| Rep. Joe Kennedy rips Trump, Republicans in Democratic State of the Union response Posted: 30 Jan 2018 08:16 PM PST  Rep. Joseph Kennedy III slammed President Donald Trump for "targetting laws" that protect Americans on Tuesday night as he delivered the Democratic response to the State of the Union address.
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| White House role in Nunes memo scrutinized Posted: 31 Jan 2018 12:51 PM PST  Betsy Woodruff, politics reporter for The Daily Beast, talks with Rachel Maddow about questions about whether the staff of Devin Nunes worked with the White House on the anti-FBI memo, and how the memo has turned the Trump DoJ against Trump Republicans.
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| 'Dreamers' turn their backs on Trump’s immigration policy Posted: 30 Jan 2018 09:28 PM PST  The small group of immigrants who gathered for a State of the Union watch party in Queens Tuesday night didn't technically plan on watching the president speak. "When he starts talking, we're going to turn our backs to the screen," explained Antonio Alacaron, a DACA recipient and immigration youth organizer at Make the Road New York, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant rights and Latino communities. "This is insane," Alacaron said softly, shaking his head as Trump talked about his proposed plan to create a 12-year pathway to citizenship for "1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age," in exchange for "building a great wall on the southern border" and other increased security measures.
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| White Supremacists Are Targeting College Students 'Like Never Before' Posted: 01 Feb 2018 09:15 AM PST  The amount of white supremacist propaganda on college campuses in the U.S. increased 258 percent between fall 2016 and fall 2017, according to a report the Anti-Defamation League released Thursday.
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| North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho never looked back - but some wish to return Posted: 31 Jan 2018 10:03 PM PST  More than 20 percent of the North Korean defectors who have made their way to safety in South Korea have contemplated returning to their homeland, according to a new study. The survey, conducted by the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights and NK Social Research, showed that 22.9 percent of defectors have toyed with the idea of returning to the North. The defectors are not, however, primarily motivated by disillusionment with life in the South or ideological differences with capitalist society, the study found. More than 34 percent said they had considered returning to North Korea in order to be reunited with their families, while others cited nostalgia for their hometowns, Yonhap news reported. The struggles that defectors have faced in order to escape the oppressive regime in Pyongyang were highlighted in President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Monday evening, with the president singling out Ji Seong-ho. In numbers | North Korean defectors Mr Ji was among the guests of honour at the address in Washington, and brandished a pair of crutches fashioned in the North as he was applauded. Mr Ji, 35, fell from a train as he was scavenging for coal at the age of 14 and lost his left leg below he knee and his left hand at the wrist when the train rolled over his limbs. In in interview in 2012, he said the next time he goes to North Korea will be after reunification is achieved. Other North Korean defectors appear to be more impatient about returning, the NKDB report showed. "The result indicates that not a small number of North Korean defectors are grappling with difficulties in resettling in the South", the report concluded. "It highlights the importance of providing psychological support and stable human networks for North Korean defectors, as well as economic support". FAQ | North Korean defection As many as 300,000 North Koreans are estimated to have defected since the end of the Korean War in 1953, mostly through China or Russia. A total of 31,093 were registered with the Unification Ministry in Seoul in 2017, of whom 71 percent were women. According to the ministry, just 1,127 managed to escape the North last year, down 21 percent on the previous year and evidence of a crackdown on attempts to flee the regime. South Korea does not provide statistics on defectors who subsequently return to the North, but Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has begun a campaign to convince escapees to return. There are reports that defectors are being offered guarantees over their safety and that of their families, as well as £33,000 in cash to return. A number of those who have accepted the offer have later appeared on North Korean television and described in detail the misery of their lives in the South before pledging their allegiance to Mr Kim.
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| Fact Check: State of the Union's standout lines Posted: 31 Jan 2018 12:44 AM PST  ABC News' MaryAlice Parks investigates some of the statements made during President Trump's first State of the Union address.
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| Lawmakers Wear Black To Donald Trump’s State Of The Union Address Posted: 30 Jan 2018 05:35 PM PST  Democratic lawmakers wore black and sported pins in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment and assault on Tuesday as President Donald Trump was set to deliver his first State of the Union address.
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| Train carrying GOP lawmakers hits truck; 1 person dead Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:33 AM PST  An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress to an annual retreat hit a truck in Virginia on Wednesday. One person traveling in the truck reportedly died and two others were injured. None of the train passengers were believed to be seriously injured.
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| Carrie Underwood Says She 'May Or May Not Have Cried' After Getting Caught Speeding Posted: 31 Jan 2018 05:40 PM PST  Country singer Carrie Underwood says she felt ashamed after a police officer in Brentwood, Tennessee, pulled her over for speeding on Monday.
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| Top adviser to Khamenei says Iran's regional influence 'inevitable': Fars Posted: 01 Feb 2018 01:55 AM PST ![Top adviser to Khamenei says Iran's regional influence 'inevitable': Fars]( "Top adviser to Khamenei says Iran's regional influence 'inevitable': Fars") By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - The top adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday the country's leadership had no intention of reining in its influence across the Middle East despite U.S. pressure to do so, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. U.S. President Donald Trump, who sees Iran as a rising threat to regional stability in the Middle East, has pledged to work with Gulf Arab states and Israel to curb what they say are Tehran's attempts to extend its influence in the region.
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| Correction: Deadly Car Wash Shooting-The Latest story Posted: 31 Jan 2018 03:36 PM PST  MELCROFT, Pa. (AP) — In a story Jan. 30 about the shooting deaths of four people at a car wash, The Associated Press, relying on information from state police, misspelled the first name of one of the female victims. She was Cortney Snyder, not Courtney.
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| Top Pennsylvania Republican Says He'll Ignore Court Order To Help Fix Gerrymandering Posted: 31 Jan 2018 03:09 PM PST  The top Republican in the Pennsylvania Senate told the state's Supreme Court on Wednesday that he is refusing to follow a court order asking lawmakers to turn over data to help correct a gerrymandered congressional map.
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| Sex Abuse Victims Tell Court They Were Pressured to See Disgraced Doctor Larry Nassar Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:29 PM PST  The number of people who say they were abused by disgraced doctor Larry Nassar has topped 265
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| China lashes out at Taiwan over cancellation of flights Posted: 31 Jan 2018 01:01 AM PST ![China lashes out at Taiwan over cancellation of flights]( "China lashes out at Taiwan over cancellation of flights") BEIJING (AP) — China is again heating up the rhetoric against rival Taiwan, with a spokesman saying Wednesday that Taiwan's cancellation of added flights during the Lunar New Year holiday "hurt the feelings of people on both sides."
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| Internet Burns Washington Post Over Its Front Page On Trump's Speech Posted: 31 Jan 2018 02:01 AM PST  The Washington Post's first edition headline covering President Donald Trump's State of the Union address didn't go over well on social media.
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| US car sales mixed in January; trucks stay strong Posted: 01 Feb 2018 09:15 AM PST  US car sales fell last year for the first time since the financial crisis and are projected to decline again in 2018. Ford's January sales dropped 6.6 percent from the same month of 2017 to 161,143. Fiat Chrysler (FCA) saw sales fall 13 percent to 132,803, with gains for the Jeep brand offset by hefty declines in other models.
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| Jimmy Kimmel Can’t Soften DACA Opponents, Even With A Cute Baby Posted: 31 Jan 2018 04:28 AM PST  Jimmy Kimmel brought people on both sides of the immigration debate face to face for what he likely hoped would be an enlightening discussion.
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| Vietnam marks 50 years since launch of Tet Offensive Posted: 31 Jan 2018 07:09 AM PST  Vietnam marked 50 years since the audacious Tet Offensive on Wednesday, in a bittersweet ceremony featuring patriotic dance performances recalling the attacks that changed the course of the Vietnam War. The surprise military offensive in 1968 -- launched by the communist north on the eve of the Tet lunar new year -- targeted more than 100 cities and outposts in southern Vietnam. On Wednesday entertainers dressed as soldiers and peasants took to the stage at an official ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City, followed by a string of performances from flag-bearing dancers and martial arts performers in red and gold.
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| Nokia CEO sees networks recovery as patents boost results Posted: 01 Feb 2018 07:39 AM PST ![Nokia CEO sees networks recovery as patents boost results]( "Nokia CEO sees networks recovery as patents boost results") HELSINKI/LONDON (Reuters) - Telecom network gear maker Nokia posted better-than-expected 2017 profits on Thursday and said it rebounded from costly prior sales hiccups, encouraging investors spooked by a weakening equipment market and acquisition integration missteps. Nokia shares bounded 15 percent higher on results which showed fourth-quarter group operating profit rising 7 percent to 1.0 billion euros ($1.2 billion), well ahead of a Reuters poll forecast of 888 million euros. The network industry, dominated by Huawei, Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson, is weathering the toughest part of a decade-long cycle as demand for 4G gear falls, while spending on new, mass-market 5G networks is unlikely before 2019 or 2020.
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| Rep. Adam Schiff: GOP's FBI Memo Could Lead To 'Constitutional Crisis' Posted: 31 Jan 2018 07:32 PM PST  warned of a looming "constitutional crisis" if Republicans in Congress succeed in having a controversial classified memo released that reportedly attacks the FBI and the Justice Department's Russia investigation.
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| Train carrying GOP lawmakers, including Valadao and Nunes, hits truck, 1 on truck killed Posted: 31 Jan 2018 11:27 AM PST  A chartered train carrying dozens of GOP lawmakers to a Republican retreat in West Virginia struck a garbage truck south of Charlottesville, Virginia on Wednesday, lawmakers said.
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| Man charged with marrying 6 women to evade immigration laws Posted: 31 Jan 2018 02:37 PM PST ![Man charged with marrying 6 women to evade immigration laws]( "Man charged with marrying 6 women to evade immigration laws") WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man was charged with accepting money to marry six women to help them evade immigration laws.
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| Syria's Kurds Are Frustrated at the Lack of U.S. Help in Defending a Key Stronghold Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:01 PM PST  The Kurdish militia views defending Afrin as an existential fight to preserve their territory
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| The Real Trick To Aging May Just Be To Ignore It Posted: 01 Feb 2018 02:46 AM PST  Ann Brenoff's "On The Fly" is a column about navigating growing older ― and a few other things.
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| Nashville mayor admits affair with ex-security detail chief Posted: 01 Feb 2018 03:38 AM PST  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Mayor Megan Barry said she plans to continue serving in office after revealing that she had an extramarital affair with the former head of her security detail.
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| The Hidden Extremism Of Trump's State Of The Union Posted: 30 Jan 2018 07:32 PM PST  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's first official State of the Union address was competently delivered and — for him — relatively inoffensive.
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| Gasps and awe as supermoon rises over erupting Philippine volcano Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:27 AM PST  Filipinos sheltering from the erupting Mayon volcano gasped in delight as an orange full-moon eclipse shone above the mountain's smouldering crater Wednesday in what was both a once-in-a-lifetime double spectacle and a rare moment of relief. Mount Mayon -- the country's most active volcano -- has been spewing spectacular but potentially lethal ash and lava for the last fortnight, forcing some 90,000 people into cramped safe zones where sanitation conditions are dire. At schools in the towns of Ligao and Guinobatan where hundreds of refugees from the volcano were crammed, up to 80 in each classroom, children and adults alike squealed as the moon first took on a spectacular crimson hue.
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| First State Ban On Bump Stocks Takes Effect After Las Vegas Massacre Posted: 31 Jan 2018 09:01 PM PST  A Massachusetts law banning possession of bump stocks and other accessories that increase a gun's rate of fire went into effect on Thursday, making the state the first to enact such legislation in the wake of last year's deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.
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| U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin urges Congress to raise debt ceiling as another shutdown looms Posted: 31 Jan 2018 02:25 PM PST ![U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin urges Congress to raise debt ceiling as another shutdown looms]( "U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin urges Congress to raise debt ceiling as another shutdown looms") U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday called on the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the federal debt limit "as soon as possible" so the government can pay employee benefits and other obligations. In a letter to congressional leaders and key committee chairmen, Mnuchin said the Treasury Department would continue to suspend payments into federal employee retiree, health and disability funds through Feb. 28. Congress must raise the nation's debt ceiling to avoid a government default.
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| A whale with words: Orca mimics human speech Posted: 30 Jan 2018 09:28 PM PST  It is the first scientific demonstration of an orca mimicking human words, which also included "Amy" -- the name of Wikie's handler -- "Bye-Bye", and "One-Two-Three". "We were not expecting a perfect match, like a parrot," researcher Jose Abramson of the Complutense University of Madrid said of the experiment reported Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. It was hard not to jump for joy when Wikie first "spoke", Abramson told AFP, adding the research team had not quite known what to expect.
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| French minister criticises 'scandalous' claim husband murdered wife for being 'overbearing' Posted: 31 Jan 2018 08:08 AM PST  France's gender equality minister has slammed as "totally scandalous" claims that a husband may have strangled his wife to death in a high-profile murder case because she was "overbearing". French IT worker Jonathann Daval, 34, on Tuesday admitted to killing his wife Alexia, 29, in a case that has gripped the country since her partially burned corpse was spotted in a wood in October. The 29-year-old bank employee's body was found hidden under tree branches near their town of Gray-la-Ville in eastern France. Her husband had previously insisted that Alexia had gone jogging on October 28 and never came back. Millions were moved by footage of the man dubbed "the perfect son-in-law" crying at her parents' side at a press conference and even leading one of the running outings organised across the country in her memory. Tearful: Millions had been moved by Jonathan Daval's appearance alongside his wife's grieving parents Credit: SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP But three months after her death and after hours of police questioning, Daval finally admitted on Tuesday to killing his wife. Le Monde said that his shock avowal of guilt after three months playing the victim had unleashed a nationwide sense of "betrayal of compassion". "He says it was an accident, that he did not want to do it, and that he regrets it," said his lawer Randall Schwerdorffer. His client's motivation, he insisted "was not criminal". Controversy: Lawyer Randall Schwerdorffer suggested his client, Jonathann Daval, had murdered his wife because she was 'verbally violent' and 'overbearing' Credit: SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP "There were some very strong tensions in their relationship as a couple," he said, adding that Daval had been subjected to "verbal violence" from his wife. "Alexia had an overbearing personality, so he felt diminished, stifled. At one point too many words were said, a fit of anger proved too much, and he couldn't control himself." The lawyer's claim drew a furious response from gender equality minister Marlène Schiappa. "I find it totally scandalous to tell us that 'she has an overbearing personality, and that's why she may have been murdered'," the minister told RTL. Outraged: France's minister for gender equality Marlene Schiappa "By saying that, you legitimise femicide, you legitimise the fact that every three days, a woman is killed by her partner, and I find it extremely dangerous to relay that," she said. She added: "It's not a row, it's not a crime of passion, it's a murder. We must stop playing down conjugal violence, stop trying to find excuses. Nothing, nothing justifies beating one's wife or partner." The lawyer refused to leave it there, claiming that "lots of people talk and create controversies without any deep knowledge of the case". "Lots of journalists knew about the violence at the heart of the couple and that Alexia was behind this violence," he said. Daval maintains that he acted alone and insists he did not set fire to his wife's body. The murder case appalled the couple's quiet town, with nearly 10,000 people turning out for a silent march in her memory. It prompted about 100 prominent French women to urge President Emmanuel Macron to launch an "emergency plan" to curb sexual violence. Relatives take part in a silent march in Gray on November 5, 2017, in memory of Alexia Daval Credit: SEBASTIEN BOZON/SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images Initially questioned as a witness, Daval explained scratches and bite marks on her hands as coming from an argument with his wife that turned physical on the day before her disappearance. Police arrested Daval on Monday after uncovering fresh evidence. A neighbour had reported hearing a car leave the couple's home on the night before Alexia was reported missing. This tallied with a tracking device on his work car, whose tyre tracks were also discovered close to where Alexia's body was found. A source close to the inquiry also said the body was covered in a sheet that was thought to come from the couple's home. Mrs Daval's parents were said to be "flabbergasted". "They didn't see it coming at all, they want to understand," said their lawyer Jean-Marc Florand. But he said they rejected the claim it was "an accident". "When you strangle someone with bare hands who you can look in the eyes, you can't say it's an accident," he said. "The play he acted out will cost him very dear in the jurors' eyes." Daval has been charged with "murdering one's spouse" and faces life in prison at the end of a trial due next year.
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| 'They Couldn't Hide all the Death.' 5 More Rohingya Mass Graves Found in Myanmar Posted: 31 Jan 2018 08:45 PM PST  The graves are the newest piece of evidence in Myanmar's military campaign against the Rohingya
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| This year’s flu shot might not stop the virus, but it can fend off the worst symptoms Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:00 AM PST  There's a potent flu virus infecting Americans this influenza season — even healthy people including a marathon runner and bodybuilder have become seriously ill. But although the flu shot isn't so effective this year, the vaccine will still probably spare you from the most severe symptoms, hospitalization, or at worst, death. Like most flu seasons, there are a few strains circulating around the country right now, but one of these — dubbed H3N2 – is notably vicious. At worst, it's taken the lives of children and healthy adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes there is "widespread" flu activity in nearly every region it monitors around the country, and H3N2 was the most frequently identified strain reported as of mid-January. SEE ALSO: The coming Arctic blast probably won't make you sick, but winter definitely can Generally, severe fevers, chills, and fatigue are compelling an unusually high number Americans to seek medical treatment. "Our hospitals are brimming in the ER," said Joan Faro, Chief Medical Officer at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital on Long Island, New York, in an interview. "Occupancy rates are through the roof." Even medical professionals are taking extra precautions against this season's virus. Faro said inoculated staff are wearing masks around sick patients — and that's something she hasn't seen before. "There's an awareness that there's something going on, something that is a little bit different than previous years," Faro said. The H3N2 virus, though, has hit the U.S. numerous times before. And when it does, "it tends to be a rougher season," said Susan Donelan, medical director and assistant professor of infectious disease at Stony Brook University's School of Medicine, in an interview. "It's not pretty." Already this flu season, 37 children have died in the U.S. from the virus, according to the CDC. This virus is exceptionally nasty because it tends to change more than other flu viruses during the course of a season. Donelan calls these slight changes, known as "genetic drift," little tweaks that occur in the viruses' genes during or between the flu season. The H3N2 virus' ability to change with time renders the flu vaccine, which is basically a weakened form of several dominant flu viruses, an imperfect match against this year's dominant illness. In essence, those who received the flu shot have spent time preparing to fight a specific invader that, when it finally arrives, ends up presenting itself differently. The flu vaccine becomes "a near match, but it's not a perfect match," said Shane Speights, a dean and associate professor of medicine at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University. A CDC map indicating geographic spread of the flu viruses, as of January 20, 2018. The tan areas indicate widespread influenza activity estimates.Image: CDCOur flu vaccines are bred in laboratories months in advance, so the virus has ample time to morph during that period. When this happens, the virus can then successfully attack and reproduce in bodies that have been inoculated. But getting the shot will mitigate the altered viruses' aggressiveness. "The vaccine certainly still provides a lot of benefits," explained Speights. "It's still enough for your body to mount a response." "It starts creating infantry cells so that when you come in contact with the real thing, it has some resistance to fight it off," said Speights. And this bit of resistance, said Donelan, "can still keep people from getting really ill, and if hospitalized, can keep them from dying." For that reason, even if it's late January or early February — which is quite late in the flu season – Speights emphasized that "It's not too late to get the vaccine. At minimum, this will "give your body a look at [the virus]," he said. And that seems like wise advice for a strain that can morph quickly, partially outwitting our carefully-developed vaccines. "Influenza is a pretty clever organism," said Donelan. WATCH: Your next flu shot may be replaced with this patch
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| US urges Poland to drop Holocaust bill angering Israel Posted: 31 Jan 2018 03:05 PM PST  WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The United States asked Poland to rethink plans to enact proposed legislation regulating Holocaust speech that has sparked a diplomatic dispute with Israel, arguing Wednesday that if it passes it could hurt freedom of speech as well as strategic relationships.
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| Colin Kaepernick Completes His $1 Million Pledge For Underserved Communities Posted: 31 Jan 2018 04:11 PM PST  On Wednesday, the former NFL quarterback announced that he'd fulfilled his pledge of donating $1 million of his salary to communities in need.
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| Stephen King Needed A Laugh. Twitter Picked Him Up In A Big Way. Posted: 01 Feb 2018 01:14 AM PST  Even the master of horror needs a laugh every now and then.
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| US missile defence test fails in Hawaii with 'military unable to shoot down incoming target' Posted: 31 Jan 2018 01:28 PM PST  A test of America's missile defence systems in Hawaii has reportedly failed to shoot down its target, against the backdrop of heightened tensions with North Korea. An exercise conducted by the Missile Defence Agency was unsuccessful, with the military unable to shoot down an incoming missile launched from an aircraft, multiple outlets reported. "The Missile Defense Agency and US Navy sailors manning the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex (AAMDTC) conducted a live-fire missile flight test using a Standard-Missile (SM)-3 Block IIA missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, Wednesday morning," Lt Col Michelle Baldanza said in an email to The Independent.
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| 2018 Range Rover Velar Review: Wading Into New Waters Posted: 01 Feb 2018 03:00 AM PST  Once you start driving the new Land Rover Range Rover Velar, it becomes obvious that this compact luxury SUV is a new breed of Land Rover. It sits lower than other Range Rover models and takes co...
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| Texas inmate executed for murder of ex-girlfriend Posted: 30 Jan 2018 07:40 PM PST ![Texas inmate executed for murder of ex-girlfriend]( "Texas inmate executed for murder of ex-girlfriend") A Dallas man who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 1999 while he was out on parole was executed on Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal, prison officials said. William Rayford, 64, was pronounced dead at 8:48 p.m. central time (9:48 p.m. eastern), said Texas prison spokesman Jason Clark. Rayford apologized to the victim's family and asked for them to forgive him in his final words, according to Clark.
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| 4-Year-Old's Flu Death Confirmed as New Jersey's First Influenza Fatality Posted: 31 Jan 2018 11:00 AM PST  She had not been vaccinated, according to officials
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| At least 3 killed as helicopter crashes into house in Newport Beach Posted: 30 Jan 2018 07:19 PM PST  At least three people were killed and two injured when a helicopter crashed into a house in Newport Beach Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
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| FBI Agent Trump Accused Of 'Treason' Wrote Letter That Helped Get Trump Elected Posted: 31 Jan 2018 02:03 PM PST  WASHINGTON ― FBI agent Peter Strzok helped draft a letter that, in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign, signaled the re-opening of a probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's emails, CNN reported Wednesday.
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| Kelly: Teacher 'ought to go to hell' for anti-military rant Posted: 31 Jan 2018 06:31 PM PST  PICO RIVERA, Calif. (AP) — White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Wednesday that a Los Angeles-area high school teacher "ought to go to hell" for bashing U.S. military service members in classroom remarks.
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| This Is How Tiffany Haddish Scored A Selfie With Beyoncé Posted: 01 Feb 2018 08:39 AM PST  In December, the actress posted a selfie of herself and Beyoncé to Instagram with a caption that left fans wanting more.
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