| Hurricane Dorian death toll will be ‘staggering’, says Bahamas as storm barrels up US coast Posted: 06 Sep 2019 12:58 AM PDT  The death toll from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas will be "staggering", the country's government has warned – as the storm now begins to batter the US east coast.The official body count in the Caribbean nation stood at 30 on Friday morning but, with thousands missing, it is expected to rise sharply.
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| Walmart Moves on Guns. Politicians, Take Note. Posted: 06 Sep 2019 06:55 AM PDT  (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Walmart Inc., the biggest retailer in the U.S. and a leading seller of firearms and ammunition, announced this week that it would stop selling bullets for handguns and military-style rifles, stop selling handguns in Alaska (the last remaining state where it makes such sales), and "respectfully" ask its customers to stop openly carrying guns in its stores.The move is welcome in its own right — but it's especially encouraging as a sign that public opinion is swinging ever more strongly in support of effective gun-control policies. CVS, Kroger, Walgreens and other retailers have also adjusted their policies. If Walmart and others see the case for changing their minds, politicians ought to pay attention.QuicktakeGuns in AmericaWalmart took the opportunity to address politicians directly, saying: "We encourage our nation's leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger."The company has acted on guns before. It took assault weapons off its shelves in 2015, for instance. But this latest action is still striking. The recent attack in one of its stores in El Paso, Texas — leaving 22 dead, and followed within hours by another atrocity in Dayton, Ohio — was seen to demand a response. "The status quo is unacceptable," said Doug McMillon, the company's CEO. He's right.The announcement will help to strengthen the cultural change that seems to be happening. But to lessen the proliferation of firearms or the danger of guns getting into dangerous hands, political action is needed as well. The two go hand in hand, which is why Walmart's initiative matters."They have their finger on the pulse of what Americans want, and the Senate should take note," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. (Michael Bloomberg, owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, founded and helps fund Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates for universal background checks and other gun-violence prevention measures.)Momentum seems to be building toward meaningful gun-control regulation. Walmart's chief executive and the company's courageous board deserve credit for recognizing this, and for adding their weight to the cause.\--Editors: Clive Crook, Mark Whitehouse.To contact the senior editor responsible for Bloomberg Opinion's editorials: David Shipley at davidshipley@bloomberg.net, .Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too Posted: 06 Sep 2019 04:24 PM PDT ![1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too]( "1967 Chevy Chevelle Drives Itself And Crashes, Too") No, it wasn't on Autopilot. For a moment, some people on Interstate 5 in Everett, Washington might have thought a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle was driving itself. The "ghost car" rolled off a trailer it was being hauled on, cut across several lanes of traffic, then caused an accident before it finally came to rest. The incident happened on August 18, with the person who was hauling the car picking up a citation for failure to secure a load, which includes a fine of up to $228. After cutting across three lanes of damage, the Chevelle struck a car in the HOV lane. That car was outfitted with a dash cam, capturing the whole crazy incident for everyone to see. It's actually one of those scenarios where without video footage it's too much to believe.After hitting the other vehicle and the concrete barrier, the Chevy rolled back into the middle of the road. Thankfully other drivers were by then aware of the danger, stopping before any more carnage was done to the muscle car.Washington State Patrol said nobody was injured in the collision, which is quite fortunate. The Chevelle, on the other hand, has visible damage to at least the front end, driver's front fender, hood, driver's rear fender, trunk lid, and both wheels on the driver's side. All that isn't exactly going to buff out. Compared to the cost of the citation, the repair bill will be plenty large.As you can see in the video, the matte black classic muscle car obviously wasn't secured properly on its trailer. The vehicle also wasn't left it gear or with the parking brake engaged, otherwise it wouldn't have gone far at all. Admittedly, the situation could have been far worse.With how much clean Chevrolet Chevelles sell for these days, one would think the owner hauling this classic American muscle car would have double-checked it was secure before hauling it on the trailer, especially on the interstate.Photo and video credit: Tooper H. Axtman on Twitter Read More * 1929 Ford Coupe Has A True Steel Body * Own A Piece Of Indy Car History With This Ford F-150 PPG Pace Truck
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| Fitch downgrades Hong Kong citing protests and China fears Posted: 06 Sep 2019 03:29 AM PDT  Hong Kong's reputation as a dependable financial hub took a hit on Friday after Fitch downgraded the city's sovereign rating, citing ongoing protests and uncertainty caused by closer integration with the Chinese mainland. Millions of pro-democracy supporters have taken to Hong Kong's streets for the past three months in the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city's handover from Britain in 1997. The sometimes violent protests have heaped pressure on Hong Kong's economy, which had already been under pressure from the US-China trade war.
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| Is Vaping Marijuana Safe? Deaths and Lung Disease Linked to E-Cigs Call That Into Question Posted: 06 Sep 2019 12:35 PM PDT  The CDC is advising consumers to use caution
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| Maryland county officials blame Trump, media after allegations they aren't cooperating with immigration authorities Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:50 AM PDT  Montgomery County officials address allegations on lack of cooperation; National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd weighs in.
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| The Latest: Trump family building 'dynasty' for decades Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:31 PM PDT  Speaking to a convention of Republican Party delegates in Indian Wells, California, Brad Parscale also said the campaign's goal is to build a national army of 2 million trained volunteers, far beyond the president's 2016 organization, that in California could help the GOP retake a string of U.S. House seats captured by Democrats last year. Parscale later declined to elaborate on his prediction of a coming Trump "dynasty," or whether the president's children could become candidates for public office.
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| Erdogan to ‘Soon’ Unveil Review of Turkey Executive Presidency Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:25 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will "soon" announce the results of a review of Turkey's new political system, which he dominates, according to a top official.Erdogan ordered a study of the executive presidency at the height of opposition criticism that the set-up was inefficient and put too much power in a single office.Vice President Fuat Oktay said in an interview on Friday that the review found some "issues" in how Turkey implemented its switch from a parliamentary system.Turkey watchers will be on the look-out for any signs of a cabinet reshuffle to accompany what's likely to be limited revisions to the political framework.Oktay didn't elaborate on when Erdogan would announce the findings."We did a thorough study of what works and what doesn't," Oktay said on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy. Most problems identified are due to issues with implementation, he said.\--With assistance from Francine Lacqua.To contact the reporters on this story: Onur Ant in Istanbul at oant@bloomberg.net;Cagan Koc in Istanbul at ckoc2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Mark WilliamsFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 1987–1993 BMW 325i in Photos Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:59 AM PDT |
| Hurricane Center monitors 3 Atlantic systems; Gabrielle expected to become hurricane Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:09 AM PDT  Dorian remains a hurricane; Tropical Storm Gabrielle predicted to become a hurricane, but affect land; a third system may become a tropical cyclone.
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| North Korean leader berates officials over typhoon prep Posted: 07 Sep 2019 01:43 AM PDT  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has berated officials for their "easygoing" attitude to the approach of Typhoon Lingling, state media reported. The powerful storm is expected to make landfall in the North on Saturday afternoon after passing off the coast of South Korea, according to Seoul's Korea Meteorological Administration. Kim convened an emergency meeting on Friday and said "dangerous circumstances" caused by the typhoon were "imminent", but that many in positions of authority were ill prepared, the North's KCNA news service said later that day.
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| Iran speeds up uranium enrichment in latest breach of nuclear deal Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:23 AM PDT  Iran has sped up its uranium enrichment programme in the latest breach of the nuclear deal as it ratchets pressure on the West. A spokesman for the country's nuclear agency said it had launched forty centrifuges boosting its ability to make reactor fuel and ultimately nuclear weapons. Behruz Kamalvandi said the measures are reversible at this stage if the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal restore Iran's access to foreign trade. "The European parties to the deal should know that there is not much time left, and if there is some action to be taken [to salvage the nuclear deal], it should be done quickly," Mr Kamalvandi said on Saturday. Britain, France and Germany have repeatedly said they are committed to saving the deal that gave Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, but their efforts have so far borne little fruit. Behrouz Kamalvandi speaking during a press conference in the capital Tehran Credit: AFP Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has led the European initiative. In his latest effort, he offered Iran a $15 billion line of credit to compensate for lost oil sales. Mr Kamalvandi said the centrifuges now in operation are capable of enriching uranium to concentrations of 20 per cent. 90 per cent is required to make weapons grade uranium. Iran began breaching the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement after the US abandoned the deal last May and reimposed economic sanctions on the country. The deal was intended to prohibit Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In July the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found Iran had stockpiles of enriched uranium in excess of the 300kg it was allowed to have under the accord. Less than a week after the IAEA inspection, it began to enrich uranium to a 4.5 per cent concentration, exceeding the 3.67 per cent limit set out in the deal. The UK and French governments yesterday expressed disappointment at Iran's latest move. Dr Roham Alvandi an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and expert in Iran affairs said Iran does not wish to disband the 2015 deal and are trying to "keep it as in tact as possible". "This most recent step does not bring them much closer to developing nuclear weapons, that is not their intention. They are still subject to inspections by the IAEA who are monitoring their stockpiles. "There are so many variables that it is difficult to determine how long it would take Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was designed so Iran would remain at least a year away from reaching the necessary stockpiles for a bomb." What appears to be the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 off the coast of Tartus, Syria Credit: Maxar Technologies via Reuters Meanwhile, the Iranian tanker seized by Gibraltar in July was photographed by a US satellite off the Syrian port of Tartus. The vessel formerly known as Grace 1 was released on August 15 after Tehran made assurances that its 2.1m barrels of oil would not be released to Syria. The tanker was seized in July by the British Royal Marine who suspected it was travelling to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. On Friday, the oil tanker now called Adrian Darya 1 was photographed closed to Tartus, Mazar Technologies Inc, a US space technology company said.
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| Hong Kong protests to target airport after night of violence Posted: 06 Sep 2019 06:30 PM PDT ![Hong Kong protests to target airport after night of violence]( "Hong Kong protests to target airport after night of violence") Hong Kong protesters plan to block one of the world's busiest airports on Saturday after a night of violence in which police used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up crowds, the latest clashes in 14 weeks of unrest in the Chinese-ruled city. Hundreds of demonstrators, many masked and dressed in black, attacked metro stations on Kowloon peninsula on Friday night, targeted because of televised scenes of police beating protesters on a metro train on Aug. 31 as they cowered on the floor. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced concessions this week to try to end the protests, including formally scrapping a hugely unpopular extradition bill, but many said they were too little, too late.
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| Trump won't let Alabama map controversy go Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:58 AM PDT  Six days after his inaccurate warning that Hurricane Dorian posed a threat to Alabama, the president again used his Twitter feed to complain about news coverage of his mistake.
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| Sanders Criticized for Opposing Home-Rebuilding Aid to Areas Repeatedly Hit by Hurricanes Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:34 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is being excoriated for opposing federal assistance meant to rebuild homes repeatedly destroyed by storms."If people want to rebuild in an area which will be devastated by the next storm, they're certainly not going to get federal assistance from my administration to do that," Sanders said Wednesday at CNN's town hall on climate change.> "If people want to rebuild in an area which will be devastated by the next storm, they're certainly not going to get federal assistance from my administration." -Sen. Sanders on changing FEMA rules to spur a retreat from properties suffering repeated losses. ClimateTownHall pic.twitter.com/BC47QBZupm> > -- CNN (@CNN) September 5, 2019"We have the absurd situation where FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] will only pay to repair a facility or a piece of infrastructure where it was before it was destroyed. That's pretty stupid," the Vermont senator said. "I mean if it was destroyed once and you rebuild it, it's destroyed twice, it doesn't make a lot of sense to put it there again.""So would people in coastal communities, [who] have a house right on the beach, would they have to move?" CNN host Anderson Cooper asked."Well, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to rebuild that house so that it is, you know, knocked down again in the next storm," Sanders responded.Sanders noted scientific predictions that parts of Miami, Fla. and Charleston, S.C. could fall underwater at some point in the future, adding that as president he would do his best "through carrots and sticks at the federal level" to encourage people to move away from areas frequently threatened by hurricanes.Critics expressed outrage at what they said was a dismissive attitude toward storm-battered communities, with some pointing out that residents would like to move but cannot afford to do so."Many people in repetitive-loss properties would be thrilled to move, but are trapped where they are because no one will buy their property, so their only option is to keep taking money from the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] to rebuild," Raw Story reporter Matthew Chapman wrote in a tweet.> Hey Bernie, are you prepared to buy them out instead?> > Many people in repetitive-loss properties would be thrilled to move, but are trapped where they are because no one will buy their property, so their only option is to keep taking money from the NFIP to rebuild. https://t.co/v42Jg9tYWH> > -- Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) September 6, 2019Other critics pointed to Puerto Rico as an example of a community repeatedly hit by storms, and some criticized CNN, saying the network's tweet took Sanders's quote out of context.> I completely understand what he's saying, but for some people they don't have much choice in the matter. Having said that, while I'm not a Bernie fan, this is a poor quote to take out of context. I presume he's talking about people who CAN move inland but choose not to. https://t.co/w07ltYL4z7> > -- Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) September 6, 2019> Puerto Rico… https://t.co/gIqWTSk4V3> > -- Jake Snider (@jakehsnider) September 6, 2019
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| A group of jet skiers in the Bahamas rescued 100 people stranded by Hurricane Dorian Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:53 AM PDT  Rescuers ferried people on the jet skis to a highway bridge, one of the few places on Grand Bahama that was not flooded.
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| Why a NY businessman (and his mom) are still attacking Delaware — and Joe Biden Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:30 AM PDT  With a half-million dollar political ad buy, TransPerfect's ferocious public battle with the Delaware courts has bled into presidential politics.
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| Every Day Is a Car Show When You Appreciate Old Cars Gallery Posted: 07 Sep 2019 11:00 AM PDT |
| OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia replaces energy minister: state media Posted: 07 Sep 2019 03:37 PM PDT  OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia named King Salman's son as energy minister after sacking veteran oil official Khalid al-Falih, state media said early Sunday. "Khalid al-Falih has been removed from his position," the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing a royal decree. Prince Salman is the king's son and the brother of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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| UPDATE 1-Syrian army foils drone attack on military base in northwest Posted: 07 Sep 2019 04:34 AM PDT ![UPDATE 1-Syrian army foils drone attack on military base in northwest]( "UPDATE 1-Syrian army foils drone attack on military base in northwest") The Syrian army said on Saturday its air defences foiled a drone attack by "terrorist" groups on a main military base in northwestern Syria, where a Russian-brokered ceasefire has stopped months of fighting. The three drones, which were carrying explosives, were shot down on Friday and destroyed without causing any losses, the army said in a statement reported on Syrian state media. The Idlib region saw a lull in air raids that have been pounding rebel-held territory after Russia's defence ministry announced on Aug. 30 that Syrian forces would unilaterally cease fire in an "de-escalation zone" brokered two year ago.
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| Gusty winds to fuel wildfire concerns in California into early next week Posted: 07 Sep 2019 02:54 AM PDT  As the number of wildfires burning across California continues to grow, bouts of strong winds will further increase the fire danger into early next week.Sundowner winds, or gusty, northerly winds that develop when an area of high pressure sits just offshore of California, will batter parts of Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and the Grapevine through Monday night.Sustained winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, will be common in these areas, especially during the evening and overnight hours.Sunshine and very dry conditions will accompany the Sundowner wind events, further drying out vegetation and enhancing the risk for wildfire growth, spread and development. There are currently one dozen wildfires burning across California, according to Inciweb.The Red Bank Fire, which was started by lightning on Thursday, has exploded to 7,754 acres in size as of Saturday morning and is only 9 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.The fire, which is located about 30 miles southeast of Redding, has prompted mandatory evacuations for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and areas between Tedoc Road and Vestal Road.The Tenaja Fire, located just west of Temecula in the Elsinore Mountains, has charred 2,000 acres and was only 35 percent contained as of Saturday morning.Although the fire prompted evacuation orders on Thursday, residents were allowed to return to their homes on Friday as firefighters made significant strides in containment efforts, according to the Los Angeles Times.The cause of the Tenaja Fire is still under investigation as of Saturday.Unfortunately, the weather will not cooperate for firefighters hoping to gain more ground on the ongoing blazes as low humidity accompanies gusty winds statewide.Campers and hikers should remain cognizant of evacuation orders and coverage of wildfires this weekend to avoid getting into a life-threatening situation.In addition, campfires and cigarette butts should be thoroughly extinguished as even the slightest spark could erupt into a large blaze in a matter of hours.The howling winds will also threaten to bring down trees and power lines and trigger power outages across southern parts of the state. Motorists should keep both hands on the wheel and pull off the road if winds become too strong for safe travel. Wind gusts of this magnitude can make it difficult to remain in your lane and keep control of a vehicle.By the middle of next week, winds should decrease significantly as the area of high pressure moves directly overhead, making conditions more favorable for firefighting efforts.However, Mother Nature will provide no natural assistance to fire personnel as building heat and continued lack of any rainfall are in store for the second half of next week.
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| After NC ballot fraud, voters concerned about fair elections Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:08 AM PDT  In the North Carolina county where a congressional election was scrapped last year after suspected ballot tampering, voters say the county's history of underhanded politics makes them wonder whether fairness will continue beyond next week's special election. "In this county, I've always had doubts," said Jerry Jackson, a Bladen County native now retired after careers as a U.S Coast Guard lieutenant and prison case manager. State elections officials say the same investigators who documented the fraud last year are again ready to dig in if any irregularities are spotted during do-over balloting for the 9th Congressional District race between Republican Dan Bishop, Democrat Dan McCready and two others.
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| A$AP Rocky's Swedish lawyer was shot in the head and the shooting suspect is still at large Posted: 06 Sep 2019 09:46 AM PDT  The Swedish Police Authority wrote on its website that "several" people have been taken into custody for questioning in connection to the shooting.
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| Iceland's WOW Air to resume flights with new owners Posted: 06 Sep 2019 01:18 PM PDT  An American aviation firm said on Friday it had taken over Iceland's bankrupt airline WOW Air together with local investors and said flights would resume in October. USAerospace Associates CEO Michele Ballarin told a news conference that the company would relaunch carrying the same name, and that its first flight would be between Dulles airport in Washington DC and Keflavik in Iceland next month. The bankruptcy of the low-cost carrier March caused a big stir in Iceland where it was expected to have a negative impact on tourism numbers, as well as on the wider economy which is headed for recession.
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| Mainstream FARC rebels reject call to arms Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:08 PM PDT  A week ago several of the most prominent leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia sent a chill through this conflict-weary country when they emerged briefly from hiding to declare a return to arms. Lopez admits Marquez's call knocked him back on his heels. "No one expected this situation, let alone from Comrade Ivan Marquez," he said.
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| Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners in first sign of thawing relations Posted: 06 Sep 2019 10:54 PM PDT  MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine swapped dozens of prisoners on Saturday in a carefully-negotiated rapprochement that brought Western praise and could thaw a freeze in relations since Moscow's annexation of the Crimea region in 2014. While the exchange of 35 prisoners on each side could help rebuild confidence between Moscow and Kiev and allow them to start talking seriously over other issues including a conflict in east Ukraine, full normalization is a long way off. Following lengthy talks, a Russian aircraft carrying freed prisoners from Kiev landed in Moscow while a Ukrainian plane with its released prisoners touched down in Kiev.
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| These Delicious Cakes Put Christmas Cookies To Shame Posted: 06 Sep 2019 01:00 PM PDT |
| Hong Kong thwarts airport protest, but battles continue Posted: 07 Sep 2019 09:08 AM PDT  Hong Kong police thwarted another disruption at the airport by pro-democracy activists but had to battle protesters at subway stations on Saturday, as the months-long unrest showed no signs of abating even after the government offered a concession days earlier. Police mounted road checks and inspected passengers on trains and buses heading to the airport to weed out protesters. An Associated Press journalist at an area near the airport witnessed at least two bus passengers being handcuffed and taken away after police found face masks in their bags.
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| North-central US to endure cool, rainy pattern through early next week Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:56 AM PDT  Frequent bouts of wet weather will keep the north-central United States unusually cool for early September into next week.Residents from the Dakotas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will need to keep jackets and umbrellas close at hand during the pattern.It will be wet and cool over the northern Plains and into the Upper Midwest as frequent storms from the Pacific cross the region through early next week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.The rounds of storms will track along the northern and western periphery of record heat over the Southern states.Into Sunday, periods of rain will target a corridor from the Dakotas to Iowa and northern Missouri, with locally severe thunderstorms possible along the southern periphery of the rain. From Sunday night through Monday, a new storm system will spread soaking rainfall from southwest to northeast across the region.Commuters in Minneapolis could endure slower-than-normal travel times during the start of the traditional workweek.Additional storm systems will bring more bouts of wet weather to the North Central states into the middle of the week. Motorists with short- and long-term travel plans should anticipate times of reduced visibility when the rain pours down on sections of interstates 29, 35, 90 and 94. The rain will also create a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.While the rainfall will largely be a nuisance to travelers and those with outdoor plans, there will be a small risk of localized flooding, mainly in low-lying and poor drainage areas that get hit with steady rainfall more than once.Farmers may struggle to find times to work in the fields during the rainy pattern. AccuWeather's 2019 crop production analysis released on Friday affirmed the belief that corn and soybean production will be down this year.Accompanying the clouds and rain will be temperatures more typical of levels experienced in late September and early October across the northern tier of the central United States."Temperatures will be held in the 60s and in some cases, the 50s F during the daytime," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said. This includes in Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis; and Marquette, Michigan.Such highs are 5 to as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, according to Vido."Warmth may begin to nose farther north into the Midwest around the middle part of next week," Smerbeck said. During this time, temperatures will likely return to the upper 70s and lower 80s in Minneapolis, with highs in the 90s expected over the central Plains.However, the warmup will be short-lived as cooler conditions are forecast to move in late in the week. The cooldown will likely be accompanied by much drier weather.
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| The Brexit Saboteurs Posted: 07 Sep 2019 03:30 AM PDT  London — The European Union is the new Hotel California: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.Any hopes that the British government might actually go ahead and achieve Brexit, after more voters supported it than have ever voted for anything in the entire history of this formerly great country, were pretty well dashed this week when Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a spectacular series of defeats in the House of Commons, capped by the utterly humiliating departure of his own brother Jo, a Remainer, who quit both his brother's government and his seat in the Commons rather than be an ally for the Brexit Johnson has repeatedly promised would occur, "do or die," on October 31. Jo Johnson said he was putting "the national interest" ahead of party and family.After many in his own party deserted him, and, more to the point, deserted the country, by joining the pro-EU coalition in Parliament, a bill set to become law on Monday will require Johnson to go on bended knee to the EU to seek a second extension. After that outcome is secured, a general election looms.In proving that it is terrified of a no-deal Brexit, Parliament has effectively stripped the United Kingdom of all its negotiating leverage and made it probable that nothing like a clean break with the EU will occur. What Britain will wind up with will evidently either be continued EU membership or some sort of sham Brexit like the one that was repeatedly rejected when Theresa May tried to sell it to the Commons.How about this idea? "A simple referendum will solve Brexit," Tony Blair writes in an op-ed in the Evening Standard. Hang on, I thought there already was one. But no, you see, that referendum delivered the wrong result. Britain checked out of the EU in 2016, but it can never be allowed to leave.After the massive bipartisan effort known as Project Fear, backed almost unanimously by the media, failed to scare the British public into voting Remain in 2016, the British public should be asked to vote again, says Blair. There is now an even more massive bipartisan effort, led by an even more nearly unanimous media (the Daily Mail has switched sides to the Remain cause), to scare the voters about the prospects of a no-deal Brexit, which few really want, but the threat of which cannot be discarded if any serious negotiation is to be held with the EU. If no-deal is off the table, the EU holds all the cards. Blair, deeply desirous that his own country be subjected to whatever the EU dictates, is urging the U.K. to hold a "No, but seriously, you really don't want Brexit, do you?" referendum.Blair wants a second referendum because he fears that if Johnson should hold a general election and win a clear majority -- and the Conservatives are well ahead of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, according to the latest polling -- he might actually shove Brexit through. And Brexit cannot be allowed to happen because Brexit would not be normal. "The 2017 election," Blair writes, "should warn us against confusing a normal election with the not-normal but enormous issue of Brexit." You might counter that, in the thousand-year history of Britain, it's fairly not-normal for the country to surrender its sovereignty over everything from criminal justice to immigration policy to regulatory minutiae. You might also argue that it's fairly not-normal for a great country to simply ignore what its own voters clearly ordered because the elites don't like it.Ah, but there you'd be wrong! Christopher Caldwell pores over the anti-democratic European playbook in a superb essay in the Claremont Review of Books. In EU-land, it's perfectly normal for referenda to be ignored. In 1992, voters in Denmark rejected the Maastricht Treaty, then they voted the proper way in 1993. Irish voters rejected the EU Treaty of Nice in 2001, then in 2002 were ushered back to the polls, when they voted in accordance with EU wishes. After Ireland rejected the Treaty of Lisbon in 2008, the voters returned to the polls to deliver the EU-desired result in 2009. "These do-overs had become a Europe-wide symbol of contempt for voters," Caldwell writes. "And that is why Parliament voted overwhelmingly in March 2017 to validate the referendum, activate the E.U.'s Article 50, and fix the date for British withdrawal." That date was March 29, 2019, which turned out not to be all that fixed after all. The currently mooted terms would delay Brexit at least another 90 days past October 31, pushing the saga into 2020.If the EU would provide Johnson with some modicum of face-saving as he pleads for a slightly more genuine Brexit than the one Theresa May proposed, in which Britain would effectively have become a vassal of the EU, the matter could be ended. With his own countrymen and members of his own party sabotaging him at every turn, however, Johnson's "do or die" promise today looks every bit as hollow as May's declaration that "Brexit means Brexit."
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| Southern California fire grows to 2,000 acres; evacuations expanded Posted: 06 Sep 2019 07:38 AM PDT  Tenaja Fire prompts mandatory evacuations for homes along The Trails Circle in La Cresta and the Copper Canyon neighborhood in Murrieta, officials said.
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| Black girls in US pushed out of school over racist and sexist school dress codes, report finds Posted: 07 Sep 2019 06:40 AM PDT  Black girls in the US are being disproportionately pushed out of school over racist and sexist school dress codes and subjected to victim blaming by teachers, a new report has found.Researchers at the National Women's Law Centre (NWLC) found around half of secondary schools banned hair wraps or other head coverings, 59 per cent regulated the length of skirts and shorts, and 55 per cent regulated tightness and fit of clothing.
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| 'Freudian slip': Joe Biden dismisses Donald 'Hump' gaffe Posted: 07 Sep 2019 10:59 AM PDT  Democratic presidential candidates hope to make splash at New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention; Peter Doocy reports from Manchester.
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| UPDATE 1-U.S. House panel poised to spell out Trump impeachment probe -source Posted: 07 Sep 2019 12:18 PM PDT ![UPDATE 1-U.S. House panel poised to spell out Trump impeachment probe -source]( "UPDATE 1-U.S. House panel poised to spell out Trump impeachment probe -source") The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, criticized for an unorthodox impeachment probe of President Donald Trump, is poised to vote next week on a resolution to formalize the investigation, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The panel has rebranded what was originally an oversight probe of Trump's presidency as an "impeachment" investigation, with the aim of deciding by the end of the year on whether to recommend articles of impeachment to the full House.
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| Maduro rejects talks with opposition over envoy's remarks Posted: 07 Sep 2019 07:57 AM PDT  President Nicolás Maduro says that he won't resume talks with the opposition until it rejects calls by a top supporter in Britain to "drop the topic" of Venezuela's longstanding claims to an oil-rich part of neighboring Guyana. Maduro's comments late Friday came after his chief prosecutor opened an investigation against Vanessa Neumann, the top envoy in London for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuela's rightful president by the U.S., United Kingdom and four dozen other nations. "Until they rectify their position, they won't see our faces," Maduro said in a televised meeting with aides.
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| 6 Products on Deep Discount in September Posted: 06 Sep 2019 02:23 PM PDT  Fall is approaching, and the kids are headed back to school, which means you have more time to upgrade the kitchen and prep your property for cooler weather. September is a good time to buy lawn...
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| In Tenaja Fire, privately contracted firefighters keep eye on well-insured homes Posted: 06 Sep 2019 08:24 AM PDT  These crews are hired by insurance companies to provide services to homeowners, free of charge, as part of their homeowner's insurance policy.
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