| Israeli teen dies of wounds in West Bank attack, 2 wounded Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:44 AM PDT  An explosion Friday near a West Bank settlement that Israel said was a Palestinian attack killed a 17-year-old Israeli girl and wounded her brother and father, Israeli authorities said. Initially, three Israelis were reported wounded in the blast on Friday near the Dolev settlement, northwest of Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the family and vowed to pursue the perpetrators and "strengthen" Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
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| China to soon unveil plan for retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. products: Global Times Posted: 23 Aug 2019 03:53 AM PDT  "Based on what I know, China will take further countermeasures in response to U.S. tariffs on $300 billion Chinese goods. Beijing will soon unveil a plan of imposing retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. products", Hu Xijin wrote in a tweet on Friday. Global Times is a tabloid published by the Ruling Communist Party's People's Daily.
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| Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts Posted: 24 Aug 2019 09:34 AM PDT ![Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts]( "Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strain confirmed as 'superbugs' continue to worry experts") A strain of Salmonella found in beef and soft cheeses in the United States and Mexico has been found resistant to antibiotics, according to the CDC.
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| Police are trying to arrest their way out of a mass shooting epidemic, and experts warn that law enforcement can't shoulder the entire burden Posted: 24 Aug 2019 04:04 PM PDT  The arrests won't fully or permanently stop a person determined to inflict mass death — and the US is nowhere near close to tackling the root causes.
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| Pompeo says Huawei CEO is not a bargaining chip in Trump-China trade war Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:45 AM PDT  Mike Pompeo has rejected claims that detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou is being used for leverage in the US-China trade war. Speaking with his Canadian counterpart, Chrystia Freeland, in Ottawa on Thursday, the US secretary of state appeared to rule out dropping the extradition request for Ms Meng to ease tensions with Beijing, insisting it is a legal matter. In December, US president Donald Trump implied he might intervene in the case to help secure a trade deal with China. "Whatever's good for this country, I would do," he said at the time. The US alleges Ms Meng – the Chinese technology company's chief financial officer and the daughter of its chief executive – helped Huawei circumvent sanctions on Iran. According to Vancouver court documents released this week, she told a Canadian border official that the company has an office in Iran. The US has charged Ms Meng, 47, with bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit both. She is currently on bail living under house arrest in one of her Vancouver mansions while her lawyers fight her extradition to the US. Asked on Thursday if she is a "bargaining chip" in US-China trade talks, Mr Pompeo replied simply: "No." Since Ms Meng's arrest in Vancouver airport on a US arrest warrant in December, ties between Ottawa and Beijing have fallen to a historically low ebb. Two Canadians, businessman Michael Svapor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig, were arrested and charged with espionage shortly afterwards in what is widely viewed as a reprisal by Beijing. "Our team is focussed on helping those two Canadians be released," Mr Pompeo said later ahead of a meeting with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Mr Trump spoke directly to Chinese president Xi Jinping about their "arbitrary detention" in June, he told journalists. Mr Pompeo, 55, also slapped down a question comparing their confinement with that of Ms Meng, accusing the journalist of taking "the Chinese line". Mr Pompeo was visiting Canada ahead of the G7 meeting in France, where relations with China will be discussed. On Friday, Beijing escalated the trade dispute, announcing fresh tariffs on US imports worth $75 billion (£61 billion).
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| Iceland Held Talks With U.S. Ambassador Over Pence Visit Posted: 24 Aug 2019 07:27 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Iceland' prime minister is open to a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence during his trip to the Nordic island, should the visit be extended.The option was discussed during a pre-scheduled meeting on Friday between Katrin Jakobsdottir and ambassador Jeffrey Gunter, a government spokesman told Bloomberg.Jakobsdottir, a left-of-center feminist and LGBT advocate, is due to attend a conference by Nordic trade union leaders in Sweden on Sept. 4. That's the same day in which Pence is due to arrive.Jakobsdottir's decision to not change her schedule to accommodate the vice president's visit has been criticized at home.Olafur Hardarson, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland, told local media Morgunbladid it would be "unusual" for the prime minister not to greet the American vice president.According to her spokeswoman, a final decision on whether the meeting can take place has not yet been made.The White House said Pence planned to discuss trade opportunities, the Arctic and NATO efforts to counter Russian aggression in the region.The scheduling snafu is the latest episode in a series of exchanges involving Donald Trump and the Nordics.Pence's visit would take place in the wake of a very public spat between the U.S. president and Denmark over its refusal to sell Greenland.Trump said Saturday he had held a "nice" conversation with Mette Frederiksen, with the exchange coming just days after labeling the Danish prime minister as "nasty."In 2017, Sweden reacted forcibly to Trump's portrayal of the Nordic nation as being in a state of chaos and overrun by crime after an influx of refugees.(Adds quote in fifth paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir in Reykjavik at rsigurdardot@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Jonas Bergman at jbergman@bloomberg.net, Nick Rigillo, Andrew DavisFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Revered as a saint by online extremists, how Christchurch shooter inspired copycat terrorists around the world Posted: 24 Aug 2019 01:22 PM PDT  "Brenton Tarrant was a catalyst for me personally. He showed me that it could be done. And that it needed to be done."Those were the words written by John Timothy Earnest shortly before he stormed a synagogue in Poway, California, and opened fire on the Jewish congregation.
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| Twenty-six pound cat named Mr. B takes the internet by storm Posted: 23 Aug 2019 03:57 PM PDT  Morris Animal Refuge in Center City is now home to a celebrity. His name is Mr. B and he's a 26 pound cat who needs a home.
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| The Latest: Hong Kong protest winds down after clashes Posted: 24 Aug 2019 04:49 AM PDT  A large group of protesters has largely dispersed in Hong Kong after engaging in clashes with police for the first time in nearly two weeks. Riot officers used tear gas and nonlethal rounds Saturday after protesters took over a road in the city's Kowloon Bay area. The protesters regrouped several times to challenge police again before calling it a day as night fell.
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| Fear grips Bangladesh camp as 2 Rohingya refugees killed Posted: 24 Aug 2019 08:56 AM PDT  Bangladesh police said they had shot dead two Rohingya refugees during a gunfight in a refugee camp on Saturday after the pair were accused of killing a ruling party official. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. The incident comes two days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state.
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| Trump's economic anxiety comes to a boil Posted: 23 Aug 2019 11:47 AM PDT  The president directs U.S. businesses to pull out of China, but maintains that the "economy is doing really well."
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| Metal detectorist finds £10,000 gold ring in garage 40 years after discarding it as worthless Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:46 AM PDT  A metal detectorist who discarded a gold ring in his garage for 40 years after a museum told him it was worthless has discovered its real value is £10,000. Tom Clark, 81, dug up the buried treasure while scanning an area of farmland near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979, then put it inside a metal tin and forgot about it. But the retired leather craftsman came across the rare seal ring eight years ago while sorting through items from his mother's house after she passed away. He got the item valued and was astonished to discover that it was actually a 670-year-old medieval artefact dating back to 1350. It is due to be auctioned off in Derbyshire on Tuesday (Aug 27) and is expected to sell for between £8,500 and £10,000. The turn of events is similar to the plot of BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, when brothers Del and Rodney come across a watch in their garage which is then auctioned off for millions of pounds. Mr Clark said: "I had completely forgotten about it. At the time I'd only been metal detecting for 10 years and didn't realise the ring was anything special. It was all twisted and broken when I dug it up." He took the rare ring along with some others to a museum to have them valued at the time, but was told they were all fairly modern. "I put them all in a tin and left them in the garage at my mother's house," he said. "A few months ago, I was sorting through some stuff in my own garage that had come from my mother's house and there it was - the tin with the rings in it." Tom is auctioning off the ring, which is expected to make between £8,500 and £10,000 Credit: Hansons / SWNS/Hansons / SWNS Mr Clark, now a much more experienced collector, said he instantly knew it was a seal ring dating back to the 1300s and would have belonged to someone important given its decoration and quality. He added: "It's rare and elegant. I'd love to know who it belonged to." A Latin inscription on the ring translates as 'I hide the true message'. Mark Becher, Historica expert at auctioneer Hansons, said: "It's a fascinating piece of medieval jewellery and I'm delighted Tom rediscovered again after all these years."
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| Who are the Koch brothers and how did David Koch help shape conservatism in America? Posted: 23 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT  The Koch brothers built a massive political empire that has influenced conservative politics for decades.
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| Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S. Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:59 AM PDT ![Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S.]( "Two NYC women plead guilty to plan to build bomb for attack on U.S.") Two women inspired by radical Islam pleaded guilty in New York City on Friday to teaching and distributing information about the manufacture and use of an explosive, destructive device and weapon of mass destruction, federal prosecutors said. Asia Siddiqui and Noelle Velentzas, both U.S. citizens in their 30s from the borough of Queens, face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement the defendants studied some of the most deadly attacks in U.S. history as a blueprint for their plans to kill American law enforcement and military personnel.
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| Hong Kong protesters form human chain 30 years after 'Baltic Way' Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:23 PM PDT  Thousands of people held hands across Hong Kong late Friday in a dazzling, neon-framed recreation of a pro-democracy "Baltic Way" protest against Soviet rule three decades ago. The city's skyscraper-studded harbourfront as well as several busy shopping districts were lined with peaceful protesters, many wearing surgical masks to hide their identity and holding Hong Kong flags or mobile phones with lights shining. The human chain is the latest creative demonstration in nearly three months of rolling protests which have tipped Hong Kong into an unprecedented political crisis.
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| Trump urges court to shield Deutsche Bank records from House Democrats Posted: 23 Aug 2019 04:30 PM PDT  Lawyers for President Trump asked a federal appeals court on Friday to block Deutsche Bank and Capital One Financial Corp. from handing the financial records of the president's family and the Trump Organization to Democratic lawmakers.
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| Trump’s Offer to Help N.Y. With Subway Baffles Governor's Office Posted: 24 Aug 2019 12:03 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he is ready to help New York extend the Second Avenue subway in New York City, an announcement that left even state Governor Andrew Cuomo baffled."Looking forward to helping New York City and Governor @andrewcuomo complete the long anticipated, and partially built, Second Avenue Subway," President Donald Trump said in a tweet.Cuomo's office on Saturday said that while the governor is involved in discussions with the president and the Department of Transportation about several infrastructure projects in the city, including the Gateway Tunnel project, the subway and updates at LaGuardia Airport, there have been no concrete steps taken to move forward."The president's tweet suggests good news but we have no specific funding or approval and that is all that is relevant," Communications Director Dani Lever said in a statement. "If an agreement actually materializes, we will provide an update."The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to extend the subway line for 8.5 miles north, from East 96th Street to 125th Street in east Harlem, and add three underground stations. The line, debated for decades, began service in January 2017. To contact the reporters on this story: Jim Silver in New York at jsilver@bloomberg.net;Daniel Flatley in Washington at dflatley1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sebastian Tong at stong41@bloomberg.net, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Democratic presidential candidates have a new approach for tackling gun violence: Treat it as a public-health crisis Posted: 23 Aug 2019 10:23 AM PDT  Candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker want to draw on tactics used by community-based organizations to fight gun violence.
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| Joe Biden asks audience to imagine Barack Obama’s assassination Posted: 24 Aug 2019 01:48 AM PDT  Former US vice president Joe Biden has speculated about how a political assassination of Barack Obama might have affected the country in 2008.Speaking at a town-hall-style campaign event nominally dedicated to health care, speculating, he went on to recall that he was accused of being gay because of his support of women's rights in the 1970s.
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| Divorcing Spouse Claims NASA Astronaut Committed Crime in Space: Report Posted: 24 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT  NASA astronaut Anne McClain's former partner has accused her of committing identity theft from the International Space Station, according to a report.
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| A man was training to get a gun permit. The instructor accidentally shot him, police say Posted: 24 Aug 2019 11:27 AM PDT  The instructor, a Riverside County Sheriff's Department trainer, accidentally shot a student attending the class to get a concealed weapons permit.
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| UAE minister calls Saudi-UAE coalition a strategic necessity in Yemen Posted: 24 Aug 2019 03:32 PM PDT  "As a result of our strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, it is the one deciding whether to continue our role in supporting stability in Yemen within the Arab coalition or not," Gargash said in another tweet.
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| All the Best Le Creuset Deals During Williams Sonoma Warehouse Sale Posted: 23 Aug 2019 11:54 AM PDT |
| UK Hong Kong consulate worker Simon Cheng freed after detention in mainland China Posted: 24 Aug 2019 07:15 AM PDT  A British consulate employee in Hong Kong has been freed by China after being detained for 15 days on the mainland amid rising tensions between the former British colony and Beijing. Simon Cheng, 28, a trade and investment officer at the Hong Kong consulate's Scottish Development International section, went missing on August 8 on his way back from a work trip in Shenzhen, a neighbouring Chinese city. It was not until after the UK expressed "extreme concern" about his disappearance that China's foreign ministry broke its silence, confirming Mr Cheng had been detained without releasing further details. On Saturday, his family announced that he had come back. "Simon has returned to Hong Kong; thanks you everyone for your support! Simon and his family wish to have some time to rest and recover, and will not take any interview," they said in a statement. An activist holds an illustration of Simon Cheng during a gathering outside the British Consulate-General building in Hong Kong Credit: AFP Chinese police in Shenzhen confirmed that Mr Cheng had been detained for violating public security management regulations, and was released after that period on Saturday. Police also said he had "confessed to the facts of his illegal activity," without saying what those activities were. Mr Cheng was not formally charged or tried in court, and his family rejected allegations in Chinese state media that he had been detained for visiting prostitutes. On Friday the UK issued a warning to all travellers to Hong Kong about increased scrutiny from mainland authorities at border crossings. The warning added that mobile phones and electronic devices were being checked by border patrol. Mr Cheng's mysterious disappearance highlights China's murky legal and judicial system – something that help kicked off mass protests early June in Hong Kong. Many fear freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong, guaranteed for at least 50 years under an agreement that became effective when the former British colony was returned to Beijing, are fast-disappearing under China's ruling Communist Party. Hong Kong crisis | Comment and analysis Millions first took to the streets against a now-suspended extradition proposal that would have sent people to face trial in mainland China, where Communist Party control of the courts contributes to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate. Forced confessions are also common with suspects paraded on state television. "What happened to Simong Cheng – this is a common tactic used by the central government to put pressure on people," said Kammy Yang, 50, an office clerk at a protest on Saturday. "Many Chinese activists were accused of prostitution or tax scams; this is their strategy in China, trying to suppress freedom." Thousands of protesters on Saturday engaged in a series of skirmishes, throwing projectiles from bricks to petrol bombs at police who responded with sprays of tear gas and rubber bullets. It was the first time tear gas had been deployed in 10 days, a period of relative calm as protesters recalibrated their approach in an otherwise tumultuous, violent summer. Demonstrators join hands to form a human chain during the Hong Kong Way event in the Central district of Hong Kong, China, on Friday Credit: Bloomberg "The reasons why protesters are building roadblocks, surrounding police stations, and throwing bricks – it's because the government doesn't respond to us," said Vaso Chan, 28, an office clerk. "It's not fun for any of us to come out during summer break." Protesters spray painted slogans like "Give me liberty or death," Chinazi," and "HK popo Gestapo," on sidewalks and highways. As the political movement has grown, so have protesters' demands, who are now calling for an independent inquiry into police handling of the protests, the resignation of Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, and direct leadership elections. City leaders however have made no concessions, instead thrusting the police to the front lines to handle the situation, further angering protesters. Demonstrations are occurring nearly every day now in the financial hub, disrupting traffic and public transportation. On Saturday, several stations closed along a planned march route. But despite growing unrest, public support for the protesters has stayed strong, with marches and strikes planned through September. "No matter whether those protesters are peaceful protesters or protesters that are standing in the 'front lines', no matter what they do, we will support them," said Mr Chan.
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| Iran's Zarif praises Macron nuclear crisis suggestions Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:29 AM PDT  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Friday that suggestions by French President Emmanuel Macron about defusing the crisis over Iran's nuclear drive went in the right direction, but that more work needed to be done. "President Macron made some suggestions last week to President (Hassan) Rouhani and we believe they are moving in the right direction, although we are not definitely there yet," Zarif told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in an interview after meeting Macron for rare talks in Paris. "We had a good discussion today," Zarif said.
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| Released from death row, then returned — forced to prove race discrimination a second time Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:01 PM PDT  Cases before N.C. Supreme Court show link between slavery, Jim Crow and modern death penalty is as connected as 'ropes of the lynch-man's noose'
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| These are the 9 nuclear-armed countries and the 31 allies they've vowed to defend Posted: 24 Aug 2019 05:08 AM PDT  There are about 13,885 nuclear weapons in the world. Here's an overview of the world's nuclear states and their arsenal.
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| Ex-wife, children of Atlanta surgeon Christopher Edwards found dead in apparent murder-suicide Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:43 AM PDT  Authorities say they believe Marsha Edwards shot Christopher Edwards Jr. and Erin Edwards before turning the gun on herself.
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| Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf Posted: 24 Aug 2019 10:39 AM PDT ![Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf]( "Britain sends another warship to boost presence in the Gulf") Britain is sending another warship to the Gulf to defend freedom of navigation, the defence minister said on Saturday, after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the region. Tensions have risen between Iran and Britain after Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged tanker last month.
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| A youth sports organization is raffling off a semi-automatic weapon to help its cheerleading and football teams Posted: 23 Aug 2019 01:56 PM PDT  As a result of the controversy, the president of the organization said he is considering doing away with the rifle raffle for future fundraisers.
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| Cathay Pacific cabin crew union leader fired as Hong Kongers warn of spread of 'white terror' Posted: 23 Aug 2019 09:36 AM PDT  Cathay Pacific fired a cabin crew union leader on Friday, the latest casualty in a fast-spreading "white terror" as mass protests in Hong Kong continue into their third month. Rebecca Sy, head of the Cathay Dragon flight attendant's association, said she lost her job of 17 years, without explanation, after managers saw and confirmed her Facebook account, which included messages in favour of the protests. "All the employees are being frightened, not just cabin crews, but even the management," Ms Sy told reporters. "My colleagues are all terrified because of its white terror." "White terror" is a term used to describe a slew of events that create a climate of fear particularly as companies and employees worry of serious repercussions for voicing their views. Her departure follows a surprise resignation last week by CEO Rupert Hogg, reported first by Chinese state media, underlining the political nature of the decision. Cathay has borne the brunt of Beijing's anger as authorities look to punish companies with any link to the Hong Kong protests - a direct challenge to the power of the Communist Party. Rebecca Sy was dismissed from her position as flight attendant for Cathay Pacific's subsidiary Cathay Dragon Credit: ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty Images In the crackdown, companies and employees could face serious repercussions for voicing their views. Hong Kong subway operator MTR has also come under fire for arranging additional trains to allow protesters to travel home, accused of "colluding with rioters" in Chinese state media. Beijing authorities have long put the squeeze on companies over political issues by encouraging its 1.4 billion citizens to snub various brands or by throwing up a number of regulatory roadblocks – a move that can have devastating consequences for even the biggest firms. Simon Cheng, 28, a British consular official in Hong Kong and permanent resident of the city has been detained for two weeks in mainland China for allegedly visiting prostitutes. Under Chinese law, Mr Cheng should have been released today after a 15-day administrative period but at time of publication he was still in detention. Hong Kong police said on Friday that they did not know Mr Cheng's whereabouts. Protests in Hong Kong first kicked off over an extradition proposal that would have exposed people to China's murky legal and judicial system, where authorities have also in the past detained foreigners to express political displeasure. Two Canadians - Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur - were detained in China last year during Beijing's diplomatic dispute with Ottawa over its arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. It is widely viewed that both men - who are still being held and have been charged with spying – are being used as political pawns. Hong Kong protests | Read more A number of multinationals operating in Hong Kong have sought to stress their political neutrality to avoid their businesses being targeted and to protect staff from arbitrary detention. Earlier this week, the world's "big four" accounting firms came under attack after an anonymous group claiming to be made up of their employees took out a full-page newspaper advertisement to express support for protests in Hong Kong and condemn the firms for remaining silent on the issue. Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and Pricewaterhouse Coopers all sought to distance themselves from the advertisement, saying it didn't represent the companies' views. But Chinese state media had already seized on the situation, calling for the firms to identify and sack the employees behind the ad. FinnAir has also issued a warning to staff to remember to "keep work and politics separate," reported the South China Morning Post, over concerns that any link to the protests might lead to a customer backlash or flight cancellations in China, its second-largest market for long-haul travel. "China is obviously putting pressure on companies to ensure that they all hold the same political views," said Keenan Chuk, 30, a finance manager who attended a lunchtime rally or accountants in Hong Kong's central business district Friday. "I am concerned that I will be fired," he said, adding that "we still have to fight for our rights." Even universities have warned students against discussing politics and participating in rallies. "In a modern society, education should be free from politics so as to alleviate the escalation of anxiety and avoid the divisive society caused by chaos," according to a statement from the City University of Hong Kong issued earlier this month. A woman said she experienced at a police station during her detention in Hong Kong Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Peter Some banks are also now taking precautionary measures, purchasing full page ads in newspapers to affirm their support for the government. Edwin, 26, an accountant who declined to give his last name, said senior partners in his firm had invited junior employees to lunch that day in an attempt to dissuade people from attending Friday's protest. But he participated in the demonstration anyway, turning up again in the evening to join a human chain meant to evoke the Baltic Way, when two million lined up across three countries to protest Soviet rule in 1989. "In the industry, we switch firms quite often," he shrugged. Hong Kong police came under renewed pressure on Friday when officers were accused of conducting an unnecessary strip search on a female protester. The alleged victim appeared at a press conference dressed in all black with a black face mask, cap and sunglasses. Facing the cameras in front of a "MeToo" sign, she claimed she was arrested weeks ago at a protest against the now-abandoned extradition bill and was admitted to hospital for injuries she suffered that night. By her account, one officer patted her thighs with a pen, instructing her to open her legs wider after ordering her to take off all her clothes in a police cell. The police said their body search procedures had not changed during the recent outbreak of citywide protests.
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| Soyuz spacecraft carrying humanoid robot fails to dock with space station Posted: 24 Aug 2019 12:06 AM PDT  A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot on Saturday failed to dock automatically with the international space station, Moscow news agencies reported. Live broadcast of the event on the Russian space agency Roscosmos was interrupted with the Soyuz spacecraft about 100 metres (109 yards) off the ISS. The life-size robot, named Fedor, was to spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts in the space station.
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| Trump claim doctors treating mass shooting victims 'were coming out of operating rooms' to meet him dismissed by hospitals Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:35 AM PDT  Two hospitals have denied Donald Trump's claim doctors "were coming out of operating rooms" to meet him when he travelled to Texas and Ohio to console victims of two mass shootings."At no time did, or would, physicians or staff leave active operating rooms during the presidential visit," University Medical Center (UMC) spokesperson Ryan Mielke told local TV station KVIA. "Our priority is always patient care."
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| China Slaps Tariffs on $75 Billion in U.S. Goods Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:48 AM PDT  China announced Friday that it will retaliate against the Trump administration's latest tariffs with duties on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.Tariffs of between 5 and 10 percent will be imposed on September 1 and December 15, the same dates the U.S. plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, the State Council's Customs Tariff Commission said, according to state media.The tariffs also include a 25 percent duty on American automobiles beginning in December."In response to the measures by the US, China was forced to take countermeasures," the Council said. "The Chinese side hopes that the US will continue to follow the consensus of the Osaka meeting, return to the correct track of consultation and resolve differences, and work hard with China to end the goal of ending economic and trade frictions.""We hope the United States will meet China halfway," a foreign ministry spokesman said Wednesday, saying China hopes for "a resolution that is acceptable to both sides on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment.Earlier this week, President Trump defended his controversial trade policies, which have particularly hurt U.S. farmers, saying the issues with China should have been addressed before his administration."Somebody said this is Trump's trade war. It's not my trade war. This is a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago by a lot of other presidents," Trump said.Washington in May upped tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, claiming Beijing had reneged on the previously agreed terms of a trade deal. The U.S. also has a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese high-tech products. In response, China has imposed 25 percent tariffs on tens of billions in U.S. goods.The world's second largest economy warned earlier this week of retaliatory moves to the hardline U.S. position on trade."Despite the U.S. decision to delay tariffs on some Chinese goods [until December] … if the United States rides roughshod over China's opposition and imposes any new tariffs, China will be forced to adopt retaliatory actions," Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said Thursday.
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| Bernie's $16T climate plan would have 'zero' impact, ClimateDepot.com's Marc Morano says Posted: 23 Aug 2019 03:51 AM PDT  2020 hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders releases a $16T 'Green New Deal' climate change plan. ClimateDepot.com publisher Marc Morano breaks down the impact.
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| Sitting Pretty Posted: 23 Aug 2019 05:00 AM PDT |
| 'Red flag laws' offer tool for preventing some gun violence Posted: 24 Aug 2019 08:30 AM PDT  After a white supremacist discussed plans on Facebook for a mass shooting at a synagogue, police in Washington used a new law to quickly seize his 12 firearms, long before he was convicted of any crime. Family members and police routinely face agonizing decisions when otherwise lawful gun owners reveal an impulse to harm themselves or others, and more states are enacting laws that let authorities take away their weapons. With bipartisan support in many cases, 17 states and Washington D.C. have now passed "red flag laws" that allow the court-ordered removal of guns from people who are considered to be dangerous.
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| Britain will withhold $37 billion from EU in no-deal Brexit: Mail on Sunday Posted: 24 Aug 2019 02:14 PM PDT  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to tell European Union leaders he will withhold 30 billion pounds ($37 billion) from the Brexit divorce bill unless they agree to changes to the deal, the Mail on Sunday reported. If Britain leaves the bloc without a trade deal, lawyers have concluded the government's will only have to pay the EU 9 billion pounds, rather than 39 billion pounds, the newspaper reported.
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| Florida will be target of tropical depression expected to form off Southeast coast this weekend Posted: 23 Aug 2019 11:46 AM PDT ![Florida will be target of tropical depression expected to form off Southeast coast this weekend]( "Florida will be target of tropical depression expected to form off Southeast coast this weekend") A tropical disturbance that formed Wednesday near the Bahamas continues to spin toward Florida.
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| North Korea launches short-range missiles complicating US attempts for talks Posted: 23 Aug 2019 06:55 PM PDT  North Korea fired what appears to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, the South Korean military said, the latest in a series of launches in recent weeks. A US official said the two missiles North Korea had fired appeared to be similar to launches in recent weeks. Saturday's launch, the seventh by North Korea since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at the inter-Korean border in June, have complicated attempts to restart talks between US and North Korean negotiators over the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The two leaders agreed to restart working-level negotiations in June, but since then the United States has so far been unsuccessful in attempts to get talks going. US envoy on North Korea Stephen Biegun was in Seoul this week to discuss ways to get negotiations back on track. "We are prepared to engage as soon as we hear from our counterparts in North Korea," Mr Biegun said on Wednesday. But in recent weeks, North Korea has repeatedly criticised US and South Korean largely computer-simulated joint military drills, South Korea's import of high-tech weapons such as F-35 stealth jets, and US testing of its intermediate-range cruise missile as threatening and hindrances to dialogue. North Korean missile ranges On Friday, North Korea's top diplomat called US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a "diehard toxin," saying: "We are ready for both dialogue and standoff." South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) expressed "strong concern" over North Korea's continued launches despite the fact that the South Korea-US joint military exercises denounced by North Korea had ended. It called for North Korea to stop escalating military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The NSC agreed to make diplomatic efforts to bring North Korea to the negotiating table with the United States as soon as possible for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea's presidential office said in a statement. A senior US administration official said: "We are aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea, and continue to monitor the situation. We are consulting closely with our Japanese and South Korean allies." Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that North Korea's missile launches were a clear violation of UN resolutions and cannot be ignored. He confirmed that missiles fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, and posed no immediate threat to Japan's security. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JSC) said North Korea fired what appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday at around 6:45 a.m. and 7:02 a.m. KST respectively from around Sondok, South Hamgyong Province. Sondok is the site of a North Korean military airfield. They flew about 236 miles and reached a height of 60 miles, JSC said. Japan's Coast Guard warned shipping not to approach any fallen debris. South Korea officially informed Japan on Friday of its decision to scrap an intelligence-sharing agreement, which Japanese Minister of Defence Takeshi Iwaya said was regrettable and showed that Seoul failed to appreciate the growing security threat posed by North Korea.
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