| What to Know About Ghislaine Maxwell, the U.K. Socialite Who Became Jeffrey Epstein's Confidante Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:43 AM PDT  After Jeffrey Epstein's death, focus has shifted to the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, accused of helping him groom underage girls.
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| The Latest: Philly police: Gunman had AR-15, handgun Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:53 AM PDT  Philadelphia's police commissioner says a gunman who barricaded himself in a rowhouse and exchanged gunfire with police for hours had a military-style AR-15 and a handgun. Richard Ross told reporters Thursday that police still do not have access to the crime scene because tear gas was used there, so he is not sure if there were other weapons. Philadelphia's top federal prosecutor says the shooting of six police officers during a 7 1/2-hour standoff was precipitated by a disrespect for law enforcement that the city's district attorney is championing.
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| Donald Trump holds New Hampshire rally to tout economy amid market slide, recession fears Posted: 15 Aug 2019 05:03 PM PDT  Donald Trump will hold his first campaign rally in the Granite State of his presidency Thursday, underscoring GOP hopes that the state is in play.
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| As China faces fate on Hong Kong, America and other democracies face a choice Posted: 15 Aug 2019 03:29 PM PDT  Donald Trump tweets as Xi Jinping lines up his military tanks and Hong Kong protesters wave American flags and sing the U.S. national anthem: Our view
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| Syria regime forces inch closer to key jihadist-held town: monitor Posted: 15 Aug 2019 08:38 AM PDT  Syrian regime forces captured a string of insurgent-held villages in northwest Syria on Thursday, inching closer to a key jihadist-run town in the Idlib region, a war monitor said. Over the past week, pro-regime fighters have advanced on the southern edges of Idlib province, controlled by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). On Thursday, regime loyalists stood just three kilometres (1.8 miles) away from the key town of Khan Sheikhun, after capturing five villages to the northwest overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
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| Trump administration reverses decision to use 'cyanide bombs' to kill wild animals Posted: 15 Aug 2019 03:53 PM PDT  The poison-filled traps are used by the federal government to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals for farmers and ranchersA grizzly bear and her cub walk near Pelican Creek in Yellowstone national park, Wyoming. Last year, Wildlife Services killed more than 1.5 million native wild animals across the country, including bears. Photograph: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter sustained public outcry, the Trump administration has voided its decision to reauthorize controversial cyanide traps for killing wildlife.The traps, which are known as M-44s and dubbed "cyanide bombs" by critics, are spring-loaded devices that emit a spray of sodium cyanide to kill their targets. The traps are most frequently used by Wildlife Services, a little-known federal agency inside the United States Department of Agriculture, to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals at the behest of private agriculture operators.Last year, Wildlife Services killed more than 1.5 million native wild animals across the country, including bears, wolves, birds and more. Roughly 6,500 of these deaths were caused by M-44 traps."I am announcing a withdrawal of EPA's interim registration review decision on sodium cyanide, the compound used in M-44 devices to control wild predators," Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, announced in a public statement. "This issue warrants further analysis and additional discussions by EPA with the registrants of this predacide."In an announcement last week, the EPA said that it had authorized government officials to continue using M-44s on an interim basis. The decision sparked fury among wildlife advocates and others, who decried the decision as a reckless threat to humans and the environment. M-44s, which are deployed on public and private land across the US, have led in the past to the inadvertent deaths of endangered species and domestic pets. They have even harmed humans, including a teenage boy who was poisoned by an M-44 in Pocatello, Idaho, in 2017.Brooks Fahy, the executive director of Predator Defense, a wildlife group that is a leading opponent of M-44 traps, said the EPA's announcement was a welcome reversal."Obviously somebody at EPA is paying attention to the public's concerns about cyanide bombs," Fahy said in a statement. "It would appear they're responding to public outrage over the interim decision from last week. Our phone has been ringing off the hook from concerned citizens regarding their greenlight to continue using these horrific devices. We'll have to see how this plays out."
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| Here's Everything We Know So Far About Storm Area 51's 'Alienstock' Festival Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:48 AM PDT  "They can't stop us from gathering and celebrating aliens!"
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| Philly Mayor Peddles False Narrative for Gun Control After a Man with a Long Criminal History Shoots Six Police Officers Posted: 15 Aug 2019 01:58 PM PDT  All eyes were on North Philadelphia last night after a gunman fired on police serving a narcotics warrant. At around 4:30 p.m., the suspect barricaded himself in a North Philadelphia home and began a standoff that would last for almost eight hours. During the ordeal, six officers were shot and two were trapped inside the house. Thankfully, the injuries to the police officers were not life-threatening and the two officers trapped inside were evacuated by a SWAT team several hours before the suspect, Maurice Hill, surrendered.After visiting the wounded police officers in the hospital, the mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, spoke to reporters and called for gun control. "Our officers need help. They need help. They need help with gun control. They need help with keeping these weapons out of these people's hands," Kenney said. "This government, on the federal and state level, don't want to do anything about getting these guns off the street and getting them out of the hands of criminals.""It's aggravating. It's saddening," he said. "It's just something we need to do something about. And if the state and federal government doesn't want to stand up to the NRA and some other folks, then let us police ourselves," Kenney said."That argument is B.S. Any evidence that Hill is an NRA member?" Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, told me. "Hill is a threat to everyone around him not because he may or may not be an NRA member but because he has embarked on a life of crime. That is what the problem is. It is not the NRA's advocacy. And the mayor knows that.""The lies about cops told by Warren, Harris, and DeBlasio lead to actions like these," Johnson said. "It's not the NRA."Indeed it is not. Maurice Hill has a long and extensive criminal history. Before last night, he had been arrested nearly a dozen times since turning 18 and convicted six times on charges that involved illegal possession of guns, drug dealing, and aggravated assault. He has been in and out of prison; the longest sentence handed him came in 2010, when a federal judge gave him a 55-month term. In 2008, he was convicted of escaping, fleeing from police, and resisting arrest. Along the way, he has beaten criminal charges on everything from kidnapping to attempted murder. Hill has also spent time in federal prison. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations after he was caught with a Smith & Wesson .357 and later a Taurus PT .45 semiautomatic. His prior felony convictions should have barred him from owning those weapons. "There are plenty of laws. It's not a lack of gun laws," Johnson added. "Hill is not in the business of obeying laws.""That is just Kenney deflecting and pivoting to his DNC talking points," Gregg Richman, a candidate for common-pleas judge in the Philadelphia suburb of Montgomery County, told me. "It wasn't a gun-control issue that caused this. It was the failure of this administration along with the DA's policies of letting serious criminals back on the streets," Richman said. "This is not about guns but failure of the leaders to support law enforcement."Jeffrey Roorda, author of The War on Police, a former police officer and the business manager of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, agrees. "Violence, especially deadly assaults on police, are out of control in cities like Philadelphia and St. Louis where the voters have elected so-called reform-minded prosecutors," he told me. "The truth is that these prosecutors' sick brand of reform amounts to an amnesty program for deadly criminals who prey on communities of color and target cops for violence," Roorda says. "We need elected officials who will support cops and their efforts to remove dangerous criminals, like the Philadelphia shooter, from the streets before they go on shooting sprees."On Kenney's watch, Philadelphia has been plagued with gun violence. The homicide rate is the highest it has been in over a decade; in 2018, the rate increased 11 percent from the previous year. Kenney, and most other liberals advocating gun control, are ignoring the facts: The overwhelming majority of gun-related crimes are committed by people who own guns illegally. Crafting legislation that affects legal owners will have no impact on this.Kenney and other Democratic politicians such as Julián Castro, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren have all used this incident to push for additional gun-control laws. The press, meanwhile, has sought to cast the fight as just another "active shooter" in America. But the standoff in Philadelphia was no such thing. Americans watching cable news last night watched a career criminal resisting arrest and trying to murder police in the process. Our response to this event should reflect that fact. The mayor needs to look in the mirror.
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| Portland mayor decries violence, hatred ahead of rally Posted: 14 Aug 2019 04:56 PM PDT  Mayor Ted Wheeler spoke at a rally with other leaders ahead of the event Saturday, which is also expected to bring out anti-fascist protesters. The weekend event is being organized by a member of the Proud Boys, which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Also expected at the Saturday event are members of the American Guard, Three Percenters, Oathkeepers and Daily Stormers.
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| The black hole at the center of our galaxy just lit up twice as bright as ever. Who knows why Posted: 14 Aug 2019 12:09 PM PDT  Astronomers observing the black hole at the center of our galaxy watched it light up with "unprecedented brightness." And they aren't sure why.
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| With Brexit looming, the future of Ireland is at stake Posted: 15 Aug 2019 05:38 AM PDT  It would be one of the great ironies of history if the U.K. departure from the EU actually led to the end of its occupation of Northern Ireland.
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| 8 Amazing Species That Were Saved by the Endangered Species Act Posted: 14 Aug 2019 07:20 AM PDT |
| China's Tencent sorry for saying typhoon killed 'nearly everyone' Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:49 PM PDT  Chinese internet giant Tencent has been forced to apologise after its video team reported that a typhoon had wiped out the entire population of a province in east China that is home to nearly 100 million people. Typhoon Lekima hit the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Shandong and Anhui over the weekend, forcing more than two million residents to flee. China's official news agency Xinhua said late Tuesday that at least 49 people were killed with dozens still missing.
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| Mexico pushes U.S. to designate El Paso shooting an act of terrorism Posted: 14 Aug 2019 09:45 AM PDT  Mexico's government on Wednesday amplified its assertion that the Aug. 3 mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, was an act of terrorism against Mexicans, urging the United States to ensure the attack was designated as such. Speaking after meetings on Tuesday between U.S. and Mexican government officials about the incident, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told a regular government news conference that steps needed to be taken to prevent future killings. "It's very important to persevere, to specify, clarify and demand that measures are taken so that this is not repeated, and the first measure is to classify it for what it is, an act of terrorism that seeks to take Mexican lives," Ebrard said.
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| Behind Nate Silver’s war with The New York Times Posted: 15 Aug 2019 02:05 AM PDT ![Behind Nate Silver's war with The New York Times]( "Behind Nate Silver's war with The New York Times") The paper's onetime data guru can't stop kicking his ex-employer for its 2020 polling analysis and supposed capitulation to Trump.
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| Ghislaine Maxwell spotted out in public for the first time since 2016 Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:50 PM PDT  British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was spotted in Los Angeles on Monday, photographed reading a book on the history of the CIA at a popular fast food restaurant. The 57-year-old's whereabouts have been the subject of intense attention since the unsealing last week of court documents alleging she played a key role in assisting Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of young girls. That attention has only heightened with Epstein's death on Saturday, in jail awaiting trial. Two days after her former lover's death she was seen in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, sitting outside with her dog, at a branch of In-N-Out Burger. She posed for a photograph when a man, described by The New York Post as being a regular at the chain, recognised her. Ghislaine Maxwell, photographed in 2010 at a gala in New York, was a familiar face on the party circuit until she left the city in 2016 "He's at In-N-Out every single day," a source told the paper. "He went up to her and asked, 'Are you who I think you are?' "She replied, 'Yes, I am.'" Miss Maxwell then reportedly told an onlooker: "Well, I guess this is the last time I'll be eating here!" The source said that Miss Maxwell was reading a book called The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives and seemed resigned to having her picture taken. "She was perfectly friendly, very lovely," the source said. Miss Maxwell has not been pictured in public since 2016, when she sold her mansion in New York City and disappeared from view. Asked how the photographer knew who Miss Maxwell was, the source said: "If you've had the TV on, you know who she is, how could you miss her?" Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2000 Miss Maxwell was reported on Wednesday to have been spending time at a secluded mansion in Manchester-By-The-Sea, in Massachusetts. The owner of the house, Scott Borgerson, said on Wednesday that she was not at his home, and denied that the pair were dating. Miss Maxwell was never seen at the property. On Thursday the New York Post published the photograph, taken three days previously. It was unclear whether she remained in the city or had moved on. Miss Maxwell has never been charged with any crime, and has always denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein's sexual abuses. However, prosecutors in New York and lawyers for the accusers are said to be keen to speak to her for questioning, as the conspiracy case into Epstein's network continues. Protesters outside court in New York on July 8 - the day Epstein was charged William Barr, the US attorney general, said he was "livid" at Epstein's suicide, and issued a blunt warning to his associates. "Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein," he said. "Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it." Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was overseeing the charges Epstein faced when he died, added that his team's "investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing."
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| Ex-lover of dead woman stuffed in suitcase is being hunted by FBI, Mo. officials say Posted: 14 Aug 2019 01:06 PM PDT  The suspect is charged with kidnapping the children of a woman found dead by a Missouri highway, federal prosecutors say.
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| The Latest: Supreme Court denies stay of Tennessee execution Posted: 15 Aug 2019 02:47 PM PDT  The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a Tennessee inmate's request for a stay of execution hours before he is scheduled to die in the electric chair. The execution of 56-year-old Stephen West is scheduled for Thursday evening at a Nashville prison. Gov. Bill Lee denied West's clemency application.
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| Ohio lawmaker proposes using seized fentanyl in executions Posted: 14 Aug 2019 04:54 PM PDT  An Ohio lawmaker says he has the solution to the state's problem securing execution drugs: use fentanyl seized by police instead.
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| 'I'm sorry, bro': Accused robber begs with armed guard and gets shot Posted: 14 Aug 2019 09:07 PM PDT  A video captures the moment the suspect stumbles on the ground and begs with the armed security guard.
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| What a Deadly Nuclear Explosion In Russia Tells Us About the World's New Arms Race Posted: 14 Aug 2019 10:41 AM PDT  "Accidents happen," said Vladimir Putin. But this wasn't simply a case of rotten luck
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| Trump Panics, Rushes Into Xi’s Arms Posted: 14 Aug 2019 08:38 PM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- It only took a small taste of what a U.S. recession might be like for President Donald Trump to suggest that he wants a trade deal with China after all.The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 800 points in its worst rout of the year after the gap between the two-year and 10-year Treasury yields turned negative for the first time since 2007. An inverted yield curve has preceded the last seven recessions in the U.S.Ever sensitive to stock movements, the president tried to calm the markets after the close. Abandoning his hawkish trade rhetoric, Trump extended an olive branch to Chinese President Xi Jinping in a series of tweets, calling him a "great leader" and a "good man." He ended his posts with "Personal meeting?," without specifying whether he was proposing a summit.The question is how Xi will respond to Trump's overture. Who's more desperate for a trade deal right now? Consider where China and the U.S. are in their respective business cycles. Since the trade war started, American consumers have sat tight and enjoyed their prosperity – just as Trump has boasted. China's economy, by contrast, has been having a much tougher time. In the past year and a half, Beijing has had to deal with all sorts of credit issues that could escalate into a wider economic crisis.Examples abound. Last year, regulators changed margin-financing rules as the stock market suffered one of the world's worst routs. The declines stemmed partly from listed companies pledging shares as collateral to secure short-term bank financing. This spring, the People's Bank of China undertook the first commercial bank seizure in two decades and was forced to calm ensuing jitters in the interbank market. Meanwhile, Beijing has had to deal with periodic peer-to-peer lending crises and bond defaults by state-affiliated entities. That might sound bad, but it helps China now. If a fireman has to put out fires every day for a year, he gets more proficient. That's where Beijing is now.The same can't be said of the U.S.. The slide in its sovereign long-term bond yields – a measure of investor confidence – has been fast and furious. Just two weeks ago, when Federal Reverse Chairman Jerome Powell described the U.S. rate cut as a " mid-cycle adjustment," the gap between the 2-year and 10-year bond yields was still 21 basis points. On Thursday morning in Asia, the 30-year yield, which more reflects traders' view of the overall health of the economy rather than the depth of the current easing cycle, fell to a record low below 2%. To be sure, China's economy is slowing: Industrial output growth is at its weakest since 2002. But digging deep into the data, the picture that emerges is of a government that's measured and confident. For instance, some of the weakness in the July data reflected moves to rein in shadow financing and restart property deleveraging. If Beijing wants better-looking industrial output numbers, it just needs to reopen the liquidity taps – as we saw in the first quarter.On Thursday, the PBOC was showing no signs of panic. The central bank rolled over 383 billion yuan ($54 billion) of medium-term facility loans with interest rates unchanged. While the world's largest central banks are racing toward zero rates, the PBOC has been sitting on the sidelines, saving its firepower for later.China's system has its advantages when it comes to economic management, as I've written. The ability of ministries to co-ordinate their policy responses means China can practice the ultimate in modern monetary theory, which is probably what the U.S. needs right now to restore its yield curve.So while Trump may think his olive branch is a big deal, the message to Washington is: Don't think you've got China on the ropes. Xi was panicking a year ago; he can afford to wait now. To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Unexploded WWII bomb found in Kremlin Posted: 15 Aug 2019 07:53 AM PDT  An unexploded World War II bomb was found in the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow during construction works on Thursday, Russian news agencies reported. "As you know, between 1941 and 1942 the Kremlin was bombed," Sergei Khlebnikov, the commandant of the Kremlin, told the Ria Novosti agency. The bomb was taken out of the Kremlin complex and will be liquidated, he said.
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| A Brief History of People and Animals Traveling Through Tubes Posted: 15 Aug 2019 06:51 AM PDT |
| Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:24 AM PDT ![Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation]( "Cuban government imposes price controls as it seeks to keep lid on inflation") Communist-run Cuba has imposed price controls on goods and services ranging from lemons and pork to haircuts and taxi fares in what it says is an effort to tame inflation as it increases state wages and pensions. On Thursday, prices in Havana were set for some basic foods such as beans, pork, lemons, bananas, onions and cabbage. In recent weeks, regional authorities have slapped price controls on taxi fares, beverages and haircuts, among other items.
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| Mystery ‘hero’ saved baby and others in El Paso shooting. Cops need help finding him Posted: 15 Aug 2019 11:08 AM PDT  Can you help El Paso police find this man?
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| Indian business ties underpin muted Arab response to Kashmir Posted: 15 Aug 2019 04:11 AM PDT  Gulf Arab countries have remained mostly silent as India's government moved to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its limited autonomy, imposing a sweeping military curfew in the disputed Muslim-majority region and cutting off residents from all communication and the internet. This muted response is underpinned by more than $100 billion in annual trade with India that makes it one of the Arabian Peninsula's most prized economic partners. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia urged restraint and expressed concern over the brewing crisis.
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| GOP candidate drops out of congressional race after calling himself a 'white nationalist' Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:20 AM PDT  "I said I was a proud white nationalist," he in a video announcing his exit from the congressional race while wearing a red Trump hat.
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| Mexico Cuts Rate for First Time in 5 Years as Economy Staggers Posted: 15 Aug 2019 12:20 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world embroiled in trade wars. Sign up here. Mexico's central bank reduced borrowing costs for the first time in five years after inflation slowed, the economy faltered and the U.S. cut its own rate. The peso weakened before paring declines to post gains.Led by Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon, the bank's board voted 4 to 1 to lower rates a quarter point to 8% from a ten-year high. The decision was forecast by 14 of 31 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Sixteen saw rates on hold, while one analyst predicted a half-point reduction.Investors were also split on which way the central bank would swing after the five-member board showed divisions in its previous meeting in June. Two members had expressed a dovish stance, while the majority raised concern about high core inflation and a deeply uncertain global environment. Then, last month, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador broke from his strict non-interventionist stance to tell Bloomberg he'd like to see a rate cut."I thought they would give more guidance, but they just cut and kept the door open for any move," said Marco Oviedo, chief Latin America economist for Barclays, who had predicted rates on hold. "So my best guess now is that they will follow the Fed.Read more: AMLO Says He'd Like Mexico to Cut Interest Rates to Boost GrowthSlowing inflation, economic slack and yield-curve performance were among reasons for easing, the central bank said in the statement accompanying its decision. But policymakers insisted they would remain prudent and act swiftly if risks to reaching the inflation target appear. The board added that uncertainty that could impact inflation persists while the growth outlook remained negative.At 2:12 p.m. in Mexico City, the peso traded at 19.6038 per dollar from 19.6756 yesterday. Markets aren't pricing in another cut until November, according to Bloomberg's implied probability model.Investors were leaning slightly toward easing on Thursdsay as forecast by interest-rate swaps. Their argument went: the 3.78% inflation rate is the lowest in 30 months, the economy narrowly dodged recession in the second quarter and in addition to the Fed, Brazil and Chile just lowered borrowing costs.Naysayers warned that 3.82% core inflation remains high, trade war risks with the U.S. abound and Argentina's assets just fell off a cliff after a primary election stoked concern South America's second-biggest economy will return to populist policies.'Vigilant,' 'Trajectory'Manuel Sanchez, a former central bank board member known for his hawkish views, had said before the decision that Banxico hadn't properly prepared the market for lower borrowing costs this time around and could lose credibility that's key to controlling inflation if it eases too soon.Credit Suisse economist Alonso Cervera, who predicted a rate reduction for today, said more easing is likely on the way if the peso doesn't weaken sharply. "I still think they will continue to cut if markets allow them," he said.Fitch Ratings agreed: "We still think Banxico will stay vigilant given domestic policy risks and the potential for risk aversion to affect the exchange rate," wrote Charles Seville, co-head of Latin America sovereigns at Fitch Ratings. "But depending on the trajectory of Fed rates, the door may be open to further rate cuts."(Updates with comments from Banxico in fifth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Rafael Gayol.To contact the reporter on this story: Nacha Cattan in Mexico City at ncattan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Juan Pablo Spinetto at jspinetto@bloomberg.net, ;Walter Brandimarte at wbrandimarte@bloomberg.net, Robert JamesonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 2 Palestinians in knife attack on Israel police, one shot dead: officials Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:51 AM PDT  Two Palestinian youths attacked Israeli police with knives in Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday before being shot by officers, leaving one of the assailants dead, officials said. Israeli police said an officer was moderately wounded and that the two assailants were shot. The Palestinian health ministry said one was killed, while Israel's Shaare Tzedek hospital said the second was left in critical condition.
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| Why this Never Trump ex-Republican will vote for almost any 2020 Democratic nominee Posted: 15 Aug 2019 10:00 AM PDT  I'm good with anyone who is mentally stable and in no way sympathetic or beholden to a hostile foreign power. That's it. Policy just doesn't matter.
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| Russian pilots land plane in cornfield, earn Kremlin praise Posted: 14 Aug 2019 09:58 PM PDT  Two Russian pilots safely landed an airliner carrying 233 people in a cornfield outside Moscow after striking a flock of birds, prompting the Kremlin to hail them as heroes who will receive top state awards. Russians have said it was a miracle that no one was killed when the Ural Airlines Airbus 321 came down in a field southeast of Moscow with its landing gear up after hitting a passing flock of gulls, disrupting the plane's engines. State television said the incident was being dubbed the "miracle over Ramensk", the name of the district near Moscow where the plane came down around one kilometer (0.62 miles) from Zhukovsky International Airport.
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| In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life Posted: 15 Aug 2019 09:43 AM PDT ![In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life]( "In a split-second, a CMPD officer shot my husband and saved my life") Officer Wende Kerl, who shot and killed Danquirs Franklin on March 25th in a Burger King in West Charlotte, will not be charged. I believe that's good news for us all.
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| Officials blame 'political rhetoric and misinformation' after shots fired at San Antonio ICE office Posted: 14 Aug 2019 12:32 PM PDT  An ICE spokesman said that "political rhetoric and misinformation" from politicians, media outlets, and activists were to blame for the shooting.
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| Mother arrested in death of 2-year-old Wichita boy Posted: 15 Aug 2019 03:46 PM PDT  A woman was arrested Thursday in the May death of her 2-year-old son in the latest case involving a Wichita-area child who died despite the involvement of state welfare officials. Police spokesman Charley Davidson said in a news release that new information from a regional forensics facility led to the arrest. State Rep. Michael Capps, a Wichita Republican, has said that state welfare officials had previous contact with Zayden's family.
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| Is divisive rhetoric to blame for mass shootings and violence? Posted: 13 Aug 2019 07:23 PM PDT  Reaction and analysis from Fox News correspondent-at-large Geraldo Rivera and Fox News contributor Dan Bongino.
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| A Princess Cruises passenger died after falling overboard, and investigators are reportedly trying to figure out if she was murdered Posted: 15 Aug 2019 08:07 AM PDT  The woman fell from the 11th deck of the Sun Princess cruise ship and died on Friday, the Taiwanese news agency CNA reported.
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| U.S. Blacklists China Nuclear Firms Accused of Aiding Military Posted: 14 Aug 2019 08:14 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. added four Chinese nuclear entities to a trade blacklist, accusing them of helping to acquire advanced U.S. technology for military use in China.China General Nuclear Power Group and its subsidiaries China General Nuclear Power Corp., or CGNPC, China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co., and Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute Co. were added to the so-called Entity List, according to a Federal Register notice published Wednesday.The move comes after a crackdown on U.S. exports of civilian nuclear components and materials in recent years. In 2016 the Department of Justice accused China General Nuclear Power, the country's largest nuclear group, of an espionage plot dating back to the 1990s to steal US technology. The Pentagon has also warned over China's plans to introduce floating nuclear power plants on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea.In October last year the Trump administration also announced that it was imposing further restrictions on exports of nuclear-related U.S. technology to China to "prevent China's illegal diversion of U.S. civil nuclear technology for military or other unauthorized purposes."The move follows a similar block against telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co., as well as five Chinese tech companies involved in the country's super-computing efforts, that have aggravated the year-long trade war between China and the U.S. The sides are set to resume face-to-face talks in early September.The notice on Wednesday added 17 entities to a trade blacklist, including groups located in Armenia, Belgium, Canada, Georgia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the U.K. All of them are being put on the list for "acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," it said.The blacklisting designation bars American companies from doing business with the entities unless they are given special U.S. government approval.'Diversion to Military'The Chinese nuclear firms "engaged in or enabled efforts to acquire advanced U.S. nuclear technology and material for diversion to military uses in China," according to the notice.A call to China's embassy in Washington outside regular business hours, as well as a fax to the foreign ministry in Beijing, went unanswered. An official for CGNPC in Beijing said that the company is aware of the news and the impact on its development would be "controllable."Nuclear EspionageThe Justice Department won a guilty plea in 2017 from an engineer charged with illegally helping China General Nuclear Power procure technology in the U.S., including for the design of so-called Small Modular Reactors, which can have military applications. In 2014, the U.S. accused five Chinese military officials with stealing trade secrets, including nuclear reactor technology from Westinghouse Electric Co.China General Nuclear is also a key partner in the U.K., working with France's Electricite de France SA to build the nearly 20 billion pound ($24 billion) Hinkley Point C project. In 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May delayed a final decision on the development amid speculation that it would give Beijing access to the nation's power system.\--With assistance from Feifei Shen.To contact the reporters on this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi in Singapore at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net;Shawn Donnan in Washington at sdonnan@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Margaret Collins at mcollins45@bloomberg.net, Sarah McGregor, Jeffrey BlackFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Trump blames mass shootings on mentally ill, calls for more mental institutions Posted: 15 Aug 2019 02:38 PM PDT  President Donald Trump said on Thursday he supports meaningful background checks for gun buyers, but he told reporters that those responsible for recent mass shootings were mentally ill and the United States should build more mental institutions. The president is under pressure to curb gun violence following mass shootings that killed dozens of people this month in Texas and Ohio.
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| ‘The Notebook’ Author Nicholas Sparks Tells Jury His LGBT Comments Were ‘Weaponized’ Posted: 14 Aug 2019 06:49 PM PDT  Rosdiana Ciaravolo/GettyRALEIGH, North Carolina—In a North Carolina courtroom, facing a jury of people who never read his bestsellers, romance novelist Nicholas Sparks was confronted Wednesday with his own words: explosive emails to and about the former headmaster of the North Carolina Christian school he founded.Sparks, best known for writing The Notebook, was by turns confident and testy as he fended off questions from lawyers for Saul Benjamin, a Jewish-born Quaker forced out of Epiphany School of Global Studies, a private Christian school in New Bern, five years ago. A federal lawsuit by Benjamin accuses Sparks and the school's board of bullying students and staff whose beliefs were out of step with the school's "religiously-driven, bigoted preconceptions." Benjamin claims Sparks then smeared his name and character after his 2013 departure, suggesting to community members that Benjamin was mentally ill.Sparks shined in the limelight of the witness stand Wednesday. He nodded to jurors and smiled at them between questions. He offered a few one-liners that elicited laughter from the audience. More than once, he interrupted Benjamin's attorney to push back against the premise of a question."I have been asked to tell the whole truth, not just part of the truth," Sparks said, placing his hands over his heart when Benjamin's attorney tried to move on to another question.Sparks accused Benjamin of "weaponizing" certain words and references to LGBT issues. He described a situation in which Benjamin told the board they had to change their employee discrimination policy or face losing accreditation. Sparks testified that on this, like other instances involving gay student issues, he and the board were misled by Benjamin. Sparks tried to head off any attempts to question his tolerance for LGBT students and faculty by proclaiming his own beliefs."Personally, I'm for gay marriage, gay adoption," he said.Sparks said he resented "leaks" to the media that portrayed him as a bigot or homophobic. Emails obtained by The Daily Beast in June revealed that Sparks sought to ban a LGBT club and student protests at the school, and reprimanded Benjamin for "what some perceive as an agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted."Author Nicholas Sparks Tried to Ban LGBT Club and Student Protests at His Christian School, Emails RevealAt its core, the lawsuit revolves around an employment dispute—promises made or promises broken in Benjamin's contract. Sparks and the school's lawyers argue that Benjamin was a poor fit and that his character and performance did not meet their expectations."He could have been fired for cause because he did an incredibly poor job in 12 weeks as headmaster," said Richard Pinto, an attorney representing Epiphany School.Benjamin's team claims that he was forced to resign after rocking the boat at the conservative school, including trying to recruit black students in the community. Other criticisms revolved around enabling LGBT students to explore their sexual identity questions at school and disciplining students who bullied them, the lawsuit claims."These events touched off a firestorm at the school," Pearson, Benjamin's attorney, said in his opening arguments.Both sides agree on this much:Sparks enthusiastically led the charge to hire Benjamin in 2013, luring the educator and his family from Morocco to run the rural eastern North Carolina school. Sparks moved Benjamin's family into a 2,700-square-foot home he owned, charging only $50 a month in rent. Sparks promised to help Benjamin "soothe or smooth waters" with the "John 3:16" crowd of parents and students at the school.The match quickly soured. Parents and students began to grumble.Sparks said school employees and board members reported to him that Benjamin routinely pointed out parents and students he deemed "bigots" or "racists," Sparks testified Wednesday.Sparks was unapologetic about questioning Benjamin's mental stability. The writer said the former headmaster called people names and labeled an entire local congregation "ignorant conformists," behavior Sparks described as "insane."At stake in this feud is more than $600,000—the balance of Benjamin's terminated contract. That bill, like many others at the school, would likely fall to Sparks and his foundation, which has been covering the school's deficits since its inception in 2006.Sparks has enjoyed tremendous commercial success with his 20 published novels, which have sold 105 million copies internationally. Many, including The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, were turned into Hollywood films. The Notebook is being adapted for a Broadway play.On the stand Wednesday, Sparks waffled when asked if the school was part of his celebrity brand."My brand is really the entertainment business. When you are well known, people want to know what you care about in the world. I thought it was OK for people to know I cared about education," Sparks said.Sparks' celebrity may be lost on the 10 jurors deciding the case against him. Only four prospective jurors admitted during selection Wednesday morning that they had read any of Sparks' books or seen the movies on which they were based.All four of them were dismissed from jury duty.Sparks will continue his testimony Thursday.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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| From D-Day to Nazi defeat: Marking World War II milestones Posted: 15 Aug 2019 01:08 AM PDT  For Allied troops in Europe, D-Day was just the beginning of a long and bloody push toward victory over the Nazis. Ten weeks after commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France is paying tribute this week to Allied troops involved in another major, but often overlooked, military operation: landings on the Mediterranean coast.
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| Family of Dayton gunman apologizes for writing 'insensitive' obituary Posted: 14 Aug 2019 01:53 PM PDT  An obituary for Connor Betts, the gunman in Dayton, Ohio, who killed nine, was removed from a funeral home's website at the request of the family.
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| Woman calls cops to say her car is stolen — as she speeds away from them, Iowa cops say Posted: 15 Aug 2019 01:51 PM PDT  A woman called 911 to report her car was stolen – while she was leading cops on a chase in the same car, police say.
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