| North Korea nuclear and missile bases being monitored by Seoul after new activity spotted Posted: 07 Mar 2019 02:38 AM PST  South Korea's military is carefully monitoring North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities after it said new activity has been detected at the intercontinental ballistic missiles plant. The US and South Korean militaries are maintaining close intelligence coordination over developments at the North's missile research centre in Pyongyang and a separate long-range rocket site, Seoul's Defence Ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said on Thursday. Spy chief Suh Hoon told politicians briefed by the South's National Intelligence Service he viewed the activity as missile-related, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said.
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| Utah teacher forces student to wash off Ash Wednesday cross Posted: 07 Mar 2019 06:41 PM PST  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A teacher in the predominantly Mormon state of Utah was placed on administrative leave after she forced a Catholic student to wash off the Ash Wednesday cross from his forehead.
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| Palestinian killed by Israeli fire in border clashes: Gaza ministry Posted: 07 Mar 2019 09:19 AM PST  A Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli fire during renewed clashes along the Gaza border, the enclave's health ministry said Thursday, with Israeli aircraft striking Hamas positions in response to the violence. Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said Saif al-Deen Abu Zeid, 15, died "due to wounds sustained east of Gaza (City)" on Wednesday night. The teenager was shot during clashes along the border, Qudra told AFP.
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| Chris Watts confesses to killing daughters for first time: 'I didn’t want to do this, but I did it' Posted: 07 Mar 2019 12:57 PM PST  Christopher Watts drove his daughters to an oil site after killing wife, Shanann, in their Colorado home, Watts recently told investigators.
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| Parents charged with child abuse after Olive Garden waitress posts photo on Facebook Posted: 08 Mar 2019 09:11 AM PST  Two Tennessee parents were charged with child abuse and aggravated assaultafter an observant Olive Garden waitress posted about their distressingbehavior on Facebook
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| Scientists solve weighty matter of Milky Way mass Posted: 07 Mar 2019 09:32 AM PST  Astronomers said Thursday they had accurately calculated the mass of the Milky Way for the first time, using new data sets that include the weight of dark matter. In a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency's Gaia observation craft, a team of experts calculated our galaxy to be around 1.5 trillion solar masses. Pervious estimates put the mass of the Milky Way ranging between 500 billion and 3 trillion times the mass of the Sun.
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| Justice Department taps Mueller prosecutor to enforce foreign lobbying disclosure Posted: 06 Mar 2019 07:04 PM PST  Brandon Van Grack, a prosecutor in the Justice Department's national security division who was on Mueller's team until August, will lead the effort to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the official said. "We have increased our focus into FARA prosecutions," John Demers, Assistant Attorney General for the national security division, told lawyers at the American Bar Association's annual white collar crime conference, held this year in New Orleans. Demers said Van Grack would lead a team of attorneys and administrative staff whose mission was to make sure the FARA law, which requires disclosure of lobbying on behalf of foreign interests, is more aggressively enforced.
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| FAA seeks a truce in dispute between Southwest and key union Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:05 PM PST  DALLAS (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday warned Southwest Airlines and its mechanics union that their bitter fight could hurt the airline's safety program.
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| House Democrats Finding It Hard to Confront Anti-Semitism Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:12 AM PST  The Democratic party is having a rough time condemning anti-Semitism. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has, on several occasions, made classically anti-Semitic claims about American Jews, and the effort to formally denounce those statements in the House ruined a week in which the Democrats were supposed to talk about their agenda.The gist of Omar's complaints is that the perfidious, string-pulling Hebraic hordes control Congress with their shady shekels; Israel has hypnotized the world; and American Jews are guilty of dual loyalty.The controversies have been compounded by the fact that her apologies suggest she's not actually apologetic. Omar has claimed that the anti-Semitism charge is an effort to silence her because she wants to talk about the Jewish scheme to "push for allegiance to a foreign country." In an earlier sorry-not-sorry episode, she apologized for hurting anyone's feelings, which is not quite the same thing as recanting.The whole issue of hurt feelings is a red herring — which is precisely why so many Democrats want to focus on feelings rather than on the relevant facts. Indeed, if Omar had better facts on her side, she wouldn't be in this mess.For instance, Omar seems to think the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a political-action committee that funds candidates on behalf of Israel. Inconveniently for Omar, AIPAC isn't a PAC, doesn't work for Israel, and doesn't donate to political campaigns.More interesting, however, is the Democratic leadership's fact problem — namely the fact Omar simply isn't a fan of Jews, or at least Jews who support Israel. It's fine to be a critic of Israel, by the way. But when you hate the country so much that you can't explain criticism of Israel without resorting to bigotry, you have a problem. Or rather, the Democratic party does.Because it's not just Omar. If Omar had no sympathizers, House speaker Nancy Pelosi would probably have thrown her under the bus already. The younger, fresher, and more radical fringe of the party led by New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn't think Omar should be singled out for criticism or censure. In fairness, the primary reason is not that they all share Omar's hang-up with the Jews. Some are just anti-Israel. Others think it's unfair that Omar should be criticized when Donald Trump or other Republicans have said bigoted things.Ocasio-Cortez called efforts to censure Omar "hurtful" because statements by other politicians, most obviously Trump, aren't similarly condemned. She has something of a point. I certainly wish Republicans did more to condemn many of the things Trump has said. But she seems to have forgotten that Republicans did condemn and punish Iowa representative Steve King recently for his on-brand racist blather.So while Ocasio-Cortez is right to a point, that point doesn't take her very far. It's her party that has established a zero-tolerance-for-bigotry standard. And "whataboutist" arguments are the lowest form of defense. Some Republicans may be hypocrites for not condemning all bigotry equally, but that's a criticism of Republicans, not a defense of Omar.The effort to avoid singling out Omar is putting Democrats in knots they will be hard-pressed to untie anytime soon. Pelosi has said Omar wasn't "intentionally anti-Semitic."Asked if Omar's comment about Jewish dual loyalty was anti-Semitic, Representative Emmanuel Cleaver of Missouri offered this profile in courage: "It may or may not be. I haven't thought deeply about it."South Carolina's James Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, offered a baffling defense of Omar by talking about — surprise! — her feelings. He says Omar's experience as a refugee from Somalia who spent time in a Kenyan refugee camp has to be taken into account."There are people who tell me, 'Well, my parents are Holocaust survivors.' 'My parents did this.' It's more personal with her," Clyburn told The Hill. "I've talked to her, and I can tell you she is living through a lot of pain."Leave aside the fact that whatever happened to Omar in Kenya or Somalia, it has nothing to do with Israel or Jews. Are we going to have greater tolerance for bigotry based on a time-since-victimhood score? Slavery was even longer ago than the Holocaust. Does that make racist comments less outrageous than anti-Semitic comments?On Thursday, Pelosi announced that the House would vote on a resolution condemning all forms of "hate." It's a transparent dodge to avoid condemning a specific kind of hate.It might do the trick to turn the page. But it will almost surely be a temporary respite, because Omar (and others) come to their anti-Semitism honestly, and they're inclined to be honest about it. So we'll be here again.
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| Founder of Florida day spa tied to Robert Kraft's prostitution case attended Trump's Super Bowl party, report says Posted: 08 Mar 2019 03:48 PM PST  The founder of a Florida day spa where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was busted for allegedly soliciting prostitution watched this year's Super Bowl at a party hosted by President Donald Trump.
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| Wide-Area Walk Mowers: When You Have More Lawn Than a Simple Push Mower Can Handle Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:53 AM PST |
| Venezuela: huge power outage leaves much of country in the dark Posted: 07 Mar 2019 04:23 PM PST  At least 18 of 23 states reportedly affected by blackout authorities blamed on anti-government saboteursPeople at a shopping mall during a blackout in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday. Photograph: Stringer/ReutersVenezuela has been hit by a vast power cut, with at least 18 of its 23 states reportedly affected by a blackout authorities blamed on anti-government saboteurs.Commuters in the country's crumbling capital, Caracas, were forced to walk home from work after the metro service was paralyzed by the outage, while the international airport was reportedly plunged into darkness.Millions of citizens from the western state of Zulia to Amazonas in the far south were also reported to have been affected.The Venezuelan news website El Pitazo reported that the outage appeared to be the result of a failure at the Simón Bolívar hydroelectric plant in the southern state of Bolívar.Members of Nicolás Maduro's crisis-stricken government claimed opposition wreckers had targeted the plant, which is also known as Guri."The black out has been caused by sabotage at Guri," tweeted the official account of the television program of Maduro's second-in-command, Diosdado Cabello."This is not an attack on the government. It is an attack on the people," Venezuela's electricity minister, Luis Motta Domínguez, told reporters.Maduro blamed "United States imperialism" for the problem and vowed it would be defeated. "Nothing and nobody will defeat the people of Bolívar and Chávez," he tweeted.Venezuela's state-run power company, Corpoelec, claimed the blackout was "part of the electricity war against the state" and said it was working to restore supply.Amid a crippling economic crisis, shortages of water and power – which experts blame on mismanagement, corruption and poor maintenance – are now common. Even upmarket restaurants and hotels in Caracas are regularly deprived of both.Even so, Thursday's power outage appeared to be unusually severe even by Venezuelan standards."The international airport … is almost totally without electricity at this moment," the opposition politician, Jony Rahal, informed his Twitter followers in a video."What can we say? We're tired of this government," one frustrated commuter told the Venezuelan TV channel NTN24.The blackout was so severe that one Venezuelan journalist asked his Twitter followers to report if they had electricity, not if they did not.The United States senator Marco Rubio – who has thrown his weight behind efforts to unseat Maduro and replace him with opposition leader Juan Guaidó – described the blackout as further proof that Venezuela's strongman ruler was on his way out.~~"~~ ~~~~MaduroRegime is a complete disaster," Rubio tweeted.
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| Gov sees Alabama tornado rubble as residents seek to recover Posted: 06 Mar 2019 06:09 PM PST  BEAUREGARD, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's governor walked a country road lined with shattered mobile homes Wednesday as the search for victims of a monstrous tornado ended and residents salvaged what they could from the rubble and planned funerals for the 23 dead.
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| Manafort penalty sparks outrage among legal experts: '4-year sentence far below the recommended 20 years' Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:31 AM PST  The sentencing of Paul Manafort, former chairman of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, was highly anticipated, capping a significant chapter in Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation. As a federal judge handed down his sentence in a jam-packed Alexandria, Virginia, courtroom and observers digested the judge's decision - 47 months - Manafort's case was immediately perceived as a high-profile instance of the justice system working one way for a wealthy, well-connected man, while working in another, harsher, way for indigent defendants facing lesser crimes. "Paul Manafort's lenient four-year sentence - far below the recommended 20 years despite extensive felonies and post-conviction obstruction - is a reminder of the blatant inequities in our justice system that we all know about, because they reoccur every week in courts across America," said Ari Melber, a legal analyst for NBC News, in a tweet shortly after the verdict.
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| EU makes counter-offer as Brexit pressure rises Posted: 08 Mar 2019 10:11 AM PST  The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Friday proposed that Britain could leave the bloc's customs union after the divorce though the offer would not include Northern Ireland which will anger London. The last minute-bid by Barnier comes just days before British Parliament is due to vote on a withdrawal deal agreed between the two sides, in which the fate of the Irish border is seen as a key issue. Both the EU and Great Britain want to prevent a "hard border" that would bring controls between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU-member Ireland after the Brexit.
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| Graham: Our laws are broken and we need a barrier Posted: 06 Mar 2019 06:41 PM PST  New illegal immigrant numbers intensify border debate; South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham reacts on 'Hannity.'
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| Militant bus attack in north India kills one, wounds 32: police Posted: 07 Mar 2019 06:04 AM PST  The blast came three weeks after an attack by another Pakistan-based group killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India accuses Pakistan of harboring militants, which Islamabad denies. Police said Sajjad Bhat, a Kashmiri Indian national from the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, carried out Thursday's attack.
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| Conservative Group Hits AOC with Ethics Complaint Posted: 07 Mar 2019 01:22 PM PST  A conservative watchdog group called Thursday for an ethics investigation of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, alleging that she employed improper fundraising techniques.The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics that accused the freshman New York Democrat of "improperly using taxpayer-funded resources and official action for political purposes in violation of numerous House ethics rules."At issue is Ocasio-Cortez's use of official House of Representatives footage on her political Twitter and Instagram accounts, which violates congressional ethics rules prohibiting the use of taxpayer-funded resources for the "solicitation of contributions" and other campaign activities. She has also improperly linked a solicitation for campaign contributions as well as her official House page to her political Instagram, a breach of the House ethics rule that official social-media accounts may not be used for campaigns.House ethics rules state that "broadcast coverage and recordings of House floor proceedings may not be used for any political purpose.""Representative Ocasio-Cortez has not only violated the most basic congressional ethics laws on the books, she has done so repeatedly," said FACT's executive director, Kendra Arnold. "These laws exist so that elected representatives are not using official business on behalf of the American people to push a political agenda or gain a political advantage. These are clear violations and the Ethics Committee needs to act."Ocasio-Cortez has vowed to tackle and reform campaign-finance laws, which she said last month make it "super legal" for a member of Congress to be a "pretty bad guy."
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| T-Mobile’s latest pitch for Sprint merger: Taking on cable internet and TV Posted: 08 Mar 2019 06:30 AM PST  T-Mobile's latest pitch to regulators to approve its merger with Sprint: They need to team up to take on home broadband.
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| 'Tim Apple' goes viral on social media after Trump gaffe Posted: 07 Mar 2019 01:41 PM PST  Apple chief executive Tim Cook turned into "Tim Apple" on social media Thursday after a slip-up by US President Donald Trump sparked a viral moment on Twitter. The Twittersphere reacted after a Wednesday White House meeting where the US president thanked "Tim Apple" for the tech giant's investments and job creations. Cook changed his Twitter display name the following morning, using his first name followed by the Apple icon to get in on the fun.
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| The Army's killer drones: How a secretive special ops unit decimated ISIS Posted: 07 Mar 2019 02:00 AM PST  Although the military has thrown a cloak of secrecy over its operations, the Echo Company of the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is increasingly being lauded in special operations and Army aviation circles.
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| Ex-Venezuelan vice president accused of aiding drug dealers Posted: 08 Mar 2019 04:40 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Charges were unsealed Friday against a former Venezuelan vice president in New York federal court as authorities accused him of using his office to aid international drug traffickers.
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| Controversial ‘Rape Day’ game removed from Steam platform Posted: 08 Mar 2019 08:39 AM PST  Video game developer Valve removes the controversial 'Rape Day' from its platform Steam in response to backlash.
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| Anti-Semitism part of wave of 'depraved hatred', pope says Posted: 08 Mar 2019 05:35 AM PST  In comments to members of the American Jewish Committee during a visit to the Vatican, he also reiterated that it was sinful for Christians to hold anti-Semitic sentiments because they shared a heritage with Jews. "A source of great concern to me is the spread, in many places, of a climate of wickedness and fury, in which an excessive and depraved hatred is taking root," Francis said. "I think especially of the outbreak of anti-Semitic attacks in various countries." Francis did not name any of those countries, but government statistics released last month showed more than 500 anti-Semitic attacks occurred last year in France, which has Europe's biggest Jewish community.
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| Can a man wear trainers at work? Posted: 08 Mar 2019 12:00 AM PST  The news this week that Goldman Sachs had issued a decree relaxing its dress codes comes as no surprise; formalwear has taken an almighty battering in the last decade, with a huge decline in suit sales and millennials opting for casual, sports-inflected attire. Which is perhaps appropriate; fewer of us sit behind mahogany desks these days like Captains of Industry. Our lives are much more dynamic and fluid than those of the be-suited Baby Boomers. Hot desking, We Works cultures and a boom in tech and media industries have seen to that. But there's one quandary that the city boys at Goldman Sachs - and readers and colleagues who raise the subject with me - always mull over: what to wear on their feet? See, then, the rise of the smart trainer. Leather trainers, £170, Grenson Smart trainers, which have nothing to do with track and field or the gym and are most definitely for a cityfied, office-centric environment, have been a bubbling menswear phenomenon since Lanvin created the DBB1 trainer, a glossy patent leather shoe that became a sell-out cult item in the early 2010s. Men might traditionally blanche at the idea of wearing these trainers in anything but a casual set-up, but best approach is to think of it not as dressing down, but that the humble trainer has punched up and elevated itself to new style heights. And as we segue into spring and the warmer months, this is particularly pertinent. Heavy-duty brogues and Oxfords of winter start feeling cumbersome, but the likes of espadrilles and deck shoes still fall too far into the spectrum of "holiday wardrobe". Stan Smith trainers, £74.95, Adidas The smart trainer's your saviour here; designed with the clean sophistication of a shoe but with the lightness and dynamism of a trainer; so much so that Italian artisanal footwear brand Tod's trademarked their version '"Shoeker" earlier this year; a hybrid creation that traverses the two. What to look for in the smart trainer? A minimal, smart design that doesn't come with the styling tricks and technology of a sports trainer. Look for a subtle colour palette, simple sole and also materials that will elevate it vastly - instead of tech mesh, plastics and nylons, opt for suedes and leathers. These are the subtle details that will make it a happy partner to a suit or work-appropriate chinos and you'll be running streaks ahead in the style stakes.
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| In-Depth Photos of the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe Posted: 07 Mar 2019 12:36 PM PST |
| Huawei Sues to Challenge U.S. Law Banning Its Products Posted: 07 Mar 2019 11:36 AM PST  Huawei's complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Texas, which includes its U.S. headquarters. It objects to Section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law in August, which prohibits federal agencies and related contractors from doing business with the company.The State Department has expressed concerns that President Xi Jinping's government could use Huawei's smartphones to spy on Americans. Huawei has in turn brushed that worry aside, claiming that as a private company it has no affiliation with the government."They'll steal American technology and, frankly, use those systems to invade your privacy," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday. "Huawei is owned by the state of China and has deep connections to their intelligence service. That should send off flares for everybody who understands what the Chinese military and Chinese intelligence services do. We have to take that threat seriously.""Huawei has an excellent security record and program. No contrary evidence has been offered," said Huawei's chief legal officer, Song Liuping.In a 13-count indictment filed in New York City in January, the Justice Department charged the company and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, with a laundry list of crimes including conspiracy, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, flouting U.S. sanctions on Iran, and obstruction of justice. Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver in December and is currently awaiting extradition to the U.S.
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| American Airlines cancels 40 flights amid aircraft issue, takes planes out of service Posted: 07 Mar 2019 01:13 PM PST ![American Airlines cancels 40 flights amid aircraft issue, takes planes out of service]( "American Airlines cancels 40 flights amid aircraft issue, takes planes out of service") The airline is removing more than a dozen planes from service after discovering an overhead-bin issue that led to cancellation of nearly 40 flights.
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| Allen Weisselberg: Who is the man who could bring down Donald Trump? Posted: 07 Mar 2019 08:01 AM PST  Allen Weisselberg is seemingly everything his longtime boss, Donald Trump, isn't. The bald, bespectacled, 71-year-old chief financial officer of the Trump Organisation is known for being loyal, unobtrusive and, well, somewhat dull.
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| Venezuelan authorities release detained US journalist Posted: 06 Mar 2019 06:03 PM PST  A US journalist who was detained for more than 12 hours by Venezuelan security services was released Wednesday after more than 12 hours in custody, one of the networks he worked for reported. Cody Weddle, who worked in Venezuela for several years as a correspondent for a variety of US media, "has been released after being detained by Venezuelan authorities," Miami's WPLG Local 10 News said on Twitter. Venezuela's National Union of Press Workers, known by its Spanish acronym SNTP, added he had been taken to Caracas' Simon Bolivar International Airport where he would be deported.
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| Heads bowed to the ground, suspected IS members surrender Posted: 07 Mar 2019 10:53 AM PST  OUTSIDE BAGHOUZ, Syria (AP) — Suspected Islamic State group members, including foreign fighters, sat in a long line in a field of bright yellow flowers, exhausted and hunched over as they were questioned and searched Thursday by U.S.-led coalition members and Kurdish fighters. They were the latest group to surrender from the besieged final pocket of Syrian territory held by the militant group.
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| Ex-Army intelligence analyst Manning jailed for defying grand jury subpoena Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:38 PM PST  Manning had appeared before the grand jury on Wednesday but declined to answer questions in connection with what is widely believed to be the government's long-running investigation into Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange, citing her First, Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights under the Constitution.
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| French cardinal convicted of covering up sex abuse allegations Posted: 07 Mar 2019 05:59 AM PST  A high-ranking French Catholic cleric, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, was convicted on Thursday of failing to report allegations of sexual abuse in his diocese and said he would submit his resignation to Pope Francis. Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon and the highest-profile cleric to be caught up in the child sex abuse scandal inside the French Catholic Church, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence. The court in Lyon ruled that between July 2014 and June 2015 Barbarin covered up allegations of sexual abuse of boy scouts in the 1980s and early 1990s by a priest who is due to go on trial later this year.
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| Smart LED bulbs can cost as much as $60 each, but this one is just as good for $17 Posted: 07 Mar 2019 09:54 AM PST  I recently was at a friend's house, and they were talking about how much they loved their new LIFX smart LED bulbs. Yeah, it took all of my willpower to bite my tongue and keep my mouth shut. Spending $60 a bulb is absolutely crazy when you can get MagicLight WiFi Smart Light Bulbs for just $17 each. You can do everything with these bulbs that you can do with LIFX bulbs, but you can get seven MagicLight bulbs for the price of just two LIFX bulbs. It's definitely a no-brainer.Here are the bullet points from the product page: * ✔ Compatible with Alexa & Google Assistant: Voice Control your MagicLight WiFi light bulb with your Amazon Echo or Echo Dot and Google Home Assistant * ✔ Works with IFTTT: DIY Your WiFi Light Bulb Depending on Various Events by Connecting it to IFTTT * ✔ Works with iOS/Android: Personalize Your WiFI Smart Lights to Match Your Mood, Control Your Smart WiFi Lights Bulb Remotely When You are not at Home * ✔ Various Scene Modes: Color Palette, Group Control, Sunlight, Music Mode, Timer, Sunrise, Sunset, Dimmable, MIC Function, DIY Mode, Scene Mode, Energy Saving...... * ✔ Application: This is a WiFi enabled light bulb, no hub required. Multiple lighting patterns, suitable for a showcase, residential, office, hotel, shop, exhibition room, landscaping, indoor, home etc.
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| 2020 Cadillac XT6 Base Pricing Announced, and It's Not a Value Play Posted: 07 Mar 2019 08:19 AM PST  It may lack luxury panache, but the XT6 at least looks handsome and is usefully packaged.
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| St Patrick's Day 2019: Shamrocks, snakes and how a British slave became Ireland's patron saint Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:08 AM PST  Erin go bragh! St Patrick's Day is nearly here, with events in honour of the patron saint of Ireland set to take place across the globe this month. Recognised annually since the 1700s, the people of Ireland celebrate their heritage and culture on St Patrick's Day, with the day growing as a commercial occasion rather than a religious event in recent years. While Ireland embraces its patron saint day by holding vibrant, green parades, wearing shamrocks and flying Irish flags more than usual, celebrations also take place in other countries around the world, including the UK, United States, Egypt and Australia. Here is everything you need to know about St Patrick's Day, from the patron saint himself to Irish recipes and worldwide celebrations. When is St Patrick's Day 2019? St Patrick's Day, the patron saint day of Ireland, falls each year on March 17. The first parade in name of the saint took place in Boston in 1737, followed by the first "official" parade in New York in 1766. The celebration of St Patrick later spread to Dublin and other American cities and in recent years has grown in popularity elsewhere in Europe and Asia. Who was St Patrick? St Patrick's exact birthplace is unknown and debated. Born as Maewyn Succat around the year of 385 AD in either England, Scotland or Wales, the patron saint was captured by Irish pirates at the age of 16 and brought to Ireland as a slave. Working as a shepherd, Patrick was held captive for six years and grew closer to spirituality and prayer during this period of isolation. After a voice in his dream told him it was time to leave Ireland, Patrick successfully fled his master and sailed back to Britain to continue studying Christianity. Shortly after his return home, an angel in Patrick's dream told him to go back to Ireland as a missionary, and following this, he decided to travel to Gaul, to study religious instruction under Germanus, bishop of Auxerre. Later ordained a bishop and eventually returning to Ireland, Patrick began his mission to spread the Christian message. During this time, Patrick converted thousands of people to Christianity and built churches, schools and monasteries across the country. Legend suggests that Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock on his mission to explain the Holy Trinity, teaching his followers that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit exist as individual elements of the combined entity. While some experts claim this story was invented centuries later, the tale has led to the common practice of people wearing the symbol on the feast day. Patrick is also thought to have banished snakes from Ireland to help remove the evil and introduce a new age. But experts claim this is a myth due to evidence snakes never existed in the country in the first place. Some say this was due to the icy waters of the Irish Sea while others believe the cold weather stopped the snakes travelling to Ireland from Britain or afar. Around 431 AD, Patrick was appointed as successor to St Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland, and during his later years, he wrote about his spirituality and life in his 'Confession'. Believed to have died on March 17, in the year 461, Patrick's spiritual path led him to become a legendary figure, as he left behind an established church and an island of Christians. Today, his work is commemorated annually on March 17. Symbols and images associated with Ireland and St Patrick's Day The colours of the Irish flag represent Catholicism (green) and Protestantism (orange), unified by peace (white). Since the 18th century, green has also represented sympathy for Irish independence. Despite St Patrick popularising shamrocks, with many choosing to wear them on the patron saint day, he is historically associated with the red Saltire of St Patrick, featured in the flag of the United Kingdom. The patron saint of Ireland is also associated with the colour blue, after the creation of the Order of St Patrick in the 1780s made it the official colour. "St Patrick's Blue" can be found on Ireland's Presidential Standard, and in the plume of bearskins worn by the Irish Guards. The legend of the Leprechaun has also become a modern day symbol of Ireland. Known for their mischievous behaviour and leaving pots of gold at the end of rainbows, today, the mythical creatures feature heavily as a tourist symbol and some people choose to wear Leprechaun costumes and hats to St Patrick's Day parades. Dublin even has its very own Leprechaun Museum. The best things to do in Dublin St Patrick's Day celebrations in Ireland Unlike St David's Day and St George's Day, St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Ireland, allowing the Irish to fully embrace the festivities. The people of Ireland honour their patron saint day every year by joining parades and dressing head to toe in green, white and orange, the colours of the Irish flag. Dublin's famous St Patrick's Festival Parade will take place on Sunday March 17 this year, starting at Parnell Square, with music and live performances from bands helping to convey the 2019 theme of storytelling. Historically the "Feast of St Patrick", the day has been observed by the Irish for over 1,000 years and families would traditionally attend church in the morning, before celebrating with dance, drink and a feast of bacon and cabbage. Today, Irish stews and pints of Guinness are often enjoyed as part of the celebration. As many as 13 million pints of Guinness are poured on St Patrick's Day alone, increasing from the average 10 million glasses poured every day around the world. In fact, 1.8 billion are sold each year and the Guinness Storehouse is situated in the heart of St James's Gate, Dublin, with visitors able to book a tour of the famous site. Popular Irish toasts on St Patrick's Day, include: "Sláinte mhaith", meaning "good health" in Irish Gaelic, and "may the good St Patrick protect ye, and the devil neglect ye". Other celebrations around the world March 17 sees millions of people around the world, even those without Irish connections, turn out to celebrate St Patrick. In the United States, the White House first recognised the Irish holiday and the countries' relations more than 50 years ago, after President Harry Truman received a box of shamrocks from Ireland's ambassador. In 1956, the first St Patrick's Day meeting between the President and the Irish Taioseach took place and since the 1990s, the White House visit has been held annually. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and US President Donald Trump during the annual shamrock presentation ceremony at the White House in Washington DC Credit: Niall Carson/PA Every year, London showcases Irish heritage and culture as part of its annual St Patrick's Day festival and parade. While live stage performances and food stalls can be enjoyed in Trafalgar Square, colourful floats, dancers and Irish communities make their way through the capital's streets. This year, the festivities take place on Sunday March 17. In Tokyo, the "I Love Ireland" parade takes place over two days, on March 16 and 17, with vibrant costumes and marching bands, while in New York, 150,000 people join the parade travelling up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In fact, a range of celebrations are held across the globe to celebrate the legendary Irish figure, including parades in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand, and Oslo, Norway. In the British West Indies, the island of Montserrat has a public holiday for St Patrick's Day and observes the patron saint with a seven day festival and parade. Dubbed the "Emerald Isle" in memory of their Irish settlers, Montserrat even use a green shamrock as their official passport stamp. St Patrick's Day is also a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, where a significant number of Irish people emigrated to during the 18th and 19th centuries. In Chicago, their river has been traditionally dyed bright green on March 17 since 1962, with thousands heading to the city to see one of the most famous St Patrick's Day sights. Rowers navigate the Chicago River shortly after it was dyed green in celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images Other countries join Chicago in turning their famous landmarks green on March 17, including the London Eye and HMS Belfast in London, the pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. The best Irish recipes Clodagh McKenna's beef and Guinness stew Beautifully tender beef, cooked in the beloved Irish beverage. This hearty winter dish is served perfectly with creamy mash or roast potatoes. Beef stew Credit: The Picture Pantry/Alloy Slow-cooked red cabbage with apples and raisin Traditionally served with beef, pork or turkey, red cabbage brings a sweet flavour to any dish and can also be eaten cold in sandwiches. Red cabbage Credit: Getty Images Rachel Allen's Barmbrack (báirín breac) This traditional Irish sweetened bread, packed with sultanas, raisins or currants, makes a delicious treat and can be enjoyed fresh, toasted or buttered. Barmbrack, a traditional Irish fruit loaf Credit: D and S Food Photography/Alamy The best Irish drinks While Ireland is the place to be for a pint of Guinness, it is also home to an array of famous alcoholic beverages including Jameson whiskey and Irish cream liqueur. If Guinness doesn't take your fancy, the Thinking Drinkers have selected the best alternatives to drink on St Patrick's Day, from craft whiskey to post poitin.
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| Payless, Gymboree and Victoria's Secret are just some of the brands closing stores in 2019 Posted: 08 Mar 2019 12:42 PM PST ![Payless, Gymboree and Victoria's Secret are just some of the brands closing stores in 2019]( "Payless, Gymboree and Victoria's Secret are just some of the brands closing stores in 2019") While 2019 is on track to be a record year for store closings, it's not expected to bring the same amount of empty retail space as last year.
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| Why Sherrod Brown Decided Not to Run For President Posted: 07 Mar 2019 02:01 PM PST  Brown concluded his path to the nomination was too narrow to be viable.
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| 12 Fresh Asparagus Salads Perfect For Spring Posted: 08 Mar 2019 11:01 AM PST |
| US journalist released by Venezuela arrives in Miami Posted: 07 Mar 2019 02:52 PM PST A US journalist who was detained by Venezuelan security forces then deported from the country arrived in Miami Thursday, safe and with plenty to say about his interrogation. Cody Weddle, who worked in Venezuela for several years as a correspondent for a variety of US media, told reporters that Venezuelan agents were especially keen to find out about five unnamed military generals. Weddle said his head was covered as he was interrogated for 12 hours by military counter-intelligence agents in Caracas.
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| Why the Turkish President Revels in Conspiracy Theories Posted: 07 Mar 2019 07:02 AM PST  Erdogan has become the twenty-first century's chief peddler of the "Reichstag Fire" strategy.
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| Ghosn's defense team to monitor calls, surveillance footage while he awaits trial Posted: 08 Mar 2019 12:33 AM PST  After paying $9 million in bail, former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is out of a Japanese jail cell where he spent 108 days, but he must live under a host of restrictions while he awaits trial, which could be a year away. As part of the bail deal arranged by his new legal team hired last month, Ghosn is banned from accessing the internet and email, and only allowed to use a computer not linked to the web at the office of one of his lawyers. Ghosn, who has French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was indicted for under-reporting his salary and breach of trust.
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| Wall Street's new dress code raises question: What to wear? Posted: 08 Mar 2019 08:59 AM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — Goldman Sachs pinned a poll to its Twitter account asking what its employees should wear to work now that the investment bank has relaxed its dress code.
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| Florida teen accused of allegedly setting caged cat on fire and feeding it to dogs Posted: 07 Mar 2019 10:15 AM PST  Alarming alleged case of animal abuse caught on surveillance camera in Miami. Prosecutors accuse Roberto Hernandez of dousing a cat with a flammable liquid, setting it on fire and then feeding it to his dogs.
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| Russia doesn’t appear thrilled with SpaceX Crew Dragon’s success Posted: 07 Mar 2019 02:02 PM PST  SpaceX made history earlier this week with a successful launch of its Crew Dragon capsule, sending it to the International Space Station where it successfully docked and allowed ISS crew members to explore its interior. It's a major step for both NASA and SpaceX, but Russia's space agency might not feel the same way.Roscosmos, the state-owned space corporation of Russia, and its Soyuz rockets have been the one and only ride available to NASA astronauts since the Space Shuttle program was shut down. The U.S. pays Russia a handsome fee, hundreds of millions of dollars, every year to secure seats for NASA crew members who need to go into space. That's about to end, and as Ars Technica reports, the public-facing smile Roscosmos is putting forth may not be entirely genuine.Roscosmos and NASA have what might be considered a marriage of convenience. Both groups are big players in space and both have helped make the International Space Station what it is today. They have a good relationship, or at least appear to get along well, and Russia has shouldered the responsibility of getting NASA astronauts into space.For NASA, this arrangement isn't perfect. NASA has to pay, of course, and the actual launch of each new group of crew members is largely out of their control. Ideally, NASA would have its own vehicles that it could send to the space station whenever it needs to, and that's what SpaceX's Crew Dragon (and later Boeing's Starliner) will provide.It's hard to know exactly what Roscomos thinks about all of this, but it's not hard to read between the lines. During the docking of the Crew Dragon to the ISS, Roscosmos instructed cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko to remain in the Russian arm of the space station.Roscosmos claimed that decision was made for safety reasons, later tweeting a vague congratulatory message (in Russian) to NASA. The tweet also noted "that flight safety must be immaculate." A subsequent tweet in English congratulated NASA without mentioning its apparent safety concerns.Later, when Crew Dragon was about to dock with the ISS, Roscosmos tweeted a self-congratulatory message highlighting the use of Russian-made gas masks by the crew members set to explore the insides of the SpaceX vehicle.https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1102542883087937536Reports out of Russia later mentioned "an unusual smell" and apparently elevated levels of isopropyl alcohol in the air of the ISS after the Crew Dragon vehicle docked. The smell was gone after the space station's air was cycled, but the unnamed source within Russia's space program made sure everyone knew about it.Russia has been critical of SpaceX and Elon Musk before, and it's no secret that some of the biggest names in Russia's space science scene aren't super fond of the company or its boss. NASA astronauts showing up to the space station in a SpaceX capsule probably doesn't sit well with some of the country's top space executives, especially when Roscosmos itself is relying on Soyuz rocket technology originally developed in the 1960s.It'll be interesting to see how things develop in the months and years to come. NASA's first crewed flight of Crew Dragon is expected to come sometime this summer.
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| Google warns users to immediately update Chrome browser after critical bug discovered Posted: 06 Mar 2019 10:00 PM PST  Google has warned owners of Windows and Mac computers to urgently update their Chrome internet browser after learning that hackers may have exploited a mystery bug that has existed since its launch. Justin Schuh, Chrome's security engineer chief warned users to update Chrome "like right this minute" on Twitter, declaring it a "PSA [Public Service Announcement]". The company shared a blog post in which it said an update that should fix the vulnerability, which it described as "high" in severity, had already been issued on March 1. It is up to users to update their browser. Those who are concerned can check their device is running the updated version of Google Chrome by opening a window and clicking on the three vertical dots in the right-hand corner. Clicking "help", followed by "about Google Chrome" in the drop down menu will lead to a page that will assist with updating. The bug was discovered by Clement Lecigne of Google's Threat Analysis Group on February 27, Google said. Google said that the flaw was a "Use-After-Free", which is a type of flaw that corrupts how a web app accesses a computer's memory and can be used to install malicious software on a computer, causing it to crash or behave strangely. Google Chrome bug | How to fix it The flaw was located in Google's FileReader, an application that is included in major browsers that lets the internet app access the contents of a PC. "We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel," said Abdul Syed, a Google Chrome engineer. Microsoft's security chief raised eyebrows last month when he asked Windows PC owners to stop using Internet Explorer unless there was no other option. He claimed this was because it is no longer being updated - and therefore no longer being secured - by the company. Internet Explorer has issued a number of patches for "Use-After-Free" bugs in the past. Security researchers have for years been picking holes in Google and Microsoft's apps, often in return for high sums of money as part of a "bug bounty". Last year Facebook said it had paid one individual $50,000 for finding glitches in the social network's code.
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| 'Humiliated and ashamed': Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison Posted: 07 Mar 2019 07:23 PM PST  Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, must pay more than $24 million in fines and restitution. He faces more prison time next week.
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| Democrats in 2020 Race Rally Around Ilhan Omar Amid Anti-Semitism Flap Posted: 08 Mar 2019 01:00 AM PST  Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand denounced anti-Semitism in separate statements Thursday, while also saying Omar was being unfairly targeted by those who want to muffle criticism of Israel's policies. On a 407 to 23 vote on Thursday, the House adopted a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry without mentioning Omar of Minnesota by name.
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| Lebanon's Hezbollah appeals for donations to combat sanctions Posted: 08 Mar 2019 07:49 AM PST  Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on Friday called for donations from its popular base because it says it is coming under financial pressure as a result of Western sanctions. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's appeal came after Britain announced on February 25 that it would seek to make membership of the Shiite movement or inviting support for it a crime. It also follows the United States ramping up sanctions against the group, with its latest raft of measures in November targeting Nasrallah's son Jawad, among other individuals.
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| What the India-Pakistan Crisis Taught China Posted: 07 Mar 2019 08:57 AM PST  Beijing also shares a disputed border with New Delhi.
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