| Obama: US should reject language from leaders that 'feeds a climate of fear and hatred' Posted: 05 Aug 2019 04:33 PM PDT  The statement comes after two mass shootings — one in El Paso, Texas,and the other in Dayton, Ohio — over the weekend and just hours after President Donald Trump addressed the nation.
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| Refugees in Pakistan fearful after India abolishes Kashmir autonomy Posted: 05 Aug 2019 02:04 PM PDT  Refugees in Pakistani-held Kashmir voiced fears for relatives still on the other side of the disputed Himalayan border Monday after India abolished the Muslim-majority region's special autonomy, raising fears of fresh violence. Many of the roughly 250 people in the Manak Paiyan refugee camp near Muzaffarabad, the largest city in Pakistani-held Kashmir, fled fighting in the 1990s but still have family on the other side of the Line of Control, the de facto border slicing through the heavily militarised region. The move is set to exacerbate the rebellion in Kashmir, and to deepen the long-running animosity with nuclear rival Pakistan, which has fought two out of three wars with India over the territory.
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| An Ohio state lawmaker blamed everything from gay marriage and drag queens to marijuana for 2 recent mass shootings Posted: 05 Aug 2019 11:20 AM PDT  State Rep. Candace Keller of Ohio blamed mass shootings on drag queens, recreational marijuana, video games, and President Barack Obama.
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| In Iraqi holy city, row over female violinist at soccer match shows social rift Posted: 07 Aug 2019 03:23 AM PDT ![In Iraqi holy city, row over female violinist at soccer match shows social rift]( "In Iraqi holy city, row over female violinist at soccer match shows social rift") At the opening ceremony last week for the West Asia Football Federation Championship, a tournament of Arab countries hosted by Iraq, a Lebanese woman violinist not wearing the Islamic headscarf and with uncovered arms played Iraq's national anthem. Many Iraqis were elated that such a ceremony, typical of international football tournaments, could finally take place on their soil after football governing body FIFA last year partially lifted a ban largely in place since 1990 on Iraq hosting competitive matches over security concerns.
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| Body found in ravine in search for British scientist missing on Greek island Posted: 07 Aug 2019 08:38 AM PDT  Greek police searching for a missing British scientist on the island of Ikaria have found a body at the bottom of a ravine. A police source said it was likely to be that of Dr Natalie Christopher, 34, who disappeared on Monday. Police, firefighters and volunteers had been scouring the island in the Aegean since Monday when Dr Christopher's disappearance was reported by her 38-year-old Cypriot boyfriend. The corpse was found by a volunteer involved in the search. "The body was found in a ravine, a small canyon, between 600 metres and a kilometre from the hotel where the couple were staying," Theodoros Chronopoulos, a Greek police spokesman, told The Telegraph. Asked whether the body had fallen into the ravine or been pushed, he said it was too early to tell. "We have to await the report from the coroner, which will take two to three days, in order to have the answers. This is crucial. At this point we don't know how she died." Oxford-educated Dr Christopher, a keen runner, rock climber and hiker, was spending a few days on Ikaria with her boyfriend. Dr Christopher is a keen runner, climber and mountain racer He said that when he woke on Monday morning, she was not in the hotel. He called her on her mobile phone and she told him she was running. He became worried a few hours later when she did not return and called again, but she did not answer. The couple, who live in Cyprus, were staying in the town of Kerame, on the north coast of Ikaria. Police are investigating spots of blood that were found on bed sheets in the hotel room where the couple were staying. The linen has been sent to a laboratory in Athens for testing. Her boyfriend reportedly told police that the blood was from a nosebleed that Dr Christopher suffered the night before her disappearance. Natalie Christopher was last seen on Monday on the Aegean island of Ikaria There were also blood spots in front of a mirror, according to the owner of the hotel. Police are also investigating reports that the couple may have slept in separate rooms the night before the British woman's disappearance. A cleaner at the hotel told Greek media that she found sheets spread out on a sofa in the hotel suite "which may indicate the couple was sleeping in separate rooms." Dr Christopher, who grew up in London, has a Masters in Physics from Durham University and did her PhD at Linacre College, Oxford. Her disappearance follows the rape and murder last month of an American scientist who went for a jog on Crete. Suzanne Eaton's body was found dumped inside a Second World War bunker a week after she went missing. A 27-year-old local man has allegedly confessed to the murder of the 60-year-old molecular biologist, who had been attending a conference on Crete. She worked for the Max Planck Institute at Dresden University in Germany.
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| Shep Smith Soberly Notes We’ll Soon Offer More ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ for Another Mass Shooting Posted: 05 Aug 2019 01:30 PM PDT  Fox NewsFox News anchor Shepard Smith began his Monday afternoon news broadcast by observing that all the offerings of "thoughts and prayers" in the wake of two horrific mass shootings over the weekend will be tossed out "soon yet again" after another similar tragedy occurs in the near future."Yet again in America," Smith soberly noted. "Yet again in America, innocent families are slumped to their knees in grief living an unimaginable weight, to retrieve the bullet-riddled bodies of their children. Yet again in America, we search our souls for answers, beg our leaders for solutions that thus far have not come."Explaining that, per one measurement, the massacres in El Paso and Dayton brought the number of American mass shootings this year to 251, the Fox News anchor said this was a "uniquely American" problem before describing the scenes at both shootings.Smith went on to highlight several other notorious public mass shootings, pointing out that this has now become "sadly routine" in this country."After all, the Gilroy Garlic Festival was just last week," Smith emotionally declared. "Remember that? Remember the details of that one? They do in Gilroy. Or Las Vegas or the Pulse nightclub. The synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Sikh temple in Wisconsin. The Baptist church in Texas. The Bible study in Charleston."Telling viewers that they may remember some of the details of some of these events, Smith explained that the survivors will say that they "never forget.""You can't forget ever," he said, adding: "Each time we hear kids cry, parents pray and politicians promise. Then it happens yet again in America."After noting that these most recent survivors will remember the gory moments of the shootings, Smith then concluded by suggesting that nothing will likely change in this nation."Now, gun laws," he said. "Regulations. Background checks. Soft targets. Body armor. Death penalty. Mental health. Time for action. I promise. Thoughts and prayers. We hear you. We heard you last time. And the time before that. We will likely do it all soon yet again in America."Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Kellyanne Conway is 'mad' media downplays Dayton shooter's liberal views, although no link is seen to massacre Posted: 06 Aug 2019 10:26 AM PDT  Unlike the El Paso massacre, which is being treated by the FBI as a possible hate crime, there is no indication at this point that the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, was racially or politically motivated.
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| One day after El Paso shooting, Florida man threatens to 'shoot up' Walmart where his mother works Posted: 06 Aug 2019 03:57 AM PDT  Wayne Lee Padgett, 31, called a Walmart where his mother works and threatened to "shoot up" the store. He was arrested and charged with a felony.
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| China slams US for 'bullying' Venezuela Posted: 07 Aug 2019 09:43 AM PDT  China on Wednesday hit back at remarks from a top US official who warned Beijing and Moscow against supporting the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, and called on Washington to stop "bullying" other countries. The United States is one of more than 50 countries backing opposition leader Juan Guaido in Venezuela, whereas China and several other countries, including Russia, support Maduro. On Tuesday, US National Security Advisor John Bolton urged China and Russia to avoid doing business with the Maduro government, after President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in the US and barred transactions with its authorities.
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| Brazilian gang leader found dead after trying to escape jail by dressing up as daughter Posted: 06 Aug 2019 07:43 AM PDT  A Brazilian gang leader who made headlines by attempting to escape jail bydressing up as his 19-year-old daughter has been found dead in his cell,Agence-France Presse reports
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| Ohio gunman's ex-classmates decry missed chances to stop him Posted: 05 Aug 2019 06:37 PM PDT  High school classmates of the gunman who killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, say he was suspended years ago for compiling a "hit list" and a "rape list," and questioned how he could have been allowed to buy the military-style weapon used in this weekend's attack. The accounts emerged after police said there was nothing in the background of 24-year-old Connor Betts that would have prevented him from purchasing an AR 15-style rifle with an extended ammunition magazine that he used to open fire outside a crowded bar early Sunday. The former classmates told The Associated Press that Betts was suspended during their junior year at suburban Bellbrook High School after a hit list was found scrawled in a school bathroom.
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| Two Iran Revolutionary Guards killed in clash with militants Posted: 07 Aug 2019 01:14 AM PDT ![Two Iran Revolutionary Guards killed in clash with militants]( "Two Iran Revolutionary Guards killed in clash with militants") Two members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have been killed in clashes with militants in a northwestern region near the border with Turkey, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday. "The governor of Maku said two Guards were martyred in a clash with terrorists while defending the fatherland," the television reported. Iranian Kurdish militant groups mostly based in neighboring Iraq, including the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), accused by Tehran of links to Kurdish PKK insurgents in Turkey.
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| Chicago gun violence leaves seven dead Posted: 06 Aug 2019 10:33 AM PDT  Seven people were killed and 46 wounded in Chicago last weekend, including in two multiple shootings on the West Side. The first of the shootings, in the Douglas Park neighborhood early on Sunday, left seven wounded. The second shooting, in Lawndale, wounded another seven and killed one.
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| Chernobyl's Historic Sarcophagus to Be Dismantled Posted: 07 Aug 2019 09:28 AM PDT  It will be replaced by a far safer structure.
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| The NRA issued a statement supporting Trump's call to focus on mental illness to reduce gun violence after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton Posted: 05 Aug 2019 01:17 PM PDT  The NRA backed Trump's call to focus on mental illness after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton, despite research showing no link between them.
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| Spirit Airlines do's and don'ts: Don't freak out about the seats, do sign up for deals Posted: 07 Aug 2019 05:09 AM PDT  Spirit Airlines' business model of low fares and a flurry of fees can be confusing for travelers. The discount airline with the bright yellow planes
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| How immigrants became the target of white nationalists Posted: 06 Aug 2019 02:19 PM PDT  The influx of Latino immigrants was part of a larger trend that had emerged across much of the southern United States toward the end of the last century and particularly in North Carolina, which saw a 110 percent increase in Latinos between 1990 and 1998.
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| Peter Pan Bus Driver Arrested After Allegedly Locking Passenger in Vehicle's Luggage Compartment Posted: 06 Aug 2019 12:45 PM PDT  Peter Pan Bus Driver Arrested for Locking Passenger in Luggage Area
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| China rare earths group supports counter-measures against U.S. 'bullying' Posted: 07 Aug 2019 05:53 AM PDT ![China rare earths group supports counter-measures against U.S. 'bullying']( "China rare earths group supports counter-measures against U.S. 'bullying'") China's rare earths association said it would support Chinese counter-measures in the escalating trade row with the United States, which it accused on Wednesday of "bullying". The Association of China Rare Earth Industry issued a statement after a special working meeting on Monday to discuss the "guidance" given by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to a rare earth plant in Jiangxi in May. Xi's visit stoked fears China would use its dominance over production of rare earths, a group of 17 chemical elements prized for their use in consumer electronics and military equipment, in the escalating trade war, although no restrictions on supplies have so far been announced.
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| Killer Revealed Where He Dumped Yingying Zhang’s Remains—But Finding Her May Be ‘Impossible’ Posted: 07 Aug 2019 09:10 AM PDT  REUTERS/Robert ChiaritoThe family of murdered Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang has finally learned what happened to the body of their beloved daughter. Brendt Christensen, the 29-year-old who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Zhang's murder, informed his attorneys that after killing and decapitating Zhang, he put her body in three separate garbage bags, then disposed of those bags in the dumpster outside his Champaign, Illinois, apartment.Christensen, a former physics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois, raped, choked, and stabbed 26-year-old Zhang before beating her with a baseball bat and decapitating her in June 2017. Zhang was a visiting scholar at the university.Zhang's father, Ronggao Zhang, said on Wednesday: "If what that man said is true, it further confirms that he is a heartless and evil person. We condemn his brutal and malicious actions and we hope that he suffers the rest of his life as he made Yingying suffer in the final moments of her life."Ex-University of Illinois Ph.D. Candidate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Visiting Chinese ScholarHe added, "We now understand that finding her may be impossible."Days after the murder, Christensen said he put Yingying's clothing, backpack, cell phone, books and other personal items into a large duffel bag and then distributed them in dumpsters throughout the Champaign-Urbana area.Attorney Steve Beckett, who represents Zhang's family, said last week that defense lawyers provided the information about Zhang's remains as part of an "immunity" agreement in November 2018, telling prosecutors that Zhang's body was likely in a landfill in Vermilion County in Illinois.As the information was provided "under immunity," prosecutors were not able to use or communicate that information to anyone—including her family—during the criminal trial, according to a statement from the Zhang family released on Wednesday morning.During a follow-up investigation, authorities determined that the contents of Christensen's dumpster were picked up on July 12, 2017, "compacted at least twice," and taken to a private landfill near Danville, Illinois, the statement said.The portion of that private landfill that was being actively used at the time was about half a football field in width, and, by the time Christensen's attorneys informed authorities about the remains, they would have purportedly been covered by at "least 30 feet of fill from later garbage hauling.""It is evident that any attempt to recover Yingying's remains would be complicated and expensive, would require government oversight and the cooperation of the landfill owners and would have no certainty of success," said the statement. "To date, no search has been undertaken. But the Zhang family understands that the authorities are still considering an attempt to locate and recover Yingying's remains.""At this time, they think the most prudent thing to do is to allow the authorities to handle the situation and undertake the recovery of Yingying's remains if it is feasible," according to the statement.WTTW-TV's Matt Masterson also reported on Wednesday that Christensen "has not and will not file an appeal" to his convictions.Earlier this week, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign created an endowment, called Yingying's Fund, that is aimed at helping international students "during times of hardship, when they need it most," according to the fund's donation page.Zhang's family reportedly provided the first gift for the endowment. The fund had already amassed more than $30,000 by Wednesday morning.A bilingual memorial service for Zhang will be held on Friday in Savoy, Illinois.Ex-University of Illinois Ph.D. Candidate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Visiting Chinese ScholarRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Troops lock down Kashmir as India votes to strip its status Posted: 06 Aug 2019 06:02 PM PDT  Indian lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that strips statehood from the Indian-administered portion of Muslim-majority Kashmir, which remains under an indefinite security lockdown, actions that archrival Pakistan warned could lead to war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government submitted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill for a vote by the lower house of Parliament a day after the surprise measure was introduced alongside a presidential order. "After five years, seeing development in J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) under the leadership of PM Modi, people of the valley will understand drawbacks of Article 370," Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said just before the bill was passed.
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| Shop Some of Our Favorite Gear During REI's Summer Sale Posted: 06 Aug 2019 10:37 AM PDT |
| 'Headline was flawed': New York Times changed headline about Trump speech after backlash Posted: 06 Aug 2019 10:31 AM PDT  A few Democratic presidential candidates took to Twitter on Monday night to criticize the New York Times' Tuesday front page headline.
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| Pakistan Army Will Go to ‘Any Extent’ Against India’s Kashmir Move Posted: 06 Aug 2019 03:56 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's foreign minister wrote to the United Nations, while its army pledged to go to "any extent'' against India's move to revoke the autonomous status of Kashmir, that's claimed in full by the two South Asian nations.Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote a letter to the secretary general of the United Nations informing him about the "critical situation" in Kashmir, according to a tweet by Pakistan government on Tuesday. Pakistan's army in a separate tweet said it "stands by the Kashmiris in their struggle to the very end. We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfill our obligations."India has accused Pakistan of using militant groups including Jamaat-ud-Dawa led by Hafiz Saeed, the suspected planner of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, of waging a proxy war in Kashmir. Islamabad denies the charges. A global anti-money laundering agency known as the Financial Action Task Force has placed Pakistan in a grey monitoring list following a push by the U.S. and European allies to get Pakistan to do more to combat militancy.Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at the Quaid-i-Azam University, said Pakistan cannot ignore the global pressure to end its alleged support for militancy."There is no need to create a proxy" and use militant organizations, he said from Islamabad. Pakistan should "go through the diplomatic and political channels and observe maximum restraint" on Kashmir.The army supports the government's rejection of the Indian move and it won't recognize the "sham" Indian efforts to revoke the autonomous status of the state, spokesman General Asif Ghafoor said in a Twitter message after a meeting of top army commanders. The nation's Parliament is meeting on Tuesday to debate the Indian move.While Qureshi is leading a Pakistani delegation to attend a meeting of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, in Jeddah to discuss the Indian move in Kashmir, Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to top leaders of Turkey and Malaysia a day earlier telling them that New Delhi's move would "undermine" relations between the two countries.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to revoke seven decades of autonomy to Kashmir has raised tensions with Pakistan as the south Asian neighbors have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over the disputed territory. The last conflict happened in February when Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet in a dogfight over Kashmir and took its pilot as prisoner. He was later released.(Updates to add military's comments in second paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Ismail Dilawar in Karachi at mdilawar@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Khalid Qayum, Abhay SinghFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Evidence of 'Herculean' parrot found in New Zealand Posted: 06 Aug 2019 09:14 PM PDT  The remains of a super-sized parrot that stood more than half the height of an average human and roamed the earth 19 million years ago have been discovered in New Zealand. Judging by the size of the leg bones, the bird would have stood about one metre (39 inches) tall and weighed up to seven kilograms (15.5 pounds), according to a report by an international team of palaeontologists published in the latest edition of Biology Letters. "It could have flown but we're putting our money on it being flightless," Paul Scofield, the senior curator of natural history at Canterbury Museum, told AFP Wednesday.
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| Remains of British woman who fell from plane found in Madagascar Posted: 07 Aug 2019 09:29 AM PDT ![Remains of British woman who fell from plane found in Madagascar]( "Remains of British woman who fell from plane found in Madagascar") Police said on Wednesday they had found the remains of a British woman who fell 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) from a light aircraft in the remote north of Madagascar last month. Alana Cutland, a 19-year-old Cambridge University student, was visiting the island on an internship complementing her studies in natural sciences, her family has said. Authorities are not pursuing a criminal inquiry in the case, Andrianoasy Ralaivaonary, local gendarmerie commander in Mahajanga, said in a statement.
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| The Latest: Family of Ohio shooter, sister release statement Posted: 06 Aug 2019 05:57 PM PDT  The family of the Ohio shooter and his sister who was among the nine killed has released a statement saying they are devastated, and cooperating with law enforcement's investigation. The family offered "their most heartfelt prayers and condolences" to the victims killed by 24-year-old Connor Betts, who opened fire early Sunday in Dayton's Oregon entertainment district. Twenty-two-year-old Megan Betts was killed by her brother.
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| Here's why the pilot of Enola Gay had no regrets about dropping the first atom bomb Posted: 06 Aug 2019 06:57 AM PDT  On August 6, 1945, US bomber the Enola Gay launched the world's first nuclear attack, dropping an atom bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
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| ‘Fox & Friends’ Host Brian Kilmeade Defends ‘Invasion’ Term Allegedly Used by El Paso Suspect Posted: 06 Aug 2019 05:33 AM PDT  Fox NewsFox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade thinks it's perfectly OK to describe immigrants coming into the country as an "invasion"—the same term allegedly used by the suspected El Paso gunman who shot 22 dead.Authorities are investigating a racist screed posted on far-right message board 8chan in connection with the suspect in Saturday's mass shooting in the Texas border city. The "manifesto," posted minutes before the attack, said it was a "response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas."The incendiary language is used frequently by President Trump and his campaign. Facebook advertising from Trump's re-election campaign has pushed the idea of an "invasion" at the southern border, reportedly posting more than 2,000 ads on the social network that include the word "invasion." Despite its alleged use by the El Paso suspect, Kilmeade said there was no problem with describing incoming immigrants as an "invasion." Speaking on the show Tuesday morning, he said: "When you have over 110,000 people coming a month—over a million last year and well over a million last year—if you use the term 'invasion,' that's not anti-Hispanic, that's a fact."He went on: "If the Russians were coming through Alaska through Canada, the president would be using the same language. But it's the fact it's happening at the border, if you talk to people who are apolitical at the border, people want to look at the words 'infested' and look at what the president is saying, and then they saw 'How can he use this rhetoric?' when it turns out Elijah Cummings was using the same exact rhetoric 10 years before the president was even hosting The Apprentice?"The racist document linked to the El Paso suspect railed against Hispanic immigrants "invading" the U.S., claiming they are taking Americans' jobs and lowering quality of life. The author wrote: "I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion."A man who was shot twice in El Paso's mass shooting but survived claimed the gunman specifically targeted Hispanic people. When Chris Grant woke up Monday and told his family about the ordeal. "He stated that the shooter was targeting Mexicans and was passing whites, African Americans," said Laura Hromatka, Grant's former wife.Violence Follows Trump's Talks About 'Invaders'Trump was apparently tuning into the show. He tweeted along, posting a quote from Kilmeade that people are just trying to "push that racist narrative" in response to the shootings because of the upcoming election. He repeated his previous claim that he is the "least racist person"Trump went on to write: "Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control. Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres."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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| Thousands evacuated after explosions in Russia ammo depot Posted: 06 Aug 2019 11:53 AM PDT  Explosions at a Russian military ammunition depot in Siberia injured at least eight people and began the evacuation of thousands Monday.
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| Tourist plummets to death near Yosemite waterfall after slipping off rock Posted: 06 Aug 2019 09:30 AM PDT  A 21-year-old Romanian tourist fell to his death near a waterfall at YosemiteNational Park after he slipped off a rock, KCRA reports
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| Mass shootings and misogyny: The violent ideology we can't ignore Posted: 06 Aug 2019 01:16 PM PDT  Recent shootings in Ohio, Texas and California have led to widespread condemnation of white supremacy, but experts say misogyny must be addressed, too
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| 13 Art-Oriented Day Trips from New York City Posted: 07 Aug 2019 10:24 AM PDT |
| Russia tries to remove child from parents over opposition rally Posted: 06 Aug 2019 12:41 PM PDT  Russian prosecutors sought to strip a couple of parental rights on Tuesday after they brought their baby to a rally, as the authorities pressed ahead with a crackdown on the opposition. Over the past few weeks, thousands of Muscovites have taken part in protests against the exclusion of popular opposition politicians from Moscow's parliament elections in September. The authorities have retaliated with a crackdown, opening a probe into "mass unrest" and making nearly 2,400 arrests at two recent unauthorised rallies.
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| Founder of site linked to mass shootings says he created 'a monster' Posted: 06 Aug 2019 06:51 AM PDT  The creator of a far-right online message board connected to three mass shootings that killed dozens of people has described himself as "naive and ignorant", likening the platform 8chan to Frankenstein's monster, with no limit to its extremism. Fredrick Brennan, 25, who lives in the Philippines, said the free-wheeling web board he created in 2013 had become a hive of white supremacy, anonymous hate, and Neo-Nazism since he sold it to a fellow American, and said he felt a sense of guilt, "sometimes". "If I could go back and not create 8chan at all, I probably would," he told Reuters in an interview.
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| Missouri abbey: 8 priests credibly accused of abusing kids Posted: 06 Aug 2019 07:51 AM PDT ![Missouri abbey: 8 priests credibly accused of abusing kids]( "Missouri abbey: 8 priests credibly accused of abusing kids") A Benedictine monastery in northwestern Missouri has released the names of eight priests or brothers who it says face credible allegations of having sexually abused children during the last seven decades. The Conception Abbey, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) north of Kansas City, said on its website Monday that seven of the priests are dead and the eighth had been removed from the ministry. "On behalf of the monks of Conception Abbey, I offer my unconditional apology to all victims and their families affected by the evil of clergy sexual abuse," the Right Rev. Benedict Neenan, the Roman Catholic monastery's abbot, said in a statement on its website.
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| British woman's lawyer resigns from Cyprus rape claim case Posted: 07 Aug 2019 09:50 AM PDT  The trial of a British woman accused of making a false rape claim in Cyprus descended into confusion on Wednesday after her lawyer abruptly quit over a "serious disagreement" with his client. Andreas Pittadjis, a Cypriot lawyer, said that he could not continue because of differences with the 19-year-old over how to best mount a defence. Mr Pittadjis gave no details of the disagreement but he appeared to take issue with the woman's claim that she had been coerced by Cypriot police into retracting an allegation that she was gang raped by a group of Israelis. "I do not wish any longer to represent the defendant as I disagree with the line of defense," Mr Pittadjis said. "Once there is a disagreement (lawyers) have an obligation towards the court themselves and their clients to resign." The woman's family has been working with a British legal group, Justice Abroad, which issued a statement earlier in the week saying that Cypriot police had threatened her until she recanted her accusation against the Israelis. Cyprus police deny that claim. The arrested Israelis were all released Credit: AP Photo/Petros Karadjias Her trial has now been postponed until August 19 and she will remain in custody until then. Justice Abroad did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Pittadjis said his resignation was not an indication of the woman's guilt or innocence. "Please do not interpret my resignation as whether she had to plead guilty or not guilty or anything, as this will be prejudicial to her defence and unfair to her as well," he said. The woman, who cannot be named, has been charged with public mischief and faces up to a year in prison if convicted. Twelve young Israelis were arrested after she first made the gang rape claim in mid-July but have all been released and returned home. The woman reportedly had consensual sex with some of the Israelis, who filmed the encounter and shared it among themselves. Israeli media reported that some of the videos had been uploaded to the internet.
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| Trump Hints at More Trade Aid as Farmers Absorb ‘Body Blow’ Posted: 06 Aug 2019 10:51 AM PDT ![Trump Hints at More Trade Aid as Farmers Absorb 'Body Blow']( "Trump Hints at More Trade Aid as Farmers Absorb 'Body Blow'") (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he's prepared to deliver more aid to farmers hurt by the trade war with China, but concerns are growing that the U.S. agriculture industry could suffer a long-term loss of market share as other countries rush in to fill Chinese orders.The nation's leading farm group on Monday called China's decision to halt imports of U.S. agricultural products "a body blow" to the nation's farmers, a crucial constituency for Trump.The president responded with assurances of continued assistance to farmers in a tweet Tuesday morning, suggesting he would add to the $28 billion in trade aid he has approved for farmers over the past two years."As they have learned in the last two years, our great American Farmers know that China will not be able to hurt them in that their President has stood with them and done what no other president would do," Trump said in a tweet. "And I'll do it again next year if necessary!"Trump so far has maintained support among the rural voters who overwhelmingly backed his 2016 election with federal assistance partially making up for farmers' losses from tariff dispute. But farmers and their lobbyists in Washington increasingly respond with demands for "trade not aid" as shifts in global trading patterns harden.Brazil and Argentina are capturing larger shares of soybean sales to China, the largest export market for the oilseed. Total U.S. soybean exports in the 2018-2019 growing season dropped to 46.3 million metric tons from 58.1 million the prior year. At the same time, Brazil and Argentina's combined soybean exports rose to 86 million metric tons from 78.3 million prior the year, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture.Farmers in Brazil are also investing to convert more land to soybean production to satisfy Chinese demand, raising the country's long-term capacity to grow crops. Fertilizer Giant Yara International ASA forecasts Brazil's soybean planted area will rise 2.5% this year as farmers shift pasture land and sugar-cane areas to the crop.The chairman of the trading arm of China's top food company told an industry event in Sao Paulo on Monday that his company expects to increase soybean purchases from Brazil by 5% a year for the next five years. Johnny Chi, chairman of Cofco International, also said his company plans to boost investments on logistical supports in Brazil.Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. Chief Executive Officer Juan Luciano said on an Aug. 1 conference call with analysts that the damage to U.S. agriculture grows the longer the tariff dispute continues, though he doesn't think it has yet done irreparable harm."People find alternatives and eventually they become a little bit more comfortable with those alternatives," Luciano said. "So this is not good for the U.S. farmers."'Cannot Last Forever'Zippy Duvall, president of the the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation's largest and most influential general farm organization, said Monday U.S. farmers are "grateful" for the money the Trump administration has given them so far but "we know that aid cannot last forever."He said China's import cut-off was "a body blow to thousands of farmers and ranchers who are already struggling to get by."Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union, the nation's second-largest general farm group, said Trump's "strategy of constant escalation and antagonism" has "just made things worse." America's family farmers and ranchers "can't withstand this kind of pressure much longer."Duvall said the tariff war is worsening the plight of a farm sector already reeling from low commodity prices and bad weather. U.S farm exports to China had already fallen $1.3 billion during the first half of the year, he said."Now, we stand to lose all of what was a $9.1 billion market in 2018, which was down sharply from the $19.5 billion farmers exported to China in 2017," Duvall said.Trade AidLast year, the administration announced $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by the spat. Trump followed that up with another $16 billion in trade assistance this year.Prior to Trump's tweet, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue had warned farmers not to count on more trade aid. Agriculture Department spokeswomen didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's tweet.Trump won overwhelming backing from rural voters in 2016 and their continued enthusiastic support is crucial to his re-election bid. In June, 54% of rural voters approved of Trump's job performance compared with a national approval rating of 42%, according to a Gallup survey of 701 self-identified rural voters.Farmers optimism rebounded in July, after the latest tranche of trade aid was announced and before the escalation in the trade war. The Purdue University/CME Group's agricultural sentiment index increased to 153 points in July from 126 in June, according to a survey of 400 agricultural producers.(Adds export data in sixth paragraph.)\--With assistance from Michael Hirtzer and Dominic Carey.To contact the reporters on this story: Mike Dorning in Washington at mdorning@bloomberg.net;Mario Parker in Chicago at mparker22@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, ;James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net, Laurie AsséoFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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