| Pence: 'The Bible stays' at veterans hospital facing lawsuit Posted: 30 Aug 2019 10:22 AM PDT  "We will always respect the freedom of religion of every veteran of every faith," Pence said in a speech addressing the American Legion National Convention in Indianapolis on Wednesday. The military religious freedom foundation that originally objected to the Bible called the president a "repulsive and repellent fundamentalist Christian" bully.
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| You may have seen him on a prayer candle, but James Comey is no saint Posted: 30 Aug 2019 08:02 AM PDT  New revelations have made clear the conclusion many of us had already come to: James Comey was a reckless and untrustworthy FBI director.
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| Former Canadian Prime Minister Apologizes After Tweeting She Hoped Hurricane Dorian Would Strike Mar-a-Lago Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:45 AM PDT  Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell apologized after tweeting that she is "rooting" for Hurricane Dorian to make a "a direct hit" on President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
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| Hong Kong Police Warn of More Arrests After Sweep of Activists Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:35 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong police arrested prominent opposition figures including Joshua Wong -- and warned other protesters could share their fate at illegal demonstrations this weekend -- raising tensions as authorities seek to quell pro-democracy demonstrations that have raged for almost three months.The 22-year-old Wong, who was scheduled to speak about the protests in the U.S. next month, was among well-known pro-democracy activists arrested by police on Thursday and Friday. Those arrested included Wong's fellow leader of 2014 Occupy protests, Agnes Chow; independence advocate Andy Chan; and District Councilor Rick Hui.Police said more than 20 people were arrested since Thursday, and warned at a briefing Friday that others could be charged if they take part in protests without official approval. A colonial statute passed during a wave of deadly riots in the 1960s allows authorities to the power to imprison those who participate in unlawful assemblies for as long as five years and more than 900 have been arrested on a variety of charges since June.The arrests were part of a broader push back against the largely leaderless protest movement, which flared up in June over now-suspended legislation allowing extraditions to China before widening into a broader push for more democracy. The Civil Human Rights Front -- the organizer of the biggest recent demonstrations -- said Friday it was forced to cancel a rally planned for Saturday after police withheld approval.The crisis in the former British colony threatens to distract from Chinese President Xi Jinping's celebrations of 70 years of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1, which will highlight the country's rebound from imperialism, war and inner turmoil. Hong Kong's embattled chief executive, Carrie Lam, earlier this week called for a dialogue with the opposition, while refusing to rule out invoking a sweeping colonial-era law that allows for easier arrests, deportations, censorship and property seizures."We still keep on our fight and we shall not surrender," Wong told reporters as he and Chow emerged from court after being released on bail on charges related by unlawful assembly. "I urge the international community to send a message to President Xi, sending troops or using emergency ordinance is not the way out."The summer's political unrest has been the worst since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, with demonstrations that have resulted in often-violent clashes between protesters and police. Political observers said the moves ran the risk of drawing more people into the streets for unauthorized rallies, which can more easily get out of hand."Such actions are tantamount to inciting trouble at a time when the government is talking about dialogue and trying to lower the temperature," said Kevin Yam, a political commentator and member of Hong Kong's pro-democracy Progressive Lawyers Group. "You can't on the one hand say, 'Let's lower the temperature, let's talk, let's make nice,' and on the other hand do something like this."Ronny Tong, a member of Lam's advisory Executive Council, acknowledged that "the timing could have been better," said said he had faith in Hong Kong's rule of law and the police."The most important thing is that Hong Kong is a place where the rule of law still is alive and kicking," Tong said. "We have a very able and independent judiciary. And the police know that. They know that unless they have a reasonable chance of a conviction, they would not try to arrest somebody at random only to give out a political message."Separately, Reuters reported Chinese authorities had earlier this month rejected a Hong Kong government proposal to formally withdraw extradition legislation that sparked the protests. The bill's withdrawal and an independent inquiry into the unrest were seen as the most feasible compromises, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed senior Hong Kong government official.Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. warned employees not to take part in a general strike planned for next week, after the airline's chief executive, Rupert Hogg, stepped down to take responsibility for the uproar over airline staff's participation in earlier actions. Two other organizers of recent protests, including CHRF leader Jimmy Sham and Max Chung, were attacked Thursday in the latest of several reported incidents of mob violence against activists.891 Arrests, 2,071 Tear-Gas Canisters: Hong Kong's Protests By the NumbersTaiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen -- who has helped resuscitate her re-election prospects by criticizing Beijing's handling of the protests -- was among the first officials to express concern about the arrests. She called on authorities to comply with their promises of democracy, freedom and human rights to the city's people, according to a statement from her office.While the three arrested activists are among Hong Kong's most prominent opposition voices --- Wong was the subject of a Netflix documentary titled "Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower" -- none was seen as a central figure in the recent protests. The decentralized movement relies on social media apps and chat rooms to propose and revise protest plans on the fly.Still, Wong has come under scrutiny for his meetings with U.S. officials, with China's foreign ministry singling out one particular meeting with a U.S. diplomat. Wong was also planning to travel to the U.S. in September to speak out against what he described as authorities' plans to establish "martial law" ahead of the National Day holiday.Countdown to 2047: What Will Happen to Hong Kong?: QuickTakeThe latest charges against Wong resulted from his role in a June 21 rally, in which he encouraged demonstrators to surround the police headquarters complex in Wan Chai, days after his release from jail on separate protest-related charges. Chan, the pro-independence founder of the banned Hong Kong National Party, said in a post on his personal Facebook page that he was stopped at the city's airport departures area on Thursday night."They're trying to plant a seed of fear in people's minds, so that people will stop from attending protests, either the one tomorrow or ones in the future," said Alvin Yeung, a pro-democracy lawmaker. "But my judgment is they won't succeed, because Hong Kong people are very brave."(Updates with Executive Council member comments in eighth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Sheryl Tian Tong Lee and Shawna Kwan.To contact the reporters on this story: Iain Marlow in Hong Kong at imarlow1@bloomberg.net;Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net;Annie Lee in Hong Kong at olee42@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen LeighFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Sudan court charges Bashir with illegal use of foreign funds Posted: 31 Aug 2019 04:51 AM PDT  A Sudanese court on Saturday charged ousted president Omar al-Bashir, on trial for corruption, with illegal acquisition and use of foreign funds, offences which could put him behind bars for a decade. Judge Al-Sadiq Abdelrahman said at the third session of Bashir's trial that foreign funds of multiple currencies were found at his home. Authorities had "seized 6.9 million euros, $351,770 and 5.7 million Sudanese pounds at (Bashir's) home which he acquired and used illegally," the judge said.
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| New York investigators reportedly zero in on Epstein recruiter as net tightens around his 'enablers' Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:49 PM PDT  New York investigators examining Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking network are turning their attention to a woman who served as his teenage recruiter, it has been claimed. Haley Robson was 16 when she was approached at a swimming pool near her home in Florida by a high school acquaintance who offered her the chance to make some money. Miss Robson, now 33, was told she had to give massages to a billionaire in Palm Beach. She went to Epstein's house and gave him a massage, she said in a 2009 deposition. She then started recruiting other girls and young women to do the same, and was paid by Epstein to bring the girls to him. On Friday two sources told The New York Times that Miss Robson was among the Epstein "enablers" being looked at by prosecutors, who have said that Epstein's death does not mean the end of the case. Sarah Kellen and Ghislaine Maxwell, pictured together in 2005 in New York There has been much speculation that other Epstein associates – including British heiress Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein employees Sarah Kellen, Lesley Groff, Adriana Ross and Nadia Marcinkova – could also be drawn into the investigation. But the paper's report is the first time that sources within the investigation have confirmed that they are looking into the activities of any particular one of his associates. The four employees were all granted immunity under a 2007 plea deal reached in Florida. All four have denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers. Miss Robson told The New York Times that she has "nothing to say". She added: "I would appreciate if I was not contacted." Court documents show that Miss Robson was placed under surveillance by Florida police in 2005, when they first began investigating the accusations against Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein with Adriana Ross in May 2005. Ms Ross was granted immunity by Palm Beach authorities as part of Epstein's 2007 plea deal When questioned, aged 19, she told police: "I'm like Heidi Fleiss" – the infamous Hollywood madam who recruited prostitutes for film stars. She provided police with the names and ages of all the girls she had bought to Epstein, thus implicating herself in a number of crimes. Miss Robson told police she had provided Epstein with at least six girls over a two-year period, with the youngest being 14 and the oldest a 23-year-old woman. She said that she was reprimanded by Epstein for bringing a 23-year-old to him, as he told her the woman was too old. In the 2009 deposition, Miss Robson said she considered suing Epstein. "I just thought it was the easy way out," she said. "And then I decided that this is my life, and I have to take responsibility for it, because I did volunteer."
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| Delta Air Lines pilot charged with alcohol violation Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:18 PM PDT  A Delta Air Lines pilot from Minnesota was charged Friday with operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol. Tests confirmed that 37-year-old Gabriel Schroeder, of Rosemont, had a blood alcohol level between 0.04% and 0.08% when detectives arrested him on a plane at the Minneapolis airport just as it started boarding for a flight to San Diego on July 20, according to the criminal complaint. The limit set by the Federal Aviation Administration is 0.04%, which is half the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
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| US Attorney rebukes white nationalists in impassioned speech Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:40 PM PDT  Bonnie Deutsch Burdman of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation discusses the remarks of U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and the impact of white nationalism.
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| Joe Biden: 'I think almost anybody' in 2020 Democratic field could be the president Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:47 PM PDT  In an interview with the Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart, Joe Biden seemed on the verge of undermining his own campaign's argument in favor of his electability.
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| Hurricane Dorian is churning towards Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina – Here is where and when it's due to strike Posted: 31 Aug 2019 11:20 AM PDT  Hurricane Dorian's path is nearing Florida, where it is no longer projected to make landfall, but still cause 'devastating hurricane-force winds.'
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| Merkel Calls for Compromise as East-West Gap Risks Social Fabric Posted: 31 Aug 2019 06:01 AM PDT ![Merkel Calls for Compromise as East-West Gap Risks Social Fabric]( "Merkel Calls for Compromise as East-West Gap Risks Social Fabric") (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a better exchange of ideas between different parts of Germany as social tensions in the former communist east look set to contribute to bruising electoral losses for the parties in her coalition.Speaking after receiving an honorary degree from a university in Leipzig, where she was a student, Merkel cautioned that finding common ground was key to counter the risk of populism tearing at the country's social fabric."Without compromise, society cannot hold together," said the chancellor, who grew up in eastern Germany.Her trip to Leipzig coincides with two state elections in Germany's east on Sunday. In Brandenburg and Saxony, support for Merkel's Christian Democrats and her junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, is expected to drop sharply amid high turnout for the far-right AfD party. The results could be another blow to Merkel's fragile government and lead to its collapse, creating political instability as Europe's largest economy faces the specter of recession.While people in the east grappled with existential crises in the aftermath of reunification 30 years ago, the west was largely stable. Merkel said people in the east and west need to understand each other's histories better in order to reach a "true understanding of one another for the future."To contact the reporters on this story: Kristie Pladson in Leipzig at kpladson@bloomberg.net;Piotr Skolimowski in Leipzig at pskolimowski@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Schaefer at dschaefer36@bloomberg.net, Chris Reiter, Rachel GrahamFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| German media, lawmakers point finger at Moscow over executed Georgian Posted: 31 Aug 2019 09:32 AM PDT  Despite Russian denials, German politicians and media are blaming Moscow for the Berlin assassination of a Georgian who once fought Russian forces in Chechnya, an affair that could spark a diplomatic crisis. One security source, in comments to German weekly Der Spiegel, described the killing as a second Skripal affair -- referring to the attempt on the life of a former Russian agent in England last year. On Friday, August 23, German police arrested a 49-year-old suspect from Russia's Chechnya republic, shortly after Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, 40, had been shot dead.
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| Woman tosses Molotov cocktail into Fla. Citizenship office Posted: 31 Aug 2019 10:35 AM PDT ![Woman tosses Molotov cocktail into Fla. Citizenship office]( "Woman tosses Molotov cocktail into Fla. Citizenship office") A woman tossed a lit Molotov cocktail into the lobby of a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Oakland Park, Florida. No one was reported injured, according to a report of the incident sent to Trump administration officials and viewed by The Associated Press. Law enforcement officials believe the woman intended to cause harm but the incident wasn't related to other ones where Homeland Security agencies were targeted.
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| Fox Business Host Stuart Varney Tells Joe Walsh: Trump Has Never Lied Posted: 30 Aug 2019 10:30 AM PDT  Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney proclaimed with a straight face on Friday morning that President Donald Trump has never lied to the American people, asserting that Trump has only ever exaggerated and spun.During an interview with former one-term tea party Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), who recently announced a long-shot primary bid against Trump, the Fox host took issue with Walsh's insistence that Trump is a pathological liar, asking the ex-congressman for specifics.Walsh, meanwhile, pointed to recent reports that White House aides have admitted that the president recently faked high-level phone calls with China regarding trade in an effort to boost markets, something Varney claimed doesn't count as a lie."That's not a lie," Varney exclaimed. "If the man said and he did that high-level talks had been held with China, that is not a lie. They were held with China.""Stuart, he said there were high-level phone calls with Chinese officials, his staff admitted that was not true, that he lied in order to manipulate the market," Walsh retorted, prompting Varney to wave him off."Give me another one," the pro-Trump anchor huffed.Walsh, however, pushed back, asking Varney if he genuinely didn't believe that was a lie. When the Fox Business host insisted he did not and personally objected to Walsh calling it one, the former Republican lawmaker then wondered if Varney actually believed if Trump has ever fibbed."Stuart, do you believe this president lies?" Walsh asked."No," Varney replied."You don't believe he's ever lied?" Walsh shot back in disbelief."He exaggerates and spins," the Fox host retorted."Okay. Do you believe he's ever told the American people a lie?" Walsh pressed again."No," Varney stated.From there, Varney tried to flip it back around on Walsh, asking him if he lied when he said President Barack Obama was a Muslim, causing Walsh to admit it was a lie and that he's apologized for that.Varney's delusional declaration that the president—who has told at least 12,000 lies and false statement since entering the White House—has never lied comes on the heels of Trump 2020 campaign spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany saying the same thing on CNN earlier this week, flooring CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| ICE says it will not conduct immigration enforcement operations in affected areas during Hurricane Dorian Posted: 31 Aug 2019 05:32 AM PDT  A spokesman for the federal agency said in a statement Friday that "we must stand as one community to focus on aiding the victims."
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| Democrats shut out of September debate say DNC rules are eliminating candidates before voters tune in Posted: 30 Aug 2019 02:00 AM PDT  The Democratic infighting over the next presidential debate really boils down to one issue: Lower-tier candidates think the party rules are narrowing the field too early. One candidate says winning a statewide race should be added as a criterion.
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| Two Former New York Detectives Avoid Jail, Given Probation For Sex With Teen They Held In Custody Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:52 PM PDT  The officers had arrested an 18-year-old who admitted to having marijuana on her person
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| EU's Barnier says Brexit deal cannot be changed Posted: 31 Aug 2019 03:05 PM PDT  EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Saturday the bloc will not change the divorce deal agreed with Britain and that he is "not optimistic" of avoiding a no-deal outcome. Barnier said the most contentious element of the agreement, the so-called backstop mechanism aimed at keeping the Northern Irish border open in all circumstances, must remain. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took power last month, has called for the provision to be scrapped in order to reach a new deal ahead of the country's latest October 31 departure date.
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| Cease-fire brings temporary calm to Syria's Idlib Posted: 31 Aug 2019 09:42 AM PDT  Government airstrikes and artillery attacks ceased Saturday following a unilateral cease-fire in the northwestern province of Idlib, a Syrian war monitor said. The U.S. military, meanwhile, said it struck an al-Qaida leadership facility north of Idlib, marking the first American strike inside the war-torn country since July . The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had earlier reported a missile attack on a meeting of militants in Idlib province that it said killed at least 40 militants.
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| UPDATE 2-China's factory activity shrinks for 4th month as trade woes deepen Posted: 30 Aug 2019 06:55 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-China's factory activity shrinks for 4th month as trade woes deepen]( "UPDATE 2-China's factory activity shrinks for 4th month as trade woes deepen") Factory activity in China shrank in August for the fourth month in a row as the United States ramped up trade pressure and domestic demand remained sluggish, pointing to a further slowdown in the world's second-largest economy. Persistent weakness in China's vast manufacturing sector could fuel expectations that Beijing needs to roll out stimulus more quickly, and more aggressively, to weather the biggest downturn in decades. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 49.5 in August, China's National Bureau of Statistics said on Saturday, versus 49.7 in July, below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis.
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| 98-year-old WWII pilot rediscovers his wings Posted: 31 Aug 2019 05:23 AM PDT  Any photo you can find of Lt. Col. William Bonelli during World War II is black and white, but his memories are in color.
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| View Photos of the 2020 Ford Explorer ST Posted: 30 Aug 2019 11:29 AM PDT |
| Washington's giant pandas could be sent back to China in latest casualty of US-China trade war Posted: 31 Aug 2019 05:30 AM PDT  Washington's National Zoo may be left without any giant pandas amid fears Donald Trump's ongoing trade war with China could see the bears become a political tool. The Smithsonian National Zoo's panda bears are one of the main draws for its two million annual visitors but the current lease of its two adults, male Tian Tian and female Mei Xiang, is due to expire next year. The zoo's only other panda, Bei Bei, turned four this month - the age where pandas fully mature and are able to breed - and will be sent back to China for a breeding programme within the next few months under a prior agreement. China's giant pandas have often been used to sweeten relations with international partners; Washington's National Zoo received its first pair in 1972 to commemorate President Richard Nixon's successful visit to China. Those bears were a gift, but the current pair were sent over under a lease agreement which has since been extended multiple times but is now set to expire on December 7 2020. Giant panda Bei Bei eats his frozen 4th birthday cake at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington Credit: ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP But there are now fears that the two pandas could be drawn into the tit-for-tat trade war which has seen tensions between America and China escalate in recent months. Mr Trump has repeatedly rebuked the country for treating America "unfairly" and his administration is poised to impose 15 percent tariffs on some $112 billion of Chinese imports today/SUN. Beijing has warned that it has "ample" means to retaliate but has also signalled its willingness to continue negotiating. The zoo said it has not started discussions with the Chinese about Mei Xiang and Tian Tian's lease but hope the pandas will be able to stay. However there is some speculation the Chinese government may wish to hold off negotiations until closer to the November 2020 US presidential election, when the political landscape becomes clearer. "Our agreements are based on science surrounding the giant pandas," Pamela Baker-Masson, a spokeswoman for the zoo, told the Washington Post. "We've accomplished a lot over the last 40-plus years. Now both sides have to take a look at what the future science goals should be, and they go from there." China sent Mei Xiang and Tian Tian in 2000 on a 10-year, $10 million lease to the zoo, the lease was renegotiated in 2011 for five years at a cost of $500,000 a year. Another agreement was struck in 2015 to extend the lease until the end of 2020. To add to the tension around the panda's fate, the zoo is currently waiting on tenter hooks to establish whether Mei Xiang is pregnant. The panda's behaviour has changed in the last month, suggesting she may be pregnant, but she has had several false pregnancies in recent years.
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| Hurricane Dorian may be similar to Matthew — but stronger and slower, forecaster warns Posted: 31 Aug 2019 10:15 AM PDT ![Hurricane Dorian may be similar to Matthew — but stronger and slower, forecaster warns]( "Hurricane Dorian may be similar to Matthew — but stronger and slower, forecaster warns") While residents should "think in Matthew terms," the storm could still come over the Florida Coast, forecaster Bryan Norcross said.
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| Kamala Harris Attended LA Fundraisers The Same Day She Missed Endorsement Interview Posted: 30 Aug 2019 12:35 PM PDT  Ethan Miller/GettySen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) had been scheduled to participate in a question-and-answer session with the left-wing Working Families Party on August 22 as part of the organization's endorsement process. She did not attend, and as a result of missing the session—and not being able to reschedule before a planned endorsement vote next month—she is now out of contention for the party's endorsement, as first reported by NBC News. That same day, Harris did appear at two California fundraisers, respectively hosted by actress Jessica Alba and MGM Motion Picture Group President Jon Glickman and Bridgid Coulter, the CEO of Blackbird Collective, an outfit focused on providing workspaces for women of color. Harris' campaign told The Daily Beast that it did not miss the Q&A; because of the fundraisers. But her scheduling choices still sparked confusion at the WFP. "We don't know how the campaign makes decisions," Rob Duffey, national communications director for WFP told The Daily Beast. "We were willing to be flexible on time and locations, however, and we are disappointed they didn't find a time to hear questions from our members."According to a source with the party who was familiar with the scheduling process, the group spent about a month trying to coordinate the session with Harris, even offering to do it in the Los Angeles area to accommodate her campaign schedule. According to a release sent out on August 12, the conversation was scheduled for 6:30 PM EST on August 22 and was to last for an hour. The Harris campaign canceled the WFP session two days prior to the day it was supposed to be taped. And a Harris spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that the Senator would not be able to do the Q&A; prior to the group's endorsement vote next month. This is not the first time a Harris fundraiser has led to questions about campaign priorities. Two weeks ago, the Senator was accused of missing a climate forum to attend a fundraiser. She ultimately moved her schedule around amid the public outcry. The Working Families Party is a left-wing political party that sprung up in New York in 1998, but has spread into active chapters throughout the country. It was first organized as a labor-backed coalition and has advocated for a $15 minimum wage and Medicare for All. It's unclear whether Harris' careful co-opting of some of the party's major progressive priorities would have won the party over, particularly as their members have a broad array of more historically progressive candidates from which to choose. Still, the Senator had been among six presidential contenders up for WFP's endorsement. The other five, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro already conducted their Q&A;'s with the group. In the 2016 primary, WFP chose to back Sanders though they eventually supported Hillary Clinton when she became the Democratic nominee. 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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| Simone Biles's Brother Charged With Murder in Shooting That Left 3 Dead at AirBnb Posted: 30 Aug 2019 05:48 AM PDT  Tevin Biles-Thomas, the brother of Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, has been arrested and charged in a shooting at a Cleveland AirBnB.
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| Swedish teen climate activist leads protest near UN Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:47 PM PDT  Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg drew crowds on land Friday after her two-week sail across the Atlantic as the 16-year-old Swede led a protest march in front of the United Nations. Hundreds of activists, many of them teenagers, surrounded her outside U.N. headquarters, chanting, "Fossil lobbyists have got to go" and, "It's too hot!" — referriang to global warming. It was the New York edition of her weekly Fridays For Future, the student school strikes she has inspired in about 100 cities worldwide.
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| UPDATE 4-U.S. says Iranian oil tanker headed towards Syria Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:25 AM PDT ![UPDATE 4-U.S. says Iranian oil tanker headed towards Syria]( "UPDATE 4-U.S. says Iranian oil tanker headed towards Syria") OSLO/ISTANBUL, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Turkey said on Friday that an Iranian oil tanker at the centre of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran was headed to Lebanon's waters, but the United States later said the ship was sailing to Syria. According to Refinitiv tracking data, the Adrian Darya, formerly called Grace 1, after changing course several times headed on Friday for Turkey's Iskenderun port, 200 km (124 miles) north of Syria's Baniyas refinery, the tanker's suspected original destination.
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| Polling house of horror: Today's Toon Posted: 29 Aug 2019 07:42 PM PDT  Want to keep up with USA TODAY's editorial cartoons? Bookmark this page. We'll update it frequently.
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| View Every Angle of the 2019 Jeep Renegade Posted: 30 Aug 2019 04:59 PM PDT |
| Boston's Straight Pride Parade draws hundreds of marchers and even more counter protesters Posted: 31 Aug 2019 04:26 PM PDT  After months of debate, a Straight Pride Parade took place place Saturday in Boston. They were outnumbered by counter protesters.
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| 5,000 bodies found in unmarked graves in Mexico since 2006 Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:54 PM PDT  Nearly 5,000 bodies have been found in more than 3,000 unmarked graves since Mexico deployed the army to fight drug trafficking in 2006, the government said Friday in its first comprehensive report on the carnage. Mexico has been hit by a wave of violence since launching the so-called "drug war," and activists and family members of the country's 40,000 missing persons have been denouncing mass graves for years. It found 3,024 unmarked graves nationwide, with at least 4,974 bodies, Karla Quintana, head of the national search commission for missing persons, told a news conference alongside President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on International Day of the Disappeared.
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| Thousands protest British PM Johnson's move to suspend parliament Posted: 31 Aug 2019 06:13 AM PDT  LONDON/BELFAST (Reuters) - Thousands of people across Britain and Northern Ireland protested on Saturday against Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend parliament for about a month before the deadline for the country to leave the European Union. Johnson has pledged to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal on future relations with the bloc.
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| The US put sanctions on a Hezbollah-linked bank, a likely show of support for Israel as conflict with Lebanon looms Posted: 30 Aug 2019 07:27 AM PDT  The US sanctions came from the Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Control (OFAC) and targeted Jammal Trust Bank,
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| Woman left alone as she gave birth in jail cell says 'pain was indescribable' Posted: 30 Aug 2019 01:58 AM PDT  A Colorado woman is suing after she was forced to give birth to her child, alone in a jail cell, while screaming and pleading for help from staff that paid her virtually no mind.In the hours leading up to the birth of her child on July 31, 2018, surveillance footage shows 26-year-old Diana Sanchez repeatedly attempt to alert jail staff that she was in labour, her water had broken, and that she was in desperate need of medical attention.
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| Girls schools could admit trans boys under proposals being considered by equalities watchdog Posted: 30 Aug 2019 03:01 AM PDT  Girls schools would have to admit transgender pupils under proposals being considered by the equalities watchdog. The confidential Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) draft guidance, leaked to The Telegraph, reveals that schools could be set to consider admissions of trans students to single-sex schools on a "case-by-case approach". Schools were supposed to be issued with the first official national guidelines on transgender children in March 2018. The change to guidelines were set to tackle issues such as what pronouns teachers should use for trans pupils, as well as guidance on changing rooms, uniforms and bullying. However, following repeated delays, it has never been published. The EHRC claims to have sought views from teachers, education experts, women's groups and trans groups and it is understood that this is the cause of the delay. It is unclear at what stage this guidance was drafted. However The Telegraph can now reveal details of the draft guidance - entitled Trans pupils: guidance for schools in Scotland on the Equality Act 2010 - Confidential DRAFT - which has never before been made public. Gender-neutral terms | Checklist It says that: "A refusal to admit a trans pupil to a single-sex school which is the same as the trans pupil's sex recorded at birth would be direct sex discrimination. Admitting such a pupil will not affect the school's single-sex status. "A pupil who has transitioned, or wants to, must be allowed to continue to attend the school; to remove them would amount to direct gender reassignment discrimination." The document also says: "An admission policy of only admitting pupils in accordance with their sex recorded at birth would particularly disadvantage trans pupils, and would be indirectly discriminatory against trans pupils, unless it could be demonstrated to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim." The guidance also urges schools to install gender-neutral toilets, changing and shower rooms wherever possible, a contentious area among feminists who say female-only spaces should be protected. The document says if not, "trans boys and trans girls can use the single-sex facilities that align with their gender identity if they wish to do so." On the controversial area of sex categories in sports, the leaked EHRC document encourages schools to "consider ways of enabling all pupils to participate in sports, including competitive events that align with their gender identity." The leaked document has prompted controversy among the feminist academic and women's rights campaigners, with critics claiming that it will have controversial implications for single-sex schools and "shows what a mess we create when we conflate sex and gender". UK trends in children's happiness with different aspects of life Meanwhile trans rights and childrens charities say it is paramount that transgender children can " live their life freely" and that all schools take steps to create "inclusive environments" for vulnerable students. The EHRC, which acts as the nation's human rights watchdog, said that the leaked guidance was only a draft and that finalised guidance to help schools understand their obligations under the Equalities Act 2010 would be shared with schools across England, Scotland and Wales "in due course". Kiri Tunks, co-founder of Woman's Place UK, a women's campaign group, said: "This guidance shows what a mess we create when we conflate sex and gender. The EHRC seems very confused about the difference and this advice will just muddy the waters further. "The EHRC is right that publicly funded schools are obliged by the Public Sector Equality Duty to foster good relations between protected characteristics but they also have a responsibility to assess the impact of any changes they make which could affect other protected groups. We are losing confidence in the EHRC's ability to issue robust, practical advice on this question." Kathleen Stock, professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex, said that educational guidance should not be based on a "usually transitory feeling". She said: "We have to remember that literally the only criterion of telling who is a trans child and who isn't is that they say so. It's based on a feeling. "Moreover it's a feeling that we know most will grow out of. Assuming that there are good reasons to retain single sex provision in certain schools, it's incomprehensible that these reasons should be overidden in favour of a usually transitory feeling." However, Mermaids, the charity which supports transgender youth in the UK, said it was important that transgender children's rights "to live their life freely" is respected and supported. A spokesman for the charity said: "We haven't played any part in forming the Scottish Guidance, so we're unable to comment on the contents of this document. We're sorry to see it's been leaked because organisations have been working on this guidance for several years and we would be disappointed to see any further delay to its publishing. "As ever, we believe in every transgender child's right to live their life freely and with support and understanding." British Medical Association | Gender guidance According to the latest research by Stonewall, the LGBT charity, almost half of all LGBT pupils still face bullying at school, and more than two in five trans young people have tried to take their own life Their report, entitled School report 2017, surveyed more than 3,700 LGBT pupils in British schools and was carried out in conjunction with the University of Cambridge's Centre for Family Research. A spokeswoman for the charity said: "Trans young people need supportive environments now more than ever, as we know from our research that nearly two-thirds of trans pupils (64 per cent) have experienced bullying. It's vital all schools take active steps to create inclusive environments for trans pupils, or those who may be questioning their gender." An EHRC spokeswoman said: "This document is a draft. We have been speaking to teachers and education experts, women's groups and trans groups for their views. This will be an important document for schools to help them support all children and meet their legal duties under the equality act."
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| Meet El Paso’s Punk Rock Border Angels Posted: 31 Aug 2019 02:15 AM PDT  HandoutIf you are looking for the epicenter of America's current moral and psychic crisis, head for El Paso. The divided border city is a clash of two distinctly American visions. One, a dream of diversity and multiculturalism—all-night fusion restaurants, Native American cafes with great cactus stew, and Tex-Mex skacore mosh pits that go all night. The other, a darker vision, that threatens it all, is a gentrifying monocultural nightmare masking a history of genocide and torture that erupts into white supremacist terrorism, xenophobia, and violence and which has been amped to a fever pitch under Donald Trump.Throw in tens of thousands of asylum seekers from across the world seeking to make their home in the U.S.A. and you have the place where the battle for the soul of the American Dream is taking place.El Paso is where diversity fights for a home against America's own racist, psychotic demons, and asylum seekers fight for their vision of a better life. Even as the city is reeling from the deadliest racist terrorist violence in its recent history, new threats of racist violence are a part of life for those fighting for justice and human rights. HandoutIn the midst of all of this, a small group of indigenous activists are trying to make a stand. Their message: let's be human about this whole immigration thing please? They've formed an ad hoc consortium of punk-rock humanitarian folks, "Food Not Walls/Cosecha El Paso." It's a homegrown NGO that delivers supplies to migrants and tries to track down their separated children. It is doing God's work. Or, rather, let's say human work, because this is a fight for our humanity itself. Fighting the tide of hate and criminalization of immigrants, these folks are saying: we need to feed and clothe those in harm's way. "We are here to help the asylum seekers," says Crystal Moran from Food Not Walls/Cosecha El Paso. "We have seen horrible conditions—overcrowding them in pens, no access to clean water, holding asylum seekers under the bridge basically out in the open where it was freezing cold, kids getting sick, with nothing but mylar blankets. It was horrible." As we ride through the streets in Moran's souped-up black Mustang, everywhere are the physical reminders of recent atrocities: here a huge football-field sized tent city where thousands of migrants were held in unsanitary conditions, a place where police brutalized and arrested protesters. We pass by hidden guard posts under highway overpasses; places where migrants drowned; militarized CBP, DHS and ICE on street corners and in bars; and huge military installations ringing the city. And it seems like everywhere you look—the wall, the wall, the wall. As you ride the border highway, the wall dances along the Rio Grande, jumps over bridges and overpasses, it ripples along like a mirage that is always somehow right next to you, like a phantasm looking over your shoulder, a dark shadow that streaks across the center of your mind. A constant reminder that when you peer into Mexico, across the ravine into Juarez, that you can't get there from here or vice versa.Crystal and I drop off supplies to Annunciation House, a charitable organization operating out of a warehouse where migrants are trying to regroup after detention. The atmosphere is one of hushed secrecy. The threat of violence against those trying to help migrants is palpable, constant. Crystal is unpaid, and like her cohorts at this tiny NGO, she spends most of her free time trying to help the migrants. She sees her activism as part of her indigenous culture—she is Coahuilteco and practices Aztec dance. She reminds me, "These migration routes are thousands of years old, they exist far before any borders."We rush to a relative's house for more supplies to deliver—food, clothes, diapers, feminine hygiene products—and the phone rings. Juan Ortiz is assisting our trip by phone from his hospital bed in Dallas. Juan, one of Food Not Walls/Cosecha El Paso's founders, was viciously beaten in a confrontation with white supremacists at an El Paso restaurant in May.It was his birthday. They shattered his fibula and tibula—class 4 complex fractures or breaks. He was stomped and kicked, resulting in his pectoralis major muscle being ripped off of his humerus bone. His shirt and face were imprinted with the pattern of the soles from the bottom of his aggressors' shoes. "It seems like the world is descending on us in El Paso," he says, telling me of how his hometown has become a favorite place for white supremacists and vigilantes to occupy, carrying out bizarro anti-immigrant missions. "A militia group came down and they were actually detaining people, pretending to be border patrol. There were so many groups in El Paso that were scared to speak up because there is a growing presence of right-wingers who are coming down. The militarization of our community isn't just the uniformed military, it is the culture that they are bringing." "Ever since the Trump rally in February of 2019," he adds, "we've seen a new kind of boldness, which is much more than armed guards. They are in our home trying to change our politics."And every few days, it seems, there's another incident. The horrific terrorist attack on Aug. 3 that killed 24 people at an El Paso Walmart was not only an outright assault against asylum seekers and people of color, but the murderous manifestation of anti-immigrant rhetoric that has brought white supremacists flocking to El Paso. Fueled by the xenophobia of the Trump administration and its boosters, brutal racist attacks continually threaten those working for human rights in the region. "This shooter was the foot solider, but his commander in chief is Trump and their constitution is white supremacy," added Ortiz.On the night of Aug. 7, a white supremacist Trump supporter wearing blue latex gloves and brandishing a knife was arrested outside the group's small community space. Police recovered a loaded gun and live ammunition. This happened just as Trump departed El Paso and it followed a pattern of local organizers being targeted and increased violence and hate crimes. "This terrified the community. Three women ran by me panicked, saying 'he is about to start shooting us. He is about to start shooting us,'" says Christy Velez.An aid worker who requested anonymity because of consistent threats of violence puts it a different way: "They are training here for the race wars of the future." As we speed by Fort Bliss, one of the largest military bases in the U.S., she reminds me that the policy of family separation and the relocation of children, which has caused such outrage and shock of late, has always been with us. It was a staple of both slavery and the Native American genocide. It has always been a part of American policy towards black and brown people. "We don't need to look to Nazi Germany as an example of genocide," she says, "it has always been right here. It starts here."All the activists here refuse to use any of the language of the oppressors when referring to the thousands migrating here—they are not illegals, nor refugees. They are simply "asylum seekers."But if this is an asylum, Christy Velez is keeping me sane. She makes frequent trips across the border to Juarez. She often supports migrants with food, clothing and other aid straight out of her own pocket. She and her group of punk rock border angels have taken it upon themselves to do what the federal government has failed to do: provide a human face for the United States of America. Velez has ties to both sides of the border—a substantial part of her family was split by the border wall, many of her cousins live on the Mexican side of the divided city. HandoutShe has offered to escort me to Juarez, Mexico, to interview an asylum seeker who is being helped by her organization. Not many asylum seekers want to speak to the press, let alone be on camera, so I jump at the chance.When we cross the bridge into Juarez, we immediately see bus stops and lampposts plastered with pink crosses and flyers showing missing and murdered women. You cannot walk three blocks in Juarez without seeing a shrine or a symbol or a protest or a missing person's flyer with a face of some young beautiful, innocent, wide-eyed girl who's been abducted or murdered. Even though half of her family lives here, when I ask Velez if she is afraid of being abducted herself when she comes on her humanitarian missions to Juarez she says, "Of course. Over 1,500 women have been disappeared." But brushing aside fear for her own safety to do her work is clearly a part of her daily life and mission. Velez and other Food Not Walls activists have been delivering supplies to migrants on both sides of the border for years now, sometimes by gathering donations for local aid organizations like Annunciation House, other times by staging civil disobedience actions aimed at calling attention to the brutality of the border camps. After a breakneck ride through the Juarez streets with Velez's cousins, we arrive at the parking lot of a small motel. We meet our subject there. We have only a few moments to talk. Five-foot nothing, skinny and wearing the same clothes for weeks, our subject, who shall remain nameless, talks to me out of the sheer desire to try to locate her sisters and out of the will to encourage other migrants and asylum seekers not to back down. It is a remarkable display of poise and, well, to put it mildly, gumption.In Colombia, she says, she faced extortion. She couldn't pay the local gang who threatened her life, and her two little sisters were so afraid of the circumstances they could not go to school. She decided to leave to seek help from her aunt who lives in San Antonio.In her words, she left "to find a better life, to pursue her dreams." Immediately upon declaring asylum in El Paso, her two sisters, ages 12 and 4, who had made the three-week trek to El Paso with her in search of a better more peaceful life were taken from her. Separated instantly without a trace. At the time of this interview, she hadn't seen them in more than two weeks.When I ask her if CBP or ICE or any border agencies involved have given her any way to find where her young vulnerable sisters are, she says simply, "No." No tracking number, no receipt, no information about their location or whereabouts, no contact number or agent to call, no nothing. Just GONE. Disappeared. Somewhere in the system. OR somewhere out of it. Two young girls, aged 12 and 4, simply vanished. Six weeks later, there is still no trace, no information.HandoutNow, the only hope she has of contacting them or finding her way to them is through the charity of Food Not Walls/Cosecha El Paso and other agencies helping her that are paying her guesthouse for the time being. Can you imagine? You travel for weeks with your two young sisters and immediately they're taken away from you and they are never mentioned again. No one can tell you where they are. No one can tell you if they're OK. No one can tell you if they're getting proper medical support or food or nutrition. No one can tell you what is happening to them. They could be in El Paso or they could be in New York or they could be in Missouri. They could be in one of the other hundreds of detainee facilities in America—loaded on a plane and shipped somewhere else, put in a foster family not their own. Nobody knows.In spite of this incredible hardship, she remains calm and poised in the interview. She is undeterred by the hardships she has endured. Her last comment simply was to other migrants:"Don't give up if they treat you badly here. Persist and fight through. Fight for your dreams. Fight for your dreams." Isn't that fighting spirit what is supposed to make this country great? Isn't that where the American dream is born?Tell me that this person is a criminal. Listen to what she says and tell me that this person wouldn't be a benefit to any community. Then look at Donald Trump and his supporter's racist rantings, and brutal beatings and terrorist massacres, and tell me who's more hateful.Tell me who's more dangerous. Tell me who you'd rather run into at Walmart.Tell me who you'd rather have as a neighbor.Josh Fox is an Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning filmmaker, journalist and author. He will tour with his latest film and book, THE TRUTH HAS CHANGED, about immigration, climate change, and journalism, this fall and winter.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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| Hurricane Dorian path update shows storm track could turn, potentially impact Carolinas Posted: 31 Aug 2019 03:36 PM PDT  Hurricane Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm. Latest models show Dorian turning before landfall in Florida meaning possible impact near the NC coast later this week.
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