| 'I Dare You to Mock Me.' Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger Defends Joe Biden Against Attacks on His Speech in New York Times Op-Ed Posted: 19 Jan 2020 01:22 PM PST  Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger opened up about his past struggles with stuttering in defending Biden and his speech.
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| 'Brazen and unlawful': Trump team attacks House impeachment effort in first formal response Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:11 PM PST  The president's initial reply comes on the same day House managers previewed their own opening arguments.
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| Ex-Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line workers reveal the things they couldn't live without on board Posted: 19 Jan 2020 06:04 AM PST  Workers for cruise lines like Carnival and Norwegian might be away from home for over six months, so they need to be thoughtful about what they pack.
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| Puerto Rico disaster agency boss sacked over discovery of unused Hurricane Maria supplies Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:57 PM PST  The head of Puerto Rico's emergency agency has been sacked following the discovery of a warehouse filled with supplies dating back to Hurricane Maria.Governor Wanda Vazquez said the goods had sat unused since the September 2017 disaster, which killed an estimated 3,000 people.
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| Fewer Americans are binge-drinking, but those who do are drinking more per session Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:31 AM PST  New CDC data shows binge-drinking is declining, but American adults who do drink heavily are consuming 12% more alcohol per session.
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| What Can Iran Hope To Do Against America's Stealth Aircraft? Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:40 AM PST  Drones and more.
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| Philippine military says 5 Indonesians kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants Posted: 19 Jan 2020 02:55 AM PST ![Philippine military says 5 Indonesians kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants]( "Philippine military says 5 Indonesians kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants") The Philippine military on Sunday said it has launched search and rescue operations for five Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by militants belonging to the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf group in Malaysian waters last week. Three were released, while the remaining five were probably brought by their captors to the southern Philippine province of Sulu, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command. Sulu is Abu Sayyaf's stronghold.
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| Body of woman who was missing for almost 6 years found in car submerged in NJ river Posted: 19 Jan 2020 11:10 AM PST  Vanessa Smallwood of Maple Shade, N.J., was 46 at the time of her disappearance. She was identified in a statement from New Jersey State Police.
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| AP Explains: CFO of China's Huawei facing extradition to US Posted: 19 Jan 2020 08:02 AM PST ![AP Explains: CFO of China's Huawei facing extradition to US]( "AP Explains: CFO of China's Huawei facing extradition to US") An extradition hearing begins Monday in a Vancouver courtroom for Huawei top executive Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the company's founder. Canada arrested Meng while she was changing planes at Vancouver's airport in late 2018.
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| Cult slayed pregnant woman and five of her children in Panama Posted: 19 Jan 2020 11:14 AM PST  A religious sect whose members believed to be "anointed by God" forced a pregnant woman and five of her children to walk through fire as part of a cult ritual, according to local residents.
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| The 25 Best PSP Games Posted: 19 Jan 2020 06:00 AM PST |
| ‘Miracle on Hudson’ pilot slams Lara Trump for mocking Biden's stutter Posted: 19 Jan 2020 09:17 AM PST  Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger tells president's daughter-in-law to 'grow up' and 'show some decency' in New York Times columnChesley Sullenberger, the pilot who performed the "Miracle on the Hudson", has told Donald Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump to "grow up" and "show some decency", after she mocked Joe Biden for stuttering.Biden, a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination to face President Trump in November, has spoken openly about his lifelong experiences with a stutter.Lara Trump, who is married to the president's second son Eric, works for the Trump re-election campaign and spoke in that capacity at an event in Iowa on Friday, the day after the seventh Democratic debate."I feel kind of sad for Biden," she said. "And you know that's when it's not going well for him, right, because I'm supposed to want him to fail at every turn. But every time he comes onstage or they turn to him, I'm like, 'Joe, can you get it out? Let's get the words out, Joe.'"Trump is not the first prominent supporter of her father-in-law to face criticism for mocking Biden's stutter: Fox News has aired montages of his stuttering on the debate stage and former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders deleted a mocking tweet in December.Nonetheless, on Friday Trump criticised reporting of her remarks and insisted in a tweet that "anyone who takes 10 seconds to watch what I actually said can clearly see that I never mention a stutter – didn't even know he had one".> Here's @LaraLeaTrump at Trump event in Iowa mocking Biden for stuttering: "I feel kind of sad for Biden ... I'm supposed to want him to fail at every turn, but every time they turn to him I'm like, 'Joe can you get it out? Let's get the words out Joe.'" pic.twitter.com/0inN9wXYJF> > — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 17, 2020On Saturday, a well-known voice fired back. Sullenberger, known as "Sully", became famous in January 2009 after his airliner struck a flock of Canada geese but he managed to land it on the Hudson river, saving the lives of all 155 people onboard. In 2016, Clint Eastwood made the story into a film with Tom Hanks in the eponymous title role.In a column for the New York Times, Sullenberger began by remembering his own experiences with a stutter in his childhood in Texas, "the anguish of being called on in grade school, knowing that I was going to have a hard time getting the words out; that my words could not keep up with my mind, and they would often come out jumbled"."My neck and face would quickly begin to flush a bright red," he wrote, "the searing heat rising all the way to the top of my head; every eye in the room on me; the intense and painful humiliation, and bullying that would follow, all because of my inability to get the words out."Those feelings came rushing back, when I heard Lara Trump mocking former Vice-President Joe Biden at a Trump campaign event, with the very words that caused my childhood agony."Sullenberger disclosed that he attended a Biden fundraiser last year, but said: "This issue goes beyond politics.""Regardless of how you feel about Joe Biden," he wrote, "or his chances of becoming the Democratic nominee for president; whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or none of the above; whether you stuttered as a child or laughed at one who did; whether as a parent you try to protect your own stuttering child from taunts such as those made by the president's daughter-in-law; these words come without hesitation: Stop. Grow up. Show some decency. People who can't have no place in public life."Trump's words, he said, were indicative of a "culture of cruelty" which "drives decent people from public service and … makes millions of Americans recoil from politics, and even from participating in our democracy"."Vice-President Biden has spoken openly – and courageously, in my view – about the pain of his severe childhood stutter," Sullenberger wrote. "He takes time to reach out to children who have suffered as he did."So, to every child who feels today, what I felt, after hearing those cruel remarks by an adult who should know better, here is what I want you to know: "You are fine, just as you are."Sullenberger concluded by saying "a speech disorder is a lot easier to treat than a character defect" and telling any children reading to "ignore kids (and adults) who are mean, or don't know what it feels like to stutter."Respond by showing them how to be kind, polite, respectful and generous, to be brave enough to try big things, even though you are not perfect."In a tweet on Sunday, Biden thanked Sullenberger for "sharing your story. There's a lot of kids who I bet needed to hear it. Being different isn't a barrier to success. It can give you the strength to save lives in a crash landing – or even run for president."
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| A plane slid off the runway and more than 800 flights were canceled as winter weather hit the Midwest Posted: 18 Jan 2020 10:49 AM PST  Authorities issued alerts for areas across the Northeast as blizzard conditions were forecasted to New York and New England over the weekend.
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| Russia Is Worried About Britain's Astute-Class Submarines Posted: 18 Jan 2020 10:30 PM PST  The class seems to have overcome its technical and financial problems, although the lingering impact of those issues could affect not only future classes of SSNs, but also the UK's commitment to building a new class of SSBNs.
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| El Chapo 701 craft lager coming soon thanks to drug lord's daughter Posted: 19 Jan 2020 10:23 AM PST  The mug shot of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, imprisoned leader of the ruthless Sinaloa Cartel, is not just for police blotters anymore.
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| Iraq protests swell with youth angry at slow pace of reform Posted: 19 Jan 2020 02:48 AM PST  The youth-dominated rallies demanding an overhaul of the ruling system have rocked Shiite-majority parts of Iraq since October, but had thinned out in recent weeks amid the geopolitical storm of rising Iran-US tensions. On Sunday the anti-government protest movement was re-ignited with hundreds of angry young people descending on the main protest camp in Baghdad's Tahrir Square as well as the nearby Tayaran Square. Others burned tyres to block highways and bridges, turning back cars and leading to traffic jams across the city.
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| The most iconic tourist attraction in 26 countries around the world Posted: 18 Jan 2020 09:32 AM PST  There's something powerful about finally seeing a famous landmark or natural wonder in person instead of on a postcard (or on Instagram).
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| How Trump Is Spreading a Conspiracy Theory About Pelosi, Biden and Sanders Posted: 18 Jan 2020 07:17 AM PST  WASHINGTON -- The first version of the conspiracy theory was hatched on Twitter on Jan. 10."Don't rule out that the reason Pelosi hasn't sent impeachment to the Senate is to hurt Warren and Sanders, and to help Biden," Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, tapped out on his iPad. "By timing the trial so it takes place during the Iowa lead-up, she has leverage over the liberals."Fleischer's message was retweeted 1,400 times.Seven days later, Fleischer's theory that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attempting to influence the Democratic primary -- for which there is no evidence -- was being promulgated by President Donald Trump."They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously," Trump tweeted Friday, claiming his Senate trial was designed to keep Sanders, the Vermont senator, grounded in Washington instead of campaigning in Des Moines, Iowa, ahead of the Feb. 3 caucuses."Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy Joe Biden, and Bernie is shut out again," the president added.An idea that caught fire on Twitter and became grist for Trump demonstrates how the same echo chamber of right-wing media that boosted him in 2016 is exerting its power again just before the first primary votes are cast in 2020.There was nothing new in terms of the process that got the idea in front of Trump. But the evolution from online conspiracy theory to Fox News fodder to presidential talking point demonstrated how a world of conservative influencers, Republican lawmakers and online media outlets can drive disinformation through repetition and amplification.Two days after Fleischer's tweet, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, appeared on Maria Bartiromo's show on Fox News and repeated it. "This is the dirty little secret nobody is talking about: why the Speaker held these papers," McCarthy said Sunday. "This benefits Joe Biden. This harms Sen. Sanders, who is in first place and could become their nominee."In fact, Sanders is not the national front-runner for the nomination and never has been, although he had a narrow lead in a recent poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers. But Trump's reelection campaign in recent weeks has been seeking to elevate Sanders, viewing the self-described democratic socialist as the president's ideal Democratic opponent in November.The Trump camp, in turn, is worried about Biden's competitiveness against the president in Midwestern battleground states, and would like to do anything possible to trip up the moderate former vice president in his tight primary race against the liberal Sanders.McCarthy has continued to repeat the theory and profess support for Sanders, repeating the talking points in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. His television commentary was then written up by Breitbart News, the right-wing news and opinion site.On Thursday, The Federalist, a conservative website, ran an article with the headline: "Is Impeachment Delay How Democrats Are Rigging Iowa Against Bernie Again?" It said Pelosi's decision to delay impeachment "provokes the question whether she is deliberately helping Joe Biden."One day later, the message had reached the White House, where Trump, a frequent purveyor of conspiracy theories, presented the idea as a fact."It's easy to see why Bernie and his supporters would think the establishment is screwing them again," said Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, noting that the campaign often looks to Trump's Twitter feed for its daily message.Conspiracies surrounding Sanders' political fortunes have been a particular fixation for Trump, dating back four years. During the 2016 campaign, Trump circulated the false and unsourced claim that an "analysis" -- he did not say who wrote it or where it was published -- concluded that Sanders would have won the Democratic nomination if not for superdelegates, the party leaders and officials who were not bound to vote for the winner of their state's primaries or caucuses.At the time, Trump and his advisers realized the potential political benefit in lobbing these kinds of accusations. Their campaign, which relied heavily on depressing Democratic turnout as a way to win battleground states like Florida and Michigan, stood to gain by fanning the flames of the rivalry between Sanders and Hillary Clinton and dredging up the bitterness that many Sanders supporters felt over their loss.Even after winning the election, Trump continued to claim that Clinton had somehow robbed Sanders of victory. When Donna Brazile, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, released a memoir in 2017, Trump inaccurately said the book showed that Clinton "bought the DNC & then stole the Democratic Primary" from Sanders.In an interview, Fleischer said he had not seen the idea about the timing of the impeachment trial anywhere else and had not consulted with anyone when he first pitched it on Twitter. "I just do my best to realistically assess what's happening in Washington," he said. Fleischer said he believed that Pelosi does not think Sanders can beat Trump in November, and that "she has one big thing on her mind: that's winning the White House."He said his tweet took off because "if it has merit, it starts to gather momentum.""If it has no merit, it's just another tweet," he added.Republican staff members on Capitol Hill said the theory gained traction because of a broader narrative -- pushed by Sanders' own supporters -- that Sanders was generally getting a raw deal from the mainstream news media and other candidates in the race.In a statement Friday, in response to a question from The New York Times about the president's conspiracy tweet, Sanders denounced the theories. "Let's be clear about who is rigging what: It is Donald Trump's action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial," he said. "His transparent attempts to divide Democrats will not work, and we are going to unite to sweep him out of the White House in November."Pelosi's team has also made it clear she was not trying to meddle in the nominating process."Impeachment has nothing to do with politics or the presidential race," a spokesman for Pelosi, Drew Hamill, wrote on Twitter this week, responding to McCarthy's accusation. "As usual, the Minority Leader has no idea what he's talking about."On Friday, he added: "Regardless, Sen. Sanders isn't the only senator running, so this doesn't make any sense."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
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| Iran backtracks on plan to send flight recorders to Ukraine Posted: 19 Jan 2020 01:50 AM PST  The Iranian official leading the investigation into the Ukrainian jetliner that was accidentally shot down by the Revolutionary Guard appeared to backtrack Sunday on plans to send the flight recorders abroad for analysis, a day after saying they would be sent to Kyiv. The same official was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday as saying the recorders would be sent to Ukraine, where French, American and Canadian experts would help analyze them. Iranian officials previously said the black boxes were damaged but usable.
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| China Thinks It Can Nuke American Cities. Should We Worry? Posted: 18 Jan 2020 02:00 PM PST  World War III is no joke...
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| Teachers doused in jet fuel at California school sue Delta Air Lines Posted: 17 Jan 2020 05:36 PM PST  The plaintiffs say the pilot of the Delta Flight 89, which took off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Tuesday bound for Shanghai, failed to follow proper procedures in dumping thousands of pounds of fuel over a densely populated area at relatively low altitude. A Delta spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and seeks unspecified damages. Dozens of children and teachers at Park Avenue Elementary School in suburban Cudahy were showered with jet fuel released by the plane as it circled back toward LAX minutes after reporting an engine problem following takeoff.
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| Rebel Wilson declares 2020 'the year of health' Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:41 AM PST  Rebel Wilson's personal trainer posted a picture of the actress on Instagram where she looks noticeably slimmer. At the start of the year, Wilson had declared 2020 "the year of health."
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| Fearless Delhi women protesters inspire national movement Posted: 18 Jan 2020 05:42 PM PST  Defiant women who have been blocking a New Delhi highway for more than four weeks in protest against a bitterly disputed citizenship law have inspired thousands across India to copy their challenge to the Hindu nationalist government. Nearly all pay tribute to the 200 grandmothers and housewives and students who sit and sleep across the main road in the Shaheen Bagh district of Delhi, fighting a law that would give passports to "persecuted" religious minorities from three neighbouring countries but only non-Muslims. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in rallies across India since parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 11.
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| Trump Administration Proposes Rollbacks to Obama-Era School Lunch Programs on Michelle Obama's Birthday Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:32 AM PST  The proposed rules would allowing more flexibilities in the amount of fruits and vegetables served
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| Massive winter storm packing 'heavy' snow targets Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast Posted: 18 Jan 2020 08:25 AM PST  The National Weather Service says the storm could produce widespread hazardous conditions across much of the northeastern quarter of the nation.
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| JFK's grandson called a Pence op-ed on impeachment a 'perversion of JFK's legacy' Posted: 19 Jan 2020 10:17 AM PST  Pence referenced Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage" to urge Senate Democrats to oppose impeachment charges facing Trump, which Schlossberg rejected.
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| Bless Virginia for passing the Equal Rights Amendment, but blame women for taking this long Posted: 19 Jan 2020 03:00 AM PST  Women could've fought for the ERA long before now, but too many chose political ideology over enshrining protections in the U.S. Constitution.
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| World's richest 2,000 people hold more than poorest 4.6 billion combined: Oxfam Posted: 19 Jan 2020 04:17 PM PST  The world's richest 2,153 people controlled more money than the poorest 4.6 billion combined in 2019, while unpaid or underpaid work by women and girls adds three times more to the global economy each year than the technology industry, Oxfam said on Monday. In its "Time to Care" report, Oxfam said it estimated that unpaid care work by women added at least $10.8 trillion a year in value to the world economy - three times more than the tech industry. To highlight the level of inequality in the global economy, Behar cited the case of a woman called Buchu Devi in India who spends 16 to 17 hours a day doing work like fetching water after trekking 3km, cooking, preparing her children for school and working in a poorly paid job.
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| Harvey Weinstein: fourth accuser opts out of settlement to pursue own claim Posted: 18 Jan 2020 10:00 PM PST  Exclusive: Dominique Huett says settlement amount 'not very fair' and joins growing list of women to reject proposed dealA controversial proposed settlement between Harvey Weinstein and alleged victims of his sexual misconduct faces further delays, as a fourth accuser opts out and several others plan to object.Dominique Huett will remove herself from the settlement in order to pursue her own claim against the movie mogul, the Guardian can reveal. At least two other accusers have retained lawyers to file formal objections to the deal.Last month, it was reported that Weinstein and more than 30 women had reached a tentative deal following two years of negotiations.However, the Guardian has learned that a settlement hearing that was due before Weinstein's criminal trial in New York has been postponed until at least February. It is not known if this was due to the growing number of women opting out.Huett joins three others who have decided to not be a part of the agreement: Wedil David, Kaja Sokola and Alexandra Canosa.Huett told the Guardian: "Originally I thought it was the best option for everyone, but after finding out more details, I think that opting out is the best way to get a better deal for me and for everyone."Under the proposed deal, Weinstein would not have to pay a penny or admit any wrongdoing. The settlement would be paid by insurance companies representing the producer's former studio, the Weinstein Company. More than $12m – a quarter of the overall package – would go towards legal costs for Weinstein and his board."I feel the settlement amount is not very fair for all victims and the way it is structured really benefits the defendants a lot more than us," Huett said. "I want to opt out to set a precedent for others and say that this settlement is not just."> The settlement is not very fair and benefits the defendants more than us> > Dominique HuettHuett has retained a new attorney, Douglas Wigdor, who represents two others who have opted out. Wigdor believes the $500,000 Huett was offered was "not fair". "I think Dominique's case is worth significantly more than this," he said.Wigdor will take on Huett's claim, which was filed in a California court in October 2017, under sex trafficking laws. She was the first alleged Weinstein victim to file a civil claim and unlike many other accusers has a case within the statute of limitations.Huett alleges that in 2010, Weinstein invited her to the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles for a business meeting. She says he forced oral sex on her then masturbated, telling her it was a right of passage to a career in Hollywood."He wouldn't take no for an answer," she said. "I refused and said no but was so shocked and paralysed by fear that I froze."It's devastating to think that what he did to me had happened to so many other actresses in the years before and that if his company had acted when they first learnt of his behaviour, it would never have happened to me."Weinstein has denied any claim, criminal or civil, of non-consensual sex.The proposed settlement with some of his alleged victims is part of a $47m deal aimed at paying Weinstein Company debts. Of this sum, around $6.2m would go to 18 accusers who filed cases in the US, Canada and the UK. Approximately $18.5m is thought to be set aside for class-action participants, more of whom are expected. Board members of the Weinstein Company would be protected from liability.Zelda Perkins and Rowena Chiu have also retained Wigdor to file objections to the deal, the Guardian has learned. Kevin Mintzer is also counsel for Huett, Perkins, and Chiu.Perkins and Chiu, Weinstein's British assistants in the late 90s, reached a settlement and signed an NDA in 1998 after they alleged he attempted to rape Chiu at the Venice film festival. Perkins and Chiu are not part of the proposed settlement, but say they are speaking out for other victims."This is the whole reason I broke my NDA, so women can't be pushed into a corner," Perkins told the Guardian."It is not indicative or correct compensation for the crimes and the majority of that money is being fed back to Harvey's own defence," she said of the deal. "They're making it look like he's compensating victims but he and his board of directors will be gaining more than the individuals will be."Perkins added: "Ultimately the most important thing is that these women get compensation."Wigdor said: "We are not seeking to prevent survivors who want to participate in a settlement from doing so. We just want to ensure that those who don't are not precluded from going after insurance proceeds and the directors, and that the terms of the agreement are fair."Caitlin Dulany, a lead plaintiff in the settlement, believes it is the best option for many women.If the settlement did not go ahead, she said, "it would mean that the majority of us – whose claims were dismissed or outside the statute of limitations – would be unlikely to recover anything. The settlement is important to me because it recognises the trauma that all survivors have endured, and not just that of a select few."If the proposed settlement or an amended version were to proceed, it would allow other accusers to join.Katherine Kendall who like Dulany was part of the original class action, said: "It's been a huge effort for all of us over the past two years, but the main thing is we want to be in a position where other women can come forward and join us.."Lisa Rose, who worked as a British administrator for Weinstein in 1988 and claims he harassed her, said she would file an objection to the settlement but added: "I understand completely that for some women taking the settlement is the right course of action and don't want to get in their way."
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| More than 100 killed in Yemen missile, drone attack Posted: 19 Jan 2020 03:35 PM PST  More than 100 people were killed and dozens wounded in a missile and drone attack blamed on Huthi rebels in central Yemen, officials said Sunday. Saturday's strike follows months of relative calm in the war between the Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition. The Huthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in the central province of Marib -- about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of the capital Sanaa -- during evening prayers, military sources told AFP.
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| Iran says it is preparing for satellite launch Posted: 19 Jan 2020 12:23 AM PST ![Iran says it is preparing for satellite launch]( "Iran says it is preparing for satellite launch") Iran said Sunday that two newly constructed satellites have passed pre-launch tests and will be transported to the nation's space center for eventual launch, without elaborating. Iran has not said when it will launch the satellites, but often coordinates its launches with national holidays. Iran's largely state-run media say the 90-kilogram (200-pound) Zafar satellites each have four high-resolution color cameras and will monitor and transmit data on natural resources as well as agricultural and environmental developments.
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| China Has Been Watching America, And Now Has Special Forces Of Its Own Posted: 18 Jan 2020 06:00 PM PST  America heavily relies on its elite special forces.
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| Cornyn: Giuliani ‘not relevant’ to impeachment trial Posted: 19 Jan 2020 08:57 AM PST ![Cornyn: Giuliani 'not relevant' to impeachment trial]( "Cornyn: Giuliani 'not relevant' to impeachment trial") "That's a relationship that causes some of us to sort of scratch our heads."
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| Police robots keep malfunctioning, with mishaps ranging from running over a toddler's foot to ignoring people in distress Posted: 19 Jan 2020 06:07 AM PST  As companies have begun to experiment with security robots, the robots have repeatedly hit obstacles — or, in some cases, fallen into them.
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| Man kills grizzly in self-defense, keeps claws as a memento Posted: 18 Jan 2020 11:11 AM PST ![Man kills grizzly in self-defense, keeps claws as a memento]( "Man kills grizzly in self-defense, keeps claws as a memento") A Montana man told authorities that he cut off a grizzly bear's claws as a memento after shooting it in self-defense because he was mad that the bear was going to eat him, according to court records. Bryan Berg, 35, appeared in court on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Missoula after pleading guilty to illegal transport of grizzly bear claws, a misdemeanor, according to the Flathead Beacon. Grizzly bears in northwestern Montana are classified as a threatened species.
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| 2 bodies found on Mexico property owned by missing Garden Grove couple, authorities say Posted: 17 Jan 2020 05:38 PM PST  Authorities in Tijuana said two bodies have been found at the property owned by Maria Lopez and Jesus Guillen, the Garden Grove couple missing in Mexico.
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| Pompeo expresses outrage to Sisi over death of U.S. citizen Posted: 19 Jan 2020 05:21 AM PST  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed outrage during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi over the "pointless and tragic death" of detained U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem in Egypt, a U.S. official said on Sunday. The United States on Monday confirmed the death of Egyptian-American Kassem in a prison in Egypt, where he had been in custody since 2013, and vowed to continue to raise concerns over Cairo's human rights record.
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| Designer Ayissi is first black African at fashion's top table Posted: 19 Jan 2020 04:45 AM PST  Not only is he joining fashion's creme de la creme, the Cameroonian couturier is shaking up the stereotype of what "African materials" are by refusing to use wax prints which he dismisses as "colonial". Highly colourful wax cotton prints flooded West Africa after Dutch mills began turning out millions of rolls of the material with patterns borrowed from Indonesian batik in the 19th century. "Still when we talk about African fashion it's always wax, which is a real pity, because its killing our own African heritage," Ayissi told AFP.
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| Yemen missile attack kills at least 70 soldiers: sources Posted: 18 Jan 2020 11:08 PM PST At least 70 Yemeni soldiers have been killed in a missile attack launched by Huthi rebels on a mosque in the central province of Marib, medical and military sources said Sunday. The Huthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in Marib -- about 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Sanaa -- during evening prayers on Saturday, military sources told AFP.
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| US seeks to deport Honduran mom, sick children to Guatemala Posted: 18 Jan 2020 05:20 PM PST  The U.S. government says it will deport a Honduran mother and her two sick children, both of whom are currently hospitalized, to Guatemala as soon as it can get them medically cleared to travel, according to court documents and the family's advocates. The family's advocates accuse the U.S. of disregarding the health of the children, ages 1 and 6, to push forward a plan currently being challenged in court to send planeloads of families to different countries so that they can seek asylum elsewhere. Both children have been hospitalized in recent days in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley.
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| Taiwan Is Not Worth A War With China (For 1 Key U.S. Ally, That Is) Posted: 19 Jan 2020 01:14 AM PST  Especially for Australia.
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| Cut off from family, unable to travel: how US sanctions punish Iranian Americans Posted: 19 Jan 2020 03:00 AM PST  As penalties create hardship for Iran's residents, Iranians in US also suffer consequences: 'The sanctions are still chasing me'Following the US assassination of a top Iranian general earlier this month and Iranian airstrikes against US military bases in Iraq, Donald Trump once again imposed biting sanctions against the regime in Tehran. To Iranian Americans, many of whom have lived under sanctions in Iran or have family members there suffering through economic hardship, the fresh round of penalties is a painful reminder of the collateral consequences of escalating conflict.Iranian Americans across the United States told the Guardian about their worries for their family members and friends affected by US sanctions. And they spoke of the ways the policies affect their own lives, work and communities in the US. "I was raised under sanctions my entire life," said Nazanin Asadi, 34, who left Iran for California in 2014 and now works as a law clerk in Orange county. "After moving to the US permanently, I can't believe the sanctions and these laws are still chasing me … I don't want my community to suffer."The threats of a full-blown war following Trump's 3 January order to kill Gen Qassem Suleimani caused anxiety among some Persian communities in the US, especially for Iranian families who have been torn apart by Trump's travel ban. Trump backed away from additional strikes, but his administration implemented a fresh wave of sanctions, targeting senior Iranian officials and the country's textile, construction, manufacturing and other sectors.The US has imposed sanctions for decades, targeting Iran's energy sector and a range of exports of goods and services. Trump had already expanded sanctions against Iran in 2018 with his withdrawal from the nuclear deal signed under Barack Obama.Under sanctions law, people are forced to apply for specific licenses when they seek to be exempted from prohibited transactions, and even for allowed activities, there are complicated reporting requirements. In practice that means hundreds of thousands of Iranian Americans with family and financial ties to Iran can face a complex set of burdens and hurdles in their lives, jobs and education."These sanctions are supposed to be targeting the government of Iran and certain individuals, but end up targeting the average person and your own citizens," said Mehrnoush Yazdanyar, a California attorney who helps Iranian Americans navigate sanctions. "You're sanctioning your own legal permanent residents, and in doing so, you're alienating them." 'It is a daily stress'Yazdanyar's law offices in southern California, a region home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran, have assisted thousands of clients in sanctions-related matters over the years. Families often can't send money back and forth, creating significant hurdles for Iranian Americans who want to support their parents or families in Iran who want to help their loved ones pursue their education or other dreams in America.While the regulations are supposed to allow some financial transactions through third parties, many attempting to navigate the process can end up in legal trouble or with closed or frozen bank accounts, she said.Asadi, who grew up in Iran, was accepted to the University of Southern California law school and moved here with dreams of becoming a judge. But with the sanctions blocking her parents from offering her financial support, she had to pay her own way through her education, working multiple jobs while studying."I couldn't afford my life, I couldn't pay my expenses," she said. "It was too much pressure emotionally and financially."She scraped by and managed to graduate, and she now works with Yazdanyar helping people dealing with sanctions. But when Asadi wants to help her own parents in Iran, who are disabled, she has no way to offer them funds, pay for their medications or even buy them gifts: "We cannot support each other."That feeling of guilt is even worse when there's a threat of war, Asadi added: "I'm paying taxes to the government who purchases military equipment to bomb my parents in Iran … If war happens, what should I do?"Pirouz Kavehpour, a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), engineering professor, who is also Iranian American, said he had repeatedly seen his Iranian students lose access to their bank accounts due to sanctions, derailing their research and education."It's a daily stress … We're international. We're already on thin ice. If you don't perform well, you will be sent back," he said. "You're a kid here and you need to live off fast food … and then you're told by a random guy in a bank field office: 'Don't even think about getting the money.'"With a large wave of Iranian Americans arriving in the US after the 1979 revolution, some are also now inheriting family businesses or properties back in Iran from relatives who have died, but it is often a nightmare process to attempt and recoup the assets, said Erich Ferrari, a Washington DC-based attorney who handles sanctions cases.Even those who try to do everything right, reporting the transactions and getting proper licenses, can end up facing investigations by the US government, he said. Law enforcement monitors money transfers, and in some cases Iranian Americans have found the FBI at their doors asking questions: "There's always a threat looming."Ferrari said he had seen family relationships fall apart in the process, adding: "They are trying to do something that is beneficial to the US, and divest themselves from Iran and bring their money here." Research and charity work thwarted: 'How does the US benefit?'In addition to the recent wave of Iranian students who have been denied visas at the last minute, under sanctions law, faculty members are also barred from traveling to Iran for research or other work without approval from the US treasury department."I've been invited many times to give a talk in Iran … but we are not allowed," said Kavehpour, the UCLA professor. He noted that Iran could benefit from working with UCLA experts on autism research, but that it would be impossible to set up any collaboration.Aysan Rangchian, a 28-year-old Iranian PhD student at UCLA, said Iranian students often don't even apply for conferences anywhere outside of the US for fear of consequences. Iranian students can also struggle to get grants and funding: "This is making the US less appealing for international students."Last year, Iranian researchers faced criminal prosecution when they attempted to do stem-cell research in the US. As a result of that process, potentially groundbreaking science will not go forward here, said Yazdanyar: "How did the United States benefit from this?"Yazdanyar has also represented a not-for-profit organization that helps orphaned children across the world, including in Iran. Even when the group received a specific license to send aid to Iran, financial institutions in third countries have declined to assist with the transfer due to concerns about sanctions. That means humanitarian aid has been delayed and blocked, she said.During floods in Iran last year, it was painful that the sanctions blocked Iranian Americans from being able to offer basic donations, said Assal Rad, a research fellow with the National Iranian American Council, who lives in Orange county. She said that while the impact of sanctions on Iranian Americans paled in comparison with what Iranian citizens suffer, the rules added to this "constant feeling that your identity is under attack"."Whether sanctions, the travel ban, or your loyalty being questioned … it's really isolating," she said, adding of sanctions: "It's an ineffective policy that is also harming Americans themselves."
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