| Experts: White House has dubious reasons to ignore subpoenas Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:57 PM PST  The impeachment process is fundamentally unfair. Witnesses should have executive branch lawyers. White House attorneys are throwing out an array of arguments for keeping its officials from cooperating with the congressional impeachment inquiry.
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| A woman was impaled by a metal pole while riding in the passenger seat of a car, but somehow miraculously survived Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:39 PM PST  A large piece of metal fell off the back of a big rig truck and burst through the woman's car, piercing her leg and pinning her to her seat.
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| Persons of interest identified in deaths of New Hampshire couple found buried on Texas beach Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:05 AM PST  Bodies of the New Hampshire couple were found buried on a South Texas beach. Police said persons of interest have
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| Brazil's Bolsonaro says 'worst is yet to come' on oil spill Posted: 03 Nov 2019 06:59 PM PST  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday that "the worst is yet to come" with an oil spill that has affected more than 200 beaches on the country's coast. "What came so far and what was collected is a small amount of what was spilled," Bolsonaro said in an interview with Record television. Oil slicks have been appearing for three months off the coast of northeast Brazil and fouling beaches along a 2,000 kilometer (1,250 mile) area of Brazil's most celebrated shoreline.
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| China is reportedly sending men to sleep in the same beds as Uighur Muslim women Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:01 AM PST  Chinese men assigned to monitor the homes of Uighur women whose husbands are in prison camps frequently sleep in the same bed with the women, Radio Free Asia reported last week.
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| Meet The Vietnam Fighter Aces That Terrorized U.S. Pilots Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:30 AM PST  Immortalized in history.
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| 'It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:30 PM PST !['It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling]( "'It's not abuse, it's rape': protesters denounce Spanish assault ruling") Hundreds of people protested in Spain's capital on Monday against a court ruling last week that cleared five men of gang-raping a 14-year-old girl and instead found them guilty of the lesser charge of sexual abuse. Barcelona's High Court sentenced the five on Thursday to 10 to 12 years in prison, saying the 2016 assault was not rape because the victim, who was drunk and unconscious, could neither "agree to (nor) oppose the sexual relations". A similar ruling in the so-called Wolfpack case sparked mass protests across Spain last year over chauvinism and sexual abuse and it was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court in June.
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| Every Mid-Engined Sports Car—Including a Few You Might Afford! Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST |
| Trump Ukraine scandal: House impeachment vote just made things trickier for Republicans Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:00 AM PST  The impeachment process formally adopted by Democrats is fair enough. Now Republicans have to answer tough questions about what Trump did.
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| The Latest: Supreme Court denies stay in SD execution Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:41 PM PST  The execution of a South Dakota man will proceed Monday night after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected three appeals to delay his execution. Charles Russell Rhines was supposed to be executed at 1:30 p.m. on Monday for the slaying of 22-year-old Donnivan Schaeffer at a Rapid City doughnut shop. The Department of Corrections said they would begin moving forward with the execution at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.
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| Five wounded as knife attack caps day of Hong Kong political chaos Posted: 03 Nov 2019 07:48 AM PST  A man went on a knife rampage in Hong Kong late Sunday leaving at least five people wounded, including a local pro-democracy politician who had his ear bitten off, capping another chaotic day of political unrest in the city. The violence was less sustained than Saturday when police and protesters fought hours of cat and mouse battles after thousands took the streets for an unsanctioned march. Live footage showed Andrew Chiu, a local pro-democracy councillor, having his ear bitten off after trying to subdue the attacker, while a second man was seen unconscious in a growing pool of blood as bystanders desperately tried to stem wounds to his back.
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| Microsoft's Japanese Division Switched to a 4-Day Workweek — Then Productivity Skyrocketed Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:37 AM PST  Japan has been struggling with some of the world's longest working hours
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| Confirmed: China Still Insists It Won't Use Nuclear Weapons First in a War Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:00 AM PST  A good thing too.
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| California illegal pot seizures top $1.5 billion in value Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:05 PM PST  Authorities seized more than $1.5 billion worth of illegally grown marijuana plants in California this year — an amount an industry expert said is roughly equal to the state's entire legal market — as part of an annual eradication program, officials said Monday. The raids netted more than 950,000 plants from nearly 350 growing operation sites this year through the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting program, an effort known as CAMP that dates to 1983 and is considered the nation's largest illegal marijuana eradication program. Consumers are projected to spend $3.1 billion in California's legal cannabis industry and $8.1 billion in the illicit market this year, according to a report from industry advisers Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics.
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| NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill Expected to Resign Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:46 AM PST  NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill is expected to resign Monday, according to the New York Times.O'Neill, 62, led the largest police force in the U.S. for three years. He is expected to be replaced by NYPD chief of detectives Dermot Shea, according to CNN.O'Neill was widely criticized by rank-and-file officers and their union organizers for firing a police officer five years after he choked Eric Garner to death in an incident that galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement.In July 2014, police supervisors sent Officer Daniel Pantaleo and his partner to arrest Garner, who they suspected of selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island. Pantaleo tackled Garner from behind, holding him down with other officers.Garner's last words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry at Black Lives Matter protests across the country.O'Neill fired Pantaleo in August 2019 after NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado found Pantaleo guilty of using a chokehold, which is banned by the NYPD. However, Maldonado cleared Pantaleo of the allegation that he intentionally killed Garner.An online campaign for Pantaleo raised over $170,000."We must move forward together as one city, determined to secure safety for all — safety for all New Yorkers and safety for every police officer working daily to protect all of us," O'Neill said in a statement announcing the firing.O'Neill presided over low levels of violent crime throughout the city, cementing a years-long trend and bringing murder rates to their lowest levels since the 1950's.During his tenure, the police made clear their displeasure with Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose failed presidential campaign earned the ire of the city's largest police union."This campaign proved that it doesn't really matter whether Mayor Bill de Blasio is speaking to empty rooms in Iowa or spinning his wheels in a Park Slope gym," said head of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York Patrick J. Lynch. "What matters to New Yorkers is that he isn't doing his job."
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| Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:37 AM PST ![Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia]( "Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia") Several thousand demonstrators banged on kitchen pots and chanted "Catalonia has no king!" on Monday in protest against a visit by the Spanish royal family to the capital of the region that has been hit by weeks of separatist protests. Attended by King Felipe, his wife Queen Letizia and two daughters, the venue of the Princess of Girona young talent awards ceremony in Barcelona was heavily guarded by police who had installed heavy fences and blocked vans one of the city's main thoroughfares with vans. Some protesters burned pictures of the king.
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| After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:58 AM PST ![After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car]( "After seeing a FedEx worker walk 12 miles home for months, co-workers rally to buy her a car") Darlene Quinn, 60, had her car break down and couldn't afford to fix it, so she walked home from work. Co-workers and strangers rallied to help her.
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| It looks like Trump and Giuliani's efforts to intimidate and bully the former Ukrainian ambassador went much further than publicly known Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:37 PM PST  The transcript shows that Trump and Rudy Giuliani's efforts to intimidate and bully Marie Yovanovitch went much further than previously known.
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| California fires, rising seas: Millions of climate refugees will dwarf Dust Bowl by 2100 Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:38 AM PST  An environmental crisis in the early 1900s created 'Dust Bowl refugees.' Today's climate crisis is much bigger and will last for decades, not years.
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| Iran frets as anti-government protests take hold in Iraq and Lebanon Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:22 AM PST  Protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi Shia holy city of Karbala on Sunday, as demonstrations continued to grow against Tehran's influence in the country. Crowds scaled the building's concrete barriers and tried to take down the Iranian flag and replace it with the Iraqi one before three were shot dead by security forces. Many demonstrators have accused Iran of propping up the "corrupt, inefficient" government they want to overthrow, as they have taken to the streets in the biggest mass protests since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. "I am the son of Karbala and there is no Iranian who can dictate to me," one angry protester shook his fist as he spoke to a local TV station, in a clip widely shared on social media on Monday. An Iraqi protester waves the Iraqi national flag as he stands on a concrete wall at the Iranian consulate in Karbala, Iraq Credit: REX In recent days, they have been seen burning posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which would have been unthinkable before the recent protests began last month. In the 16 years since the fall of Saddam Huseein, a Sunni Muslim, Shia neighbour Iran has emerged as a key power broker in Iraqi politics. Tehran closely backs both its Shia-led government and maintains control over a number of powerful armed groups in Iraq. Iran has reportedly stepped in to prevent the ouster of Abdel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq's prime minister, which has been called for by protesters and prominent political rivals. Militias backed by Tehran have tried to help put down the rallies, which are growing in scale, deploying snipers and firing on unarmed demonstrators. More than 250 people have been killed since the protests first erupted on October 1. Iraqi demonstrators block al-Sanak bridge during the ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad Credit: Reuters In another holy city, Najaf, demonstrators changed the name of Imam Khomenei road (after the late ayatollah) to " Martyrs of October Revolution" road after those killed. Elsewhere, in Lebanon, protesters have been chanting against what they see as the meddling of both Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Mediterranean country's domestic affairs. Protests against political corruption and mismanagement have been largely secular and peaceful, however supporters of the two biggest Shia parties, Hizbollah and Amal, have attempted to quash the rallies with violence. Lebanon's government is dominated by the allies of Shia armed movement Hizbollah, through which Iran exerts significant influence. Hizbollah is part of a political bloc that won the 2018 election, giving it control over the parliament and most to lose should the government fall. Lebanese riot policemen face off with anti-protest demonstrators shouting pro-Hizbollah and Amal Movement slogans in Beirut Credit: REX Protests in Iraq and Lebanon have rattled Iran, analysts say, threatening the latter's hard-won influence on both countries. "Very clearly, Iran in both Lebanon and Iraq wants to protect the system and not allow it to fall apart," said Renad Mansour, researcher at London-based Chatham House. In both countries "it considers the demands of protesters potentially destabilising," he said.
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| A Freak Radioactive Refueling Accident Killed This Russian Submarine Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:00 AM PST  The radiation still lingers to this day.
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| China’s Xi Backs Lam’s Leadership Amid Hong Kong Protest Chaos Posted: 04 Nov 2019 03:55 PM PST  (Bloomberg) -- China President Xi Jinping has backed the leadership of Hong Kong's embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam after five months of pro-democracy protests that have roiled the city, saying he has a high degree of trust in her.During a face-to-face meeting in Shanghai on Monday, Xi told Lam that she had led the Hong Kong government in stabilizing the situation and put in a lot of hard work amid the unrest, according to a report from China's official Xinhua News Agency.Xi told Lam, who was in Shanghai to attend the China International Import Expo, that he demanded unswerving efforts to stop and punish violent activities in accordance with the law to safeguard the well-being of the general public in Hong Kong. After she delivered a report to the president on the situation, Xi said that ending violence and chaos and restoring order remained the most important tasks in the city.Beijing-appointed Lam remains in the job after denying media reports that the Chinese government was planning her removal after her administration failed to quell months of increasingly violent unrest.Her introduction of legislation that would allow extraditions to mainland China sparked the months of protests against Beijing's tightening grip over the former British colony, which continue even after the bill was withdrawn.To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Jon Herskovitz, Isabel ReynoldsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Mexican cartels making 'mass quantities' of fentanyl pills: US Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:09 AM PST  US authorities warned Monday that "mass quantities" of counterfeit prescription drugs laced with the opioid fentanyl are being produced in Mexico for distribution in North America. A sample of tablets seized in the US found that 27 percent contained potentially lethal doses of fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that US authorities blame for more than 100 deaths a day in the United States.
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| Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:18 PM PST ![Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria]( "Turkey says it captured slain IS leader's sister in Syria") Little is known about the sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Turkish official said the 65-year-old known as Rasmiya Awad is suspected of being affiliated with the extremist group. The area is part of the region administered by Turkey after it carried out a military incursion to chase away IS militants and Kurdish fighters starting 2016.
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| Turkey's Erdogan may call off a visit to Washington next week in protest Posted: 04 Nov 2019 11:29 AM PST  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may call off a visit to Washington next week in protest of votes in the House of Representatives to recognize mass killings of Armenians a century ago as genocide and to seek sanctions on Turkey, three Turkish officials said.
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| Biden leads Trump in key battleground states but Warren does not, poll finds Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:45 AM PST  The New York Times poll found that President Trump has a viable path in 2020 to again win the Electoral College even if he loses the popular vote.
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| PG&E CEO Causes Outrage After Saying Struggling California Residents’ Houses Are ‘Still There’ Because of Blackouts Posted: 03 Nov 2019 12:25 PM PST  California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been vocal in his criticism of PG&E
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| Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque Posted: 03 Nov 2019 11:39 PM PST ![Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque]( "Indian Muslims anxious as court prepares to rule on destroyed mosque") In the Indian town of Ayodhya, minority Muslims are feeling under siege as they await a Supreme Court ruling on a centuries-old religious dispute that has cast a shadow over their relations with the majority Hindu community. After a tangle of legal cases, the Supreme Court in August decided to hear arguments every day in an effort to resolve the dispute over what should be built on the ruins of the 16th-century Babri Masjid, destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992. The uproar over the mosque triggered some of India's deadliest riots, in which nearly 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed.
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| Kamala Harris gets coveted invite from powerful Nevada union Posted: 04 Nov 2019 02:34 PM PST  Kamala Harris will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to hold a town hall with the powerful casino workers' Culinary Union in Las Vegas. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 represents bartenders, housekeepers and other workers in the city's famed casinos. The union's leaders have had private meetings with most of the presidential candidates, but Harris is the first to be invited to a town hall with the union's rank-and-file members.
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| This Is How Russia Commits "Lawfare" Around The World Posted: 03 Nov 2019 03:00 PM PST  The case of Interpol provides an example.
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| FBI Investigating Theft of U.S. Biomedical Research by Scientists Linked to China Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:17 AM PST  The FBI in conjunction with the National Institute of Health is investigating the theft of U.S. biomedical research by scientists with links to China, according to the New York Times.71 institutions, including some of the top medical research facilities in the U.S., are looking into 180 individual cases of possible intellectual property theft. Almost all of the individuals under investigation are of Chinese descent, some of them naturalized American citizens.So far, 24 of those cases have been referred to the NIH inspector general with evidence of criminal activity."It seems to be hitting every discipline in biomedical research," said Dr. Michael Lauer, deputy director for extramural research at the N.I.H.Some of those under investigation have obtained Chinese patents for work owned by U.S. institutions and funded by the U.S. government, while others are suspected of duplicating U.S. research in secret laboratories in China. Redacted emails provided to the Times showed researchers apparently ferrying research items to China from the U.S."I should be able to bring the whole sets of primers to you (if I can figure out how to get a dozen tubes of frozen DNA onto an airplane)," read one email, referring to medical testing materials.In January of this year, the U.S. Justice Department charged Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei with intellectual property theft and fraud.Huawei poses a "dual threat to both our economic and national security, and the magnitude of these charges makes clear just how seriously the FBI takes this threat," FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a press conference announcing the charges.
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| Romania parliament gives green light to minority liberal govt Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:02 AM PST  Romania's pro-European liberals on Monday succeeded in getting parliamentary approval to form the next government, ending months of political uncertainty and paving the way for the new prime minister to appoint an EU commissioner. The EU member's previous left-wing government -- besieged by protests over controversial judicial reforms and a perceived failure to fight corruption -- collapsed in a no-confidence vote last month. President Klaus Iohannis then tasked Ludovic Orban, chief of the National Liberal Party (PNL), to form a new government, but his proposed minority line-up needed parliamentary approval.
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| South Africa Appoints New Envoys in Drive to Raise $100 Billion Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:27 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed three new envoys, including two former ministers, to help with his drive to attract $100 billion in new investment.Former Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has been appointed to drive investment in the oil and gas industry, South Africa's Presidency said in a statement on Monday. Derek Hanekom, the ex-trade and industry minister, will have a similar remit in the tourism industry, alongside Elizabeth Thabethe, the current deputy tourism minister.South Africa is scheduled to hold an investment conference in Johannesburg from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7.Ramaphosa has also established an investment and infrastructure office, to be headed by former Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, the presidency said.To contact the reporter on this story: Alastair Reed in Edinburgh at areed12@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Vernon Wessels at vwessels@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 40 distressing photos show glaciers disappearing around the world Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:49 AM PST  The future of glaciers around the world is shaky. Here are photos showing some of the glaciers that might not be around for much longer.
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| Impeachment inquiry: Ambassador Yovanovitch says she was told to tweet support of Trump Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:39 PM PST  The House released hundreds of pages of testimony from former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and former State Department aide Michael McKinley.
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| Owner remains hopeful after Kincade Fire destroys his winery Posted: 04 Nov 2019 09:33 AM PST  Coming home after wildfire evacuations is a relief for some families, but can spell complete heartbreak for others. Some residents are returning home after California's largest evacuation in history to find their home and belongings have turned to ashes.Fires ignited across California and were fanned by strong winds last week -- the blazes threatened expensive Los Angeles area homes and the Getty Center, swept through agricultural land, closed the 405 Freeway, and almost burned down a presidential library.Even though firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish multiple fires, they weren't able to protect everyone's homes and businesses.Ken Wilson, the owner of Soda Rock Winery, bought the winery in 2000 and served patrons local wine for 19 years until the exploding Kincade Fire threatened his business.As of Monday morning, the Kincade Fire has charred more than 77,000 acres of land in Sonoma County, which is located right in the heart of California wine country, since it first ignited on Oct. 23, 2019. It is 80 percent contained. Ken Wilson standing in front of what used to be Soda Rock WineryAccuWeather Photo/Bill Wadell) Wilson returned from the mandatory evacuation to find his winery in ruins."Those steel beams originally came off a bridge, I think in Dry Creek Valley in the 1800s, and you can see they're all twisted and bent, so it got pretty hot in there," Wilson told AccuWeather Reporter Bill Wadell in an interview. Soda Rock Winery distilled to ashes after the Kincade Fire destroyed his business in Healdsburg, California. "A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it for many years so it's hard to imagine all of those years going away," Wilson said.However, Wilson is looking at the glass as half full, despite all of his losses. The flames spared his vineyards, and much of the inventory of wine is stored off-site and is still good to sell. Also, he is thankful his employees are OK. Soda Rock Winery before the Kincade fire turned it to dust. "I imagine things will get better around here also with the fires. I think that maybe we will have different management in place," Wilson said."We left in our pajamas and that was it," Bernadette Laos told AccuWeather reporter Bill Wadell in an interview. Laos and her husband, Justo, had heeded evacuation warnings as the Kincade Fire approached.When mandatory evacuations were lifted, Laos said she hesitated to return home to see the destruction. But when they did return, they found the fire had decimated their home near Geyserville, California, and they began sifting through charred possessions.It took hours of searching and some help from friends, but Laos told Waldell they were able to salvage jewelry -- and her husband's wedding ring. A friend of Bernadette Laos displays jewelry salvaged from her home that was destroyed by the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) "I'm still in shock. There's nothing like going home," Laos said. Justo and Burnadette Laos show a photo of the home they rented that was destroyed by the Kincade Fire near Geyserville, Calif. Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Ellie Laks looked across the animal sanctuary founded on her dream to help animals and people alike. A few horses stood calmly in a pasture, waiting patiently at the gate, but thick smoke was rolling in over the mountains. The Tick Fire was rapidly approaching."It's moving very, very fast," Laks said, a few flames visible from over the mountains. The orange-brown smoke blotted out most of the sky.With the power out, Laks took to Twitter to call for help in evacuating the 100 or so animals that called the sanctuary home as the Tick Fire crept over the mountainside."The Gentle Barn is home to animals who have nowhere else to go because they're too old, too sick, too lame or too scared to be adoptable," Laks told AccuWeather in a phone interview.Dogs, birds, cows, sheep, pigs and other animals that called the sanctuary home were loaded up and driven off to about four different locations. Even a few oddballs like Earl the emu and King the llama had found a new temporary refuge.Problems with the evacuation arose, however, when animals such as Zeus, an old, 750-pound pig, physically couldn't step up into a trailer to evacuate. Pigs typically live to 4 to 5 years old, according to The Gentle Barn. Zeus is still kicking at 12 years of age.The sanctuary also had concerns for one of their older cows, who they feared would have a fatal slip trying to step into the trailer.And then there was Zoe.The Belgian draft horse had put on the brakes at the door of the trailer, refusing to leave her home."There was nothing wrong with her," Laks said. "There's nothing physically challenging for her, she just didn't want to, and how are you going to make a 2,500-pound horse do anything?"From the afternoon until midnight, Laks, staff and volunteers worked to load the animals that they could into trucks and trailers. They crated the chickens and turkeys, led the goats by leashes and their horns and carried the sheep before loading the horses and cattle into the remaining trailers. The volunteers that didn't have trailers and couldn't lead the animals lined the street at the edge of the five acres, armed with fire extinguishers, jackets, and blankets trying to put out approaching flames.Weighing their options with the winds starting to ease up, the decision was made to keep animals like Zeus, Zoe and a potbelly pig, named Jellie, at the sanctuary while staying up for the rest of the night to keep an eye on the progress of the flames.The animals made it safely through the night, but the sanctuary owner said they are praying for the winds to die down and end the threat for flames to spread toward the refuge for the animals.The Tick Fire has been 100 percent contained after it burned 4,615 acres in Los Angeles County over the course of 10 days. The fire claimed 22 structures and damaged another 27.
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| FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles Posted: 04 Nov 2019 04:00 AM PST ![FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles]( "FEATURE-Living on the edge in the homeless encampments of Los Angeles") After years on the street, Kimberly Decoursey spends her nights at a Los Angeles temporary housing site called the Hollywood Studio Club. Decoursey, 37, who grew up in foster homes, considers the friends who have shared her struggles on the streets of Los Angeles to be her family. "A lot of them would give their right arm to be inside," Decoursey said of her comrades inhabiting grimy tents pitched on dirt patches in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
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| Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST ![Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found]( "Cyprus 'golden passports' to be revoked if wrongdoing found") Cyprus' president pledged on Monday to revoke any of his island republic's passports found to have been "mistakenly" granted to wealthy overseas investors under a controversial cash-for-citizenship program. Nicos Anastasiades said errors may have been made in granting such so-called "golden passports" under an earlier, laxer version of the program. "We have to admit mistakes" over some "blatant" instances where passports shouldn't have been issued, Anastasiades told reporters.
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| NASA probe provides insight on solar system's distinct boundary Posted: 04 Nov 2019 01:27 PM PST  The journey of NASA's dauntless Voyager 2 spacecraft through our solar system's farthest reaches has given scientists new insight into a poorly understood distant frontier: the unexpectedly distinct boundary marking where the sun's energetic influence ends and interstellar space begins.
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| Is China's DF-100 Missile a Threat to the U.S. Navy? Posted: 04 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST  Anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles—latter-day counterparts to cannon fired from land—replicate this dynamic from the age of close-range gunnery. What should the Navy do about it?
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| Inside the Trump Administration's Fight to End Nationwide Injunctions Posted: 04 Nov 2019 12:12 PM PST  In its latest battle with the courts, the Trump administration is pushing to end nationwide injunctions. Here's why.
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| Nigeria puts squeeze on oil majors as upends deals Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:34 AM PST  Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday signed a measure to change the country's agreements with multinational oil companies to significantly increase the share of offshore oil revenue it takes. "This afternoon I assented to the bill amending the Deep Offshore (and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract) Act," Buhari said in a statement on Twitter. "Nigeria will now receive its fair, rightful and equitable share of income from our own natural resources for the first time since 2003," he added.
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| Indian capital Delhi diverts flights and restricts cars as millions endure 'eye-burning' smog Posted: 04 Nov 2019 10:00 AM PST  An emergency measure banning half of Delhi's private vehicles from the road was introduced on Monday to combat the city's air pollution, which has risen to more than 20 times the safe limit. As smog levels grew - making it three times worse than in Beijing - authorities also parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal 250 kilometres (150 miles) away in a bid to clean the surrounding air. The level of particulates measuring less than 2.5 microns was over 700 micrograms per cubic metre of air on Monday morning, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). The World Health Organisation's safe daily maximum is just 25. Health officials have instructed Delhi's 29-million population to stay inside as a reading of over 500 can cause serious aggravation of heart and lung diseases. The BLK Hospital reported a 300 per cent increase in admissions from respiratory problems since Saturday, with children suffering particularly badly with the toxic air. The toxic smog is visible over the old quarter of Delhi Credit: Javed Sultan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Schools are expected to stay shut in Delhi until next week. "Air pollution of such magnitude has left children gasping for breath," said Jarnail Singh, director of The Climate Group, a climate change NGO. "It causes headaches in children which were previously unheard of, burning eyes and regular breathing discomfort." Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi's chief minister, described the city as a 'gas chamber' on Friday. He tweeted: "Delhi has turned into a gas chamber due to smoke from crop burning in neighbouring states" and urged citizens to use face masks. On Monday he introduced the policy to ban even and odd-numbered privately-registered vehicles from the roads on alternate days until November 15. It will keep an estimated 1.2 million vehicles off the road. Delhi has failed to control worsening levels of air pollution in recent years and was named by AQI as the most polluted capital city in the world in 2018. AQI has estimated Delhites will have a shortened life expectancy of over a decade due to the toxic air they breathe. The government will distribute pollution masks to all Delhi school students Credit: RAJAT GUPTA/EPA-EFE/REX The seasonal burning of crop stubble by farmers in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and the Punjab is a major contributor to the high pollution at this time of year. Farmers believe burning stubble increases the fertility of their land, but it releases a toxic cocktail of particulates such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide into the air. Vehicle and industrial emissions, as well as the large number of Diwali fireworks set off last week, also cause air quality to deteriorate. The end of the Monsoon rains in October means the polluted air doesn't clear. A man wearing a pollution mask sweeps a street with a broom in the old quarters of New Delhi Credit: LAURENE BECQUART/AFP via Getty Images The Indian Supreme Court on Monday ordered Mr Kejriwal to show how the car rationing system works, describing it as a 'gimmick' as it doesn't apply to motorbikes or taxis. It also demanded state governments in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and the Punjab eradicate stubble burning. Activists urged politicians to prioritise the threat posed by air pollution. "The Delhi government, neighbouring states and national government can't run away from their duties and must stop passing the dice," said Chittranjan Dubey, Head of Extinction Rebellion in South Asia. Over 30 flights have so far been diverted from Indira Gandhi International Airport as the thick smog means planes cannot land safely.
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| Trump, Newsom wildfire clash came days after Newsom lauded president as 'partner' Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:51 AM PST  Last week Gov. Newsom thanked the Trump administration for "moving expeditiously to support our efforts" fighting fires. That was then, this is now.
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| NYPD commissioner's exit: 'Right time' after tense summer Posted: 04 Nov 2019 05:28 PM PST  New York City's police commissioner, who has found himself caught at times between loyalty to his officers and demands from the public and politicians for greater police accountability, announced Monday that he is retiring. James O'Neill said he will leave for a private sector job in December, a little more than three years after he took charge of the nation's largest police department. Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea will succeed him, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
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| Condemned killer in South Dakota cites anti-gay bias in seeking stay of execution Posted: 04 Nov 2019 08:27 AM PST ![Condemned killer in South Dakota cites anti-gay bias in seeking stay of execution]( "Condemned killer in South Dakota cites anti-gay bias in seeking stay of execution") Charles Rhines, 63, who is gay, had been scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls 1:30 p.m. CDT (1930 GMT). Jurors found Rhines, a high school dropout, guilty of murdering Donnivan Schaeffer, 22, an employee at Dig 'Em Donuts in Rapid City, during a burglary of the doughnut shop on March 8, 1992, weeks after Rhines had quit working there. A jury sentenced Rhines to death for the killing in January 1993, four days convicting him.
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| Pregnant Florida Woman Kills Home Intruder with AR-15 Posted: 04 Nov 2019 06:13 AM PST  A pregnant woman is being celebrated as a hero for using an AR-15 rifle to save the lives of her husband and 11-year-old daughter after two men broke into the family's home Wednesday night.Two masked intruders broke into the Lithia, Florida home close to 9pm on Wednesday. One of the men grabbed the couple's 11-year-old daughter while both men violently attacked her father, Jeremy King. One of the men pistol-whipped him, and the other kicked him in the head several times, King said."As soon as they had got the back door opened, they had a pistol on me and was grabbing my 11-year-old daughter," King told Bay News 9.His wife, who is more than eight-months pregnant, peeked out of the back bedroom during the incident, at which point King said one of the intruders shot at her. She then retrieved the AR-15 and shot at the intruder, clipping him, according to King."He made it from my back door to roughly 200 feet out in the front ditch before the AR did its thing," King said.Authorities found the body of a man in a ditch nearby the house. King meanwhile said he has a fractured eye socket, fractured sinus cavity, a concussion, 20 stitches and three staples in his head."Them guys came in with two normal pistols and my AR stopped it," King said, adding that his wife had "evened the playing field and kept them from killing me."The AR-15 rifle was in the home legally, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
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