| Drawing criticism, Trump says he will accept Republican nomination 'live from the White House' Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:47 PM PDT  U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would accept the Republican nomination for a second term during a live speech at the White House next week, confirming plans that have drawn criticism from Democrats and even some fellow Republicans. Trailing Democrat Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the November vote, Trump last week told the New York Post he would "probably" accept the Republican nomination from the White House lawn, calling it "a place that makes me feel good." Rather than an in-person gathering planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Democrats this week have scheduled four nights of virtual speeches and events.
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| Former CIA officer charged with providing secrets to China in case out of 'spy novel' Posted: 17 Aug 2020 12:44 PM PDT  The Justice Department is accusing a former CIA officer of providing secrets to China.
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| 60% of Americans agree confirmed coronavirus cases are rising because of more infections, but most Republicans blame testing Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:01 AM PDT  President Donald Trump has called for getting rid of federal funding for tests, even as experts say it helps control coronavirus spread.
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| Trump makes call for new White House doctor's virus advice Posted: 16 Aug 2020 08:35 AM PDT  President Trump announced a new doctor — Dr. Scott Atlas, a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel — has joined the coronavirus task force as a pandemic adviser.
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| A pollution disaster as the stranded Japanese oil tanker off the pristine coast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean splits apart Posted: 16 Aug 2020 06:40 AM PDT  A huge cleanup operation had been underway in an attempt to pump some of the oil out of the tanker but the condition of the ship worsened on Saturday.
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| Scientists Just Discovered 11 New Emperor Penguin Colonies. From Space. Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:00 AM PDT  It's a bird breakthrough.
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| Coronavirus in South Asia: Is low testing hiding scale of the outbreak? Posted: 17 Aug 2020 06:31 AM PDT  India is a global hotspot for Covid-19, but what's been happening to cases in neighbouring countries?
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| Proposed effort could revive Mississippi's rebel-themed flag Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:54 AM PDT  Some Mississippi residents are rebelling against the Legislature's decision to retire a Confederate-themed state flag, and they are being encouraged by conservative legislators who fought the change. Organizers of a group called Let Mississippi Vote said Monday that they are starting an initiative to put the retired flag and three other flag designs on the statewide ballot. "What the legislators did, in my opinion, was 100% wrong," said the group's leader, Dan Carr.
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| Hit ’em where it hurts – how economic threats are a potent tool for changing people's minds about the Confederate flag Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:23 AM PDT  Activists nationwide have resumed demanding the removal of statues and symbols that are considered racially offensive – such as of slave owners, Confederate leaders and the Confederate flag.The requests – and related boycotts and threats of other economic protests – have been part of the national controversy about racism in American life and have sparked questions about how to recognize traumatic elements of U.S. history.Typically, the debate about the role of Confederate imagery in public life is seen as a political, social or racial issue. But in recent research, we discovered that economic concerns could be effective in shifting Southerners' attitudes about Confederate symbols. Public officials and individual citizens alike are more likely to oppose the presence of Confederate symbols when they learn it may be bad for local business. Longstanding supportDecisions to build Confederate monuments or display the Confederate battle flag were not, of course, controversial among white Southerners. Even recently, it wasn't common for many white Americans – either in public service or as private citizens – to actively support removing Confederate imagery.Yet some organizations have long opposed Confederate symbols. For instance, the NAACP called an economic boycott of South Carolina from 2000 to 2015 because the Confederate battle flag flew over the State House in Columbia, alongside the state and U.S. flags.As recently as 2011 a plurality of white Southerners saw the Confederate flag as more positive than negative. Political elites were not much different: In 2000, when South Carolina hosted a debate during the Republican presidential primaries, both George W. Bush and John McCain initially supported leaving decisions up to state officials about whether to keep the Confederate flag flying, though McCain equivocated on the issue throughout the campaign. A rapid changeOpposition to public display of Confederate symbols has shifted in more recent years.In some cases, public officials have encountered changing political circumstances. In 2015, for instance, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley supported a bipartisan call to remove the flag from the State House in the wake of a racially motivated mass shooting of African Americans at a Charleston church.Our research found that presenting divisive social and political issues in terms of their potential economic consequences can change the views of both political elites and the public at large.This came up, for instance, during a legislative debate in Mississippi in June 2020. Some of the people arguing that the Confederate flag should not be part of the state flag said that keeping it might impede job creation and economic development in their state. Those tactics are similar to economic arguments from other groups seeking social change, such as LGBT-rights advocates explaining how the business community would be hurt by continued discrimination. What's the effect?In our research, we surveyed voters as well as elected officials at both city and county levels. We wanted to measure whether, and how much, economic interests might affect Southerners' attitudes toward the presence of Confederate symbols. We randomly assigned the participants into one of three equal-sized groups.The first group read a vignette asking them to imagine that a Confederate flag was displayed on local government property in their county, and then asked them, on a scale from 1 to 7, how likely they were to support removal of the flag.The second group was given the same basic information as the first group, but with additional language indicating that the continued presence of Confederate flag on public property in their county would mean a major multinational company would not want to relocate to the community.[Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.]The last group was given the same information as the second group, but with an additional assertion that the continued presence of the flag would have an effect large enough to affect the stock market in a way that would hurt the respondents' personal economic bottom line.We found that Southerners were far more likely to support removal of Confederate symbols from public property when told there would be economic harm if they stayed up. Both voters and elected officials became about a half-point more likely on our seven-point scale to support removal after receiving information about the economic threats associated with the continued presence of the Confederate flag.Controversies around socially and racially divisive monuments and symbols are likely to continue in the U.S. Our findings indicate that social movements might change more people's minds by emphasizing not only the history of Southern racial injustice, but also by using the potent threats of boycotts and other forms of economic pressure.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * African Americans have long defied white supremacy and celebrated Black culture in public spaces * Latest legal hurdle to removing Confederate statues in Virginia: The wishes of their long-dead white donorsThe authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| DHS chief of staff under Trump endorses Biden, describes 'terrifying' dealings with president Posted: 17 Aug 2020 02:24 PM PDT  One of the Department of Homeland Security's top officials under President Trump is now turning against himMiles Taylor, who worked as DHS chief of staff under Trump, announced in a Monday ad and a Washington Post op-ed that he would be supporting former Vice President Joe Biden this fall. While he once hoped Trump would "soberly accept the burdens of the presidency," Taylor said in the op-ed that "he did not rise to the challenge," and thus Taylor had no choice but to speak out against his re-election.In the ad, Taylor said what he saw "after two and a half years in that administration was terrifying." He described how "we would go in and try to talk to [Trump] about pressing national security issues," but "he wasn't interested in those things." "The president wanted to exploit the Department of Homeland Security for his own political purposes and to fuel his own agenda," Taylor continued. For example, Trump tried to tell FEMA to stop sending aid to wildfire-stricken California because it didn't vote for him, and "wanted to restart zero tolerance" and "have a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents" at the border," Taylor said.Taylor goes on to make clear in the ad that he's not a Democrat, and disagrees with Biden on many fronts. But Trump is "actively doing damage to our security," while Biden "will protect the country," he said. Watch the ad below, and find Taylor's op-ed at The Washington Post. > NEW: Testimonial ad from Trump's Former DHS Chief of Staff @MilesTaylorUSA, declaring his support for Joe Biden and describing Trump's presidency as "terrifying" and "actively doing damage to our security." > > WATCH & go to https://t.co/Nz2NiSCquN for more. pic.twitter.com/iChqOdIIew> > -- Republican Voters Against Trump (@RVAT2020) August 17, 2020More stories from theweek.com John Boehner would 'rather set himself on fire' than get involved in the 2020 election Trump administration finalizes plan to open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling Trump wants to take America down with him
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| FBI agents arrest Puerto Rican representative for alleged involvement in conspiracy to defraud to government Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:17 PM PDT  FBI agents have arrested Puerto Rico Representative María Milagros Charbonier over her alleged connection with a long-term conspiracy theory to defraud the government through means of bribery, theft, kickbacks and money laundering.A federal grand jury of the District of Puerto Rico returned a 13-count indictment against Ms Charbonier, as well as her husband Orland Montes-Rivera, their son Orland Gabriel Montes-Charbonier, and her assistant Frances Acevedo-Ceballos for their alleged participation in the conspiracy.
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| Restaurant chain in China apologizes for suggesting menu items based on customer weight Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:25 AM PDT  Customers stepped on a scale to weigh themselves to get recommendations for food before ordering their food.
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| 'You can't fix stupid' — Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro rips Kodak executives Posted: 17 Aug 2020 08:00 AM PDT  "What happened at Kodak was probably the dumbest decisions made by executives in corporate history," Navarro said.
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| Armed pro-Confederacy groups faced off with antifa protesters at Georgia's Stone Mountain. Alt-right Proud Boys in clashes after church vigil in Michigan. Posted: 16 Aug 2020 04:12 AM PDT  Fighting broke out between white nationalists and far-right groups with counter-protesters, including antifa, in several locations across the US.
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| 'It’s a little nerve-wracking': Lunchtime for students looks different amid COVID-19 Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:39 AM PDT  In districts open for in-person instruction during the pandemic, some schools offer prepackaged meals and frequently clean the lunchroom.
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| 'Highest temperature on Earth' as Death Valley, US hits 54.4C Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:17 PM PDT  A reading of 130F (54.4C) recorded in Death Valley could be the highest reliable recording ever.
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| Egyptian envoys leave Gaza after bid to ease Israel tensions Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:39 AM PDT  Egyptian mediators were in the Gaza Strip on Monday in an effort to reduce tensions and prevent a new cross-border conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but departed without appearing to have secured a resolution. For the past week, Palestinian youth groups affiliated with Hamas, a militant group that seized control of Gaza from rival Palestinian forces in 2007, have fired incendiary balloons toward Israel, setting swaths of farmland on fire.
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| The Obama Administration Still Owes Mitt Romney an Apology Posted: 16 Aug 2020 03:30 AM PDT  Earlier this month, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center released a statement saying that Russia is once again involving itself in an American presidential election. This report comes after months of speculation regarding Russia's "bounty program," in which Taliban fighters were allegedly paid by the Kremlin for targeting American troops in Afghanistan. The bounties, the electoral interference, and Russia's multifarious acts of aggression are all bullet points on the long list of reasons why Mitt Romney deserves an apology.Upon taking office in 2009, President Obama famously attempted to "reset" the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Russia. Relations between the two countries remained relatively warm in the years after the Soviet Union's collapse. But as the 20th century ended and the 21st century began, Vladimir Putin assumed power from Boris Yeltsin and the relationship changed.Under Putin, Russia became much more aggressive on the international stage. A former KGB agent, he entered office pining for his own reset — a return of Russia to its glory days. Tensions between the United States and Russia once again grew heated as Putin, in response to America's planned installation of a ballistic-missile-defense system in Eastern Europe, tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that could purportedly penetrate any shield. The test was accompanied by renewed warnings that, if plans for the missile-defense system were brought to fruition, Russia would target missiles at Poland and the Czech Republic.Despite Putin's increasing boldness on the international stage, the Obama administration declined to take the Russian threat seriously.During the 2012 general-election campaign, Romney called Russia "our number one geopolitical foe." In the cycle's final debate, Obama mocked Romney's warning, remarking that, "the 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the Cold War's been over for 20 years." It was a canned, stale one-liner even at the time, but the media voraciously lapped it up. With the benefit of eight years of hindsight, it reads more like Gerald Ford's "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" than the Reaganesque zinger it was meant to be. In fact, Reagan often used a Russian proverb — "trust, but verify" — to describe his approach to negotiations with Gorbachev. The Obama administration's approach to Putin wasn't so cautious.Three months after Obama's reelection, American fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers, both equipped with nuclear-tipped missiles, circling the U.S. territory of Guam. The same year, Russia announced plans for a new ICBM system. When Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, Obama, doubling down on his erroneous initial assessment, dismissed the annexation as the work of a "regional power," not a security threat. According to a former Taliban spokesman interviewed by the Daily Beast earlier this year, Russia began paying militants to kill American troops in Afghanistan at around the same time.Alongside revelations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election came limited recognition that Obama and his ilk were wrong to turn Romney's prescient warning into a joke. But now, amid news of the bounty program and the NCSC's warning of repeated Russian election interference, the Obama administration's negligence has become even more apparent.In light of the current political moment, appropriate criticisms of previous administrations seem trite. Under a president seemingly in thrall to various authoritarian leaders, during a mismanaged global pandemic, Obama's foreign-policy missteps might appear undeserving of too much attention. But much like ideas, policies have consequences, and the Obama administration's reckless handling of Russia paved the way for a resurgent Putin regime's belligerence.Where does that leave us now? In much the same place we were under Obama: saddled with a government that needs to wake up and take the Russian threat seriously. During the Trump administration, we've seen Democrats adopt traditionally Republican positions that the GOP has seemingly abandoned. The Democratic Party has become more open to free trade, signaled support for international institutions, and grown more hawkish on Russia and China. Though the Democrats' about-face on these issues is certainly welcome, it is almost certainly born of partisanship, not philosophy. If Joe Biden defeats Trump in November, it will be up to him to prove otherwise — to heed the mistakes of the previous two administrations and meet the Russian threat head-on, even when there's no obvious domestic political advantage to be had from doing so, because American national security depends on it.
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| Huge snake sends tourists running when it bolts from SUV at Yellowstone National Park Posted: 17 Aug 2020 04:50 AM PDT  Screaming can be heard on the video.
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| Trump retweets call to let ‘Democrat cities rot’ over video of NYC protesters Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:15 AM PDT  Donald Trump has come under fire for appearing to endorse a tweet calling for "Democrat cities" to be left to "rot" amid continuing unrest in several metropolises over the killing of George Floyd.The president retweeted a post by Brandon Straka, a right-wing activist, which called for people to "leave Democratic cities", as Black Lives Matter protesters took to the streets for an 11th week running.
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| Review cites 'operational failures' in Smollett prosecution Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:04 AM PDT  A special prosecutor in Chicago accused Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx and her office on Monday of repeatedly abusing their discretion and making false public statements in the case against actor Jussie Smollett last year, but he concluded they did nothing criminal. In his 12-page outline of his conclusion released Monday, Dan Webb criticized Foxx and her staff for how they decided on March 26 last year to toss charges that the former "Empire" actor staged a racist, homophobic attack against himself and how they explained the move as public outrage grew. Webb's statement said his investigation "did not develop evidence that would support any criminal charges against State's Attorney Foxx or any individual working at (her office)" but "did develop evidence that establishes substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures" in the case.
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| I'm a public school teacher and I want to return to my classroom. But not like this. Posted: 17 Aug 2020 07:47 AM PDT  My school didn't even have enough toilet paper or soap before the pandemic. How will we implement proper measures to protect against the coronavirus?
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| China defends detention of Uighur model in Xinjiang Posted: 17 Aug 2020 04:02 PM PDT  Merdan Ghappar sent video and texts about life in Xinjiang's secretive detention system to his family.
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| NOW President Steps Down After Racism Allegations Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:13 PM PDT  Citing health concerns, the president of the National Organization for Women stepped down Sunday, amid a flurry of allegations of racism at the nation's oldest and largest feminist organization.In an email to the NOW board, state presidents, and staff on Sunday night, President Toni Van Pelt announced she would be stepping down with two weeks' notice effective Aug. 28. Vice President Christian Nunes will take her place, and the board will begin the process of appointing a new vice president.In her email, Van Pelt said she had been struggling with a "very painful health issue" over the last year and that her doctor had "implored me for months to stop working.""I have been ignoring my doctor's advice and my health for too long, so I have made the very hard decision to retire and step down as President of NOW," she wrote.Van Pelt's resignation comes on the heels of an internal investigation into allegations of racism and a toxic work environment at the storied feminist group. Ten minutes after Van Pelt's resignation email, the same group of NOW leaders received an email saying the internal investigation had uncovered "governance issues and evidence of a toxic work environment." Allegations of racial discrimination and retaliation, the email said, were not substantiated."NOW is committed to addressing these issues and to working together to move forward and to fight for the equality of all women," the email said.Florida President Kim Porteous, one of 26 chapter leaders who have called on Van Pelt to step down, said she was thrilled with the news of the president's resignation but concerned by her explanation."To hear that Toni is stepping down for health issues is offensive," she said. "We cannot move forward with restorative justice by covering up racism or making excuses for people to leave." NOW and Van Pelt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.NOW Board Member Accused of Claiming to Be Woman of Color to Boost Re-Election ChancesA Daily Beast investigation published in June revealed allegations of racism reaching the highest levels of the organization. Interviews and internal documents showed that Van Pelt was accused of racist behavior by more than 15 former NOW staffers and interns and that her former vice president, Gilda Yazzie, had filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the organization. Among other things, Van Pelt was accused of telling staffers that she only chose Yazzie, who is Native American, as her running mate because she needed a woman of color to win.In the wake of that investigation, Van Pelt sent an email to NOW board members, state presidents, staff, and PAC members apologizing for any hurt she had caused and committing to five action items to improve racial justice within the organization. "All Black Lives matter," she wrote. "As a White woman, I'll never understand the experiences of women of color. I challenge myself to address structural racism and recognize that this is a lifelong, ongoing process."'Don't Forget the White Women!': Members Say Racism Ran Rampant at NOWBut in the weeks following, six more former board members and employees—including Van Pelt's current vice president, Christian Nunes—came forward to accuse Van Pelt of disrespecting and ignoring women of color, and making racially insensitive statements. Two of the three staff members who left NOW this year told The Daily Beast their exits were due in part to how Van Pelt treated staffers of color. (In one instance, a former staffer said, Van Pelt brought employees of color to tears during a diversity training session.)Twenty-six of the 35 NOW state chapters had signed on to a letter asking Van Pelt to resign, and several had submitted their own. The entire Washington, D.C., and Twin Cities boards also quit in protest. The organization's head of college students resigned last month, saying in an email to The Daily Beast that "the organization's actions have completely tarnished my work among many others."Nine of the 15 national board members had also called for Van Pelt's resignation, setting off a tense showdown between the self-titled "Radical Nine" and Van Pelt's supporters. The group needed three more votes in order to force Van Pelt out of her position—a feat they were not able to achieve despite continued pressure from state chapters. The same nine members were recently subjected to an internal grievance process that they claimed was intended to silence them."There is a real strong push to keep us from speaking up, and we cannot be silent anymore," board member and Arizona state Sen. Victoria Steele said at the time. "If we allow this to be silent then we're complicit in racism."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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| Deadly clash reported between U.S. and Syrian forces Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:41 AM PDT  Syrian media and a war monitoring group say the incident started when American forces were denied passage at a checkpoint near a Syrian air base.
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| Putin, Erdogan discuss conflicts in Libya, Syria in phone call Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:32 AM PDT  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria in a telephone call on Monday. The Kremlin said that the two leaders, focused mainly on the crisis in Libya, where they back opposing sides, highlighting the need to make real steps towards a sustainable ceasefire. The Turkish presidency said Putin and Erdogan also discussed a dispute between Turkey and Greece over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, saying they "emphasised the importance of continuing close cooperation and dialogue".
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| Boaters scream for help as vessel sinks after being swamped with water by Trump boat parade Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:04 PM PDT  A group of boats flying flags in support of president Donald Trump created waves large enough in a Portland river that they caused a boat to sink with people onboard.On Sunday, more than 20 boats flying flags in support of the president sped down Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, as part of the "Trump Boat Parade" that took place that day, according to the Daily Mail.
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| Rapper Master P to pay for funeral of 3-year-old girl killed while playing with dollhouse Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:04 PM PDT  Rapper and businessman Master P said he will pay for the funeral of a 3-year-old Kentucky girl who was fatally shot along with her father.
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| Prominent Latinos criticize Democrats for lack of representation at DNC Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:06 PM PDT  Only three Latino speakers that will have their own slot as part of the DNC's primetime lineup this week.
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| Ruling barring death penalty against immigrant reversed Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:36 PM PDT  The Arizona Supreme Court has reversed a lower-court ruling that barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against a Mexican immigrant charged with murder in a 2015 killing in metro Phoenix because he was intellectually disabled. The state's highest court ruled Monday that a judge in the lower court had correctly considered the strengths and weaknesses of Apolinar Altamirano's life skills, but failed to assess his ability to meet society's expectations of him. The case will be back to the judge to make another determination on Altamirano's disability.
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| Jared Kushner said he and Ivanka Trump are 'absolutely' sending their children back to school for in-person classes Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:14 AM PDT  The school attended by Kushner's kids will use online and distance learning but also offer in-person opportunities for outdoor education.
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| Coronavirus: 'Serious mistakes' made over Ruby Princess outbreak Posted: 16 Aug 2020 11:46 PM PDT  An Australian inquiry is highly critical of the authorities' handling of the Ruby Princess outbreak.
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| Belarusian President Lukashenko urges supporters to defend Belarus' independence Posted: 16 Aug 2020 04:58 AM PDT  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday spoke in front of a crowd of supporters at a rally in central Minsk asking them to defend the country and its independence. As mass protests continued against his rule, Mr Lukashenko spoke on the capital's Independence Square, telling supporters: "I called you here not to defend me... but for the first time in a quarter-century, to defend your country and its independence." The strongman who has ruled Belarus for the last 26 years is facing the greatest challenge to his leadership from a growing protest movement fanned by a brutal police crackdown. "I'm not a fan of rallies but alas, it's not my fault I had to call you to help me," the 65-year-old said as some 10,000 supporters waved national flags and shouted "Thank you!" and "Belarus!" Wiping his brow, the president standing at a podium in a short-sleeved shirt, insisted on the legitimacy of last Sunday's presidential poll in which he claimed victory over popular opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
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| Rise in Shootings Continues in Chicago, NYC, Other Cities Posted: 17 Aug 2020 05:11 AM PDT  The surge in violence that has emerged this summer in major American cities continued over the weekend, with at least 64 shooting victims in Chicago and 52 in New York City since Thursday.Five men were killed in the violence in Chicago, while injured victims included teenagers and one 12-year-old boy. In New York, seven of the weekend's 52 victims died, including an off-duty corrections officer who was shot with his own department-issued weapon. Witnesses told a local ABC affiliate that that shooting was likely planned, with three cars pulling up to encircle the victim.President Trump on Sunday threatened to lead a federal response to violence in New York."Law and Order," Trump wrote on Twitter. "If NYC Mayor [Bill de Blasio] can't do it, we will!"Shootings also occurred at a block party in Philadelphia attended by around 300 people; responding officers came under fire but were not injured. In Cincinnati, Ohio, 18 people were shot on Sunday morning in four separate incidents.Shootings generally rise in major cities during the summer months, however 2020 has seen a more dramatic increase in shootings across the country relative to previous years. Homicides in Chicago have risen about 54 percent compared with 2019, while homicides in New York rose 24 percent. Criminologists point to a number of factors to explain the rise, including the effects of coronavirus lockdowns on city social structures as well as the anti-police sentiment that has taken hold following the George Floyd protests."I was surprised at the consistency of the increase across all of the different cities," Jens Ludwig, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. However, Ludwig also noted that "Everything that society does that might shape public safety was turned upside-down during the pandemic."
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| Poll: Biden remains ahead of Trump nationally before conventions begin Posted: 16 Aug 2020 06:00 AM PDT  Sixty-one percent say U.S. coronavirus response has been unsuccessful; Kamala Harris holds net-positive rating.
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| Semi truck splits in half after bridge collapses into a Missouri river, photos show Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:21 PM PDT  The truck was more than four times heavier than the weight limit of the bridge, police say.
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| Coronavirus contractors double-dip government funds, receiving relief money and contracts Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:02 AM PDT  Federal auditors say a collision between the urgent need for supplies and hasty relief programs could lead to rampant double or even triple dipping.
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| 3 Texas officers shot by gunman, who holds 3 people in home Posted: 16 Aug 2020 03:00 PM PDT  Three police officers were shot and a man remained barricaded inside a home with three of his family members in a suburb of Austin, Texas, authorities said. Officers responded to a call about 3:10 p.m. at a home off Natalie Cove from a mother who said her son kicked in the door of the home, Interim Chief of Police Mike Harmon said during a news conference near the scene. The mother, a juvenile and another person, whose age was unknown, remain in the home held by the suspect, believed to be in his mid-20s, Harmon said.
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| A 47-year-old man kept getting drunk from alcohol produced in his own gut. Doctors cured him with a poop transplant. Posted: 17 Aug 2020 02:00 PM PDT  Auto-brewery syndrome is an illness where a person's body produces alcohol inside their gut, which can lead to drunkenness without consuming alcohol.
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| Privileged parents form COVID pandemic pods that widen education gaps. We can do better. Posted: 16 Aug 2020 10:43 AM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic and privileged parents have broken an already unequal education system. What do we build in its place?
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| JetBlue confirmed its much-anticipated London flights will be delayed — here's what we know about the planned service so far Posted: 17 Aug 2020 11:01 AM PDT  JetBlue announced its first foray into the European market in April 2019. Less than a year later, the US closed its borders to the continent.
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| Pittsburgh mayor has ‘serious concerns’ over arrest tactics Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:01 AM PDT 
A crowd of protesters - carrying signs like 'abolish the police' marched to the home of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto over the weekend... outraged over the arrest of a protester at a demonstration. Matthew Cartier was arrested on Saturday at a Black Lives Matter protest. A video cited by CBS News showed plainclothes officers putting Cartier into an unmarked van. Police say he interfered with public safety. But after the gathering of about 150 protesters outside his home, Mayor Peduto is now speaking out. He said he had 'serious concerns' over the tactics used on the protester. Police said Cartier was arrested because he stepped in front of cars, tried to direct traffic and blocked an intersection used for hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh. He is now facing charges. The arrest comes as protests against racism and police brutality have spread across the U.S. and in recent days have become violent. Over the weekend, tensions flared as right wing demonstrators clashed with leftist counter protestors in multiple states, leading to fights and arrests.
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| ‘I’m just making it good’: Trump denies accusations he’s attempting to undermine the USPS prior to 2020 election Posted: 17 Aug 2020 09:50 AM PDT  President Donald Trump has dismissed accusations that he is attempting to undermine the United States Postal Service (USPS) in an effort to win the November presidential election."I'm just making it good," Mr Trump said when speaking on Fox & Friends Monday morning.
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| 'Go away!' Workers heckle Belarus leader as support collapses around him Posted: 17 Aug 2020 02:34 PM PDT  The workforce at state-run enterprises in Belarus has long been a pillar of support for the country's beleaguered president. Now that's changing.
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| Louisville police have spent more than $90,000 on security for officers in Breonna Taylor shooting Posted: 17 Aug 2020 03:01 AM PDT  Intense scrutiny and threats surrounding Breonna Taylor case has prompted Louisville police to spend more than $90,000 on security for officers.
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