| Radicalization among Sri Lanka's Muslims was slow and steady Posted: 24 Apr 2019 07:16 AM PDT  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A spate of attacks against mosques, shrines and followers of Sufi sheikhs in Sri Lanka more than a decade ago point to early warning signs of fundamentalism taking root among a sliver of the country's Muslims.
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| Self-styled citizen border patrol abandons New Mexico camp: police Posted: 23 Apr 2019 03:28 PM PDT  SUNLAND PARK, N.M./TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - An armed group that has been stopping migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border honored a request to leave their camp in New Mexico on Tuesday and appeared to be heading home, the local police chief said. The group's leader Larry Hopkins appeared in court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Monday to face firearms charges following his arrest on Saturday by the FBI. Sunland Park, New Mexico, Police Chief Javier Guerra said the group left their campsite outside the town following a request by the Union Pacific Railroad, which said they had trespassed on its land.
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| Elizabeth Warren's plan to end student debt is glorious. We can make it a reality Posted: 24 Apr 2019 03:00 AM PDT  We fully support the 2020 nominee's student debt relief proposal. But to make it happen, we'll need to kick our efforts into higher gear 'Elizabeth Warren's proposal is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives.' Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP This week, Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, announced a proposal to cancel student debt for millions of people and make public college free. This is a stunning, visionary plan that would transform our educational system and dramatically improve millions of people's lives. But like every other progressive proposal now being touted by presidential hopefuls, from Medicare for All to the Green New Deal, the call for debt relief and free education first came from the grassroots. And if we want a real student debt jubilee to actually happen – to go from policy paper to reality – the grassroots will need to continue to push for it. Fortunately, it's a battle that can be won. Raising our voices is how we got this far. Ten years ago, student debt, even as it soared, was not seen as a serious issue. Writers including Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz were early to sound the alarm, exposing young people's disproportionate indebtedness as a structural issue. Scholars such as Darrick Hamilton and Tressie McMillan Cottom would later go on to document the racially disparate impact of student loans, which burden women and people of color most of all. But it took the Occupy Wall Street movement to make public how profoundly the pinch of monthly payments was felt by an entire generation. Sign up to receive the latest US opinion pieces every weekday In April 2012 a group of Occupiers organized a "1T Day" protest to mark the day student debt in America surpassed $1tn. Seven years later, that number has ballooned to more than $1.5tn. That protest represented a watershed moment, the point when student debt went from being a personal problem to a political one, the result of decades of disinvestment in public colleges and universities that turned education into a consumer product instead of a public good. Some of the organizers of that event would go on to help launch the Debt Collective, a union for debtors that I co-founded. We kicked things off with the Rolling Jubilee fund, a public education campaign that bought and cancelled more than $30m in medical, student debt, payday loans and private probation debts. Then, in 2015, the Debt Collective launched the country's first student debt strike. Since the strike was announced, we have won more than $1bn (and counting) in student debt cancellation for people who attended fraudulent for-profit colleges. Our team accomplished this by building a membership base of for-profit borrowers themselves. These debtors, a multiracial group of working-class people from across the country, led a campaign to pressure the Department of Education to cancel their loans. Their victory – and the fact that our primary demand of a debt jubilee and free college is now on Warren's platform – demonstrates the power of grassroots organizing. The precedent-setting significance of the Debt Collective's work is clear and cannot be overstated: Warren knows that student loans can be cancelled because they already have been on a smaller scale for for-profit college borrowers. That said, Warren's plan, as bold as it is, is hardly inevitable. Her proposal of canceling student debt and ensuring free college seems contingent on the passage of a millionaire's tax that, barring a miracle, is likely to be stymied by an intransigent Congress. In order to win a jubilee, then, we will have to kick our grassroots efforts into a higher gear. Debtors must continue to fight for their rights and advocate for the best possible solutions. We are preparing to do just that. Since 2016, along with our partners at Harvard Law School's Project on Predatory Student Lending, we have been working out a roadmap that would allow all federal student loans to be cancelled without waiting for Congress to act. Congress, it turns out, has already given administrative agencies the power to cancel debts. Just as the Securities and Exchange Commission can cut low-dollar deals with banks that break the law, for example, the secretary of education can settle with debtors for a fraction of what they owe or suspend the collection of student debt altogether. When it was first given the power to issue and collect student loans in 1958, the Department of Education also received the power to "compromise, waive, or release any right" to collect on them. And when the Higher Education Act of 1965 made student loan authorities permanent, it solidified their power to compromise. Nothing in the law prevents the secretary of education from using compromise and settlement authority to address the worst effects of decades of failed higher education policy. But only a movement with that as its goal can get us there. Student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country To win a jubilee, we need a movement focused on motivating candidates to commit to using the full powers available to them in office to address this emergency and stop collections on all student loans. While millionaires and billionaires should be taxed at a much higher rate, in the short term we should not let a Congress bought off by the super-rich prevent us from doing what's right and legal – and economically beneficial. Indeed, student debt abolition and free college would be a win-win for the entire country. Not only would debtors get relief, academic research shows it would be a significant stimulus that might "supercharge" the economy and help address the racial wealth gap. Money currently used to pay back loans with interest would be redirected to other goods and services. But the win would be more profound than just an economic boost. Education could finally be a public good and not a commodity (or worse, a debt trap). This transformation would help inaugurate a new political vision that redefines liberty as the ability to freely access the social services that we all need to survive and thrive. The Debt Collective has been leading this fight for years – and our growing membership will continue to do so. Grassroots organizing is what got us this far, and it's the only thing that can get us to the finish line: an end to student debt and free public college for everyone, once and for all. Astra Taylor is a writer, organizer, and documentarian. Her books include the American Book Award winner The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age and Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone. Her most recent film is What Is Democracy?
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| Georgian Businessman Offers More Texts With Cohen to Rebut Mueller Footnote Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:03 AM PDT  In a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday, lawyers for Giorgi Rtskhiladze demanded a retraction to a footnote in Mueller's 448-page report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The letter says the footnote includes only part of Rtskhiladze's text exchange with then-Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen, failing to provide the full context.
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| Bernie Sanders says felons, even Boston Marathon bomber, should have right to vote in prison Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:42 AM PDT  Bernie Sanders offered his stance at a CNN town hall Monday when asked whether he thought felons should be allowed to vote while they're incarcerated.
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| US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings Posted: 24 Apr 2019 10:07 AM PDT ![US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings]( "US STOCKS-S&P 500 hovers below record highs on mixed earnings") U.S. stocks hovered below their all-time highs on Wednesday, as investors digested a mixed batch of earnings reports and losses in energy stocks limited gains on the indexes. The S&P 500 is 0.3% below its record high of 2,940.91 hit in late September.
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| Kushner Backs CIA Finding of Saudi Blame for Khashoggi Death Posted: 23 Apr 2019 09:24 AM PDT  "Look, I'm not going to dispute American intelligence services' recommendations. Trump has played down the role of the crown prince in Khashoggi's murder at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul last year.
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| View Photos of the 2019 Lexus LS500h Hybrid Posted: 23 Apr 2019 11:05 AM PDT |
| Meeting with North Korean leader gives Putin more leverage Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:09 PM PDT  MOSCOW (AP) — For Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offers a chance to raise Moscow's clout in the region and gain more leverage with Washington.
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| Far-right militia which 'trained to kill Obama and Hillary Clinton' remains defiant on US-Mexico border Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:26 AM PDT  Their commander is in jail. The authorities are giving them until Friday to clear out and leave. But the United Constitutional Patriots, the right-wing militia under scrutiny over detaining migrant families at the border with Mexico, is digging in."It's my God-given right to be here," said one balaclava-clad militia member who gave his name only as Viper. Chafing at the hostile reactions to the militia's actions, he said that he was an Army veteran and that he expected his group, if pushed out, to set up camp in another location along the border."The guys in Washington say one thing about not wanting us on the ground, but no one from the Border Patrol here has ever told me they don't want our help," he said, squinting under the midday sun. "We're here to protect Americans from the illegals violating our sovereignty."The militia's encampment Tuesday was little more than a trailer and a few pickup trucks next to a newly installed "No Trespassing" sign. It appeared to reflect the impasse these armed vigilantes now find themselves in: under the magnifying glass of the FBI, cut off from funding, defending their actions to the public and torn asunder by the arrest of their leader, a resident of northwest New Mexico and a three-time felon who went by the alias Johnny Horton Jr. but whose real name is Larry Hopkins.Tempers were on edge in the camp, which is next to railroad tracks and a dusty road where the existing wall on the border comes to an abrupt end. That is where militia members have been filming their activities, and where, on several occasions, they have confronted and detained groups of migrants who have crossed the border into the United States.[[gallery-0]] These migrants, like others who have crossed the border in recent months, have largely been Central Americans. In sharp contrast to previous inflows of migrants, most of these new arrivals routinely seek to surrender to Border Patrol agents to legally request asylum.Still, the militiamen and those who support them have seen their work as necessary.Armando Gonzalez, 52, said he drove to Sunland Park, which sits on New Mexico's borders with Mexico and Texas, from his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to lend a hand to the United Constitutional Patriots. He said he believed that the news media had distorted the group's work and the reality of life along the border."If you ask me, this is all about politics," said Mr Gonzalez, adding that he was a disabled Army veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. "The Democrats want illegal immigration because that means more votes for them.""But I took an oath to protect my country and what's happening on the border is an invasion threatening our people," said Mr Gonzalez, who is planning to sleep in his 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. "These men are patriots and I'm proud to stand alongside them."Mr Gonzalez, who was carrying a 9-millimeter handgun in a holster strapped to his belt, said he considered himself part of the militia. But the two other men at the spartan camp said they didn't think Mr Gonzalez was part of their group."He just showed up today," said the man called Viper.At one point Tuesday, there were more reporters milling about the camp than militiamen. Some of the journalists broadcast in Spanish to reach viewers on both sides of the border.Judith Sierra, the owner of Tortilleria Sierra in Sunland Park, chuckled at the thought of armed men travelling to the border to chase after women and children. It's not uncommon for migrants to pass through her property, she said, lately in large groups."We offer them water or tortillas," she said, adding that the Border Patrol is never far behind."Even with a fence or whatever else, it's not going to stop people," said Ms Sierra, who was attending to a steady stream of customers in a black apron dusted with flour. "They'll come over or under, somehow, they'll find a way to cross."Meanwhile, the authorities in Sunland Park, whose population of about 15,600 is more than 90 per cent Latino, have made it clear that the men in the desert are testing their patience.The Sunland Park Police Department is evicting the group, telling its members that they want them gone from the camp site by the end of the week. Union Pacific, which operates the railroad near the militia's camp, warned the armed men that they were trespassing to reach their camp."These outsiders talk about an invasion when they are the ones invading our peace and quiet," said Jesus Hernandez, 70, who lives in Sunland Park and works in nearby El Paso, Texas, shining shoes. "I have some advice for them: Get a job and leave us alone."What's next for the United Constitutional Patriots? Their ranks, while never numerous, seem to be thinning. Hopkins is in jail on a felony weapons charge and Jim Benvie, the group's self-described spokesman, was away from the camp Tuesday.An older militia member known as "Pops" used vulgar language when a reporter asked him a question, making it clear that he doesn't care for journalists. He also warned against trying to take his picture, telling reporters he didn't want publicity.Still, officials are increasing scrutiny of the group. Three Democratic members of Congress – Deb Haaland and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Veronica Escobar of Texas – wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, requesting an investigation of the United Constitutional Patriots."The right to stop and detain should remain reserved for law enforcement," they said in the letter. "As a nation, we must end this xenophobic behavior."Elsewhere in Sunland Park, residents are wondering when the militia will leave. Claudio Alvarado, 69, a retired foreman with the Texas Gas Co, was on a morning walk through his neighbourhood with his two young grandchildren.Mr Alvarado said that he had lived in the town since he was 12 and that his son-in-law had worked as a Border Patrol agent for a decade. Mr Alvarado made it clear that he doesn't like the idea of militia members patrolling the border."It makes me angry," Mr Alvarado said, "because that's not their job."The New York Times
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| UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires Posted: 23 Apr 2019 04:18 PM PDT ![UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires]( "UPDATE 2-PG&E get approval to pay employees $350 mln to meet safety goals after wildfires") PG&E Corp can pay employees up to $350 million in bonuses this year to spur them to help meet the bankrupt California power provider's safety goals to prevent wildfires, a judge said on Tuesday. PG&E's management has said the company needs to implement the bonus plan to carry out tasks such as clearing trees and branches around power lines to avert contact that triggers wildfires. While the maximum cost of the plan is $350 million, PG&E has said it expects the likely cost will be around $235 million.
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| Don McGahn, ex-White House counsel, subpoenaed over Mueller report Posted: 22 Apr 2019 07:00 PM PDT  House judiciary committee chair demands McGahn testify before Congress as Democrats escalate investigation of Trump Don McGahn speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference at National Harbor, Maryland, on 22 February 2018. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP The Democratic chairman of the House judiciary committee has issued a subpoena ordering that the former White House counsel Don McGahn testify before Congress. The move came as the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, vowed to hold Donald Trump to account following the release of Robert Mueller's report on Russian influence on the 2016 US election. The subpoena, issued on Monday, escalates the congressional investigations into Trump, his finances and accusations that he sought to obstruct justice, as Democrats debate how to proceed with the evidence contained in the special counsel's 448-page report. McGahn cooperated extensively in the special counsel's investigation and emerged as a key witness in several incidents at the heart of whether Trump obstructed justice. "The special counsel's report, even in redacted form, outlines substantial evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction and other abuses," said Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, which has the power to launch impeachment proceedings. "It now falls to Congress to determine for itself the full scope of the misconduct and to decide what steps to take in the exercise of our duties of oversight, legislation and constitutional accountability." Sign up for the US morning briefing In a statement, Nadler said the committee asked for McGahn to turn over documents and records related to the federal investigations into Trump by 7 May and to testify before his committee by 21 May. Meanwhile, at a prime-time town hall meeting of five Democratic presidential contenders on Monday in New Hampshire, the California senator Kamala Harris said Congress should "take the steps towards impeachment" but believed such an effort would probably fail. Only one candidate at the event, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, issued a full-throated call for Congress to try to remove Trump from office. "If any other human being in this country had done what's documented in the Mueller report, they would be arrested and put in jail," Warren said Nadler had issued the subpoena for McGahn as Democrats came together for the first time since the report was released on a conference call to discuss how the House would proceed. Nancy Pelosi cautioned Democrats against hastily moving toward impeachment, making clear that their immediate focus would be on investigating the president and that those inquiries would guide their actions. "This isn't about Democrats or Republicans," Pelosi told her colleagues, according to multiple officials on the call. "It's about saving our democracy." Ahead of the call, Pelosi acknowledged the divide within her caucus over whether to pursue impeachment – a step supported by many on the party's left flank, including 2020 contenders Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro. "While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth," Pelosi said in a letter to her colleagues. "It is also important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings," she wrote. She vowed that Democrats would "scrupulously assert Congress's constitutional duty to honor our oath of office to support and defend the constitution and our democracy" by escalating its investigation into the president. She added: "Whether currently indictable or not, it is clear that the president has, at a minimum, engaged in highly unethical and unscrupulous behavior which does not bring honor to the office he holds." In her letter, Pelosi also admonished congressional Republicans – who, with a few notable exceptions, have largely fallen in line and supported Trump's assessment that the report clears him of wrongdoing – for what she called an "unlimited appetite for such low standards" set by the president. "The GOP should be ashamed of what the Mueller report has revealed, instead of giving the president their blessings," she wrote. This is the second subpoena issued by Nadler since the release of the report: on Friday he demanded that the justice department turn over an unredacted version of the report as well as the underlying evidence by 1 May, when the attorney general, William Barr, is due to testify before Congress. Nadler, a New York Democrat, has also invited Mueller to testify before his committee next month. The Republican congressman Doug Collins, the ranking member of the House judiciary committee, called the subpoenas "premature" and criticized Democrats for seeking delicate information that the justice department believes should remain confidential. "Instead of looking at material that Attorney General Barr has already made available, Democrats prefer to demand more documents they know are subject to constitutional and common-law privileges and can't be produced," he said. Barr offered to brief a select, bipartisan group of lawmakers on a version of the report that was less redacted than the copy made public. Democrats refused the offer arguing that Congress is entitled to the full, unredacted report. Trump has maintained that the report represents a "total exoneration" and has insisted repeatedly that there are no grounds for impeachment. After the subpoena was issued, he tweeted: "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT". This weekend, senior Democrats blanketed TV talkshows and refused to rule out impeachment. However, they remained firm that there was more to investigate before making a final determination. "I do think, if proven – which hasn't been proven yet – if proven, some of this would be impeachable, yes," Nadler said NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. "Obstruction of justice, if proven, would be impeachable." Democrats believe Mueller's report offered them a "roadmap" to further investigate Trump for obstruction of justice. They point to a passage from the report, in which Mueller writes: "Congress has authority to prohibit a president's corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice."
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| Meghan Markle's family: The diplomat uncle, the yoga teacher mother and the cannabis-growing nephew Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:46 AM PDT  It's not every day the meeting of a make-up artist and a lighting director sets the scene for a royal love story, but that's exactly what happened in Meghan Markle's case. The now-retired American actress, who is expecting her first child any time now, didn't come from a similar upbringing to her royal-ready Middleton sister-in-law. The Duchess of Sussex (born Rachel Meghan Markle) was born in Los Angeles on August 4, 1981 and quite literally grew up in Hollywood. Though her parents - Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle Snr - divorced when she was six, her extended family's story does not end there. In fact, it takes unlikely and estranged turns towards a diplomat uncle, cannabis-growing nephew, and beyond. As Meghan prepares to welcome her baby with Prince Harry, here we take a look at her family, many of whom are never far from the headlines. Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland, 62, was born in Los Angeles to an antique dealer father and a mother who was a nurse. She attended the Fairfax High School, where she was remembered as bright and friendly - the teenager with the "Afro" hairstyle who loved listening to Marvin Gaye and dining out at a local Mexican taco joint with friends. After school she worked as a make-up artist, which is how she met her husband, Thomas Markle Snr, a lighting director in Hollywood. The pair married in 1979 and Ms Markle was born two years later. Meghan Markle pictured as a child in Rwanda with her mother Doria Credit: TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED The family moved into a house in The Valley, LA, to a neighbourhood that Ms Markle described as "leafy and affordable". Ms Ragland and Mr Markle divorced in 1987, but remained friends. Ms Ragland took a job as an air stewardess, meaning their daughter was frequently cared for by her father. Meghan Markle with her moother Doria, who has a masters in social work Credit: TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED She later returned to university to obtain a masters in social work, following on from her BA in psychology. She now lives in the house she inherited from her father in 2011 in the Crenshaw area of LA. Ms Ragland and her daughter are extremely close - Ms Ragland once drove a car with the number plate MEGNME - and Ms Markle has spoken of her pride in her free-spirited mother, with her dreadlocks and nose ring. Ms Ragland travelled with her daughter to her wedding ceremony from their overnight accommodation at Cliveden House Hotel, Berkshire, to St George's Chapel. She is now preparing to welcome her first grandchild. Meghan's family tree Meghan Markle's family tree Thomas Markle, Meghan's father Born in Pennsylvania, of Dutch-Irish descent, soon-to-be-grandfather Thomas Markle Snr, 74, made his way to Hollywood where he worked as a lighting director. He worked for many years on the set of the television show 'Married With Children' and his work on long-running series General Hospital earned him nine Daytime Emmy nominations, of which he was twice named the winner. He was also reportedly chosen to oversee the lighting for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as well as the 1986 Oscar ceremony. Prior to meeting Doria Ragland, he had been married to Roslyn Loveless, with whom he had two children - Samantha, now 52, and Thomas Jr, now 50. Mr Markle and his daughter were very close, with the young Meghan accompanying him on film sets and being cared for by him while her mother was travelling as an air stewardess. Baby Meghan Markle lies on the chest of her father Thomas Credit: TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED Mr Markle moved to Mexico after retiring and was declared bankrupt in June 2016. The Duchess has described her father as the "most hardworking father you can imagine". He has reportedly still not met Prince Harry but gave his blessing to the Prince over the phone when asked for Meghan's hand in marriage. Mr Markle intended to travel from Mexico to the UK to meet his future son-in-law (and the rest of his royal family) before walking Ms Markle down the aisle. Meghan Markle pictured as a toddler with her father Thomas Credit: TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED Following alleged dealings with the paparazzi to take advantage of Meghan's major moment, he said he would avoid the ceremony for fear of embarrassing his daughter. The pictures, which appeared to be staged, showed Mr Markle getting measured for what was thought to be his wedding suit, looking at pictures of his daughter and Harry while in an internet cafe, and reading a picture book about Britain while having a coffee. He then pulled out of the wedding four days before the ceremony, after falling unwell and required heart surgery. He claimed his failure to fly would also force him to cancel appointments with the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Since the wedding, he has made frequent pleas through the media to speak to Meghan which he claims have been mostly ignored, bar a private letter he released to the public last month. Royal baby Sussex | Read more Meghan Markle's uncles Michael Markle Of Thomas Markle Senior's two brothers, the eldest, Michael, had a profound impact on Meghan's early life. The 80-year-old is a retired US diplomat and Air Force veteran who lives in Florida. His wife, Toni, died of cancer in 2012. During his State Department career, he reportedly worked in Ottawa, Bucharest, Berlin and Guam, and when Meghan was 20 years old, she planned to follow in his footsteps with a potential career in diplomacy. It was through Michael's connections that Meghan was able to secure a prestigious at the American embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After enrolling at Northwestern University in Illinois, Spanish speaker Meghan travelled to Argentina for her senior year in 2003. She completed a double major in Theatre and International Relations. "So I'm 20 years old, in Buenos Aires, in a motorcade, doing that whole thing. I thought for sure I would still have a career in politics," she told Vogue a decade later. In an interview with the Mirror in 2018, Michael spoke of his role in the process. "I knew the ambassador, and I asked him if he could help, as her application was a little on the late side," he said. As a result, he was surprised not to be invited to his niece's wedding. "I don't understand why she has been so indifferent towards me. It's uncalled for. I helped her out, and I didn't ask for anything in return. This whole invitation thing has not been played out very well. I never did anything to embarrass Meghan. It seems to me they handled the arrangements poorly." Michael has a 60-year-old daughter, Trish Gallup, who runs her own chauffeur business. Frederick Markle Meghan's other paternal uncle, Frederick, is a reclusive cleric who also lives in Florida. There, he is the leader and sole minister of the small Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, reportedly going by the name Bishop Dismas. According to the Daily Mail, Frederick lives in a secluded woodland property and "lives like a hermit", shunning technology. He has refused to speak about his niece's marriage, as have his two sons, Nick and David, and ex-wife Theresa. Meet the Markles | Read more Meghan Markle's siblings Half-brother Thomas Markle Jr The 52-year-old window fitter lives in Grant's Pass, Oregon. He said his family was "like The Dukes of Hazzard and The Simpsons, versus the Royal family" – but has spoken fondly of his half-sister, with whom he grew up in Los Angeles. He was married for 11 years to Tracy Dooley, with whom he has two sons – Thomas and Tyler. Thomas Markle Jr has spoken fondly of Meghan Markle, his half-sister Credit: AKGS He was arrested in January 2018 for holding a gun to girlfriend Darlene Blount's head in a drunken argument. Mr Markle and Miss Blount are now engaged. Half-sister Samantha Grant Samantha Grant, 54, lives in Florida and is a wheelchair user and suffers from multiple sclerosis. She discussed the allegedly staged images of her father's on Loose Women, saying she was "entirely the culprit", convincing her father that it would be to his advantage to show himself in a positive light. "It was my suggestion that to benefit him and to benefit the Royal Family and that everyone looked good, and they depict you as you are," she said. Samantha Markle has lashed out at her half-sister, Meghan, in several interviews Credit: Splash News She also caused a stir when she announced she was writing a book entitled The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister. Despite not having spoken to her in nine years, Ms Grant lashed out at Ms Markle in numerous interviews. She since says she was misquoted. The Dooleys Ms Markle's sister-in-law Tracy Dooley, and her sons Tyler and TJ, are among the family members who were not invited to the wedding. Ms Dooley, who was married to the former actress's half-brother, was pictured arriving at Heathrow Airport before the wedding. She has previously told ITV's Good Morning Britain she had not received an invitation to the ceremony at Windsor Castle, admitting she had not seen Ms Markle for 20 years. The Dooleys announced on Facebook they had arrived in the capital. Tyler, 27, who uploaded an image of the Imperial War Museum, as well as a photograph of the inside of a hotel room, is a cannabis farmer who considers himself a 'pioneer' in the legal production of the drug in California. He is reportedly keen to develop a new cannabis strain called 'Markle's Sparkle', in aid of his cousin's position. Meghan Markle's nephew Tyler Dooley is a Cannabis farmer who is planning a new drug called Markle's Sparkle Credit: Mega The family are keen on the burgeoning industry. TJ, 28, reportedly gives marijuana to his dog for pain relief, while Tracy frequently sells advertising space to marijuana dispensaries. On arriving in London for the wedding in May last year,, Ms Dooley posted on her Facebook page – called "Royal Wedding with the Dooley Markles" – that she hoped Ms Markle's father was "well, healthy and happy". She wrote: "Just glad to have landed safely and hoping for Tom senior to be well, healthy, & happy. I wish the same for Meghan Prince Harry, my children, friends, family and those who need our prayers and love. Peace, love and good works." In April 2018, the page, which appears to be run by Ms Dooley, shared an article headlined "Meghan Markle snubs nephew and his mum with no invite to Royal wedding." It was accompanied with the caption: "Beyond blessed to be any part of this momentous occasion. We'll be front and center at Windsor cheering Meghan and Prince Harry on." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's life as a married couple, in pictures Trevor Engelson, Meghan's ex-husband New York-born film and television producer Trevor Engelson, 41, was married to Ms Markle for two years, until 2013. The pair married on the beach in Jamaica in 2011, tying the knot at the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, in front of around 100 guests. They are believed to have been dating for seven years before they married. Meghan Markle and Trevor Engelson in 2006 Credit: Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty Their August 2013 divorce cited irreconcilable differences, and their work schedules - he is based in Los Angeles, while she began filming legal drama Suits in Toronto the year they married. Engelson is due to marry nutritionist Tracey Kurland in just over one month- almost exactly a year after Meghan and Prince Harry's own nuptials - on May 11. During his Miami-based bachelor party in March footage emerged of friends toasting (perhaps roasting) the groom, joking: "If it wasn't for Trev I wouldn't believe that I could marry a future princess, so now I gotta...what princess is available right now, I'm coming for you girl." He is working on a show about a man whose wife runs off with a prince.
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| This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra Will Break All The Necks Posted: 24 Apr 2019 11:50 AM PDT  This may be a replica, but it's the only one licensed by Shelby. This 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra has the sleek, instantly recognizable looks of the original Shelby Cobra, making it a standout in a sea of cool cars.
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| JPMorgan's Bob Michele Says ‘Enjoy the Ride’ as Risk Assets Rally Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:52 AM PDT  The chief investment officer at JPMorgan Asset Management said money managers are sitting on too much cash and should be boosting their allocations to high-yield assets after the Federal Reserve's dovish pivot. The firm is putting its weight behind emerging markets as investors from BlackRock Inc. to Fidelity International warn of a break in the rally.
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| How realistic is Elizabeth Warren's plan to cancel student debt? Posted: 23 Apr 2019 02:16 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveils sweeping proposal to eliminate student loan debt and make all public colleges tuition-free; reaction from Peter Morici, former chief economist for the U.S. International Trade Commission.
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| Former Texas tennis coach pleads guilty in court in college admissions scandal Posted: 24 Apr 2019 05:34 PM PDT  Michael Center, a former tennis coach at the University of Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in the college admissions scandal.
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| Iran's Zarif warns U.S. of 'consequences' over oil sanctions, offer prisoner swap Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:17 PM PDT  The United States on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers, most of them in Asia, to continue importing limited volumes. "We believe that Iran will continue to sell its oil. Reinforcing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's stance, Zarif warned: "If the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it should be prepared for the consequences." He did not give specifics.
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| Lindsey Graham tells Trump to 'expect impeachment proceedings' Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:09 AM PDT  A senior Trump ally says he expects impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump \- despite Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi attempting to steer party members away from the move.Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, chair of the senate judiciary committee, made the prediction on Twitter on Tuesday morning.He declared that the 'radical left' is now in charge of the Democratic Party, meaning attempts by House Speaker Ms Pelosi to avoid divisive impeachment proceedings will fail."Nancy Pelosi is not in charge of the Democratic Party. The radical left is in charge."So, I will expect that there will be impeachment proceedings against President Trump."Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday night, he said he expected a "stampede" by the so-called radical left to impeach the president.He said he "hates" that Mr Trump will have to go through the process, but believes the Mueller report, released in a heavily redacted form last week, "vindicates" the president.The end result of impeachment proceedings, he predicted, would be Mr Trump's re-election in 2020.Any impeachment process would be extremely unlikely to pass the Senate.His comments come in the wake of Ms Pelosi, a pragmatic party elder not known for grand gestures, urging colleagues to pursue other options to impeachment this week.She said it was "important to know that the facts regarding holding the president accountable can be gained outside of impeachment hearings".She condemned Mr Trump's "highly unethical and unscrupulous behaviour" as revealed in Robert Mueller's report, but warned her party not to become overly obsessed with the specific way it responded."While our views range from proceeding to investigate the findings of the Mueller report or proceeding directly to impeachment, we all firmly agree that we should proceed down a path of finding the truth," Ms Pelosi wrote to colleagues ahead of a conference call.
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| Father of 11-year-old American boy Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa killed in Sri Lanka attacks mourns 'what the world lost' Posted: 24 Apr 2019 04:39 AM PDT  "The terrorists didn't know who they were killing. But we should know what the world lost," Alex Arrow said about the death of his son.
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| The 2020 Nissan 370Z Commemorates 50 Years with a $2600 Special Anniversary Edition Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:38 AM PDT  The legendary Z turns 50 and celebrates with a unique livery inspired by the iconic BRE 240Z race car.
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| Kamala Harris Vows to Impose New Gun Limits by Executive Action Posted: 22 Apr 2019 07:15 PM PDT  The California Democrat's proposals to bypass Congress with actions that include expanding requirements for background checks and revoking licenses for gun manufactures and dealers found to have broken the law would almost certainly face legal challenges. "Upon being elected, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to get their act together and have the courage to pass reasonable gun safety laws, and if they fail to do it, then I will take executive action," Harris said Monday night at a town hall event hosted by CNN in New Hampshire, site of the first primary in the 2020 nomination contest.
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| Samsung delays folding phone launch after breaking issues Posted: 22 Apr 2019 07:30 PM PDT  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Samsung is pushing back this week's planned public launch of its highly anticipated, $2000 folding phone after reports that reviewers' phones were breaking.
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| Amazon customers can now return their items at Kohl's Posted: 23 Apr 2019 11:28 AM PDT  Kohl's announced Tuesday that Amazon customers will be able to return items atall of its stores beginning in July
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| Teva stops testing its migraine drug as cluster headache treatment Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:34 AM PDT  The drug, known generically as fremanezumab, competes with rival treatments from Eli Lilly & Co and Amgen Inc. Lilly in November received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "breakthrough" status for its migraine drug Emgality in treating episodic cluster headaches. In a late-stage trial, three out of four patients treated with Lilly's drug saw at least a 50 percent reduction in weekly cluster headaches. Teva's decision could be positive for Lilly's drug in differentiating it from its rivals, BMO Capital Markets analyst Alex Arfaei said.
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| Ukraine defies anti-Semitic past with Zelensky victory Posted: 23 Apr 2019 07:12 AM PDT  Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky's election will see Ukraine led for the first time by a president of Jewish descent, in a landmark for a country with a long history of anti-Semitism. The 41-year-old actor won a landslide victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko on Sunday. Ukraine already has a Jewish prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, also 41, and who is to remain in office pending parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
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| Hillary Clinton: Russian interference 'certainly had an impact' on the 2016 election Posted: 23 Apr 2019 12:58 PM PDT  Amid efforts by President Trump and the White House to downplay the effectiveness of Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election, Clinton said it's clear that Moscow's efforts affected the outcome.
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| Student sues Apple for $1 billion, claims face-recognition caused false arrest Posted: 23 Apr 2019 08:47 AM PDT  Apple is being sued for $1 billion by a college student who blames the company's facial recognition software for his wrongful arrest.
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| In-Depth Photos of Our Long-Term 2019 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:04 PM PDT |
| WWII shipwreck discovered off Australian coast Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT  The SS Iron Crown, an Australian freighter sunk by a Japanese submarine during World War II, has been discovered.
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| Tesla Model S and X get new drivetrains, longer range Posted: 24 Apr 2019 06:11 AM PDT  Without changing or upgrading the battery, Tesla has updated the Model S and Model X to increase each vehicle's driving range to 370 miles and 325 miles respectively. On Tuesday, Tesla announced that it has upgraded the powertrains of the Model S liftback and Model X SUV to increase the range by 10 percent for each, and significantly improve the power and torque for all model variants. The new drive unit technology increases the drivetrain efficiency by 93 percent, according to Tesla.
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| These premium true wireless earphones make AirPods sound like dollar store earbuds Posted: 23 Apr 2019 06:26 AM PDT  Apple's first-generation and new second-generation AirPods are great. They offer seamless integration with iOS devices and the sound is pretty impressive too, though most of the bass leaks out since they don't have silicone tips. If you have them and you love them, that's certainly fine. But if you're thinking about buying a pair and your primary concern is sound quality as opposed to image, there's an alternative that makes AirPods sound like those cheap no-name earbuds you might find in a dollar store.The Master & Dynamic MW07 True Wireless Earphones offer a fantastic design, incredible sound quality thanks in part to 10mm beryllium drivers, and a wonderful fit that locks in all that incredible sound. They also come with a very cool aluminum charging case, and they're in stock right now on Amazon. At the time of this writing, Amazon actually had a half-dozen pairs on sale at a sizeable $70 discount, dropping the price to $229.98. That's an all-time low, and those six units will definitely sell out quickly.Here's more info from the product page: * Master & Dynamic MW07 True wireless earphones are built on cutting-edge technology and feature beautifully handcrafted acetate and a richly appointed hand-polished stainless steel charging case to deliver a superior mobile sound tool. Technically sophisticated components such as custom 10mm Beryllium drivers, proprietary "fit wings, " improved antenna technology and optical sensors that detect in-ear placement to automatically play and pause the earphones demonstrate that when it comes to designing the ultimate True wireless listening experience, no detail is too small. * Premium materials: beautifully handcrafted and eye-catching acetate and durable finish, with a lightweight, slim Design * Exceptional acoustics: custom, high-performance 10mm Beryllium drivers deliver rich, expansive sound * Superior comfort & fit: proprietary silicone "fit wing" innovation available in two detachable sizes for a custom and extra secure in-ear fit
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| These Decadent Strawberry Desserts Will Have You Dreaming of Summer Posted: 23 Apr 2019 04:27 PM PDT |
| Sri Lanka bomb attacks were revenge for New Zealand mosque killings - minister Posted: 23 Apr 2019 02:38 AM PDT  Junior minister for defense reveals findings of initial investigation, adding that two domestic Islamist groups were believed to be responsible.
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| DHS Secretary: Separating Migrant Families ‘Not Worth It’ Posted: 23 Apr 2019 12:21 PM PDT  Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan said Tuesday that border authorities are not considering resuming the separation of migrant families, a practice that was ended by the Trump administration last year after it drew outrage from both sides of the aisle."We're not pursuing that approach," McAleenan said. "Prosecuting violations of the law does have a consequence and it does deter behavior but it [does] not work if you lose the public trust."The DHS secretary added that the separation policy was "not worth it" from an enforcement perspective.DHS's "zero tolerance" immigration-enforcement policy was spearheaded by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The family-separation component of the policy continued for at least a year until President Trump signed an executive order last June ending it."We're going to have strong, very strong borders, but we're going to keep the families together," Trump said at the time. "I didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated."The government never had a concrete plan to reunite separated families, according to documents that emerged as part of a court battle over the policy. And while the precise number of separated families is unknown, it is believed to be in the thousands."They were always intended to be reunited," McAleenan said of minors who were detained separately from their parents. "Really a better system, as I've said many times, would allow us to detain families together during fair and expeditious immigration proceedings and getting actual immigration results from courts, so that's what's missing from the current situation."McAleenan took over at DHS after Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of the job earlier this month, reportedly due to Trump's dissatisfaction with her failure to secure the border as migrants continue to flow into the country at a record pace. Nielsen took the lion's share of public criticism for the family-separation policy, which was implemented under her tenure and which she defended vigorously.
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| Elizabeth Warren's plan for student loan forgiveness: Don't bank on it Posted: 24 Apr 2019 12:23 PM PDT  Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to roll out a broad plan to cancel up to $50,000 of college debt for lose making less than $100,000.
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| Family Members Ordered to Face Trial After Teen Found Starving in Barn Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:42 PM PDT  Two suspects charged after a teenage boy was found starving on a property near Meeker, Oklahoma were bound over for trial on charges of child neglect, but not child abuse.
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| US sanctions over Iran oil will 'intensify Mideast turmoil': China Posted: 23 Apr 2019 04:08 AM PDT  China warned Tuesday that the US decision to impose sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil will "intensify turmoil" in the Middle East and in the international energy market. The White House announced Monday it was calling an end to six-month waivers that had exempted several countries -- including major importer China -- from unilateral US sanctions on Iranian oil exports. "China firmly opposes the US implementation of unilateral sanctions and its so-called long-armed jurisdiction," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular press briefing.
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| Flying Southwest to Hawaii: Coconut rum, snack packs and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' Posted: 24 Apr 2019 08:12 AM PDT  USA TODAY flew to Hawaii on Southwest Airlines and back on Hawaiian Airlines to compare the experience.
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| How One Submarine Killed a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier in a Simulation Posted: 22 Apr 2019 11:00 PM PDT  The slow, sustainable underwater speed of AIP-powered diesel submarines make them less than ideal for stalking prey over vast expanses of water.In 2005, USS Ronald Reagan, a newly constructed $6.2 billion dollar aircraft carrier, sank after being hit by multiple torpedoes.Fortunately, this did not occur in actual combat, but was simulated as part of a war game pitting a carrier task force including numerous antisubmarine escorts against HSMS Gotland, a small Swedish diesel-powered submarine displacing 1,600 tons. Yet despite making multiple attacks runs on the Reagan, the Gotland was never detected.(This first appeared several years ago.)This outcome was replicated time and time again over two years of war games, with opposing destroyers and nuclear attack submarines succumbing to the stealthy Swedish sub. Naval analyst Norman Polmar said the Gotland "ran rings" around the American carrier task force. Another source claimed U.S. antisubmarine specialists were "demoralized" by the experience.How was the Gotland able to evade the Reagan's elaborate antisubmarine defenses involving multiple ships and aircraft employing a multitude of sensors? And even more importantly, how was a relatively cheap submarine costing around $100 million—roughly the cost of a single F-35 stealth fighter today—able to accomplish that? After all, the U.S. Navy decommissioned its last diesel submarine in 1990.
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| Democrats Consider Fines for Trump Officials Who Spurn Subpoenas Posted: 24 Apr 2019 01:00 AM PDT  At a meeting of House leaders earlier this month, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler suggested fining officials personally if they deny or ignore subpoenas, according to a person who attended the meeting. Nadler even mentioned jailing administration officials as a consequence for contempt of Congress, though he surmised such a plan might be unrealistic, added the person, who requested anonymity to discuss a closed-door session. The person said the idea surprised many in the room but seemed to have been researched as a serious option by Nadler or his staff.
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| Washington poised to become first state to allow eco-friendly 'human composting' Posted: 22 Apr 2019 06:56 PM PDT  Washington is expected to become the first state to legalize an environmentally-friendly burial alternative that turns bodies into soil within weeks.
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