| Donald Trump denies overruling Pence and other advisers on Camp David meeting with Taliban Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:12 PM PDT  President Trump pushed back Monday on reports that he overruled objections from Vice President Pence and others on a meeting with Taliban leaders.
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| Emails Show McCabe Scrambling to Handle Stories About Hillary Probe Posted: 09 Sep 2019 07:33 AM PDT  Alex Wong/GettyFor months, a huge question has hovered over Washington's legal community: Would the Justice Department charge former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe with a crime? In the wake of a New York Times report that his lawyers met with the deputy attorney general about the DOJ's investigation of McCabe, many suspect charges could be coming. And the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office has scrutinized allegations that McCabe was not candid with FBI investigators about his role in a news story concerning the FBI's probe into the Clinton Foundation. Now, emails reviewed by The Daily Beast cast additional light on the circumstances that preceded McCabe's firing from the FBI. They show that one FBI official felt the need to clarify to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that the FBI's internal investigation into McCabe's behavior wasn't being slow-walked. And they show that former director of national intelligence James Clapper urged FBI Director Chris Wray to shield McCabe from being fired. They also show that in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election, McCabe shared more information about his media contacts with then-FBI Director James Comey than was previously known. McCabe has sued the Justice Department over his firing. The issues these emails shed light on—whether he deserved to be fired and whether the FBI handled the decision correctly—are sure to be front and center if the lawsuit goes to trial. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a government watchdog group, obtained the emails through FOIA litigation and shared them with The Daily Beast. They are also available in the FBI's FOIA vault. CREW's litigation is ongoing. Some of the emails in the tranche cast light on the FBI's scramble to deal with media coverage in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. On Oct. 21, 2016, McCabe sent Comey an email with the subject line "Updates." Copied on the email were James Rybicki, who was then Comey's chief of staff, and David Bowdich, who was then associate deputy director of the FBI. McCabe opened with an update on a cyberattack. He then turned to the subject of media. "In the more bad news category, Mike K informed me that Devlin Barrett at WSJ is putting together an article claiming I had a conflict of interest on MYR as a result of Jill's campaign connections to Gov. McCaulife [sic]," McCabe wrote, referring to then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. "I will work with mike to provide some basic facts to push back. And, as always, will keep you advised. I am incredibly sorry for adding to the drama on this." "Mike K" referred to Mike Kortan, then the FBI's public affairs chief. "MYR" referred to Midyear, the FBI's nickname for its investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. "Outstanding," Comey replied to McCabe. "Don't sweat it."Two days later, McCabe updated Comey and Rybicki on his participation in the then-forthcoming Wall Street Journal story. "Not too much in the update," he wrote. "The only additional notable news is that Mike K and I spent a good part of the day trying to shape the WSJ story on my alleged conflict," he wrote. "Looks like they may try to release it on line tonight. The reporter also called Jill for a comment, so we are working that as well."The Justice Department Inspector General did not mention the emails in his damning report on McCabe, which focused on his role in a second Wall Street Journal story. The report alleged that McCabe lacked candor when he told FBI investigators about how the Journal obtained information about the Bureau's internal deliberations for that second story. One issue has been whether McCabe told Comey about his participation in that story; McCabe has said he did, but Comey has said he has no recollection of McCabe making the disclosure to him. McCabe's lawyers, meanwhile, argue that the Inspector General's report is seriously flawed. Scrutiny of McCabe's work at the FBI grew over the following two years, with congressional Republicans and the president calling for McCabe to be fired and punished. But McCabe also had defenders. Clapper—who has also become a target of the president—sent a handwritten letter to FBI Director Chris Wray on Feb. 25, 2018, praising McCabe and calling for Wray to intercede on his behalf. That letter is in the tranche of documents CREW obtained. In it, Clapper called the criticism of McCabe "completely unjustified and profoundly unfair." "We often appeared as witnesses together at Congressional hearings, where, as you also know, 'bonds' with fellow witnesses can quickly form," he wrote. "I came to know and rely on Andy as steady, straightforward, candid, forthright, and honest." He also praised McCabe for his "sharp intellect, insightful wisdom, unwavering commitment to the mission, self-effacing humility, staunch devotion to the men and women of the Bureau, and, importantly, his impeccable integrity." "I would hope you will consider my observations, which I know are shared uniformly by virtually everyone who knows Andy, and will use your influential voice to insure he is able to complete his career and retire after his 21 years of distinguished service to the Bureau and this nation," Clapper concluded. Clapper's letter came as the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) was scrutinizing McCabe. The Inspector General had referred his case to OPR so they could make a recommendation to the Attorney General on how to handle it. In an email sent on March 5, 2018, Candice Will—then the head of the OPR office—updated Bowdich on her team's review of the McCabe investigation. That note includes a line that seems to hint at outside pressure to speed it up."I sent the DAG [Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein] a short email advising that FBI OPR had received the referral from the OIG, we are actively working it, we anticipate providing a proposed action to the subject this week, we will make the file available to the subject—all in accordance with standard procedures—for him to prepare a written response," she wrote. "In doing so, I let the Dept know that we are doing what should be done, not slow walking—we are following established procedures."Bowdich responded by noting that the Bureau would face criticism regardless of how it handled the decision on McCabe. "Thanks Candice, as you know we will be second guessed by some every step of the way however this ends up," he wrote. "As long as we follow the regular process we are where we should be on this issue."It is unclear why Will felt the need to clarify to Rosenstein that her office was "not slow walking" the McCabe review. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesperson for McCabe. On March 19, 2018, just hours before McCabe would have been eligible to retire and receive his pension, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced his firing. The move horrified his allies, but cheered critics of the Russia probe. And Trump's personal lawyer at the time, John Dowd, praised the move and said Mueller's investigation should be shut down next. The timing of McCabe's firing—and the question of whether Trump's allies pushed for it to be expedited—has become a major point of contention. The emails suggest there may be more to all these pieces of the McCabe story than currently known—and that civil litigation or a criminal trial could generate much more information. Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Two dead, travel chaos, after powerful typhoon pummels Tokyo Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:09 AM PDT  A powerful typhoon that battered Tokyo overnight with record winds killed two people, police said Monday, as cancelled trains caused commuter chaos and more than 100 flights were scrapped, leaving thousands stranded at the airport. Typhoon Faxai, packing winds of up to 207 kilometres (129 miles) per hour, made landfall in Chiba just east of the capital before dawn, after barrelling through Tokyo Bay. The transport disruptions unleashed by the storm came less than two weeks before the start of the Rugby World Cup, and delayed the arrival of the Australian team -- a reminder that Japan's typhoon season could present challenges for organisers.
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| Questions after police fatally shoot man who streamed chase Posted: 09 Sep 2019 04:30 PM PDT  The livestreamed video of the final minutes of Brian Quinones' life before he was fatally shot by police show him calmly driving a car and listening to music, running at least one red light as he leads officers on a chase through two Minneapolis suburbs. At one point, the video shows, Quinones got out of the car with what appears to be a knife. Quinones, 30, died at the scene.
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| India Criticizes Chinese Trade Policies Posted: 08 Sep 2019 10:23 PM PDT ![India Criticizes Chinese Trade Policies]( "India Criticizes Chinese Trade Policies") (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday criticized China for what he described as one-sided trade policies, casting doubt over the progress of negotiations for a pan-Asian free trade agreement.Speaking during a panel discussion in Singapore, the minister said India remained skeptical over "unfair" market access and "Chinese protectionist policies" that have created a significant trade deficit between the two nations. India's trade deficit with China was $53.6 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2019."The big concerns of India are of course, one, its relationship with China because we have an enormous trade deficit with China," Jaishankar said in response to a question regarding the ongoing negotiations for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.Negotiators have expressed hope that RCEP -- which includes all 10 of Southeast Asia's Asean countries, as well as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India and China -- would be delivered by the end of the year. While ministers from the 16 participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a deal this year following negotiations in Bangkok over the weekend, it is unclear whether such a goal will be met.Jaishankar said he was unsure what was discussed in the latest round of negotiations, but noted that India's involvement would hinge on a mutually equitable, depoliticized arrangement."RCEP at the end of the day is an economic negotiation. It has a strategic implication, but the merits of the RCEP outcome have to be economic," said Jaishankar. "It has to be sold for its strength and I think if that was more self-evident to Indians I think you would get clearly a much stronger resonance."Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who was also on the panel, urged India to reconsider its position on RCEP, saying that Beijing and New Delhi would have to come to terms on trade eventually."I am making the argument that it is worth making the effort, because this would be a game changer," Balakrishnan said.To contact the reporter on this story: Philip J. Heijmans in Singapore at pheijmans1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Karthikeyan SundaramFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Photos of Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, World's Fastest Production Car Posted: 08 Sep 2019 03:01 AM PDT ![Photos of Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, World's Fastest Production Car]( "Photos of Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, World's Fastest Production Car")
Same spec as record-breaking car that ran 300 mph at Ehra-Lessien test track. From Car and Driver
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| Brazilian official who protects Amazon indigenous tribes shot dead Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:14 AM PDT  A Brazilian government official who spent more than a decade working to protect indigenous people in the Amazon from loggers, miners and other threats to their way of life has been killed. Maxciel Pereira dos Santos was shot twice in the head in front of his family in an apparent execution, according to a union that represents such workers. Mr Santos had spent more than 12 years working for Funai, the National Indian Foundation, which is a Brazilian government body that defends the interests of indigenous people. He was reportedly shot while riding a motorbike down a main street of Tabatinga, located deep in the Amazon rainforest on Brazil's border with Colombia and Peru. Officials at INA, a union that represents Funai workers, claimed Mr Santos was killed in retaliation for work at the Vale do Javari reservation, which has the world's highest concentration of uncontacted indigenous tribes. An aerial view shows smoke rising over a deforested plot of the Amazon jungle in Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, in this August 24, 2019 Credit: UESLEI MARCELINO/REUTERS Police are investigating but have not yet determined a motivation for the crime, according to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. The killing comes amid international outrage at the destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. More than 80,000 fires were recorded between January and August this year, double last year's number. Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, has faced criticism from the international community for failing to do enough to protect the Amazon. According to Reuters analysis the budget for the government body which protects the rainforest has shrunk by 25 per cent since Mr Bolsonaro took office on January 1. Funai has three bases in the Vale do Javari to protect an area the size of Austria with some 6,000 residents from eight tribes, and some 16 uncontacted tribes. INA officials called on authorities to demonstrate Brazil "no longer condones violence against those who engage, under the rule of law, in the protection and promotion of indigenous rights".
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| Hurricane Dorian victims fleeing devastation kicked off boat headed for US ‘because they did not have visas’ Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:03 AM PDT  Bahamians attempting to flee the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian have been kicked off a boat headed to the US.People from the Caribbean nation are normally allowed into the US without a visa as long as they fly there, have a passport and hold a clean police record.
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| Elizabeth Warren endorses 2 liberal House candidates challenging Democrat incumbents Posted: 09 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  The endorsements of immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros in southern Texas and marketing consultant Marie Newman in the Chicagoland district offer Warren, a Massachusetts senator, an opportunity to underscore her alliance with the more liberal wing of the Democratic party.
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| Have Archaeologists Discovered the Town Jesus Appeared in After His Resurrection? Posted: 08 Sep 2019 02:15 AM PDT  CaravaggioAccording to the Bible, after his resurrection Jesus appeared to various groups of followers. In one story, found only in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus appears to two of his disciples as they journeyed to the town of Emmaus. They have a discussion and share a meal with Jesus and it's only when Jesus breaks the bread that "their eyes were opened" and they recognize him for who he is. The story is part of the most significant event in Christian history, a major inspiration to Caravaggio and other Renaissance artists. The only problem is that scholars cannot agree about where Emmaus was. This week archaeologists announced that they may have unearthed the first evidence of its location—and they weren't even looking for it. Historically, there has been considerable debate about where, exactly, Emmaus was situated. For Christians, places associated with the life of Jesus are important pilgrimage destinations. From the ancient world to the modern one, religious tourists want to retrace the footsteps of Jesus. This is especially true of places associated with Jesus's birth, death, and resurrection. The earliest known attempt to pinpoint Emmaus' location was that of the fourth-century church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, who identified the city of Nicopolis as the biblical Emmaus. The theologian and translator Jerome agrees, and implies in a letter that there was a church in Nicopolis constructed over the house where Jesus and his followers broke bread. From the fourth century onwards, Christians seem to have readily identified Nicopolis with Emmaus. The problem with this argument is that Nicopolis is much further away from Jerusalem than we would expect. Luke says Emmaus was about 60 stadia (7-11 km) from Jerusalem, but Nicopolis is 160 stadia from Jerusalem. Over the years, a number of scholars have suggested no fewer than five alternative sites to Nicopolis and there is no general agreement about which is the most likely. Now, things may have changed. In 2017, a joint French and Israeli group of archaeologists began excavation work at Kiriath-Jearim, a hill several kilometers to the west of Jerusalem. Due to its proximity to Jerusalem and its elevated position, the fort was a strategically important military site. It essentially controlled access to Jerusalem from the coast. The archaeologists involved in the excavation were initially interested in two sets of questions: the relationship of the site to events and places mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the history of the site during the Maccabean revolt in the second century B.C.. In the Bible, Kiriath-Jearim is best known as the place that the Ark of the Covenant was supposedly held before King David moved it to Jerusalem. The Maccabean revolt, which is partially described in the books of the Maccabees, is largely remembered for Judah the Maccabee's triumph over Seleucid oppressors and reconquest of Jerusalem in 164 B.C.. It's the miraculous event that took place at this time that is celebrated during Hannukah. During the 2019 excavation season researchers at Kiriath-Jearim uncovered evidence of later phases of use of the site. Their most significant discovery was a set of fortifications that were built over the city walls during the first half of the second century B.C.. These walls are roughly three meters thick. Excavators at the dig also uncovered what is tentatively described as the remains of a tower. Additional evidence—Roman tiles, coins, and the kind of nails used in the sandals of Roman soldiers—shows that these walls were repaired sometime in the first century A.D.. Inscriptions from Kiriath Yearim and the nearby village of Abu Ghosh reveal that the town had hosted part of the 10th Roman legion after the Jewish war in A.D. 66-73. The very fact that the city had been repeatedly refortified is further evidence of the military and strategic significance of the site. In a forthcoming article in New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region, professor Israel Finkelstein, an archaeologist based at Tel Aviv University and Thomas Römer, a professor of biblical studies at the College de France, argue that the Hellenistic era walls date to the period of conflict between the Maccabees and the Seleucids. During the revolt, Bacchides, the leader of the Seleucid army, ordered the construction of a ring of fortresses around Jerusalem that would guard and secure the various approaches to the city. Bacchides' construction efforts are, according to Römer, the only known large-scale fortification efforts during this period of history. Both 1 Maccabees 9:50 and the first century CE Jewish historian Josephus provide us with lists of the towns around Jerusalem that Bacchides had fortified. Most of those locations are identifiable sites to the north, south, and east of Jerusalem, many of which have been excavated. Neither list refers to Kiriath-Jearim, but, instead, both mention the name of another town: Emmaus. According to the Gospel of Luke, Emmaus was 60 stadia (7-11 kilometers) from Jerusalem. This is roughly equivalent of the 11 kilometers that lie between Jerusalem and the area that encompasses the hill of Kiriath-Jearim and town of Abu Ghosh. Given the absence of any other known Hellenistic-era fortified cities to the west of the city, Finkelstein and Römer argue that Kiriath-Jearim and the neighboring town of Abu Ghosh are actually Emmaus. This would mean that, in addition to identifying a strategically important military center, they may also have uncovered the location of an important episode from the story of the life of Jesus. Finkelstein and Römer have support from an unlikely source. During the 12th century, crusaders (more precisely, the Knights Hospitaller) built the Church of the Resurrection at Abu Ghosh beneath the hill of Kiriath-Jearim and called the place Castellum Emmaus. Of course, it's difficult to speak with certainty about the identification. Finkelstein and Römer's article uses archaeology, historical texts, and ancient and modern geography to make a strong case, but ultimately without the discovery of something decisive (say, an inscription) that can positively identify the site as Emmaus the theory remains a theory, albeit a compelling one. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Pope Francis urges Mauritius to shun 'idolatrous economic model' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:12 AM PDT  Pope Francis on Monday urged Mauritius, a prosperous magnet for tourists and a global tax haven, to shun an "idolatrous economic model" that excludes the youth and the poor and damages the environment. The Argentine pontiff's visit to the idyllic Indian Ocean island began with a mass attended by an estimated 100,000 faithful, ecstatically waving palm fronds and cheering "Francis, Francis". While the island is a beacon of stability and relative prosperity, Pope Francis honed in on the struggles of the youth, who face growing inequality, unemployment and the scourge of drug abuse.
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| South African attacks on foreign shops continue; 12 dead Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:24 AM PDT  Two people have been killed in Johannesburg, police confirmed Monday, bringing to 12 the number of deaths since violence against foreign-owned shops erupted last month. Bands of South Africans launched violent attacks against foreign-owned shops and stalls, looting and burning the small businesses and attacking some of the shopkeepers. The attacks appear to be spreading throughout Gauteng, the country's most populous province encompassing the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
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| U.S. should side with Hong Kong protesters, says ex-Pentagon chief Mattis Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:41 AM PDT ![U.S. should side with Hong Kong protesters, says ex-Pentagon chief Mattis]( "U.S. should side with Hong Kong protesters, says ex-Pentagon chief Mattis") Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday anti-government protests in Hong Kong were "not an internal" Chinese matter and that the United States should offer at least moral support to the demonstrators. The retired U.S. Marine general, speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, said the United States should generally side with those standing up for human rights, which he said included the Hong Kong protesters. "When people stand up for those (rights), I just inherently think we ought to stand with them, even if it's just moral," said Mattis, who abruptly resigned as Pentagon chief in December over disagreements with President Donald Trump's foreign policy.
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| A leaked offer to an Iranian tanker captain exposed an open secret: The US will pay you millions of dollars to betray its enemies Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:53 PM PDT  Defense and security experts were incredulous that the US government used email to offer millions of dollars to the captain of an Iranian oil tanker.
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| Cocaine abuse leaves fatal infected erosion in man's throat Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:24 AM PDT  Doctors in Malta are using a cocaine abuser's death as a lesson for treatment. The 38-year-old had a known history of cocaine use that left him with a gaping hole at the back of his throat. Medical officials are now advising a thorough examination of brain and palate imaging for patients with a history of cocaine abuse.
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| Hurricane Dorian: Jet skiers rescue 100 people trapped in flooded homes in the Bahamas Posted: 08 Sep 2019 03:00 AM PDT  Jet skiers in the Bahamas braved the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Dorian to rescue around 100 people trapped in their homes.The official death toll from the most powerful hurricane on record to hit the Bahamas has climbed to 43 and is likely to keep rising amid worries a "staggering" number of lives have been claimed.
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| 9 elementary school students sent to ER after inadvertently eating weed candy Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:43 AM PDT ![9 elementary school students sent to ER after inadvertently eating weed candy]( "9 elementary school students sent to ER after inadvertently eating weed candy") The students, who attended Renaissance Charter School in Cooper City, Florida, suffered stomach pain. The injuries were not life-threatening.
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| Netanyahu accuses Iran of destroying secret 'nuclear site' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:59 AM PDT  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused Iran of having a previously undisclosed site aimed at developing nuclear weapons that it destroyed. Iran destroyed the site located near the city of Abadeh, south of Isfahan, sometime between late June and late July after realising that Israel had detected it, Netanyahu alleged. In an address on live television, with photos of the alleged site on a screen behind him, Netanyahu referred to an intelligence trove he had previously announced last year.
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| Zimbabwe's Mugabe to lie in state at 2 different stadiums Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:03 AM PDT  Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe's body will lie in state at two different stadiums in the capital city for three days, the information minister said Monday, but she did not announce where he would be buried on Sunday. Mugabe, an ex-guerrilla chief who took power in 1980 when the African country shook off white minority rule and ruled for decades, died on Friday at a hospital in Singapore. Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a statement that the government has dispatched Vice President Kembo Mohadi and other senior officials and family members to Singapore to accompany Mugabe's body home.
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| Eisman Says Trump Would Have to Give in for China Trade Deal Posted: 09 Sep 2019 04:07 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Steve Eisman, the Neuberger Berman Group money manager, said U.S. President Donald Trump would have to back down to get a trade deal with China."Will there be a deal between China and the U.S.? I have my doubts," Eisman said on Bloomberg TV on Monday. "My impression is that China is not backing down on anything," so to get a deal "Trump basically has to give in."Eisman, 57, said the prospects of a deal would collapse if China sent its military to manage the continuing protests in Hong Kong. Such a move could also cause a global market correction, said the money manager who famously foresaw the collapse of subprime mortgages before the 2008 financial crisis."If that were to happen, the probability of a trade deal between the United States and China would probably go to zero," he said.Global markets have been buffeted by the U.S.-China trade dispute since Trump first proposed tariffs on imports in early 2018. Volatility has soared and corporate earnings estimates slashed as hopes of a resolution have come and gone. The saga has added to the risks of a disruption in global supply chains, driving up some consumer prices and weighing on growth.Eisman's bets against the housing market before the financial crisis were chronicled in Michael Lewis's 2010 book "The Big Short," which showcased money managers who foresaw and profited from the market turmoil. The money manager joined Neuberger Berman after closing his hedge fund Emrys Partners in 2014, and currently runs managed accounts and money pools betting on rising and falling share prices.(Updates with Eisman comments in fourth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Tom Keene and Francine Lacqua.To contact the reporter on this story: Nishant Kumar in London at nkumar173@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Shelley Robinson at ssmith118@bloomberg.net, Patrick HenryFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| The next target in the climate-change debate: your gas stove Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:31 AM PDT  WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dozens of cities in liberal-leaning states such as California, Washington, and Massachusetts are studying proposals to ban or limit the use of natural gas in commercial and residential buildings. The movement opens a new front in the fight against climate change that could affect everything from heating systems in skyscrapers to stoves in suburban homes. Berkeley, California, in July became the first U.S. city to pass an ordinance banning gas systems in new buildings, and it may soon be followed by many others, according to interviews with local officials, activists and industry groups.
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| University of Tennessee turns bullied kid's homemade shirt into their newest merch Posted: 08 Sep 2019 10:28 AM PDT  The college football season got a wonderful, heart-warming story to start the season when a student who was bullied for his homemade t-shirt got to see his favorite team make the shirt part of their official merch. Laura Snyder, an elementary school teacher in Florida, shared on Facebook the story of one of her students who wore a homemade shirt to support the University of Tennessee's football team for the school's college colors day.The student was excited to wear a bright orange shirt (the official color of the Tennessee Volunteers) and came to school with a hand-drawn "U of T" logo done by the student pinned to the front. But, according to Snyder, the student was bullied by others who mocked the DIY design.Noting it's hard to get a Volunteers shirt in Florida -- home territory of one of Tennessee's biggest rivals, the University of Florida Gators -- Snyder reached out for help via her Facebook page and the University of Tennessee came through, sending the student a giant care package of merchandise.But even more awesome is the new shirt the school made based on the student's original design. Not only are they now selling the shirt but proceeds are going to an anti-bullying group. > Share in a Florida elementary student's Volunteer pride by wearing his design on your shirt too! Pre-order today for a late September expected delivery. A portion of proceeds from every shirt sold will be donated to @STOMPOutBullyng .https://t.co/NdnTtYREFL pic.twitter.com/OeTZvgC09Y> > -- VolShop (@UTVolShop) September 6, 2019Said Snyder when she told the student about the new shirt, "When I told him that his design was being made into a real shirt and people wanted to wear it, his jaw dropped. He had a big smile on his face, walked taller, and I could tell his confidence grew today!"SEE ALSO: 5 ways parents can teach kids to combat bullyingSnyder also shared a letter from the student's mother, who said, "I am overwhelmed by the love I feel from this extended community... Every comment, item sent, and action taken on behalf of my son will never be forgotten and hopefully will serve as inspiration for him throughout his life."It's a much-needed feel-good story for the Volunteers this season; the team has stumbled out of the gate to an 0-2 start for the first time in 31 years after their Saturday night loss to BYU. But given how amazing this story is, the football team's result doesn't even matter. WATCH: Instagram adds new 'warning,' 'restrict' features to fight back against bullying
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| McConnell backs short-term spending bill to avert shutdown Posted: 09 Sep 2019 01:04 PM PDT  "A major focus of the Senate this month will be ... passing a temporary continuing resolution for the outstanding parts of the government," McConnell says.
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| Female prisoner who asked for help says she was 'beaten so badly' she was paralyzed Posted: 08 Sep 2019 09:12 AM PDT  A female inmate in a Florida prison who said she was beaten by four guards has sued the state's corrections agency. Cheryl Weimar said the alleged beating left her paralyzed, ane with with "serious and life-threatening injuries, including a broken neck," in a complaint filed in district court on Tuesday.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Toyota Camry TRD Posted: 09 Sep 2019 04:00 AM PDT |
| Couple arrested after bank mistakenly deposited $120,000 they spent, police say Posted: 09 Sep 2019 11:09 AM PDT  The couple from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, allegedly purchased a car, paid their bills and handed the money out to friends, police said.
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| WV pol charged after anger over racist signs turns physical Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:06 PM PDT ![WV pol charged after anger over racist signs turns physical]( "WV pol charged after anger over racist signs turns physical") A West Virginia lawmaker has been charged for kicking a door into a statehouse staffer and elbowing a delegate because he was mad about racist signs at the Capitol, authorities said. A criminal complaint filed Friday charges Democratic Del. Mike Caputo with misdemeanor battery for the incident in March. Caputo has admitted to kicking the door because he was upset about a display outside the House chamber on "WV GOP Day" that falsely linked U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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| Trump shares bizarre cat meme about his altered hurricane map Posted: 08 Sep 2019 01:40 PM PDT  President Trump prolonged a weeklong controversy over Hurricane Dorian, sharing cat video late Saturday night that mocked coverage of his incorrect claims about the storm's path.
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| S.Africa issues arrest warrant for suspected killers of Rwandan ex-spy Posted: 09 Sep 2019 07:05 AM PDT  South African authorities have issued an arrest warrant for two of the four alleged murderers of an exiled Rwandan ex-spy and critic of President Paul Kagame who was killed in a Johannesburg hotel in 2014, the family lawyer said Monday. South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is also applying for the extradition of two other suspects of Rwandan descent, advocate Gerrie Nel said in a statement. If granted, the NPA will apply to Interpol to issue "Red Notices" for the suspects, Nel said in a statement.
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| Shoot them? Hang them? - Filipino heavyweights hanker for death penalty return Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:21 AM PDT  If he gets his way, Filipino senator and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao would have drug criminals executed by firing squad. It comes at the behest of President Rodrigo Duterte, the popular, self-styled "punisher", notorious for his crackdowns on crime, and a war on drugs that has killed thousands of mostly poor, urban Filipinos. Pacquiao, a staunch Duterte loyalist and the only boxer to win world titles in eight divisions, believes executions are the best deterrent for big drug syndicates.
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| The owners of the boat in the California fire that killed 34 blamed their insurers for a lawsuit aimed at limiting victims' payouts to $0 Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:47 AM PDT  Truth Aquatics' lawsuit was filed three days after the Conception diving boat caught fire, when rescuers were still recovering the victims' bodies.
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| Hong Kong’s Richest Man Tells Leaders to ‘Have Mercy’ Amid Protests Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:18 AM PDT ![Hong Kong's Richest Man Tells Leaders to 'Have Mercy' Amid Protests]( "Hong Kong's Richest Man Tells Leaders to 'Have Mercy' Amid Protests") (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong's richest man urged the government to "have mercy" in dealing with the unrest that has rocked the city this summer, describing recent months of protests as its worst crisis since World War II.Li Ka-shing, whose conglomerate is among Hong Kong's most dominant business empires, on Sunday called for reconciliation between the government and protesters as another weekend of demonstrations turned violent."If it continues, it will be very bad, and I am concerned," the 91-year-old said during an event at Tsz Shan Monastery, a Buddhist temple which he helped finance. "We hope young people can consider the big picture, and government leaders can also have mercy on the masters of our future." A spokesman for CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., Li's flagship ports-to-telecom conglomerate, confirmed his remarks.Small pockets of demonstrators on Sunday set fires, vandalized subway stations and set up barricades downtown after tens of thousands marched peacefully to the U.S. consulate. The dramatic images in the heart of Hong Kong served as the latest reminder that three months of demonstrations against China's grip over the city are unlikely to end soon.Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam last week said she would formally withdraw a bill allowing extraditions to the mainland, which triggered the unrest in early June. But demonstrators now have a host of other demands, and Beijing has ruled out the biggest one: the right to elect a leader of their choosing.In newspaper advertisements last month, Li called for an end to the violence in a poetic message that some interpreted as calling for those in power to stop persecution, while others said it meant to urge protesters to stop disrupting the city.To contact the reporter on this story: Shirley Zhao in Hong Kong at xzhao306@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Watkins at dwatkins19@bloomberg.net, Sam NagarajanFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Majority of Americans live in fear of mass shootings and support regulations to prevent them Posted: 09 Sep 2019 06:59 AM PDT  The majority of Americans live in fear a mass shooting will happen in their community and an even larger share of the country support stricter gun laws to prevent them from happening, a new poll has found.After a summer of deadly shootings nationwide, 56 per cent of Americans support banning the sale of assault weapons, compared to 41 per cent who oppose the move, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday.
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| Forecasters monitoring several areas for tropical activity in the Atlantic this week Posted: 08 Sep 2019 12:07 PM PDT  Behind Dorian, AccuWeather meteorologists are keeping a close eye on a few areas of disturbed weather in the Atlantic basin this week.One area of disturbed weather is a tropical wave that pushed off the western shores of Africa last week. As of Sunday morning, it was located several hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands.While the showers and thunderstorms associated with this wave were looking disorganized on Sunday, there is a 40% chance that this system gradually strengthens while tracking westward through the central tropical Atlantic Ocean this week."Another wave is expected to move off the coast of Africa through Monday and will bear watching for tropical development later this week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.With wind shear not looking to be an issue and dry air dissipating as these waves move westward, tropical development of one or both of these waves is possible. All interests across the Lesser Antilles and northern Caribbean should closely monitor the path of these waves as they traverse the open water this week. Possible impacts to these areas would occur around the middle of September.The next names on the list for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season are Humberto and Imelda.These tropical waves are not alone out in the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, there is one being monitored closer to the United States."A disturbance will pass to the north of the eastern Caribbean and into the Bahamas early this week," Douty said. "It will have to be monitored as it tracks generally to the west to west-northwest." Regardless of whether or not this disturbance organizes into a tropical system, Douty expects it to enhance rainfall across Florida late this week. The northern Bahamas, which suffered a devastating blow from Dorian, may also experience an uptick in wet weather."This disturbance is expected to move into the northern Gulf by next weekend," Douty said. "There is pretty strong wind shear from the Bahamas into the northern Gulf, so we are only allowing for a low chance for development with this at this time."Still, all interests across the Bahamas and the Southeast and Gulf coasts should continue to monitor the forecast and check AccuWeather.com for further updates on these potential tropical threats.Meanwhile, Gabrielle continues to churn over the central Atlantic."Gabrielle is expected to peak in intensity as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane early this week," Douty said. Luckily for Bermuda, the Caribbean and the United States, the strengthening storm will be steered away and will not pose a threat to North America.By midweek, Gabrielle will drift northward into cooler waters, allowing it to lose most of its tropical characteristics. However, the system will pass north of the British Isles, delivering a burst of gusty winds to the United Kingdom later this week.
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| Robert Shiller, who predicted dot-com crash, sees less than 50% chance of recession in '20 Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:19 AM PDT ![Robert Shiller, who predicted dot-com crash, sees less than 50% chance of recession in '20]( "Robert Shiller, who predicted dot-com crash, sees less than 50% chance of recession in '20") Economist Robert Shiller told the Financial News he believes there's less than 50% chance of recession in 2020. Many economists predict a downturn
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| Poles who saved Jews during Holocaust honored in Warsaw Posted: 08 Sep 2019 11:28 AM PDT  A U.S.-based Jewish foundation honored Polish gentiles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, a number that grows smaller each year, with U.S. and Israeli diplomats also paying their respects at the event Sunday in Warsaw to the elderly Poles who put their lives in danger to save others. Today, the rescuers are in their 80s and 90s, and they arrived at the event in Warsaw helped by their children, with some in wheelchairs. "On behalf of the Jewish people, I thank you for your noble deeds so many years ago, for when most turned their backs on their Jewish neighbors, you did not," Stanlee Stahl, the foundation's executive vice president, told those gathered.
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| Trump Wanted to Boast About His Own ‘Camp David Accords’ Before Taliban Deal Collapsed Posted: 08 Sep 2019 04:22 PM PDT  Sayed Khodaberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/GettyLONDON—The Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani had a feeling, based on long experience, that peace negotiations between the Trump administration and the Taliban would not go well. But then, Ghani didn't have much to say about it.The U.S.-backed government in Kabul was shut out as Donald Trump's envoy struggled to reach a deal in direct talks with the Taliban over the course of nine long rounds, mostly in Qatar. The Ghani government was only informed about bits and pieces of the program when Trump's people thought it convenient or, indeed, when the talks appeared to be reaching a conclusion.Peace Talks With the Taliban Are Off, Trump Announces Via TweetBut the dynamics were obvious to Afghans on all sides, even if most Americans were not paying much attention: Trump is torn between his desire to get all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan so he can declare an end to what has come to seem an endless war, and his desire to appear a winner in the conflict. Unfortunately, the terms of any deal with the Taliban discussed so far are likely to make that impossible. And late on Saturday night, Trump erupted on Twitter. "Unbeknownst to almost everyone," he said, Taliban leaders "were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday." But "in order to build false leverage, they admitted to an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers," Trump declared, so he, "immediately canceled the meeting and called off peace negotiations."As often happens, Trump's tweets provoked more questions than they answered. In fact, the administration is still trying to work out a new formal meeting between U.S. officials and the Taliban, according to two individuals with direct knowledge of the conversations. But wait—the Taliban terrorists were to come to Camp David? That's right. The idea could have been useful political theater, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as much in a series of Sunday morning talk shows. Trump's Camp David show would have harked back to the diplomatic triumph of President Jimmy Carter, who negotiated an end to the seemingly endless conflict between Egypt and Israel in 1978. True, the Taliban had long protected Osama bin Laden and they still think the Al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington 18 years ago this week were a great triumph, but the optics of "Donald Trump's Camp David" presumably had won out in the president's mind. At least at first."Who thought it was a good idea for the President of the United States to meet with Taliban leaders, who have the blood of thousands of Americans on their hands, just three days before 9/11?" Chris Wallace asked Pompeo on Fox News."We know the history of Camp David," Pompeo said. "We reflected on that as we were thinking about how to deliver for the American people." Although only last week the U.S. negotiator had announced an "agreement in principle," this not-so-secret meeting might have offered a chance for Trump to show off the art of the deal. According to Pompeo, Trump said, "I want to talk to President Ghani. I want to talk to these Taliban negotiators. I want to look them in the eye. I want to see if we can get to the final outcome that we needed so that we could sign off on that deal."By delivering a mostly pre-cooked Afghan accord at Camp David, Trump could have signed the agreement with his now-famous Sharpie and claimed it was bigger, better, the best, the most beautiful… we all know how that goes.But the Taliban just wouldn't let him get away with the kind of language and spectacle he wanted. They kept insisting on a complete and explicit timeline for the "evacuation," as they put it, of all U.S. personnel. The American withdrawal supposedly would be conditional on their actions, but they knew that as U.S. support for the Afghan government waned, the insurgents could expect government troops and security forces to quit fighting them or, indeed, join them. The fiction of peace with honor could fall apart badly a year from now, at the height of the U.S. presidential campaign.Hard to make that look like a win for Trump. But as a tactical matter, maybe the Taliban should cut him a break, and maybe they have realized that now.A senior official in the Kabul government told The Daily Beast he expects, "Sooner or later peace talks will start up again, but with a much different attitude. The Taliban really proved they don't know the language of international diplomacy. The tone the Taliban are using with the Americans is like the tone they use when talking to the Afghans," meaning the weak government. "The Taliban understanding of negotiations is very limited and blurry. They are expert in basic warrior language, but have a very poor command of political or diplomatic vocabulary."This official with the Kabul government said that President Ghani's tolerance when he was excluded from the bilateral U.S.-Taliban talks had proved wise, since the Taliban had overplayed their hand and Trump had called off the talks. "With a single tweet, the Taliban tumbled from the sky to the earth," said the official.In any case, they were surprised. Taliban sources told The Daily Beast everything seemed to be going well and on schedule for an announced agreement until about 11 p.m. Saturday, which would have been about 4 p.m. at the Trump golf club where the president was staying in Sterling, Virginia. It was true, these Taliban sources said, that the chief U.S. negotiator, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, was "extremely unhappy" with the latest Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul in which U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Elis A. Barreto Ortiz, 34, from Puerto Rico, was killed along with 11 other people. Sixteen U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan this year.But it had always been understood that both sides—the Taliban and the Afghan government forces backed by devastating U.S. airpower—would continue fighting until an actual ceasefire agreement was signed.Then came the Trump tweets, claiming the death of Sgt. Ortiz was the reason for calling off the agreement."We were stunned," said one senior figure in the Taliban hierarchy. "It's like being stuck in a roundabout [traffic circle] with many red and green lights and having no idea in what direction to move."The Taliban negotiators went into an urgent meeting in Qatar "to measure and assess the latest developments," this source said. "Did Trump mean this as a joke or seriously? Or just a technique to pressure the Taliban at the last minute?"What came out was a statement in what was, for the Taliban, pretty diplomatic language.President Trump's invitation to the Taliban negotiators to visit the United States had been extended at the end of August, they said, but the Taliban put it off until an agreement was ready to sign.Preparations for that were well under way, the Taliban statement said, and the date of Sept. 23 had been set for them to start—at last—their negotiations with the Kabul government.The Taliban Scoff at Trump's Afghan Peace Talks BluffThe Taliban said they would give "precedence" to talks over war, but Trump's "reaction towards a single attack just before the signing of an agreement displays [a] lack of composure and experience." They noted that the U.S. and those it backs in Afghanistan have done plenty of killing as well. As The Daily Beast reported last week, moreover, the U.S. Department of Defense may not come close to counting all those civilians who die in American air strikes. The Taliban statement concluded: "Our previous 18-year resistance should have proven to America that we will accept nothing less than the complete end of occupation and allowing Afghans to decide their own fate. And we shall continue our Jihad for this great cause and maintain our strong belief in ultimate victory, Allah willing."In Trump's choleric tweets calling off the previously secret Camp David event, he asked of the Taliban, "How many more decades are they willing to fight?"They continue to be confident of the answer: many more decades than the Americans.POSTSCRIPT: According to the New York Times, the agreement with the Taliban had been finalized and initialed, apart from some technical appendices, which did not raise problems. A Camp David meeting was not needed. But Trump wanted a show: "Mr. Trump did not want the Camp David meeting to be a celebration of the deal; after staying out of the details of what has been a delicate effort in a complicated region, Mr. Trump wanted to be the dealmaker who would put the final parts together himself, or at least be perceived to be."Sami Yousafzai reported from London and Christopher Dickey from New York. Erin Banco also contributed reporting from Washington D.C.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Crisis-hit Nissan's CEO to resign over pay issue: reports Posted: 08 Sep 2019 05:41 PM PDT  The CEO of crisis-hit Japanese auto giant Nissan plans to resign, local media reported Monday, days after admitting he received more pay than his entitlement. The reports said it was not immediately clear when Hiroto Saikawa would step down, as the firm struggles with the aftermath of the arrest of its former chief Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct. Nissan said it had no immediate comment on the reports, which first emerged overnight in the Nikkei business daily.
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| China's Guangdong to release another 3,150 tonnes of pork from reserves to secure supplies Posted: 09 Sep 2019 05:54 AM PDT |
| Two Ohio Planned Parenthood Clinics to Close amid Funding Crunch Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:03 PM PDT  Planned Parenthood announced Monday that two Ohio clinics will be closing this month due to stifling regulations and a loss of state and federal funding.The two Cincinnati clinics, located in the Springdale and Western Hills neighborhoods, will close September 20, the organization said. Neither clinic performs abortions. Women in the greater Cincinnati and Miami Valley areas will still have access to five other Planned Parenthood locations after the two clinics shut their doors, and to 26 locations statewide.Last month, Planned Parenthood announced that it would withdraw from Title X, the federal program that funds family-planning services for low-income Americans, after the Trump administration debuted a rule requiring "physical and financial separation" between abortion services and groups receiving funding from the program.In April, Republican governor Mike DeWine signed into law Ohio's "heartbeat bill," which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected at about four weeks of pregnancy if it went into effect. The law is currently on hold amid court challenges."These closures are the result of years of attacks on our ability to provide reproductive health care," said Kersha Deibel, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region. "Ohio politicians have passed 22 anti-reproductive health measures in recent years, including a defunding bill that went into effect earlier this year. Then came the changes to the Title X program, from an administration that has made it clear that it wants to force out trusted health centers that provide evidence-based, comprehensive reproductive health care.""These layered attacks in a hostile environment forced us to make some really tough decisions," Deibel added. "This is the world they want to see: one where women lose access to birth control, where information about how to access abortion is held hostage, and where, if you don't have money, it's almost impossible to access an STI test or a cancer screening."Pro-life groups have pushed back on the notion that the administration rule slashes access to family-planning services, saying it simply redirects funding to better service providers."The Protect Life Rule doesn't cut a single dime from family planning. It instead directs tax dollars to Title X centers that do not promote or perform abortions" the Susan B. Anthony List said in a statement on the proposal last year.
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| A former Boeing official is pleading the Fifth Amendment after being subpoenaed for documents in the US Justice Department's probe of the 737 Max Posted: 09 Sep 2019 10:12 AM PDT  The former chief technical pilot on the Boeing 737 Max project invoked the Fifth in response to a grand jury subpoena from the Justice Department.
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| Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi ‘Communist Zealot’ Posted: 09 Sep 2019 02:15 PM PDT ![Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi 'Communist Zealot']( "Trump Agriculture Trade Official Calls Xi 'Communist Zealot'") (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Agriculture Department's top trade official called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "communist zealot," as he warned farmers the Asian leader is a tough adversary in negotiations.Ted McKinney, the department's undersecretary for trade, offered the provocative characterization of the Chinese leader Monday at a sensitive time in U.S.-China relations. After a summer of bombast and tariff escalation the two sides have agreed to hold face-to-face working-level staff talks in the coming weeks and a ministerial meeting in Washington in early October.Throughout the trade conflict and even as economic relations have deteriorated, Trump has also been careful in his personal dealings with Xi.McKinney offered a harsh assessment of the Chinese leader as he defended Trump's trade war during a speech to the National Farmers Union, which has been critical of the tariff fight and the economic losses it has caused U.S. agricultural producers."Let me just tell you what: Mr. Xi Jinping is a communist zealot. He sees himself very much in the spirit of Mao Zedong," McKinney said in remarks to 380 farmers the group gathered in Washington to lobby the government.He also aired complaints the Asian nation suppresses church attendance. McKinney said that members of the Department's Foreign Agricultural Service, which has diplomatic representatives stationed around China, have reported that Xi's government has stepped up a crackdown on church attendance."Chinese nationals are not allowed to go to church: No, no, no, no, no, no -- off limits," McKinney said.McKinney nonetheless said he was "encouraged" that trade talks are moving in the right direction. Earlier in the year "we were negotiating very well," he said."I hope we can pick up where we last left off. But I'm only 50-50," McKinney said.McKinney was appointed to the U.S. Agriculture Department post after serving as Indiana's state agriculture director, a job he was hired for by then-Indiana governor Mike Pence.To contact the reporter on this story: Mike Dorning in Washington at mdorning@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 13,000 stranded after French airline collapses: official Posted: 09 Sep 2019 03:36 AM PDT  Some 13,000 passengers, mainly booked on flights to and from Algeria, are still stranded after France's second-largest airline Aigle Azur went into receivership, a senior French official said Monday, adding that several potential buyers had been identified. The airline, which employs almost 1,200 staff, filed for bankruptcy and suspended flights last week after losses which prompted a shareholder coup that ousted the chief executive. "Out of 19,000 passengers who found themselves in difficulty at the peak of the crisis, there are still 13,000" who have yet to be repatriated, the secretary of state for transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, told the Le Parisien daily.
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| Eyewitness This: 6 in 10 fearful of mass shooting; majority support expanded background checks, poll finds Posted: 09 Sep 2019 08:42 AM PDT  An ABC News/Washington Post poll shows what Americans think about gun laws, and their fears of mass shootings in their communities.
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| New York college student arrested in Russia over medical marijuana possession Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:13 PM PDT ![New York college student arrested in Russia over medical marijuana possession]( "New York college student arrested in Russia over medical marijuana possession") Audrey Lorber, a student at Pace University, was stopped at the airport in St. Petersburg with 19.05 grams of medical marijuana.
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| Trump scuppered peace plan with Taliban 'by trying to take credit for deal' Posted: 09 Sep 2019 12:18 AM PDT  A tentative peace deal between Taliban leaders and the US fell apart after Donald Trump moved to make the accord a spectacle as part of his re-election campaign, reports have suggested.The US president announced he was calling off a secret meeting between senior members of the Taliban, the government of Afghanistan, and his own administration through a Twitter post on Saturday evening - laying blame on the Taliban's car bomb killing of 12 people in Kabul including a US soldier.
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