| Officials: Taliban attacks kill 10 Afghan troops, 4 police Posted: 27 May 2019 03:03 AM PDT  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A roadside bombing claimed by the Taliban killed 10 Afghan soldiers in the country's west while insurgent attacks on security checkpoints in northern Afghanistan killed four policemen, local officials said Monday.
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| PHOTOS: Tornadoes rip through Ohio and Oklahoma Posted: 28 May 2019 07:50 AM PDT  A tornado pulverized buildings around Dayton, Ohio, early on Tuesday, injuring at least 35 people.
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| Pope denies prior knowledge of now expelled U.S. cardinal McCarrick's sexual misconduct Posted: 28 May 2019 03:40 PM PDT  Pope Francis has denied he knew about sexual misconduct by former U.S. cardinal Theodore McCarrick before the start of Church investigations that found him guilty. McCarrick, once one of the most powerful men in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy, was expelled from the Roman Catholic priesthood in February after he was found guilty of sexual crimes against minors and adults. "I knew nothing about McCarrick, naturally nothing," Francis said in an interview with Mexico's Televisa broadcaster which was published in Vatican media on Tuesday.
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| Justin Amash: Barr promoted Trump's 'false narrative' about Mueller probe Posted: 28 May 2019 03:17 PM PDT  Amash in his Tuesday tweetstorm contended William Barr "deliberately misrepresented key aspects of Mueller's report and decisions in the investigation."
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| Six New Six-Figure Convertibles to Kick-Start Summer Posted: 28 May 2019 02:04 PM PDT |
| Huawei reviewing ties with FedEx after two packers were 'diverted to America' Posted: 28 May 2019 12:52 PM PDT  Huawei is reviewing its relationship with FedEx after it claimed two of its packages were "diverted to America", amid rising tensions between the Chinese technology company and the US government. Donald Trump's administration has repeatedly warned that Huawei's equipment could be used for spying by China, and earlier this month the US president signed an executive order which effectively banned the company from America's 5G network. Huawei has maintained it is independent of the Chinese state and has now accused American courier FedEx of diverting its packages to the US, despite the fact they were travelling between Asian addresses. The company said that FedEx diverted two parcels sent from Japan and addressed to its offices in China, instead sending them to the US, and attempted to divert two more packages sent from Vietnam to offices elsewhere in Asia. Huawei provided images of FedEx tracking records to Reuters, but the news agency said it has not yet verified their authenticity. Huawei said one package originating in Vietnam was received by Friday, and the other was on its way. FedEx said the packages were "misrouted in error" Credit: AP The four packages did not contain any technology, but important commercial documents, according to Huawei. Joe Kelly, a spokesman for the technology giant, said: "The recent experiences where important commercial documents sent via FedEx were not delivered to their destination, and instead were either diverted to, or were requested to be diverted to, FedEx in the United States, undermines our confidence". "We will now have to review our logistics and document delivery support requirements as a direct result of these incidents," he added. Maury Donahue, a spokeswoman for FedEx, said that the packages were "misrouted in error" and insisted that it was not at the request of any other party. "This is an isolated issue limited to a very small number of packages," said FedEx. "We are aware of all shipments at issue and are working directly with our customers to return the packages to their possession." FedEx's China office on Tuesday issued an apology on its Chinese social media account for the "mishandling" of Huawei's packages and insisted there was no "external pressure" to divert them.
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| In Japan, Trump leaves allies, enemies and staff guessing Posted: 27 May 2019 04:36 AM PDT  Trump came to meet Japan's emperor but it was the US president who played the monarch in Tokyo as he pushed a personal brand of foreign policy leaving allies, foes and staff alike wondering what on Earth to expect next. A master of self-promotion, Trump has for decades made sure that everything he does -- from building skyscrapers to running the White House -- is all about him. At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, Trump took questions on some of the biggest challenges facing the United States and its close ally Japan.
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| Today’s best deals: Fire TV Stick for $29.99, $25 true wireless earbuds, big Apple Watch Series 4 sale, more Posted: 27 May 2019 07:41 AM PDT  There are all kinds of big sales happening for Memorial Day 2019, but you don't even have to leave your home to get the best deals. Highlights from today's daily deals roundup include the best-selling $40 Fire TV Stick for $29.99, the upgraded $50 Fire TV Stick 4K for $39.99, $20 off Apple's new AirPods 2 (order now to lock in the discount even though they're out of stock), best-selling true wireless earbuds on sale for just $25.49, tons of different Apple Watch Series 4 models all on sale at their lowest prices ever, a one-day deal on the popular Eufy RoboVac 12 robot vacuum that cuts the price to just $168, up to $100 off already affordable 4K TVs with built-in Fire TV software, an awesome electric toothbrush bundle for $28, killer prices on SanDisk microSD cards, and plenty more. See all of today's top deals below.
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| The Latest: Saudi airport targeted by Yemen rebel drone Posted: 26 May 2019 07:23 PM PDT  BAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on developments in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere in the Mideast amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):
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| Ohio tornadoes: Thousands without power and at least one dead in ‘dangerous’ storms Posted: 28 May 2019 07:05 AM PDT  Tornadoes swept through western Ohio on Monday night, destroying homes and causing widespread power outages. One person was killed and dozens were injured.The storms were among 53 twisters that forecasters said touched down on Monday across eight states stretching eastward from Idaho and Colorado.Jeffrey Hazel, the mayor of Celina, near Dayton, said 81-year-old Melvin Delhanna died during the tornado "as a direct result of a vehicle entering his house".In Mercer County, where Celina is located, emergency management director Mike Robbins said that 12 people were injured in the storm. Mr Hazel said three of those injuries are considered to be serious but none are life-threatening.The National Weather Service (NWS) said on Tuesday morning that roughly five million people throughout the state had been affected by the power outages.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center showed that 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 11 in Colorado and nine in Ohio.Dayton, the fifth-largest city in Ohio with 140,000 residents, was particularly affected. Nearly 60,000 residents were without power after the storm. Homes and apartment complexes were levelled during the storm, devastating residents and leaving authorities scrambling."I don't know that any community that is fully prepared for this type of devastation," Dayton assistant fire chief Nicholas Hosford said on ABC's Good Morning America.The city tweeted that first responders are currently "performing search and rescue operations and debris clearing".The NWS says that it "will be conducting damage surveys for the next few days". Utilities are expecting restoration to take several days.For now, Dayton city officials have asked residents to conserve water, as power was lost in the city's water plants and pump stations.Montgomery County, where Dayton is located, Miami County, and Greene County were the most affected by the tornadoes, which authorities described as large and dangerous. The National Guard has been deployed in the aftermath.Tornadoes also touched down in nearby Trotwood, where the mayor told residents that power lines and trees were down. Ohio's tornado spree marks the latest in a particularly harsh year for tornadoes in the US, which have caused major damage and several deaths in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, and several other states.
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| Oklahoma, Johnson & Johnson face off in first opioid crisis trial Posted: 28 May 2019 03:00 AM PDT ![Oklahoma, Johnson & Johnson face off in first opioid crisis trial]( "Oklahoma, Johnson & Johnson face off in first opioid crisis trial") Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson is set to face trial in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit by the state of Oklahoma aimed at pinning the blame for the opioid epidemic on its painkiller marketing. Lawyers for the state and J&J are scheduled to appear on Tuesday in a state court in Norman, Oklahoma, to deliver their opening statements at the start of the first trial to result from more than 2,000 similar lawsuits against opioid manufacturers nationally. The lawsuits by state and local governments seek to hold the J&J and other companies responsible for a drug abuse epidemic that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says led to a record 47,600 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017.
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| Supreme Court Chips Away at Abortion, This Time With Clarence Thomas Ranting About ‘Eugenics’ Posted: 28 May 2019 08:43 AM PDT  Chip Somodevilla/GettyIn a surprise move, the Supreme Court issued a split decision on an abortion case Tuesday, allowing Indiana to require medical facilities to cremate or bury fetal remains, but striking down a ban on abortions performed because of the sex, race, or disability of the fetus.The decision was surprising because the case, Box v. Planned Parenthood, was only up for review by the Court. Instead of taking the case for review, however, the Court issued its final ruling.Because of that, the ruling was a short, unsigned, and mostly unanimous opinion that confined itself to the legal questions at hand.First, the fetal remains provision was, in part, decided on a technicality. Planned Parenthood did not argue that the provision placed an "undue burden" on women seeking abortions, which is the standard the Court has applied for 27 years, and which is at the heart of the recent six-week abortion bans passed in Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri. In those cases, the courts–and almost certainly the Supreme Court–will evaluate the bans based on how much burden is placed on women seeking to exercise their rights. Here, however, the lower court was only asked whether there was a "rational basis" for the fetal cremation requirement, a much looser standard. And there is: as far back as 1983, the Court held that the government has an interest in the "proper disposal of fetal remains," just like it has an interest in the proper disposal of human remains.Alabama Abortion Tragedy: the Cheerleader, the Coach, and a Coat HangerMoreover, the Indiana law has a deliberate loophole: the cremation requirement applies to health care facilities, not to individuals. If a woman really does not want the fetal remains to be cremated or buried, she can receive them herself, and dispose of them in whatever way she wants.In practice, hardly anyone will actually do this. But in theory, because it preserves the woman's right to determine how the remains are disposed of, her constitutional rights are protected. That's the legal theory, anyway. Politically, the fetal remains provision is far more important. Declaring fetal remains to be similar to human remains is another step toward declaring a fetus to be a legal and moral "person." And that's been a central part of the pro-life political and legal campaign for decades: that a fetus, even a tiny clump of cells smaller than a quarter, must be regarded as a human being with its own right to life—even at the expense of the mother's rights to her own body. We don't let people kill people, after all, so if the fetus is a person, its right to life is paramount, the thinking goes. From the pro-choice perspective, however, that decision is not one the government should make. Whether a fetus is a person or not is controversial, and so the decision is left to the mother to make. It's her body, her life, her rights, and her pregnancy. She decides, with her own moral conscience and moral agency.Requiring the cremation of fetal remains is another step toward the government making that decision for her.The second provision of the Indiana law would have banned health care providers from performing abortions when they know that the reason for the abortion has to do with the sex, race, or disability status of the fetus. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down that provision, holding that it placed an undue burden on women seeking abortions. Today, the Supreme Court let that decision stand. The ban is overturned.Once again, the reason was a legal technicality. This case was the first time this issue had been presented to the Court, and the Court has a policy of not taking cases in that position. Instead, its policy is to let multiple appeals courts consider the issue, and only take up the case when those courts disagree. This saves Court resources and allows the judicial process to take its course.So, since this is the first time a law of this kind has been proposed for review, the Court chose to wait. It explicitly did not rule on the merits of the law. Instead, the opinion held, "we follow our ordinary practice of denying petitions insofar as they raise legal issues that have not been considered by additional Courts of Appeals."That decision led to the most surprising–indeed, shocking–aspect of Tuesday's disposition: a blistering opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas. "This law and other laws like it promote a State's compelling interest in preventing abortion from becoming a tool of modern-day eugenics," Justice Thomas wrote, proceeding to teach a 15-page lesson on the movement, which extended Darwinism to the human species and led to decades of hideous programs of forced sterilization, "social Darwinism" and justifications for racism. Since Justice Thomas agreed that "further percolation may assist our review of this issue of first impression," his opinion is judicially meaningless–what lawyers call "dicta." But what dicta it is! Explicitly linking the pro-choice cause with racism, immigration quotas (an ironic citation, given Thomas' support for Donald Trump's immigration policies), forced sterilization, and the Supreme Court's own shameful endorsement of eugenics in the '20s and '30s.This argument is straight out of the pro-life playbook. It's how pro-lifers routinely compare abortion to the Holocaust—not just because millions of innocent people are being slaughtered, but because they are being slaughtered in the name of eugenics and social-genetic engineering. It's the movement's favorite thing to point out about Margaret Sanger, a founder of Planned Parenthood—that she, "like many elites of her day," fell under the spell of eugenics (even though, as Thomas notes, she associated it more with birth control than with abortion). And, with shades of science fiction dystopia, it's how anti-abortion activists depict the terrifying future of abortion, in which parents abort fetuses because they'd prefer a boy, or a blonde, or a gifted child with a talent for piano.Only, it has little to do with reality.In fact, there is simply no evidence of large numbers of women terminating pregnancies because of race or sex. And of course, when disability is part of a mother's consideration in whether to carry a child, it is part of a difficult, personal decision that, once again, is hers, not the state's, to make. Who dares to put themselves in the shoes of a mother facing such an agonizing choice? And worse–who dares to put the state in her place, making such a difficult decision for her?Perhaps worst of all, Thomas accuses the pro-choice movement of racial eugenics, suggesting that Roe v. Wade was a pretext to have fewer black babies around. "[I]nsofar as abortion is viewed as a method of 'family planning,' black people do indeed 'tak[e] the brunt of the 'planning,'" he writes, taking a New York state health report entirely out of context, and continuing, "Some believe that the United States is already experiencing the eugenic effects of abortion."This is an outrage. It totally negates the moral agency (or even existence) of black women, depicting them as inanimate puppets of eugenicist social engineering. It imputes the absolute worst of human motivations to women who make their own decisions about their own lives, and those who fight to protect their rights. It is the most shocking slice of paranoid propaganda to appear in a Supreme Court opinion this century.Today's Supreme Court decision on abortion comes as women's rights to their own bodily integrity are threatened as never before: an outright ban in Alabama, extreme limitations in several other states and a potential conservative majority in the Court that could finally overturn Roe v. Wade. The legal impact of the decision is limited. But politically, as it affirmed one further abortion regulation and merely postponed review of another, it is yet another drop in the drip-drip-drip erosion of reproductive rights in America.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Open Hatch Nearly Sunk India's New $3 Billion Nuclear Missile Submarine Posted: 28 May 2019 01:49 AM PDT  It isn't hard to sink a submarine, it would seem. The modern submarine is not a simple machine. A loss of propulsion, unexpected flooding, or trouble with reactors or weapons can doom a sub crew to a watery grave.Also, it's a good idea to, like, close the hatches before you dive.(This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. This article first appeared in 2018.)Call it a lesson learned for the Indian navy, which managed to put the country's first nuclear-missile submarine, the $2.9 billion INS Arihant, out of commission in the most boneheaded way possible.The Hindu reported yesterday that the Arihant has been out of commission since suffering "major damage" some 10 months ago, due to what a navy source characterized as a "human error" — to wit: allowing water to flood to sub's propulsion compartment after failing to secure one of the vessel's external hatches.
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| Man faces prison time following wife's disappearance on honeymoon Posted: 28 May 2019 07:21 AM PDT  A man whose wife disappeared while they honeymooned at sea is facing a prison sentence after pleading guilty in Florida to a federal involuntary manslaughter charge.
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| Greek Snap Elections Send Bond Yields to Record Low Levels Posted: 27 May 2019 01:57 AM PDT  Greece is back at odds with creditors from the euro area and the International Monetary Fund after Tsipras announced a series of relief measures, including a reduction of the country's primary surplus target.
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| Trump, Dem Presidential Candidates Slam Biden for Role in 1994 Crime Bill Posted: 28 May 2019 06:53 AM PDT  Former vice president Joe Biden's role in passing the 1994 crime bill has come under new scrutiny from both sides of the aisle, earning rebukes from President Trump as well as his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination.Biden, who was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, said he got "stuck" writing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which critics say contributed to mass incarceration that disproportionately affected black communities. The bill resulted in 100,000 additional police officers and $14 billion community policing grants.In 2015, President Bill Clinton apologized for signing the bill, saying it "made the problem worse."President Trump, a fixture of New York society at the time, lambasted Biden over the bill on Monday. New York was granted more than $216 million under the bill and in the next six years added more than 12,000 prison beds and incarcerated 28 percent more New Yorkers."Anyone associated with the 1994 Crime Bill will not have a chance of being elected. In particular, African Americans will not be able to vote for you," Trump wrote on Twitter. "I, on the other hand, was responsible for Criminal Justice Reform, which had tremendous support, and helped fix the bad 1994 Bill!""Super Predator was the term associated with the 1994 Crime Bill that Sleepy Joe Biden was so heavily involved in passing," the president continued. "That was a dark period in American History, but has Sleepy Joe apologized? No!"Biden pushed back earlier this month against the notion that the bill was responsible for more incarceration, saying "it did not generate mass incarceration.""The mass incarceration occurred by the states setting mandatory sentences," he said. "What happened is, if you go back and look, the black caucus supported the bill."He did admit, however, that mistakes were involved."The big mistake was that I was buying into the idea that crack-cocaine was different than powdered cocaine and having penalties should be eliminated," Biden said.Another Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, said this month that she disagrees with the former vice president and that the legislation "did contribute to mass incarceration in our country."New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed, saying that the bill is "one of the foundations of mass incarceration in a very painful era in our nation's history.""The vice president and anyone else has to be accountable for every vote they take and what's on their record. I think that was a huge mistake," de Blasio said.
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| Ex-Cardinal McCarrick, others flouted 2008 restrictions Posted: 28 May 2019 12:09 PM PDT  VATICAN CITY (AP) — Email correspondence shows disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was placed under Vatican restrictions in 2008 for sleeping with seminarians, but regularly flouted those travel rules with the apparent knowledge of Vatican officials under Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
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| Satellite images show fields in northwest Syria on fire Posted: 28 May 2019 02:01 PM PDT  New satellite images show fields, orchards and olive groves burning in northwest Syria, where the army has waged an assault against rebels in their last major stronghold. Government air strikes, backed by Russia, have focused on the south of Idlib province and nearby parts of Hama, uprooting nearly 250,000 people. The bombing has killed 229 civilians and injured 727 others, according to the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) charity.
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| The F-35 Is An Antique: Japan Is Going All In On a 6th Generation Fighter Posted: 26 May 2019 09:00 PM PDT  Technologies tested in the X-2 that could reappear in the F-3 include EMP-resistant fiber-optic fly-by-wire avionics, and 'self-repairing' flight systems that detect and automatically compensate for damage to an aircraft's control-surfaces.Japan's 2019 Mid-Term Defense review quietly revealed that after years of hesitation, Tokyo has decided to press ahead with development of its own domestically designed sixth-generation Mitsubishi F-3 air-superiority stealth fighter, rather than purchasing an additional foreign stealth design to supplement its growing fleet of F-35s.(This first appeared last month.)In February 2019, the Japanese Ministry of Defense explicitly confirmed these intentions to Jane's. Reportedly, F-3 performance requirements are set to be released in the 2020 budget, with development officially beginning in 2021 and a first flight targeted for 2030.The new F-3 jets would then begin replacing Japan's over one hundred home-built Mitsubishi F-2 single-engine fighters—heavily upgraded (and over-priced) F-16s—starting in the mid to late 2030s.
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| Kamala Harris targets abortion bans with ‘Reproductive Rights Act,’ focusing on constitutionality behind restrictions Posted: 28 May 2019 12:42 PM PDT  Kamala Harris has unveiled a new proposal targeting state abortion bans amid a wave of new restrictions being passed across the country. The 2020 presidential hopeful's "Reproductive Rights Act" would shift the burden from abortion providers to states attempting to pass bans by forcing them to prove the constitutionality behind the restrictive measures. If a state is unable to do so, they will not receive a pre-clearance requirement from the California Democrat's Justice Department, which would be needed to enact the state's law, according to a fact sheet provided by the senator's campaign. The policy leans on an example created by a core special provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, known as Section 5, which barred nine states from implementing new voting laws with federal approval due to their discriminatory track records.Ms Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, said in a statement announcing her new proposal: "A woman's constitutional right to an abortion is under attack. Today I announced a plan as president to block these dangerous and deadly state laws before they take effect." She has frequently spoken about women's rights and reproductive health care access along the campaign trail, saying during an interview last week, "I will always fight for a woman's right to make whatever decision she believes is in the best interest of her and her family and the government should not be in the business of taking those decisions away from women."The policy proposal arrives as states like Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi all have passed restrictions against abortions in recent months. The bills have sparked days of nationwide protests and backlash from legal experts, who say the restrictions do not hold constitutional merit. For example, Alabama's law is arguably the most restrictive in the country, limiting abortion access once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This typically occurs just six weeks into a pregnancy, at a time when most people are unaware they are with a child. Those restrictions fly in the face of the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, which determined abortion access was a constitutional right. However, Republican politicians voting for the abortion bans fully acknowledge the end game with passing legally ambiguous bills: to challenge that exact decision and have the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of abortions once again. "Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v Wade was handed down in 1973," Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement when signing the new law. "The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur."The Reproductive Rights Act is just one of several policy proposals Ms Harris has launched in recent weeks ahead of the first Democratic presidential primaries. The senator has also unveiled an equal pay policy that would force companies to reveal their gaps in wages among different genders — and face major fines for not paying employees equally — as well as a federal investment in teacher's wages.
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| New video shows aftermath of rescue when Amanda Eller, missing 17 days, found in Maui forest Posted: 28 May 2019 02:06 PM PDT  Amanda Eller said of her rescuers, ''These guys weren't going to give up on me! Thank God!''
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| Bannon's group built the wall — a mile of it, anyway — over the weekend Posted: 27 May 2019 07:04 AM PDT  "We Build the Wall," a nonprofit founded by Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage and headed by Steve Bannon, built a mile-long section of border wall near El Paso — secretly, on private land — over the Memorial Day weekend.
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| How to Pack like an Automotive Journalist Posted: 28 May 2019 01:16 PM PDT |
| US climber becomes 11th Everest fatality Posted: 28 May 2019 03:11 AM PDT  A US climber has died after descending from Everest, officials said Tuesday, taking this season's toll to 11 including several deaths blamed on overcrowding on the world's highest mountain. American Christopher John Kulish, 61, had already climbed the 8,848-metre (29,029-feet) peak, and was safely back at a camp below the summit on Monday evening. "All of a sudden he had a heart problem and passed away at South Col, according to his expedition organisers," said Mira Acharya from Nepal's tourism department.
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| Man who scammed Alabama town pleads guilty to theft Posted: 28 May 2019 09:03 AM PDT  OPELIKA, Ala. (AP) — A man already sentenced to federal prison in a $2 million scam pleaded guilty Tuesday to an additional charge in state court, capping an odd saga that took in an entire Alabama town.
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| Serbia places forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in Serb-populated north Posted: 28 May 2019 07:13 AM PDT  At least 19 people were arrested and a Russian U.N. official detained in the operation. Five police and six Serb civilians were wounded in fighting, Kosovan official said. The incidents signaled rising tensions in four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, parts of which remain largely outside control of Pristina and pledge allegiance to Belgrade.
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| Delta Air Lines is delivering retiring Georgia mailman Floyd Martin on a free dream trip to Hawaii Posted: 28 May 2019 05:53 AM PDT ![Delta Air Lines is delivering retiring Georgia mailman Floyd Martin on a free dream trip to Hawaii]( "Delta Air Lines is delivering retiring Georgia mailman Floyd Martin on a free dream trip to Hawaii") For 35 years, Floyd Martin delivered mail to 500 customers along his route in Marietta, Georgia. Now, Delta Air Lines is delivering for "Mr. Floyd."
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| Supreme Court Upholds Fetal-Remains Regulations in Indiana Abortion Bill Posted: 28 May 2019 08:01 AM PDT  The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided in favor of a provision in a 2016 Indiana law that mandates the remains of an aborted fetus must be cremated or buried, overturning a lower court's decision objecting to the provision."We reiterate that, in challenging this provision, respondents have never argued that Indiana's law imposes an undue burden on a woman's right to obtain an abortion," the Supreme Court wrote.Then-Governor Mike Pence signed the law."A society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable — the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn," Pence said at the time."I would have thought it could go without saying that nothing in the Constitution or any decision of this Court prevents a State from requiring abortion facilities to provide for the respectful treatment of human remains," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in support of the provision.The Court did, however, uphold the Seventh Circuit's injunction against the law's prohibition of abortions sought on the basis of the sex, race, or disability of the unborn child, drawing a rebuke from Thomas."Although the Court declines to wade into these issues today, we cannot avoid them forever," Thomas wrote. "Having created the constitutional right to an abortion, this court is duty bound to address its scope. In that regard, it is easy to understand why the District Court and the Seventh Circuit looked to Casey to resolve a question it did not address. Where else could they turn? The Constitution itself is silent on abortion."
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| This 100 Year Old Gun Might Out Last Any Glock or Sig Sauer Posted: 27 May 2019 10:47 AM PDT  More than a century after its introduction, how much longer can the 1911 go on? As a pairing of high-powered bullet and frame, it's difficult to beat. Other manufacturers including Glock and Springfield Armory have come out with competing .45 ACP designs that also have lasting appeal.The 1911 is one of the most notorious handguns in history and easily the most famous in America, having seen action in every U.S. conflict since World War I. One of the most successful product designs ever, the 1911 has achieved something rare in the world of machines: immortality. Over a hundred years old, it remains largely unchanged.What Apple is to consumer electronics, John Browning was to late 19th and early 20th century firearms. The 1911 is his most famous design. The typical 1911 is 8.25 inches from tip to tail and weighs 2.49 pounds empty — about as much as a trade paperback book. The 1911 is made of steel, steel and more steel, and takes a magazine that holds seven bullets.The 1911 has seen service in World War I, Mexico, Haiti, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic (twice), Lebanon, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iran, Grenada, Panama, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and Afghanistan. It has chased bad men from Pancho Villa to Osama Bin Laden.
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| Political Polar Opposites Win in Elections, Forcing U.K. Parties to Brexit Extremes Posted: 27 May 2019 09:59 AM PDT  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn grudgingly promised to support a referendum on any Brexit deal, after his party sank to just 14% of the vote. Both the governing Tories and the Labour opposition suffered at the hands of hard-line pro- and anti-Brexit forces in the elections, in which 17.2 million people voted. The night's biggest winner was Nigel Farage, whose Brexit Party aims to take the U.K. out of the EU without waiting to negotiate a deal.
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| Melania Trump's most fashionable looks in Japan Posted: 28 May 2019 08:18 AM PDT  Melania Trump is known for her designer taste and statement-making fashion -- and her trip to Japan this weekend was no exception.
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| Landmark US opioid trial begins in Oklahoma Posted: 28 May 2019 10:29 AM PDT  The first civil trial that could end up holding a drug company responsible for the US opioid epidemic began Tuesday in Oklahoma, in a landmark case that might impact thousands of others like it. The bench trial pits the state of Oklahoma against Johnson & Johnson. Two other drug companies named in the lawsuit settled ahead of the trial.
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| Scouted: Yes, You Can Get A Top-Rated Coffee Table on Amazon Posted: 28 May 2019 01:10 PM PDT  Getting the right coffee table for your couch requires careful deliberation, as does choosing which coffee table books to adorn it with, whether they're essential must-haves, travel-specific, or focused on the art of science fiction. And while we're fans of several furniture retailers, we felt we had to show some love to the coffee table universe over at Amazon, where you can get any of the styles you like with the two-day shipping and easy returns Prime members are used to. So we compiled some of the best-selling and top-rated coffee tables we could find on Amazon to inform your responsible and convenient journey to a new member of your living room.Yaheetech's Adjustable Lift Top Coffee Table, $90 on AmazonYaheetech's Adjustable Lift Top Coffee Table, $90 on Amazon: Hidden storage can be everything when you need extra space (and a very nice-to-have when you don't). The effortless and noiseless mechanism in this table makes it one the top-rated choice for coffee tables with an adjustable and liftable top. Whether you want to use the movable top for storage only or to also create a workspace in seconds, there's a lot of function in this analog mainstay furniture piece — and the espresso style is nice on the eyes.Emerald Home's Chandler Rustic Industrial Coffee Table, $158 on AmazonEmerald Home's Chandler Rustic Industrial Coffee Table, $158 on Amazon: The combination of distressed solid wood and industrial steel makes this coffee table a stable staple for your living room and a companion piece for years to come. Nearly 1,300 reviewers left the Chandler a 4.7-star average rating.Mecor's Rectangle Glass Coffee Table, $89 on AmazonMecor's Rectangle Glass Coffee Table, $89 on Amazon: Sleek and elegant, this highly rated glass coffee table gives you a unique-yet-functional appearance. The undercarriage is perfect for storage that is still visible, which means more room for books or laptops or last week's Sunday edition. This easy-to-install coffee table garnered a 4.3-star average from more than 100 reviewers.GreenForest's Round Coffee Table Round, $130 on AmazonGreenForest's Round Coffee Table, $130 on Amazon: The water-resistant and durable top on this coffee table shouldn't fool you — there's great style here. The round style is great for allowing better access to the table and couches around it. This table's reviewers left it a 4.5-star average rating and you can get it in an oak or walnut style.Vasagle's Coffee Table with Storage Shelf for Living Room, $86 on AmazonVasagle's Coffee Table with Storage Shelf for Living Room, $86 on Amazon: Though sparingly designed, this two-layer coffee table gives you two full-sized surfaces for storage and for coffee activities. It's perfect for couch diners and lazy evenings when you keep a computer or tablet on the coffee table while you surf for something to watch and want your essentials nearby. It's a new release on Amazon but that hasn't stopped it from earning a 4.5-star average rating from more than 500 reviewers.Best Choice Products's Round Tempered Glass Coffee Table, $90 on AmazonBest Choice Products's Round Tempered Glass Coffee Table, $90 on Amazon: The elegant gold trim on this glass coffee table is a perfect accent for a glass coffee table, in my opinion — and I'm not a huge fan of glass coffee tables. The design opens up your room and accentuates the table's surroundings. A plant and a small display or candle will perfect your living room.Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Syria, Israel exchange fire amid regional tension, 1 killed Posted: 27 May 2019 12:41 PM PDT ![Syria, Israel exchange fire amid regional tension, 1 killed]( "Syria, Israel exchange fire amid regional tension, 1 killed") DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria said an Israeli attack against a military post in the country's south on Monday killed a soldier and injured another. Israel, in a rare statement acknowledging firing into Syria, said it was responding to an anti-aircraft fire from Syria against one of its combat planes.
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| 30+ Delish Wraps To Make Lunchtime Way More Exciting Posted: 28 May 2019 03:06 PM PDT |
| Brazil's mangroves on the front line of climate change Posted: 28 May 2019 04:30 AM PDT  Instead he parks his two-foot-wide boat at the shore of the Caratingui river and wends his way on foot through the tangle of mangroves to dig out crabs with his hands from the dark muck. Water levels have risen 20-30 centimeters over the past 100 years in coastal Bahia state, where Cairu is located, according to climate researcher Carlos Nobre at the University of Sao Paulo.
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| Illinois House Passes Bill Repealing Partial-Birth-Abortion Ban Posted: 28 May 2019 01:07 PM PDT  The Illinois House on Tuesday passed a bill that would repeal the state's previous partial-birth-abortion ban and require that insurance providers cover contraception and abortion services.The Reproductive Health Act, which passed 64–50, removes virtually all restrictions on late-term abortions and the penalties currently imposed on doctors who perform them. The legislation must now receive majority support in the state Senate before it can be signed into law.The bill's proponents have argued that the legislation codifies existing practice and is necessary in light of the recent passage of restrictive abortion laws in a number of Republican-controlled states, as well as the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which many pro-choice activists are concerned might overturn Roe v. Wade."RHA codifies our existing practices and -- and this is critical -- treats abortion care just like any other health care, because it is," said the bill's sponsor, state representative Kelly Cassidy (D., Chicago). "Make no mistake, it doesn't end here. Since Roe was decided in 1973, our opponents have fought to impede access to care and these efforts have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable population."Illinois Republican party chairman Tim Schneider said the legislation was reflective of the Democratic party's recent embrace of abortion extremism."In just a few short years, the Democrat party in Illinois went from advocating 'safe, legal and rare' to abortion on-demand, at any time, for any reason, and funded by taxpayers," he said in a statement. "This is not the typical pro-life vs. pro-choice debate I have been accustomed to in my lifetime. The RHA goes much further."Six states have passed increased restrictions on abortions in recent weeks.Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law earlier this month, effectively banning the practice entirely, including in cases of rape and incest. Ivey admitted that the law is likely unenforceable but argued it was important step toward overturning Roe V. Wade via the courts.Georgia governor Brian Kemp also recently signed a law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which usually occurs around six weeks. And the last remaining abortion clinic in Missouri is about to be shuttered by state authorities who have refused to renew its license as they prepare to implement similarly restrictive legislation.
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| Charge your iPhone three times faster with these two accessories Posted: 27 May 2019 09:57 AM PDT  Apple really irritates us sometimes. Many of the company's policies are surprisingly pro-consumer. Then Apple goes and cheaps out on its chargers, packing a 5W wall adapter in its boxes with iPhones that support 18W fast charging. It's so annoying, but alas, if you want to fast-charge your iPhone you'll have to buy some upgraded gear on your own. Instead of spending $50 on the accessories you need from Apple, however, you can enjoy the same great fast charging for just $36. Pick up an iClever 18W USB C Power Delivery Charger on Amazon for $20, and then pair it with an Anker USB C to Lightning Cable for $16. You'll be charging your iPhone three times faster before you know it! iClever 18W USB C Power Delivery Charger * Universal Power Delivery USB-C Port: It doesn't matter if it's a phone, a tablet, a power bank, or something in between--if it's a USB-C device, the iClever 18w USB-C Compact Wall Charger can do it all at full speed. Just insert your USB-C cord * Lightning-fast Charging: Bring your devices back to life in record time. This small but mighty adapter pumps 18W of power into your devices for quick, effortless charging. It's ideal for high-powered devices like iPhone XS/XS Max/XR/X/8 Plus/8, Google Pixel 2/2 XL, a variety of Huawei models, and so much more * Safe and Reliable: Worried about device damage? Don't be! We've built in a variety of safeguards to protect your devices from harm. This USB-C PD charger prevents short circuits, over-current, over-voltage, overheating * Compact and Travel Ready: There are few things more annoying than a dead phone in the middle of the day. The travel-friendly iClever wall plug will keep you * What's in My Order? Each order includes iClever 18W Wall Charger and a handy user manual. You'll also get a 30-day money back guarantee, an 18 month replacement warranty, and a lifetime of friendly customer service Anker USB C to Lightning Cable * Power Delivery: Use this cable with your USB-C Power Delivery charger (including Apple 18W 29W, 30W, 61W, or 87W USB-C Power Adapter) to charge your iOS device, and access fast-charging for iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XR, XS Max, and later models. * Charge and Sync: Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to your USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) enabled Mac and iPad Pro to seamlessly sync & charge. * Ultimate Durability: Lasts 12× longer than other cables and proven to withstand over 12000 bends in strict laboratory tests. * MFi: MFi certification and strict quality testing ensure your Apple devices are charged safely, at their fastest possible speed.. * A Cable for Life: We're so confident about Powerline II's long-lasting performance that we gave it a hassle-free, lifetime warranty.
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| Is There a Method to Trump’s North Korean Madness? Posted: 27 May 2019 04:00 PM PDT  The latest example came on Monday, when Trump insisted that North Korea had not tested ballistic missiles earlier this month — contradicting not only his own national security adviser but also the prime minister of Japan. After some speculation about Kim's motivation, Trump doubled down on an earlier tweet. It's indefensible for Trump to tweet out Kim's dim view of former Vice President Joe Biden's intelligence.
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| Alibaba eyes $20 bn second listing in HK: report Posted: 27 May 2019 08:02 PM PDT  Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group is exploring a potential second listing in Hong Kong that could raise $20 billion as Beijing seeks to encourage its tech titans to list closer to home, a report on Tuesday said. US-listed Alibaba is aiming to file an application in Hong Kong as early as the second half of 2019, Bloomberg News reported, quoting unidentified people with knowledge of the plans. The listing would be intended to open up new funding channels for Alibaba, whose 2014 listing in New York raised $25 billion in the world's largest initial public offering.
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| Here are 5 steps China could take to hurt the US beyond more tariffs Posted: 28 May 2019 09:39 AM PDT ![Here are 5 steps China could take to hurt the US beyond more tariffs]( "Here are 5 steps China could take to hurt the US beyond more tariffs") China might take other measures beyond tariffs to strike back at the U.S. economy during the escalating trade war.
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| Farage claims pro-Brexit momentum after divisive UK vote Posted: 27 May 2019 12:23 PM PDT  LONDON (AP) — British euroskeptic Nigel Farage said Monday that his new Brexit Party's victory in the European election should spur Britain to leave the European Union even without a divorce deal — a call echoed by many senior Conservatives, stung by their party's humiliating defeat.
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| Lost BMW Garmisch Concept Reborn At Villa d’Este Posted: 28 May 2019 07:41 AM PDT  A recreation of this iconic concept car that foreshadowed the BMW 5 Series was presented at the concours. The BMW 5 Series is a staple of the German marque's lineup, and a model that has endured for over 47 years, however, BMW first tested the water with the Garmisch concept car. This Marcello Gandini designed masterpiece made its debut at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show, and eventually lead to a production car in 1972.
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