| Republican apologizes for saying Democrats are 'in love with terrorists' Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:30 AM PST  Rep. Doug Collins apologized Friday for saying that Democrats are "in love with terrorists" and mourn more for killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani than they "mourn for our Gold Star families."
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| Here's what might have happened to the Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Tehran Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:36 AM PST  U.S. and allied Western intelligence services say they have persuasive evidence from satellites and intercepted communications that Iran shot down a Ukrainian International Airline flight Wednesday morning, likely by mistake, killing all 176 people onboard. Iran denies any responsibility. The airliner crashed just minutes after taking off from Tehran's airport en route to Kyiv and hours after Iran fired missiles toward U.S. forces in Iraq in retaliation for America's targeted killing of Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani.Using video from Tehran and information from intelligence officials, U.S. new media have plausibly pieced together what happened to Ukrainian International Airline Flight 752. The plane's 167 passengers and nine crew "most likely faced horrifying final moments, starting with an explosion as the missiles detonated just outside it, sending shrapnel and debris spiraling through the fuselage," The New York Times reports. "The plane turned back toward the airport, then began its uncontrolled descent toward the ground." CBS Evening News visually recreated the incident."We know that plane was sending out a signal identifying itself as a commercial airliner," CBS News' Kris Van Cleave reported. "It was flying away from the conflict zone. And that radar operator that lit up the plane should have been able to see that it originated from the airport." The Russian-made surface-to-air system is operated by three to four people "tracking nearby aircraft by radar," the Times explains. "But determining friendly civilian aircraft takes skill, and mistakes are possible, particularly in charged situations."Sixty-three passengers were Canadian but most were Iranian, suggesting Tehran didn't down the passenger jet on purpose. "The Iranian military could have positioned the system, which is designed to operate at medium to low altitudes and intercept both aircraft and guided weapons, to defend the airport if officials believed the United States military was intending to counterattack after Iran's ballistic missile strikes," the Times speculated. That's unlikely to comfort those who love and mourn the victims.More stories from theweek.com 5 royally funny cartoons about Harry and Meghan's exit Trump is setting up a massive nuclear crisis with Iran The ground game takes center stage in Ravens-Titans clash
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| Boy kills teacher, self in Mexico school shooting Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:28 PM PST  Torreón (Mexico) (AFP) - An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his teacher Friday at a school in northern Mexico and wounded six other people before killing himself, authorities said. As shocked Mexicans searched for explanations for the school shooting -- a rare event for the country -- officials said they were investigating a possible link to the Columbine High School massacre in the US in 1999. Panicked parents rushed to the private elementary school, the Colegio Cervantes, in Torreon as officials evacuated the trim brick building and police and soldiers put it on lockdown.
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| IS claims Pakistan mosque bombing as death toll rises to 15 Posted: 11 Jan 2020 01:41 AM PST  Pakistani officials raised the death toll from a mosque bombing in the country's southwest to 15 people on Saturday, as the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. It killed a senior police officer and 13 others. Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said another victim of the mosque bombing died of serious wounds in the city hospital raising the death toll to 15.
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| George Conway's anti-Trump group releases new ad calling out evangelical Christians Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:47 AM PST  A group of Republicans opposed to President Trump is calling out one of his most reliable voting blocs: evangelical Christians.
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| Mom says she was attacked by daughter’s bullies outside California high school Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:33 AM PST  One student has been arrested for battery with serious bodily injury.
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| Bernie Sanders in Trump's crosshairs in wake of Iran crisis Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:36 AM PST  The Iran crisis collided with the Democratic presidential race this week as Sen. Bernie Sanders and President Trump battled over the circumstances of the U.S. strike that killed a prominent Iranian general.
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| Iranians marched in fiery protests to demand Ayatollah Khamenei's resignation after officials shot down a commercial plane Posted: 11 Jan 2020 12:36 PM PST  Angry protestors reportedly chanted "death to the dictator" and "shameless" shortly after the government admitted to shooting down a Ukrainian flight.
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| India blows up luxury high-rises over environmental violations Posted: 11 Jan 2020 03:02 AM PST  Two luxury waterfront high-rises in southern India were reduced to rubble in controlled explosions Saturday in a rare example of authorities getting tough on builders who break environmental rules. The 19-floor H2O Holy Faith complex of 90 flats -- overlooking Kerala state's famous lush backwaters -- was the first to go down, collapsing in just a matter of few seconds. A thick grey cloud of dust and debris cascaded down after officials detonated explosives drilled into the walls of the building, which had been occupied for several years until the Supreme Court ruled last May that it was constructed in violation of coastal regulations.
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| Stomach illness outbreak at Yosemite prompts major clean-up Posted: 10 Jan 2020 03:34 PM PST  Federal health officials are inspecting Yosemite National Park's food service areas after at least a dozen people have fallen ill with stomach issues. The National Park Service and the U.S. Public Health Service told the San Francisco Chronicle they launched an investigation after employees and visitors reported the problems this month. Park officials said those who had gotten sick are getting better or already recovered.
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| Japan seeks Interpol wanted notice for wife of ex Nissan boss Posted: 10 Jan 2020 08:57 PM PST  Japanese authorities have requested the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) for an Interpol wanted notice for the wife of former Nissan Motor boss Carols Ghosn, local media reported on Saturday. If the notice is issued for his wife, Carole, the couple's travel chances outside of Lebanon may be restricted, Mainichi newspaper said. Interpol has already issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn.
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| Another massive 6.0 earthquake shook Puerto Rico, and the island hasn't recovered from the last major earthquake less than a week ago Posted: 11 Jan 2020 06:44 AM PST  An already fragile Puerto Rico has been devastated by ongoing earthquakes, including another massive 6.0-magnitude one after a 6.4 quake days earlier.
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| Death From Above: The Air Force's Fearsome AC-130 Gunship Is Getting Upgrades Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST  And America's enemies are running.
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| Mexico Is Doing the U.S.'s 'Dirty Work,' Say Researchers as Border Apprehensions Decline for 7th Month in a Row Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:03 PM PST  Apprehensions at the border have declined for the 7th month, according to CBP data released Thursday. The reasons why are complicated
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| Poll: Most Americans think the killing of Soleimani made the U.S. less safe Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:08 AM PST  A majority of Americans don't seem to be buying the Trump administration's rationale for killing Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to a new poll. In a USA Today/Ipsos poll released Thursday, 55 percent of U.S. adults said the United States' recent drone strike that killed Soleimani and its immediate aftermath made the country less safe.
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| Russian ship 'aggressively approached' a US destroyer in North Arabian Sea, Navy says Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:02 PM PST  A Russian Navy ship "aggressively approached" a US destroyer conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea Thursday, the Navy said.
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| Hundreds mourn reporters shot dead after covering Iraq protests Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:50 PM PST  Hundreds of Iraqis on Saturday mourned two reporters shot dead the previous evening in the country's southern city of Basra, where they had been covering months of anti-government protests. Ahmad Abdessamad, a 37-year-old correspondent for local television station Al-Dijla, and his cameraman Safaa Ghali, 26, were killed late Friday, the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory (JFO) said.
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| MIT warns foreign students of possible visits from ICE Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:17 AM PST |
| Alphabet's chief legal officer is leaving the company after a series of scandals involving allegations of sexual misconduct Posted: 10 Jan 2020 10:29 AM PST  David Drummond, who headed legal affairs at Google's parent company, is leaving after a widely publicized blog post accused him of emotional abuse.
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| Storm cancels over 1,000 flights in Chicago and triggers flooding along lakeshore Posted: 11 Jan 2020 11:38 AM PST  A potent storm traversing the eastern half of the country has produced flooding rain, deadly tornadoes and travel-halting ice and snow and its impacts are far from over.Chicago wasn't immune from the storm's impacts as winds increased Friday night into early Saturday, gusting as high as 50 mph.On Saturday morning, the storm caused flight delays as long as four and a half hours at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to FlightAware.Delays escalated later in the day to more than six hours long, with over 1,000 cancellations from O'Hare alone.> HAPPENING NOW: More than 950 flights cancelled at O'Hare International Airport. Right now there is a ground stop at O'Hare for inbound flights due to ice. weatherwatch winterstorm chicagoweather @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/B5cGE4oFp8> > -- Vi Nguyen (@ViNguyen) January 11, 2020Such delays had a ripple effect across the country, including in cities that managed to escape effects from the storm. However, gusty winds are likely to spread across states from New York to Florida through Saturday night, which may add to the delays and cancellations.In addition to impeding air travel, the severe winds affected motorists along the lakeshore as well.Winds blowing southwestward across the southern part of Lake Michigan funneled the water over the beaches and through towns along the shore. Northeasterly winds off of Lake Michigan triggered flooding in the Chicago area on Saturday, leaving one golf course underwater (Photo/@EricAllixRogers) Locations such as Rogers Park and Evanston were reportedly underwater as intense waves moved onshore.Radio station WBBM reported that parts of Lake Shore Drive and South Shore Drive were closed due to high water and flooding.> Serious and damaging surf in Rogers Park from lakemichigan this morning. Storm surge is insane. Flooding in Evanston as well. weather Chicago pic.twitter.com/KLE7a0AvDr> > -- Bo Rodda (@b0rodda) January 11, 2020Much of the Lake Michigan shoreline was underwater Saturday.The wind even produced large waves, as high 20 feet, which continued pound the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan through the afternoon on Saturday.> Birchwood Ave at Lake Michigan. The rocks on the left used to rise above Jarvis Beach. The beaches are all gone now. pic.twitter.com/rk06Tztmq0> > -- Bogochicaguense (@litwicki) January 11, 2020The Chicago Transit Authority reported several delays and reroutes of bus services as well as branches of the Blue, Red, Yellow and Green lines on Saturday morning, citing debris on the tracks.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPAs the storm pulls away into Sunday, winds are expected to lessen, and waters are likely to recede.In addition to the winds, periods of heavy rain spread across Illinois Friday night and Saturday. Cities such as Carbondale, Effingham and Cami all reported more than 3.5 inches of rain by midday on Saturday.Locations away from the lake saw accumulating ice and snow, including Rockford, Illinois which reported two periods of steady freezing drizzle during the storm.The Department of Streets and Sanitation said they had over 200 snow vehicles out to respond to the winter weather reported across Chicago.Other than a brief period of snow possible Sunday night, dry weather is expected for Chicagoland through early in the week for those cleaning up after the storm.Flooding was also reported around lower Michigan on Saturday along the Interstate 94 corridor, including around Kalamazoo.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| World War III: This Is What Would Happen If North Korea Nuked Tokyo Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:13 AM PST  Tokyo is the largest urban area on the planet.
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| Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen says his assistance justifies early prison exit Posted: 10 Jan 2020 03:57 PM PST  Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer who is now seeking early release from prison, on Friday rejected the claim that his lies undermined his ability to help investigators on matters related to the U.S. president. Cohen was responding to a Dec. 19 letter opposing an early release, where Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan said he was not a "credible witness," citing statements in which she said Cohen and his surrogates minimized his acceptance of responsibility for conduct to which he had pleaded guilty. Cohen, 53, wants U.S. District Judge William Pauley to shorten his three-year prison term to a year and a day, or move him to home confinement, reflecting his "extensive" cooperation with investigators concerning his former boss.
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| Pete Buttigieg Woos ‘Future Former Republicans’ in New Hampshire Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:00 AM PST |
| Mother charged with murder after 11-month-old son drowns in bathtub Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:52 PM PST  The mother told authorities she left the baby unattended in a tub while she stepped out for a cigarette and "some me time," according to a warrant.
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| Why Iran's Cruise Missiles Are a Serious Threat Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:40 AM PST  In light of the seeming effectiveness of Iranian and proxy cruise missile attacks to date, Tehran will likely spend more time, effort, and money on this program, increasing the Iranian asymmetric military threat, shifting the relative military balance in the region, and further undermining regional stability.
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| The 9 Things You Need in Your Car This Winter Posted: 11 Jan 2020 12:00 PM PST |
| Tsai leads count in Taiwan election dominated by China fears Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:20 PM PST  Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen was out in front as votes were being counted on Saturday after an election battle dominated by the democratic island's fraught relationship with China. The outcome will reverberate far beyond Taiwan's borders with Tsai and Han laying out very different visions for its future -- in particular how close the self-ruled island should tack to its giant neighbour. Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to retake the island one day, by force if necessary.
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| A severe winter storm is ripping through the US, killing 9 and cancelling more than 1,500 flights Posted: 11 Jan 2020 01:43 PM PST  Hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, and hail have pelted states in the south, while snow storms, wind, and ice have hit northern states.
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| A viral photo of a tiger and her 5 cubs shows how the species is bouncing back from extinction Posted: 10 Jan 2020 01:43 PM PST  India's wild tiger population is finally on the rise. An Indian Forest Service officer recently shared an inspiring photo of a tiger with five cubs.
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| Covington Catholic Student Nick Sandmann’s Lawyers Go After Rival Attorney Posted: 10 Jan 2020 03:33 PM PST  A rift between lawyers representing students at the center of the Covington Catholic video controversy broke into the open this week, with attorneys for high-schooler Nick Sandmann threatening legal action against a lawyer best known for representing conspiracy theory website InfoWars. Robert Barnes, who has become a personality on the right-wing internet thanks in large part to his legal work for InfoWars host Alex Jones, was quick to offer help to the Covington Catholic students after video of their interactions with a Native American drummer at the Lincoln Memorial went viral in January 2019. Barnes' legal predictions about the case garnered him further fame on the right, with Trump supporters eager to see the students win big legal victories against their critics. Since then, Barnes has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Covington students against various public figures.But Barnes, whose Covington plaintiffs are all anonymous in the lawsuit, doesn't represent Sandmann, the MAGA-hat-wearing student who had the central role in footage of the Lincoln Memorial incident. Now Sandmann's attorneys are threatening legal action against Barnes, saying that he's falsely implying to his Twitter followers that he represents their client. "We're taking issue with some of his statements that, in our view, suggest that he is involved in our lawsuits on behalf of Nick Sandmann," said Todd McMurtry, one of Sandmann's attorneys.The long-simmering tensions between Barnes and Sandmann's camp—led by attorneys McMurtry and Lin Wood, who once represented wrongfully accused Atlanta Olympics bombing suspect Richard Jewell—exploded two days after CNN settled a lawsuit with Sandmann for an undisclosed amount. Responding to a tweet noting that author and former CNN commentator Reza Aslan had deleted a tweet saying Sandmann had a "punchable face," Barnes tweeted that Aslan had likely just been served in a lawsuit on behalf of the 'CovingtonBoys." That irritated Sandmann's camp, who saw it as Barnes's latest attempt to suggest he's representing Sandmann, the most publicly visible of the Covington students. Sandmann himself shot back on Twitter, accusing Barnes of "lying to the public.""Would you like to explain why you're suing for me without my permission?" Sandmann tweeted. "You've blocked my lawyers on twitter and now claim you're suing over the Reza Aslan tweet? Retract and stop lying to the public." Wood followed up on Sandmann's tweet, noting that he would "prefer" to not take "legal action" against Barnes, who had blocked him on Twitter. "Please remind him that he cannot 'block' a formal demand letter, a civil complaint, or an ethics complaint," Wood tweeted. "I hope he finally gets the message."Wood's co-counsel, McMurtry, joined in, tweeting that the Sandmann team was "done putting up" with Barnes. Yet Barnes, who has tweeted that he doesn't represent Sandmann, insists there's "no issue" with the Sandmann team."My understanding is no issue exists with Sandmann's lawyers," Barnes told The Daily Beast. "I have always made clear my clients are anonymous to protect them from being double-doxxed, and I do not represent Sandmann, who has publicly identified himself. I am glad Aslan deleted the tweet, and the process server should be able to get him served soon."McMurtry, though, is not happy with Barnes' comments about the case. "By tying his views of the case and his ideas of the case to Sandmann, it interferes with our claims," McMurtry told The Daily Beast. This isn't the first time Barnes has exchanged Twitter barbs with Sandmann's legal team. While Wood and Barnes were initially friendly as the Covington controversy unfolded, within two months, Barnes was tweeting that Sandmann "needed new lawyers." An amused Aslan told The Daily Beast that no matter what Barnes said, he hasn't been served in any case filed by him. "Whatever fantasy this guy is living, it has nothing to do with me," Aslan said. "I've never heard of him, I've never been contacted by him, I've never been served by any lawsuit." 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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| 'Maybe we will, maybe we won't’: Trump doubles down on threat to take oil from Syria Posted: 11 Jan 2020 03:08 AM PST  Donald Trump has renewed his threats to forcibly steal oil from Syria, a move which experts say would amount to a war crime.The president defended his decision to leave a small number of American troops in the war-torn nation after a general withdrawal in October by claiming they were only there to secure Syria's oilfields.
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| ‘Every day I was praying’: Detroit dad deported after 30 years returns home to US Posted: 10 Jan 2020 07:03 PM PST  Jorge Garcia was deported on Jan. 15, 2018, and was stuck in Mexico for almost two years, separated from his family in Michigan.
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| German Chancellor urges all parties to back Iran nuclear deal Posted: 11 Jan 2020 09:04 AM PST  German chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday repeated a call for all parties to respect the Iranian nuclear accord, despite Iran's decision to intensify its enrichment of uranium and moves by the United States to impose economic sanctions. Under a deal brokered in 2015, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to restrict its nuclear program.
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| Gun case delayed for man cleared of San Francisco pier death Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:32 PM PST  A federal judge on Friday delayed a gun possession trial against a Mexican man who was acquitted of killing a woman on a San Francisco pier in a case that became a national flashpoint, saying he has questions about the man's mental competency. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria postponed a trial expected to start next week until a psychiatrist evaluates Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate. "It appears that Garcia-Zarate may not understand the charges against him, and it's possible that he's not currently taking any medication for his apparent mental illness," Chhabria wrote in his ruling.
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| Iraq's prime minister told the US to start making plans to withdraw its troops from the country Posted: 10 Jan 2020 06:10 AM PST  Iraq's prime minister told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the US should send delegates to Iraq to "prepare a mechanism" for a US troop withdrawal.
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| U.S. military tried to take out another Iranian leader, but failed Posted: 10 Jan 2020 12:38 PM PST  The U.S. military tried, but failed, to take out another senior Iranian commander on the same day that an American airstrike killed a Revolutionary Guard commander, U.S. officials said Friday.
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| This Is How the U.S. Navy Hunts Nuclear-Armed Chinese Submarines Posted: 10 Jan 2020 11:13 AM PST  From the sky!
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| Sarah Huckabee Sanders: ‘Can’t Think of Anything Dumber’ Than Giving Congress War Powers Posted: 10 Jan 2020 05:17 AM PST  Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Thursday that should couldn't "think of anything dumber" than allowing Congress to authorize war, seemingly unaware that the U.S. Constitution specifically gives the legislative branch that exact power.Ahead of Thursday's House vote on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's military actions against Iran, Sanders—now a Fox News contributor—appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss the president's handling of the Iran crisis."Sarah, the president yesterday said the U.S. is ready to embrace peace," Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt said, referencing Trump's speech on Wednesday. "He's calling for more economic sanctions on Iran's already struggling economy. He did say that Iran is standing down, so why is the House putting up this resolution to try to limit the president's powers?""You know, I can't think of anything dumber than allowing Congress to take over our foreign policy," Sanders huffed. "They can't seem to manage to get much of anything done. I think the last thing we want to do is push powers into Congress' hands and take them away from the president."She went on to claim that Democrats who don't seem to understand "that America is safer now" that former Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani is dead are "completely naive," adding that she doesn't want to see them "take power away from President Trump and put it into their own hands.""I don't think anything could be worse for America than that," she concluded.Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, meanwhile, specifically states that Congress has the power "to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water, to raise and support armies and... to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces."Furthermore, the War Powers Act of 1973, which Congress is looking to pass a resolution reaffirming this week, asserts that only Congress can declare war and the president needs to seek Congress's approval in the case of sustained military action. The act was passed in the shadow of the Vietnam War in an effort to prevent other drawn-out overseas wars.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| More than 1,100 Chicago flights canceled due to winter weather Posted: 11 Jan 2020 02:28 PM PST  More than 1,100 flights have been canceled in and out of Chicago according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.
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| Alaska State Troopers Rescued a Man Stranded for Weeks in Sub-Zero Temperatures After His Cabin Burned Down Posted: 11 Jan 2020 01:26 PM PST  Tyson Steele was outside in Alaska's freezing weather for 23 days
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| China's Communist Party expels ex-chairman of China Development Bank Posted: 10 Jan 2020 09:34 PM PST  A former chairman of the China Development Bank, Hu Huaibang, has been expelled from the country's ruling Communist Party for serious violations of discipline, the party's graft watchdog said on Saturday. An investigation found that Hu had "lost his ideals and convictions" and had committed violations such as using his post to illegally benefit others, abusing his power, and allowing his family members to "complain about property", said the statement by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). The CCDI also said it would seize his illegal income and transfer his case to the judicial bodies.
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