| The Latest: London counter-terrorism team seeks images Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:08 PM PDT  COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local):
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| UPDATE 3-Trump denies telling White House counsel to fire Mueller from Russia probe Posted: 25 Apr 2019 05:22 AM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Trump denies telling White House counsel to fire Mueller from Russia probe]( "UPDATE 3-Trump denies telling White House counsel to fire Mueller from Russia probe") U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that he had ordered then-White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller from the Russia investigation, moving to undermine McGahn's credibility ahead of a possible congressional testimony. Trump's move appears to be part of an effort by the White House to push back on attempts by congressional Democrats to pursue investigations related to Mueller's probe into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so.
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| Armed border group shuts down camp at border in New Mexico Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:44 PM PDT  SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (AP) — An armed group that has been patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border left its post in the New Mexico desert Tuesday amid pressure from law enforcement following videos that showed militia members stopping migrants who had illegally crossed into the country.
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| Elizabeth Warren's plan to end student debt is glorious. We can make it a reality Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  We fully support the 2020 nominee's student debt relief proposal. But to make it happen, we'll need to kick our efforts into higher gear 'Elizabeth Warren's proposal is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives.' Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP This week, Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, announced a proposal to cancel student debt for millions of people and make public college free. This is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives. But like every other progressive proposal now being touted by presidential hopefuls, from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, the call for debt relief and free education first came from the grassroots. And if we want a real student debt jubilee to actually happen – to go from policy paper to reality – the grassroots will need to continue to push for it. Fortunately, it's a battle that can be won. Raising our voices is how we got this far. Ten years ago, student debt, even as it soared, was not seen as a serious issue. Writers including Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz were early to sound the alarm, exposing young people's disproportionate indebtedness as a structural issue. Scholars such as Darrick Hamilton and Tressie McMillan Cottom would later go on to document the racially disparate impact of student loans, which burden women and people of color most of all. But it took the Occupy Wall Street movement to make public how profoundly the pinch of monthly payments was felt by an entire generation. Sign up to receive the latest US opinion pieces every weekday In April 2012 a group of Occupiers organized a "1T Day" protest to mark the day student debt in America surpassed $1tn. Seven years later, that number has ballooned to more than $1.5tn. That protest represented a watershed moment, the point when student debt went from being a personal problem to a political one, the result of decades of disinvestment in public colleges and universities that turned education into a consumer product instead of a public good. Some of the organizers of that event would go on to help launch the Debt Collective, a union for debtors that I co-founded. We kicked things off with the Rolling Jubilee fund, a public education campaign that bought and cancelled more than $30m in medical, student debt, payday loans and private probation debts. Then, in 2015, the Debt Collective launched the country's first student debt strike. Since the strike was announced, we have won more than $1bn (and counting) in student debt cancellation for people who attended fraudulent for-profit colleges. Our team accomplished this by building a membership base of for-profit borrowers themselves. These debtors, a multiracial group of working-class people from across the country, led a campaign to pressure the Department of Education to cancel their loans. Their victory – and the fact that our primary demand of a debt jubilee and free college is now on Warren's platform – demonstrates the power of grassroots organizing. The precedent-setting significance of the Debt Collective's work is clear and cannot be overstated: Warren knows that student loans can be cancelled because they already have been on a smaller scale for for-profit college borrowers. That said, Warren's plan, as bold as it is, is hardly inevitable. Her proposal of canceling student debt and ensuring free college seems contingent on the passage of a millionaire's tax that, barring a miracle, is likely to be stymied by an intransigent Congress. In order to win a jubilee, then, we will have to kick our grassroots efforts into a higher gear. Debtors must continue to fight for their rights and advocate for the best possible solutions. We are preparing to do just that. Since 2016, along with our partners at Harvard Law School's Project on Predatory Student Lending, we have been working out a roadmap that would allow all federal student loans to be cancelled without waiting for Congress to act. Congress, it turns out, has already given administrative agencies the power to cancel debts. Just as the Securities and Exchange Commission can cut low-dollar deals with banks that break the law, for example, the secretary of education can settle with debtors for a fraction of what they owe or suspend the collection of student debt altogether. When it was first given the power to issue and collect student loans in 1958, the Department of Education also received the power to "compromise, waive, or release any right" to collect on them. And when the Higher Education Act of 1965 made student loan authorities permanent, it solidified their power to compromise. Nothing in the law prevents the secretary of education from using compromise and settlement authority to address the worst effects of decades of failed higher education policy. But only a movement with that as its goal can get us there. Student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country To win a jubilee, we need a movement focused on motivating candidates to commit to using the full powers available to them in office to address this emergency and stop collections on all student loans. While millionaires and billionaires should be taxed at a much higher rate, in the short term we should not let a Congress bought off by the super-rich prevent us from doing what's right and legal – and economically beneficial. Indeed, student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country. Not only would debtors get relief, academic research shows it would be a significant stimulus that might "supercharge" the economy and help address the racial wealth gap. Money currently used to pay back loans with interest would be redirected to other goods and services. But the win would be more profound than just an economic boost. Education could finally be a public good and not a commodity (or worse, a debt trap). This transformation would help inaugurate a new political vision that redefines liberty as the ability to freely access the social services that we all need to survive and thrive. The Debt Collective has been leading this fight for years – and our growing membership will continue to do so. Grassroots organizing is what got us this far, and it's the only thing that can get us to the finish line: an end to student debt and free public college for everyone, once and for all. Astra Taylor is a writer, organizer, and documentarian. Her books include the American Book Award winner The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone. Her most recent film is What Is Democracy?
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| #FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:55 PM PDT ![#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts]( "#FeelingCute challenge: Texas prison guards fired after probe into 'inappropriate' posts") The trend often involves uniformed workers posting selfies coupled with captions joking about what their work day may entail.
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| Air Canada says its 737 MAX jets grounded until at least August Posted: 25 Apr 2019 01:21 PM PDT  Air Canada said Thursday that its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX jets will remain grounded until at least August 1, pushing back a previous estimate for their return to service. Two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft -- one operated by Ethiopian Airlines and another by Lion Air -- have crashed in recent months, killing nearly 350 people. Air Canada's 24 MAX jetliners were grounded in March following the second crash.
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| Joe Biden: Who is the 2020 Democratic candidate and what are his key policies? Posted: 25 Apr 2019 06:33 AM PDT  When he announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination to run for US President, Joe Biden appealed to ideals."We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," he said in his campaign video, released on Thursday morning. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation – who we are – and I cannot stand by and watch that happen."Best-known for serving as vice president during Barack Obama's presidency, Mr Biden became an immediate frontrunner for the Democratic candidacy.Amid the Trump presidency, a flurry of fresh faces and an increasingly progressive Democratic Party, Mr Biden's campaign will try to convince voters that the US needs an experienced, calm figure that can make the US take a deep breath and pull its act together again, according to analysts of US politics. And Mr Biden has experience – he's been on the political scene for decades. Born in 1942, he was first elected to the US Senate in 1972 for the state of Delaware – becoming the sixth-youngest senator in American history.He was re-elected six times and only resigned to become vice president in 2009.This is Mr Biden's third attempt to run for the presidency, after his 1988 and 2008 presidential campaigns.His life has been notoriously scarred by tragedies. In December 1972, just a few weeks after his first election, his wife and one-year-old daughter died in a car accident in Delaware. In 2015, one of his two sons who survived the accident died at 46 after a two-year battle with brain cancer – and as a consequence, Mr Biden decided not to run for president in 2016.He is widely perceived as relatable, empathetic and authentic. Mr Biden has occasionally emphasised his blue-collar roots and the fact that he consistently ranked as one of the least wealthy members of the Senate – although he has recently earned millions of dollars through a lucrative book deal and selected paid speaking.In a 2009 interview, Mr Obama compared Mr Biden's efforts to a basketball player "who does a bunch of things that don't show up in the stat sheet".He is popular in some places Democrats have lost, such as working-class swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, as well as with minorities and older voters, according to a recent poll.But his campaign faces many challenges. Politically, Mr Biden is a centrist in an increasingly progressive Democratic Party. "I'm an Obama-Biden Democrat, man," Mr Biden told reporters earlier in April. "And I'm proud of it."He is likely to face scrutiny for being in favour of capital punishment and for supporting a 1994 crime bill that experts say contributed to an era of mass incarceration. He voted in favour of the Iraq War in 2002 but opposed the surge of US troops in 2007.During his time as vice president, he supported deficit spending for fiscal stimulus in 2009, increased infrastructure spending, and reduced military spending in 2014.Recently, some women have claimed that he touched them in an overly familiar manner without their consent. Mr Biden has struggled to respond, saying that inappropriate behaviour "was never my intention", and pledging to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space.His age and experience are also potential challenges. If elected, Mr Biden would become the oldest president in US history. And as an increasingly progressive Democratic Party craves new faces, it's unclear whether its base will support an older white man who has spent half a century in Washington.
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| Death toll from Sri Lanka bombing attacks rises to 359: police Posted: 23 Apr 2019 09:14 PM PDT  The death toll from the Easter Sunday suicide bombing attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka rose to 359, police said on Wednesday without providing any further details. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera released the toll but did not give a breakdown of casualties from the three churches and four hotels hit by suicide bombers. The attacks were claimed on Tuesday by the Islamic State militant group, which said they were carried out by seven attackers but gave no evidence to support the claim.
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| 13-year-old Houston girl dies after fight at middle school Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:14 AM PDT  A 13-year-old girl who was placed on life support after being attacked bythree other girls has died, according to ABC 13
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| Sri Lanka troops join hunt for bomb attack suspects Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:44 PM PDT  Sri Lanka deployed thousands of additional troops countrywide overnight to help police hunt for suspects in the Easter Sunday suicide blasts that killed nearly 360 people, a spokesman said Thursday. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. "We are armed with powers to search, seize, arrest and detain under emergency regulations," Atapattu told AFP.
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| What Drove the Mueller Investigation? Posted: 25 Apr 2019 03:30 AM PDT  Special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year, $30 million, 448-page report did not find collusion between Donald Trump and Russia.Despite compiling private allegations of loud and obnoxious Trump behavior, Mueller also concluded that there was not any actionable case of obstruction of justice by the president. It would have been hard in any case to find that Trump obstructed Mueller's investigation of an alleged crime.One, there was never a crime of collusion. Mueller early on in his endeavors must have realized that truth, but he pressed ahead anyway. It is almost impossible to prove obstruction of nothing.Two, Trump cooperated with the investigation. He waived executive privilege. He turned over more than 1 million pages of administrative documents. He allowed then–White House counsel Don McGahn to submit to over 30 hours of questioning by Mueller's lawyers.Three, anyone targeted by a massive investigation who knows he is innocent of an alleged crime is bound to become frustrated over a seemingly never-ending inquisition.Trump's reported periodic rages at the Mueller investigation are regrettable but not unnatural, given that Mueller expended a huge amount of government resources to confirm what many knew at the outset: that there was never any collusion with the Russian government to warp the 2016 election.Yet Mueller's team went down every blind alley relating to its investigation -- except where Obama-era officials were likely culpable for relevant unethical or illegal behavior.The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants were integral to Mueller's investigations. But there is no mention of how the FISA court was deceived by not being told that the chief evidence used to obtain the warrants was an unverified dossier paid for in part by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.Some of the collusion narrative Mueller examined was based on FBI informants' unverified stories. Yet strangely, the Mueller team did not investigate whether it was legal in the first place for the FBI, possibly with CIA help, to use informants to spy on a presidential campaign.Former FBI director James Comey figures into the Mueller report. But there is no curiosity about whether he broke the law in leaking what may well have been four classified memos of private presidential conversations to the press for the purpose of forcing an appointment of a special counsel.The Christopher Steele dossier likewise makes an appearance in the Mueller report. But for a team investigating the alleged collusion of foreigners in a U.S. election, there is silence about the salient fact that Steele, a foreign national, enlisted other foreign nationals to dig up dirt on Trump to weaken his election chances -- with part of the funding for this research provided by the Clinton campaign and the DNC.What bothers many Americans about the collusion hoax is the accompanying sanctimony of the so-called investigators. The Mueller team could have helped itself had it just noted that much of the evidence it looked at was a product of Obama-era officials' unethical or illegal behavior.Comey wrote a memoir, A Higher Loyalty. Its eponymous themes are Comey's own ethics and principles. But Comey may well have misled the FISA court and possibly lied under oath to a House committee. He was not candid with federal investigators and leaked confidential and classified government memos.Former FBI director Andrew McCabe also wrote a memoir, The Threat. Its argument is that FBI kingpins such as McCabe protect America from dangers such as Donald Trump. But McCabe himself is under criminal referral for lying to federal investigators. His sworn congressional testimony cannot be reconciled with Comey's. McCabe also likely misled the FISA court. And he apparently contemplated staging a near-coup to remove an elected president through the deliberate misuse of the 25th Amendment.Former CIA director John Brennan is a paid analyst for MSNBC who often railed about Trump's "treason" and predicted his indictment. Yet Brennan himself has lied under oath to Congress on two occasions. He likely misled Congress about his role in trafficking in the Steele dossiers. And Brennan's CIA may well have helped the FBI use informants abroad to entrap Trump campaign aides in efforts to find dirt on Trump.Former director of National Intelligence James Clapper is a CNN analyst who often predicted that a supposedly treasonous Trump would be indicted. Clapper, too, has lied to Congress under oath. He once denied and then admitted to leaking confidential documents.The problem with the Mueller investigation, and with former intelligence officials such as Brennan, Clapper, Comey, and McCabe, is pious hypocrisy. Those who have lectured America on Trump's unproven crimes have written books and appeared on TV to publicize their own superior virtue. Yet they themselves have engaged in all sorts of unethical and illegal behavior.The only mystery left is whether our elite investigators actually believe their own delusions. Or were they constantly broadcasting their virtue as a preventive defense against growing evidence of their own moral lapses?© 2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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| See this Aircraft Carrier? It Was One of the Worst To Ever Set Sail. Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:33 AM PDT  On September 15th, 1942 USS Wasp was struck by three torpedoes from the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-19. Wasp at first though survivable and was even able to remain under her own power, but gasoline fires swept through the ship and made her recovery impossible. After five hours the order was given to abandon ship, and Wasp was scuttled by three torpedoes fired by the destroyer USS Lansdowne. Of the ship's 2,247 crew, 193 were killed and 366 wounded.(This first appeared last month.)The U.S. Navy rose to prominence during World War II from just one of many major naval powers to the undisputed greatest in just four short years. This was in large part due to the expansion and effective use of its aircraft carrier fleet. Although most American flattops that fought in the war were highly successful designs one, USS Wasp, was fatally compromised by the need to conform to international treaty obligations. The result was a carrier that was quickly sunk early on in the war, making only a modest contribution to the overall effort.A Treaty Like No Other: One of the most ambitious conventional arms control treaties ever signed was the Washington Naval Treaty. The multinational treaty was negotiated between 1921 and 1922 and resulted in limits in the size of individual warships and the overall tonnage of the navies of the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, and France.
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| Texas woman who suffered third-degree burns after falling on curling iron stays positive Posted: 25 Apr 2019 08:32 AM PDT  Texas woman who suffered third-degree burns, had multiple operations after falling on curling iron stays positive and is inspiring others.
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| Winter Is Here: The Best Game of Thrones Fan Theories Posted: 25 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT |
| Russian-North Korean relations since the Korean War Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:05 PM PDT  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February.
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| White House to Congress: top Trump immigration aide won't testify Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:45 AM PDT  In a letter on Wednesday to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, the White House said Stephen Miller would not testify before the committee about Trump immigration initiatives, including the policy of separating migrant children from their parents and his threat to send illegal immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. "In accordance with longstanding precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr. Miller available for testimony before the committee," the White House counsel said in the letter, which was provided to Reuters on Thursday. The refusal is part of a wider pushback by the Republican president against legal requests from the Democratic-led House, which is conducting several investigations of his administration, including his tax returns, White House security clearances and possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
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| Chevrolet Prepares for C8 Corvette Production by Adding Workers at Bowling Green Factory Posted: 25 Apr 2019 12:42 PM PDT  GM is adding more than 400 jobs and a second shift in preparation for the next-gen Corvette.
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| Ford invests $500 mn in electric vehicle startup Rivian Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:43 AM PDT  Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it was investing $500 million in Rivian as part of a strategic partnership with the startup developing electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The tieup will enable Ford to develop its own branded electric vehicle using Rivian's "flexible skateboard platform," according to a statement from the two companies. "As we continue in our transformation of Ford with new forms of intelligent vehicles and propulsion, this partnership with Rivian brings a fresh approach to both," said Jim Hackett, Ford president and chief executive.
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| Trump praises AOC about VA healthcare — before completely contradicting her Posted: 24 Apr 2019 09:11 AM PDT  Donald Trump has praised Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter over comments she made last week about the Department of Veterans Affairs — while simultaneously undermining her stance on the issue of privatising health care for US veterans. The president claimed the agency "is doing great" thanks to his administration in a tweet, seemingly undermining the fundamental point the 29-year-old lawmaker was making during a town hall event in New York. Mr Trump supported at least a portion of the congresswoman's statements surrounding veterans' health care in America, writing Wednesday, "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is correct, the VA is not broken, it is doing great. But that is only because of the Trump administration." Ms Ocasio-Cortez was speaking out against efforts by the Republican Party to privatise the VA — the second largest federal department following Defence — when she said at a town hall event in New York, "When it comes to the VA, all I can think of is that classic refrain that my parents always told me growing up, which is that, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'" "That is their opening approach that we have seen when it comes to privatisation," she continued. "the idea that this thing that isn't broken, this thing that provides the highest quality care to our veterans somehow needs to be fixed, optimised, tinkered with, until — until we don't even recognise it anymore."More follows...
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| Sri Lanka attack victims: IT director from Manchester killed in hotel bomb blast Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:32 AM PDT  An IT director from Manchester has been named among the 310 people killed in the Sri Lanka attacks. Lorraine Campbell, 55, was staying at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo when it was targeted by suicide bombers during a series of co-ordinated attacks on Easter Sunday. Ms Campbell was in Sri Lanka on a business trip and was living in Dubai at the time of her death. She is the eighth British victim to have been named following the atrocities. Neil Evans and Lorraine Campbell share a toast on a first-class flight to Dubai, where they were moving to start a new life Her husband Neil said: "Lorraine was a real tour de force, she epitomised the qualities she lived by, and was a conduit for bringing people together to both make things happen, and make them better. "I've lost my best friend in the world for all the adventures we shared and planned for the future. "I, Lorraine's family and friends are in a state of disbelief and grief for what has happened and as such, would respectfully ask that our privacy at this difficult time is respected." Her son, Mark Campbell, 32, said: "She had messaged me before the trip to say she was nervous about flying there because of fever. She was quite worked up about it, but I told her she would be all right. I never thought something like this could happen." Mr Campbell described his mother's happiness at finding Mr Evans, who was "everything she wanted in a man", and overcame her reluctance to remarry. Mr Evans gave up his own career in the UK to move to Dubai with her, he added. Daniel and Amelie Linsey A British teenage brother and sister were also named among the victims. Daniel Linsey, 19 and his younger sister Amelie, 15, were having breakfast with their father Matthew at the luxury Shangri-La Hotel when the suicide bomber struck. Mr Linsey, 63, an American city fund manager, returned to the family home in central London, on Monday to be with his British wife Angelina, 51, and his other two sons – aged 12 and 21 – who were not on the holiday. The trio survived the first blast, but were caught up in a second explosion. Daniel Linsey, 19 and his younger sister Amelie, 15 He told The Times: "You can't describe how bad it was. People were screaming. I was with my children. I couldn't tell whether they were alright, it was dark. I was worried there would be another blast. We ran out - another blast." Both children were knocked out in the explosion, forcing Mr Linsey to take his son to hospital, as his daughter had no obvious wounds, but they both died. Mr Linsey added: "A lady said she'd take my daughter. I couldn't find her because I was with my son. They sadly passed away." Amelie and Daniel were both born in Britain but had dual US and UK citizenship because their father was born in the United States. Read more | Sri Lanka attacks Six sites across the country were hit with almost simultaneous explosions, with officials saying two smaller blasts followed a few hours later. The Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels, all in Colombo, were targeted, and three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were also hit during Easter services, leaving blood-stained pews, rubble and body parts strewn all over the buildings. Hours later, a further two explosions occurred at a guesthouse in Dehiwala and near an overpass in Dematagoda, on the outskirts of Colombo. Three police officers died near the overpass after entering a property to question suspects following a tip-off. Dr Sally Bradley and Bill Harrop Eight Britons were killed in the attacks, including a doctor and a retired firefighter. Dr Sally Bradley and her husband Bill Harrop were staying in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel when one of the seven suicide bombers struck. The couple had been living in the Australian city of Perth since 2013 where Dr Bradley was practising medicine, but were due to return to the UK soon. Billy Harrop and his wife Sally They had bought a retirement home in the Cotswolds, Dr Bradley's nephew Jonathan Bradley said. He described her as a "true daughter of Manchester" who had worked as a GP in Salford, a director of public health in Manchester and as a consultant. She was sister to Labour peer Lord Keith Bradley, former MP for Manchester Withington. Mr Harrop retired from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in 2012 after 30 years as a firefighter and was decorated for his role in the aftermath of the 1996 IRA attack on Manchester. pic gallery He had two sons from a previous relationship, Miles and Gavin. Gavin had been holidaying with them at the time of the blast but was staying at a different hotel. Nicholson family A British father whose entire family were killed in the suspected terror attack in Sri Lanka has paid tribute to his "talented and thoughtful" children and his "brilliant, loving" wife. Ben Nicholson said his wife Anita, 42, son Alex, 14, and daughter Annabel, 11, had been killed as they sat at a table for breakfast in the Shangri-la Hotel in Colombo. "Mercifully, all three of them died instantly and with no pain or suffering," Mr Nicholson said. Alex Nicholson, 11, his mother, Anita, 42, were killed while dining at the second-floor restaurant in the Shangri La hotel in the country's capital, Colombo, on Sunday as it was gutted in one of several explosions which hit the country. Alex Nicholson, 11, and his mother Anita were killed in the attack. Father Ben survived, while the couple's youngest daughter is unaccounted for Credit: Facebook In a statement released by the Foreign Office, Mr Nicholson said: "I am deeply distressed at the loss of my wife and children. Anita was a wonderful, perfect wife and a brilliant, loving and inspirational mother to our two wonderful children. The holiday we had just enjoyed was a testament to Anita's enjoyment of travel and providing a rich and colourful life for our family, and especially our children. "Alex and Annabel were the most amazing, intelligent, talented and thoughtful children and Anita and I were immensely proud of them both and looking forward to seeing them develop into adulthood. They shared with their mother the priceless ability to light up any room they entered and bring joy to the lives of all they came into contact with." The couple both work as lawyers in Singapore, according to their professional profiles online. Mr Nicholson is understood to be a partner in the Singapore office of Kennedys Legal Solutions and advises clients on insurance law. His corporate profile describes him as a committee member of the Asia Power Forum and "a strong supporter of [the insurance sector in Asia] and a regular at events in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand". Meanwhile, according to her LinkedIn profile, Mrs Nicholson was a former legal adviser to HM Treasury in London from 1998 to 2010 and relocated to Singapore to work for the oil giant, BP, in April 2012. Her profile lists her current place of employment as managing counsel at the mining and metals company, Anglo American. Alex and Anita were killed while dining at the Shangri La hotel in Colombo Credit: Facebook Mrs Nicholson shared photos of her family on social media sporting the kit of the British and Irish Lions Rugby team. In 2013 she shared a photo of her smiling son sitting between England fly half, Owen Farrell and Wales winger, George North. Her social media photographs also show her pictured at a fundraising even for First Hand, a Singapore-based volunteer group dedicated to helping children and families in Cambodia. Alex Nicholson pictured with Lions rugby players Owen Farrell, left, and George North Credit: Facebook Children of Anders Holch Povlsen The billionaire fashion tycoon behind online clothing retailer Asos lost three of his four children in the Sri Lanka terror attacks. Anders Holch Povlsen, 46, is Denmark's wealthiest man and the UK's largest private landowner after buying up 13 estates in Scotland. Three days before the attacks, Mr Povlsen's daughter Alma shared an Instagram photo of her siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred - calling them "three little bears" - in front of a swimming pool lined by palm trees. The billionaire and his wife Anne, who keep a low public profile, have not said which of their three children died in the attack. Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife Anne Holch Povlsen Credit: Olufson Jonas/Ritzau Scanpix via AP Mr Povlsen set out his ambitions for the 220,000 acres he owns north of the Border, but said he would not live to see the conclusion of his "re-wilding" project. Jesper Stubkier, communications manager for Mr Holch Povlsen's wholesale fashion business Bestseller, announced the children's deaths in the Easter Sunday attacks. He said: "I can confirm that three children have been killed. We have no further comment and we ask that the family's privacy is respected at this time." Shantha Mayadunne The first victims of the Easter bombings were named as a television chef, Shantha Mayadunne, and her London-based daughter, Nisanga. They had been staying at the Shangri-La hotel in the capital Colombo, which was one of four hotels bombed on Sunday morning. Nisanga, believed to be aged in her 30s, had posted a photo of the family in the hotel shortly before the explosion with the caption, "Easter breakfast with my family". Shantha Mayadume, a television chef, and her daughter Nilanga were also killed Credit: Twitter Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said the nationalities of 11 foreigners killed in the Easter Sunday blasts have been verified. Three Indians, one Portuguese and two Turkish nationals were killed, while a further nine foreigners were also reported missing. A Dutch and a Chinese national have been reported among the victims, while Japan also confirmed one of its citizens was killed. Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, said she lost a relative in the attacks. "It is all so devastating," she wrote on Twitter. "Solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka."
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| Check Out This Picture: You Are Looking at the Greatest Aircraft Carrier Ever Posted: 23 Apr 2019 10:00 PM PDT  Shortly before USS Enterprise went to the breakers, a new ship bearing the name was laid down; CVN-65, the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier. The latter USS Enterprise served for fifty years, before decommissioning in 2012. Another USS Enterprise, CVN-80, is scheduled for completion by 2025.In May 1938, the U.S. Navy commissioned the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the seventh ship to bear the name in American service. The second of three sisters, Enterprise made a central—perhaps the central—contribution to the war effort in 1942. The U.S. Navy began 1942 with six fleet carriers (excluding the small Ranger, which served in the Atlantic). Over the course of the year, Japanese aircraft and submarines would sink four of those carriers and put a fifth (USS Saratoga) out of action for long periods of time. Enterprise fought with distinction in most of the major battles of 1942, and survived to contribute for the rest of the war.(This first appeared several years ago.)In short, USS Enterprise (CV-6) was the finest ship ever to serve in the U.S. Navy.Construction
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| Police: Man killed baby after learning he wasn't the dad Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:22 PM PDT ![Police: Man killed baby after learning he wasn't the dad]( "Police: Man killed baby after learning he wasn't the dad") MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man beat an infant to death after discovering that he wasn't the child's father, police said.
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| What feud? Duchess Kate joins Prince Harry at church service Posted: 25 Apr 2019 11:56 AM PDT  Duchess Kate and Prince Harry were all smiles at an appearance together at an Anzac Day service in Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
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| 'I am a gaffe machine': a history of Joe Biden's biggest blunders Posted: 25 Apr 2019 09:59 AM PDT  As the former vice-president enters a crowded 2020 field, will his well-documented past of confusing and embarrassing moments work against him? In March Joe Biden seemed to accidentally let it slip he was running for president, saying at a dinner for the Delaware Democratic party that he has 'the most progressive record of anybody running'. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/APAfter months of speculation and hinting, Joe Biden has officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in the 2020 US election.Biden, the 76-year-old former vice-president and senator from Delaware enters a crowded field of competitors, but polls in recent weeks have consistently shown him leading the pack, perhaps because of his experience and lengthy record in office.But unlike some of his much younger opponents, it's his decades in the public eye, and in particular his well-documented history of confusing or downright embarrassing gaffes and misstatements, that may end up working against him.He even made a gaffe about his intentions to run for the White House. Just last month he seemed to accidentally let it slip that he was running, saying at a dinner for the Delaware Democratic party that he has "the most progressive record of anybody running". After cheers from the crowd Biden seemed to recognize the mistake, and jokingly gave the sign of the cross, saying he "didn't mean it".Here are some other memorable moments: Biden 'being Biden'Biden's awkward behavior over the years is not limited to what he has said, but also how he acts. Several women have recently come forward to say he has made inappropriate physical contact with them, leaving them feel uncomfortable.Joe Biden puts his hands on Stephanie Carter's shoulders as her husband, Ashton Carter, is being sworn in as secretary of defense on 17 February 2015. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty ImagesInfamously in 2015, while Ashton Carter was being sworn in as the secretary of defense, Biden put his hands on his wife Stephanie's shoulders, rubbing them and appearing to whisper in her ear. "Joe Biden, We Need to Talk About the Way You Touch Women," Gawker wrote at the time, collecting a series of photo ops in which Biden appears to behave in an overly familiar way with women, young and old alike. "America Shouldn't Tolerate 'Biden Being Biden,'" Time remarked.Stephanie Carter wrote a blogpost published on Medium on 31 March defending Biden, saying it had merely been a "moment between close friends". The living and the deadIn 2010, at a St Patrick's Day reception for Brian Cowen, Biden got confused over which of the then Irish prime minister's parents had passed away."His mom lived in Long Island for 10 years or so, God rest her soul," he said, before catching his mistake. "Although she's, wait. Your mom's still alive. It was your dad that passed. God bless her soul. I gotta get this straight," Biden said to a big laugh from the crowd, showing that even when he screws up, his supporters often find it charming. Stand up for AmericaAt a campaign stop in Missouri in 2008, then vice-presidential nominee Biden exhorted state senator Chuck Graham to stand up for a round of applause. Graham is a paraplegic after a car accident he had at age 16."Stand up, Chuck, let them see you," Biden said."Oh, God love ya, what am I talking about," Biden said. "I tell you what, you're making everybody else stand up though, pal," he said. He added: "You can tell I'm new." Fresh ideasBarack Obama and Joe Biden at the US Conference of Mayors in Washington DC on 21 January 2010. Photograph: Rex FeaturesIn the midst of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in 2007, Biden took broad swipes at his opponents Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama, including one that was downright puzzling about the future president."I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," he said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man.""Joe Biden: moron racist, or poorly transcribed?" the Economist asked.Biden swiftly attempted to clarify his intent, saying he should have used the word "fresh" instead of "clean" on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."What I meant was that he's got new ideas, he's a new guy on the block," he said, while Stewart looked on skeptically. "It's not working, right?" he joked to laughter from the audience. In his own wordsThe 2008 election wasn't the first time Biden ran for president. After it was revealed that Biden had taken to adopting language used by then British Labour party leader Neil Kinnock – not only turns of phrases but taking parts of his biography as his own on stump speeches – Biden dropped out of the 1988 race.Clips of the speeches were put together by challengers, damaging Biden's reputation.Biden initially called it a "tempest in a teapot" at the time, but after further accusations of plagiarism were reported, stretching back to his days in law school, he stepped down. Crazy 'Uncle Joe'As troubling as some of his misstatements might be, and as serious some of the concerns people have about Biden's retrograde positioning among a new crop of progressive candidates, a sizable percentage of the US electorate finds the often goofy Biden charming.It didn't hurt matters that Obama often reacted to them with bemusement. "I don't remember exactly what Joe was referring to, not surprisingly," Obama quipped after a typically confusing statement from Biden about the passage of a stimulus package in 2010. Gaffe machineJoe Biden and Lisa Murkowski at the US Capitol in Washington DC on 5 January 2011. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersIn 2015, presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke about the prospect of squaring off against Biden if he had ended up running."I think I'd match up great," he said. "I'm a job producer. I've had a great record, I haven't been involved in plagiarism."We may yet get to see how that works on the 2020 campaign trail. Trump is not exactly gaffe-free, to put it mildly."I hope it's Biden," Trump said again last month. "When I say something that you might think is a gaffe, it's on purpose. It's not a gaffe. When Biden says something dumb, it's because he's dumb.""I am a gaffe machine," Biden admitted in December when asked about potential liabilities of his campaign. "But my God what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can't tell the truth," he said.This article was amended on 25 April. Biden dropped out of the presidential race in 1988, not 1998 as previously stated
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| Russia offers passports to east Ukraine, president-elect decries 'aggressor state' Posted: 24 Apr 2019 09:57 AM PDT  Russia's move is an early test for the Ukrainian president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who won a landslide victory in Sunday's presidential election and has pledged to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Zelenskiy said Putin's action showed Russia was waging war in Ukraine and brought the two sides no closer to peace. Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko said Russia might try to annex the Donbass region.
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| NASA's Insight lander detects first "marsquake" Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:00 PM PDT  For the first time, NASA has confirmed the first "marsquake" detected by the Insight lander on the Red Planet on April 6. Marsquakes differ from earthquakes back home, let's find out how
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| Trump Escalates Feud with House Democrats, Vowing to Fight ‘All the Subpoenas’ Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:47 AM PDT  President Trump said Wednesday that he plans to fight all subpoenas issued by congressional Democrats in their investigation of his administration, including requests for his financial records and for the full, unredacted Mueller report."We're fighting all the subpoenas," the president told reporters outside the White House before heading to a summit on the opioid crisis in Atlanta. "The subpoena is ridiculous. We have been, I have been the most transparent president and administration in the history of our country by far."Since retaking the House in January, Democrats in the lower chamber have opened numerous investigations of Trump's administration and personal finances. They have subpoenaed the president's financial records, including his tax returns, and have asked former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify to his claims, laid out in the Mueller report, that Trump asked him to have Mueller fired."Look, these aren't like impartial people. The Democrats are trying to win 2020. They're not going to win with the people that I see, and they're not going to win against me," Trump said. "The only way they can luck out is by constantly going after me on nonsense. But they should be really focused on legislation.""I say it's enough," Trump concluded. "Get back to infrastructure, get back to cutting taxes, get back to lowering prescription-drug prices."
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| The U.S. Navy Wants Frigates That Can Pack a Punch Posted: 24 Apr 2019 09:00 PM PDT  The Navy soon could select a shipyard to build the new class of frigate starting in 2020.The U.S. Navy might tweak its force-structure goals in order to boost the number of frigates.That's what Vice Adm. Bill Merz, the deputy chief of naval operations, told a House of Representatives subcommittee on March 27, 2019. "We're expecting a pretty hard look at the mix of ships this year," Merz said, according to USNI News.In rewriting the force-structure plan to include more small surface combatants, the Navy could signal its intention to acquire larger numbers of smaller ships at the expense of bigger ships.This first appeared in earlier in April 2019.The idea would be to distribute U.S. naval power across a greater number of less-expensive vessels, reversing a decades-long trend toward larger, and fewer U.S. warships."We know we are heavy on large surface combatants, and we'd like to adjust that to a more appropriate mix, especially with the lethality we're seeing coming along with the frigate," Merz said.
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| Grassed up: Facebook leads Myanmar police to weed-growing Americans Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:57 PM PDT  Myanmar police have arrested one American and two locals after photos on Facebook led them to a huge plantation of towering marijuana plants near Mandalay. Pictures of the fields of weed started circulating on the platform last week -- a rare sight online in a country where police photos of seized heroin and methamphetamine are far more common. Police raided the 20-acre site in Ngunzun township Monday to find nearly 350,000 marijuana plants -- some up to two metres tall -- 380 kilograms of seeds and 270 kilograms of marijuana, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) announced Wednesday.
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| George H.W. Bush grandson considering run for his grandfather's former Congress seat Posted: 25 Apr 2019 01:06 PM PDT ![George H.W. Bush grandson considering run for his grandfather's former Congress seat]( "George H.W. Bush grandson considering run for his grandfather's former Congress seat") Pierce Bush, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, says he is "seriously considering running" for the 7th Congressional District in Texas.
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| Australia leader plays down terror threat at Gallipoli event Posted: 25 Apr 2019 02:43 AM PDT  CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister played down Thursday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders.
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| Sri Lanka's crisis of leadership opens space for nationalist Rajapaksas Posted: 25 Apr 2019 04:45 AM PDT  Elections to pick a new president are due between October and December and Mahinda Rajapaksa is already targeting President Maithripala Sirisena and his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for failing to preserve the hard fought peace. Rajapaksa cannot contest for president again, but his brother Gotabaya is ready to make a bid, his aide has said. "Rajapaksas' will take the easy benefit and be able to claim with some credibility that if they come back to power, they will adopt the same strong security policy that allowed them to free the country from terrorism," said a Western diplomat.
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| UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:22 PM PDT ![UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares]( "UPDATE 3-Visa profit jumps, lower cross-border volume weighs on shares") Visa Inc reported higher expenses and lower spending by people using its cards abroad on Wednesday even as increased overall consumer spending drove quarterly profit 14 percent higher. Shares of the company were trading lower after the bell as investors worried over a slide in cross-border volume growth, which measures the value of transactions made on a Visa card outside a customer's home country. The company and its rival Mastercard had recently come under fire for charging high fees on tourist cards in the European Union.
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| Trump's Iran Moves Threaten to Take Dangerous Turn, Zarif Warns Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:08 AM PDT  Speaking two days after the U.S. said it will let waivers to a handful of governments still importing Iranian oil expire, exposing them to sanctions, Zarif said Wednesday that he thinks that Trump wants to force Tehran to the negotiating table but is being pushed toward a potential military conflict by some of his advisers and regional allies -- a "B Team" of officials that he said includes the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and National Security Advisor John Bolton. "President Trump's aim is to bring us to our knees and talk," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York.
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| The Eames-Designed Meyer House Is On the Market Posted: 25 Apr 2019 01:02 PM PDT |
| How Joe Biden fared in two previous White House bids Posted: 25 Apr 2019 03:37 PM PDT  Joe Biden, the former vice president and Democratic heavyweight who launched his 2020 White House campaign Thursday, has sought the office twice before, in 1988 and 2008. Here is a look at Biden's previous two presidential bids. While on the campaign trail he sought to promote his family's humble origins, and began borrowing the eloquent phrasings and syntax of British politician Neil Kinnock.
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| Amazon’s hosting the most massive sale we’ve ever seen on board games, today only Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:12 AM PDT  Whether you love board games and play them every chance you get or you just like to have a few lying around to pull out at parties, today is your lucky day. Amazon is running a massive one-day sale spanning hundreds of different board games, and it has some of the lowest prices we've ever seen. Everything from obscure games to wildly popular ones like Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition, Spot It!, and Pandemic. There's even a Game of Thrones board game included in the sale!You can shop the entire sale right here on Amazon's site, and check out a few of our favorite deals below. Just remember that this sale only lasts until the end of the day on Wednesday.
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| Battle of Mogadishu veteran responds to Ilhan Omar's criticism of 'Black Hawk Down' mission Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:08 PM PDT  In a resurfaced tweet, Rep. Ilhan Omar claims U.S. forces killed 'thousands' of Somalis during the 1993 mission; reaction from retired Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb, who fought in the Battle of Mogadishu.
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| How armed vigilante groups are detaining migrants on US-Mexico border Posted: 25 Apr 2019 07:07 AM PDT  The camera panned across dozens of faces, exhausted migrants crouched in the New Mexico night, fenced in by armed civilians. The woman filming issued a stern warning."Don't aim the gun," she called out to a member of the group off-screen, before she commented about how many children were in the group being "detained". The 16 April video of armed civilians holding migrants tore across social media and news outlets amid concerns by the American Civil Liberties Union that the actions of the United Constitutional Patriots amounted to armed kidnapping and coercion. The video and the stories that followed prompted stern denunciation from the state's governor and rights groups.The elements of that video and others are fuelling inquiry over the legal grey areas in which self-described militias can operate.That activity has placed armed civilians within feet of federal immigration agents at night in wild shrub land, with migrants caught in the middle, confused about who has actual authority on the border and what their rights are on US soil.[[gallery-0]] "Menacing or threatening migrant families and asylum seekers is absolutely unacceptable and must cease," New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said after the ACLU brought the video to light, calling the group's activities "completely unacceptable".The men in these videos wear military-style uniforms, surround migrants with rifles and issue commands to stop and sit. One member can be seen walking in front of the camera with an AR-15 rifle.In at least one video that has since been restricted, the group yells "Policia, alto!" – Police, stop! – at migrants, BuzzFeed News reported. In another, "a member of the militia is heard yelling in Spanish, 'Pistola, pistola' – gun, gun – at a group of people moments after they crossed the border at night," Buzzfeed wrote.Photos show the men wearing police-style star badges.In the April 16 video, Customs and Border Protection agents arrive and collect migrants but do not ask the group with guns to disperse or take their weapons elsewhere."Border Patrol has never asked us to stand down," Jim Benvie, a group spokesman, told the New York Times in a story published on 18 April.Benvie did not reply to multiple requests for an interview for this story, but he has been active on Facebook, and described his group's motivation for their actions in two videos on Tuesday night."We are simply there because President [Donald] Trump declared a national emergency on the border we came down to find out what that emergency is," Benvie says. "We are sitting here right now and we're doing what we need to do."Experts say the legal world these groups exist in is murky. What is the status of this group? Is it a militia? Is its actions protected by the constitution, or does the conduct rise to the level of kidnapping or impersonating law enforcement?"Militia is a term used in a rather fluid manner," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. "It's loosely defined as an armed group engaged in some paramilitary operation."The Supreme Court has ruled it is an individual right to bear arms, Turley said, and if the members lawfully assemble without trespassing, they can exist in the ways neighbourhood patrols do – albeit armed with AR-15 rifles."In some ways these groups are George Zimmerman on steroids," Turley said, referring to the man who followed and killed Trayvon Martin and was exonerated on Florida's stand-your-ground, self-defence law.According to the group's Facebook page, its objective is to "uphold the Constitution of the United States of America" and to protect citizens' rights "against all enemies both foreign and domestic" – phrasing that mimics the oath taken by US service members.Dave Kopel, an adjunct professor constitutional law at Denver University, explained that in the American Revolution, militias were auxiliary forces that supplemented Continental troops across swaths of territory where an army presence was not always possible. Militias were crucial in raids and harassment campaigns against British soldiers.Now, organised militias are National Guard units and some state guard groups, he said. All able-bodied men between 17 and 45 years old are members of an organised militia subject to mobilisation, according to US law.The difference between those groups and the organisation at the border, Kopel explained, is a matter of oversight. Governors command National Guard troops. Presidents can activate them for federal service.It is legal to carry firearms openly in New Mexico, and there is not a law banning the use of military-style uniforms, although Turley said some behaviour could catch the eye of prosecutors.Most attorneys rely on explicit statements of misrepresenting oneself as law enforcement, but wearing police-style badges may get group members "dangerously close to the line of impersonating an officer."The group has sought to distance itself from the appearance of coercion, with Benvie calling their activities "a verbal citizen's arrest" and suggesting that their activity is not actual detainment."We can't make them stay if they don't want to," Benvie told the New York Times.Still, Turley said, confusion may reign on the border when militiamen emerge from the dark with weapons drawn. "It's very likely they view these militia members to be law enforcement," he said.Benvie told the paper the members were instructed not to point weapons and that military-style rifles were no longer permitted on patrols, though handguns were permissible. The 16 April video shows rifles in the hands of group members.New Mexico has no statute on citizen's arrest, Alan Malott, a since-retired judge of the 2nd Judicial District Court in New Mexico, wrote in 2011, saying people can arrest private citizens who they believe "committed a felony-level crime or a breach of the peace in his presence".In a statement on Twitter, CBP said it "does not endorse or condone private groups or organisations taking enforcement matters into their own hands. Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved." It followed that tweet with phone numbers to call "if a member of the community witnesses or suspects illegal activity".Carlos Diaz, CBP spokesman, declined to comment on what was shown in the videos, which appear to have shown armed civilians alongside Border Patrol agents.Benvie did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, but he has shared several videos on his Facebook page over the past week, explaining the group's actions and their motivations."We have repeated time and time and time again this is not a militia," Benvie said onTuesday. "This is not an armed vigilante group. This is not the KKK. This is not a terrorist organisation."If we did anything wrong, if there had ever been anything wrong, not only would those videos have not been done live but the Border Patrol would have immediately acted," Benvie said. "They don't want civilians to enforce the law.""However," he continues, "if you read the second part of their statement they do encourage citizens to observe and report illegal activity relating to immigration, and they do welcome that they they've even posted the phone number, OK? So the point I'm trying to tell you is, is that 'observing and reporting' more or less is what we've been doing."The United Constitutional Patriots' leader, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, appeared in court Monday on charges from 2017 of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The FBI also contends his group was training for assassinations against liberal politicians and donors.Hopkins, who goes by the pseudonym Johnny Horton and is referred to within the group as "Striker," was arrested and accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer in 2006."This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families," Hector Balderas, the state attorney general, said in a statement after Hopkins's arrest. Balderas said the arrest "indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not vigilantes."A letter sent by the New Mexico chapter of the ACLU asked Balderas to investigate the group. "We cannot allow racist and armed vigilantes to kidnap and detain people seeking asylum," it said.Benvie has said his group was welcomed by local law enforcement and said police were "happy we were there." However, the group's outpost in New Mexico was abandoned amid pressure from law enforcement, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.Sunland Police Chief Javier Guerra said it would take action if group members pointed weapons at migrants."We can arrest them for assault," Guerra said, AP reported.But in the 16 April video, the woman narrating the incident sought more a more influential audience."Donald Trump needs to see this," she said.Washington Post
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| AP EXCLUSIVE: At Walmart, using AI to watch the store Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:58 PM PDT  LEVITTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Inside one of Walmart's busiest Neighborhood Market grocery stores, high resolution cameras suspended from the ceiling point to a table of bananas. They can tell how ripe the bananas are from their color.
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| Boeing axes 210 orders after India's Jet stops flying Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:20 AM PDT ![Boeing axes 210 orders after India's Jet stops flying]( "Boeing axes 210 orders after India's Jet stops flying") Boeing Co removed 210 aircraft from its order backlog and took an impairment charge over customer financing losses on Wednesday following the near-collapse of India's Jet Airways. Under recent changes in accounting rules, Boeing hives off orders that no longer meet its criteria for recognizing revenue into a separate category, while defending contractual claims. Boeing finance director Greg Smith confirmed the adjustment was related to financial problems at Jet Airways, which halted all flight operations indefinitely on April 17 after its lenders rejected a plea for emergency funds.
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| At a women of color forum, Beto O'Rourke criticizes Obama on deportations Posted: 24 Apr 2019 02:42 PM PDT  The former House member from Texas also said Trump administration officials could face punishment over their handling of migrants seeking asylum.
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| Sri Lanka paying deadly price for political infighting: analysts Posted: 25 Apr 2019 12:30 AM PDT  Crucial intelligence that could have prevented Sri Lanka's Easter attacks went ignored in part because of feuding between the country's leaders, experts say. The government has admitted "major" lapses in its failure to act on intelligence warnings, and analysts say a longstanding political crisis is to blame. The warnings were clear: On April 11, Sri Lanka's police chief issued an alert saying that radical Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) planned suicide bombings of "prominent churches", citing alerts from a foreign intelligence agency.
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| Glenn Close, Hasan Minhaj and Naomi Campbell Reveal Their Most Positive Influences at the TIME 100 Gala Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:46 PM PDT  Glenn Close, Naomi Campbell and Trevor Noah talk about who influences them most at the 2019 TIME 100 Gala in a moving video.
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