooler weather. September is a good time to buy lawn...
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| North-central US to endure cool, rainy pattern through early next week Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:56 AM PDT  Frequent bouts of wet weather will keep the north-central United States unusually cool for early September into next week.Residents from the Dakotas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will need to keep jackets and umbrellas close at hand during the pattern.It will be wet and cool over the northern Plains and into the Upper Midwest as frequent storms from the Pacific cross the region through early next week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.The rounds of storms will track along the northern and western periphery of record heat over the Southern states.Into Sunday, periods of rain will target a corridor from the Dakotas to Iowa and northern Missouri, with locally severe thunderstorms possible along the southern periphery of the rain. From Sunday night through Monday, a new storm system will spread soaking rainfall from southwest to northeast across the region.Commuters in Minneapolis could endure slower-than-normal travel times during the start of the traditional workweek.Additional storm systems will bring more bouts of wet weather to the North Central states into the middle of the week. Motorists with short- and long-term travel plans should anticipate times of reduced visibility when the rain pours down on sections of interstates 29, 35, 90 and 94. The rain will also create a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.While the rainfall will largely be a nuisance to travelers and those with outdoor plans, there will be a small risk of localized flooding, mainly in low-lying and poor drainage areas that get hit with steady rainfall more than once.Farmers may struggle to find times to work in the fields during the rainy pattern. AccuWeather's 2019 crop production analysis released on Friday affirmed the belief that corn and soybean production will be down this year.Accompanying the clouds and rain will be temperatures more typical of levels experienced in late September and early October across the northern tier of the central United States."Temperatures will be held in the 60s and in some cases, the 50s F during the daytime," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said. This includes in Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis; and Marquette, Michigan.Such highs are 5 to as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, according to Vido."Warmth may begin to nose farther north into the Midwest around the middle part of next week," Smerbeck said. During this time, temperatures will likely return to the upper 70s and lower 80s in Minneapolis, with highs in the 90s expected over the central Plains.However, the warmup will be short-lived as cooler conditions are forecast to move in late in the week. The cooldown will likely be accompanied by much drier weather.
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| Texas man first person charged nationwide since bump stock ban Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:48 AM PDT  A 43-year old Texas man has been indicted for possessing a machine gun after police say they found a rifle with a bump stock in his home.
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| Hurricane Dorian, now aiming for Nova Scotia, left 70K homeless in Bahamas, U.N. says Posted: 07 Sep 2019 11:18 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian, aiming for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, has left 43 people dead and 70,000 people homeless in the Bahamas, according to the United Nations.
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| California says tax return law doesn't bar ballot access Posted: 06 Sep 2019 01:54 PM PDT ![California says tax return law doesn't bar ballot access]( "California says tax return law doesn't bar ballot access") California's attorney general is urging a federal judge not to halt a state law requiring presidential candidates release their tax returns, arguing it doesn't bar anyone from accessing the ballot or deprive voters of their rights. Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, made his arguments in a Thursday filing in response to a Trump campaign request for an injunction, which would stall the law from taking effect as lawsuits proceeds. The new California law says candidates for president and governor must release five years-worth of tax returns to appear on the state's primary ballot.
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| Mainstream FARC rebels reject call to arms Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:08 PM PDT  A week ago several of the most prominent leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia sent a chill through this conflict-weary country when they emerged briefly from hiding to declare a return to arms. Lopez admits Marquez's call knocked him back on his heels. "No one expected this situation, let alone from Comrade Ivan Marquez," he said.
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| Iceland's WOW Air to resume flights with new owners Posted: 06 Sep 2019 01:18 PM PDT  An American aviation firm said on Friday it had taken over Iceland's bankrupt airline WOW Air together with local investors and said flights would resume in October. USAerospace Associates CEO Michele Ballarin told a news conference that the company would relaunch carrying the same name, and that its first flight would be between Dulles airport in Washington DC and Keflavik in Iceland next month. The bankruptcy of the low-cost carrier March caused a big stir in Iceland where it was expected to have a negative impact on tourism numbers, as well as on the wider economy which is headed for recession.
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| Rare two-headed rattlesnake found in US Posted: 06 Sep 2019 02:11 AM PDT  A rare snake born with two fully-formed heads has been found alive in the US.The timber rattlesnake was first spotted by reptile experts watching a female snake giving birth in Pine Barrens – a forested area of New Jersey.
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| Ryan and Booker Temper Attacks on Biden, Urge Democratic Unity Posted: 07 Sep 2019 12:37 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Two Democratic presidential hopefuls walked back their attacks on front runner Joe Biden as they faced questions Saturday about their previous statements on the former vice president.Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio, who this week said he's lost faith in the front-runner's ability to beat Donald Trump, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who spent weeks criticizing Biden's record on race, both said their goal is to win back the White House."I have some concerns with a lot of the candidates," Ryan said at the New Hampshire state Democratic Convention in Manchester. "It was a comment that I made and I'm not backtracking from it, it is a concern you're hearing from a lot of people."But Ryan, who has languished in the low single digits in polls and failed to qualify for the third debate next week, said to reporters at the event that he isn't concerned about Biden's age, after telling Bloomberg on Thursday that he doesn't have faith that a "declining" Biden can defeat Trump.When pressed to explain, Ryan cited "a lack of clarity" when Biden articulates his positions. Asked about whether such attacks threaten Democratic unity, Ryan said the party has a common goal.'Unifying Force'"There is a very unifying force in this world for Democrats and he is the current occupant of the White House," Ryan said.In his call for unity in Manchester, Booker offered up a veiled swipe against rival Bernie Sanders of Vermont."We Democrats have to be careful," Booker said in prepared remarks. "I don't care who our nominee is, but we cannot tolerate Democrats who turn against other Democrats and try to tear us down."Booker's remarks were seen as directed at Sanders, who refused to wholeheartedly back Hillary Clinton after she won the nomination in 2016.Booker, who trails the top-tier candidates at 2.5% in a recent average of polls by RealClearPolitics.com, was asked later by reporters to explain his call for unity after repeatedly faulting Biden on race issues, including calling him "an architect of mass incarceration" for working on the 1994 tough-on-crime legislation."I think pointing out differences is OK," Booker said. "I'm talking about what we've seen in the past election where you had Democrats literally, even after the primary was over, trying to tear down the nominee of our party."Sanders was widely criticized by Democrats in 2016 for not being sufficiently supportive of Clinton after she won the nomination. While Sanders eventually backed her, aides and allies complained his tone was begrudging and didn't help bring his supporters on board.To contact the reporters on this story: Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou in Manchester at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Epstein in Manchester at jepstein32@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Matthew G. Miller at mmiller144@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| UPDATE 3-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:59 PM PDT ![UPDATE 3-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon]( "UPDATE 3-India loses contact with spacecraft on mission to the moon") BENGALURU/MUMBAI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - India lost contact with a spacecraft it was trying to land on the moon on Saturday, its space agency said, in a setback for the nation's ambitious plans to become the first country to probe the unexplored lunar south pole. The lander of the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission was attempting a "soft," or controlled, landing near the south pole of the moon where scientists believe there could be water ice. "Data is being analysed," K Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told distraught scientists at the agency's tracking centre in Bengaluru.
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| Leaked Apple documents reveal that Siri was designed to deflect questions about feminism and #MeToo, report says (AAPL) Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Apple's Siri digital assistant is designed to deflect questions about feminism and MeToo, according to leaked documents viewed by The Guardian.
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| AccuWeather's latest analysis predicts a poor 2019 yield for corn and soybeans Posted: 06 Sep 2019 11:40 AM PDT  AccuWeather is predicting it will be the lowest corn yield since 2012. (John Roach/AccuWeather) The latest AccuWeather 2019 crop production analysis affirms the belief that 2019 will be a down year for corn and soybean production both in terms of quantity and quality. AccuWeather analysts predict the 2019 corn yield will be 13.36 billion bushels compared to 14.42 billion in 2018, while the soybean yield will be 3.658 billion bushels compared to 4.543 billion bushels in 2018.It would be the lowest corn yield since 2012, a year of significant drought that saw corn production numbers fall to 10.76 billion bushels. Also, it would be the smallest soybean yield since 2013 (3.357 billion bushels)."Corn and soybeans are still about a week or two behind where they should be, which makes them vulnerable to a frost, even if it's on time," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls. "And we think it's a little-higher-than-usual probability that we'll get that first frost on time."If we get that on-time freeze, there could be a little damage," Nicholls said. "We think there will be scattered frost and not anything that would be a widespread problem, but it's probably going to be a close call."The wet weather at the start of the growing season led to late planting and tough conditions for both crops."Corn and soybeans are both susceptible to frost," David Dyson wrote to AccuWeather. He's the agronomist for The Andersons, Inc., an agriculture-related company involved in commodity training, among other operations. "When soybeans encounter an early frost, they just stop growing and their seed will start to dry down. This results in significantly smaller soybean seeds ... which can lead to a 20-bushel-per acre reduction in yield."AccuWeather is predicting a 7.9% drop in soybean bushels per acre from 2018 and a 5.3% drop in corn bushels per acre."I'm really surprised how many farmers decided to plant corn so late in the season," said Nicholls. "It's surprising the farmers did that, knowing they probably weren't going to get that much and also the fact that they planted more acres means there's more corn available, which drives the prices down. It's baffling why they did it."The USDA will release its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) on Thursday, Sept. 12. In August, the WASDE report showed an estimated yield of 13.90 billion bushels for corn and 3.68 billion bushels for soybeans."This is going to be a poor soybean crop, not anywhere near the 51.6 bushels per acre last year," Nicholls said. "The question is how bad will it be? There was too much wet weather earlier, and that's what's going to cut into the bushels per acre for the country as a whole.""We're in uncharted territory with so much of the corn and nearly all of the soybeans planted in late May or sometime in June," Emerson Nafziger, professor emeritus of crop sciences at the University of Illinois, wrote to AccuWeather."The problem is getting the crop to the finish line," AccuWeather's Nicholls said. "It's been a little warmer recently and that's been helpful. But it's been cooler farther north; it's that area where they're going to struggle to get to the finish line before the first frost. The states that are farthest behind in corn maturity are Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota and for soybeans it's Missouri, Michigan and Indiana."Download the free AccuWeather app to see the forecast for your location. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| The 10 Most Iconic Clock Towers in the World Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:33 AM PDT |
| White House aide says he briefed Trump about Alabama and Hurricane Dorian Posted: 06 Sep 2019 04:55 AM PDT  An adviser to Donald Trump said Thursday he briefed the president about the possibility of heavy winds in Alabama from Hurricane Dorian.
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| Nichols: Jemele Hill is suggesting we give historically black schools an opportunity to compete Posted: 06 Sep 2019 05:44 PM PDT  University of Maryland professor Jason Nichols reacts to Jemele Hill's op-ed on black athletes leaving white colleges.
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| Son of founder of Italy's Five Star Movement under investigation for gang rape Posted: 06 Sep 2019 10:00 AM PDT  The son of Beppe Grillo, comedian and co-founder of Italy's Five Star Movement, is under investigation by police and prosecutors after being accused of gang rape with three of his friends. Ciro Grillo, 19, is facing allegations that he and the other men raped a Scandinavian model at the comedian's villa at Porto Cervo on Sardinia's exclusive Costa Smeralda during their summer vacation. Five Star is a partner in Italy's new governing coalition, which took office on Thursday. The rape inquiry coincides with the re-emergence of Beppe Grillo who urged the party leader, Luigi Di Maio, to join the centre-left Democratic Party and avoid snap elections. According to Italian media, Ciro Grillo and the three others met the woman, who has not been named, at a nightclub in Porto Cervo and after a night of heavy drinking they returned to the Grillo family's luxury villa where the alleged rape took place on July 16. Lawyers for Grillo and the other accused say the defendants have not denied having sex with the 19-year-old woman but claim the sex was consensual. The four accused, who come from the northern city of Genoa, were interrogated for several hours on Thursday by public prosecutor Gregorio Capasso in the Sardinian town of Tempio Pausania. Mr Capasso told the media on Friday that the investigation would be completed soon. "Given the sensitivity of the case, we will maintain the utmost confidentiality," the prosecutor told the ANSA news agency on Friday. Prosecutors are looking for evidence of drugs and alcohol and police have seized the cellphones of the accused for video of the incident. Lawyers representing Grillo and the others declined to comment but reportedly told the prosecutor the woman's case was weak because she had waited 10 days to report the rape and had continued her vacation. Grillo is the second of Beppe Grillo's four children. In 2017 he was a national champion of savate, which combines boxing and kick boxing. An avid user of social media, the young Grillo loved to post photos and comments of his sporting prowess and partying.
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| Black girls in US pushed out of school over racist and sexist school dress codes, report finds Posted: 07 Sep 2019 06:40 AM PDT  Black girls in the US are being disproportionately pushed out of school over racist and sexist school dress codes and subjected to victim blaming by teachers, a new report has found.Researchers at the National Women's Law Centre (NWLC) found around half of secondary schools banned hair wraps or other head coverings, 59 per cent regulated the length of skirts and shorts, and 55 per cent regulated tightness and fit of clothing.
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