| Mueller witness bragged about access to Clintons secured with illegal campaign cash, says Justice Department Posted: 05 Dec 2019 11:38 AM PST  An emissary for two Arab princes boasted to unnamed officials of a Middle Eastern government about his direct access to Hillary and Bill Clinton while funneling more than $3.5 million in illegal campaign contributions to the 2016 Clinton campaign and Democratic fundraising committees, according to a federal indictment.
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| Report: Officer recorded kissing Chicago chief reassigned Posted: 05 Dec 2019 01:50 PM PST  A female officer who was reportedly caught on video kissing then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson at a popular restaurant in October was transferred weeks later from his personal security detail to another role on the police force, a department spokesman said. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed to WBEZ that the officer, who was appointed to Johnson's security detail in 2016, was reassigned in early November to the technical services bureau. Johnson's attorney, Thomas Needham, didn't respond to questions about a relationship or the officer's transfer, the radio station reported.
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| California congressman Duncan Hunter announces resignation after corruption plea Posted: 06 Dec 2019 02:39 PM PST  Hunter's announcement that he would step down came days after the leading California lawmaker, a former U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, entered his guilty plea in federal court in San Diego. "Shortly after the Holidays I will resign from Congress," Hunter, 42, said in a written statement released by his communications director.
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| Michael Bloomberg on the all-white Democratic debate: 'Don't complain to me that you're not in the race' Posted: 06 Dec 2019 07:43 AM PST ![Michael Bloomberg on the all-white Democratic debate: 'Don't complain to me that you're not in the race']( "Michael Bloomberg on the all-white Democratic debate: 'Don't complain to me that you're not in the race'") Michael Bloomberg doesn't see anything wrong with being another white man in the increasingly less diverse 2020 field.As Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) recently pointed out after Bloomberg's entry to and Sen. Kamala Harris' (D-Calif.) departure from the 2020 presidential race, there are now "more billionaires than black people" running for president. But when confronted with that fact in a CBS This Morning interview, Bloomberg, one of those aforementioned billionaires, didn't seem to think it was a problem.In the interview aired Friday, Gayle King asked Bloomberg if it was a "problem" that the December Democratic primary debate might not have any people of color on the stage. "It would be better the more diverse any group is, but the public is out there picking and choosing," Bloomberg responded. He then pointed out that there was a more diverse field earlier in the race.Then, King asked Bloomberg to response to suggestions that he's "another old, white gentleman" in the race, and that it's "time for change." "Maybe," Bloomberg acknowledged, and then added "If you wanted to enter and run for president of the United States, you could have done that. But don't complain to me that you're not in the race."> .@MikeBloomberg on candidates' diversity: "Don't complain to me that you're not in the race" https://t.co/WBIekwdeZh pic.twitter.com/Ca0QlMn6DH> > — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) December 6, 2019Bloomberg also explained his recent decision to apologize for the "stop and frisk" policy he pursued as New York City mayor by asserting he only said he was sorry for it now because "nobody asked me about it until I started running for president."More stories from theweek.com Trump's pathological obsession with being laughed at The most important day of the impeachment inquiry Jerry Falwell Jr.'s false gospel of memes
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| The wife of disgraced Papa John's founder John Schnatter has filed for divorce Posted: 06 Dec 2019 07:33 AM PST  The filing came a little more than a week after John Schnatter's viral interview in which he said he had eaten 40 pizzas in 30 days.
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| Weather whiplash to bring warmup, heavy rain and flood threat followed by Arctic blast to Northeast Posted: 05 Dec 2019 09:25 AM PST  As the holidays approach and many may find themselves dreaming of a white Christmas, Mother Nature has a different idea up her sleeves. The weather pattern will soon be reversed in the northeastern United States, allowing wintry landscapes to transform into a sloppy, muddy mess instead.Forecasters are closely watching a storm system that is expected to take shape and track toward the Great Lakes early next week -- and it will be the player that will help to flip the weather conditions in the East. As wintry weather and yet another snowstorm are predicted for portions of the Midwest, surging warm and moist air will race out ahead of the system.Temperatures are expected to rebound to the 30s over the northern tier to near 50 F in parts of Virginia as a southerly breeze develops on Sunday.On Monday, temperatures are forecast to surge into the 40s across the northern tier and the 50s and 60s across part of the mid-Atlantic region. The warm air combined with rain will dissolve the deep snow over part of the Northeast, potentially leading to flooding issues for some communities. Recent storms have buried parts of New York state and central and northern New England under as much as 1-3 feet of snow in the last couple of weeks. A car makes its way through a snowy landscape in Highland Falls, N.J., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. The last of the snow is falling over parts of New Jersey after leaving behind power outages in the northwest part of the state. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) That snowcover contains a significant amount of locked-up moisture, called the snow-water equivalent.Within the existing snow on the ground, there is between 1 and 5 inches of water as of Thursday, Dec. 5.Many areas, including those places where deep snow is on the ground, may stay well above freezing Sunday night, which can allow the snow to soften up. This image was taken from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019. (NOAA) Some of the deep snow may harmlessly melt from Sunday to early Monday before the storm and its soaking rain arrives, but there is a risk that surging temperatures, moist air and drenching rain may cause a rapid meltdown of the existing snowcover from later Monday into Tuesday.Instead of releasing the 1-5 inches of water by itself, another 1-2 inches of water may be added in depending on the intensity of the rainfall that occurs. "Since the ground is not frozen, some of the melting snow and rain will be absorbed by the soil and should avoid disastrous stream and river flooding," Dale Mohler, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said.However, some quick rises on small streams are likely with minor flooding possible in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding during heavy rain or spring thaw events. Some of the rivers may surge to bank full as well."Even if only part of the snow melts and only a light amount of rain falls, piles of snow along streets and highways that are blocking storm drains can lead to urban flooding," Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said.Anderson said that property owners should make sure that runoff has easy access to storm drains ahead of the system's arrival to reduce the risk of flooding as a precaution."Even in some of the major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City where there is no appreciable snow on the ground, enough rain can fall to cause travel delays and ponding on roads that drain poorly," Dave Bowers, AccuWeather forecaster, said.Ski resorts in the region that have gotten off to their earliest start in recent years will take a hit from the storm. Those seeking ideal ski conditions are encouraged to hit the slopes into Sunday, before the rainstorm arrives.Along with bringing a swath of heavy snow to part of the Upper Midwest, next week's storm is predicted to unleash Arctic air in its wake later Tuesday and Wednesday. Remaining areas of slush and standing water can freeze as temperatures plummet across the northeastern U.S. There is a chance that the cold air may catch up with the back end of the rain and cause a period of snow at the tail end of the storm at midweek.Since the storm will be weak rather than strong, it's possible that a secondary storm may develop along the push of frigid air, according to AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno."I am pretty convinced that a storm is going to form along this boundary [between warmer air in place and colder air surging] into the Carolinas Tuesday night. Then, the question becomes does the storm goes out to sea and the cold front blasts out to sea? Or, does the storm have enough energy because of all of the energy associated with the jet stream that the storm strengthens? And, if it does, it won't go out to sea. It will come up the coast. If the storm does strengthen, you've got to worry about a snowstorm," Rayno said.The I-95 corridor of the mid-Atlantic and eastern New England could face snow if the latter and stronger scenario unfolds. If a weaker secondary storm develops, then it will likely push out to sea. If a secondary storm forms and it strengthens enough, it may bring snow to the Northeast. No indications are currently pointing to a big snowstorm developing and rather it could be more of a nuisance snowfall, according to Rayno.However, this type of weather pattern has yielded major snowstorms in the past, and meteorologists will have to keep a watchful eye on how all of the weather players come together, Rayno added.AccuWeather meteorologists are also tracking the potential for yet another significant storm toward the middle of the month, warning that it could be disruptive to the eastern U.S. Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| A woman got the incurable condition 'cobalt lung' after vaping marijuana for just 6 months Posted: 05 Dec 2019 10:02 AM PST  She's the first known vaping-related case. Steroids can help with symptoms like chronic coughing, but lung scarring is permanent.
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| History Book Nightmare: Russia Could Have Nuked Away America's Submarine Fleet Posted: 05 Dec 2019 09:30 PM PST  By cutting off communications.
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| Former Republican Amash Announces He’ll Vote Yes on Three Articles of Impeachment Posted: 06 Dec 2019 12:05 PM PST  Representative Justin Amash (I, Mich.) confirmed Friday that he would vote to approve three articles of impeachment laid out by Democrats against President Trump, saying "there's certainly probable cause to issue charges" against the president for his dealings in Ukraine.While Amash told CNN's Manu Raju he wanted to see the final language of the articles of impeachment, he said he will likely support impeachment based on obstruction of Congress, obstruction of justice and abuse of power."I think there's sufficient evidence for all three," Amash said. "Impeachment is like an indictment."> "I think there's sufficient evidence for all three," Amash said. "Impeachment is like an indictment … There's certainly probable cause to issue charges."> > -- Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 6, 2019Amash, who left the Republican Party earlier this year, sparred with Trump and Republicans over the findings of the Mueller Report, saying in May that "President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.""In fact, Mueller's report identifies multiple examples of conduct satisfying all the elements of obstruction of justice, and undoubtedly any person who is not the president of the United States would be indicted based on such evidence," Amash tweeted at the time. "Impeachment, which is a special form of indictment, does not even require probable cause that a crime (e.g., obstruction of justice) has been committed; it simply requires a finding that an official has engaged in careless, abusive, corrupt, or otherwise dishonorable conduct."The president then fired back, calling the congressman a "total lightweight."> ….he would see that it was nevertheless strong on NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION…Anyway, how do you Obstruct when there is no crime and, in fact, the crimes were committed by the other side? Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!> > -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2019In October, Amash joined Democrats in a partisan vote to formalize impeachment proceedings and to introduce public hearings. Earlier this week, Amash criticized Democrats for "not engaging more with" constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley during a House Judicial Committee hearing. Turley, who was called by House Republicans as a witness, was not asked a single question by Democrats during morning questioning on Wednesday.> Democrats made a strategic error in not engaging more with Turley. They need to persuade people in the middle and missed an opportunity by spending most of their time questioning their experts rather than Turley, whose testimony was potentially most damaging to President Trump.> > -- Justin Amash (@justinamash) December 5, 2019
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| Germany's Merkel voices 'shame' during 1st Auschwitz visit Posted: 06 Dec 2019 02:31 AM PST  German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced a feeling of "deep shame" during her first-ever visit on Friday to the hallowed grounds of the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Adolf Hitler's regime murdered more than a million people. Merkel noted that her visit comes amid rising anti-Semitism and historical revisionism and vowed that Germany would not tolerate anti-Semitism.
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| 19 unforgettable images from the Pearl Harbor attack 78 years ago Posted: 05 Dec 2019 02:03 PM PST  December 7, 1941 began as a perfect Sunday morning. These photos show the attack by Imperial Japan that changed history.
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| Support for Elizabeth Warren drops to lowest since August in White House race: Reuters/Ipsos poll Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:40 PM PST  Support for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren dropped nationally to its lowest level in four months, and nearly one in three potential Democratic primary voters say they do not know which candidate to pick with the first nominating contests less than two months away, according to a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll. The poll, conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, found the level of indecision has jumped among of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents after an already wide slate of candidates underwent a considerable amount of recent turnover ahead of the November 2020 election. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California quit the race this week, and two new candidates, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, jumped in the race late last month.
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| Six months of sacrifice: Hong Kong's protesters take stock Posted: 05 Dec 2019 07:45 PM PST  With Beijing taking a hard line, it has since broadened into a call to halt authoritarian China's attempts to erode freedoms in the city. Raymond Yeung, a liberal studies teacher at the elite Diocesan Girls' School, joined the movement early and was there on June 12 when a massive protest descended into violence. Protesters broke into the forecourt of the city's legislative building, throwing objects including metal bars at police.
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| Bombs Away! The Powerful B-52 Bomber Is Getting Even More Deadly Posted: 05 Dec 2019 02:00 PM PST  Time for an upgrade.
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| Hillary Clinton says Trump ‘shocked into silence’ by her offer of help after he won presidency Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:54 AM PST  In her debut appearance on popular radio program The Howard Stern Show, Hillary Clinton said she stunned Donald Trump into silence when she offered to help him in his presidency.Ms Clinton has been on a promotional tour for a book she wrote with her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, called 'The Book of Gutsy Women' and sat down with Mr Stern on Wednesday.
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| Germany: 'No understanding' for Russia outrage on expulsions Posted: 06 Dec 2019 03:59 AM PST  German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff is urging Russia to support the investigation of a killing prosecutors say appears to have ordered by Russian or Chechen authorities, and says he has "no understanding" for outraged reactions from Moscow. Germany expelled two Russian diplomats on Wednesday over the brazen killing of a Georgian man on the streets of Berlin in August. German federal prosecutors said evidence suggested the slaying was ordered either by Moscow or authorities in Russia's republic of Chechnya.
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| Two school shootings a day apart: Wisconsin reckons with impact of armed guards Posted: 05 Dec 2019 01:04 PM PST  Shootings involving resource officers renew debate over the role of armed teachers or police in schools Shootings a day apart at two high schools in Wisconsin have shaken the state and sparked a renewed debate over how to combat violence in American schools.An Oshkosh police department resource officer shot a 16-year-old student Tuesday after the boy stabbed him in the officer's office at Oshkosh West high school. A day earlier, a resource officer at Waukesha South high school helped clear students out of a classroom after a 17-year-old student pointed a pellet gun at another student's head. Another police officer entered the room and shot the student.Neither of the students who were shot suffered life-threatening injuries. The Democratic governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, called the shootings "breathtaking and tragic"."The trauma that happens because of this just ripples through the community," Evers added. "It will take time for people to recover from this. Trauma is a significant issue. We have to be patient."The debate about the role of armed teachers or police in schools has been a constant in the wake of school shootings across the country. But rarely have armed resource officers been able to prevent a shooting.An estimated 43% of public schools have armed officers on campus, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics. The survey covered the 2015-2016 school year, the most recent year surveyed. That figure doesn't include schools with armed private security guards or teachers and administrators who carry guns.The US Department of Justice has adopted best practices for resource officers from the National Association of School Resources. Those guidelines call for resource officers to serve as police officers as well as teachers and mentors.Nasro recommends such officers have three years of experience and says they should be willing to engage with students and have excellent communication skills. They should complete a school-based policing course before being assigned to the beat and complete an advanced school policing course Nasro provides within a year of completing the basic course. They also should complete biannual training on how lone officers should handle threats and assailants.No Wisconsin laws spell out any special requirements for resource officers or restrictions on their weapons. But the state department of justice has adopted best practices similar to Nasro's recommendations, calling for officers to work with schools on the extent of their duties, the skills they need, and where school discipline ends and illegal conduct begins. The state guidelines also suggest officers receive training in child development, restraint policies and de-escalation strategies.It's not clear what led to Tuesday's stabbing at Oshkosh West high school, which has 1,700 students. The police chief, Dean Smith, said that the officer and the student got into an "altercation" in the officer's office, the student stabbed the officer with an edged weapon – Smith declined to elaborate – and the officer opened fire with his 9mm pistol, hitting the student once. It's unclear how many times the officer may have fired. Officials said the officer has 21 years of experience with the Oshkosh police department and has served as a school resource officer since 2017.At Waukesha South high school, 80 miles (130km) south of Oshkosh in suburban Milwaukee, a 17-year-old student apparently grew angry with another student and pointed a pellet gun at the other student. The school's resource officer helped clear students from the classroom.Linda Ager told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Waukesha shooting happened in the classroom of her husband, Brett Hart, a special education teacher at Waukesha South. Ager said her husband restrained the student until the resource officer arrived.At some point, another officer entered the room and shot the student who refused to drop the weapon. Police said the boy pointed the gun at officers as they confronted him.Police said the student with the pellet gun underwent surgery and was in stable condition."Today's tragic event shows that trained school resource officers can save lives," Vickie Cartwright, the Oshkosh superintendent, said at a news conference on Tuesday.As school shootings have become more frequent, gun rights advocates and gun control advocates have sparred over how best to respond to them. Supporters of gun restrictions have argued that putting more guns in schools does little to prevent shootings and just puts students at greater risk.Last year armed guards at three high-profile school shootings – Marshall county high school in Benton, Kentucky; Majory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida; and Santa Fe high school in Texas – were unable to stop those shootings. In Parkland, the school's resource officer remained outside rather than enter the building to engage the shooter and try to stop it.But gun-rights advocates believe having more armed educators and law enforcement in schools will help stop a shooter from going on a rampage."This confirms that action can, and should, be taken to mitigate harm and limit casualties when weapons are brought into school," Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican, said on Tuesday.Evers, the Wisconsin governor, said he is committed to working with Republicans who control the legislature on increasing mental health funding for schools.Evers said on WTMJ-Radio that he thinks Republicans will work with him on that, even though they did not provide as much funding for mental health programs as Evers requested in the state budget approved this summer. Republicans also refused to take up a pair of gun safety bills earlier this year that Evers said were part of the solution to combating violence in schools.Evers, a former state superintendent of schools who worked as a principal, school superintendent and administrator before he was elected governor, said the issue is particularly striking for him, given his background and the fact that has three grown children and nine grandchildren. Two of his children attended the high school in Oshkosh where the shooting occurred."Our kids need help," he said. "I've been around long enough to see how this has amplified over time. The time is now to take it on."
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| Indian rape victim set ablaze by gang of men on her way to court as outrage grows over violence against women Posted: 05 Dec 2019 10:12 AM PST  A 23-year-old rape victim is in critical condition after being set on fire by a group of men, including two of her alleged rapists, as she made her way to court in northern India on Thursday. It came after thousands took to the streets of several cities on Monday to protest the brutal rape and murder of a 27-year-old vet in Hyderabad and called for the rape cases to be fast-tracked and for rapists to be given tougher punishments. A June 2018 survey of 550 experts on women's issues by the Thomson Reuters Foundation found India was the worst country in the world for sexual violence against women. 32,000 rapes were recorded by the National Crime Records Bureau in 2017 although 99 per cent of attacks are thought to go unreported. India also ranked top for human trafficking for domestic work, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual slavery. The 23-year-old victim was on her way to catch a train to a court hearing in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh when the mob doused her in kerosene and set her alight. Activists burn effigies of rapists in Amritsar Credit: NARINDER NANU/AFP via Getty Images Doctors treating the victim at the Civil Hospital in the regional capital of Lucknow said she had suffered 90 per cent burns and would be flown in an air ambulance for further treatment in Delhi. Police documents show the woman had filed a case with police in Unnao, alleging she was raped at gun-point in December, 2018. Her alleged rapist was released suddenly last week after securing bail, a police spokesperson said. It is not the first time that even the Unnao district has made headlines over a rape case. Women have taken to the streets to protest India's appalling record on women's rights Credit: SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images Police opened a murder investigation in July against a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after he allegedly orchestrated a fatal car crash against a minor who had accused him of rape. During Monday's outpouring of anger, one member of parliament suggested that India's rape problem could only be solved by publicly lynching attackers. On Thursday, police in the state of Madhya Pradesh confirmed they had arrested a man on suspicion of raping and murdering a 4-year-old girl on December 1. Local media also reported a teenager was allegedly gang-raped and killed in the state of Bihar on Tuesday.
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| Judge Allows Criminal Trial to Proceed against Pro-Life Investigators Posted: 06 Dec 2019 11:47 AM PST  A San Francisco judge ruled Friday that the criminal trial may move forward against the pro-life investigators who went undercover to record abortion industry executives talking about procuring fetal body parts.Judge Christopher Hite deemed the evidence sufficient to send to trial the case against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of the Center for Medical Progress, who are charged with nine felony counts, one count of conspiracy and eight counts of illegal taping. Six additional counts were dropped.Daleiden, 30, and Merritt, 64, several years ago surreptitiously recorded executives from Planned Parenthood and other organizations haggling about compensation for the procurement of fetal parts for researchers who request them.The Thomas More Society, representing the two pro-life investigators, announced the decision on Friday in a tweet.> BREAKING NEWS: 6 counts in David Daleiden's criminal case have been thrown out of court and 9 remain. Judge Hite deems the evidence enough to go to trial on 9 counts. More to follow!> > -- Thomas More Society (@ThomasMoreSoc) December 6, 2019Lila Rose, president of the pro-life group Live Action, called the charges against the investigators "unfounded and outrageous" in a statement on Friday's decision, saying they "have nothing to do with violating privacy or video recording laws but everything to do with protecting the powerful and wealthy abortion industry.""The same year David and Sandra published their recordings of Planned Parenthood employees haggling over the price of aborted baby body parts, videos taken by undercover animal rights activists were praised and led to investigations of abuse in the poultry industry," Rose said.Last month, the jury in the separate civil case against Daleiden and Merritt handed Planned Parenthood a win under federal racketeering statutes, awarding the abortion giant over $2.2 million.
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| Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin is working with the Federal Reserve to curtail another repo rate crisis, report says Posted: 06 Dec 2019 05:13 AM PST  Mnuchin told the House that he and Fed Chair Jerome Powell met multiple times to discuss liquidity concerns ahead of year-end reserve obligations.
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| Azerbaijan plants 650,000 trees to celebrate poet - but green activists grumble Posted: 06 Dec 2019 05:46 AM PST ![Azerbaijan plants 650,000 trees to celebrate poet - but green activists grumble]( "Azerbaijan plants 650,000 trees to celebrate poet - but green activists grumble") Oil-rich Azerbaijan planted more than half a million trees on Friday to celebrate a 14th century poet, an initiative the government said would help tackle climate change but some environmental activists called "a waste of money". The Azeri ministry of ecology said 650,000 trees were being planted across the country to mark the 650th anniversary of the birth of Seyid Imadeddin Nesimi, whose work touched on the relation between man and nature. Countries from India to Malawi have launched large-scale tree-planting efforts, but scientists have warned that such initiatives are not a panacea against global warming.
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| Hong Kong police sound alarm over homemade explosives Posted: 06 Dec 2019 12:04 AM PST  Hong Kong's much-maligned police force provided a rare behind-the-scenes look Friday at its bomb disposal squad to show the potentially deadly destructive force of homemade explosives seized during months of protests that have shaken the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. In July, police announced the seizure of about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of TATP, which has been used in militant attacks worldwide. Other recent seizures in Hong Kong involved far smaller amounts, just 1 gram, of TATP, or tri-acetone tri-peroxide.
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| India Is About to Start Targeting Citizens Without Proof of Ancestry Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:09 AM PST  All voting-age Indians may soon be asked to submit government-issued ID to prove citizenship. That may be a challenge for women, religious minorities and members of oppressed castes.
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| Justin Amash: Dems 'missed an opportunity' to 'persuade people' about Trump impeachment Posted: 05 Dec 2019 05:27 PM PST  Amash tweeted Thursday that "Democrats made a strategic error in not engaging more with" Jonathan Turley, who was the sole witness called by the GOP.
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| China imposes 'reciprocal' restrictions on US diplomats Posted: 06 Dec 2019 01:19 AM PST  China on Friday said it had taken "reciprocal" measures against US diplomats in the country, ordering them to notify the foreign ministry before meeting with local officials. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had notified the US embassy of the new measures on Wednesday, which she said were a "countermeasure" to Washington's decision in October to restrict Chinese diplomats. In October, the US ordered Chinese diplomats to notify the State Department in advance of any official meetings with US diplomats, local or municipal officials, and before any visits to colleges or research institutions.
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| Thousands of Las Vegas shooting victims will have to split an $800 million settlement. Now, 2 retired judges have to decide which victims deserve the most. Posted: 06 Dec 2019 03:50 PM PST  Though $800 million seems like an enormous settlement, some 4,500 people joined the lawsuit against MGM Resorts. Some will need more than others.
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| Mom, grandmother charged in baby's overdose death Posted: 06 Dec 2019 04:24 AM PST ![Mom, grandmother charged in baby's overdose death]( "Mom, grandmother charged in baby's overdose death") Alexus Lorraine Taylor, 17, and Laurie Ann Taylor, 43, were arrested Thursday on charges including manslaughter and first degree child abuse resulting in the July 27 death of Niyear Taylor, news outlets report. Anne Arundel County police called to their home in Curtis Bay were told the baby was unreponsive and had been wheezing before he fell asleep the night before.
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| Florida Keys Deliver a Hard Message: As Seas Rise, Some Places Can't Be Saved Posted: 05 Dec 2019 05:15 AM PST  KEY WEST, Fla. -- Officials in the Florida Keys announced what many coastal governments nationwide have long feared, but few have been willing to admit: As seas rise and flooding gets worse, not everyone can be saved.And in some places, it doesn't even make sense to try.On Wednesday morning, Rhonda Haag, the county's sustainability director, released the first results of the county's yearslong effort to calculate how high its 300 miles of roads must be elevated to stay dry, and at what cost. Those costs were far higher than her team expected -- and those numbers, she said, show that some places can't be protected, at least at a price that taxpayers can be expected to pay."I never would have dreamed we would say 'no,'" Haag said in an interview. "But now, with the real estimates coming in, it's a different story. And it's not all doable."The results released Wednesday focus on a single 3-mile stretch of road at the southern tip of Sugarloaf Key, a small island 15 miles up U.S. Highway 1 from Key West. To keep those 3 miles of road dry year-round in 2025 would require raising it by 1.3 feet, at a cost of $75 million, or $25 million per mile. Keeping the road dry in 2045 would mean elevating it 2.2 feet, at a cost of $128 million. To protect against expected flooding levels in 2060, the cost would jump to $181 million.And all that to protect about two dozen homes."I can't see staff recommending to raise this road," Haag said. "Those are taxpayer dollars, and as much as we love the Keys, there's going to be a time when it's going to be less population."The people who live on that 3-mile stretch of road were less understanding. If the county feels that other parts of the Keys ought to be saved, said Leon Mense, a 63-year-old office manager at a medical clinic, then at least don't make him pay for it."So somebody in the city thinks they deserve more of my tax money than I do?" Manse asked. "Then don't charge us taxes, how does that sound?"She suggested the county could offer residents a ferry, water taxis, or some other kind of boat during the expanding window during which the road is expected to go underwater during the fall high tides."If that's three months a year for the next 20 years, and that gets them a decade or two, that's perhaps worth it," Haag said. "We can do a lot. But we can't do it all."At a climate change conference in Key West on Wednesday, Roman Gastesi, the Monroe County manager, said elected leaders will have to figure out how to make those difficult calls."How do you tell somebody, 'We're not going to build the road to get to your home'? And what do we do?" Gastesi asked. "Do we buy them out? And how do we buy them out -- is it voluntary? Is it eminent domain? How do we do that?"Administrators and elected officials are going to have to start to rely on a "word nobody likes to use," Gastesi said, "and that's 'retreat.'"The county's elected officials must now decide whether to accept that recommendation. The mayor of Monroe County, Heather Carruthers, said she hopes the cost of raising the roads turns out to be lower than what her staff have found, as the need for adaptation leads to better technology.Still, Carruthers said, "We can't protect every single house."Asked how she expected residents would respond, Carruthers said she expects pushback. "I'm sure that some of them will be very irate, and we'll probably face some lawsuits," she said. "But we can't completely keep the water away."The odds of the county winning future possible lawsuits over the policy are unclear. The novelty of what the Keys' officials are proposing is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that nobody can say for certain whether it's legally defensible.The law generally requires local governments to maintain roads and other infrastructure, because failure to do so will reduce the property value of surrounding homes, according to Erin Deady, a lawyer who specializes in climate and land-use law and is a consultant to the county on adapting to rising seas. But local officials retain the right to decide whether or not to upgrade or enhance that infrastructure.What's unclear, Deady said, is whether raising a road to prevent it from going underwater is more akin to maintaining or upgrading. That's because no court has yet ruled on the issue."The law hasn't caught up with that," Deady said.She said she thinks the county is within its rights to refuse to elevate the road at the end of Sugarloaf Key, so long as it's transparent about the rationale for that decision. "At some point, there's an economic consideration," she said. "We can't manage every condition."The debates over county spending and legal precedents will determine the future of Old State Road 4A, two lanes of asphalt tucked between mangroves that mostly obscure the water threatening it from all around. On a recent afternoon, the only signs of life on this road were the occasional passing car, along with the gates many of the road's few residents have erected to keep unwanted visitors out of their driveways.Henry Silverman, a retired teacher from Long Island in New York, bought a house on the southern edge of Sugarloaf Key 10 years ago. The building's first floor is 18 feet off the ground; a boardwalk cuts through a forest of mangroves to his boat launch. His wife, Melissa, said that when farmers burn sugar cane in Cuba, 90 miles to the south, they can see the plumes of smoke from their roof and even smell the sugar.Still, climate change is encroaching on their treehouse paradise. Hurricane Irma in 2017 blew out their screens and pushed water through the windows. Each high tide brings the saltwater a little bit closer, killing the palm trees under the deck and popping the wooden slats off the boardwalk. The couple used to fly down from Long Island in a Cessna, until one day the runway at the island's airport was underwater."What's government for? They're supposed to protect your property," Silverman said from behind the wheel of his shallow skiff boat on a recent afternoon.The couple listed the variety of jobs that depend on the people who live on this street: Landscapers, construction workers, caterers, carpenters, the restaurants up the road. "There's a lot of trickle-down," Silverman said.Still, he conceded that it might be difficult to generate sympathy among the broader public for the plight of this neighborhood. "Nobody feels sorry for anybody living down here," Silverman said, gesturing across the water to the gated mansions that line the shore.Mense, who lives in the last house on the road, suggested that officials focus instead on slowing global warming, without which no amount of adaptation will be enough for these islands."Maybe we should think about stopping, or trying to stop, the cause of the water rising," Mense said. "At what point will the road be high enough?"Others seemed resigned. Georgia Siegel, a 73-year-old yoga teacher who grew up in Buffalo, New York, and moved here 20 years ago, said that if the government decided this area can't be sustained, she would simply leave."What am I going to do?" Seigel asked, standing on the narrow beach in front of the home that she and her husband built. "It's a problem that's bigger than me."Not everyone was so sanguine about the prospect. A woman who lives in one of the more modest homes along this road, who asked not to be identified for fear that discussing flooding would hurt her property value, said she worried what the county's plans mean for her future."This is all I have," she said, gesturing to her house next to the water. "If that road goes under, I go under."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Employee shot at a Virginia post office Posted: 05 Dec 2019 07:56 AM PST  Authorities say a postal worker has been shot at a northern Virginia post office by an agent for the Postal Service's Inspector General's office. News outlets report that it happened Wednesday morning at the parking lot of the Lovettsville post office in Loudoun County.
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| Migrants in Bosnia refuse to move from forest camp Posted: 06 Dec 2019 06:31 AM PST  Bowing to international pressure, Bosnian authorities agreed on Friday to dismantle a makeshift refugee camp of freezing snow-covered tents, but some migrants living there have been refusing food in protest at being resettled. The migrants, who are eager to reach the European Union, say they do not want to be rehoused further away from the Croatian border, which lies just 8 km (5 miles) away. Some 800 migrants are stuck in the Vucjak camp, a former landfill area in forests near the northwestern Bosnian town of Bihac.
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| Another 1,000 truck drivers lost their jobs in November, and it's a chilling sign for the economy Posted: 06 Dec 2019 02:34 PM PST  After an uptick of 700 trucking payrolls in October, the industry slashed another 1,000 jobs in November.
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| This Is How the U.S. Marine Corps Wants to Deter Russia and China Posted: 05 Dec 2019 11:00 AM PST  Big changes are coming.
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| ‘The View’ Devolves Into Shouting Match Over Barron Trump Pun Posted: 05 Dec 2019 10:00 AM PST  Despite the lack of Meghan McCain on Thursday's broadcast of The View, things still devolved into a tense and heated back-and-forth when the table discussed the right-wing outrage over impeachment witness Pamela Karlan's wordplay pun involving Barron Trump's name. During Wednesday's House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing, Karlan—a Stanford Law professor—attempted to make a point about the Constitution, noting that President Donald Trump is not a monarch. "So while the president can name his son Barron, he can't make him a baron," Karlan said. After First Lady Melania Trump and other conservatives lashed out at the legal expert, claiming she attacked a minor, Karlan offered an apology.Discussing the backlash to Karlan's play on words, hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar pointed out that the professor was merely making an analogy using Barron's name and was not being "disrespectful or nasty" towards a young child. This immediately prompted conservative co-host Abby Huntsman to fire back."I might be the only one here that sees this as pretty sick and a total low blow and stupid," Huntsman huffed, causing guest host Bari Weiss to ask what was so "sick" about it."Because I think talking about political kids unless they're on the front lines, they're off-limits," the daughter of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman said. "I'm the only one at the table that has been a political child."Amy Klobuchar Schools Meghan McCain on ImpeachmentAfter claiming that Democrats are constantly giving Republicans "ammunition" with moments like this, Huntsman then took issue with Behar arguing that Trumpworld has no right to act offended over the pun due to Trump's family separation policy at the border."The 'kids in cages' argument, it's brought about every other day on this show and elsewhere because I feel like that's always the defense you go to when you can't defend on the Democratic side," Huntsman stated.Co-host Sunny Hostin, meanwhile, added to the growing chaos on The View set by saying she actually agreed with Huntsman, insisting that it was "ill-advised and quite frankly just dumb" for Karlan to make a "joke" during the hearing."It wasn't a joke, Sunny!" Behar shot back.Moments later, Behar wondered why Huntsman thought it was "wrong" to bring up the plight of migrant children a lot, asking her what her objection is to it."My issue with it, is it's what we teach our kids not to do," Huntsman replied. " I got in trouble for saying this, but Joy said it worse. So you should be in trouble. It doesn't really equate. When they are hitting on Barron, I'm not sure what 'kids in cages' that has to do with that.""It shows the hypocrisy," Behar retorted."What did Barron do?" Huntsman declared, again alleging he was the victim of an attack."It had nothing to do with Barron," Goldberg interjected. "Only his name. It's just his name."Goldberg then ended the contentious segment by claiming there was "no comparison" between a bad pun and the U.S. treatment of migrant children."It is apples and oranges because a bad pun out of the mouth of somebody you can say, don't do the pun again," the Oscar-winner concluded. "Hard to do that with the kid in the cage."'The View' Host Abby Huntsman Defends Kellyanne Conway: 'She's Been Getting Bullied'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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| North Carolina GOP Rep Says He Won’t Seek Reelection After District Redrawing Posted: 06 Dec 2019 09:12 AM PST  Representative George Holding (R., N.C.) announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in 2020 after a North Carolina district reconfiguration put his seat in danger."I should add, candidly, that yes, the newly redrawn Congressional Districts were part of the reason I have decided not to seek reelection," he said in a statement. "But, in addition, this is also a good time for me to step back and reflect on all that I have learned."Holding, a former federal prosecutor who is wrapping up his fourth-term on Capitol Hill, added that he hoped to return to public office at some point in the future.> JUST IN: George Holding (R-NC) announces he's leaving Congress after redrawn map leaves him with a heavily Democratic district. pic.twitter.com/yX3tfxK1Sg> > -- Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) December 6, 2019Holding's announcement comes after a North Carolina panel of judges confirmed a GOP redrawing of Congressional Districts which likely cedes Holding's Wake-County seat to a Democratic challenge.According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, Holding's seat has changed from leaning Republican to likely Democrat.Republicans currently hold 10 of 13 congressional seats in North Carolina, but were forced to redesign the map after state judges blocked the existing district layout for the 2020 elections, citing excessive partisan bias. Despite picking up two seats, Democrats remain opposed the new map over allegations it did not do enough to reverse gerrymandering.Holding is the 18th House Republican not to seek reelection, and the second in two days, after Georgia Republican Tom Graves announced Thursday that he would no longer run for office.
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| Trump Administration Authorizes 'Cyanide Bombs' to Kill Predators Again, Months After Backlash Posted: 05 Dec 2019 02:42 PM PST  The devices have been used to poison thousands of coyotes, foxes and feral dogs to protect wildlife
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| Pressure builds for Giuliani as associate enters talks over potential plea deal Posted: 06 Dec 2019 12:30 AM PST  Pressure to cut deal comes after revelations that Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are 'likely' to face more charges, attorney saysTalks about a potential plea deal are under way between federal prosecutors and an attorney for Lev Parnas, a Rudy Giuliani associate indicted for making illegal campaign donations who helped Trump lawyer Giuliani's search for dirt in Ukraine on Joe Biden, says an attorney familiar with the investigationThe talks appear to be in early stages, but the lawyer familiar with the investigation and ex-prosecutors say that pressure mounted on Parnas to cut a deal after prosecutors revealed on Monday that he and his business associate Igor Fruman, who was also indicted for making illegal campaign donations, are "likely" to face additional charges.If Parnas strikes a deal it could put further legal pressure on Giuliani, who is facing a growing number of legal woes including some relating to his international consulting business as part of an investigation of alleged crimes including money laundering, wire fraud, campaign finance violations, making false statements, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.Parnas and Fruman, who were both born in the former Soviet Union, pleaded not guilty to illegally funneling contributions from a foreign source and three other counts. But Parnas and his lawyer have begun cooperating with the House impeachment inquiry in response to a subpoena and have turned over video and audio recordings to the House intelligence committee.As detailed in the 300-page report by House intelligence committee Democrats and other documents and reports, Parnas played a Zelig-like role in Ukraine and the US in tandem with Giuliani and several other conservatives to try and boost Trump's political fortunes in 2020.Parnas and Fruman worked with Giuliani to help oust Marie Yovanovitch, a respected US ambassador in Kyiv who was removed this spring, and to pressure the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to announce an inquiry into debunked allegations about former vice-president Joe Biden, a leading candidate in 2020, and his son who had worked for a Ukrainian gas company, in order to lift a secret hold on $391m in badly needed US military aid.Parnas and Fruman were arrested at Dulles airport en route to Vienna in October and charged with a complex conspiracy to funnel $325,000 to a Trump Super Pac from a Russian source using shell companies.But federal prosecutors in New York have since widened their investigation to look at Giuliani, including his business interests in Ukraine, and reportedly issued numerous subpoenas.The lawyer familiar with the investigation, who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to discuss it, said: "There are some plea negotiations under way with regards to Parnas," and the federal prosecutors in New York's southern district which brought the charges; but he noted that "a proffer by Parnas' attorney [has] not been accepted at this time".Ex-prosecutors say a plea deal would probably require Parnas to offer more information about Giuliani and probably others he had contacts with, including possibly Trump and the Republican congressman Devin Nunes.Ex-prosecutor Paul Rosenzweig said plea deals typically require defendants to provide truthful testimony about other possible defendants which in Parnas's case would include Giuliani. "That prospect has to make Mr Giuliani uncomfortable," he said. "It might also make Representative Nunes and President Trump uncomfortable as well."Similarly, ex-federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin said that having a prosecutor signal more charges as likely against Parnas and Fruman "substantially increases pressure on Parnas to work out a deal".Zeldin added that "additional charges could include such crimes as failure to register as a foreign agent, money laundering and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." Convictions of these crimes carry substantial prison terms.Parnas's lawyer Joseph Bondy declined to comment on whether plea talks were under way, but Bondy told the Guardian his client wanted to help the House of Representatives in its impeachment inquiry.In a statement, Bondy said that they are producing materials to the House intelligence committee "… and that Mr Parnas remains fully committed to providing relevant and accurate sworn testimony". But Parnas needs to be "granted a level of immunity, such that his statements in the impeachment inquiry cannot be used against him in his federal prosecution".Parnas and Fruman's efforts to help Trump's political fortunes go back at least to April 2018 when the duo were invited as prospective donors to a small Super Pac dinner with Trump at his DC hotel. There, Parnas talked to Trump and warned him that Ambassador Yovanovitch was hostile to his policies, to which Trump replied she should be fired, according to the Washington Post. Their $325,000 check to the Super Pac, America First Action, arrived a few weeks later.In a statement, the Super Pac indicated it has voluntarily cooperated with the federal inquiry, and the $325,000 check was put in a "segregated bank account … until these matters are resolved and a court determines the proper disposition of the funds".
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| Police Officer Under Investigation After Footage Said to Show Him Groping Dead Woman Posted: 05 Dec 2019 05:17 AM PST  A Los Angeles police officer has been placed under investigation, a police spokesman said Wednesday.Body camera footage was said to show him groping a deceased woman's breasts, according to a person familiar with the case.The unidentified male officer was not working while the case was under investigation, Josh Rubenstein, the department spokesman, said.The officer had been assigned to the Central Division and was responding to an overdose call, he said. Rubenstein declined to provide specific information about the incident, including when it occurred, because it is part of a personnel investigation.Supervisors throughout the jurisdiction conduct random reviews of video on a monthly basis, Rubenstein said.All uniformed officers assigned to patrol the Los Angeles area have cameras, he said, and roughly 7,000 cameras are issued."If this allegation is true, then the behavior exhibited by this officer is not only wrong, but extremely disturbing, and does not align with the values we, as police officers, hold dear and these values include respect and reverence for the deceased," the board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the police officers' union, said in a statement on Wednesday. "This behavior has no place in law enforcement."Police departments around the country have increasingly used body cameras after several high-profile shootings. In 2015, about 95% of large police departments started using body cameras or said they would use them in the future, a national survey said.A 2017 study of more than 2,000 Washington, D.C. officers conducted over 18 months showed officers with body cameras used force and prompted civilian complaints at nearly the same rate as officers without the equipment.A Baltimore police officer was suspended and charges against a man were dropped after a body-camera recording appeared to show an officer planting a bag of drugs at the scene of an arrest in January 2017. In that case, the camera retained recordings beginning 30 seconds before it was activated.In November 2018, The New York Times published body-camera recordings of an arrest in Staten Island that raised questions regarding police behavior. In this case, lawyers for the defendant claimed the footage contained possible proof that an officer planted a marijuana cigarette. The officer and the Police Department denied any wrongdoing.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2019 The New York Times Company
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| Wyoming oil field explosions, fire severely burn 3 workers Posted: 06 Dec 2019 09:24 AM PST ![Wyoming oil field explosions, fire severely burn 3 workers]( "Wyoming oil field explosions, fire severely burn 3 workers") Explosions and a fire at a Wyoming oil field severely burned three workers. The workers were taken to hospitals in the capital of Cheyenne and across the border in Greeley, Colorado, after the blasts at a compressor station late Thursday, according to Laramie County Fire District No. 4. "Those guys have a long road ahead," Fire Chief Scott Maddison told the Casper Star-Tribune on Friday.
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| A polyamorous 20-year-old is in a relationship with 4 men while pregnant with her first child. She says it's working. Posted: 06 Dec 2019 12:18 PM PST  20-year-old Florida-native Tory Ojeda is in a polyamorous relationship with four men and is expecting her first child.
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| Incredible photos show how the White House has celebrated Christmas through the years Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:03 PM PST  The White House halls have been decked for the holidays every December since John and Abigail Adams held the first Christmas party in 1800.
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| Bloomberg says ending 'nationwide madness' of gun violence drives his presidential bid Posted: 05 Dec 2019 03:41 PM PST  Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said on Thursday he wants to become president to end "the nationwide madness" of U.S. gun violence, calling it evil and saying he would allow its victims to file lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
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| Meghan McCain Pouts After Another Joy Behar Clash: ‘I’m Just Trying to Make a Point!’ Posted: 06 Dec 2019 09:44 AM PST  After taking the day off on Thursday, Meghan McCain returned to The View on Friday and immediately set about doing Meghan McCain things.During a discussion on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's altercation with a Sinclair reporter after he asked her whether she "hated" President Donald Trump, McCain sulked and pouted after frequent sparring partner Joy Behar used an audience-pleasing one-liner against McCain's argument Democrats are too focused on making a meme out of Pelosi's moment.Earlier in the conversation, conservative co-host Abby Huntsman claimed that reporter James Rosen's question to the House speaker following her Thursday impeachment press conference was both "lazy" and "hostile.""He was going probably for the clickbait and the headlines," she said, adding that he should have given more context to the question. "What I worry so much is the humanity and civility in this country, and I put a lot of the blame on the president because it's how we talk to each other."After co-host Sunny Hostin felt Pelosi was "triggered" by the notion that Democrats only want to impeach Trump because they hate him and that it has nothing to do with the Constitution, McCain jumped in to note that Pelosi's campaign is now raising money off the incident."I think that the problem is when she did answer it masterfully, the problem is now she's selling t-shirts that say DontMessWithNancy," McCain stated, prompting Hostin to express shock."Yes, she is," McCain continued. "For $39, you can buy a t-shirt."Behar, meanwhile, jokingly asked if the shirts "come in black" as McCain complained that "everything is a meme" in politics, listing off a number of well-known resistance hashtags."This is very serious," the ex-Fox News personality added. "We're talking about the Constitution. We're talking about impeachment. And for me, it reduces it—it's very reductive to start selling sweatshirts that say DontMessWithNancy.""So you mean like hats that say Make America Great Again," Behar interrupted, referencing Trump's long-running campaign slogan.As the audience cheered Behar's brushback, McCain shook her head and crossed her arms. She then groused: "You know what, I'm just trying to make a point. And I've never worn a MAGA hat. I think you know better than anybody I'd never wear a MAGA hat."The right-leaning host, clearly unnerved at this point, reiterated that politics shouldn't be about memes, tossing in a "Whatever" for good measure.Hostin, for her part, attempted to find out exactly who was selling these shirts, asking if it was actually the Democratic National Committee."It doesn't matter," McCain huffed, arms folded tightly. 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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| Russia's Very Own A-10 Warthog? Meet Moscow's Su-25 Posted: 04 Dec 2019 09:30 PM PST  Let's have a look.
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| Bolivian minister seeks Israel help in fighting alleged leftist 'terrorism' Posted: 06 Dec 2019 10:44 AM PST  Bolivia's interim government wants Israel to help local authorities fight "terrorism" in the South American country, the interior minister told Reuters on Friday, alleging plots by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other leftists to destabilize regional governments. Without providing details, Arturo Murillo said Bolivian police were investigating radical leftists allegedly linked to Maduro and drug-traffickers whom the government say had instigated deadly unrest in the country after former President Evo Morales resigned last month.
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| Virginia Commission Calls for Repeal of ‘Explicitly Racist’ and ‘Segregationist’ Laws Posted: 05 Dec 2019 01:11 PM PST  A Virginia state commission released a report Thursday calling for the official repeal of "deeply troubling" state laws still on the books that contain "explicitly racist language and segregationist policies."The Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law published a lengthy report saying that the outdated laws should not "remain enshrined in law" despite no longer being in effect."The commission believes that such vestiges of Virginia's segregationist past should no longer have official status," the report states. "The devastating long-term social, economic, and political impact of legalized segregation in Virginia continues to plague people of color today."While many of the laws the commission cited have been nullified by courts, such as the ban on interracial marriage in the "Act to Preserve Racial Integrity," the commission warned that they could become relevant again with another court ruling."Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no child shall be required to enroll in or attend any school wherein both white and colored children are enrolled," a 1956 law continues to read.Democratic governor Ralph Northam spearheaded the commission in June to identify state laws that "were intended to or could have the effect of promoting or enabling racial discrimination or inequity." The governor said he would focus on promoting racial equality for the rest of his term after weathering a scandal earlier this year over a racist yearbook photo depicting one person in blackface and another in a KKK outfit.Northam pledged in a statement Thursday to repeal all racially discriminatory language in Virginia law."If we are going to move forward as a Commonwealth, we must take an honest look at our past," the governor said. "We know that racial discrimination is rooted in many of the laws that have governed our Commonwealth—today represents an important step towards building a more equal, just, and inclusive Virginia."
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| US and UK bust one of the worst cyber banking hacks in a decade, charging Russians in multi-million dollar scheme Posted: 05 Dec 2019 09:14 AM PST  The group of Russian hackers allegedly behind one of the worst cyber bank frauds of the last decade was unmasked on Thursday, with its leader indicted in America and the full scale of purported crimes revealed in remarkable detail. The Moscow-based unit was identified as Evil Corp and dubbed "the world's most harmful cyber crime group" as British and American officials revealed the results of an investigation into the group and its activities that has lasted a decade. Maksim Yakubets, 32, was accused of being the group's leader and was indicted over two separate hacking schemes. A $5 million reward was announced by the US State Department for any information that leads to his arrest. Customers of nearly 300 organisations in 43 different countries have been targeted by the group, with financial losses in UK alone assessed to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Evil Corp was accused of ruthlessly exploiting online vulnerabilities, tricking people into clicking on internet links that would install viruses, scanning for bank account details and then creating wires transfers to "money mules" working with the hackers. Masim Yakubets, who led the cyber crime group and now has a $5m bounty on his head Victims ranged from small businesses and schools to individuals saving for retirement and even religious groups, including some Franciscan sisters in America who lost tens of thousands of dollars. The US Treasury announced sanctions against 17 individuals linked to Evil Corps, including Yakubets, the baby-faced Russian alleged to have hidden behind the moniker 'Aqua' online whose image is now on "wanted by the FBI" posters. Seven entities were also sanctioned. Yakubets was accused by the US Treasury of working with the Russian spying agency FSB in 2017, including "acquiring confidential documents through cyber-enabled means" for the Russian state. He was also said to have been trying to get a license to work on classified material with the FSB last year. The claim raises questions about whether the Kremlin is turning a blind eye to notorious computers hackers in its capital, or even leaning on their expertise to support Russia's nefarious online activities. The hackers stole millions of dollars, officials say Credit: Samuel Corum /Getty The group's willingness to boast about the proceeds of their alleged criminality online, acting like "extravagant millionaires" according to one senior UK investigator, was said to have helped result in their unmasking. Videos released by the UK's National Crime Agency [NCA] featured alleged members of Evil Corp showing off their sports cars and holding up traffic in Moscow as pulled doughnuts in the middle of the street. Other videos purported to show the hackers petting the group's lion cub and mucking about on segways. According to UK officials, Yakubets has a customized Lamborghini supercar with a personalised number plate that translates to 'Thief' and spent a quarter of a million pounds on his wedding. The announcements were the work of a pain-staking investigation from officials at America's Justice Department, FBI, State Department and Treasury as well as Britons at the NCA and Metropolitan Police. Evil Corp group member Dmitriy Smirnov standing on his Nissan GTR and a Camera Chevrolet, according to the UK's National Crime Agency Credit: SOURCE: NCA As well as Yakubets a second alleged Russian hacker, the 38-year-old Igor Turashev, was indicted for his role in one of the computer hacking schemes. Both men are believed to be residing in Russia, meaning they could escape arrest and a trial should they never leave the country. However US officials insisted it was still worth pursuing them, with one senior FBI official saying: "We have a very long memory and we will never give up." The two US indictments involved two different types of malware, with the alleged crimes likened to "a cyber-enabled bank robbery" by one US official. A photograph from the wedding of Maksim Yakubets in 2017, according to the UK's National Crime Agency Credit: Source: NCA The US administration announcement accused Yakubets of being behind "two of the worst computer hacking and bank fraud schemes of the past decade". Lynne Owens, the NCA director general, said of Evil Corp: "We are unlikely to ever know the full cost, but the impact on the UK alone is assessed to run into the hundreds of millions." The response of Yakubets and Turashev to the charges is not known, nor is the response of the other individuals sanctioned by the US Treasury for their links to Evil Corp. One US official said the Russian government had responded to a request for mutual legal assistance which was "helpful" in the investigation, but only "to a point". The Victims The list of victims from Evil Crop's alleged criminality is exhaustive, with scores of different businesses and groups losing out thanks to its cyber-hacking schemes. Everything from a genetics lab in California and a public high school in Pennsylvania to a bank in Nebraska and a dairy company in Ohio were targeted according to court documents. There was even a group of Franciscan sisters near the outskirts of Chicago who were left $24,141 out of pocket after one member opened an email which appeared to be from her bank. Audi R8 belonging to an Evil Corp group member, according to the UK's National Crime Agency Credit: SOURCE: NCA And that is America alone. Some 300 companies in 43 different countries were said to have been targeted by the Russian hackers, with thousands of victims. Even that, one senior UK official said, was a "low estimate". Victims in Britain were not been named on Thursday, but it is understood almost every significant UK financial institution has been targeted at one stage. Some may be reluctant to report hacks for fear of what would happen to their stock value. One US official said that ever dollar stolen amounted to a dollar less for retirement, or a dollar less for the high school sports team, or for business innovation. "This is why we go to the ends of the world to investigate and prosecute cyber criminals," the official added. How they did it Evil Corps hackers would relentlessly pray on online vulnerabilities through sophisticated schemes that would morph once detected, according to UK and US officials. 'Phishing' emails were sent to thousands of people, sometimes pretending to be genuine messages from banks, in the hope someone would accidentally click the website link included. Once that happened, malware would be installed which would then search the compromised computer systems for bank account details and passwords that could be exploited. Wire transfers would then be setup from the victim's bank account to people dubbed "money mules" who were working with the hackers and would distribute the stolen funds. Evil Corp group member Andrey Plotnitskiy standing in front of a Porsche, according to the UK's National Crime Agency Credit: SOURCE: NCA The Evil Corps hackers allegedly made little attempt to hide their ill-gotten gains, spending it on luxury sports cars which they would screech round Moscow. Asked how people could protect themselves from the group's members – who remain at large – one US official gave some advice. He suggested changing passwords to make them hard to predict and using two-factor authentication for logging into electronic devises. The official also warned people against clicking on links which they are not certain are authenticate, saying: "Before you click, think hard."
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